Mathematics at Sora Schools will be both sequenced and integrated, meaning students will complete a sequenced series of mathematics-focused expeditions practicing the math units and skills by level, in addition to integrated expeditions that utilize math content in the context of STEM and Humanities investigations.

Math expeditions will utilize a number of digital tools to support students’ math conceptualization and skill building. These tools include, but are not limited to, the Desmos math curriculum, Desmos interactive tools, IXL, and Khan Academy. Math experts will integrate additional tools as-needed based on student needs.

Students will apply their math learning and demonstrate mastery through practice and problem sets (utilizing the software listed above), as well as through unit-level inquiry-based projects. Each cycle, students will embark on a larger mathematical investigation in the form of the expedition project.

Sora Middle School students will complete math expeditions each cycle. Students are placed in math levels based on their previous experiences/transcripts and a placement assessment. The middle school math offerings are listed below.

All science expeditions and units at Sora Schools are inquiry- and lab-based. This means that students will conduct investigations using the scientific method to deepen their understanding of science concepts and natural phenomena. In order for students to practice inquiry, they will encounter scientific phenomena through laboratory experiments.

Science experiments (labs) are designed around student needs and expedition learning objectives. Some experiments will be hands-on, conducted using materials ordered through the school Amazon partnership and/or utilizing materials commonly available around the home. Material needs will be clearly outlined in expedition descriptions so that families can plan and prepare.

Experts and students will also utilize digital tools for conducting lab experiments. These tools may include (but are not limited to) Labster, Phet, Gizmos, CK-12, The Physics Classroom, etc.

Sora Middle School students will complete expeditions addressing 6 units of science each year of their enrollment. While the units are broad, the expedition will focus on a specific Concept Cluster within this unit for greater depth of understanding.

In the MS Social Studies curriculum, students understand that becoming informed citizens requires a deep understanding of the core principles, purposes and structures of democracy, and the importance of public discourse and dissent. Students acknowledge the ongoing struggle of a more perfect union: recognizing the strides the US has made in freedom and fairness, and reflecting on the work that still must be done in terms of political, social and economic equality. We stress the importance of a multitude of diverse texts and sources, as different perspectives and experiences affect the transcribing of historical events. Through geography, philosophy, civics, economics, religion and technology, students are encouraged to use historical evidence to solve real world problems, think critically about the past and how it can inform the present, and see themselves as active members of a history still unfolding. Students frame any historical event, even current events, within a particular historical, social, economic and political context. Through discussion, reading, research, writing and presentations, students develop empathy and tolerance for different world views and perspectives. They gain the ability to actively participate in constructive dialogue and debate, with the goal of understanding how they can have a positive impact on their community and the world.

MS ELA Curriculum

The ELA Curriculum at Sora is used to create immersive historical and literature-based Humanities expeditions in order to develop strong, independent, critical and enthusiastic readers, writers and thinkers. Humanities Expeditions are investigative, exploratory and project based. Experts pose intellectually challenging questions to students to decipher meaning from a text and apply it to real world issues and to understand the value of historical analysis in understanding the perspectives and context of literature. Students practice forming evidence-based arguments and researching all sides of an issue in order to strengthen their own claim. Our expeditions are choice-based, with certain ELA and Social Studies unit requirements in order to give students a chance to develop a level of mastery in expository, analytical, persuasive, narrative and creating writing. The ELA curriculum utilizes backward design to start with the understandings we are aiming students to reach and then planning projects and activities to support students grasping those understandings and encouraging them to discover their own. Below is a list of the guiding principles that steer our curriculum design.