Lower School

LOWER SCHOOL CURRICULUM

Learn By Doing

The Waldorf curriculum is organized around the block schedule, creating a school year consisting of approximately nine blocks, each lasting three to four weeks. Our students focus on one main academic area each block, including math, science, language arts, history, geography, and more. School days for all grades begin with an engaging two hour main lesson period. These focused lessons allow students to dive deeply into academic studies in a lively, captivating way. Our teachers infuse academic learning with relevant art, music, and cultural facets that bring subjects alive for our students.

LOWER SCHOOL CURRICULUM

Beyond The Books

The focus of our work is the development of the whole human being. To further this aim, we strive to provide a beautiful, cohesive campus that radiates learning, working and playing while attracting and expanding full and diverse enrollment supported by abundant resources. We enthusiastically work and serve in the world community as stewards of social renewal.

WHAT WE STRIVE FOR

Lower School

Call For Inquiry

(619) 287 – 3054 x 205

Lower School

Email For Inquiry

Children learn best if they love their teacher. When children enter Grade 1 in the Waldorf School, they meet the person, who ideally, will teach them the core curriculum for the next eight years. The relationship between teacher and child is constantly evolving and deepening and provides a continuity often lacking today. Mutual trust and confidence allows the development of authority. In this way, parents and teachers can work together over long periods of time, orchestrating their efforts to meet the changing needs of the child. 

Grade

First

The first grader is an artist at heart and learns from everything that speaks to his or her imagination in picture, story, color, tone rhythm, and movement.

Grade

Second

The second grader has a particular need to meet human ideals. The curriculum addresses this through song, poetry, and story.

Grade

Third

The third grader’s inner experience of the nine-year change of consciousness is reflected in the story of the fall from Paradise.

Grade

Fourth

The fourth grader is often strongly motivated by his or her will, which awakens after the nine-year change. 

Grade

Fifth

The fifth grade is a year of wonderful balance and harmony.

Curriculum

First Grade

d

First Grade Curriculum

Main Lessons

 The way the teacher sets the stage in first grade influences the child’s intellectual, emotional, and physical development.

l

English and Language Arts

Introduction to:

  • Learning the alphabet 
  • Recognizing and writing letters
  • Building simple sentences
  • Reciting poetry and verses
Details

Grade 1 language arts learning expectations include the ability to: recognize sounds and shapes of letters and consonant blends; copy accurately sentences from the board; retell stories accurately with correct sequencing; recognize given sight words; take part in group and solo recitation of poems and verses; accurately hear and write letters and sounds given through dictation exercises.

The students are introduced to upper case letters of the alphabet through fairy tales and nature stories. Fairy tales serve as a means to develop the children’s imaginations and provide a medium for developing literacy skills. As each letter is introduced through concrete imagery, students experienced a living, image-based connection with otherwise abstract letters. Once the letters are introduced, the students begin to write sentences and phrases based on familiar stories and verses. In this way, they began taking their first steps toward reading by first encoding, writing familiar words, and then decoding, reading their own writing.

Mathematics

Introduction to:

  • Counting
  • Four processes (Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division)
  • Real-life application of four processes
  • Basic properties of geometric shapes
Details

The first math block begins with the qualities of the numbers 1-12, and the Roman numerals that represent them. The students experience counting from 1-100, forward and backward, through movement. Rhythmical stepping and clapping accompanies the choral speaking of the numbers. The students also learn how to skip count forward and backward to 100 by 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 and 11; many of them also learn how to skip count by 6, 7, 8, 12 and more. The four processes (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) are introduced through concrete examples and real-life scenarios, and students are asked to create their own number stories to demonstrate their understanding of the four processes. The students also discover and illustrate properties of basic geometric shapes, such as the circle, triangle, square, rectangle, pentagram, and hexagram.

