FACA Projects 2019
FOUR-WEEK PROJECTS
Upper School Science: Core 10 Curriculum Development
The Core 10 team worked with Core 9 consultants in building the second year of the US science foundational program. The team produced a new curriculum, integrating biology and chemistry into a rigorous foundation of both content and skills for 10th grade students.
TWO-WEEK PROJECTS
Discovering Google Earth to Experience the Francophone World
This project explored using Google Earth and virtual reality as a way to map, discover and experience Francophone regions around the world.
Interdisciplinary Studies 2019
Inspired by faculty interest, conversations, and a sense that we should be evaluating our teaching practices regularly, six teachers embarked on an exploratory FACA to research Interdisciplinary programs last summer (2018). Bolstered by science that supports interconnected thinking and learning and faculty receptivity to broaden our current offerings, the group considered multiple ways to redraw the lines of single disciplines into broader studies and to create partnerships and new configurations for classes. This project continued the work.
It’s Time: Shaping a Planned, Sequenced Human Sexuality Curriculum for Parks K/Lower School Students
The purpose of this project was to develop scaffolding, scope and sequence, learning objectives, and sample lessons for a potential K-5 Human Sexuality curriculum.
Male Students of Color in Lower School
This FACA offered participants an opportunity to reflect on their own cultural competence in approaching males of color in early the grades, to survey the most current research about best practices in the field of education to ensure student success for males of color, and to evaluate curricular materials with an eye towards tapping into the unique perspectives and experiences of males of color and their families.
Music Technology
During this FACA, participants shared what they have been using in the classroom, developed a common competency in select software platforms and skills, and collaborated in creating a developmentally appropriate music technology curriculum for grades 3-12.
Responding to the Wellness Needs of our Students
In this two week FACA project, members of the Health Team used the data and analysis provided by the Independent School Health Check (ISHC) to identify and develop responses to areas of particular strength and concern within our community. They clarified key department priorities, developed and enhanced targeted counseling and wellness programming and initiatives for students, parents and faculty.
Social Emotional Learning in the Lower School: Understanding and Responding to Challenging Behaviors
During this project, faculty researched and created healthy and caring responses to address the range of social/emotional needs they are currently seeing in their students, as well as developed ways to empower their students with mindful strategies they can use on a daily basis and in the moment.
Think, Design, Build: Constructing a Drawing and Painting Curriculum in the Lower School
This project allowed faculty to research and craft a developmentally appropriate progression for the art processes of drawing and the painting for their students in grades K-5.
This is What It Looks Like: Communities of Color
The idea for this FACA stemmed from one central question that participants wished to explore among themselves and to share with the Park Community: What is it like to be an employee of color in a predominantly white, progressive, independent school?
ONE-WEEK PROJECTS
Digging in: A Renewed Commitment to the Lower School Garden
Nine Lower School teachers pursued curricular work that allowed them to confidently bring their students to the garden for meaningful teaching and learning the in 2019- 2020 school year. This broad coalition of teachers also worked together to revitalize the garden space, which had grown neglected and underutilized.
Stories from Home
For five consecutive summers, the Stories from Home FACA has provided Park faculty the opportunity to explore issues of diversity and identity through the examination of “home.” This one-week follow-up project continued this work, but with a new group of participants representing all three divisions of the school.
Upper School Science: Core 9 Curriculum Revisions
This project allowed the Core 9 team time to take lessons learned from a year-long pilot of the curriculum and incorporate improvements for the upcoming year. Time was spent reviewing student evaluation data, revising major assignments (long-term projects), increasing the degree of differentiation offered, and training teachers new to teaching Core 9.