Wingra's integrated curriculum

Our teaching philosophy at Wingra centers around the beliefs that areas of knowlege are interrelated and that children build on what they know as active participants in their learning. Wingra teachers employ thematic instruction, covering several subjects in the context of a theme.

Themes are rich and broad enough to incorporate many disciplines of study. A unit on a topic like “oceans” lends itself well to the study of science (marine life and the effect of oceans on climate), social studies (how oceans have shaped history and affected the lives of coastal people), language arts (reading literature about the sea, writing on related topics), and math (calculating the volume of bodies of water and distances in nautical miles vs. land miles, knots vs. miles per hour). Frequently music and art are integrated into the unit, and vocabulary learned in Spanish may parallel the vocabulary of the classroom theme.

Themes reflect student interests. Wingra teachers take into consideration where students' interests lie and what they would like to learn more about. Major goals of our curriculum are to empower children to take responsibility for their own learning and to promote a lifelong love of learning. We have found that planning theme study around the interests of children serves both of these ends.

Themes are incremental and developmentally appropriate. Wingra teachers talk to one another frequently about the content of their thematic units in order to insure that, across the years, students in our program have the opportunity to participate in a rich variety of theme studies. Information is presented in a different context every few years in a way that reinforces what has been learned before but does not repeat specific information that has already been covered.

The teachers strive to present information in ways that are developmentally appropriate and choose themes accordingly. For example, students ages 5 to 8 may do a unit called “Me and My Body” that familiarizes them with the names of body parts and organs. At age 10 to 12, students may do an anatomy unit that covers body systems. Students ages 11 to 14 may culminate their study of the human body with a unit on health, wellness, and sexuality. This unit emphasizes drawing on all they have learned to produce a holistic and personal understanding of their physical selves and to encourage thoughtful, safe choices in their lives.

Units of study are presented in two main ways: guided choices at centers and group activities. The use of subject centers allows students to make decisions about time management, level of difficulty, depth of study, and method of gathering and sharing information through a selection of guided choices with clear expectations. A variety of activities are offered to accommodate students' varied learning styles.

Group activities allow students to experience and practice speaking in and facilitating large groups; to work with a variety of people to make collective decisions; to work productively in small groups; and to engage in real, meaningful, democratic discussions. Students learn to processs and share information in a range of ways.

Themes provide ongoing opportunities for social and ethical growth. Teachers always consider the possibilities for meaningful group work when selecting and designing units. Group or whole class projects reinforce concepts while building classroom community. Ethics and responsibility are emphasized at all levels. In the older classes in particular, teachers frame unit topics so as to bring ethical considerations into the classroom dialogue.

Example of classroom units from a recent year »

Our approach to progressive education »

Descriptions by subject »
Teaching in themes »
Library and technology »
Independent projects »

How we evaluate student progress »

An introduction to our classes »
Meet our teachers and staff »