Elementary School (K-4)
The Branch Elementary Program:
Loving to Learn in grades K through 4
Our challenging, project-based elementary curriculum is infused with interdisciplinary explorations. From using origami to engineering simple machines to studying ancient Egypt by creating hieroglyphics and mummifying a piece of fruit, learning in the Branch private Elementary School brings one delightful discovery after another. Our program ensures students advance as thinkers and problem-solvers, fully prepared for the challenges that await them in Middle School and beyond.
Integrated, STEAM-focused programming means learning doesn’t take place in silos. A study of caterpillars might begin with raising them in our Outdoor Classroom and documenting their growth. Then comes the research on butterfly life cycles—including a virtual chat with a scientist from the Houston Arboretum to discern what they need to emerge from their chrysalis and which flora the new butterflies will prefer. Interspersed with art projects, book reports, and group presentations, all areas of study in the Branch curriculum become lively, dynamic explorations that enlarge students’ understanding of themselves and world they inhabit.
The school day begins with Morning Meeting—a joyful opportunity for students to share and for important life lessons to be introduced and reinforced. This time allows children to enter the day with purpose and intention. Later, daily recess offers vital time for young bodies to race and swing and jump and for young hearts to connect with precious friends.
Our peacemaking program is a Branch hallmark, helping students resolve conflicts, improve communication skills, and better manage their own changing emotions. Research confirms that students think more deeply and creatively in a peaceful environment. We help them learn to listen honestly to one another, express themselves more clearly, and then come to a resolution that includes compassion for all involved. It’s The Branch Way–learning new things even as we learn to love one another more, and leading our world to a kinder, more unified place.
We invite you to explore the curricular offerings of each grade level.
Kindergarten
Math
The Branch School uses Everyday Mathematics 4, developed by the University of Chicago. The program offers a broad, rich and balanced approach to mathematics and allows students to develop a depth of knowledge by building connections among concepts, procedures and applications. A carefully developed spiral strategically distributes instruction and practice throughout the units in a way to best help students develop mastery and depth of knowledge. An online program, IXL, is also utilized as a practice for supplemental math fact fluency.
Kindergarten units focus on the procedures, concepts, and applications in two critical areas. Those areas are representing and comparing whole numbers with sets of objects and describing shapes in space. Lessons in kindergarten cover the following:
- Counting and Cardinality
- Know number names and the count sequence.
- Count to tell the number of objects.
- Compare numbers.
- Operations and Algebraic Thinking
- Understand addition as putting together and adding to, and understand subtraction as taking apart and taking from.
- Number Operations in Base Ten
- Work with numbers 11-19 to gain foundations for place value.
- Describe and compare measurable attributes.
- Classify objects and count the number of objects in each category.
- Geometry
- Identify and describe shapes (squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, hexagons, cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres).
- Analyze, compare, create, and compare shapes.
Language Arts
Our Language Arts Curriculum is guided by CKLA (Core Knowledge Language Arts). It is grounded in the science of reading, combining rich, diverse content knowledge in history, science, literature and the arts with systematic, research-based foundational skills instruction. This allows students to make connections across content areas. The program includes a Skills Strand and a Knowledge Strand. The Skills Strand gives instruction in foundational reading skills such as phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition: language skills including conventions of English, spelling and grammar; reading comprehension; and writing instruction. The Knowledge Strand is centered around narratives and informational read-aloud texts. It focuses on background knowledge and vocabulary acquisition, analysis of complex text and speaking and listening.
Domains of Study for Kindergarten include:
Nursery Rhymes and Fables
The Five Senses
Stories
Plants
Farms
Native Americans
Kings and Queens
Seasons and Weather
Columbus and Pilgrims
Colonial Towns and Townspeople
Taking Care of the Earth
Presidents and American Symbols
Science
The Branch School is committed to providing a well-rounded education through STEAM and inquiry-based learning. By using the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the STEMscopes curriculum, students receive a strong foundation in science education. The NGSS standards emphasize a holistic understanding of science by integrating the three dimensions of disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts. This approach allows students to not only learn facts and gather knowledge but also weave together the main ideas, explore the ways science is done, and make connections between the concepts and how they are applied to the real world. This combination develops skills in critical thinking and solving problems. By using STEMscopes, elementary teachers can effectively guide students through this process using the 5E model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) to allow students to construct their own meaning as they question, experiment, analyze, and evaluate their observations. By fostering a supportive and engaging learning environment, The Branch School is not only preparing students for academic success but also helping them become curious, adaptable, and lifelong learners.
The kindergarten curriculum at The Branch School is comprehensive and well-structured, covering a range of important scientific concepts while also integrating crosscutting concepts that enhance students' understanding of the material. Let's dive a bit deeper into some of the topics covered:
- Heat and the Sun
- Energy from the Sun
- Basic Needs
- Animal Needs
- Plant Needs
- Organism’s Impact on the Environment
- Reducing Human Impact
- Motions and Forces
- Pushes and Pulls
- Speed and Direction
- Weather Patterns and Forecasts
- Weather Conditions
- Weather Patterns
- Weather Hazards
- Changes to Environments
- Habitats
- Uses of Natural Resources
- Reducing Human Impact
In addition to their regular teacher-guided science classroom time, once a week, kindergarteners team up with eighth graders as science buddies. This partnership creates a special bond that’s all about learning and having fun. The older students get to share their curiosity, knowledge, and enthusiasm while the younger ones soak it all up. It’s not just about learning facts. It’s about exploring, asking questions, and working together. This partnership is like a two-way street of curiosity and collaboration. The eighth graders learn how to explain things clearly, and the kindergarteners get to discover new skills and concepts with a bit of help. This hands-on approach makes science exciting and practical.
Kindergarten at The Branch School is a mix of exploring the world around them, figuring out how things work, and becoming problem-solvers and little scientists who are curious and care about our world. It's all about having fun and getting ready for whatever comes next!
Social Studies
As citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society our students learn to take the initiative in making informed and reasoned decisions to promote individual character and peace. Integrating Social Studies concepts from our Language Arts program, students engage in research projects and critical thinking based on these ten Social Studies themes from the National Council for the Social Studies Standards:
- Culture
- Time, continuity, and change
- People, places, and environment
- Individual development and identity
- Individuals, groups, and institutions
- Power, authority, and governance
- Production, distribution, and consumption
- Science, technology, and society
- Global connections
- Civic ideals and practices
Within the topic of History, kindergarten students learn about various holidays, celebrations and special events. They learn and understand how historical figures, patriots, and good citizens helped shape the community, state, and nation and begin to learn the concept of chronology.
The topic of Geography and Culture introduces students to the concept of location and the physical and human characteristics of place. Students also learn about and understand the similarities and differences among people and the importance of family customs and traditions.
In Government and Citizenship, students learn about and understand the purpose for rules and the role of authority figures. They are taught to understand important symbols, customs, and responsibilities that represent American beliefs and principles and how those contribute to our national identity.
The Economics, Science, Technology and Society lessons that are learned in kindergarten introduce our students to the idea that basic human needs and wants are met in many ways. They are taught to understand the value of jobs and understand ways that technology is used in the home and school and how it affects people’s lives.
