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Challenge Courses
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What is the difference between a grade-level course and a challenge course? Select a subject to see how they compare in terms of Content Knowledge and Skills; Pace; and Complexity and Difficulty.
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Language Arts
Content Knowledge and Skills
Grade-level and Challenge courses both exceed the grade level requirements of the State of Missouri.
Grade Level Course Challenge Course - Students will develop reading, writing, information literacy, and listening and speaking skills.
- Students will use metacognitive and active reading strategies to comprehend increasingly more complex material, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry and drama.
- Students will use the writing process and Six-Traits of Quality Writing to create a variety of types of writing.
- Vocabulary instruction and word awareness will be embedded in the reading and writing instruction.
- Students will develop media literacy skills, use the research process and evaluate both the relevance and reliability of information gathered.
- Students will be prepared to meet and exceed the course requirements of Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
- Students will develop reading, writing, information literacy, and listening and speaking skills.
- Students will use metacognitive and active reading strategies to comprehend increasingly more complex material, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry and drama.
- Students will use the writing process and Six-Traits of Quality Writing to create a variety of types of writing. Expectations for writing assignments may increase in frequency or length in a challenge course.
- Vocabulary instruction and word awareness will be embedded in the reading and writing instruction.
- Students will develop media literacy skills, use the research process and evaluate both the relevance and reliability of information gathered.
- Students will be prepared to meet and exceed the course requirements of Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Pace
The speed or rate at which progress is made through content or a lesson. Challenge is a faster pace.
Grade Level Course Challenge Course Content is paced to allow for mastery of grade level curriculum. Content is compacted for a faster pace to allow for more intensive and in-depth study of the curriculum. Complexity and Difficulty
Complexity is the thought processes the brain uses to deal with information. Difficulty is the effort the learner must expend to accomplish the learning objective. Challenge is more complex and can be more difficult. Students should be willing to commit to the increased expectations of the course.
Grade Level Course Challenge Course - Grade level reading and writing assignments.
- Students will develop critical process skills for assessing issues, problem solving, and decision-making.
- Building knowledge in the disciplines through informational and literary text.
- Interacting with increasingly complex text.
- Being able to support answers with specific text-based details.
- Writing from sources: some teacher provided, and some self-selected.
- Using appropriate academic vocabulary.
- Intensive reading and writing assignments.
- Students will apply critical process skills as they assess issues, solve problems, and make decisions.
- In-Depth individual and collaborative projects utilizing intensive research, inquiry, analysis, and synthesis.
- Analyzing knowledge in the disciplines through informational and literary text.
- Interacting with increasingly complex text.
- Being able to support answers with specific text-based details and draw inferences and conclusions.
- Writing from sources and evaluating the effectiveness/appropriateness of the sources.
- Using appropriate academic vocabulary.
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World History (6th Grade)
Content Knowledge and Skills
Grade-level and Challenge courses both exceed the grade level requirements of the State of Missouri.
Grade Level Course Challenge Course - Students will explore the ancient world from Pre-history through the Middle Ages.
- Students will analyze the connections among the historical time periods and geography, government/civics culture, and economics.
- Students will explore the ancient world from Pre-history through the Middle Ages.
- Students will analyze the connections among the historical time periods and geography, government/civics, culture, and economics.
Pace
The speed or rate at which progress is made through content or a lesson. Challenge is a faster pace.
Grade Level Course Challenge Course - Content is paced to allow for mastery of grade level curriculum.
- Content is compacted for a faster pace to allow for more intensive and in-depth study of the curriculum.
Complexity and Difficulty
Complexity is the thought processes the brain uses to deal with information.
Difficulty is the effort the learner must expend to accomplish the learning objective.
Challenge is more complex and can be more difficult. Students should be willing to commit to the increased expectations of the course.
Grade Level Course Challenge Course - Students will develop and apply social science inquiry skills of questioning, researching, communicating information and taking informed action.
- Students will develop social science process skills in order to understand how to evaluate issues, solve problems, make decisions, and take informed action.
- Students will read and use a variety of text to develop key social studies content knowledge.
