Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Curriculum Textbooks topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board hears plan to buy new geography textbooks for grades 6–7; funding source to be clarified
Summary
Curriculum staff told the Appleton Area School District board that the district plans to adopt split Western‑ and Eastern‑Hemisphere geography textbooks for grades 6–7, pointing to digital resources and supports for diverse learners.
District curriculum staff presented a proposal to adopt new geography textbooks for sixth and seventh grades, explaining the decision and asking the board to consider use of referendum funds to purchase three years of digital access, teacher resources and professional development.
Kelly Leopold (curriculum) said the district's sixth‑grade move to the middle school prompted a revisit of social‑studies materials; elementary curricula changes had reduced students' prior knowledge of geography, staff said. Publishers (Cengage/National Geographic‑branded materials) now offer separate Western‑ and Eastern‑Hemisphere texts, which staff said provide digital resources, differentiated supports for English learners and students with special needs, formative and summative assessments, and alignment with Wisconsin state standards.
Staff described instructional benefits including document‑based questions, primary and secondary sources, maps and multimedia resources, a skills progression that supports earlier claim writing, and integration with the district's Canvas learning management system. A 30‑day public review produced two comments; staff contacted the parent who left contact information but received no follow‑up.
Board members asked technical and fiscal questions. One board member raised a curriculum‑alignment question about Europe being part of the Eastern Hemisphere and whether material would be taught in seventh grade or included in sixth‑grade lessons. Leopold said the district will keep its existing curriculum sequence (Europe in seventh grade) and has asked the publisher whether the district can access both split texts.
Board members also asked which referendum funds would pay for the textbooks (operational versus capital). Staff said they would provide a clear answer on the funding source before formal approval; the district intends to use referendum dollars tied to the sixth‑grade move to middle school but asked the business office to confirm the specific referendum category.
The textbook purchase would return to the board for formal consideration at the next meeting after staff provide the requested funding clarification.
