Curriculum

Social World

Cycle 0: Orientation
Guiding Question 1: What is my role in Teen Earth, what is our history and how can I contribute
to leave a legacy?
Lesson: History of the school through stories and exploration of activities
Cycle 1: Connections
Guiding Question 1: How is the physical geography of our region connected to the culture of
the people that live here, including Aboriginal and Post-Industrial land uses?
Lessons: Exploration of the environment through stories, kayak and canoe trips
Guiding Question 2: What are the elements of community and culture (shelter, fire, water,
food.) specific to our area? (cedar, salmon, mining, etc)
Lessons: shelter building project, food study- native and non-native plants and animals,
historical issues
Cycle 2: Exploration
Guiding Question 1: How does the influence of human culture change landforms over time?
(Changes in the river system, ecology, etc)
Guiding Question 2: How can human culture work in harmony with the land for the benefit of
the people?
Cycle 3: Identity
Guiding Question 1: How do people derive identity from their history and natural environment?
(Comparative study of Kichwa, Ecuadorian vs Cowichan, Canadian)
Cycle 4: Systems
Question 1 Guiding: What is economics and what are the major systems used in the world
today?
Guiding Question 2: What is the history of economics and trade and how can we apply it?
(Setting up a market garden and a business plan.)
Cycle 5: Interdependence
Guiding Question 1: What are the social problems that occur in the world and how are they
interdependent?
Guiding Question 2: What can we do to make a difference?

Natural World
Cycle 0: Orientation
Guiding Question 1: What is the history of the natural cycle in our ecoregion? (weather, plants,
animals, etc)
Cycle 1: Connections
Guiding Question 1: How are all living things connected?
Lesson: Ladder of life, Patterns, Needs, and where humans fit into the food chain.
Guiding Question 2: What is the History of Agriculture and Principals of permaculture?
Lesson: Planning the garden (soil analysis, weather, moisture, exposure, etc)- Continues through
Cycle 5- preparing the soil, planting, harvesting, etc)
Cycle 2: Exploration
Guiding Question 1: What questions and rules are used to explore living things and how do
humans fit in?
Lesson: Classification of Living Things and the Tree of Life.
Guiding Question 2: What are the blueprints of Life?
Lesson: Evolutionary theory and DNA
Cycle 3: Identity
Guiding Question 1: How do different external conditions affect the natural world which in turn
afffects the social world?
Lesson: Ecuador- from the Amazon to the Andes to la Costa
Guiding Question 2: Evolution in action and Artificial Selection.
Lesson: What is the history of the domestication of plants?
Cycle 4: Systems- Plants
Guiding Question 1: What are the characteristics of plants?
Lesson: Photosynthesis and the beginning of our atmosphere.
Guiding Question 2: What is the evolution of plants?
Lesson: From algae, lichen and mosses to flowering and non-flowering plants .
Cycle 5: Interdependence- Animals
Guiding Question 1: What are the characteristics of the Invertebrate system?
Lesson: Building blocks of ecological systems (worms, nemetodes, etc)
Guiding Question 2: What are the characteristics of Vertebrate systems?
Lessons: Biology, Skeletal system