- Students will develop skills for social studies writing to support social studies inquiry.
- Students will apply and evaluate social science inquiry skills of questioning, researching, communicating information and taking informed action.
- Students will develop and utilize social science process skills to analyze issues, evaluate problems and solutions, critique decision-making, and justify taking informed action.
- Students will utilize multiple, complex readings to promote in-depth understanding of social studies content knowledge.
- Students will develop skills for complex writings to support social studies inquiry.
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World Geography (7th Grade)
Content Knowledge and Skills
Grade-level and Challenge courses both exceed the grade level requirements of the State of Missouri.
Grade Level Course Challenge Course - Students will explore patterns and relationships throughout the world using the five themes of geography and economic reasoning within the context of world regional study.
- Major course strands include: government, economics, geography, and culture.
- Students will explore patterns and relationships throughout the world using the five themes of geography and economic reasoning within the context of world regional study.
- Major course strands include: government, economics, geography, and culture.
Pace
The speed or rate at which progress is made through content or a lesson. Challenge is a faster pace.
Grade Level Course Challenge Course Content is paced to allow for mastery of grade level curriculum. Content is compacted for a faster pace to allow for more intensive and in-depth study of the curriculum. Complexity and Difficulty
Complexity is the thought processes the brain uses to deal with information. Difficulty is the effort the learner must expend to accomplish the learning objective. Challenge is more complex and can be more difficult. Students should be willing to commit to the increased expectations of the course.
Grade Level Course Challenge Course - Geographic and economic research tools will be used in orderto make decisions and problem solve.
- Students willdevelop and apply social studies inquiry skills of questioning, researching, communicating information and taking informed action.
- Students willdevelop social studies process skills in order to understand how to evaluate issues, solve problems, make decisions, and take informed action.
- Students will utilizea variety of readings to promote the development of key social studies content knowledge.
- Students willdevelop skills for social studies writing to support social studies inquiry.
- Geographic and economic research tools will beused to analyze complex geographic and economic issues.
- Students willapply and evaluate social studies inquiry skills with an intensiveemphasis on questioning, researching, communicating information and taking informed action.
- Students willdevelop and utilize social studies process skills in order to analyze and assess issues, evaluate problems and solutions, critique decision-making, and justify informed action.
- Students will utilizemultiple, complex and challenging readings and source materials to promote in-depth understanding of social studies content knowledge.
- Students willdevelop skills for complex writing to support social studies inquiry.
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United States History (8th Grade)
Content Knowledge and Skills
Grade-level and Challenge courses both exceed the grade level requirements of the State of Missouri.
Grade Level Course Challenge Course - Students will examine the history of the United States from exploration through reconstruction.
- Major course strands include government, economics, geography, and culture as they relate to the study of United States history.
- Students will examine in-depth the history of the United States from exploration through reconstruction.
- Major course strands include government, economics, geography, and culture as they relate to the study of United States history.
Pace
The speed or rate at which progress is made through content or a lesson. Challenge is a faster pace.
Grade Level Course Challenge Course Content is paced to allow for mastery of grade level curriculum. Content is compacted for a faster pace to allow for more intensive and in-depth study of the curriculum. Complexity and Difficulty
Complexity is the thought processes the brain uses to deal with information. Difficulty is the effort the learner must expend to accomplish the learning objective. Challenge is more complex and can be more difficult. Students should be willing to commit to the increased expectations of the course.
Grade Level Course Challenge Course - Students will participate in democratic decision-making, and engage in problem solving.
- Students will develop and apply social science inquiry skills of questioning, researching, communicating information and taking informed action.
- Students will develop and apply social science process skills in order to understand how to assess issues, solve problems, make decisions, and take informed action.
- Students will utilize a variety of primary and secondary readings and sources to promote the development of key social studies content knowledge.
- Students will develop social studies writing skills to support communication of the results of social science inquiry.
- Students will participate in democratic decision-making; engage in problem solving and evaluating outcomes .
- Students will develop and apply social science inquiry skills with an intensive emphasis on questioning, researching, communicating information and taking informed action both independently and in collaboration with others.