Science

Introduction to:

  • Nature and the seasons
  • Observation and analytical skills
  • Plant and animal foundational biology and identification 
Details

Nature stories are featured throughout the year, and centered around the seasons and aspects of nature that students come into contact with on campus, or features in our local surroundings, such as the mountains and coast. Stories about birds, bees, flowers, butterflies, and other elements of nature strengthen awareness of seasonal rhythms and deepen the student’s reverence for the natural world. Many students chose to bring items from nature for show and tell and were able to express their appreciation for the world’s varied abundance. The class heard a story about Mr. Goethe’s garden, a place where students are taught the value of carefully listening to and observing plants and animals, which reveal secrets to those who take time to notice small details.

Grade 1 starts to become familiar with the school garden. They identify local flora and fauna on campus. Walks through the garden and the surrounding natural spaces sharpen their sense of awareness and observation skills and stir their curiosity. They learn to identify plants with different smells and tastes. The Grade 1 students also engage in weekly chores such as feeding animals, checking for eggs, seed saving, watering, weeding, making and broadcasting wildflower seed balls, and planting tomatoes and basil. These activities and new skills gained throughout the year strengthen the student’s will and teach them about our responsibility as caretakers of the earth.

History and Social Studies

Introduction to:

  • Geography 
  • History and civics
Details

The foundation for the formal teaching of Geography, History and Civics is introduced. The students are taught through experience to live as contributing members of the classroom community. This socialization becomes evident with time. The Grade 1 student becomes familiar with his/her environment through the simple act of taking walks with the class. Universal order and morality are expressed through fairy tales, nature stories, saints’ stories and Old Testament stories.

Subjects

In addition to Music, World Languages, Eurythmy, and Handwork, students also participate in Art, Physical Education, and Gardening.

Music

Introduction to: 

  • Pentatonic flutes
  • Singing
  • Pitch
  • Rhythm 
Details

In Grade 1, class teachers are responsible for music instruction and integrate music into the curriculum. Many of the class activities include singing and playing pentatonic flutes. The students learn the concepts of pitch and rhythm in an imaginative way.

World Languages

Introduction to:

  • Full immersion teaching method
  • Fun, gesture filled approach 
  • Improves listening skills and classroom habits
Details

Grade 1 Spanish is taught in an immersion method with the intention for students to acquire and comprehend the language the same way they absorbed their mother tongue. The class is oral and rhythmically organized from beginning to end. The classes are lively with gestures, repetition, memory games, and movements, such as circle games and dances. The main goals are to introduce the sounds of the language and establish a connection with the group by creating a safe environment where they can feel the love for language and be comfortable experimenting with different sounds.

The students are introduced to courtesy phrases, greetings, and basic commands through various exercises, such as tales, lyric poems, traditional songs, finger games, clapping games, and more. The students learn numbers, colors, and different elements of nature (animals, air, earth, sun, moon, sky, trees, flowers, mountains, rivers, etc.). The intention behind this material is for students to enter the soul of the Spanish culture, even though they may not yet understand the meaning of what they are repeating. The children’s feelings are being enriched by the formative qualities of language, which nourish their souls.

Eurythmy

Introduction to:

  • Expression through imaginative gestures
  • Rhythm and coordination
  • Geometry of the circle
Details

Grade 1 Eurythmy students use stories to find expression through the imaginative gestures (the sounds of Eurythmy) as well as through various group forms, based on the simple geometry of the circle: radius-diameter and center-periphery. Throughout the whole year, students work on many little verses, poems, nursery rhymes, as well as on different little musical pieces and songs. Simple rhythmical and coordination exercises were a basic part of each lesson.

Grade 1 experiences the various trials the prince has to face in the fairy tale, “The Water of Life.” They also learn how the ugly frog finally gets transformed back into his true being in “The Frog Prince,” as well as how important and life-saving it is to name the little man from the fairytale “Rumpelstiltskin.”

