MATHEMATICS
2ND NATURE ACADEMY
MATH MANTRA
+ Math is meaningful
+ Mindset matters
+ All students can be successful in math
+ There can be multiple ways to solve a problem
An Introduction
While math can feel “big,” it should always be approachable. Math should be hands-on, collaborative, and explorative. After all, it is everywhere we look in the natural world and its real-world applications are far more innumerable and tangible than we often give the subject credit for. 2nd Nature Academy strives to break down the barriers that have been erected in the minds of too many learners, instead encouraging all students to approach math with open minds, teaching them how to think critically, and challenging them to make connections across disciplines, as well as the world at large. It is our goal to instill in all learners an enthusiasm for math, to develop growth mindsets, and establish positive math class norms. Moreover, we encourage all parents/guardians to consider the critical role they play in their child’s mindset and achievement in math.
Elementary School
Program:
Think Math!
Think Math! builds on children’s innate desire to make sense of the world through the implementation of puzzles, investigations, and games. Beyond skill development, learners are provided the tools to build strong mathematical habits of mind. With a basis in developmental psycholinguistics and child language, cognitive science, child development, and math teaching/learning research, this program was rigorously tested in classrooms and is supported by the National Science Foundation.
Middle School
Program:
Core Curriculum by MidSchool Math
Research has shown that this multidimensional, growth mindset curriculum provides a much more enriching math experience and results in deeper student engagement, excitement, and success. It teaches students to think like mathematicians through providing opportunities for developing confidence and solving rigorous challenges. A healthy dose of humor goes a long way in appealing to middle school audiences. Our middle school math teacher is trained in Stanford Math Professor and program co-designer Jo Boaler’s Mathematical Mindsets approach. Professor Boaler is an advocate for bringing about higher levels of student engagement and achievement in mathematics. To learn more about the program, we invite you to read this Letter to Parents and Guardians from MidSchoolMath.
High School
Disciplines taught:
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Algebra I & II
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Financial Literacy
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Geometry
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Trigonometry
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Pre-Calculus
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Calculus
Through a PBL approach, students will organically embrace learning techniques that respond to their desire to explore the mathematical world around them. This, in turn, enables students to ask questions, engage in multidimensional activities, and explore real-world scenarios with authentic curiosity. Each lesson/unit follows a five phase process:
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Immersive Experience
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Student Discussion
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Teacher-Directed Lesson
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Skill Practice
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Ongoing Project
THE ARTS
VISUAL ARTS
At 2nd Nature Academy, we believe in art’s power to provide students with an alternative language with which to communicate, create meaning, and express themselves in a safe space where open minds are free to wander.
Visual arts education at 2nd Nature Academy encourages self-expression, inspires creativity, builds confidence, and helps develops a sense of individual identity in each student. By incorporating inspirational art stimuli, students are engaged by and exposed to the design, color, form, rhythm, texture, and pattern in the world around them. Through learning the essential skills to be successful in this new age, students are provided developmentally-appropriate instruction on art techniques, materials, and history. Exposure and experience with arts allows students to create, design, generate, and compose new ideas, further developing the creative thinking inherent in developing minds, which is at the core of a 2nd Nature Academy education. Moreover, creating meaning through art can help children develop vocabulary, complex thinking, and keen observation, as well as hone innovative problem-solving skills.
STUDENT WORK GALLERY
MUSIC EDUCATION
Music is a very powerful thing. It brings people together. It educates. And it is a catalyst for growth. Music, like all art, is essential to any education.
Music education at 2nd Nature Academy promotes creativity, confidence, social skills, and artistic expression. Musical studies at SNA focus on learning a variety of modes of self-expression and identity exploration. As a community, we learn about a multitude of instruments, including hand percussion, drums, piano, ukuleles, and more. Musical education supports student development in the following areas, including but not limited to: critical thinking and listening, problem-solving, self and social confidence, artistic independence.
SNA ROCK BAND
The SNA Upper School Rock Band was founded in the fall of 2021 by a group of high school students. It has since grown to include students in both middle and high school. Band members practice weekly with the occasional appearance at school events, such as high school graduation. We are looking forward to expanding performance opportunities in the 2023-2024 school year.
FOREIGN LANGUAGES
SPANISH & MANDARIN
The 2nd Nature Academy foreign language curriculum includes both Spanish and Mandarin Chinese, beginning in pre-kindergarten. Mandarin claims the top spot as the world’s most commonly spoken language, followed by Spanish and then English. By teaching both Mandarin and Spanish we are preparing our children for a global economy. We are training our students to become cross-culturally competent adults who will be successful in handling the challenges that globalization can present. Finally, students who are culturally and linguistically prepared to effectively communicate both abroad and in a pluralistic American society have greater changes for success.
THE IMPACT
Studies indicate that there are many cognitive benefits to learning a foreign language. In addition to impacting student’s linguistic abilities, second language learning has been shown to increase creative abilities as well. Furthermore, the younger children are when they begin to learn a foreign language, the greater the impact. If children begin learning a foreign language in early childhood, they will exhibit greater intellectual benefits over those children who do not learn a foreign language or begin learning later. Typically, American schools do not begin teaching foreign languages until middle school, when children have passed the critical period for language acquisition.
The National Standards for Foreign Language Education in the 21st Century encompass the five C’s of essential foreign language education:
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Communication
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Culture
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Connections
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Comparisons
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Community
The foreign language curriculum at 2nd Nature Academy embraces a wide range of communication skills recommended by the American Council for Teaching Foreign Languages. These standards provide a vision of what students should know and be able to do with other languages. In order to attain these standards, we provide a foreign language program that provides rich curricular experiences in order to develop positive attitudes and excitement toward learning foreign languages.
español
Spanish
汉语