GRADE FOUR

At this age, the awareness of being a separate and unique individual grows, and the child becomes acutely aware of the many different and contrasting qualities of those around her. She delights in the extremes of experience and is eager to do battle one minute and lead peaceful resolutions the next. Mythologies, which highlight the extremes in human nature, are studied. The fierce and deceitful Yoruba Gods of Nigeria, the mighty Algonquin Glooscap and stories of the afterlife from Egypt, all become great companions for the fourth grader. This material is used in reading, composition and report writing, spelling and grammar work. 

In getting to know herself, the fourth grader also wants to know her own roots - the study of cultural geography formally begins. The local geography, culture and simple history are explored and the first steps are taken toward placing this in the national context. This material is also used in language arts work.

To mirror the child's new awareness of herself as a separate part of a larger whole, the mathematics curriculum focuses on the study of fractions. The students focus on work with the multiplication tables out of sequence and tackles more complex word problems. Long division and multiplication are also introduced. In conjunction with the language arts and mathematics curricula, library computer skills are introduced.

As the child becomes aware of her own unique qualities, she also notices many differences in the world around her. She begins to know who she is by noticing who she is not. The science curriculum focuses this awareness on the study of animals. What is the unique gift of each animal? What is its great challenge? How does it live: alone, in a family unit, in community? How has man tackled these very same challenges? All these are questions close to the fourth grader's heart.

GRADE FIVE

Having battled and explored the many differences between herself and others, for a short precious time the child now experiences a harmonious balance. This sense of balance will act as a keel in the rising seas that accompany pre-adolescence.

In the earlier grades, the student experienced the difficult challenges that arise when the glorious dreams and visions of mankind meet with hard, cold realities. Now she longs to see how these two can be brought together. In keeping with this interest, the history curriculum focuses on ancient cultures striving toward harmony. Myth, legend, biography and geography are all part of this study. Ancient India and Mesopotamia are two of the many cultures that may be studied. 

In cultural geography emphasis is on experiencing the majesty of North America - continuing with the study of the US and expanding to Canada. Biographies from different ethnic groups reveal how various people have struggled with their dream, how they have been challenged by their physical and social reality, and how they have found harmony between aspiration and practicality. History and geography provide the content for developing language arts skills, including further work with independent compositions and reports. 

In this year of balance the student longs to feel mastery. This makes it an ideal time to practice and polish the many skills she has learned since first grade in mathematics. She will also need an easy and sure confidence with these skills to face the far more complex and flexible thinking needed for the Middle and High school mathematics curricula. 

In science, as in other elements of the curriculum for this year, harmony is the keynote. Students study the natural harmony of plant, sun and soil and the interdependence of plant and insect life. Composting, gardening, and collecting sap and honey support the fifth grade introduction to a more analytic study of plant anatomy, growth and reproduction, and the influences of the ecosystem. 

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