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CURRICULAR AREAS
 SCIENCE
PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE- TODAY!
 As a science focused magnet school, Lincoln always seeks innovative methods to complement our research based approach to teaching science. Science concepts are taught directly and through inquiry, fostering the development of critical and scientific thinking. From the first day, students are exposed to science through one of our five model Florida biodiversity areas and a fully operational Phosphate Mine simulation class. These areas were created to expose students to the natural habitats of Florida, as well as to inform students of natural resources, industries and careers in our backyard
To emphasize the science subject area, Lincoln has a science resource teacher who complements the already intensive science curriculum. Furthermore, this equipped science lab is part of the regular weekly “special subject wheel” starting in Kindergarten. Weekly science lab is a great opportunity to integrate science with math concepts such as measurement and data collection. It also allows students the opportunity to practice steps of the scientific method, perform hands on experiments, and support curricular teachings through modeling, demonstration and experimentation.
Additionally, our teachers bring the world of science into the hands of our students through simulation projects that allow students to experience real life application of scientific principles. Through business partnerships, Lincoln has brought Central Florida's staple industry, phosphate mining,  into our backyard through a simulated phosphate mine. This project is fully integrated with math, social studies, literacy, technology, science standards and it operates on the same principles as any phosphate mine. At the beginning of the project, a local phosphate company provided us with ore matrix that was buried several feet below the surface. Atop of it, fragments of pottery and fossils (provided by the mining company) were spread around creating an archeological dig for social studies classes. Students have to chart, sample, and dig out the matrix. It is then separated using a variety of physical means. Every step is charted and accompanied with integrated lessons designed to provide students with understanding of science, as well as social and economics principles. Through this business partnership, students are also participants in demonstrations of “real life” science, as the phosphate mobile lab makes visits to Lincoln. The final step is reclamation of land, a mandatory step for phosphate companies closing their mines. In this step, students have to plan and restore the mine into a Florida habitat. The mine operates year to year making it an ongoing science experience for Lincoln's students. For our primary students, fossil discovery area has been created to teach skills scientist use to study the world around.
Participation in science fair is a part of our curriculum starting in kindergarten. Age appropriate steps are taken to assure that students understand the method in which scientific investigations are conducted. Students in kindergarten and first grade participate in modeling and demonstrating a variety of scientific investigations using the steps of the scientific method. As the background knowledge is built in primary grades, second and third graders in small groups create teacher assigned and facilitated science fair projects. In fourth and fifth grade, every student completes a science fair project of their own choice. The top four projects at each grade level are entered in the county science fair and featured in our media center showcase and TV news show.
 A tradition of Lincoln, classroom gardens are an ongoing part of our science curriculum. In the primary grades students make observations of their gardens. Plants, flowers, or vegetables are categorized by physical characteristics. Students also record patterns like leaf placement. They form a hypothesis and record data. As their plant grows, students record their observations in their journals, discuss data, and use technology to create reports, posters and simple class presentations. In the intermediate grades, students continue to make observations and comparisons using a variety of tools. They ask questions and hypothesize, as well as perform class investigations in a variety of scientific disciplines. Technology is used for data analysis and presentations.In the intermediate grades, gardens are used to foster critical thinking and introduce advance science concepts. For example, our 4th graders crosspollinated the rose bushes in order to study the genetics concepts. Indoors or outdoors. Lincoln students are equipped with a strong base of scientific knowledge and are well prepared to consider future scientific careers.
LITERACY
THE APPROACH THAT MAKES US THE BEST!
