Five Components of a Knowledge-Building Curriculum
Research finds1 that having a content-rich, knowledge-building curriculum is an integral part of student learning and achievement, but not all “high-quality” instructional materials are designed to support students in systematically building knowledge. High-quality instructional materials should be the floor, not the ceiling, when it comes to teaching and learning.
The Knowledge Matters Campaign offers Five Essential Features of Knowledge-Rich Curriculum2. While originally designed to support the evaluation of English language arts instructional materials, these five essential features are found in all Great Minds® curricula. The five essential features are defined below.
Submit the form for a free list of questions to ask when evaluating a high-quality, knowledge-building curriculum.
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The content students will learn across the year should be clearly and specifically stated by topic.
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Across grades, the content students will learn should include both depth and breadth so that students do not repeat content in one topic when they could study a related topic and build new knowledge.
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Subject-specific learning should include connections to other content areas to help students build more knowledge. Additionally, content areas like the arts are inherently interesting to students and help engage all students in learning.
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Given the breadth of knowledge that could be taught and the time constraints of a school year, it is important to focus on content that will prepare students well for future learning.
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Students deserve to engage with rigorous topics with appropriate supports that help them build from basic knowledge toward a more complex understanding.
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