Heartwood Curriculum

Kindergarten through second grade is a time for children to discover the joy of learning through hands-on, engaging experiences. During these foundational years, students build strong reading, writing, and mathematics skills while developing curiosity about the world around them.

English Language Arts:
Students develop foundational reading, spelling, grammar, handwriting, and writing skills using the Fundations program, along with supplemental instructional materials. Fundations is grounded in the Science of Reading and provides systematic instruction in phonics, phonemic awareness, handwriting, spelling, and foundational literacy skills.

Math:
Students learn mathematics through Eureka Math², supplemented with developmentally appropriate, hands-on math exploration that builds conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills.

Science:
Science is taught through Heartwood's nature- and place-based approach, emphasizing inquiry, outdoor exploration, and hands-on learning.

• Kindergarten: Animal & plant needs; severe weather & local weather patterns; sunlight & warmth; pushes & pulls.

• First Grade: Animal and plant traits & survival; the sun, moon, stars & Earth’s patterns; light and sound.

• Second Grade: Animal biodiversity & habitats; plant growth & interactions; erosion and Earth’s surface; material properties; states of matter.

Social Studies:
Students build an understanding of themselves, their community, and the world around them through place-based learning using Moose on the Loose.

• Kindergarten & First Grade: Self, family, and belonging; family roles and traditions; school and community; community helpers; seasons; mapping the schoolyard & neighborhood; and introductory stewardship activities such as planting, litter cleanups, and bird counts.

• Second Grade: New Hampshire geography, regions, landforms, map skills, state and national symbols, local traditions, watershed and forest studies, field investigations, seasonal journaling, and mapping natural areas.

Grades 3–5 are a time when students build on the foundational skills developed in the primary grades and apply them to increasingly complex concepts while continuing to experience the joy of learning through hands-on, meaningful experiences.

English Language Arts:
Students continue developing phonics, morphology, spelling, and cursive handwriting skills using Fundations. As they become more proficient readers, instruction shifts from learning to read toward reading to learn. Teachers use the Arts & Letters curriculum to strengthen reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, writing, and critical thinking.

Math:
Students continue using Eureka Math², building conceptual understanding, mathematical reasoning, and problem-solving skills through engaging instruction and real-world applications.

Science:
Science is taught through Heartwood's nature- and place-based approach, combining classroom learning with inquiry, outdoor exploration, and hands-on investigations.

• Third Grade: Biological evolution; life cycles; plant & animal heredity, survival, and selection; weather and climate; forces, motions, and magnets.

• Fourth Grade: Human body, vision, and the brain; animal & plant adaptation; earth’s feature and processes; sound, waves, and communication; energy and energy transfer; electricity, light, and heat.

• Fifth Grade: Ecosystems & the food web; water cycle & earth’s systems; earth & space patterns; stars & planets; chemical reactions & properties of matter.

Social Studies:
Students deepen their understanding of New Hampshire's history, geography, government, and culture through place-based learning and historical inquiry using Moose on the Loose.

• Third Grade: Local Native American tribes and traditions, land use, seasonal cycles, oral traditions, Colonial New Hampshire, and land-use comparisons.

• Fourth Grade: New Hampshire and the American Revolution, the development of government, statehood, farming, reform movements, and land stewardship.

• Fifth Grade: New Hampshire and the Civil War, industrialization, immigration, tourism, conservation, and an introduction to civics.

In grades 6–8, students begin to take greater ownership of their learning. Building on the skills developed in earlier grades, they engage in hands-on, immersive learning experiences that encourage independence, critical thinking, and real-world application.

Math:
Students continue using the Eureka Math² curriculum through grade 8, building strong conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and problem-solving skills.

English Language Arts:
Students participate in a comprehensive, literacy-rich program that integrates reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, speaking, and listening while developing critical thinking and communication skills.

Science:
Science is taught through Heartwood's nature- and place-based approach, with learning rooted in outdoor investigations, fieldwork, and authentic local experiences. Instruction is supplemented by the Green Ninja curriculum, which uses inquiry- and project-based learning to deepen students' understanding of scientific concepts and environmental issues.

Fieldwork is a cornerstone of science instruction. Students participate in citizen science projects, conduct investigations in our school forest, collect and analyze real-world data, and collaborate with organizations such as NH Fish and Game, the White Mountain National Forest, the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, and Growing Beyond Earth. These experiences allow students to apply scientific practices while contributing to meaningful environmental research.

Social Studies:
In grades 6–7, students study world history from the Middle Ages through the Industrial Revolution, exploring how societies, cultures, governments, and ideas evolved over time.

In grade 8, students examine United States history beginning after the American Revolution, using historical sources and multiple perspectives to understand the people, events, and ideas that shaped our nation.

Health:
Students participate in a comprehensive health program using the Project School Wellness middle school curriculum. Instruction focuses on lifelong wellness topics including nutrition, physical activity, mental and emotional health, stress management, sleep, substance abuse prevention, digital citizenship, healthy relationships, personal safety, goal setting, and decision-making.

Experiential Fridays (7th & 8th grade):
Seven times each year, students participate in Experiential Fridays, extending classroom learning through hands-on projects, field studies, service learning, and educational field trips.

Heartwood is committed to fostering a caring, inclusive school community where every student feels valued and connected. All classrooms implement the Kindness in the Classroom curriculum. Through engaging lessons and activities, students develop empathy, respect, emotional awareness, responsible decision-making, and positive relationship skills while practicing kindness in meaningful ways throughout the school day. Each unit teaches six core kindness concepts: Respect, Caring, Inclusiveness, Integrity, Responsibility, and Courage.