Literacy at Lincoln involves planned, systematic development of reading, writing, and oral language. Aligned, research-based, carefully implemented reading curriculum is the backbone of our success. Recognizing reading as an essential skill for learning and success, our program strives to promote a lifelong love of the written word by providing solid strategies designed to help students gain information and learn from text. In order to maintain our top achievement scores, we use balanced and challenging literacy approaches that teach reading through language experiences, phonics, and a study of a variety of literary genres. Reading skills practiced in the class are extended to curricular areas through project based learning and technology integration. In order to reach all students, a variety of differentiated instruction strategies are used. Since all grade levels carefully analyze student data, skill level groups are formed to support reading instruction. Our reading goal is truly to leave no child behind, regardless of their performance levels. Therefore, we provide remediation to striving students as well as intensive enrichment to those students performing on or above grade level. With the emphasis on non-fictional texts and interpreting pictorial data, content areas such as science and social studies present opportunities for practice of reading skills taught explicitly in reading instruction class. In addition, projects in content areas expose students to a variety of genres and writing styles developing a thorough understanding of text based content.
 Reading instruction is tightly connected to written language. The writing curriculum at Lincoln is aligned from kindergarten through 5th grade. The writing process in taught through our spiraling curriculum. Each grade level has developed an assessment rubric for writing that includes new skills taught each several weeks and spirals from Kindergarten all the way through fifth grade. Daily writing experiences, integration of writing in all curricular areas, and challenging technology projects involving in-depth research provide opportunities for written expression every day. Our goal is not to pass the tests, but to prepare students to use written language effectively throughout their life. Integrated and reinforced in all subject areas, our writing curriculum has resulted in the best writing test scores for the elementary school in Florida in 2007!!! Posting an amazing average score of 5 out of possible 6, 98% of our students wrote above grade expectations and 2% wrote on grade level. The writing curriculum at Lincoln is so successful that our bottom 25% of the scores are still the top score in the county!!!!
In addition to reading and writing, oral expression is fostered from the beginning. Recognizing that written expression is limited by the ability to spell and construct sentences, and reading is limited by the ability to decode words, Lincoln fosters oral development to improve the language expression necessary for the mastery of those skills. Read-alouds are a part of reading classes at all grade levels and discussion is encouraged through cooperative group structures. Public speaking is one of the important focuses of Lincoln's curriculum. Our Student Government is integrated in the curriculum with every student in the school preparing and delivering their student government nomination speech in an age appropriate manner. Technology projects involving presentation tools are used starting in the first grade to present a variety of reports to the class. Through their globally relevant projects our students are offered public speaking opportunities as we invite community to evaluate and listen to student project presentations. Our students are also given opportunities to present in various conferences and seminars. Recently our students presented at the Florida Association of Media Educators Conference in Orlando and Oracle Live Conference in San Francisco.Students also teach technology skills to teachers, parents and community members through our technology initiatives.
MATH
WHEN IT COUNTS!
Lincoln's math curriculum is a five prong approach carefully aligned through grade levels, integrated in subject areas, and designed to challenge students and remediate deficiencies effectively. The five prongs at each grade level include: SMAD, spiraling reviews, problem solving practice, integration of math through project based learning, and targeted remediation, practice, and enrichment (REP) cycle.
SMAD is an acronym for Subtraction, Multiplication, Addition, and Division. SMAD provides timed, repetitive practice in recall of basic facts creating a strong foundation to build higher level skills. SMAD implementation starts the second semester of the Kindergarten and continues through the fifth grade. Through mastery of basic skills, students are ready to move to higher level thinking without the frustration of computation errors. 
Our spiraling reviews are designed to consistently practice the previously taught skills, avoiding the “I forgot the August material” issue and allowing teachers to constantly reinforce, reexplain and expand on previously taught skills. While we utilize some commercially available programs and math textbook reviews, we found that customizing and individualizing the review produces the best result.
Problem solving focuses on application of basic skills to a variety of word and real life problems. While the above described school wide practices focus on increasing basic skills, the problem solving component focuses on application of those skills to word and applied problems. A variety of graphic organizers are used to teach students to represent mathematical concepts visually. In addition, special emphasis is given to reading strategies, such as determining relevance of information and understanding mathematical vocabulary, in order to eliminate the potentially negative effect of reading on solving mathematical problems.
