Lumen Academy will use Inquiry Journeys as the basis of its social studies curriculum in kindergarten through third grade and will use the History Quest series of textbooks and activity guides as the basis of its history curriculum beginning in fourth grade. The social studies curriculum in kindergarten through third grade will be supplemented with short units on Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and the Roman Empire using other material.
Kindergarten
| Navigating School | My Team and Self | Past, Present, and Future | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
School norms, behaviors, interactions Creating maps of the school and classroom Student roles and responsibilities Interviewing staff members about roles and duties Leaders, helpers, and friends Encountering problems Tactics to help resolve conflicts |
Self-portraits: historical and student-generated Family, culture, identity Case Study: Apollo 11 & the power of different skills Classmate interviews, celebrating unique strengths Brainpower and brain growth Strengths, challenges, growth mindset Cooperation and teamwork Setting shared goals |
Past, present, future Learning from stories Increments and measures (months, weeks, days) Natural cycles and patterns (night & day, seasons) Chronological order Timelines Learning from experience Relationship between actions and outcomes |
Grade 1
| Families Near and Far | Our Special Location | Civic Engagement | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exploration of different family structures
Families around the world Responsibilities, needs, and wants of a family Compare and contrast different family roles Customs and traditions Exploring holidays and food traditions Diverse family types How families help each other |
Maps and globes: symbols, directions, location Mapping important community locations Community goods and services Characteristics of rural, urban, and suburban communities Landforms, bodies of water, local and regional climates Effects of climate and landscape on way of life Community workers and helpers Symbols that represent our community |
Responsibilities as community citizens
Purpose and function of rules and laws Historical changes in rules and laws Case Study: Women and girls in sports Difference between fact and opinion Making informed choices Working together to overcome challenges Case Study: Americans with Disabilities Act |
Grade 2
| Meeting Needs and Wants | Our Changing Landscape | Innovation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Understanding needs and wants
Money Wise: price, saving, spending, and giving Planned vs. unexpected expenses Financial literacy and evaluating financial decision-making Producers and consumers Market Economy: supply and demand Community needs and wants Generating ideas to meet community needs |
Identify geographic features Natural resources of community and state Types of modifications to the environment Population growth and landscape changes Basic human needs Freshwater, issues of scarcity Responses to environmental problems Innovation in fresh food production |
Sparks and impacts of innovation
Using evidence to evaluate impact of innovation Impact of Industrial Revolution’s innovations Transcontinental Railroad Spotlight on George Washington Carver Characteristics of effective innovators Modern innovations Improving communities through innovation |
Grade 3
| Global Connections | Migration and Movement | The 20th Century Civil Rights Movement | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relative location and geographic features
Latitude, longitude, and grid systems Domestic and global trade Using natural resources and raw materials Physical and human geographic characteristics Geography’s effect on culture, good, and services Cultural Diffusion Globalization and interdependence |
Identify push and pull factors The impact of conflict on movement Cultural identity and immigration Evolving identities Waves of immigration to the US Identifying themes of immigration experiences Diverse communities Community connections |
Rights and responsibilities
Segregation The March on Washington Civil Rights Act of 1964 Civil rights movement Changemakers in the civil rights movement Learning from examples Positive footsteps for change |
Grades 4–5
Grades 4 and 5 will focus on the years between the Paleolithic period through the 8th century CE and cover the following topics:
- Paleolithic and Neolithic Times
- Earliest Civilizations
- Ancient Egypt
- The Andes Mountain Civilizations
- Mesoamerica
- Babylon, Assyria, and Persia
- The Hebrews and Phoenicians
- Ancient Greece
- India
- The Roman Empire
- Ancient China
- Arabia and the Rise of the Islamic Empire
Grades 6–7
Grades 6 and 7 will focus on the years the Fall of the Roman Empire through Elizabethan Times and cover the following topics:
- Islamic innovation
- Khmer, Mali, Aztec, Inca, Indian, Mughal, Mongolian, and Ottoman Empires
- Medieval dynasties of China
- Norse and Viking history
- The British Isles
- Medieval Japan
- The Crusades
- The Magna Carta
- The Plague
- The Hundred Years War
- Exploration and the New World
- The Renaissance and Reformation
Grade 8
Grade 8 will cover the history and civics of the United States from the 1500s to the early 21st century:
- The Haudenosaunee Confederacy
- European Colonization
- The American Revolution
- Civics: U.S. Government, the Constitution, and Elections
- Slavery and the Civil War
- Western Expansion
- Industry, Invention, and Scientific Achievements
- The Roaring Twenties
- The Great Depression
- World War II
- The Cold War
- The Civil Rights Movement
- September 11, 2001