Curriculum
At The Oaks Academy students are in levels made up of three grade levels. Each level is named after a type of oak tree.
The cultural curriculum is circular and cycles through a three year rotation. The first year focuses on Africa, the second year on Europe and Australia, and the third year on The Americas. These cultural themes will be explored through art, music, dance, food, and examinations of the history and beliefs of the people groups studied.
Students will learn the core subjects through personalized education plans where they advance at their own pace through the content and learn from one another. These plans will be based on the ARA Ed model of education.
The Oaks
SCRUB OAK
The scrub oak is one of the smallest oak trees and it is resilient to flourish and bring life even in seemingly barren lands with rough terrain, much like our littlest community members. (Click for more)
At this level students are developing fine motor skills that are a natural part of their cognitive development. Additionally there is a lot of emphasis on growing emotional intelligence and social skills that allow them to deal with challenges and differences in a healthy way. They are also beginning to form foundations of reading and writing through learning the letters and their sounds, and math through numbers and counting.
At this level much of the focus is on exploring the world we live in by being introduced to maps, animals, plants and other topics that will expose them to new concepts and help them to discover their interests, all while building foundational skills that they will carry with them throughout their academic career and life.
WHITE OAK
The white oak has a sweet fruit and is a long-living tree. This is like the learning that happens at this level, it is sweet and foundational, being carried forward as the roots of all the learning that happens after.(Click for more)
At this level students are beginning to develop cooperative skills including basic problem solving skills. For how their brains are developing socially and emotionally, this is where they begin to reason through cause and effect, consequences, and actions and reactions. Through cooperative work with peers they will begin exercising these skills as well as developing a sense of responsibility to the community and for the community and self.
Whether through the five animal kingdoms, the types and parts of plants, and the periodic table, or through understanding how the universe came to be, early people groups, and the land and water forms and geography of the 5 continents, students at this age will be guided through understanding the world around them and learning how it works, and how it came to be.
RED OAK
The red oak is a fast growing tree, rapidly reaching heights of over 60 feet. This tree has a rounded top. Students at this age are growing quickly and beginning to round out who they are as people and what they believe.(Click for more)
Students entering in the 4th grade are often beginning a journey to build and understand their sense of justice and right and wrong, and build their own moral and ethical compass. This is where we will start encouraging students to think deeply about the “why” behind what they do and believe. This encourages them to not only establish and grow in their convictions but to understand why they hold to those convictions.
At this level students begin learning about human development and history. They learn about early humans and their practices, then progress into learning about ancient civilizations, ending with an in depth look at American history. They will explore physics and chemistry and learn about the layers of the atmosphere as well as diving into studying biomes and the atmosphere.
HOLLY OAK
This oak has leaves similar to those of the holly bush, but it produces acorns instead of berries. The leaves are a little prickly. This tree feels a little unpredictable and had to figure out, much like middle students as their bodies and brain chemistry are changing feel a little unpredictable, but in the end they are a beautiful mixture of who they were and who they are becoming.hat they believe.(Click for more)
Students at this age begin applying their new-formed sense of justice to themselves and the local communities they engage with. A big part of this stage of development is learning how to deal respectfully with someone not acting within their perception of right and wrong, as well as beginning to consider the perspectives of others. Additionally, they begin self examination through analysis of personal strengths and weaknesses, as well as personal approaches to different situations.
The year is organized a little differently beginning in this level. Students will go through five units in the year and each one will have a different focus and theme within each content area. They will be understanding in great detail how sentences are built and their parts, they will also be examining how societies function with in-depth look at topics such as economy and government
LIVE OAK
The live oak is known for its long branches that reach far beyond the trunk of the tree. With the trunk firmly planted and rooted the branches can extend seemingly endlessly in all direction. This is what happens in the final years of the program. Students root themselves in who they are and begin examining themselves and others through a global perspective, reaching far beyond themselves to not only understand but to impact and be impacted by the world beyond themselves. (Click for more)
Students in the final years of the program are beginning to examine the world and themselves through a global perspective. They are expanding their reach and considering their role in the world and social issues locally and abroad, as well as applying their understanding of themselves gained through the self-evaluation to consider how they can continue to grow both in their strengths and weaknesses as well as how they approach others and situations.
Here the students will be completing course work that meets state and national standards for graduation as well as college readiness. They will deeply explore social issues through the study of culture while continuing to grow in their knowledge and understanding of themselves gained through sciences, math, language, and history.
Subjects
Scrub Oak through Holly Oak
BOTANY
Scrub Oaks begin with an introduction to what plants are and how they differ from other living things, then learns about the basic differences in main types of plants such as grasses, flowers, bushes and trees.
White Oaks begin with an introduction to the plant kingdom and then continues to study: parts of plants, seeds, bulbs, roots, stems, branches, buds, leaves, flowers and fruits. They identify the needs of plants and begin to identify plants based on learned traits. They end the three-year study with a focus on the fungi kingdom.
Red Oaks take the white oak curriculum and dive deeper. They begin with classification of plants based on the plant kingdom and look at plant structures, cells and types of seeds, roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruits. Students learn about photosynthesis, do plant dissections and finish the program with a study of the fungi kingdom.
