Essential Questions

What do we teach?

The curriculum is based on what we believe students should know and be able to do. Because at James River Day School we believe that scholarship is based on seeking answers to questions, we have chosen essential questions to guide our curricular choices. These questions are meaningful to the youngest students and continue to provoke thought up to the highest levels of study.

We know that we can’t teach everything. We know that every choice we make – which book to read, which terms to learn, which era to study, which math concept to teach first – is important and value laden, so we want to make wise choices, and we want to revisit our choices often.

The following is a list of essential questions teachers have chosen to guide their instruction. We revisit our questions regularly as we review and improve our curriculum.

Who belongs? Who decides?
What is success?
What is freedom?
How do you know a true friend?

Science
What are the world's most valuable resources and how do we protect them?
What do we really see when we look closely?
How are we all interconnected?
How does it work?
How do we investigate the world around us?

English and Language Arts
What is writing?
How does it connect?
Why does grammar matter?
What makes a good book?
What makes a book good?
How will my voice be heard?
How will I understand what I read?

Math
How do I get numbers to work for me?
How do numbers relate to each other?
Why do I need this?
What is a math problem?

History
Why is it significant?
How does it connect?
Where did it come from?

Fine and Performing Arts
Why not try?
Can I improve?
What's the risk?

Health, Fitness & Sports
Does practice bring success? Does practice make perfect?
What is success?
What matters?
How will my voice be heard?
How does it move?
How can the strengths of "the me" support the needs of "the we"?
How does it connect?

World Languages
Why not just English?
"Mi casa es su casa," How does studying another culture help you appreciate your own culture?
How can you use language to empower yourself?
Is it possible to have culture without language?
Are words alone enough to communicate?

Technology
What matters?
If I can, should I?
What is success?
How does it connect?