Specialty Classes
- Art
- Music
- Outdoor Classroom
- Peacemaking/Problem Solving/SEL
- Physical Education
- Spanish
- Technology Foundations
Art
At The Branch School, our visual arts students actively engage in drawing, painting, collage, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture and the study of famous artists, their lives and work. The elements and principles of design are incorporated into each lesson. Imagination and individual creativeness are stressed as each child uses his/her unique abilities in producing a work of art. They learn to coordinate their hands and minds in exploration of the visual world. Their natural inquisitiveness is encouraged and they learn the value of perseverance. Students develop skills of observation and grow in their ability to describe and respond to work in the visual arts. Student work is displayed throughout the school.
Music
Students at The Branch School have a dynamic Lower School music program. Students enjoy singing and using musical instruments to help them understand the cultural and creative nature of musical artistry and make connections between music, the other arts, technology, and other aspects of social life. They also explore creative expression and develop critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities by increasing their understanding and appreciation for different forms of music. Students perform at least once during the school year.
Outdoor Classroom
In both the classroom and our state recognized Texas Wildscape, students:
- Participate in investigations that develop the early skills of scientific inquiry through group and independent activities.
- Value, empathize with, care for and feel comfortable in, their natural environment.
- Explore the process of cyclical changes in matter, organisms and the environment.
- Plant and harvest vegetables and herbs.
- Develop an appreciation for wildlife and the interdependence of living things.
Our Outdoor Classroom (OC) program focuses on teaching the children to empathize with and feel comfortable in nature, and to understand its fundamental processes. This is done through a working wildscape partly accessible to children on the playground, through our off-playground habitats including pond, wildscape, and prairie, and through horticulture activities from growing vegetables to propagating plants. Each year includes several favorite activities, from pond organism collection and study to the Audubon Society birdathon in spring. All classes grow vegetables and herbs in their class tubs and beds. Second through fifth grade students all adopt a native grass, flower, shrub or tree from the wildscape to be their personal example of the ecology principles taught.Kindergarten and first-grade will adopt a class plant to learn about. Our SunLighter indoor plant stands, now installed in the Middle School, are used for both cutting and transplant propagation and seed-starting.
Most classes have a long-term OC activity. Our kindergarten students explore the wildscape and learn names and basic facts about the plants and creatures we encounter. Kindergarten manages the school's worm bin. First-grade manages the playground bird feeder and participates in the Cornell University Institute of Ornithology's Project FeederWatch over the winter. Second-grade tries their hands at composting in the SE corner of the playground. Third graders manage the bulb garden. Fourth-grade works in the wildscape.
Peacemaking/Problem Solving/SEL
Research shows that students can think more deeply and creatively in a peaceful environment. Therefore, The Branch School is committed to modeling for our students the importance of engaging in peacemaking to resolve conflicts and improve communication skills with their classmates. The School embraces the steps of peacemaking through a willingness to honestly listen to understand and then be understood, and finally agree on a resolution that includes compassion for all involved. Routinely participating in this process inspires a desire for peace and encourages the student to become a life-long peacemaker. Our curriculum is based on Naomi Drew’s book, Learning the Skills of Peacemaking, the virtues from the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education and 7 habits from The Leader in Me by Stephen Covey.
Another program used by The Branch School to encourage Peacemaking and Problem Solving is Responsive Classroom. Responsive Classroom is an evidence-based approach to teaching important life lessons. The lessons are taught during Morning Meetings. Morning Meeting Lessons focus on academics which are highly engaging. They foster and encourage a positive community, effective management, and developmental awareness. Teachers can create safe and joyful learning communities where students develop strong social and academic skills and every student can thrive.
Physical Education
Students in kindergarten through fourth grade acquire the knowledge and skills for movement that provide the foundation for enjoyment, continued social development and access to a physically active and healthy lifestyle. Students participate in group games and develop individual character and the sportsmanship to resolve conflicts with peers, including responsibility, best effort, cooperation, and compassion.
- Students actively participate in physical activities that address each component of fitness including: strength, endurance and flexibility.
- Students follow activity-specific safe practices, rules and procedures.
- Students learn tips on healthy eating and living.
Spanish
A young child’s acquisition of a second language is best accomplished through immersion. In our Elementary program, children receive 60 minutes of Spanish per week. Our native Spanish speaking teacher engages the children in games, songs, dance, repetition and dialogue to help them naturally acquire a second language. Students also expand their appreciation of Hispanic culture, traditions and heritage.
Technology Foundations
The Branch School embraces the importance of computer technology in the 21st century and strives to create life-long learners through equipping the students with the necessary skills they will need both now, and in the future. Kindergarten through fourth grade students have one 45 minute technology class per week. The students at The Branch School develop specific skills taught through activities and projects which facilitate competency in the four C's:
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Creativity and innovation
Technology is present throughout The Branch School. Classrooms are equipped with projectors, Promethean boards and document cameras. In Third to eighth grade, students participate in a one-to-one school-owned laptop program. Kindergarten to second grade students use laptop carts whenever needed. Each grade also has an allocation of iPads in their classroom for the students to access as needed, and Middle School students can bring their own devices. Technology classes are fun and exciting places to explore.
Various online programs are available for student use. Students have access to Raz-Kids, an online reading program which allows students access to leveled reading material that can be both listened to and read. Students’ reading comprehension is also assessed and reports are available for the classroom teacher to keep track of student progress. Students also have access to IXL Math, an online skill and practice site, which allows students to get additional practice with the skills being taught in class. Students also have access to Discovery Learning.
The Branch School also participates in the Hour of Code, an international Computer Science event, to promote the teaching of Computer Science.
First Grade
Math
The Branch School uses Everyday Mathematics 4, developed by the University of Chicago. The program offers a broad, rich and balanced approach to mathematics and allows students to develop a depth of knowledge by building connections among concepts, procedures and applications. A carefully developed spiral strategically distributes instruction and practice throughout the units in a way to best help students develop mastery and depth of knowledge. An online program, IXL, is also utilized as a practice for supplemental math fact fluency.
In first grade, Everyday Mathematics focuses on the procedures, concepts, and applications in four critical areas. Those areas include: understanding addition, subtraction, and strategies within 20, understanding whole number relationships and place value, including grouping by tens and ones, understanding linear measurement as iterating length units, and composing and decomposing geometric shapes and reasoning about the attributes of shapes. Lessons in first grade cover the following:
- Operations in Algebraic Thinking
- Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction.
- Understand and apply properties of operations and the relationship between addition and subtraction.
- Add and subtract within 20.
- Work with addition and subtraction equations.
- Number and Operations in Base Ten
- Extend the counting sequence.
- Understand place value.
- Use place value understanding and properties of operations to add and subtract.
- Measurement and Data
- Measure lengths indirectly and by iterating length units.
- Tell and write time.
- Represent and interpret data.
- Geometry
- Reason with shapes and their attributes.
Language Arts
Our Language Arts Curriculum is guided by CKLA (Core Knowledge Language Arts). It is grounded in the science of reading, combining rich, diverse content knowledge in history, science, literature and the arts with systematic, research-based foundational skills instruction. This allows students to make connections across content areas. The program includes a Skills Strand and a Knowledge Strand. The Skills Strand gives instruction in foundational reading skills such as phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition: language skills including conventions of English, spelling and grammar; reading comprehension; and writing instruction. The Knowledge Strand is centered around narratives and informational read-aloud texts. It focuses on background knowledge and vocabulary acquisition, analysis of complex text and speaking and listening.
