St. Theresa School - a Catholic Elementary and Middle School of Oakland, CA for grades K - 8

Curriculum Overview

Kindergarten

  • Religion: Coming to God's World (Sadlier, 1999); Promise Gospel Weeklies (Pflaum)
  • Language Arts: Open Court Reading (McGraw Hill, 2002) Write Traits
  • Reading: Open Court/SRA (McGraw Hill, 2002)
  • Social Studies: No Text; teacher compiled materials
  • Mathematics: Mathematics (McGraw Hill, 2002)
  • Science: Discovery Works (Houghton Mifflin, 2000)
  • Spanish: Viva el Espanol (McGraw Hill, 2005)
  • Supplemental Literature: "Little Readers for Little Readers" (McLan and Smiley, 1994); "Now, I'm Reading" beginning readers (Innovative Kids, 2001

Grade One

  • Religion: Coming to Faith/Coming to God (Sadlier, 1998)
  • Language Arts: Open Court Reading (SRA McGraw-Hill, 2002) Write Traits
  • Reading: Open Court )SRA McGraw Hill, 2002)
  • Mathematics California Edition (Macmillan McGraw Hill, 2002)
  • Social Studies: New adoption, Fall, 2007
  • Science: Discover Works ( Houghton Mifflin, 2000)

Major Projects/Assignments: Monthly book reports, Insect report and project, State report and project, Architecture Display/Town

Field Trips:

  • Pumpkin Patch
  • Basic Brown Bear Factory
  • Albertson's/Healthy Eaters
  • Neighborhood Walk (structural observation of houses)
  • Lawrence Hall of Science (Insects)
  • Oakland Zoo

Service Learning:

  • Casa Vincentia outreach
  • Shelter lunches
  • Lenten Book Drive
  • Cardinal Point Retirement Center

Grade Two

  • Religion: Coming to Jesus ( Sadlier, 1998
  • Language Arts: Open Court/SRA (McGraw Hill, 2002) Write Traits
  • Reading: Open Court SRA (McGraw Hill, 2002)
  • Social Studies: New adoption, Fall, 2007
  • Mathematics: Mathematics (McGraw Hill, 2002)
  • Science: Discovery Works (Houghton Mifflin, 2000)
  • Spanish:
  • Supplemental Literature (sampling): Johnny Appleseed ; Chocolate Fever; Mr. Popper's Penguins; The Gingerbread Man; Strega Nona; Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs; Give a Mouse a Muffin;
  • Thematic Units: Apples, Gingerbread, Chocolate, Penguins, Pasta, Bread, Ice Cream

Major Projects

  • Penguin Project
  • Original Chocolate Candy Recipe
  • Italian Restaurant Menu

Field Trips

  • Semifreddi's Bakery
  • Oakland Zoo
  • Pasta Party (in-school)
  • Attending a musical production (ex. Christmas Carol)

Service Learning Project

  • Shelter lunches
  • Outreach to Casa Vincentia
  • Regular visits to Cardinal Point Home, Alameda

Grade Three

  • Religion: Coming to Church (Sadlier, 1998)
  • Language Arts: Open Court (SRA McGraw Hill, 2002)
  • Reading: Open Court (SRA McGraw Hill, 2002)
  • Mathematics: Mathematics, California Edition (McGraw Hill, 2002)
  • Science: Discover Works (Houghton Mifflin, 2000)
  • Social Studies : New adoption, Fall, 2007
  • Other: Handwriting (Zaner-Bloser, 2003)

Supplemental Literature:

  • The Polar Express
  • The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
  • Sarah Plain and Tall
  • Charlotte's Web

Major Projects/Assignments:

  • Family Tree
  • Oakland Report
  • Time Lines
  • Native American Artifacts
  • Early American Simulation

Field Trips

  • Sun Gallery
  • Oakland Museum or Lindsay Wildlife Museum
  • Dunsmuir House
  • Chabot Space and Science Center
  • Hayward State University ( The Christmas Carol)

Service Learning:

  • Casa Vincentia
  • Cardinal Point Retirement Home
  • Lemonade Stand

Grade Four

  • Religion: Coming to Faith (Sadlier, 19980
  • Family Life : Growing in Love (Harcourt, 2001)
  • English/Language Arts: Daily Language Review (Evan Moore)Write Traits
  • Mathematics: Mathematics (McGraw Hill, 2002)
  • Science: Discovery Works (Houghton Mifflin, 2000)
  • Social Studies: New adoption, Fall, 2007
  • Spelling/Vocabulary: Houghton Mifflin, 2004
  • Vocabulary: Words Kids Need to Know (Scholastic, 2004)
  • Other: Contemporary Cursive Daily Handwriting Practice (Evan Moor, 2000), Daily Geography (Evan Moor, 2004)
  • Supplemental Literature: Island of the Blue Dolphins, Dear Mr. Henshaw, Bridge to Terabithia, Hatchet, In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson

Major Projects/Assignments:

  • Californian Native American Project
  • California Mission Project
  • California Museum Project
  • Lunchbox Alarms (Science/electricity)
  • Audubon Canyon Ranch (Science)
Field Trips/Retreats:
  • Fourth GradeLenten Retreat
  • U.C. Botanical Gardens
  • Audubon Canyon Ranch
  • Oakland Museum

Service Learning: Cardinal Point Retirement Community

Grade Five

  • Religion: Coming to God's Life (Sadlier, 1998)
  • Family Life: Growing in God's Love (Harcourt, 2001)
  • English/Language Arts: English (Houghton Mifflin, 2004)
  • Social Studies: New adoption, Fall, 2007
  • Mathematics: Mathematics, California Edition (McGraw Hill, 2002)
  • Science: Discovery Works/California Edition (Houghton Mifflin, 2000)
  • Supplemental Literature: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis, The Witch of Blackbird Pondn -m Elizabeth George Speare, The Fighting Ground - Avi, The Phantom Tollbooth - Norton Juster

Major Projects/Assignments:

  • Explorer Research Report (Fall)
  • American Revolution Research Report (Spring)
  • Revolution Day!
  • Phantom Tollbooth Day!
  • Timeline Project (in class)
  • Mapping Projects/Geography (in class)
  • Math Investigations

Service Learning Projects:

  • Alameda County Food Bank
  • Vermicomposting for school garden
  • Vermicomposting book and kit made for public (2006-2007)

Grade Six

  • Religion: Coming to God's World (Sadlier, 1998)
  • Family Life: Growing in Love (Harcourt Religion Publishers, 2000)
  • Language Arts: English (Houghton Mifflin, 2004)
  • Mathematics: California Middle School Mathematics Concepts and Skills - Course I (2001) (McDougal Littell)
  • Science: Earth Science Science Explorer (Prentice Hall), 2001)
  • Social Studies: Ancient Civilizations (Prentice Hall, 2006)
  • Other: Spelling and Vocabulary (Houghton Mifflin, 2002)
  • Supplemental Literature: The Golden Goblet - Eloise Jarvis McGraw, Homeless Bird - Gloria Whelan, Al Capone Does My Shirts - Gennifer Goldenko, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling

Major Projects/Assignments

  • Invention Convention (grades 6,7 and 8)
  • pi Day

Field Trips/Retreats

  • Gr. 6 Class retreat (annual)
  • Oakland Museum - Dia de los Muertos
  • Save the Bay - Restoration trip and canoe trip
  • Greek Festival
  • Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum
  • Environmental Education Camp (Camp Loma Mar, 2008)

Service Learning:

  • Save the Bay - Native plant restoration
  • Canoes in Sloughs

Grade Seven & Eight

  • Religion: Church History (Sadlier, 1997)
  • Family Life: Life Skills Training (Princeton Health Press, 1997) Growing in Christian Morality (Saint Mary's Press, 1998) Growing in Love (Harcourt Publ., 2001)
  • English/Language Arts: English (Houghton Mifflin, 2001) Vocabulary for Achievement (Great Source, 2005)
  • Literature: Prentice Hall Literature (1989)
  • Mathematics:
    • Seventh Grade:Concepts and Skills (McDougall-Littell, 2001)
    • Eighth Grade:Algebra I/School Mathematics (McDougal-Littell,2001)
  • Science: Life Science (Prentice Hall, 2001), Physical Science (Prentice Hall, 2001)
  • Social Studies: Social Studies (Prentice Hall, 2006)
  • Supplemental Literature: The Crucible - Arthur Miller, Animal Farm - George Orwell, Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck, To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

Major Projects/Assignments

  • Immigration - Ellis Island
  • Puritan Village simulation
  • Enlightenment Roundtable
  • Autobiography
  • Thesis Paper
  • Alternating years: Tolerance Museum/ Decades Project
  • pi Day

Field Trips/ Retreats

  • Class retreat
  • ACT performances
  • Angel Island Immigration Center
  • Train trip to Sacramento
  • Great America Physics Day

Service Learning
VENAVER Service Project (in support of Saint Mary's High School)