Microbes Rule!

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 14.06.05

  1. Unit Guide
  1. Background Environment
  2. Whom the Unit Serves
  3. Rationale
  4. Background Information
  5. Smallpox
  6. Daily Schedule Overview of Unit and Activities
  7. Final Student Production
  8. Bibliography
  9. Appendix A
  10. Appendix B
  11. Notes

Microbes as a Driving Force of Change

Arcadia Alice Teel

Published September 2014

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Background Environment

Our high school is somewhat atypical of an urban high school. We have recently celebrated 100 years as a high school and the 40th anniversary of voluntary integration. We are part magnet school and part neighborhood school. That means any student living within the traditional borders of the school is allowed to attend the school unless they have a history of extreme behavioral issues. These students do, indeed, take a placement exam, but it is only for the purpose of finding the correct course fit and not used for admittance. The other students come from across the rest of the school district and face a rigorous application process. For us, that means that we are probably the most racially, ethnically, religiously, and socio-economically diverse high school in the district. We are also one of only two high schools in the state with an International Baccalaureate Program. Fifty-four percent of our students are on the free or reduced lunch program and many are in remedial math and reading programs.

We are also a Middle Years Program (MYP) school. The Middle Years Program is part of the International Baccalaureate Program (IB). The IB program fosters cultural awareness and the focus is to develop students who are critical and reflective thinkers. The program also strives to help students make real-world connections to what it is they are learning. Assessments are used to discover the depth of knowledge and the methods are very holistic. Most of the school's general education students do not complete the IB program; however, our curricula are geared towards making sure all students are educated in this manner throughout the school. All 9th and 10th grade science classes are taught with the MYP standards in mind so that students entering into the more advanced science classes have an idea of the rigor that awaits them.

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