Domains of Study for First Grade include:
Fables and Stories
The Human Body
Different Lands, Similar Stories
Early World Civilizations
Astronomy
The History of the Earth
Animals and Habitats
Fairy Tales
A New Nation
Frontier Explorers
Science
The Branch School is committed to providing a well-rounded education through STEAM and inquiry-based learning. By using the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the STEMscopes curriculum, students receive a strong foundation in science education. The NGSS standards emphasize a holistic understanding of science by integrating the three dimensions of disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts. This approach allows students to not only learn facts and gather knowledge but also weave together the main ideas, explore the ways science is done, and make connections between the concepts and how they are applied to the real world. This combination develops skills in critical thinking and solving problems. By using STEMscopes, elementary teachers can effectively guide students through this process using the 5E model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) to allow students to construct their own meaning as they question, experiment, analyze, and evaluate their observations. By fostering a supportive and engaging learning environment, The Branch School is not only preparing students for academic success but also helping them become curious, adaptable, and lifelong learners.
In addition to STEMscopes, students develop engineering literacy through the Engineering is Elementary (EIE) program. Engineering is Elementary is an engaging, project-based curriculum which compliments the STEMscopes curriculum, but allows students to explore science through the lens of engineering. Each unit has an engineer design challenge, giving students the opportunity to apply the engineering design process.
The first grade curriculum at The Branch School is comprehensive and well-structured, covering a range of important scientific concepts while also integrating crosscutting concepts that enhance students' understanding of the material. Some topics explored include:
- Light, Sound, and Information
- Sound
- Behavior of Light
- Communication
- Seasons and Weather
- Seasonal Patterns
- Patterns in Space
- Speed of Earth Events
- Quick Changes in Land
- Slow Changes in Land
- Diversity of Life
- Diversity of Living Things
- Construction/Engineering
Social Studies
As citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society our students learn to take the initiative in making informed and reasoned decisions to promote individual character and peace. Integrating Social Studies concepts from our Language Arts program, students engage in research projects and critical thinking based on these ten Social Studies themes from the National Council for the Social Studies Standards:
- Culture
- Time, continuity, and change
- People, places, and environment
- Individual development and identity
- Individuals, groups, and institutions
- Power, authority, and governance
- Production, distribution, and consumption
- Science, technology, and society
- Global connections
- Civic ideals and practices
In History, first grade students are taught to:
- Describe the origins of customs, holidays and celebrations of the community, state and nation.
- Compare similarities and differences between the lives and activities of historical figures and other individuals who have influenced the community, state, and nation.
- Distinguish between past, present, and future.
- Create a calendar or simple timeline.
In Geography and Culture, first grade students are taught to:
- Locate places using the four cardinal directions.
- Locate the community, Texas, and the United States on maps and globes.
- Identify and describe the physical characteristics of place such as landforms, bodies of water, natural resources, and weather.
- Identify and describe how the human characteristics of place, clothing, food and activities are based on geographical location.
- Describe and explain the importance of beliefs, customs, language and traditions.
In Government and Citizenship, first grade students are taught to:
- Explain the purpose of rules and laws.
- Identify and describe the roles of public officials.
- Explain how patriotic customs and celebrations reflect American individualism and freedom.
In the Economics, Science, Technology, and Society strand, first grade students are taught to:
- Describe ways that families meet basic human needs.
- Identify examples of goods and services.
- Identify examples of choices families make when making purchases.
- Describe how technology changes communication, transportation and recreation.
Specialty Classes
- Art
- Music
- Outdoor Classroom
- Peacemaking/Problem Solving
- Physical Education
- Spanish
- Technology Foundations
Art
At The Branch School, our visual arts students actively engage in drawing, painting, collage, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture and the study of famous artists, their lives and work. The elements and principles of design are incorporated into each lesson. Imagination and individual creativeness are stressed as each child uses his/her unique abilities in producing a work of art. They learn to coordinate their hands and minds in exploration of the visual world. Their natural inquisitiveness is encouraged and they learn the value of perseverance. Students develop skills of observation and grow in their ability to describe and respond to work in the visual arts. Student work is displayed throughout the school.
Music
Students at The Branch School have a dynamic Lower School music program. Students enjoy singing and using musical instruments to help them understand the cultural and creative nature of musical artistry and make connections between music, the other arts, technology, and other aspects of social life. They also explore creative expression and develop critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities by increasing their understanding and appreciation for different forms of music. Students perform at least once during the school year.
Outdoor Classroom
In both the classroom and our state recognized Texas Wildscape, students:
- Participate in investigations that develop the early skills of scientific inquiry through group and independent activities.
- Value, empathize with, care for and feel comfortable in, their natural environment.
- Explore the process of cyclical changes in matter, organisms and the environment.
- Plant and harvest vegetables and herbs.
- Develop an appreciation for wildlife and the interdependence of living things.
Our Outdoor Classroom (OC) program focuses on teaching the children to empathize with and feel comfortable in nature, and to understand its fundamental processes. This is done through a working wildscape partly accessible to children on the playground, through our off-playground habitats including pond, wildscape, and prairie, and through horticulture activities from growing vegetables to propagating plants. Each year includes several favorite activities, from pond organism collection and study to the Audubon Society birdathon in spring. All classes grow vegetables and herbs in their class tubs and beds. Second through fifth grade students all adopt a native grass, flower, shrub or tree from the wildscape to be their personal example of the ecology principles taught.Kindergarten and first-grade will adopt a class plant to learn about. Our SunLighter indoor plant stands, now installed in the Middle School, are used for both cutting and transplant propagation and seed-starting.
Most classes have a long-term OC activity. Our kindergarten students explore the wildscape and learn names and basic facts about the plants and creatures we encounter. Kindergarten manages the school's worm bin. First-grade manages the playground bird feeder and participates in the Cornell University Institute of Ornithology's Project FeederWatch over the winter. Second-grade tries their hands at composting in the SE corner of the playground. Third graders manage the bulb garden. Fourth-grade works in the wildscape.
Peacemaking/Problem Solving
Research shows that students can think more deeply and creatively in a peaceful environment. Therefore, The Branch School is committed to modeling for our students the importance of engaging in peacemaking to resolve conflicts and improve communication skills with their classmates. The School embraces the steps of peacemaking through a willingness to honestly listen to understand and then be understood, and finally agree on a resolution that includes compassion for all involved. Routinely participating in this process inspires a desire for peace and encourages the student to become a life-long peacemaker. Our curriculum is based on Naomi Drew’s book, Learning the Skills of Peacemaking, the virtues from the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education and 7 habits from The Leader in Me by Stephen Covey.
Another program used by The Branch School to encourage Peacemaking and Problem Solving is Responsive Classroom. Responsive Classroom is an evidence-based approach to teaching important life lessons. The lessons are taught during Morning Meetings. Morning Meeting Lessons focus on academics which are highly engaging. They foster and encourage a positive community, effective management, and developmental awareness. Teachers can create safe and joyful learning communities where students develop strong social and academic skills and every student can thrive.
Physical Education
Students in kindergarten through fourth grade acquire the knowledge and skills for movement that provide the foundation for enjoyment, continued social development and access to a physically active and healthy lifestyle. Students participate in group games and develop individual character and the sportsmanship to resolve conflicts with peers, including responsibility, best effort, cooperation, and compassion.
