TSD Curriculum
What is Curriculum?
The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) defines curriculum as an organized, sequential plan of instructional units designed to engage students in mastering academic standards. Curriculum also encompasses the instructional materials, textbooks, and other resources selected by a local school district. For additional details, refer to the CDE publication Standards vs Curriculum.
Literacy
Benchmark Advance/Adelante
Benchmark Advance is a K-6 comprehensive, evidence-based literacy curriculum that aligns with the Science of Reading to build foundational reading skills and subject-area knowledge. It features explicit, systematic instruction with spiraled review, focusing on phonics, word study, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension through content-rich units. The program uses a vertical alignment of 10 knowledge-building units per grade level, incorporating 50% informational and 50% literary texts, and provides various resources for teachers, students, and parents, including print and digital materials with interactive features and take-home activities.
myPerspectives 6th-10th
MyPerspectives ELA is a Grades 6-12 student-centered curriculum that provides a connected approach to improving student learning and achievement. Students read texts and engage in activities that inspire thoughtful conversation, discussion, and debate.
Students will encounter authors' perspectives as they read literature from across time periods and cultures. Students will listen to the perspectives of their peers through conversations and collaborative activities. And, as students read the literature and engage in activities in myPerspectives, they will formulate—and defend—their opinions as they develop their own perspectives.
In each unit of study, students will read classic and contemporary fiction and nonfiction texts, and view/listen to media selections, all related to an Essential Question. Students will use technology to interact with texts and activities, and they can write directly in their Student Edition to make interaction with texts more meaningful.
Math
enVision K-5
EnVision® Mathematics for grades K-5 combines problem-based learning and visual learning to deepen students’ conceptual understanding. enVision is used by classrooms across the country and around the world.
EnVision packs a unique one-two punch. Lessons start with Problem-Based Learning (PBL), where students must think critically about a real-world math problem, evaluate options, collaborate, and present solutions. This is followed by Visual Learning to solidify the underlying math concepts.
Big Ideas 6th-8th
Big Ideas Math: Modeling Real Life fits the needs of today’s middle school math classrooms!
- Uses learning targets and success criteria for student self-assessment.
- Supports deep conceptual understanding to facilitate meaningful application for success in higher-level math courses.
- Helps teachers recognize the impact they have on students.
- Allows students to grow as independent learners and experience the delight of mathematics.
Big Ideas 9th-12th
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Focus on conceptual understanding: Big Ideas Math prioritizes helping students grasp the "why" behind math concepts through exploration and discovery activities, rather than just memorizing algorithms, which aligns with the Common Core's emphasis on conceptual understanding.
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Balanced approach to instruction: The curriculum balances direct instruction with opportunities for independent exploration, allowing students to develop both procedural fluency and conceptual understanding.
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Rigorous problem-solving: Big Ideas Math includes a variety of challenging problems that require students to apply their knowledge to solve complex situations, promoting critical thinking and reasoning skills.
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Coherent progression: Concepts are carefully built upon each other across grade levels, ensuring students can smoothly transition to more advanced mathematics.
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Standards alignment: The curriculum is designed to directly address the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, ensuring students are learning the necessary skills at each grade level.
Science
FOSS K-5
FOSS is a research-based, hands-on science curriculum developed by Lawrence Hall of Science. It is built around the philosophy that students learn science best through active investigation, inquiry, and real-world application.
The program is structured around modules that allow students to explore core scientific concepts through direct experience, observation, experimentation, and analysis. Each module is designed to build scientific thinking, literacy, and problem-solving skills.
-FOSS
HMH Science Dimensions 6th-8th
HMH Science Dimensions features student-centered learning that encompasses and integrates inquiry and conceptual understanding, tasks that require high cognitive demand, argumentation, and more. The solution is also data driven, providing a comprehensive, balanced assessment system to ensure teachers help students meet targeted learning goals. Finally, the solution is supported by ongoing professional learning for teachers, including modeling and coaching to maximize educator agency and accommodate individual students.