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HanumaMiddleSchoolTeamCurriculumProject
EDT252M/EDL318M
SamanthaSchlabach,ShannonStearns,JessieDavidson,HayleyMeyer

TeamOrganization

OrganizationalStructureofMiddleSchool
Located in Oahu, Hawaii, Hanuma Middle School provides a diverse educational experience
for all students grades 68. Curriculum entails a variety of subjects and caters to each individual
students needs and interests. Hanuma is culturally diverse due to not only its location but also the
historical impacts we have entailed in the state. Common subjects are incorporated within the curriculum
but also unique topics bring a diverse experience allowing students to become culturally competent in
the world around them. Students will have the opportunity to take part in a number of clubs, classes,
and will receive a number of resources to make their educational experience the very best. Hanuma
prides themselves in providing an equal, appropriate education for all of their students and allowing them
to reach their goals of becoming a successful individual. Our curriculum bases itself on the states
uniqueness such as the many geographical features and the history that has impacted our state in years
past. Within the organizational structure of our middle school, students will grow socially, emotionally,
and mentally in a productive manner that will better our students as citizens of the world. Each grade will
have a set of teams that will change year to year so that students can become socially diverse but also
findasenseofinnersanctumwithintheirpeersandteachers.

BeliefStatement
Hanuma Middle School believes in all students unique roles in society and are committed to their
development as lifelong learners socially and academically. Staff is dedicated to the students ability
to think critically, lead confidently, and live honorably as well as help students realize their full
potential in life. Hanuma is dedicated to students social, emotional, and academic growth and
provides students with tools to be successful and empower them to be respectful, reliable, and
responsibleindividualsinthecommunity.

1) We believe in all students unique, individual roles in society as well as allowing their role to be
anassettothelearningenvironmentoftheschool.
2) We believe in encouraging and allowing our students to be lifelong learners both socially and
academically.
3)Webelieveinourstudentsabilitytothinkcritically,leadconfidently,andlivehonorably.
4) We believe in providing a culturally relative education that provides the knowledge and various
skillsinordertomeetthechallengesandopportunitiesoftheworldaroundthem.
5) We believe in providing a safe environment and having an adequate preparation for all staff and
studentsingivensituations.
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6) We believe in the empowerment of our students and providing them with a solid foundation in
becomingrespectful,reliable,andresponsibleindividualsinthesocietyandlearningcommunity.
7)Webelieveinincreasingstudentachievementandmaintainingapositiveschoolclimate.
8) We believe in all students abilities and provide appropriate services so that each and every
studentcanachieve.
9) We believe in each students literacy ability and providing a positive learning environment where
studentsofalllevelscansucceed.

Adaptedfrom:RossMiddleSchoolandHarpethHallMissionStatements

TeamExpectations
1. We expect our team to utilize the individual talents of our students to facilitate effective roles in
societythroughplacebasedlearningandcommunityoutreach.
2. We expect our team to encourage lifelong learning among students through peer interaction and
academicsuccess.
3. We expect our team to push our students to think critically and be the best people they can be
inordertoprosperinsociety.
4. We expect our team to educate our students about the diverse world they live in through various
fieldtripsandprojects.
5. We expect our team to be prepared in case of emergency and act quickly and effectively during
anygivensituation.
6. We expect our team to educate our students for the future in order to be productive citizens in
society.
7. We expect our team to push our students to reach their highest potential by encouraging
studentstothinkcriticallyinasafeandpositiveenvironment.
8. We expect our team to strive to meet the needs of all students. Through accommodation and
theuniversaldesignforlearninginmind,studentscanlearnintheleastrestrictiveenvironment.
9. We expect our team to facilitate literacy in our students through an integrated curriculum with
elementsofliteracyintertwinedthroughout.

OrganizationalStructureoftheTeam

Schedule

8830:Breakfast
845855:Homeroom
911:Block one (Two different classrooms and two teachers for subjects Math/Science)
required10minutebreak
1111:40Lunch
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11:4512:25Music/ForeignLanguage/Art
12:302:30Blocktwo(LanguageArtsandSocialStudies)
2:353:05PE/Health
3:103:45AcademicAssist

At Hanuma MS, we chose to start classes at 8:45am to allow students to be able to get
enough rest as their changing bodies require it. We serve breakfast every morning beginning at
8am so that it ensures students receive an adequate meal before beginning the school day. There
is a homeroom period that is separate from the first academic class to ensure more social
diversity with peers. It also gives each student an advisor who is there to monitor their progress
in all their classes, be there if the student is struggling with course work, or for mediation among
teachers. To best suit our students, we have flexible block scheduling. Each team is comprised
of 6 teachers: one math, one science, one language arts, one social studies, and two intervention
specialists. During each school day, there are two blocks. Each block has two teachers and
two rooms that are each equally large enough to house all of the students for integrative learning.
The teachers have the option to coteach or separate the block into separate periods of an
individual subject if needed. On most days, half of the students will have Block One: Math and
Science. The other half of students who do not have Math and Science for Block One will have
Block One: Language Arts and Social Studies Then which ever subjects you have in block one
the students will have the other two courses in block two. However, all 6 teachers have the
same planning period. If there is an integrated unit of Math and Language Arts, they can meet in
one of the blocks for planning. This will give teachers the opportunity to collaborate and plan
integrated lessons. There will be one intervention specialist for each block. The planning period
is split into two 30 minute chunks when students are in their electives and PE/Health. The
students will have PE/Health every day. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday students will
have the Foreign Language of their choice. Tuesday students will have Music and Thursday they
willhaveArt.