- Students actively participate in physical activities that address each component of fitness including: strength, endurance and flexibility.
- Students follow activity-specific safe practices, rules and procedures.
- Students learn tips on healthy eating and living.
Spanish
A young child’s acquisition of a second language is best accomplished through immersion. In our Elementary program, children receive 60 minutes of Spanish per week. Our native Spanish speaking teacher engages the children in games, songs, dance, repetition and dialogue to help them naturally acquire a second language. Students also expand their appreciation of Hispanic culture, traditions and heritage.
Technology Foundations
The Branch School embraces the importance of computer technology in the 21st century and strives to create life-long learners through equipping the students with the necessary skills they will need both now, and in the future. Kindergarten through fourth grade students have one 45 minute technology class per week. The students at The Branch School develop specific skills taught through activities and projects which facilitate competency in the four C's:
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Creativity and innovation
Technology is present throughout The Branch School. Classrooms are equipped with projectors, Promethean boards and document cameras. In Third to eighth grade, students participate in a one-to-one school-owned laptop program. Kindergarten to second grade students use laptop carts whenever needed. Each grade also has an allocation of iPads in their classroom for the students to access as needed, and Middle School students can bring their own devices. Technology classes are fun and exciting places to explore.
Various online programs are available for student use. Students have access to Raz-Kids, an online reading program which allows students access to leveled reading material that can be both listened to and read. Students’ reading comprehension is also assessed and reports are available for the classroom teacher to keep track of student progress. Students also have access to IXL Math, an online skill and practice site, which allows students to get additional practice with the skills being taught in class. Students also have access to Discovery Learning.
The Branch School also participates in the Hour of Code, an international Computer Science event, to promote the teaching of Computer Science.
Second Grade
Math
The Branch School uses Everyday Mathematics 4, developed by the University of Chicago. The program offers a broad, rich and balanced approach to mathematics and allows students to develop a depth of knowledge by building connections among concepts, procedures and applications. A carefully developed spiral strategically distributes instruction and practice throughout the units in a way to best help students develop mastery and depth of knowledge. An online program, IXL, is also utilized as a practice for supplemental math fact fluency.
In second grade, Everyday Mathematics focuses on the procedures, concepts, and applications in four critical areas. Those areas are understanding base-10 notation, building fluency with addition and subtraction, using standard units of measure, and describing and analyzing shapes. Lessons in second-grade cover the following:
- Operations and Algebraic Thinking
- Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction.
- Add and subtract within 20.
- Work with equal groups of objects to gain foundations for multiplication.
- Number and Operations in Base Ten
- Understand place value.
- Use place value understanding and properties of operations to add and subtract.
- Measurement and Data
- Measure and estimate lengths in standard units.
- Relate addition and subtraction to length.
- Work with time and money.
- Represent and interpret data.
- Geometry
- Reason with shapes and their attributes.
Language Arts
Our Language Arts Curriculum is guided by CKLA (Core Knowledge Language Arts). It is grounded in the science of reading, combining rich, diverse content knowledge in history, science, literature and the arts with systematic, research-based foundational skills instruction. This allows students to make connections across content areas. The program includes a Skills Strand and a Knowledge Strand. The Skills Strand gives instruction in foundational reading skills such as phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition: language skills including conventions of English, spelling and grammar; reading comprehension; and writing instruction. The Knowledge Strand is centered around narratives and informational read-aloud texts. It focuses on background knowledge and vocabulary acquisition, analysis of complex text and speaking and listening.
Domains of Study for Second Grade include:
Fairy Tales and Tall Tales
Early Asian Civilization
The Ancient Greek Civilization
Greek Myths
The War of 1812
Cycles in Nature
Westward Expansion
Insects
The US Civil War
Human Body: Building Blocks and Nutrition
Fighting for a Cause
Science
The Branch School is committed to providing a well-rounded education through STEAM and inquiry-based learning. By using the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the STEMscopes curriculum, students receive a strong foundation in science education. The NGSS standards emphasize a holistic understanding of science by integrating the three dimensions of disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts. This approach allows students to not only learn facts and gather knowledge but also weave together the main ideas, explore the ways science is done, and make connections between the concepts and how they are applied to the real world. This combination develops skills in critical thinking and solving problems. By using STEMscopes, elementary teachers can effectively guide students through this process using the 5E model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) to allow students to construct their own meaning as they question, experiment, analyze, and evaluate their observations. By fostering a supportive and engaging learning environment, The Branch School is not only preparing students for academic success but also helping them become curious, adaptable, and lifelong learners.
In addition to STEMscopes, students develop engineering literacy through the Engineering is Elementary (EIE) program. Engineering is Elementary is an engaging, project-based curriculum which compliments the STEMscopes curriculum, but allows students to explore science through the lens of engineering. Each unit has an engineer design challenge, giving students the opportunity to apply the engineering design process.
The second grade curriculum at The Branch School is comprehensive and well-structured, covering a range of important scientific concepts while also integrating crosscutting concepts that enhance students' understanding of the material. Students delve into the following topics:
- Properties of Matter and Construction
- Properties and States of Matter
- Properties of Materials
- Building Blocks of Matter
- Matter and Its Interactions
- Changes from Heat
- Needs and Offspring
- Protecting the Young
- Animal and Plant Trait Inheritance and Variation
- What Plants Need
- Plant and Animal Dependence
- Plant and Animal Survival
- Water on Earth
- Mapping Our World
- Forms of Water on Earth
- Effects of Wind and Water
Social Studies
As citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society our students learn to take the initiative in making informed and reasoned decisions to promote individual character and peace. Integrating Social Studies concepts from our Language Arts program, students engage in research projects and critical thinking based on these ten Social Studies themes from the National Council for the Social Studies Standards:
- Culture
- Time, continuity, and change
- People, places, and environment
- Individual development and identity
- Individuals, groups, and institutions
- Power, authority, and governance
- Production, distribution, and consumption
- Science, technology, and society
- Global connections
- Civic ideals and practices
In History, second grade students are taught to:
- Explain the significance of various community, state, and national celebrations.
- Describe the order of events by using time designations.
- Explain how people and events have influenced local community history.
In Geography and Culture, second grade students are taught to:
- Interpret information on maps and globes using basic map elements such as title, key, and orientation.
- Examine information from various sources about places and regions.
- Describe how weather patterns affect activities.
- Explain human dependence on natural resources and physical environment.
- Identify characteristics of different communities including urban, suburban, and rural.
- Identify the significance of ethnic and cultural celebrations.
In Government and Citizenship, second grade students are taught to:
- Identify functions of governments.
- Identify government services in the community.
- Identify ways that public officials are selected.
- Identify how customs, symbols, and celebrations reflect individualism, inventiveness and freedom among Americans.
In Economics, Science, Technology, and Society, second grade students are taught to:
- Explain how work provides the income people need to make purchases.
- Distinguish between producing and consuming.
- Explain how science and technology change the ways in which people meet their basic needs.