Holly Oaks begin with a review of the plant kingdom but looks at each subphylum in great detail. Then they look at the chemical make-up of plants and the nutritional aspects. They end the program with a study on plants in ecosystems.
HISTORY
Scrub Oaks are just getting an understanding of past, present, and future. They learn a broad overview of the continental shift over time.
White Oaks begin looking at pre-history, working with timelines that introduce different periods and eras, first as an overview and then with more in-depth studies of each era. They learn about the passage of time, the parts of a clock and how to tell time. Fundamental needs of man throughout time are introduced. They end the program with a brief look at US and state history, which includes an overview of the government and presidents.
Red Oaks transition to looking at history from a global perspective, which aligns with the White Oaks continent studies. In the first year they study prehistory and early humans, and they learn what is happening globally from 40,000 BCE to 300 CE. In that they learn about the history of writing, world religions, development of civilizations and currency exchanges. In the second year they pick up at 300 CE and go to 1500 CE, again looking at what is happening globally and getting an introduction to some of the most significant figures during that time period. The last year in the program begins with the Age of Exploration and goes through the American Civil War. It also focuses on US and state history, looking at types of government, branches of the US government and the presidents.
Holly Oaks begin with a review of early people groups then begins a study of migration patterns, early settlements and the development of civilizations. They study some of the early civilizations in greater detail. They look at historical periods and events such as the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Reformation, Age of Exploration, Industrial and Scientific Revolution, Age of Imperialism and the settling of America. They will be introduced to some of the most significant battles, both globally and in the US. The program will end with a more detailed study of US and state history.
ZOOLOGY
Scrub Oaks learn about animals specific to the different continents and begins to study the five phyla of vertebrates, briefly discussing their primary characteristics.
White Oaks begin with an overview of the five kingdoms and then looks at the external organs of each invertebrate. Next, they learn about the five phyla of vertebrates identifying the external organs for each, which leads them into a study of the humans as vertebrates and mammals, looking at the systems of the human body.
Red Oaks again take the White Oaks curriculum and dives deeper. They begin with a review of the animal kingdom, examine microorganisms under the microscope and then learn the internal parts for all phyla of animals. They look at the organization of living things and life processes. They end the program with a study of the human body systems.
Holly Oaks will review the previous program’s work with animal kingdom and then begin comparing living things based on specific characteristics. Students will learn about animals in relation to various biomes and ecosystems. They will also look at the systems of the human body but will be learning about different types of cells. Here they will study diseases and viruses. begin with an introduction to what plants are and how they differ from other living things, then learns about the basic differences in main types of plants such as grasses, flowers, bushes and trees.
GEOGRAPHY
Scrub Oaks begin learning about the Earth as a planet, as a sphere made up of land and water which forms the oceans and continents. They will be introduced to each continent, learning a bit about the land, culture, food, plants and animals. In the first year they will focus on the world map and Africa. Second year they will focus on Europe, Asia, Australia and Antarctica. The last year of the program the students will be learning about the Americas: South, Central and North.
White Oaks will begin learning about the universe, galaxy, solar system and then planet Earth. This will include the zones and hemispheres, the composition, plate tectonics, rocks and minerals, and the major biomes. They will then do a more detailed study of the continents of Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, Antarctica, South America, Central America and North America through puzzle maps and pin maps. This will include a study of major land and water forms.
Red Oaks begin looking at the universe and solar system but also looks at other celestial bodies. Their study includes conditions that make Earth the only planet that can support life, the layers of the Earth and theories of the Earth’s crust. At this level they do a more detailed study of plate tectonics and their role in creating various features such as mountains and volcanoes. The students will study each biome and the plants and animals that live there. The final year of the program focuses on cycles and the atmosphere. This includes weather systems, the water cycle, carbon-dioxide cycle, oxygen cycle, and the nitrogen cycle. The students will also learn about topography, map making and orienteering.
Holly Oaks begin with a more detailed study of some of the early civilizations and their locations. There is a lot of personal reflection as students consider their own cultural backgrounds. They review mapping, zones and lines on the globe. Students will then begin mapping the countries of each continent, learning their geographical location and their capitals as well as their economic geography. They will learn about the major landforms of the world. They will review the major biomes and then do a study on biodiversity.
LIVE OAKS (High School)
Science will begin with Earth Science where they will be doing many experiments with various elements. This will be followed by a semester each of chemistry and physics. The final year will focus on human anatomy, diseases and disorders for each system.
Social studies will begin where the Middle School leaves off, focusing primarily on the Americas. The first year they will learn about immigration and the westward expansion, then the conquistadores and the Columbian Exchange. One unit will consist of a study of American wars, from the French and Indian War to the War on Terror. The next year will look at important historical US documents: the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. They will learn about politics and propaganda, significant supreme court judges and rulings, the Harlem Renaissance, women’s rights and the Civil Rights Movement. During the last year of the program, the focus will be on prohibition, the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl before turning to Post World War II conflicts.
English will target different skills for each year: British and World Literature and American Literature. Throughout the three years, students will review parts of speech, sentence diagraming, and writing essays, research papers and speeches.
Math will begin with a year of geometry, followed by a year of Algebra 2 and then a year of Precalculus or Trigonometry.