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Essential or Not?
P.E.:
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Students volley a tossed lightweight ball, using the forearm pass.
Students set short-term goals and monitor progress for aerobic endurance,
muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility.
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Students know amino acids are the building blocks of protein.
Students know one mole equals 6.02 x 1023 particles (atoms or molecules).
Science:
Social Sciences:
– Students know the names of the 50 state capitals.
– Students discuss the relationship of students’ “work” in school and their personal
human capital.
Mathematics:
– Students know that the sum of the angles of any triangle is 180 degrees.
– Students know the definitions of different triangles (equilateral, isosceles,
scalene).
Language Arts:
– Students write a beginning sentence for a story.
– Students write a summary of the story.
Visual and Performing Arts:
– Use criteria to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of musical performances and
compositions.
– Sight-read melodies in the treble or bass clef
P.E.:
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Students volley a tossed lightweight ball, using the forearm pass. No leverage,
readiness, nor endurance. One could live a perfectly good life without ever
forearm passing a volleyball, it will not help them in future P.E. standards, and it
will not help them in geometry or social studies.
Students set short-term goals and monitor progress for aerobic endurance,
muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility. Setting goals and monitoring
progress is a skill that will be valuable in every P.E. class, every other class, and
in life. This standard has leverage, readiness, and endurance.
Science:
–
Students know amino acids are the building blocks of protein. No other chemistry
standards depend on this standard, no other class needs this standard, and this
knowledge will not lead to a better life.
– Students know one mole equals 6.02 x 1023 particles (atoms or molecules). There
are a host of other standards (titration, concentration, dilution, stoichiometry,
balancing chemical equations, ideal gas laws, equilibrium) that depend on this
standard. This standard has such strong Readiness that it must be essential.
Social Sciences:
– Students know the names of the 50 state capitals. Useless memorization, need I
say more?
– Students discuss the relationship of students’ “work” in school and their personal
human capital. This standard will help students in this class, other classes, work,
home, college . . . everywhere. It is clearly essential.
Mathematics:
– Students know that the sum of the angles of any triangle is 180 degrees. Useful in
geometry, physics, and trigonometry.
– Students know the definitions of different triangles (equilateral, isosceles,
scalene). When was the last time you needed to know what a scalene triangle is?
Language Arts:
– Students write a beginning sentence for a story. Sure, writing is important. But
does a beginning sentence for a story have leverage, readiness, and endurance?
There is a difference between important and essential.
– Students write a summary of the story. There is not a class, a job, a task, or a
hobby where summarizing is not important. This standard has leverage,
readiness, and endurance.
Visual and Performing Arts:
– Use criteria to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of musical performances and
compositions. Using criteria to evaluate something is a highly useful skill in
science, language arts, geometry, and health. Using criteria to evaluate something
will help in life and in work. This standard has leverage, readiness, and
endurance.
– Sight-read melodies in the treble or bass clef. Specific skill with no applications
to other content or to life in general. Important to a musician? Maybe. Essential
for all? No.