Specialty Classes
- Art
- Music
- Outdoor Classroom
- Peacemaking/Problem Solving
- Physical Education
- Spanish
- Technology Foundations
Art
At The Branch School, our visual arts students actively engage in drawing, painting, collage, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture and the study of famous artists, their lives and work. The elements and principles of design are incorporated into each lesson. Imagination and individual creativeness are stressed as each child uses his/her unique abilities in producing a work of art. They learn to coordinate their hands and minds in exploration of the visual world. Their natural inquisitiveness is encouraged and they learn the value of perseverance. Students develop skills of observation and grow in their ability to describe and respond to work in the visual arts. Student work is displayed throughout the school.
Music
Students at The Branch School have a dynamic Lower School music program. Students enjoy singing and using musical instruments to help them understand the cultural and creative nature of musical artistry and make connections between music, the other arts, technology, and other aspects of social life. They also explore creative expression and develop critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities by increasing their understanding and appreciation for different forms of music. Students perform at least once during the school year.
Outdoor Classroom
In both the classroom and our state recognized Texas Wildscape, students:
- Participate in investigations that develop the early skills of scientific inquiry through group and independent activities.
- Value, empathize with, care for and feel comfortable in, their natural environment.
- Explore the process of cyclical changes in matter, organisms and the environment.
- Plant and harvest vegetables and herbs.
- Develop an appreciation for wildlife and the interdependence of living things.
Our Outdoor Classroom (OC) program focuses on teaching the children to empathize with and feel comfortable in nature, and to understand its fundamental processes. This is done through a working wildscape partly accessible to children on the playground, through our off-playground habitats including pond, wildscape, and prairie, and through horticulture activities from growing vegetables to propagating plants. Each year includes several favorite activities, from pond organism collection and study to the Audubon Society birdathon in spring. All classes grow vegetables and herbs in their class tubs and beds. Second through fifth grade students all adopt a native grass, flower, shrub or tree from the wildscape to be their personal example of the ecology principles taught.Kindergarten and first-grade will adopt a class plant to learn about. Our SunLighter indoor plant stands, now installed in the Middle School, are used for both cutting and transplant propagation and seed-starting.
Most classes have a long-term OC activity. Our kindergarten students explore the wildscape and learn names and basic facts about the plants and creatures we encounter. Kindergarten manages the school's worm bin. First-grade manages the playground bird feeder and participates in the Cornell University Institute of Ornithology's Project FeederWatch over the winter. Second-grade tries their hands at composting in the SE corner of the playground. Third graders manage the bulb garden. Fourth-grade works in the wildscape.
Peacemaking/Problem Solving
Research shows that students can think more deeply and creatively in a peaceful environment. Therefore, The Branch School is committed to modeling for our students the importance of engaging in peacemaking to resolve conflicts and improve communication skills with their classmates. The School embraces the steps of peacemaking through a willingness to honestly listen to understand and then be understood, and finally agree on a resolution that includes compassion for all involved. Routinely participating in this process inspires a desire for peace and encourages the student to become a life-long peacemaker. Our curriculum is based on Naomi Drew’s book, Learning the Skills of Peacemaking, the virtues from the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education and 7 habits from The Leader in Me by Stephen Covey.
Another program used by The Branch School to encourage Peacemaking and Problem Solving is Responsive Classroom. Responsive Classroom is an evidence-based approach to teaching important life lessons. The lessons are taught during Morning Meetings. Morning Meeting Lessons focus on academics which are highly engaging. They foster and encourage a positive community, effective management, and developmental awareness. Teachers can create safe and joyful learning communities where students develop strong social and academic skills and every student can thrive.
Physical Education
Students in kindergarten through fourth grade acquire the knowledge and skills for movement that provide the foundation for enjoyment, continued social development and access to a physically active and healthy lifestyle. Students participate in group games and develop individual character and the sportsmanship to resolve conflicts with peers, including responsibility, best effort, cooperation, and compassion.
- Students actively participate in physical activities that address each component of fitness including: strength, endurance and flexibility.
- Students follow activity-specific safe practices, rules and procedures.
- Students learn tips on healthy eating and living.
Spanish
A young child’s acquisition of a second language is best accomplished through immersion. In our Elementary program, children receive 60 minutes of Spanish per week. Our native Spanish speaking teacher engages the children in games, songs, dance, repetition and dialogue to help them naturally acquire a second language. Students also expand their appreciation of Hispanic culture, traditions and heritage.
Technology Foundations
The Branch School embraces the importance of computer technology in the 21st century and strives to create life-long learners through equipping the students with the necessary skills they will need both now, and in the future. Kindergarten through fourth grade students have one 45 minute technology class per week. The students at The Branch School develop specific skills taught through activities and projects which facilitate competency in the four C's:
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Creativity and innovation
Technology is present throughout The Branch School. Classrooms are equipped with projectors, Promethean boards and document cameras. In Third to eighth grade, students participate in a one-to-one school-owned laptop program. Kindergarten to second grade students use laptop carts whenever needed. Each grade also has an allocation of iPads in their classroom for the students to access as needed, and Middle School students can bring their own devices. Technology classes are fun and exciting places to explore.
Various online programs are available for student use. Students have access to Raz-Kids, an online reading program which allows students access to leveled reading material that can be both listened to and read. Students’ reading comprehension is also assessed and reports are available for the classroom teacher to keep track of student progress. Students also have access to IXL Math, an online skill and practice site, which allows students to get additional practice with the skills being taught in class. Students also have access to Discovery Learning.
The Branch School also participates in the Hour of Code, an international Computer Science event, to promote the teaching of Computer Science.
Third Grade
Math
The Branch School uses Everyday Mathematics 4, developed by the University of Chicago. The program offers a broad, rich and balanced approach to mathematics and allows students to develop a depth of knowledge by building connections among concepts, procedures and applications. A carefully developed spiral strategically distributes instruction and practice throughout the units in a way to best help students develop mastery and depth of knowledge. An online program, IXL, is also utilized as a practice for supplemental math fact fluency.
In third grade, students focus on the procedures, concepts, and applications in four critical areas. Those areas are having an understanding of multiplication and division and strategies within 100, understanding of fractions, especially unit fractions, understanding of the structure of rectangular arrays and area, and describing and analyzing two-dimensional shapes. The lessons in third grade address the following:
- Operations and Algebraic Thinking
- Represent and solve problems involving multiplication and division.
- Understand properties of multiplication and the relationship between multiplication and division.
- Multiply and divide within 100..
- Solve problems involving the four operations, and identify and explain patterns in arithmetic.
- Number Operations in Base Ten
- Use place value understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit arithmetic.
- Measurement and Data
- Solve problems involving measurement and estimation of intervals of time, liquid volumes, and masses of objects.
- Represent and interpret data.
- Geometric measurement: Understand concepts of area and relate area to multiplication and to addition.
- Geometric Measurement: Recognize perimeter as an attribute of plane figures and distinguish between linear and area measures.
- Geometry
- Reason with shapes and their attributes.
Language Arts
Our Language Arts Curriculum, CKLA (Core Knowledge Language Arts). is grounded in the science of reading. For grades 3-5, it integrates foundational skills students have learned while continuing to build rich content knowledge. Students focus on analysis and expression in reading and writing, becoming conversationalists, learning and applying the conventions of English grammar, punctuation and spelling through explicit instruction, reading a rich variety of texts, maximizing vocabulary acquisition and continuing to build background knowledge for strong comprehension. Writing in Grades 3-5 focuses on Opinion Writing, Narrative Writing and Informative Writing. Students move fluidly between reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language activities, with increasing emphasis on individual and small-group interaction with complex text to prepare students for middle school and beyond.
