December Curriculum Updates

[Emmanuel Schanzer]

We've been hard at work since October on some exciting new things in our curriculum, and as of tonight (12/15) we're thrilled to share them with all of you!

Here's an overview of the new features:

Embedded Discussion Group - Post a question or search the forum from inside any lesson plan, and get a response from the Bootstrap team and other teachers quickly! Just click on the "Discussion Group" button, and the forum will appear right on the lesson plan.

Even better Standards Alignment - We've placed the Common Core Standards covered by each unit directly inside the unit overview, making it even easier to align Bootstrap with your own pacing guide or scope and sequence. (TIP: try hovering your mouse over each one!)

Glossary of Vocabulary - Teachers know that language matters, and that it's important to reinforce concepts with proper vocabulary as often as possible, no matter what you're teaching. Teachers who've attended our PD workshops know how much we emphasize the vocabulary used in Bootstrap -- but with this release we've highlighted these words (and their definition) in every unit, so every teacher can find them.

Extra Exercises (beta) - Personally, I'm most excited about this one...If you scroll to the bottom of each unit, you'll find some really cool exercises for students. They're ready to use right now, but we're want to hear what you think so we can keep polishing and developing them!

Many small tweaks and fixes - As usual, this represents dozens of adjustments to wording

You can take these new features for a spin by visiting the Bootstrap:1 page - check them out!

(And don't worry, there's some great news for Bootstrap:2 coming in January!)