How to Navigate the Guide

The Noah's Ark Today curriculum guide (the "Guide") is delivered on CD for ease of use. To print your grade level unit only, simply press print on each page. The Guide is cross-referenced and "clickable" throughout so that the teacher can toggle back and forth between background, grade level activities, and resources. Student handouts, overheads, images, assessments, and materials for activities are all printable as .pdfs.

The Guide is the central piece of the kit. The kit also includes hands-on materials such as plastic farm animals, playing cards, feathers, wool, and wooden eggs, and the slide-show.

Structure of the Units

The Guide is divided into two elementary sections: K-2 and 3-5. Each grade level has its own unit. Teachers are encouraged to look through the other units. These units include independent, small group, and whole class activities.

Each unit in the curriculum begins with a standards based leading question. This is followed by a unit overview, then a description of key concepts and critical skills. Background information specific to the unit is included at this point. A short summary of the 5Es of the unit gives the teacher a broad view of the activities, making it easy to see how lessons build on each other toward answering the leading question.

Unit assessment (summative) is done with a portfolio of student work. Formative (embedded) assessments for activities are explained in the activities, and there is an assessment concluding each unit, through the Evaluation activity. Student sheetwork and teacher keys for specific activity evaluation are also included in the units as .pdfs.

Structure of the Activities

Within each of the 5Es of the unit are one or more activities. Each activity is linked to one of the four points of the program, and the four parts of the slide show. Each activity begins with the overall goal and specific learning objectives, followed by materials required, preparation needed, and a detailed description of steps of the lesson. All handouts are printable in .pdf form. The lessons have embedded links to these .pdfs, as well as to other sections of the Guide. It is expected that the teacher will pick and choose their favorite activities from the unit in a given year. Extension and differentiation ideas are included with activities, as well as other resources available on the topic where useful.