[Feature Focus] Calvert Learning’s Curriculum and Course Structure

Having the flexibility to pivot between in-person, hybrid, or virtual instruction or even to jump between more than one at the same time is more important than ever for educators. A well-planned, quality, adaptable curriculum is key to being prepared for any situation, and Edmentum’s Calvert Learning provides the perfect solution.  We’ll take a look into the structure of Calvert Learning and view how its rigorous, project-based curriculum fosters academic success in any setting.  

Research-Based Framework

Calvert Learning offers digital curricula for grades K–5 math, English language arts, science, social studies, art and art history, as well as health and P.E. electives. The program’s project-based curriculum is designed using the research-based PLUS framework which consists of four elements: Project, Learn, Use, and Show. Watch this video where we explain the different components of the PLUS framework and explore how this framework works to guide student learning and effectively organize different tasks within each course.

Calvert Learning Course Structure

Calvert Learning courses are organized thoughtfully and include daily schedules, clear objectives, teaching notes, and full support for both teachers and learning guides to provide guided instruction to students throughout the learning process. Each course is organized into units, and each unit is made up of multiple lessons that each focus on a particular concept. Within each lesson, students encounter elements of the PLUS framework.

Engaging Projects (Project)

Calvert Learning features a project-based curriculum where within each course, students are directed to complete two to three fun projects designed to engage learning through real-world scenarios, drive creative thinking and problem-solving, and apply new concepts to daily life. When students understand the relevance of why they are learning a topic, they are more inclined to move forward with enthusiasm.

Scored using a detailed rubric, projects are introduced at the beginning of a unit, and challenge students to use multiple skills. At several points in the unit, students are prompted to revisit the project and continue working on it. By the end of the unit, the student will have learned all the skills needed to complete the entire project.

Warm-Up (Learn)

Warm-ups are embedded at the beginning of lesson to encourage students to begin thinking about the lesson topic. Warm-ups will either introduce new material that links to instructional pages in the e-textbook or a review about the material they learned in previous lessons.

Instruction and Practice (Learn)

Once students have completed the warm-up, they are ready to dive into learning the new lesson material. Instruction is delivered through a wide range of methods, including links to e-textbook pages, videos, and interactive games. 

Quick Checks (Learn)

Teachers know how important it is to check in periodically to confirm that students are retaining the information they have learned. Quick Checks appear throughout the lessons to ensure that students are truly gaining in-depth comprehension. Quick Checks are automatically scored activities consisting of multiple-choice and drag-and-drop questions. Students receive immediate feedback to enhance their understanding along the way.

Rate Your Enthusiasm (Show)

Student motivation is important to performance. To prevent students from becoming discouraged when they are not understanding the material and help teachers gain insight into how students are feeling about their lessons, students will encounter a Rate Your Enthusiasm poll. Students choose a statement that describes how they feel and then get to explain why they are feeling that way.

Use for Mastery (Use)

Use for Mastery activities come at the end of each lesson. These activities support active learning and provide opportunities to gauge students’ mastery of the concept. Use for Mastery activities also require students to pause to evaluate the quality of their responses before submitting them for grading, prompting students to reflect on their understanding of the concept and to check their work.

Unit Quiz (Show)

Each unit ends with a Unit Quiz consisting of auto-scored multiple-choice and drag-and-drop items, as well as teacher-graded items, that allow learners to demonstrate what they have learned throughout the entire unit and receive direct feedback from their teacher.

Calvert Learning curriculum promotes creative problem-solving to prepare students to thrive in a fast-changing world, but teachers are the guiding force behind their students’ success. Download the Calvert Learning planning guide for details on how to plan lessons with the curricula.