Programsandpoliciesthatfosterhealth,wellnessandsafety
Hanuma Middle School offers many programs and policies that foster health, wellness, and
safety. We believe that no matter the area of your school, students should be provided with as
many options for health and wellness that cater to their needs. We believe that each and every
student can participate in extracurriculars. Health, wellness, and safety programs here at
Hanuma make a huge contribution to the overall diverse educational experience. We have a
variety of sports teams including soccer, football, track and field, swimming and diving, baseball,
softball, rugby, wrestling, water polo, and tennis. Hanuma Middle School has state of the art
facilities that foster many student interests including an ice rink! Located here, students can
participate in sports such as curling, ice hockey, and ice skating Along with sports, there are a
multitude of extracurricular activities and clubs such as fishing club, scuba diving club, bird
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watching club, pineapple picking club, recycling club, nature club, photography club, fashion
club, DECA, math club, chess club, surfing club, and spear fishing club. There are also other
clubs and activities offered for special education students where typically developing students
and students with special needs venture out into the community and go on field trips. Also
included in our many extracurriculars are strength and conditioning club and performing/creative
arts(choir,artclub,dramaclub).
Hanuma Middle School focuses on the safety of all students and staff in every aspect
and situation. For this, we have constructed plans of action to take in the instance of any given
circumstance to ensure every staff member, student, and visitor of Hanuma are kept in a safe,
positive learning environment. To ensure safety, there are many policies put into place that
include specifically designed drills such as fire, tornado, tsunami, volcano, hurricane, tropical
storm, and lockdown/crisis drills. There is also a great focus on bullying prevention and
Hanuma has implemented an antibullying campaign that includes counseling for students during
lunch, peer mentors, and an antibullying club that meets after school. Hanuma Middle School
is in constant contact with the local police,fire departments and task force. During the year, the
officers and firefighters come to the school regularly to stress the importance of safety with the
students. Drug and alcohol prevention programs are in place to inform students of the dangers
of being under the influence. Also, all students are required to take health class to learn about
the importance of health and wellness. All these programs and policies work toward teaching
students the importance of living a safe and healthy lifestyle. Hanuma Middle School places high
value in the education of the students and these policies and procedures are another lesson that
webelieveallstudentsshouldlearn.

GuidanceandSupportServices
Guidancecounselor
Psychiatristandpsychologist
Grouptherapy
Socialworkerandcountylesion
Dentist
CrisisTeam
Schooldoctorandnursingstaff
Occupationaltherapist
Physicaltherapist
Speechtherapist
Therapydogs
Studentmentors
Custodialstaff
Acommunityagencythatcanprovideclothingforstudentswhoneedit
Fullservicelaundryroomandshowertoprovidecleanclothingandawarmshower
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Acommunityagencythatcanprovidefoodforstudentswhoneedit
After school programs that allow for tutoring or a living room like area where students can relax
beforeotherafterschoolactivitiesorbeforereturninghome
A room dedicated to all these services ran by the Vice Principal of Student Services to ensure
thateverystudentsneedsaremet

AdministrationSetUp

At Hanuma, we will have one principal. Each major domain of the school will have a vice
principal to provide specialized knowledge and to be someone act as a head personnel for that
speciality. Their purpose is also to be there as a support to those teachers and employees that may be in
their domain/speciality so that the workload is equally split up. This allows people the ability to spend
moretimehelpingthepeoplewithintheirdomainandallowslessstresstotheprincipal.
Here at Hanuma we have a Vice Principal of Curriculum and acts as the curriculum director for
each grade level. In each grade level, there will be a curriculum director for each subject who work
under the Vice Principal of Curriculum.This would allow for easy communication and planning of
curriculum of the whole school ensuring that the sequence of knowledge and learning is continuous
throughout the middle school years. This also ensures that students are prepared for next level of
materialtheywillbetaughtandforthecollaborationofsaidcurriculumbetweenteachers.
The Vice Principal of Student Wellness will work with the Chair of Social Services for students,
the Chair of Programing, and the Chair of Diversity. The role of the Vice Principal in this department is
toensurethatthehealth,safetyandwellbeingguidelinesofallstudentsarebeingmet.
The Vice Principal of Special Education will work with the IEP Supervisor, 504 Supervisor,
Physical Needs Specialist, Emotional/Behavior Specialist, and Intellectual Specialist. The role of the
Vice Principal is to ensure that all students needs are being met and ensuring that the special education
teachers caseloads are appropriate/equally distributed so that they give each student the attention they
need. In addition, the supervisors and specialists will be able to provide support to the special education
teachersandwillworkwiththemtocomeupwiththemostinnovative,progressiveaidforthestudents.
The Vice Principal of the Arts will work with the Chair of Music, Chair of Theater, and the
Chair of Art . The goal is to provide as many musical outlets in the school for those students who have a
passionandgiftednessinthisarea.
The Vice Principal of ELL students will be in charge of designing programs to foster the
individualized approach based off on the students home language,their language strengths/weaknesses,
andmakesurethebilingualplanisbeingmet.
The Vice Principal of Athletics is in charge of the athletic programs and providing assistance to
the coaches. They will make sure that a diversity of sports are provided ensuring that they meet the
interestsofallstudentsatHanuma.
The Vice Principal of Extracurriculars will work with the teachers who sponsor or are in charge
of the clubs as well as the student leaders in them extracurriculars to maintain as many clubs as possible.
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This vice principal will also help students in the organization of a new club if there is not one already
providedforthemsothattheirinterestsaremet.

