The staff at Townsend Junior High is focused on developing and implementing the 4Cs of 21^st Century Learning: collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking. The 21^st Century skills directly correlate to the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics. The charts below identify the 21^st Century skill with the corresponding classroom practice.

21^st Century Element           CCSS ELA College and Career Readiness Definition

Core Subjects                      -Build strong content knowledge 

Critical Thinking                   -Respond to a varying demands of

& Problem Solving                audience, task, purpose, and discipline

Communication                  -Comprehend as well as critique

Information Literacy            -Value Evidence

Self-Direction                        -Demonstrate Independence

Global Awareness               -Come to understand other perspectives and cultures

Information, Media,             -Use technology, and digital media                

and Technology Skills            strategically and capably

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21^st Century Skill                   Mathematical Practices

Critical Thinking and            -Make Sense of problems and preserve in solving them

Problem Solving                   -Reason abstractly and quantitatively

                                               -Model with mathematics

                                               -Look for and make use of structure

Communication                   -Construct viable arguments and critique the

Information Literacy              reasoning of others  

                                                -Attend to precision

                                                -Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning 

Information,                           -Use appropriate tools strategically

Communications

and Technology Literacy   

www.p21.org

Additionally, Disciplinary Literacy is a key component of the Common Core and includes history, science, and technology standards that support the ELA CCSS. Instead of a series of isolated subjects, all courses contain disciplinary literacy standards, which align with the reading and writing standards for ELA.  

Townsend elective courses include STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math). These electives foster innovation and creativity to stretch our students’ minds and foster critical thinking. Giving our children the best education prepares them for success in a rapidly changing world.