Four Year Curriculum
English
The English language is an artform with practical applications. Students will cultivate the skills of reading, writing and rhetoric over the course of a four-year core curriculum that spans from literature to expository writing, from historical fiction to contemporary journalism. They will develop an ear for tone and nuance, while they gain an understanding of how grammar and literary techniques inform understanding and evoke diverse responses among readers.
History
History will provide students the opportunity to gain perspective on the present by understanding the past. Students will engage in the work of a historian as they analyze primary documents, share perspectives, and craft arguments. They will learn to interrogate history, with the recognition that the existing structure of the world is not the product of fate, but of human choice and some degree of chance. Our core curriculum will cover World History and American History/Civics and encompass historiography: how history is recorded; philosophy: the history of ideas; and cultural history: the history of ideas through artistic expression.
World Languages
Our world languages curriculum will take a conversation-first approach. This approach is grounded in research and will enable students to get comfortable speaking in a foreign language. By beginning with conversation, eventual grammar lessons will be rooted in a context that facilitates grammatical and linguistic understanding.
Math
The Tessellations math program will meet students where they are, matching their curiosity and passion with the cognitive challenge they seek. Math placement will be based on ability-level rather than grade-level, and our math levels will extend into college math to ensure that challenging math courses are available to students for the full four years. We will support students as they express themselves as mathematicians through competitions and providing time and space for students to interact with mathematical content in real world scenarios and experiential circumstances.
Science
We believe science education should not require students to memorize an endless list of facts, but rather to prepare students with knowledge and skills they need to engage in their own learning. Our core science curriculum in 9th and 10th grade will be based on the Next Generation Science Standards and will follow a physics-first approach. Students will learn about the physical and chemical principles that underlie the systems and processes of the natural world and then, in 11th and 12th grade, they will choose from science electives to do a deeper exploration of topics of interest.
Electives
At Tessellations High School, we will embed student agency directly into our core curriculum and we will create space for students to explore their interests within each subject area rather than offering a wide array of traditional electives. Our competency-based studios will allow students to guide projects, dive deep into topics that matter to them, and personalize their learning experiences. This approach will provide flexibility, while ensuring that every student develops both academic and durable skills.