K-12 Curriculum – University of Dallas K-12 Curriculum Project

It is the education which gives a man a clear conscious view of his own opinions and judgments, a truth in developing them, an eloquence in expressing them and a force in urging them. – St. John Henry Newman

Unifying Principles

Our curriculum and pedagogy, guided by the foundations of UD’s Core Curriculum, is established on the following unifying principles. These principles—and their effect on the character of both students and teachers—are at the heart of every student lesson and teacher guide.

Habits & Poetic Imagination

Our curriculum furnishes the poetic imagination through thoughtful encounters with classic works of art, literature, and music, as well as integrative experiences with natural laws described by mathematics and science.

We present these lessons through a pedagogy that intentionally develops habits of mind. Students learn to give careful attention to lessons that are delightfully presented. Through such pedagogy, our program cultivates the habits of both virtue and wisdom.

Unifying Principles

UD’s classical curriculum and pedagogy are interconnected through principles that are built upon the nature of man as God created him. These principles value both teachers and students. Our principles are unified around the following ideas.

Building a sense of wholeness and community in the culture of the learning environment
Inculcating children and teachers in the paideia of the Catholic intellectual tradition
Developing habits of mind
Liberating through wonder to “know thyself” as a learner
Integrating knowledge through conversations that continue and naturally progress from lesson to lesson, grade to grade, and subject to subject

Organizing Principles

The UD Humanities curriculum is organized by the books that are read. The texts move from simple to complex and are rooted in truth, goodness and beauty. Primarily we ask, “What is best for the student?” while continuing to focus on the True, the Good, and the Beautiful in content and style.

These questions guide the structure of lessons throughout the curriculum. The following are the core elements of how our curriculum is organized:

Lessons feature the transcendentals of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty in content and style
Wonder-based approach
The arts of the Trivium: Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric serve as the foundation for the structure and implementation of our curriculum.
Direct instruction through age-appropriate texts, balanced with interactive dialogue and rhetorical responses from students.
Dual strands of American and world history woven into each grade level. Students cycle through American history three times and world history twice before 9th grade.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)-aligned for ELAR and history instruction.

David Allan: Series – Triptych of Faith, Charity, and Hope