Project Integration
Portals curriculum has fewer standard "subject" areas as we have integrated areas of study into the larger thematic approach to learning. This is done by adding projects to subjects every day. For instance, reading about Lewis & Clark presents a great opportunity to add Geography, Botany, Navigation, and Outdoor activities - such as hiking and canoeing!
Life includes both workplace and life skills that can be overlooked in particular subject areas. We take care to integrate these into the curriculum. As we study history, we also want to look at music, art, and inventions during that era together as a theme.
This means 'music' is not a specific subject area defined within the curriculum, but as students study they will have exposure to great works all along the way and at times be asked to listen, reflect, and even compose music. We do not have a Home Economics course (cooking two or three food items all semester), but a typical history course might have eight or nine kitchen projects, sewing, and craft projects aplenty to work on.
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Read, Think, Do provides the structure for most lessons. Each lesson has content (READ); we provide conversation prompts (THINK) so you can assess learning with students; then we want them to percolate on the ideas by applying what they learn to relevant projects (DO). On any given day, projects will include a number of different ideas under our "DO" column.
Instead of a few projects a year, you have a few project ideas every day. Educating is hard work, and finding valuable ideas and memorable experiences to do should never add to your load. The "DO" column alone makes Portals Hub support worth the investment.
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Lesson planning is designed to be Christ-centered, academically sound, and finally, easy for you move from busy work to engaging applied activities that have intrinsic value. To do this, we balance different kinds of 'Do' projects and look for an appropriate mix of these kinds of 'Do' ideas.
Download Project Idea Planning Guide
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By clicking on the link above you will find a list of 'Do' projects that our expert lesson planners use for guidance (not checklist) as they plan the course. Over thirteen years, these are then spread out 'topic areas' that are covered in the scope and sequence of the program. Over thirteen years, these aren't 'subject areas' they are simply part of life and engaging in areas of interest. We assume value in comprehensive design, not in lip service alone.