Curricula

4- CURRICULA

UAP implements a curriculum that reaches beyond that of the requirements of the Pennsylvania Department of Education. UAP offers a rigorous academic curriculum as well as a comprehensive Islamic and Arabic Program that culminates in the memorization and comprehension of the Quran with Tajweed. Our students practice what they learn in the Islamic Studies and Quran classes by performing Dhuhr prayer daily and congregate for the Jummah prayer on Fridays

4.1 ENGLISH

With myView Literacy 2020 ELA curriculum by Savvas (www.savvas.com), our KG- 5th grade “readers are empowered by skill mastery; inspired by authentic, award-winning text; and confident that they are building the skills needed for college and careers. myView Literacy is a structured and interactive core-literacy program for Grades K-5, aligned to the Science of Reading. Through research-based practices, authentic literature, including mentor texts, teachers can inspire growing readers and writers.

myView Literacy is grounded in the Science of Reading, which indicates students need explicit systematic instruction in three critical foundational skills: Phonological Awareness, Decoding and Sight Word Recognition. These concepts are taught daily through a variety of researched based practices. As students progress through the primary grades, they grow as readers, relying on their strong foundation of reading skills to fluently read and comprehend text.

UAP’s middle school students are using myPerspectives, which “is a brand-new English language arts curriculum for Grades 6–12 that values the perspective of the learner, collectively and individually, and provides next-gen learning experiences that promote higher achievement and develop the competencies needed for college and career readiness. Interactive learning blends print and technology in a student-centered, teacher-inspired classroom. This dynamic Savvas program creates an interactive, engaging, and relevant learning environment through readings, meaningful activities, and purposeful performance tasks. myPerspectives encourages social collaboration as well as student ownership of learning through goal setting, choice, and reflection. Cultivate students’ voices and perspectives. Open a world of ideas using literary and informational texts to prepare students for college and careers. Open Minds” (www.savvas.com). As a part of our strong curriculum that puts great emphasis on the skills students will need in their adult lives, UAP teachers go beyond the texts to introduce many projects during the school year, such as book reports and research papers. This process allows students to put the skills they’ve learned into practice and assists with building a strong connection between the classroom and the real world.

4.2 MATHEMATICS

UAP students use enVisionMATH Common Core at the elementary level, which is especially designed to provide comprehensive coverage of the Common Core Standards. This program focuses on not only procedural fluency, but also the deep conceptual understanding of mathematics; in other words, students don’t simply learn HOW to do math, but they also learn the WHY behind it.

Middle school students use enVisionMATH2.0 Common Core. “enVisionmath2.0 Common Core is a comprehensive mathematics curriculum for Grades 6–8. It builds on the proven effectiveness of the nvision series, supporting coherent, focused, and rigorous mathematics. enVisionmath2.0 addresses the Common Core State Standards through problem solving, interactive experiences, and visual learning. Personalized math practice, built-in interventions, and customizable content deepen understanding and improve achievement” (www.savvas.com).

Students participate in inquiry-based learning and higher-order thinking on a daily basis, starting with a Problem of the Day that jumpstarts the lesson. Teachers encourage their pupils to gain a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts by means of authentic assessments such as the use of manipulatives to visualize multiplication or fractions, and the completion of math projects to show mastery of the skills being taught.

4.3 SOCIAL STUDIES

“People have always used stories to teach and to remember. Welcome to myWorld Social Studies™ for Grades K-5. Learning comes alive through storytelling, literacy instruction, and flexible resources. Stories from our world engage students and help develop thoughtful, literate citizens. Lessons apply inquiry processes, practice reading and writing, and involve collaboration and communication skills. Blended learning experiences include an

interactive Student Worktext and digital courseware. Share the story of our democratic ideals, communities, and people” (www.savvas.com).

Middle school students immerse themselves in the past with myWorld History, also by Savvas: “With innovative online, print, and activity-based resources, all students will go beyond the printed page and actively experience the world as it was and is today.” Through the interactive learning that both myWorld Social Studies and myWorld History provide, students have access to videos and hands-on activities, making the subject of Social Studies interesting for even the most skeptical learner.

At UAP, Social Studies teachers go beyond the textbook with research projects based on specific people, places, advances, and events throughout history. Past student activities have included Country, Region, and Explorer Research Projects; State-in-a-Can; creating timelines of their own lives; and building 3-D models of objects from the past. This technique allows students to dive into what interests them, and reinforces the idea that wise people pay attention to the past, in order to benefit their community in the future.

4.4 SCIENCE/STEAM

Presented by Savvas, Interactive Science, a next generation K-8 science program featuring an innovative write-in student edition makes learning absorbing, relevant, and engaging. Interactive Science for grades K-8 is based on the most important research and best practices from academic research and from some of the most experienced experts in science education. What results is a program rooted in sound learning approaches, teaching strategies, and ideas to engage all learners to increase their learning so that they can apply their ideas. Interactive Science contains many levels of inquiry to provide access for every learner. At UAP, all students in the K-8 grades use Interactive Science in science class enriched with provided hands-on activities and class STEAM project ideas.

