The Knowledge-Project Coalition
The Knowledge Coalition is a collaborative project formed by Serpentine Primary School and Greenfields Primary School. The purpose of the project is to address the 'knowledge gap', an often-neglected issue identified by E. D. Hirsch, Jr. (and more recently, Natalie Wexler) as a critical factor in the achievement gap. Hirsch explains the significance of building world knowledge for achieving social equity, emphasising the power of a robust knowledge foundation to empower students, particularly those in low-income communities.
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The coalition has expanded its reach to include two additional schools, Medina PS and Allandale PS, amplifying the impact of this initiative. Together, we have created a rich knowledge and literature-based curriculum that surpass the confines of the Australian Curriculum.
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Throughout their primary years, students delve into a diverse array of topics, including ancient civilisations, modern history, politics, and Greek mythology. These rich knowledge units are intended to equip students with a broad understanding of the world, enabling them to draw upon this knowledge when engaging with complex texts and topics in High School and beyond.
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In addition to offering extensive knowledge and literature units, we place a significant emphasis on teaching students the art of class discussions. Recognising that this is a distinct skill, we ensure it is taught with the same dedication. To achieve this, we incorporate the 'Habits of Discussion' framework into our curriculum.
A carefully designed two-year cycle of knowledge and literature units has been crafted to accommodate composite (split) classes. In addition to these Language Arts units, we also incorporate Core Knowledge units into our Science specialist subject.
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Download the 2-year Literature & Knowledge Unit Schedule.
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (WA) SCHOOLS ONLY: Download some example units we have made
(We are now only able to share units with WA DoE schools)
Look what we are learning about in 2024!
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