Rationaleformeetingtheneedsofstudentswithexceptionalities
Hanuma Middle School welcomes students with exceptionalities and believes that they are a
crucial part of the school community. We offer a wide variety of resources for these students such as
assistive technology, service/emotional/therapy dogs, sensory rooms, and therapy sessions with a
specialist. Our goal is to provide an inclusive environment for these students. With the help of innovative
technology such as SMART board, iPads, and electronic dictionaries are also provided. Students with
special needs are able to participate in an all inclusive setting. Assistive technology for communication
and speech such as Augmentative and Alternative Communication(AAC) will help students with more
intensive needs communicate with teachers, aides, and other students effectively about their needs.
Academic Assistive Technology such as Smartpens, TexttoSpeech, and Dragon Speak, naturally, will
assiststudentsintheclassroomsothattheycanlearnintheleastrestrictiveenvironment.
Hanuma Middle School works in correspondence with the local animal shelter to obtain access
to service, emotional, and therapy dogs for students with exceptionalities. One of the therapy dogs,
Barkley the Golden Doodle, is on hand for students to pet and spend time with as a relief from anxiety
with sensory overload or stress. He comes once a week and is available to students with special needs
that need time to relax. Pugsley the pug is one of two emotional support dogs that makes monthly visits
to the middle school. Students with exceptionalities are able to unwind and relax while cuddling with
Pugsley. He is a gentle animal that provides an outlet for students to release emotion by stroking his
back and laying with him. Bartleby the black lab is one of many service dogs that accompanies students
with visual impairments, Autism, or any other exceptionality that requires the need for a service dog.
The service dogs guide students to class, across the street, or anywhere else they may need to go. All
ofthesedogsarecaring,compassionate,andagreatassettothemiddleschool.
Twice a week both an occupational and physical therapist will come to the school to work with
students on motor skills. A speech therapist will be on hand to work one on one with students to
improve speech and communication. There are three sensory rooms in the building that are fully
equipped with bean bag chairs, swings, a dark area for a student to lie down, and other features to
manage sensory stimulation. These rooms are strategically placed in close proximity to the classrooms
so that students can be escorted to the room when need be. These rooms are the most effective way to
manageanxietyoversensorystimulation.
Hanuma Middle School expects staff to create an inclusive environment for students with
exceptionalities so that they are able to learn in the least restrictive environment. Every teacher at the
school is devoted to providing the best education for ALL students. We will work together with the
families of students with exceptionalities to ensure that all the students needs are met in the most
effective manner. We utilize where the school is located and send the students into the community to
work in local businesses for part of the day. These students will be provided with a work supervisor
that will guide them and teach them skills needed for employment. In each of the classrooms, there is a
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full service kitchen and laundry area so that the students can learn daily living and functional skills. We
ask that the families of our students correspond with us on what ideas and activities we can incorporate
at home. This will allow the student to continue learning necessary skills after the school day. Through
community, staff, and family collaboration, we will create the best learning environment with the most
resourcestohelpstudentswithexceptionalitiesgrowandprosperinordertoreachtheirfullestpotential.
TherapydogsNames:BarkleyaGoldenDoodle,pugnamedPugsley,BartlebytheBlackLab

BackgroundofStudentsandCommunity
765Students
16:1studentteacherratio
47%ofstudentsonfreeorreducedlunch
18%ofStudentsareonIEP/504
30%ELLstudents

EthnicityofStudents School
Asian/PacificIslander 47%
White,nonHispanic 28%
Asian 16%
multiracial 8%
Black 1%
MultipleIntelligences
Linguistic8%
LogicalMathematical15%
Musical6%
Spatial8%
BodilyKinesthetic27%
Naturalistic5%
Interpersonal15%
Intrapersonal9%
Existential7%

LearningModalities
Auditory14%
Visual29%
Kinesthetic34%
Tactile23%

Connectionsbetweenhome,school,andcommunity
ParentTeacherAssociation
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PartnerwithCommunityorganizationstoprovidefoodforchildrentotakehome
StudentleadConferences
Send students with special needs and typically developing students into community to
learnaboutjobs
StudentssingtoNursingHomesattheHolidays
ThanksgivingDinnerforcommunityattheschool

TensionsintheCommunity
There are ethnic tensions in the community mainly between the islanders and caucasians. Some
Islanders, usually behind closed doors, call caucasians Haole, meaning they have no soul. Students
often hear what their parents say and bring their language or opinions on race to school. Our school will
make sure to have discussions regarding race relations, and in History shows stories from all cultures
perspective. There are also tensions over a levy that the district is trying to get passed. The levy is
requiring an increase in taxes for people living in the district that will allow the construction of a new high
school, security upgrades in the wake of school shootings, and outdoor sports facility upgrades. Many
people are on board with the upgrades and new school but are unwilling to increase the money they pay
in taxes. Students will also bring with them influenced opinions about the levy and tensions between
students occur. Hanuma Middle School will inform the students that this is a decision solely up to the
parentsandopinionsaboutthelevyaregoingtodiffer.

LessonPlanOrganizer

Question:WhatcauseschangesinmarinelifeontheislandofOahu?
CommonCoreStandards/OhioRevisedStandards:
Math:CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.SP.A.2
Understand that a set of data collected to answer a statistical question has a distribution which can
bedescribedbyitscenter,spread,andoverallshape.
Wewillhavestudentsresearchstatisticsaboutcoralreefs,plants,oranimals.Students
willlookatcoralreefsandthetopfivemostabundantanimalorplantspecieslocatedin
Oahu.Theywillthenanalyzetheirvaryingpopulationsoverthecourseofmanyyears.
Theywillcollectdataoncoralreefsin1900vs.2014andcreateandanalyzetheir
graphs
English/LanguageArts:CCSS.ELALITERACY.W.6.2.A
Introduce a topic organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition,
classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics
(e.g.,charts,tables),andmultimediawhenusefultoaidingcomprehension.
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Students will conduct interviews with locals in the community and based on what they
learned, they will put the information into a compare and contrast ven diagram. This will
allowthemtocomparehowmarinelifewasin1900tohowitisintodaysworld.
Based on their interviews and after gathering research from credible sources, students
will begin to look at the relationship of what may be causing the changes in marine life
andtheeffectsthatarehappeningbecauseofit.
Students will brainstorm based on their interviews, research, and personal ideas as to
what ways they think will be most effective to create positive changes in marine life.
They will put together an essay that introduces the topic and specifically describes the
causes,howitschangedsince1900,andwhatthepeopleofOahucandotochangeit.
Social Studies: The choices people make have both present and future consequences.The
evaluation of choices is relative and may differ across individuals and societies. Topic:
EconomicDecisionMakingandskills:EconomicsStrand

The students will examine the effects of human existence on marine life in their
community. Through interviews with locals, the students will gain insight into how the
oceansecosystemslookedandfunctionedearlierintimeascomparedtonow.
Students will research marine life in their community to understand how it once was in
ordertobetterunderstandtheimpactpeoplehavehadontheenvironment.
Students will look at the economy of Oahu and figure out its major contributions to
beginresearchingandanalyzingthecausesofthechangesinmarinelife.