Third grade units include:
Classic Tales
Animal Classification
The Human Body
Ancient Roman Civilization
Light and Sound
The Viking Age
Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond
Native Americans: Regions and Cultures
Early Exploration of North America
Colonial America
Ecology
Science
The Branch School is committed to providing a well-rounded education through STEAM and inquiry-based learning. By using the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the STEMscopes curriculum, students receive a strong foundation in science education. The NGSS standards emphasize a holistic understanding of science by integrating the three dimensions of disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts. This approach allows students to not only learn facts and gather knowledge but also weave together the main ideas, explore the ways science is done, and make connections between the concepts and how they are applied to the real world. This combination develops skills in critical thinking and solving problems. By using STEMscopes, elementary teachers can effectively guide students through this process using the 5E model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) to allow students to construct their own meaning as they question, experiment, analyze, and evaluate their observations. By fostering a supportive and engaging learning environment, The Branch School is not only preparing students for academic success but also helping them become curious, adaptable, and lifelong learners.
In addition to STEMscopes, students develop engineering literacy through the Engineering is Elementary (EIE) program. Engineering is Elementary is an engaging, project-based curriculum which compliments the STEMscopes curriculum, but allows students to explore science through the lens of engineering. Each unit has an engineer design challenge, giving students the opportunity to apply the engineering design process.
The third grade curriculum at The Branch School is comprehensive and well-structured, covering a range of important scientific concepts while also integrating crosscutting concepts that enhance students' understanding of the material. Students learn about the following themes:
- Electric and Magnetic Forces
- Magnets
- Organism Structures and Behavior
- Plant and Animal Parts
- Sense Receptors
- Light Reflection
- Animal Development and Survival
- Life Cycles
- Social and Group Behavior
- Forces in Motion
- Unbalanced Forces and Motion
- Waveforms
- Motion of Waves
- Wavelength and Amplitude
- Traits and Environments
- Inheritance and Variation of Traits
- Environmental Traits
- Adaptations
- Environmental Changes and Effects
- Survival of the Fittest
- Engineering Project
Social Studies
As citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society our students learn to take the initiative in making informed and reasoned decisions to promote individual character and peace. Integrating Social Studies concepts from our Language Arts program, students engage in research projects and critical thinking based on these ten Social Studies themes from the National Council for the Social Studies Standards:
- Culture
- Time, continuity, and change
- People, places, and environment
- Individual development and identity
- Individuals, groups, and institutions
- Power, authority, and governance
- Production, distribution, and consumption
- Science, technology, and society
- Global connections
- Civic ideals and practices
In History, third grade students are taught to:
- Describe how people, events, and ideas have changed communities, past and present.
- Identify reasons people have formed communities including a need for security, religious freedom, law, and material well-being.
- Identify ways in which people in the local community and other communities meet their needs.
- Create and interpret timelines.
In Geography and Culture, third grade students are taught to:
- Identify and compare how people in different communities adapt to or modify the physical environment in which they live.
- Describe the effects of human processes.
- Identify and compare the human characteristics of different regions.
- Use cardinal and intermediate directions to locate things on maps and globes.
- Identify the use of the compass rose, grid system, and symbols and their importance in locating things on maps and globes.
- Identify and analyze the heroic deeds of individuals, including military and first responders.
In Government and Citizenship, third grade students are taught to:
- Describe the basic structure of government.
- Identify governmental officials and tell how they are chosen.
- Describe and explain the importance of the concept of “consent of the governed.”
- Identify characteristics of good citizenship.
- Give examples of community changes.
In Economics, Science, Technology, and Society, third grade students are taught to:
- Identify ways of earning, spending, saving and donating money.
- Explain the concept of a free market as it relates to the US Free enterprise system.
- Identify the impact of scientific breakthroughs and new technology.
Specialty Classes
- Art
- Music
- Outdoor Classroom
- Peacemaking/Problem Solving
- Physical Education
- Spanish
- Technology Foundations
Art
At The Branch School, our visual arts students actively engage in drawing, painting, collage, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture and the study of famous artists, their lives and work. The elements and principles of design are incorporated into each lesson. Imagination and individual creativeness are stressed as each child uses his/her unique abilities in producing a work of art. They learn to coordinate their hands and minds in exploration of the visual world. Their natural inquisitiveness is encouraged and they learn the value of perseverance. Students develop skills of observation and grow in their ability to describe and respond to work in the visual arts. Student work is displayed throughout the school.
Music
Students at The Branch School have a dynamic Lower School music program. Students enjoy singing and using musical instruments to help them understand the cultural and creative nature of musical artistry and make connections between music, the other arts, technology, and other aspects of social life. They also explore creative expression and develop critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities by increasing their understanding and appreciation for different forms of music. Students perform at least once during the school year.
Outdoor Classroom
In both the classroom and our state recognized Texas Wildscape, students:
- Participate in investigations that develop the early skills of scientific inquiry through group and independent activities.
- Value, empathize with, care for and feel comfortable in, their natural environment.
- Explore the process of cyclical changes in matter, organisms and the environment.
- Plant and harvest vegetables and herbs.
- Develop an appreciation for wildlife and the interdependence of living things.
Our Outdoor Classroom (OC) program focuses on teaching the children to empathize with and feel comfortable in nature, and to understand its fundamental processes. This is done through a working wildscape partly accessible to children on the playground, through our off-playground habitats including pond, wildscape, and prairie, and through horticulture activities from growing vegetables to propagating plants. Each year includes several favorite activities, from pond organism collection and study to the Audubon Society birdathon in spring. All classes grow vegetables and herbs in their class tubs and beds. Second through fifth grade students all adopt a native grass, flower, shrub or tree from the wildscape to be their personal example of the ecology principles taught.Kindergarten and first-grade will adopt a class plant to learn about. Our SunLighter indoor plant stands, now installed in the Middle School, are used for both cutting and transplant propagation and seed-starting.
Most classes have a long-term OC activity. Our kindergarten students explore the wildscape and learn names and basic facts about the plants and creatures we encounter. Kindergarten manages the school's worm bin. First-grade manages the playground bird feeder and participates in the Cornell University Institute of Ornithology's Project FeederWatch over the winter. Second-grade tries their hands at composting in the SE corner of the playground. Third graders manage the bulb garden. Fourth-grade works in the wildscape.
Peacemaking/Problem Solving
Research shows that students can think more deeply and creatively in a peaceful environment. Therefore, The Branch School is committed to modeling for our students the importance of engaging in peacemaking to resolve conflicts and improve communication skills with their classmates. The School embraces the steps of peacemaking through a willingness to honestly listen to understand and then be understood, and finally agree on a resolution that includes compassion for all involved. Routinely participating in this process inspires a desire for peace and encourages the student to become a life-long peacemaker. Our curriculum is based on Naomi Drew’s book, Learning the Skills of Peacemaking, the virtues from the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education and 7 habits from The Leader in Me by Stephen Covey.
Another program used by The Branch School to encourage Peacemaking and Problem Solving is Responsive Classroom. Responsive Classroom is an evidence-based approach to teaching important life lessons. The lessons are taught during Morning Meetings. Morning Meeting Lessons focus on academics which are highly engaging. They foster and encourage a positive community, effective management, and developmental awareness. Teachers can create safe and joyful learning communities where students develop strong social and academic skills and every student can thrive.
