Journeys - Science and Social Studies Units of Study

Each "Journey" is a guided science/social studies inquiry that leads our students to learning to ask the questions that lead to bigger ideas.  These questions help them to explore many subjects: languages, social studies, mathematics, science, technology, arts, and physical education under the umbrella of an engaging science/social studies theme that is supported by a concept/central idea.

Concept = A concept is a generalized idea. Each "Journey" has a central idea.


The "Journeys" follow the curriculum framework designed by the International Baccalaureate (IB) program.  There are six trans-diciplinary themes of global significance that guide study and exploration:

• Who we are
• Where we are in place and time
• Sharing the planet
• How we organize ourselves
• How we express ourselves
• How the world works

Our parents can log onto Grade Level Journey Pages to see how the units correlate to these themes. Parents receive an informative newsletter at the beginning of each Journey Unit  that lists the new theme, central idea, learning objectives and activities.


Why the IB framework? Why do you use the IB framework if you are not an IB School?
All of the program and methodologies used at Huakailani have been carefully selected based on research/experience/training. Ultimately, the programs and methods are selected to become a part of Huakailani's curriculum/program because it has been found to be a best practice for teaching and learning. Huakailani is all about maximizing the learning potential.

As an educator I have been writing social studies curriculum for over 20 years. From being on a team that designed the Social Studies Curriculum for the State of Florida (1990) to launching the IB PYP program for the Lower School at a private school on the windward side (2004), I have experience with the full spectrum of science and social studies education from textbook based instruction to trans-disciplinary instruction. I have also had the opportunity to visit several classroom throughout the nation to see the various curriculums in action.

My IB training, where I received training to be able to coordinate and teach the IB curriculum, guided me to select the IB framework for Huakailani's science and social studies curriculum.

Studies support that by guiding elementary aged students to make connections though a trans-disciplinary curriculum (theme guided by math, reading, science, social studies, character education, art, music, etc. using a concept as a focus) compared to more traditional subject/topic specific science and social studies curriculums, students learn to apply, transfer and integrate information learned more effectively. Students are also more motivated to learn and engaged in their learning.

Our students learn to make connections and to integrate information from different perspectives leading to a high level of learning. This lays the foundation needed for more compartmentalized and subject specific learning to take place in middle school and beyond.

Commonly Found Middle and High School Science and Social Studies Classes: anatomy, physics geology, chemistry, biology, early man, first civilizations, Greece, Rome, Medieval China and Japan, Medieval Era in Europe, Modern Era.

It easy to see how a trans-diciplinary approach to learning can greatly benefit even a student who experiences consecutive Huakailani Journeys for a few years.  Imagine what a student who matriculates thorough the Huakailani program from Kindergarten to Grade 6 will learn and gain!

Thoughts on Anti-Bullying Education

Classroom education is one of the most basic anti-bullying activities. Educating our students about what constitutes bullying and ways to handle it builds life long skills. While classroom education cannot stop bullying on its own, it is one step in a school-wide effort to prevent bullying from occurring.

Younger students in Grades K-2 are not developmentally ready to understand the concept of bullying. Anti-bullying education begins with our youngest students with a focus on responsibility, respect and compassion. Building self-confidence (positive self awareness) at an early age is also necessary. Modeling by older students/siblings and parents and with guided practice, even the younger students learn about sharing, playing cooperatively with others and what to do when someone hurts your feelings.

These are the building blocks that lay a solid foundation that help to proactively prevent bullying.  A 5- 8 year old student with a solid understanding of responsibility, respect and compassion is less likely to engage in "bully" behavior in the years to come.

As students grow older, the chance that they experience or witness bullying at school increases. In many instances, students may be unaware of what specifically constitutes bullying, aside from physical violence. 8 - 12 year old students benefit from exploring the many faces of bullying and can begin to identify such behavior in themselves or others. 

Bullying comes in many forms. Instead of physical aggression, girls, in general, tend to experience or engage in verbal bullying, passive aggression, exclusion  and cyber bullying. Many of these types of bullying are less publicized and therefore less likely to be recognized both by students and teachers or other adults in the school.

Many victims of bullying avoid reporting the abuse because they feel they may be punished, ignored or revealed to other students as a victim. Anti-bullying activities should not only focus on educating how to identify bullying but how to report bullying against a fellow student. Teachers cannot always watch what students do, so students must be comfortable reporting bullying to an adult. Therefore we must empower our students to know what to do when they find themselves in a bullying situation.

Even as adults, we sadly see examples of people who did not receive a solid education in this area as children; illustrating how important character education on topics such as this is even at the elementary level. It is as essential as the learning of the alphabet and the phonemic code in order to read. 

At Huakailani the teaching staff is committed to teaching these important lessons so these life-long skills can be practiced. Although the upper school girls lead the "Anti-Bullying Campaign" (a one week focus on the topic) during the second semester,  learning about, understanding and practicing these skills takes many years. The foundation is being laid now so Huakailani students can be positive leaders and anti-bullying advocates in the years come.

Like learning to read, It should be an ongoing daily focus that is naturally integrated into their daily lives in and out of school so that it becomes a solid life-long skill.