Science:CellulartoMulticellular
Livingsystemsatalllevelsoforganizationdemonstratethecomplementarynatureofstructureand
function.
Students examine all aspects of marine life and look at how the coral reefs, plants and
animalsinteract,andhoweachaffectstheothersexistence.
Discuss why and what each of these organisms need for survival and how these needs
areconnected.

StudentPerformanceObjectives:
Studentswillbeableto:Thinkcriticallyaboutthemarinelifeintheircommunity.
Studentswillbeableto:Collectandanalyzedataintographsandcharts.
Students will be able to: Utilize strategies such as compare and contrast and cause and
effecttodecipherinformation.
Students will be able to: Think about how people and industry have affected the marine
lifeintheircommunity.
Studentswillbeableto:Conductinterviews.
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Students will be able to: Gather information from interviews and put together a
presentationrepresentingtheirfindings.
Students will be able to: Effectively present their Public Service Announcement to the
class.
Students will be able to: Reflect on the process, what they feel they did well, what they
learned from the process, and advice to students that will be undergoing the process
nextyear.

LiteracyRationalandComponent:
diversetexts
researchreliablesources
learnhowtocite
categorize,andcompareandcontrastinformation
communicate their final presentation through mode of their choice (written, poster,
video)
analyzingthedatacollectedfromthepastandpresent
interviewing

KeyAcademicLanguage:
Data
StatisticalQuestion
Center
Spread
Overallshape
Distribution
Collect
Organizeideas
Introduce
Definition
Classification
CompareandContrast
CauseandEffect
Charts
Tables
Multimedia
Livingsystems
Demonstrate
Nature
Structure
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Function
Choices
Presents/futureconsequences
Evaluation
Individualsociety

Materials:
aclasssetofcomputerswithinternetaccess
aclasssetofaccesstoflipvideocameras
aclasssetofposterboard
aclasssetofmarkers,crayons,coloredpencils,glue,scissors,andconstructionpaper
aclasssetofconsentandpermissionforms

Procedure:
Introducetheprojectandgivestudentstheirhandoutandanswerquestions
StudentswillchooseeithermarineplantsormarineanimalsofHawaiitoresearchalong
withcoralreefs
Studentswillbeginresearchontheoceanlifein1900andresearchoceanlifein2014
Studentswillthencreategraphsandanalyzetheresultsanddifferencesbetween1900
and2014.Theywillthencomeupwithreasonsoftheirownastowhythereare
differences
Theywillthenchooseoneormorecommunitymembersbasedoffwhattheythinkis
thecauseandconductaninterview.
Studentswillthenusethethegraphsofthedifferencesfrom1900to2014,the
research,andinterviewstocreateaPublicServiceAnnouncementofhowtobetterthe
oceanlifeofHawaii
Studentswillpresenttotheclass,theirparents,andthecommunitymembersthey
interviewed.

Differentiations:
Intelligences:
Verbal/Linguistic Writing an essay based on findings along with researching and
readingarticlesrelatedtothecontent.
Musical Making a Public Service Announcement and adding music to make it more
engaging.
Logical/Mathematical Looking at the statistics of marine life and creating graphs to
representtheinformation.
Spatial Making posters and figuring out how the information should be designed and
organized.
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Kinesthetic Walking around the community and interacting with the marine life in the
community.
Interpersonal Interviewing community members and working with a group to
completetheassignment.
Intrapersonal Having the option to work on parts of the project alone or working on
theentireprojectindependently.
Naturalistic Interacting with the marine life and creating a project surrounding the
natureinthecommunity.
LearningModalities:
VisualMakingaPSAorposterthatrepresentstheinformationgathered.
Auditory Listening to the interviewees and peers presenting information to the class
abouttheirprojects.
Kinesthetic/tactileFilmingthePSAandinterviewingpeopleinthecommunity.

Assessment
Assessment will take place in the form of the students public service announcement. They will
be graded based on creativity, content, grammar, and the overall presentation of the project. Each
of these bases will be weighted differently with most of the weight lying on the actual content of the
presentation. It will be scored out of 100 points and each section will have certain criteria that must
bemetinordertoachieveaperfectscore.
Creativity15points
Is your presentation appealing to the eye? Does it use visuals, audio, or videos? Is it
organized,andformattedcorrect?
Content(Accuracy)40points
Do you have each subject area represented in your presentation? Have you included
yourgraphsandfindings?Isyouresearchfromboththe1900sand2014?
Grammar15points
Is your presentation free of grammatical errors? Have you cited all of your sources
correctly?
Presentation30points
Did you conduct yourself professionally during your presentation? Were you dressed in
aprofessional,businesscasualway?

ProjectHandout:
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4.OhioStandardsforEducators

Standard1:Students
Teachers understand student learning and development and respect the diversity of the
studentstheyteach.
At Hanuma, we engage all students and recognize each of their individual needs with the
basis of our curriculum. We understand the characteristics of our middle schools
studentsandhowtheyspecificallydevelopinordertoenhanceacademiclearning.
We understand the varying diverse backgrounds our students come from and each
individuals need in the classroom. As we begin units, we develop a clear starting point
based on what students know in the specific content area and can enhance student
learningbasedontheirpreviousknowledge.
Each student is held to the highest of expectations and at Hanuma we are dedicated to
eachindividualslifelonglearninginandbeyondtheclassroom.
Our diverse cultures and varying backgrounds are incredibly important in the overall
educational experience. Our students will be respected, welcomed, and our teachers
willpresentapositivemodelofculturalcompetencetoensurestudentacceptance.
Our teachers accept each individuals needs on the spectrum from learning disabilities to
gifted individuals. We will assist in the identification process so that each student is
receivingtheappropriate,adequateeducationalexperience.

Standard2:Content
Teachers know and understand the content area for which they have instructional
responsibility.
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A Hanuma, teachers are selected based on their credentials and knowledge of their
subject area. The educators are up to date on new developments in their field and are
able to teach the students in the most effective way. Teachers take their knowledge and
create engaging lessons that address both whole concept and specifics of content.
Theselessonsareinnovativeandmeetthevaryingneedsofallstudents.
Teachers at Hanuma understand the content standards and create integrative lessons
that address the standards. Teachers work with each other to bring multiple content
areas into single lessons, demonstrating to students that the different subjects all work
together.
Teachers create lessons that relate the content to the students lives. Students are the
central focus at Hanuma and by making the information relevant to them, the students
remainengaged.