Handwork and Practical Arts

Introduction to:

  • Develops rhythmic practice
  • Developing fine motors skills 
  • Appreciation of experience
Details

Grade 1, Handwork is an excellent way to challenge the young children. The rhythmic practice of knitting ever so gently opens the capacity for movement in their thinking. 

The students each knit a square or rectangle with the colors of their choosing. These shapes are pieced together as a small blanket which will be placed in their second-grade classroom. After these squares, all of the students move on to knitting a small, stuffed bunny. Students also knit treasure pouches and work on some service projects for the kindergarten. Little emphasis is placed on the result of the project or on finishing the project by a certain time. The goal of this class is for the children to appreciate their work each week.

Students thrive on imagery and have a need to express these images in various artistic ways, drawing, painting, movement, and modeling. The school year began with form drawing. Form drawings gave students the opportunity to develop proper pencil grip as well as other fine motor skills and provide a foundation for writing the upper-case letters of the alphabet.

Using the sphere as our starting point, the children create contours and angles from beeswax and clay. Working with two hands around an object requires balancing movements as pressure is applied to a form in various degrees and directions. The children further develop their sense of balance, as they work with the center and periphery of each sculpture. Beeswax and clay allow children to shape, smooth out, and reshape their forms, and in this way, the flexibility of these materials encourages and reflects the child’s flexibility of thinking and expression.

Painting in Grade 1 is intended to give the students an experience of working with color, rather than attempting to create formed pictures. They begin the year experiencing the characteristics of the three primary colors. Once the students experience the three primary colors, they begin to paint with two colors and discover the secondary colors. This experience of color was similar to the color work introduced in kindergarten; however, Grade 1 students also learn how to prepare, care for and clean their own painting materials, which is a significant part of the painting experience.

Games

Introduction to:

  • Listening and following directions
  • Traditional locomotor movements 
  • Responsibility
  • Focus and control
Details

Grade 1 games are played out of the imagination of stories. The students are given meaningful and age-appropriate pictures as impulses toward movement. They learn how to play and work together, defining parameters through the rules of the games. Grade 1 is a time of learning to listen to directions through circle games, hand-clapping games, and running and tag games. One of our main focuses is on movement exploration using locomotor skills: running, walking, jumping, skipping, climbing, and galloping. In addition to these traditional locomotor movements, we incorporate many animal gestures for the children to imitate. 

Classes begin with a journey to the play yard from the classroom to the starting circle formation outside. During class, the students are taught over, under, and through actions, to spin and roll, animal movements, and engage in whatever else they can imagine. Through this class, the student’s ability to focus on an activity and cooperate with one another grows.

Curriculum

Second Grade

d

Second Grade Curriculum

Main Lessons

While gradually moving from the magical consciousness of early childhood into the practical world, the second grade child learns about the wisdom and foibles of the animal kingdom and, in contrast, the legends of heroes and saints that depict high human ideals. At the same time, math and language skills are strengthened, along with physical dexterity, through movement and crafts that also help foster cognitive development.

l

English and Language Arts

Introduction to:

  • Learning and reciting verses and poetry
  • Retelling stories in own words
  • Solidifying handwriting techniques
  • Reading to a teacher, peer, or on their own
Details

Students write mainly in cursive script. They copy sentences of stories, poems, and verses that are written on the chalkboard. Many of them write their own sentences retelling stories. They focus on writing evenly, proper spacing and correct letter formation.

Students review long and short vowel sounds through games, tongue twisters, verses, and word families. Consonant blends are also worked with in the same manner and then practiced through writing and reading. Proper enunciation is encouraged through modeling the spoken word. Speaking clearly trains the ear and assists with spelling. In Grade Two, recitation remains the heart of our classwork. Hundreds of lines of poetry, including our play, are played as games or simply recited by the students.

Reading lessons begin by reading from their own writing. Throughout the year, the students copy text from the board, read from the board as a class and individually, identify words and spell them, and read from their main lesson book. They also learn to read individually to a teacher, to each other and silently to ourselves.