Physical Education
Students in kindergarten through fourth grade acquire the knowledge and skills for movement that provide the foundation for enjoyment, continued social development and access to a physically active and healthy lifestyle. Students participate in group games and develop individual character and the sportsmanship to resolve conflicts with peers, including responsibility, best effort, cooperation, and compassion.
- Students actively participate in physical activities that address each component of fitness including: strength, endurance and flexibility.
- Students follow activity-specific safe practices, rules and procedures.
- Students learn tips on healthy eating and living.
Spanish
A young child’s acquisition of a second language is best accomplished through immersion. In our Elementary program, children receive 60 minutes of Spanish per week. Our program engages the children in games, songs, dance, repetition and dialogue to help them naturally acquire a second language. Students also expand their appreciation of Hispanic culture, traditions and heritage.
Technology Foundations
The Branch School embraces the importance of computer technology in the 21st century and strives to create life-long learners through equipping the students with the necessary skills they will need both now, and in the future. Kindergarten through fourth grade students have one 45 minute technology class per week. The students at The Branch School develop specific skills taught through activities and projects which facilitate competency in the four C's:
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Creativity and innovation
Technology is present throughout The Branch School. Classrooms are equipped with projectors, Promethean boards and document cameras. In Third to eighth grade, students participate in a one-to-one school-owned laptop program. Kindergarten to second grade students use laptop carts whenever needed. Each grade also has an allocation of iPads in their classroom for the students to access as needed, and Middle School students can bring their own devices. Technology classes are fun and exciting places to explore.
Various online programs are available for student use. Students have access to Raz-Kids, an online reading program which allows students access to leveled reading material that can be both listened to and read. Students’ reading comprehension is also assessed and reports are available for the classroom teacher to keep track of student progress. Students also have access to IXL Math, an online skill and practice site, which allows students to get additional practice with the skills being taught in class. Students also have access to Discovery Learning.
The Branch School also participates in the Hour of Code, an international Computer Science event, to promote the teaching of Computer Science.
Fourth Grade
Math
The Branch School uses Everyday Mathematics 4, developed by the University of Chicago. The program offers a broad, rich and balanced approach to mathematics and allows students to develop a depth of knowledge by building connections among concepts, procedures and applications. A carefully developed spiral strategically distributes instruction and practice throughout the units in a way to best help students develop mastery and depth of knowledge. An online program, IXL, is also utilized as a practice for supplemental math fact fluency.
In fourth grade, students focus on the procedures, concepts, and applications in critical areas. Those areas are: understanding and fluency with multi-digit multiplication, and understanding of dividing to find quotients with multi-digit dividends, understanding of fraction equivalence, addition and subtraction of fractions with like denominators, and multiplication of fractions by whole numbers, understanding that geometric figures can be analyzed and classified based on their properties. The lessons in fourth grade address the following:
- Operations and Algebraic Thinking
- Use the four operations with whole numbers to solve problems.
- Gain familiarity with factors and multiples.
- Generate and analyze patterns.
- Number and Operations in Base Ten
- Generalize place value understanding for multi-digit whole numbers.
- Use place value understanding and properties to perform multi-digit arithmetic.
- Number and Operations – Fractions
- Extend understanding of fraction equivalence and ordering.
- Build fractions from unit fractions by applying and extending previous understandings of operations on whole numbers.
- Understand decimal notation for fractions..
- Measurement and Data
- Solve problems involving measurement and conversion of measurements from a larger unit to a smaller unit.
- Represent and interpret data.
- Geometric measurement: Understand concepts of angle and measure angles.
- Geometry
- Draw and identify lines and angles, and classify shapes by properties of their lines and angles.
Language Arts
Our Language Arts Curriculum, CKLA (Core Knowledge Language Arts). is grounded in the science of reading. For grades 3-5, it integrates foundational skills students have learned while continuing to build rich content knowledge. Students focus on analysis and expression in reading and writing, becoming conversationalists, learning and applying the conventions of English grammar, punctuation and spelling through explicit instruction, reading a rich variety of texts, maximizing vocabulary acquisition and continuing to build background knowledge for strong comprehension. Writing in Grades 3-5 focuses on Opinion Writing, Narrative Writing and Informative Writing. Students move fluidly between reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language activities, with increasing emphasis on individual and small-group interaction with complex text to prepare students for middle school and beyond.
Fourth grade units include:
Personal Narratives
Empires in the Middle Ages
Poetry
Quest: Eureka! Student Inventor
Geology
Contemporary Fiction
The American Revolution
Treasure Island
Science
The Branch School is committed to providing a well-rounded education through STEAM and inquiry-based learning. By using the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the STEMscopes curriculum, students receive a strong foundation in science education. The NGSS standards emphasize a holistic understanding of science by integrating the three dimensions of disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts. This approach allows students to not only learn facts and gather knowledge but also weave together the main ideas, explore the ways science is done, and make connections between the concepts and how they are applied to the real world. This combination develops skills in critical thinking and solving problems. By using STEMscopes, elementary teachers can effectively guide students through this process using the 5E model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) to allow students to construct their own meaning as they question, experiment, analyze, and evaluate their observations. By fostering a supportive and engaging learning environment, The Branch School is not only preparing students for academic success but also helping them become curious, adaptable, and lifelong learners.
In addition to STEMscopes, students develop engineering literacy through the Engineering is Elementary (EIE) program. Engineering is Elementary is an engaging, project-based curriculum which compliments the STEMscopes curriculum, but allows students to explore science through the lens of engineering. Each unit has an engineer design challenge, giving students the opportunity to apply the engineering design process.
The fourth grade curriculum at The Branch School is comprehensive and well-structured, covering a range of important scientific concepts while also integrating crosscutting concepts that enhance students' understanding of the material. Fourth grade units include:
- Energy
- Energy and Speed
- Transfer of Energy in Collision
- Earth and Human Activity
- Weather and Climate
- Processes and Impacts of Natural Hazards
- Geology
- Rock Patterns
- Changing Land
- Plate Tectonics
- Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources
- Fossils
- Energy and Information Transfer
- Energy Transfer and Electric Currents
- Using Stored Energy
- Information Technologies
- Circuits
- Engineering Project
Social Studies
As citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society our students learn to take the initiative in making informed and reasoned decisions to promote individual character and peace. Integrating Social Studies concepts from our Language Arts program, students engage in research projects and critical thinking based on these ten Social Studies themes from the National Council for the Social Studies Standards:
- Culture
- Time, continuity, and change
- People, places, and environment
- Individual development and identity
- Individuals, groups, and institutions
- Power, authority, and governance
- Production, distribution, and consumption
- Science, technology, and society
- Global connections
- Civic ideals and practices
In History, fourth grade students are taught to:
- Understand the origins, similarities and differences found in American Indian groups in Texas and North America before European exploration.
- Identify the causes and effects of European exploration and colonization of Texas and North America through different cultural lenses.
- Explain when, where and why the Spanish established Spanish missions and settlements in Texas.
- Identify the Texas role in the Mexican War of Independence and the war’s impact on the development of Texas.
- Analyze the causes and major events and effects of the Texas Revolution.