Standard3:Assessment
Teachers understand and use varied assessments to inform instruction, evaluate and
ensurestudentlearning.
We will use both formative and summative assessments to monitor student progress and
understandingofthematerialbeforetheendassignment.
We believe in the use of varied authentic assessments that lead to deeper learning, and
allowforstudentexpressionasopposedtomultiplechoiceexams.
After formative assessments we will analyze and reflect on the class as a whole and so
that we as teachers can know how to modify instruction to best meet the needs of our
students
At the midpoint of each quarter, teachers will show students their grade at that point, as
well as send them out to parents so they know how their child is doing. We will also
have studentled conferences so that students can work on selfassessment and goal
setting.

Standard4:Instruction
Teachers plan and deliver effective instruction that advances the learning of each
individualstudent.
Here in the halls of Hanuma, we align our goals of instruction. Our curriculum is unique
but all instruction parallels with school, district, and academic content standard
priorities.
Our curriculum is based off our students learning and performance so that instruction
canbedeliveredappropriatelyforeachofourdiverselearners.
Much planning has gone into the curriculum, however, at Hanuma we leave room for
student interest and engagement. We demonstrate clear learning goals and throughout
theyearweprovidelearningactivitiesthatalignwiththoselearninggoals.
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Based on our students knowledge, we integrate diverse instructional design so that each
studentisgivenanappropriate,integrativeeducationalexperience.
Because each student varies in learning styles and ability, we incorporate all learning
abilities within the classroom to allow differentiation in instruction and appropriate
educationforall.
We are firm believers in place based, experiential, and project based learning within our
curriculum. This allows us as teachers to create and select activities that help students
become independent and responsible lifelong learners. This allows students to critically
thinkandtakechargeoftheirownlearningwithintheclassroom.
Because of our location, we are provided with many resources that will enhance the
individual education for each and every student at Hanuma. We include technology in
ourclassroomandlearningactivitiestoengageallstudents,promotinglifelonglearners.

Standard5:LearningEnvironment
Teachers create learning environments that promote high levels of learning and
achievementforallstudents.
At Hanuma, we seek to create a welcoming environment for all students. We wish to
ensure an environment in which students and teachers share a mutual respect and care
foroneanother.
The teachers at Hanuma create a learning environment that ensures both physical and
emotional safety for all students. Here, the students are able to learn in the most
effective way because they do not have to worry about anything but learning. Teachers
encourage students to be in charge of their learning and take responsibility for their
education.
Teachers create a learning environment in which all students needs are met through
collaboration both in a small group and as a class. Students will work on projects and
other assignments with partners or in a small group and then are able to share with the
wholeclass.

Standard6:Collaborationandcommunication
Teachers collaborate and communicate with students, parents, other educators,
administratorsandthecommunitytosupportstudentlearning.
AsHanumaMiddleSchoolutilizesplacedbasededucationtocollaborateandwork
withthecommunitytoaddreallifeunderstandingtolearning,andsupportthe
community.
Weencourageopencommunicationbetweenparents,teachers,administrators,andthe
communitytocommunicateregularlytomakesureallneedsandconcernsarebeing
addressed.
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Wealsowelcomeadministratorsandparentstojoinusonfieldtripstopromotelifelong
learningandcuriosityatallages.
Teachersworktogethertopromoteintegratedcurriculumthatrelatestothecommunity
andwelcomesstudentsinputandvaluestheirfeedbacktoensurethecurriculumis
relevantandinterestingtostudents.

Standard7:ProfessionalResponsibilityandGrowth
Teachers assume responsibility for professional growth, performance and involvement as
anindividualandasamemberofalearningcommunity.
The educators at Hanuma Middle School uphold both school and professional ethics.
We set high standards for teachers and administrators to keep up with new
developments in their field. Hanuma educators attend conferences and conventions for
professionaldevelopmenttoensureeffectiveteaching.
The teachers at Hanuma seek to make a positive impact on education, the school, and
in their field. Students education is held to the highest standard at Hanuma and the
teacherspushstudentstoreachtheirhighestpotential.