Mathematics

Introduction to:

  • Strengthening knowledge with four processes
  • Finding multiple ways to find a solution to a problem
  • Reading the time on analog clock
Details

Grade 2 arithmetic builds off the foundations from first grade, strengthening and deepening their skills. In the arithmetic blocks, students work to strengthen the four basic processes. They work with addition and subtraction horizontally up through double-digit numbers. They continue their work horizontally to deepen the numerical sense and to strengthen the ability of finding various solutions. The students share many ways to come to the answers, developing flexibility in their thinking. THey practice horizontal multiplication and division. Place value is introduced, and students are able to successfully complete number dictations into the thousands. They work extensively with the times tables up to 12×12.

Students begin to look at time by contemplating the seasons. They learn the months of the year and each one’s characteristics. They also learn the days of the week and are introduced to reading a “face” clock by seeing that the minute hand follows the 5’s path around the clock while the slower hour hand uses the 1’s path.

Science

Introduction to:

  • Nature Walks 
  • Plant and animal foundational biology
Details

In Grade 2, students participate in nature walks where they experience the complexities and richness of plant and animal relationships. They listen to stories about the early years, emphasizing transformation, a necessary concept for later studies in chemistry, physics, biology, and the other sciences.

History and Social Studies

Introduction to:

  • Geography 
  • History and civics
Details

The foundation for the formal teaching of Geography, History and Civics is expanded upon in Grade 2.The children discover how, through developing the skills of practical living, house building, and making of clothes and farming, human life has been sustained.

Subjects

In addition to Music, World Languages, Eurythmy, and Handwork, students also participate in Art, Physical Education, and Gardening.

Music

Introduction to: 

  • Pitch 
  • Rhythm 
  • String Instruments 
Details

In Grade 3, class teachers continue to be responsible for music instruction and integration of music into the classroom. They incorporate class activities with singing and playing of pentatonic flutes. The students learn the concepts of pitch and rhythm in an imaginative way and in the spring of 2nd grade, string instruments (violin, viola, cello) are introduced. They students  and their parents have the opportunity to choose an instrument to begin the following year.

World Languages

Introduction to:

  • Continuing Spanish and French
  • Include movement, repetition, and imagery
  • Emphasis on speaking and comprehension skills
Details

The Grade 2 Spanish is taught in an immersion method with the intention for students to acquire and comprehend the language the same way they absorbed their mother tongue. The class is oral and rhythmically organized from beginning to end. The classes are lively with movement and repetition. The main goals are to get more familiar with the sounds of the language and continuing to establish a connection with the group by creating a safe environment where they could continue to feel comfortable to experiment with different sounds and keep growing love for the language.

The students are introduced to more courtesy phrases, greetings, and commands. Through stories, recitation, songs, finger games, and clapping games, the students also learned numbers, colors, animals, and other elements of nature (air, earth, sun, moon, sky, trees, flowers, mountains, rivers, etc.). The students received the language with joy and enthusiasm.

Eurythmy

Introduction to: 

  • Awareness of oneself in relation to the whole class
  • Body coordination and concentration 
  • Spacial awareness
Details

Grade 2 Eurythmy works on many little poems and musical dances, practicing body coordination and concentration, as well as an awareness of ourselves in relation to the whole class and the space in which we are moving. In the fall, students move to the story about the wind and the sun and discover that kindness and warmth might be stronger than force. Students perform this at the Annual Eurythmy Concert. They also learn the Fable of the “Fox and the Crow” and “The Lion and the Mouse.” Students learn dances in two groups interweaving with each other or moving separately. One of the great challenges of Eurythmy Class is that, in many cases, the whole class works on one piece of art together, and everyone must give their input in order to give this art form its life and beauty.