- Students will develop and utilize social science process skills to analyze and assess issues, evaluate problems and solutions, critique decision-making, and justify informed action.
- Students will analyze multiple, complex readings and source materials to promote in-depth understanding of social studies content knowledge.
- Students will develop social studies writing skills to support in-depth and complex communication of social science inquiry.
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Life Science (6th Grade)
Content Knowledge and Skills
Grade-level and Challenge courses both exceed the grade level requirements of the State of Missouri.
Grade Level Course Challenge Course - Students will characterize and classify living organisms.
- Students will connect how cellular structure and function plays a role in how organisms are able to carry out life processes and maintain stability for survival.
- Students will explore the interactions and interdependence of living things with each other and their environment.
- Students will examine the genetic basis of life and the role natural selection plays within populations.
- Students will be prepared to meet and exceed the course requirements of Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
- Students will characterize and classify living organisms.
- Students will connect how cellular structure and function plays a role in how organisms are able to carry out life processes and maintain stability for survival with a greater emphasis on the chemical basis of these processes.
- Students will explore the interactions and interdependence of living things with each other and their environment.
- Students will examine the genetic basis of life and the role natural selection plays within populations.
- Students will be prepared to meet and exceed the course requirements of Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Pace
The speed or rate at which progress is made through content or a lesson. Challenge is a faster pace.
Grade Level Course Challenge Course Content is paced to allow for mastery of grade level curriculum. Content is compacted for a faster pace to allow for more intensive and in-depth study of the curriculum. Complexity and Difficulty
Complexity is the thought processes the brain uses to deal with information. Difficulty is the effort the learner must expend to accomplish the learning objective. Challenge is more complex and can be more difficult. Students should be willing to commit to the increased expectations of the course.
Grade Level Course Challenge Course - Asking questions and defining problems.
- Guided Inquiry through hands-on investigations.
- Analyzing and interpreting data for increased data literacy.
- Constructing evidence-based arguments.
- Using informational text to gain information and to interpret models of processes.
- Grade level reading and writing assignments.
- Students will develop critical process skills for assessing issues, problem solving, and decision-making.
- Asking probing questions and designing solutions to problems.
- Inquiry-based investigations designed by students.
- Analyzing and interpreting data using mathematics and computational thinking for increased data literacy.
- Constructing and revising evidence-based arguments.
- Developing, evaluating, and revising models through informational text and other types of models.
- Intensive reading and writing assignments.
- Students will apply critical process skills as they assess issues, solve problems, and make decisions.
- In-Depth individual and collaborative projects utilizing intensive research, inquiry, analysis, synthesis (such as investigating research and technology related to working on cures for human disease.)
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Earth Science (7th Grade)
Content Knowledge and Skills
Grade-level and Challenge courses both exceed the grade level requirements of the State of Missouri.
Grade Level Course Challenge Course - Students will investigate the Earth's composition as well as the effects that shape its surface by exploring minerals, the rock cycle, fossils, and crustal plate movement.
- Students will research connections between energy transformations, patterns, and the many factors that influence weather in order to make predictions from data and observations.
- Students will analyze relationships between various science principles to better understand the Universe solar system, and Earth's role.
- Students will be prepared to meet and exceed the course requirements of Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
- Students will investigate the Earth's composition as well as the effects that shape its surface by exploring minerals, the rock cycle, fossils, and crustal plate movement.
- Students will research connections between energy transformations, patterns, and the many factors that influence weather in order to make predictions from data and observations.
- Students will analyze relationships between various science principles to better understand the Universe solar system, and Earth's role.
- Students will be prepared to meet and exceed the course requirements of Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Pace
The speed or rate at which progress is made through content or a lesson. Challenge is a faster pace.
Grade Level Course Challenge Course Content is paced to allow for mastery of grade level curriculum. Content is compacted for a faster pace to allow for more intensive and in-depth study of the curriculum. Complexity and Difficulty
Complexity is the thought processes the brain uses to deal with information.Difficulty is the effort the learner must expend to accomplish the learning objective. Challenge is more complex and can be more difficult. Students should be willing to commit to the increased expectations of the course.