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6.ConceptualMap

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CurriculumRationaleforthecourse
Hanuma Middle School basis their curriculum on the philosophies of placebased education,
projectbased education, and Kolbs experiential learning. The combination of these three approaches
allows for student learning to be predominantly engaged in the community through both classroom work
and hands on work. Students will be able to learn both the positives and negatives of the Oahu
community and in what ways they are individually able to change the tensions that may be present based
ontheirownexperiences.
Placebased education is the center focus of our curriculum, which asks the underlying question
What makes our community unique?. Our curriculum is based on Deweys work in 1916 where he
found that classrooms should incorporate student interest so that they find purpose in what they are
learning. Dewey was concerned that formal school and students lives do not connect, and that school is
becoming boring and more like a chore than a chance to explore their interests and question the world
around them. (Bartholomaeus 17). At Hanuma Middle School our curriculum engages itself in the
community and what makes it different than other communities. It allows students to not only learn about
their community but develop an appreciation for other communities. Placed based learning is engaging,
motivating, and helps students find the value in learning. This type of learning also creates active citizens
who are aware of what is going on in their community and help lead them to question the community and
further it for the better (Bartholomaeus 21). This idea of place based learning goes along with the
Hanuma Middle Schools belief that students are naturally curious about the world around them and
allowsthemtoquestiontheircommunitytohelpcreatetheirlearning.
At Hanuma, we really encourage our students to get out and participate in the community. Our
students are diverse in their backgrounds, learning styles, and their individuality. We want our students
actively engaging in the community and have real life experiences that they critically think about. Within
our curriculum, it aligns well with experiential learning.The underlying concept of the experience based
learning theory, first starts out with a concrete experience that students have or have previously had.
They then review or reflect on that individual experience. Next,they are able to understand what they
have learned from that experience and adapt a new idea about what they can do from the experience in
their community. Lastly, students act on that experience and plan out an action. In our curriculum, we
look at what exactly makes our community unique. What are things that are in our community that differ
from others? What are problems that are in our community that could be changed? Students will be able
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to ask these questions, but based on their own experiences students will be able to critically reflect,
change, or adapt their unique community around them. One of the assessments within our curriculum is a
collaborative tourist website that the students produce to reflect on the ways our community is unique.
Students will have read two varying articles about race and religion that compare the United States
ethnic tensions to the Hawaiian ethnic tensions. Based on the experience, they will reflect, develop an
idea on what needs to change, and collaboratively build a project that will go out and change the
tensions that may be present in our community. At Hanuma, we want students to critically think about
the community they live in but in what ways does their individual self participate in the overall
community. Experiences matter to the overall education at Hanuma and each of our students have
exclusivelearningstyles.
At Hanuma Middle School we put an emphasis on our students learning from our community
through their experiences. One way of showing their learning through experience is doing a project that
encompasses all types of learning modalities as well as multiple intelligences. Our projects focus more
on the actual learning aspect rather than the overall presentation of the project. PBL often fails when
the emphasis falls too heavily on the project element of the title rather than on the learning. (Lattimer,
2011)
PBL has been central to the success of HTM, a founded on the principles of
personalization, common intellectual mission, and adultworld connection. (Lattimer,
2011)
(HTMHighTechMiddle)
At Hanuma, with our project based learning curriculum approach, we ask does the project answer
thesequestions?(ThesixAs):
Academic rigor: How do the projects address key learning concepts
or standards, or help students develop habits of mind and work
associatedwithacademicandprofessionaldisciplines?
Authenticity: How do the projects use a realworld context and
addressissuesthatmattertothestudents?
Applied learning: How do the projects engage students in solving
semistructured problems calling for competencies expected in
highperformance work organizations (e.g.,teamwork, problemsolving,
communication,etc.)?
Active exploration: How do the projects extend beyond the
classroom and connect to work internships, fieldbased investigations,
andcommunityexplorations?
Adult connections: How do the projects connect students with adult
mentorsandcoachesfromthewidercommunity?
Assessment practices: How do the projects involve students in
regular exhibitions and assessments of their work in light of personal,
school,andrealworldstandardsofperformance?
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(Lattimer,2011)
At Hanuma, we try to successfully address these questions in our projects, we can then ensure
that the project is actually focused on the learning rather than the student just doing a project for the fun
of it. At Hanuma Middle School, we encourage students to be creative, and our projects always
appeal to each and every learning modalitity and learning style. For example, one of our projects is a
video or multimedia project that touches on the interpersonal, spatial, musical, intrapersonal, and
linguistic intelligences. Although students may be stronger in certain intelligences, these types of projects
will strengthen the intelligences that they are not so strong in. We will also use these projects for
outreachandconnectionwiththoselivinginthecommunity.
Our goal is to meet the needs of all students to effectively teach a wide range of learners. We
are aware that this time in a middle schoolers life they are not only going through physical and emotional
changes, but also social changes with the changing of a new school. We plan to meet these needs by
having our school psychologist, and school nurse readily available and accessible to students at all times.
We also have a variety of clubs and after school activities for students to join or be a part of to make
new friendships in this new social setting. We aspire to make students feel as comfortable as possible
when entering middle school and we also try to make their transition into high school as seamless as
possible. Our dedicated teachers and staff, as well as our vice principal of wellness, are always there to
support students and assist them in problems that may arise, whether they be social, emotional or just
academic.

