LVFFS Curriculum
Our academics consist of researched based and open sourced curriculum blended with back to the land and ancestral based practices.
English Language Arts (ELA)
PBL Works -is a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects.
-Project Based Learning leads students to master core academic content and builds critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, communication, and self-management skills.
-Project Based Learning advances educational equity and empowers youth furthest from opportunity.
Math
By engaging in investigative learning, students will discover that mathematics is ubiquitous. The foundation of LVFFS math begins with the use of Complex Instruction . Complex instruction is an effective instructional strategy for achieving intellectual and social learning goals. It is a superior approach for conceptual learning, for creative problem solving, and for developing academic language proficiency. Socially, it can improve intergroup relations by increasing trust and friendliness.
Youcubed - provides important information on the brain and learning with new evidence on the best ways to approach and learn math effectively. Many people have had negative experiences with math, and end up disliking math or failing. This program will give learners of math the information they need to become powerful math learners, it will correct any misconceptions they have about what math is, and it will teach them about their own potential to succeed and the strategies needed to approach math effectively. If you have had past negative experiences with math this will help change your relationship to one that is positive and powerful.
Ancestral practice integration will include being able to identify Fibonacci spirals in nature, measure their learning garden, and utilize mathematical concepts to calculate measurements for construction projects. The students will have the opportunity to apply these math concepts to their individual and group projects. In addition to this, we will be using a math curriculum that caters to each student's individual learning pace.
Projects
Is your child a budding engineer, entrepreneur, artist, or gardener? At LVFFS, students are given the opportunity to bring their ideas to life through exciting teacher and student-led projects. From designing a bridge or a water system to writing a play or creating a garden, our students will gain valuable skills by brainstorming ideas, gathering materials, and tinkering with their creations until they become a reality.
Built in Scientific inquiry - built into projects
History and Geography - Built into projects
Land Stewardship
In this class, students will use the farm and forest as their classroom and learn about the world around us from water, animals, and insects, to trees, elements, and globalization. Through land-based learning, cooking, and hands-on projects, students will explore how the Earth functions and our role in taking care of it and our communities. This course is not limited to Vermont as it aims to bring environmental and human diversity to the class, helping students understand and celebrate cultural differences and become global thinkers.
Ancestral Skills
Cooking and Baking
Art and Music - Fabric arts, fabric arts, weaving,
Built in Scientific inquiry - built into projects
History and Geography - Built into projects
Life skills
Fishing, carving, tracking,
How we Assess
At LVFFS, we use a variety of supportive, student-centered methods to monitor student growth in learning. When diagnosing student needs, we use games and activities to gauge where learners are on a developmental progression. When monitoring student progress, we use observations and conversations with students and engage students in frequent reflection about their growth as learners. Our curriculum progresses toward authentic products and performances, which we often share with the broader community.