Learning at Legacy
Academics
Academics at Legacy
Inquiry is at the heart of The Legacy School’s approach to teaching. It is the theory that all people construct their own knowledge, developing meaning and understanding through experience and reflection. Through Harkness-style discussions, students will wrestle with real-world problem concepts, present an understanding of content, and challenge other views to develop a sound solution and develop their decision-making process.
The Legacy School believes that students should be engaged to the greatest possible extent in authentic or purposeful acts of learning. In each content area, The Legacy School teachers will function as “experts” who guide students in acquiring the skills and mastering the essential concepts of each academic discipline through project-based learning, explicit modeling, and facilitation of student discourse. Each student, acting as a researcher, will “learn by doing,” solving real-world problems, writing for real-world audiences, and investigating natural phenomena in science rather than simply completing academic exercises.
Humanities
Humanities at Legacy similarly will be driven by a theme: “Our students will save the world” and answer the essential question: What period of history has had the most impact on people of your ethnicity, and what needs to happen to advance people of your ethnicity? Legacy ELA and Social Studies classes will present students with the opportunity to learn and challenge each other to form their own ideologies, opinions, and form solutions. students will have experiences rooted in respect and equity and inspire them to advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion
Math, Science Engineering
Legacy Math and Science Departments will be themed “Our students will get us to Space”. Over the 4 years at Legacy, students will develop and support their own answers to the Essential Question: What are the necessary factors to sustain life on earth 50 yrs. from now, how can these factors be replicated on Mars? We understand that Sustainability and Space exploration is by nature a long-term, inter-generational pursuit but we also know that Involving youth in determining the future direction of space policy and exploration is essential to build a better future for humanity. STEM at Legacy will spark students' curiosity and imagination and encourage students to innovate and become increasingly involved in the sciences.
Special Education
All special student populations will take part in the same learning experiences and opportunities, have access to the same content, and be expected to demonstrate academic growth towards grade level benchmarks and expectations as outlined by the Common Core State Standards. All instructional staff will be accountable for providing high-quality instruction for special populations by incorporating best practices to support student learning, including the use of Universal Design, ICT, and SEI, as well as helping students achieve rigorous, measurable performance goals.
Our Teachers
The Legacy School teachers will function as “experts” who guide students in acquiring the skills and mastering the essential concepts of each academic discipline through explicit modeling and careful guidance. Each student, acting as an apprentice to the teacher-expert, will “learn by doing,” solving real-world problems in mathematics, writing for real-world audiences in English language arts, investigating natural phenomena in science, and so on, rather than simply completing academic exercises.