ARABIC, QURAN AND ISLAMIC EDUCATION

Arabic language, Quran, and Islamic Studies are among the most important subjects taught at the Universal Academy of Pittsburgh to instill an understanding of Islam, a desire to practice Islam, an appreciation of the Quran as the Guide to mankind, and a sense of responsibility to spread the message to all of humanity. These three courses constitute the “Rope of Islam” to hold onto and insha’Allah to lead to the hereafter. UAP strictly follows the Quran and the Hadith teachings as the basis of our Quranic studies, Islamic Studies, and Arabic programs. We focus on Quran memorization, understanding (Tafseer), and Reading (Tajweed). Our teachers also use the Qaidah Nouraniyah to help the students read and memorize the Quran.

4.5 ARABIC LANGUAGE

The UAP has adopted the following curriculum for all of its grades:

Arabic at our Children’s Hands Teaching Arabic for non-native speakers Series

Introduced by Arabic for All: http://www.kids.arabicforall.net/

This curriculum:

Integrates the three competencies: linguistic, communicative and cultural.
Adopts the standard Arabic language, without intermediate language.
Focuses on the communicative aspect and intensifies the exercises.
Adopts the latest methods of teaching foreign languages.
Adopts the suspense technique through functional and funny graphics.
Provides the most important common vocabulary.
Enables the students to write short stories and make direct dialogues.
Enables the students to communicate with native speakers in various situations.
Help the students to follow-up the intellectual written Arab product.
Prepare the students to join university level Arabic Language courses.
Integrates with Arabic at Your Hands series, which is taught in around 1500 educational institutions around the world.

4.6 ARABIC AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (AFL)

The Arabic as a Foreign Language (AFL) Program is fairly new to UAP. This initiative is critical to new students’ learning especially if they have no Arabic Language background.

Referrals are based on a placement test used to check the students’ ability to read and write simple Arabic words. In addition, it includes a simple speaking test to check the students’ ability to hold a considerably basic Arabic conversation. AFL students then receive instruction in phonics, reading, pronunciation, writing sentences, and reading based on their test results.

4.7 QURAN / HIFZ PROGRAM

Quran memorization and recitation have been a cornerstone of UAP’s Quranic Studies Department since the opening of our school. This program is designed to help students memorize part of or the entire Quran with a one-on-one approach. Potential Hufaz will memorize, review and practice for the new lessons with the guide of their teacher. Our teacher is a native Arabic speaker, Hufaz and has her ijaza in the Ten Qiraat.

4.8 ISLAMIC STUDIES/EDUCATION

As part of our ongoing commitment to providing an effective and engaging Islamic education, our school has adopted the “I Love Islam” series for Grades 1–5 and “Learning Islam” for Grades 6–8, replacing our previous use of the ICO curriculum

This shift reflects our goal of better serving the needs of our students—particularly those growing up in the Western context. While the ICO curriculum offers strong academic content, we found that I Love Islam and Learning Islam provide a more relatable, accessible, and developmentally appropriate experience for our learners.

Why We Chose This Change:

Cultural Relevance: I Love Islam is designed for students living in the West, making lessons more relatable and applicable to their daily lives.
Age-Appropriate Content: Lessons are tailored to match students’ cognitive and emotional development, using stories, activities, and visuals that keep them engaged.
Stronger Focus on Character (Tarbiya): The curriculum emphasizes Islamic manners, values, and personal identity alongside religious knowledge.
Smooth Progression: Learning Islam (Grades 6–8) builds on the foundation of I Love Islam, offering deeper study in a format that respects the growing maturity and curiosity of middle school students

By making this transition, we aim to strengthen not only our students' knowledge of Islam but also their love for it—helping them grow into confident, thoughtful, and morally grounded young Muslims.

4.9 PRAYER (SALAT)

As an Islamic school, UAP aims to adhere to the commands of Allah (swt). It is therefore the school’s duty to schedule time for Dhuhr prayer at its prescribed time during the school schedule. We aim to instill a lifelong practice of daily prayer for our students by establishing a daily routine of prayer and worship. Students in the 1st – 8th grades also attend Salat al-Jumah (Friday Prayer) weekly.

4.10 ART

Art class is provided to all grades from pre-school through 8th grade, once a week. Art class is structured and presented with an Islamic consciousness. There are no portraits or images drawn, in keeping with Islamic belief. Also, art is integrated into subjects as children develop a sense of self-expression and creativity.

4.11 PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Physical education (PE) is considered a healthy component of a balanced lifestyle. PE class is scheduled for all grades, two times a week; for 42 minutes. In addition to learning and practicing a variety of healthy recreational activities, physical education provides an opportune time for health and social counseling, as well as sportsmanship and team- building skills.

Children are required to wear uniform gym shirts and pants to participate in addition to scuff resistant shoes. During the early spring and late autumn, children should have a lightweight jacket or sweatshirt to use when PE class or recess is held outdoors. A written excuse from a parent/guardian is required if a child is unable to take PE on a particular day, in which case recess activities will also be limited. A doctor’s excuse is required for a prolonged absence from PE.

4.12 IT

IT is a course that’s designed to guide students through units on technology as a tool for learning. With influence on 21st Century skills, the course is aligned with Common Core State Standards in grades 4-8 in areas of foundational skills of general reading, informational texts, speaking and listening, as well as language. At the end of the unit, students will apply their learning by creating and presenting their individualized, research- based final project to their peers and a panel of teachers. The student learning outcomes are designed to be transferable to other courses via continuing education and fundamental life-skills.