SCIENCE & HUMANITIES INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECTS (SHIP) SMALL LEARNING COMMUNITY

Grade Level: Integrated Groups of 9th and 10th grade students

The Science and Humanities Interdisciplinary Projects (SHIP) is a two-year program seeking to enrich and extend the schooling experience of Churchill’s Freshmen and Sophomores by integrating Science, English, Social Studies and Technology. Students will be linked with the same group of core teachers throughout their two-year Project enrollment. Students will work to meet Oregon State standards in each subject area and emphasis will be placed on earning a State of Oregon Certificate of Initial Mastery by the end of their second year.

This small learning community provides an opportunity for students to learn science within the context of other disciplines. In addition to receiving instruction in the content areas below, students will expand their knowledge by completing projects that combine science, English and social studies. The SHIP curriculum and projects will expose students to science as it relates to the economy, multiculturalism, the arts, social issues, American and global history.


Social Studies - 1.0 credits per year
English - 1.0 credits per year
Science - 1.0 credits per year
Technology - 1.0 elective credits per year

Academic core subjects of study will include:

Geography
Physical Science
Global Literature
Global Studies
Biology
Language Arts
American Studies
Earth Science
American Literature
Basic Computer Science
Nature of Science
Literacy

The Social Studies component of SHIP will focus on American History. Topics of study will include: Framing the Constitution, Immigration, The Progressive Era, American Imperialism, World War I, The 20s, The Great Depression, New Deal, World War II, Cold War Era, Civil Rights Movement, The 60s, and Contemporary Issues. Considerable emphasis will be placed on learning about history through primary source documents, personal essays, letters, and other resources from the time period of study in order to give our history its true American flavor.

The English component of SHIP will help students develop essential writing, reading and communication skills. Students will participate in the writing process to facilitate an understanding of conventions, grammar, style, revision and editing. They will explore a variety of writing genres including expository, persuasive, and narrative. Students will also read, understand, and respond to a myriad of literary genres and modern media while applying interpretive, critical, and evaluative strategies to improve reading comprehension. Systematic study of vocabulary will prepare students for success in CIM, SAT, and future course work.

The Science component of SHIP will integrate Earth Science, Physical Science and Biology. Areas of study include: the Nature of Science and Scientific Inquiry, Electricity and Magnetism, Force, Atomic Theory, Plate Tectonics, Astronomy, Geologic History of Earth, Classification, The Scientific Method, Animal and Plant Physiology, Cells, Microbiology, Genetics, Evolution, Population Ecology, and Human Anatomy and Physiology. Students will have the opportunity to design their own experiments as well as acquire the skills necessary for scientific inquiry and research.