CourseDescription
At Hanuma Middle School, we pride ourselves on our innovative and engaging curriculum. The
students will not only learn the content, they will interact with the material and discover themselves in the
process. The curriculum is based around the question what makes our community unique? Students
will navigate through Hawaiian history, culture, and other subject areas to answer this question.
Integration is key in the curriculum because we believe it is important to show students that everything
they are learning fits together. We strive to meet the needs of all students and work to educate each
and every student effectively so that they are equipped with the skills needed to be active members in
society.
At Hanuma, the students receive an education that involves the rich history of the island. The
students are a critical part of the history course because they provide insight to the teachers about what
they want to learn. At the beginning of the year, the teachers show the concept map to the students
about the content that is going to be taught. The teachers then open it up to the students to come up
with questions they want answered by the end of the course. This allows the students some control
over their education while keeping them engaged in the material. The course is organized into units that
flow with the progression of time. The students will begin with a riveting unit about the many wars that
occurred in Hawaii. This unit will include the civil wars that took place in the 1800s followed by World
War II and the events that took place at Pearl Harbor. During this unit, the students will complete an
assignment in correspondence with their Language Arts class. The assignment entails that the students
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write a letter from the viewpoint of a soldier on the USS Arizona, one of the ships that was bombed at
Pearl Harbor. The letter assignment allows the students to think critically about the events that unfolded
during WWII while also channeling reading and writing skills taught in language arts. The assignment
meets the needs of students with the linguistic, intrapersonal, and interpersonal intelligences because it
involves writing and it can be done individually or with a partner. The units will flow chronologically in
time so the students will then transition into the effects that WWII had on the United States and the rest
of the world. During this unit, the students will focus in on the events that occurred in Germany
including:thereignofHitler,theHolocaust,andthelastingeffectsofthegenocide.
The next unit of study in the course will involve the production of nuclear weapons. The bombs
dropped on the ships at Pearl Harbor, in Hiroshima, and Nagisaki will canopault the course in the
direction of atomic weapons and the destruction they cause. During this unit, the students will take a
field trip to the site of Pearl Harbor. Here the students will conduct interviews and draw pictures of
what they see. There will be an interactive discussion after the field trip where students can demonstrate
their findings with the rest of the class. The field trip meets the needs of the bodilykinesthetic and tactile
learners because they are able to move around and physically see and touch their surroundings. It also
suits those strong in the naturalistic intelligence and the auditory and visual learning modality because
they can see the site of the Pearl Harbor, interact with their natural surroundings, and hear stories from
the interviewees. English Language Learners are accommodated in that they can interview employees
and learn english through interaction with a native speaker other than their teachers. During this unit, the
students will make connections between the atomic weaponry used during WWII and the atomic
weaponrybeingproducedtodayinplacessuchasSouthKorea.
The final unit will be about how the history of the island has impacted Hawaii today. The
students will learn about the lasting effects of the wars and the changes Hawaii has undergone. The
students will conduct an integrated project with math that involves going to local businesses in the
community and finding out how tourism has affected the island. They will figure out how much money is
brought to Hawaii from different businesses ventures such as the sugar cane industry and pineapple
exportation. This project suits the needs of logicalmathematical learners because they can work with
numbers and the mathematical side of business. Students can present the information however they
choose, whether that be in a song or using technology, it is truly up to the student. This allows students
strong in any of the intelligences to utilize that intelligence when presenting. The fact that the projects are
very student driven, allowing for choice and individuality, benefit students with special needs greatly
because they are able to learn in the least restrictive environment. Differentiation can be provided for
these students because the projects revolve around the students and what they are interested in. At
Hanuma, we believe the students should have a hand in their education. In this course, the students will
drive their learning by asking questions and participating in discussions. Units and lessons are not taught
the traditional way of lecture and exams. The students are able to learn with their peers to promote
interaction with the content and create positive social relationships. This course is communitybased,
placebased, and projectbased as are the other subjects. The units integrate other content areas in
ordertoprovidethebesteducationforthestudents.
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Hanuma Middle school is in the heart of one of the most unique states in the United States.
Because of the rich culture of Hawaii and its surroundings, we plan to shape our students learning
around how certain aspects of the island have helped to shape the culture and Hawaiis many traditions.
This section of the course is organized by explaining to students the Mythology surrounding the island.
For example, we will go into depth about the beliefs of those living in Oahu by first explaining their
thoughts on how the island was formed by the goddess Pele, or the goddess of the volcano. We will
also consider how natives believe that Pele can take many shapes if you meet her. There is also Laka
the goddess of the Hula dance, Kane the god of creation who sends down the water of life to Earth,
Lono, the god of abundance and fertility, Ku the god of war, who became very famous to the natives
because of Hawaiis military bases and tourists flocking to them. We will dig deep into the history of the
Mythology on the island of these many gods and goddesses, how they formed the island, and what the
nativebelievethemtodoaswellashowtheyplayaspiritualroleintheculture.
After learning about the Mythology of the island, we will move onto one of Hawaiis most
famous traditions: the hula dance and how it is related to the spirituality of those involved in the dance.
Once known for a temple dance, hula dancing has taken on a different form in todays world where you
will often see men in women dressed in grass skirts and coconuts, and adorned with leis. In order to be
a hula dancer one must be a person of full purity in order to properly serve the gods. We will also
explain how Hawaiian music is connected with this dance and why they use the instruments that they do.
Most commonly used instruments include the drums and Ukelele. Often in traditional Hawaiian music
therewillbechantsthathavebeenlearnedorpasseddownfromgenerationtogeneration.
After learning about some of Hawaiis traditions students will dig deep into the demographics of
the island and the different people, and to coincide with that we will discuss the tourism with the island
and what its major tourist locations are. Throughout the course we will also learn the value of language
andtheimportanceofcodeswitchingtoachieveprofessionalism.
After each unit students will be doing hands on activities, and not a traditional lecture or boring
slideshow. The course is organized by each unit building off one another, and by first building a solid
foundation of culture. The students will be going out into the community to explore Hawaiis culture
through watching hula dancing performances and certain famous tourist attractions. We will also be
striving to answer the question our curriculum is based off of which is, What makes our community
unique? For students, who may have special needs or are ELL students we will make accommodations
for them to explore Hawaii in a more accessible way. For example, having an interpreter, or specialist
work with them and provide them with the best possible education.We will work very closely with the
Vice Principal of Special education to properly address these students needs, as well as the Vice
Principal of ELL. Each unit will also have a special section dedicated to each academic area. For
example, when we learn about demographic of Hawaiis people students will focus on graphing statistics
andpredictingoutcomesofwhatthefuturepopulationholdsthroughalgebraicformulas.