Grade Level Course Challenge Course - Asking questions and defining problems
- Guided Inquiry through hands-on investigations.
- Analyzing and interpreting data for increased data literacy.
- Constructing evidence-based arguments
- Using informational text to gain information and to interpret models of processes.
- Grade level reading and writing assignments.
- Students will develop critical process skills for assessing issues, problem solving, and decision-making.
- Asking probing questions and designing solutions to problems.
- Inquiry-based investigations designed by students.
- Analyzing and interpreting data using mathematics and computational thinking for increased data literacy.
- Utilizing and researching science instrumentation to better understand and predict weather.
- Constructing and revising evidence-based arguments.
- Developing, evaluating, and revising models through informational text and other types of models.
- Intensive reading and writing assignments.
- Students will apply critical process skills as they assess issues, solve problems, and make decisions.
- In-Depth individual and collaborative projects utilizing intensive research, inquiry, analysis, synthesis.
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Physical Science (8th Grade)
Content Knowledge and Skills
Grade-level and Challenge courses both exceed the grade level requirements of the State of Missouri.
Grade Level Course Challenge Course - Students will explore the properties of matter, Conservation of Matter, Kinetic Theory, periodic trends, models of atoms and molecules, and changes in the states of matter.
- Students will investigate various forms of energy.
- Students will inquire about how forces affect the position and motion of an object by exploring Newton's Laws of Motion and the how machines affect the work done.
- Students will be prepared to meet and exceed the course requirements of Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
- Students will explore the properties of matter, Conservation of Matter, Kinetic Theory, periodic structure and trends, models of atoms and molecules, Atomic Theory, and changes in the states of matter. Students will apply concepts they learn as they model through constructing Lewis Dot Diagrams and as they solve problems related to gas laws and density.
- Students will explore the transformation and conservation of various forms of energy and investigate the kinetic and potential energy.
- Students will evaluate interactions between force and motion in mechanical systems by investigating Newton's Laws of Motion; analyzing the relationship among work, power, and efficiency in terms of the effect of machines; and explore the Law of Conservation of Momentum to predict the outcome of collisions.
- Students will analyze the relationship between the relationship between forces and fluids.
- Students will explore the different types of chemical bonds, chemical reactions and factors that affect reactivity.Students will apply what they know to predict products of a chemical reaction and to balance chemical equations.
- Students will be prepared to meet and exceed the course requirements of Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Pace
The speed or rate at which progress is made through content or a lesson. Challenge is a faster pace.
Grade Level Course Challenge Course Content is paced to allow for mastery of grade level curriculum. Content is compacted for a faster pace to allow for more intensive and in-depth study of the curriculum. Complexity and Difficulty
Complexity is the thought processes the brain uses to deal with information. Difficulty is the effort the learner must expend to accomplish the learning objective. Challenge is more complex and can be more difficult. Students should be willing to commit to the increased expectations of the course.
Grade Level Course Challenge Course - Students will utilize science practices throughout course content with an emphasis on:
- Asking questions and defining problems.
- Guided Inquiry through hands-on investigations.
- Data collection, metric measurements and conversions.
- Analyzing and interpreting data for increased data literacy.
- A more conceptual approach with incorporation of some mathematical formulas and calculations.
- Constructing evidence-based arguments.
- Using informational text to gain information and to interpret models of processes.
- Utilizing models to represent scientific relationships and patterns.
- Grade level reading and writing assignments.
- Students will develop critical process skills for assessing issues, problem solving, and decision-making.
- Asking probing questions and designing solutions to problems.
- Inquiry-based investigations designed by students.
- Data collection, metric measurements and conversions.
- Analyzing and interpreting data using mathematics and computational thinking for increased data literacy and deeper understanding of the science concepts.
- Constructing, revising, and communicating evidence-based arguments.
- Diagraming (i.e. Bohr's model of an atom), developing, evaluating, and revising models through informational text and other types of models to demonstrate understanding.
- Intensive reading and writing assignments.
- Students will apply critical process skills as they assess issues, solve problems, and make decisions.
- In-Depth individual and collaborative projects utilizing intensive research, inquiry, analysis, synthesis.