Handwork and Practical Arts

Introduction to:

  • Knitting skills are refined and advanced
  • Working on form and awareness for future reading and writing
  • Colorwork and chart reading
Details

Grade 2, Handwork is, in many ways, a seamless evolution from the previous year. The Handwork curriculum for this grade is rooted in both form and awareness, further supporting the development within the child.

The basic skill of knitting is refined, and a secondary skill is added: purling. This stitch is, in essence, the reverse of the knit stitch. Differentiating between this work requires a higher level of focus than before, strengthening the will of the student. Students also learn to cast on, bind off, to do both of these things in the middle of a row, and to decrease by knitting two stitches together. Additionally, the class delves into colorwork through stranding and chart reading.

Each student completes a square that is pieced together by the end of the year. Each student works hard to complete a sampler flute case, which showcases nearly all of the skills acquired during the year. Several students begin work on a knit animal. As a community project, the class works together to create a farm playset.

Form drawing promotes spatial awareness working on left-right, top-bottom, and diagonal (front-back). It develops eye-hand coordination and prepares the way for writing and reading.

Students paint once a week for much of the year. Using the wet-on-wet watercolor technique, they focus on color stories and the qualities of the colors alone and in combination. They create some seasonal themes and some coming from fables and legends.

Games

Introduction to:

  • Recognizing Body Language Cues
  • Cooperation
  • Organization
  • Focus and Control
Details

Games are created through the acting out of stories. In Grade 2, we provide the students with opportunities within games to leave the security of the group, to be chased, and to separate themselves. As in Grade 1, we continue with circle-and hand-clapping games, tag games, and running games, as well as animal-themed and cooperative games. They use their bodies, each other, and play equipment to meet challenges in spatial awareness, rhythm, physicality, and cooperation. 

The class also begins throwing and catching. They talk about what it looks like when one is ready to receive a thrown object and when one is not. In the spring, we take a few minutes of each class to play jacks or marbles. Students learn the rules and learn how to play with multiple partners. Each student is evaluated on their overall participation, ability to focus on each activity, their interaction with others, and their skills development.

Curriculum

Third Grade

d

Third Grade Curriculum

Main Lessons

 With practical, supportive classroom and home experiences, the child can gain self-confidence for future work in our world. In this course, language development and math skills are woven around these themes, and nature studies focus on the practical relationship that human beings have with their environment. Topics include:  Math, Music, Language Arts, Old Testament Stories, Painting, Form Drawing, Speech, Games and Movement.

l

English and Language Arts

Introduction to:

  • Foundational reading, spelling and compositional work
  • Adjectives and adverbs
  • Public speaking in the class play
Details

Hebrew Mythology provides the foundation for reading, spelling, and composition work. The class reviews and practices the cursive alphabet, writing with larger graphite and colored pencils to encourage neat, clear, and beautiful penmanship. Students compose the bulk of the writing for their lesson books (in groups and individually), as well as the class play Go Down Moses, Rise Up, Devorah!

The class practices phonics, blends, and word families, and they built upon last year’s work with nouns and verbs by introducing adjectives and adverbs. Students participate in daily practice with sight words, with a weekly dictation review. Types of sentences and related punctuation are introduced (declarative, interrogatory, imperative, and exclamatory). Speech work and recitation continued, including morning verses in English and Hebrew, tongue-twisters, and Hebrew scriptures. Individual lines were spoken for the first time in the class play.

Mathematics

Introduction to:

  • Understanding place value
  • Exploring liquid, density, and weight measurements
  • Advancing abilities with the four basic arithmetic processes
Details

The students study time, then linear, liquid, density, and weight measurements, and culminate in bartering and currency. The class continues to review the four basic arithmetic processes, multiplication tables, and place value, and they focus on quick calculating skills and practice toward making ‘math facts’ automatic and accessible. The year also brings several new processes and activities in arithmetic as students were introduced to standard, word, and expanded forms of numbers, vertical processes, carrying, and borrowing; this work required an understanding of place value (which was extended to the millionth place). Students begin working with daily ‘math fact’ sheets.