Since our Curriculum at Hanuma Middle School is based off the question, What Makes
Hawaii Unique the math/science block will be to explore the many geographical features the island
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offers. Math concepts and standards will be incorporated through each geographical unit so that it will
provide a better number sense and meaning behind the math. We are starting off the school year
learning about ecosystems. We will ask the students what they know about the ecosystems on the
Hawaiian Islands and how they may differ nationwide. This will lead us into our next geographical
feature, marine life. In this unit of study the students will explore coral reefs, plant life, and animal life. In
order to keep students engaged as well as bring adventure into the classroom, we will take a field trip to
the beautiful surrounding ocean and go snorkeling to see everything they have learned about. The field
trip will address the visual, bodilykinesthetic, naturalistic and interpersonal intelligences. Students will be
given an underwater camera to take pictures of the different plants, animal and coral reefs they see.
After the field trip, we will return to school where students will then do a project in groups of three to
four where they will combine all their pictures and relate the pictures to what they have learned in class
and conduct a presentation. This works well with our placebased, communitybased, and
projectbased curriculum by getting the students of Hanuma out into their own community and learning
about the world that surrounds them. The course brings it together through a project instead of a typical
multiple choice test which is simply not always the best assessment, especially for the curriculum of
Hanuma. We then move into learning about the land of Hawaii and the agriculture that the land
produces. Here we will focus on the unique crops grown in Hawaii both naturally growing and those
that are brought in from surrounding areas. The business around these crops and the money that it brings
into the state will be a few points of interest as well for this course. For the handson community aspect
of this unit, we will have a local farmer who owns a smaller plantation to talk about both sides to the
agricultural industry. Students will then be able to make connections from this business to other
businesses in the community. We will continue to explore our geographical features and begin our unit
on volcanoes on the island. Students will learn about the types of rocks, types of volcanoes, plate
tectonics, and the history behind the volcanoes on the island such as the major explosions and the
impact they had had on the community. Here we will take an invigorating trip to a nonactive volcano on
the island, hiking all the way to the top. This will allow students to make observations about the specific
type of volcano they are standing on and then be able to compare and contrast it to other volcanoes on
the island. Our geographical feature unit will then transition from volcanoes to natural disasters. This will
include: hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, mudslides, and nuclear radiation. As in other units, we will
again have a handson community aspect. For this unit we will get in contact with community
organizations that help with the aftermath of natural disasters. Students will then learn about past natural
disasters that have affected our community on the island along with other major natural disasters around
the world. We will conclude this curriculum unit with learning about our beautiful surrounding beaches
andstudentswillthenbeabletoconnectthemassofthecurriculumbacktotourismontheisland.
For student involvement, Hanuma MS will provide a diverse number of projects, field trips, and
speakers from the community. Within our yearly school calendar, we have allotted time where we can
have special guests come and speak based off of our student interests. Discussions will be had previous
to when the speaker is chosen for each unit where students can have direct input on who they would
like to come speak or what type of field trip they believe to be most beneficial for their learning.
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Coincide with our units, we also allow students to petition for any club to be added to the schools
student activities as well as petition for additional electives theyd like to see in their school schedule. At
the end of each unit, students will provide feedback and suggestions for next year. All the teachers at
that grade level will conduct a meeting, sharing the feedback, and then decide the best course of action
forthenextyearastowhatpositivechangestheyshouldmaketothecurriculum.
In terms of meeting the needs of all the students at Hanuma Middle School, we ensure to take
into account and include all the varying multiple intelligences, learning modalities, and learning styles of
our students We will tackle this challenge by looking at all the forms of assessment and instruction in
each unit, ensuring that we cater to each unique individual that is present in our classroom. At Hanuma,
we believe increasing our students achievement which can be allowed through the careful tactics we use
in our curriculum to cater to each individuals needs by carefully choosing how we present, instruct, and
concludeeachtopicofinterest.
For our ELL students, we will work directly and very closely with the Vice President of English
Language Learners to provide the best services we can. One of the small, beneficial ways we will do
this is by providing pictures with captions throughout the classroom and provide individual training to the
teachers in all of the students cultures and backgrounds at the start of the school year to ensure that the
students home culture is known and respected. We will also make sure there is an ELL aide that is
bilingual in both English and the individual students home language. The aides will be able to work with
students during the Academic Assist block at the end of the day to help provide for them linguistic
educationwithhopesofthestudentbecomingbilingualintheirhomelanguageandEnglish.
In terms of Ethnic diversity at Hanuma Middle school, the majority of our students are Pacific
Islander. We are firm believers in promoting our ethnic diversity and will make sure of this by
incorporating the learning of their own culture as well as all students cultures in the classroom. We can
then ask students to critically think about why certain cultural traditions exist. To engage individual
student involvement, we will also ask students to study key figures in history. This will be done either
through direct instruction or through a unit of study where students can independently research the
people of history within their culture. Students can then later present to the class about that specific
person from their cultural background, what they did, and how this person has affected their culture as a
whole.
At Hanuma, we believe that students with exceptionalities should learn in the least restrictive
environment. We have created our curriculum with Universal Design for Learning in mind so that it best
accommodates students with special needs and typically developing students. This allows the students
to choose different activities within the same lesson so that their needs are met. We have three sensory
rooms for students to go to if they feel stressed or overwhelmed during a lesson. The sensory rooms
allow the students to relax and unwind, even take a nap to calm down. Our school is full inclusion with
a special education teacher to every general education classroom. This means that all the students
receive more individualized attention from both the special education teacher and general education
teacher.ThegeneraleducationandSpecialeducationteachercoteachandworkwithallstudents.

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9.RationaleforAssessingStudents

At Hanuma Middle School assessment will be varied through the use of both formative and
summative assessments. Formative assessments will include small things such as doing thumbs up
thumbs down to see how much kids are understanding during a lesson, or using an exit ticket at the end
of the day to check student understanding. It will also include discussion on the material, using individual
white boards in class, extended response questions, and written quizzes. Summative assessments will
mainly focus on projects, but will include written exams. For the final project of the year students will
work in groups to create a Tourism Website for Hawaii. This combines our focus on place based and
project based education. For the social studies and language arts component students can choose to
write either letters from soldiers on the USS Arizona, how Hawaii became a state, or the effects of
WWII on Hawaii. For the math/science component students will demonstrate their knowledge thought
the tourism business. This can include the attractions such as marine life, volcanoes, beaches, etc.. and
the money that these attractions bring to the island. They can even create a PSA about any dangers on
the island that they could run into. The main question we want students to think about when working on
the project is why should someone visit Hawaii over somewhere else, essentially what makes Hawaii
unique. We will also make this personal by asking students what makes them unique and have them
create a project showing the class who they are. We plan to use a variety of assessments to give
studentsasmanyopportunitiesaspossibletosucceed.
Students with special needs are assessed based on their varying needs. Students with more
moderate to intensive needs will be alternatively assessed with a special education teacher. These
students can be assessed by using pictures and more guided help so that their knowledge can be
accurately assessed. Students with more mild needs will be assessed the same way as their typically
developing peers, however, there can be accommodations made. Based on the needs of the student, a
written assessment can be given orally, on the computer, with a visual aid, or with extended time. With
assessments that are projects, all students will have choice in what they want to do as their project. This
allows students to choose a topic that is interesting and will keep them engaged. With universal design
for learning in mind, students have multiple means of representation, action and expression, and
engagement to ensure maximum success. Choice projects also help English Language Learners because
they are able to choose a project that is interesting but that also has an element of literacy, allowing them
to interact with the english language. Choice projects also strengthen the multiple intelligences because
the students can work on a project that corresponds with their strongest intelligences, yet, requires
different aspects that may strengthen intelligences the students are not so strong in. Ultimately,
differentiation among assessments can be made for students with special needs in order to ensure that
theyarelearningintheleastrestrictiveenvironment.

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