"The Victor Elementary School District Units of Study effectively, skillfully, and meaningfully integrate English Language Arts with Social Studies and Science based on California's rigorous Common Core Standards. In addition to that, Thinking Maps are thoughtfully utilized as a mid-range tool to support listening, speaking, reading, and writing, allowing students to access the curriculum and demonstrate their understanding. The team carefully selected informational text and literature with intrinsic value, higher-level thinking, and which reflects and respects the multicultural community. Equally important, the team crafted each lesson focusing on developing student cognition, metacognition, and independence, while providing teachers with opportunities to scaffold lessons while still adding rigor and depth of complexity." ~Monica Villagra, Thinking Maps consultant
