Elementary School Curriculum

New Code Academy is not your average virtual school.

Most parents and students think of a virtual learning experience as a traditional classroom experience delivered online. But at New Code Academy, we do it differently. 

Our students and teachers immerse themselves in interdisciplinary themes that engage learners — at all grade levels, across all subject areas — and enrich real-world learning. For each unit, students across our school are exploring, writing, creating, presenting … and so much more.

Check out a sample elementary school year at New Code Academy.

Unit 1: Systems and Structures

Big Ideas:

  • Looking at our world and our subject areas through the lenses of systems and structures 
  • How is our world and daily life affected by systems and structures? 
  • How is school and the beginning of the year affected by systems and structures? 

Sample Essential Questions that Students Explore: 

  • Kindergarten: How do we interact with others meaningfully? 
  • Grade 1: How do citizens participate in their community? 
  • Grade 2: How can/do I contribute to my community? 
  • Grade 3: How can I make a difference in the civic life of my community, state, nation or world? 
  • Grade 4: How do relationships impact my day to day environment? 
  • Grade 5: How might I contribute to my community and society as a whole? 

Sample End of Unit Projects: 

  • Build a cultural suitcase 
  • Create a commercial or advertisement for your community service project
  • Draw or build your own community or country
  • Design and implement a service project to help the community

Unit 2: Interactions & Interdependence 

Big Ideas:

  • Looking at our world and our subject areas through the lenses of interactions and interdependence 
  • How are subject areas and concepts we are learning interdependent? 

Sample Essential Questions that Students Explore: 

  • Kindergarten: How do you use what you learn at school in everyday life? 
  • Grade 1: How can I tell my story? 
  • Grade 2: How do I make choices? 
  • Grade 3: How can I use connections and relationships to learn? 
  • Grade 4: How can you use personal choices to be creative in all aspects of your academic life? 
  • Grade 5: How have events from the past affected us today? 

Sample End of Unit Projects: 

  • Design and/or build a robot
  • Debate using multiple perspectives 

Unit 3: Power & Influence

Big Ideas:

  • Looking at our world and our subject areas through the lenses of power and influence 
  • What role does power and influence play in our world and daily life? 
  • Learning about multiple perspectives through each subject area 

Sample Essential Questions that Students Explore: 

  • Kindergarten: What do I want to learn? 
  • Grade 1: How does asking and answering questions help us learn? 
  • Grade 2: How can people share power, and what power do I have? 
  • Grade 3: How can traits impact self, others and the surrounding environment? 
  • Grade 4: How does knowing and understanding human emotions benefit me? 
  • Grade 5: How might our choices, perspectives, and variables influence how we interact with the world? 

Sample End of Unit Projects: 

  • Rube Goldberg Machine - variables for cause and effect
  • Invention Convention
  • Create a STEAM project

Unit 4: Change & Continuity 

Big Ideas:

  • Looking at our world and our subject areas through the lenses of change and continuity. 
  • How is change over time represented in my daily learning? 
  • What things stay the same and what things continue to change? 

Sample Essential Questions that Students Explore: 

  • Kindergarten: How have you grown as a leader? 
  • Grade 1: How did I grow as a reader and writer and why? 
  • Grade 2: How do I affect myself and my community? 
  • Grade 3: Why is it important to understand other people's points of view? 
  • Grade 4: How might recognizing how things are similar and different help me in my learning? 
  • Grade 5: How might we manage conflict? 

Sample End of Unit Projects: 

  • Create your own animal or plant
  • Curiosity creation - what do you wonder? What are you curious about? Use your curiosity to solve a problem in your world
  • Passion projects - identify an issue that is important to you. Research it, create a product, and launch your product

The New Code Academy Curriculum Meets Minnesota Academic Standards

Like every accredited school in Minnesota, New Code Academy is required to guide student growth in these content areas:

  • English language arts
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Social studies
  • Physical education
  • The arts

At New Code Academy, state standards are met through interdisciplinary lessons that challenge learners to explore new ideas, solve problems, think critically and engage with the people and world around them.