- Describe the successes, problems, and organizations of the Republic of Texas.
- Explain the events of the annexation of Texas to the United States.
- Describe the impact of the Civil War and Reconstruction on Texas.
In Geography, fourth grade students are taught to:
- Apply geographic tools to construct and interpret maps.
- Identify, locate, and compare the geographic regions of Texas.
- Identify and explain clusters and patterns of settlements and various towns and cities in Texas at different time periods.
In Government and Citizenship, fourth grade students are taught to:
- Describe how people organized governments in various ways during the early development in Texas.
- Understand important ideas in Texas and United States historical documents.
- Identify important Texas customs, symbols, and celebrations.
- Explain the duty of active individual participation in the democratic process.
- Identify and explain the basic functions of the three branches of government according to the Texas Constitution.
- Identify the importance of historical figures and important individual who model active participation in the democratic process.
In Economics, fourth grade students are taught to:
- Learn about the different the different traits and characteristics of entrepreneurs
- Learn how entrepreneurs use resources to produce goods and services in a region.
- Understand the fundamental tasks performed by a business owner and to track the revenue and expenses of a hypothetical business.
In Science, Technology, and Society, fourth grade students are taught to:
- Identify inventors who have contributed to Texas society.
- Identify how scientific discoveries and innovations have benefited society in Texas.
Fourth grade brings to life the history of Texas. History, culture and citizenship are brought to the classroom through literature, interactive manipulatives, and performances. A year-end field trip is taken to Austin to visit the Texas State Capital.
Specialty Classes
- Art
- Music
- Outdoor Classroom
- Peacemaking/Problem Solving
- Physical Education
- Spanish
- Technology Foundations
Art
At The Branch School, our visual arts students actively engage in drawing, painting, collage, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture and the study of famous artists, their lives and work. The elements and principles of design are incorporated into each lesson. Imagination and individual creativeness are stressed as each child uses his/her unique abilities in producing a work of art. They learn to coordinate their hands and minds in exploration of the visual world. Their natural inquisitiveness is encouraged and they learn the value of perseverance. Students develop skills of observation and grow in their ability to describe and respond to work in the visual arts. Student work is displayed throughout the school.
Music
Students at The Branch School have a dynamic Lower School music program. Students enjoy singing and using musical instruments to help them understand the cultural and creative nature of musical artistry and make connections between music, the other arts, technology, and other aspects of social life. They also explore creative expression and develop critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities by increasing their understanding and appreciation for different forms of music. Students perform at least once during the school year.
Outdoor Classroom
In both the classroom and our state recognized Texas Wildscape, students:
- Participate in investigations that develop the early skills of scientific inquiry through group and independent activities.
- Value, empathize with, care for and feel comfortable in, their natural environment.
- Explore the process of cyclical changes in matter, organisms and the environment.
- Plant and harvest vegetables and herbs.
- Develop an appreciation for wildlife and the interdependence of living things.
Our Outdoor Classroom (OC) program focuses on teaching the children to empathize with and feel comfortable in nature, and to understand its fundamental processes. This is done through a working wildscape partly accessible to children on the playground, through our off-playground habitats including pond, wildscape, and prairie, and through horticulture activities from growing vegetables to propagating plants. Each year includes several favorite activities, from pond organism collection and study to the Audubon Society birdathon in spring. All classes grow vegetables and herbs in their class tubs and beds. Second through fifth grade students all adopt a native grass, flower, shrub or tree from the wildscape to be their personal example of the ecology principles taught.Kindergarten and first-grade will adopt a class plant to learn about. Our SunLighter indoor plant stands, now installed in the Middle School, are used for both cutting and transplant propagation and seed-starting.
Most classes have a long-term OC activity. Our kindergarten students explore the wildscape and learn names and basic facts about the plants and creatures we encounter. Kindergarten manages the school's worm bin. First-grade manages the playground bird feeder and participates in the Cornell University Institute of Ornithology's Project FeederWatch over the winter. Second-grade tries their hands at composting in the SE corner of the playground. Third graders manage the bulb garden. Fourth-grade works in the wildscape.
Peacemaking/Problem Solving
Research shows that students can think more deeply and creatively in a peaceful environment. Therefore, The Branch School is committed to modeling for our students the importance of engaging in peacemaking to resolve conflicts and improve communication skills with their classmates. The School embraces the steps of peacemaking through a willingness to honestly listen to understand and then be understood, and finally agree on a resolution that includes compassion for all involved. Routinely participating in this process inspires a desire for peace and encourages the student to become a life-long peacemaker. Our curriculum is based on Naomi Drew’s book, Learning the Skills of Peacemaking, the virtues from the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education and 7 habits from The Leader in Me by Stephen Covey.
Another program used by The Branch School to encourage Peacemaking and Problem Solving is Responsive Classroom. Responsive Classroom is an evidence-based approach to teaching important life lessons. The lessons are taught during Morning Meetings. Morning Meeting Lessons focus on academics which are highly engaging. They foster and encourage a positive community, effective management, and developmental awareness. Teachers can create safe and joyful learning communities where students develop strong social and academic skills and every student can thrive.
Physical Education
Students in kindergarten through fourth grade acquire the knowledge and skills for movement that provide the foundation for enjoyment, continued social development and access to a physically active and healthy lifestyle. Our coach is a retired professional athlete and certified fitness instructor. Students participate in group games and develop individual character and the sportsmanship to resolve conflicts with peers, including responsibility, best effort, cooperation, and compassion.
- Students actively participate in physical activities that address each component of fitness including: strength, endurance and flexibility.
- Students follow activity-specific safe practices, rules and procedures.
- Students learn tips on healthy eating and living.
Spanish
A young child’s acquisition of a second language is best accomplished through immersion. In our Elementary program, children receive 60 minutes of Spanish per week. Our program engages the children in games, songs, dance, repetition and dialogue to help them naturally acquire a second language. Students also expand their appreciation of Hispanic culture, traditions and heritage.
Technology Foundations
The Branch School embraces the importance of computer technology in the 21st century and strives to create life-long learners through equipping the students with the necessary skills they will need both now, and in the future. Kindergarten through fourth grade students have one 45 minute technology class per week. The students at The Branch School develop specific skills taught through activities and projects which facilitate competency in the four C's:
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Creativity and innovation
Technology is present throughout The Branch School. Classrooms are equipped with projectors, Promethean boards and document cameras. In Third to eighth grade, students participate in a one-to-one school-owned laptop program. Kindergarten to second grade students use laptop carts whenever needed. Each grade also has an allocation of iPads in their classroom for the students to access as needed, and Middle School students can bring their own devices. Technology classes are fun and exciting places to explore.
Various online programs are available for student use. Students have access to Raz-Kids, an online reading program which allows students access to leveled reading material that can be both listened to and read. Students’ reading comprehension is also assessed and reports are available for the classroom teacher to keep track of student progress. Students also have access to IXL Math, an online skill and practice site, which allows students to get additional practice with the skills being taught in class. Students also have access to Discovery Learning.
The Branch School also participates in the Hour of Code, an international Computer Science event, to promote the teaching of Computer Science.
This slideshow of our South Wing gives a glimpse into the loving and collaborative environment experienced by our elementary students.
This brochure, Where Love Leads: About The Branch School, will share more about Branch's curriculum, philosophy, and loving approach towards educating students.