Recognizing the need for generalization, math skills are integrated in a variety of subject areas in order to allow students to understand and practice applicability of math in virtually all aspects of academics and life. This step follows mastery of basic skills and practice of problems solving. It allows students to practice skills and problem solve in different context. Inquiry based learning and science simulations provide opportunities for integration of data analysis and interpretation, statistics, probability, measurement and a variety of other math skills. Current focus on technology  integration has provided new opportunities for math integration as students use technology as a tool of project based learning. For example, simulation stock market and global collaboration in tracking of weather, climate, and health data provides ample opportunity for understanding the connection between classroom math and real life.
Targeted remediation, practice, and enrichment cycles focus on individual students' needs. Students requiring remediation or lacking prerequisite skills are often targeted through focused reviews and additional practices using an individualized approach. Students who have achieved mastery are assigned enrichment projects in order to challenge, provide practice, and offer application of learned skills. Lincoln's approach to mathematics excellence blends traditional methods, application projects, and innovative approaches, including technology. As the curriculum and standards become increasingly demanding, keeping the pace through training in both subject knowledge and teaching strategies are the key for constant modifications and improvement of our program. School wide implemented programs and alignment of curriculum, as well as targeted skill instruction have contributed to high performance of our students over the years.
OTHER SUBJECTS
Colonial Day 2005
Social Studies
A WORLD AT OUR HANDS
Our social science programs focus on developing citizenship and leadership skills as well as the understanding of historical, economic, and geographical influences on our society, a knowledge essential for the well rounded individual. Completely revised to project based learning approach and fully technology integrated, our social studies give our students an opportunity to globally collaborate, apply concepts to community action and develop 21st century learning skills. Through our multicultural events and historical reenactments, our students develop an understanding of our society and issues that influence all of us. Participation in programs such as student government elections from the primary grades is designed to develop leaders and effective citizens. As students take roles of journalists, editors, or producers through integration of instructional television, they develop a true understanding of issues shaping our world. Long term integrated projects through global competitions such as Thinkquest and Cyberfair participation allow students to use technology as a tool of learning. Global citizenship is a theme of our social studies as our students use Web 2.0 tools to reach across the oceans and continents and collaboratively work with students from around the world. Our flat classrooms allow students to express themselves, interpret and analyze, respect culture and learn to be a successful, technologically and culturally literate 21st century citizen of the world.
Arts and Music
EXPRESS YOURSELF
Digital Photo by Nadia M.
While a strong focus of Lincoln is math, science, and technology, fine arts play an essential role in our well rounded education program. Exposure to a variety of musical genres and experiences are pivotal to our music program. Our art classes help students improve fine motor skills and spatial orientation that are fundamental for development of geometric thinking an writing skills. Through various creative endeavors, art techniques and projects enable students to foster their self-expression, creativity, and individuality. Technology is integrated to make art alive as our students study digital arts, animation and graphic design. General knowledge of art and music history is emphasized through projects and demonstration. Technology is used to record and edit sound as well as compose music for podcasts and movies. Our music students learn music theory and are given multiple opportunities to perform their works before audience.
Physical Education
IN HEALTHY BODY,...
Our daily physical education program covers team and individual sports and focuses on developing lifelong healthy individuals. In addition, fun and challenging PE games are used to practice classroom curriculum skills, such as basic facts, spelling words, and vocabulary, allowing students to learn through different learning channels. Our PE teacher works closely with classroom teachers to integrate health content into science projects, such as our pedometer and “just say no” projects. Physical education is an integral part of technology curriculum as students develop advanced projects on nutrition and healthy lifestyles and engage in globally collaborative projects such as Walk This Way - in which our students walked thousands of miles to meet their partner classes from 4 different states, Canada, Philippines and Holland.
ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES
These after and before school activities help students acquire a variety of skills and tap into their talents. Currently students can choose to participate in several enhancement activities such as Jag Design, Thinkquest Team, Chess Club, Young Astronomers, Earth Savers, and Runners Club.
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