Curriculum Tools
Curriculum and Instruction
Kwame Nkrumah Academy provides a rigorous, comprehensive curriculum grounded in the history of the African-American experience and other Africans of the Diaspora and the Continent (Africa). The curriculum utilizes a “constructivist” and “holistic child-centered” approach. Research-based quality instructional best practices are used to offer engaging and challenging learning experiences using multiple intelligences, higher order thinking skills, and differentiated instruction based on students’ needs, readiness for learning, and varied learning styles.
Constructivist teaching and learning recognizes that knowledge is created in the mind of each learner and that effective teaching approaches delve into the learners mind through active learning, learner-generated inquiry; concrete and authentic experiences; collaborative investigations, discussion and reflection.
The KNA curriculum integrates culture and academic expectations to promote student achievement and positive socialization.
The KNA Language Arts / Reading curriculum incorporates the Balanced Literacy Framework aligned with the Illinois State Standards while using McGraw Hill Imagine textual materials. This focus provides a combination of high quality literature of varied genres, including: poetry, stories, fables (with an emphasis on African American children’s and adolescent literature), informational texts (non-fiction and research materials), trade books, to ensure ample culturally relevant literature and a concentration on student writing, (with specific focus on letters, words, phonics, in the primary grades) and word study.
To support the need to enhance the language skills in African American children, multiple opportunities for speaking, listening, chanting, storytelling, imitating, labeling, and reciting is immersed in the daily activities.
In Mathematics, connections are made highlighting the role of the African/African-American in the history of mathematics. This mathematics curriculum is aligned with the Illinois Learning Standards and includes: formative and summative assessments, manipulatives, mathematical tools, and technology
The KNA curriculum utilizes Full Options Science System (FOSS). This core curricular model supports the interactive exploratory model that enhances the African American child by giving students opportunities for investigating, gathering, and analyzing data, using multi-sensory methods and student-to student interaction. African-Americans are underrepresented in the fields of math and science due to numerous factors. Integral to the discourse and reflective thinking concepts is the unveiling of knowledge surrounding the African / African-American contributions to science.
Our research indicated that Everyday Math and Full Options Science System are used nationwide in high achieving schools and most commonly in African Centered Schools.
Social Studies - Throughout history African American children have learned from texts that look at African culture from the outside, as culture discovered by Europeans. The social studies curriculum of the Kwame Nkrumah Academy, based on Illinois State and National Council for Social Studies Standards, provides a model that gives the students the opportunity to learn from the inside looking out. Their culture is validated as the one doing the studying rather than being studied. The realities are the same, but the context is different. Moreover, KNA values the global village as the learning and service context. Transnational curriculum linkages are made between culturally diverse societies of the world and the communities in which they live. World geography, the effect of geography on society and social systems are addressed through the lens of Afro-centricity and transnational cultural studies.
In addition to textbooks, KNA’s curriculum includes authentic reading materials, culture centers, technology, research and analysis are used as tools and methods for content and instruction.
Physical Development and Health – This curriculum is guided by the Illinois State Standards for Physical Education to provide students with the opportunity to regularly participate in sustained physical activity in order to develop and maintain a healthy body. Specifically, the scope and sequence cover the following areas:
• Communication
• Fitness
• Health
• Human Body
• Movement and Skill
• Team Building
Fine Arts: The curriculum follows the Illinois Learning Standards for Fine Arts with an emphasis on African cultural themes, music, dance and artifacts. Fine Art projects are directly related to grade level study and school-wide projects.
Foreign Language: Research indicates that the study of a foreign language has a significant impact on cognitive development. Through the study of culture and history of languages, the students will increase their sensitivity and understanding of customs and traditions of others and develop positive attitudes toward linguistic and lifestyle differences, which will aid in the development of a global perspective. The KNA foreign language program will consist of Spanish instruction. Vocabulary and conceptual study of African languages are also integrated into instruction.
Technology Integration: Technology is used as a tool to support and enhance learning across the disciplines. Students will use varied forms of technology in their projects, presentations, research, and communications. Students will have distance learning projects that engage them in collaborative learning with other students.