Science

Introduction to:

  • Farming 
  • Gardening
Details

Grade 3 students experience how the farmer and gardener work with the forces of nature. Students experience this first hand by starting to spend more time in the campus garden. They learn more about textiles and house building, a similar preliminary sense for geometry and the lawfulness of structural integrity.

Students look at how people have used native materials, reused/recycled, and harnessed the power of solar, wind, and water in the creation and functioning of traditional and contemporary homes. Students consider the design and materials of their own homes, look at vintage blueprints for an amusement park and a school, create blueprints for dream homes, and built individual and group Bee Hotels.

History and Social Studies

Introduction to:

  • Geography 
  • San Diego History
Details

In grade three, the children discuss the climate in San Diego and what the local environment had to offer the ancient people living here. They learn about the protection that is necessary to survive against the elements and wildlife, as well as how people address the same challenges today.

Students study traditional and modern farming practices, noting similarities between Southern California and the Mediterranean environment of the ancient Hebrew people regarding climate and crops.

Through cooking lessons, students enjoy learning about various processes of preparing food. They study the proper use of and care for tools; they ground corn and spices; they boil, bake, steam, and sautée; they dry fruits.

Subjects

In addition to Music, World Languages, Eurythmy, and Handwork, students also participate in Art, Physical Education, and Gardening.

Music

Introduction to: 

  • Diatonic recorder 
  • Violin/Viola and Cello lessons
  • Reading music 
Details

In Grade 3, the diatonic recorder is introduced. Students begin classes in violin/viola or cello. Those lessons are offered twice a week. After basic instrumental skills are established, music reading is introduced and enhanced through the playing of beginning string literature. 

World Languages

Introduction to:

  • Emphasis on individual speaking
  • Deepen sentence structure development
  • Confidence to speak comfortably
Details

In Grade 3, Spanish is taught in an immersion method with the intention for students to acquire and comprehend the language the same way they absorbed their mother tongue. The class is oral from the beginning to the end. The children learn in a practical way about all the activities:  farming, trades, domestic chores, produce, building, the division of time, and measurement are all important topics taken up during Grade 3. 

The students are introduced to new courtesy phrases and greetings. Through stories, recitation, songs, and clapping games, the students also learn numbers, the seasons, colors, and vocabulary of the house. The students learn about some festivals and cultural traditions from Spain and other Spanish speaking countries. For instance, the students have the opportunity to get more familiar with numbers by getting introduced to Euros–Spanish currency nowadays. They have the chance to do some basic math with play money. Towards the end of the school year, students work on their “Mi Casa” project, drawing their imaginary houses and learning some vocabulary of the house and cultural habits of Spanish speaking countries.

Eurythmy

Introduction to: 

  • Concentration on pitch and rhythm 
  • Exploration of the geometric triangle
Details

Grade 3 works more consciously with the elements of pitch and rhythm and the arm gestures for the musical tones. Students’ concentration and coordination exercises become more elaborate this year and are an integral part of each lesson. For the Annual Eurythmy Concert, they prepare a beautiful sequence of forms, which are the progression from an oval into a lemniscate, into two circles, and back to the lemniscate and oval. In the spring, they explore the geometric form of the triangle, discovering that when we place one triangle in each of the four directions and connect each of the four heads, it creates one small circle, and by connecting all eight feet, it creates one large circle.

Handwork and Practical Arts

Introduction to:

  • Exploring mood and feeling related to color
  • New materials to work with
Details

Grade 3, Handwork classes learn to crochet. Students learn a series of circles and spirals. The materials used in this grade also transition. Wool is replaced with cotton and two knitting needles with one crochet hook. These changes require a certain flexibility from the student, while further developing both their sense of beauty and appreciation for the natural world.

All of the students in this class complete a crocheted coaster, a functional and stylish water bottle holder, a custom hat, and extra projects as time permits.

Painting lessons explore mood and feeling as they relate to color and delved further into figurative painting. The aim is to support students as they develop their artistic sense, not simply the ability to create images on paper. Specific techniques for painting, such as the use of strong and subtle color, lifting paint off the paper, and manipulating the brush for various effects are practiced to create detail.

Students continue to use block crayons for some fullness of background and color, add more detail with stick crayons for main lesson books and other illustrative work, and are introduced to ‘slant drawing’ with colored pencils. Craft projects included molding beeswax, paper picado calaveras for el Día de Los Muertos, puppet-making, printmaking, painting a ‘crankie’ for the class play, clay work, and making Purim masks.

Gardening

Introduction to: 

  • Garden values 
  • Composting basics 
  • Responsibility
Details

Grade 3 began their first year of Gardening class by exploring their new space, the flora, and fauna. Students are introduced to our garden values, safe tool usage, and their new responsibilities, which include tending to the garden and animals. They learn how to water plants appropriately and challenge themselves to carry heavy watering cans. Throughout the year, they learn how to clear garden beds, amend the soil, build garden beds, and harvest and plant seeds. Composting is also an integral part of our garden lessons and chores, and this entails collecting compost buckets from the school kitchen, sorting through the food scraps, building the compost pile, watering it once a week, turning it, and checking the temperature to monitor its progress.

Students learn to appreciate the time, resources, and consistency necessary to build healthy soil. Grade 3 pick the fruit off the trees, which includes figs, apples, and bananas. The students make smoothies with the fruits they harvest. As the winter rain showers the garden, the students explore the diversity of edible plants. Weeds such as stinging nettle, mallow, and lambs quarter are harvested to make a delicious pesto. In participating in this activity, students learn that they like food better right from the garden!

Games

Introduction to:

  • Interactive group games 
  • Development in honesty, commitment, fairness, and cooperation
  • Strategy games 
  • Conflict resolution
Details

Grade 3 Games class focuses on social dynamics and group interaction. Many social and moral skills are developed in these classes, such as honesty (was I tagged or not?), commitment (supporting my group or peers), tact (how hard can I tag my classmate?), recognition of appropriate authority (accepting the judgment of other players or the teacher), fairness, and cooperation. The emphasis is on the experience of “we” as a collective group going into the world to face challenges. The games are designed to help meet the challenges the children may face at this age. 

They also play games or recite verses stemming from the Grade 3 curriculum, like house building and activities related to work or trades. In the spring, students learn the game, Fox, Hounds, and Chickens! This game adds new opportunities to work together and think about strategies and figure out how to work through conflicts that arise. Each student’s overall participation, ability to focus on each activity, interaction with others and skills development is a central focus.

Curriculum

Fourth Grade

d

Fourth Grade Curriculum

Main Lessons

Norse mythology, with its powerfully dramatic stories and strongly alliterative and rhythmic epics, speaks directly to the child at this stage of development. The animal kingdom is studied in its relation to the human being, and geography is introduced to develop awareness of the living environment. The world of fractions leads the child from the whole to its parts and back to the whole again.

l

English and Language Arts

Introduction to:

  • Strengthen punctuation, grammar and spelling through captivating stories
  • Tenses and parts of speech
Details

 Norse mythology is as well-suited to the soul development of the Grade 4 student as the myths of the Norse Peoples. The stories are filled with tales of courage, strength, humor, and the taming of the wild, undisciplined, impulsive element that meets the Grader 4 student where he/she is, developmentally. Through these captivating stories, the students learn about punctuation, grammar, and spelling. The verb, noun, adjective, and adverb are reviewed, and the pronoun, possessive pronoun, conjunction, preposition, singular and plural nouns, and punctuation are expanded upon. Students strengthen their use of proper paragraph structure: indention, capitals, periods, commas, questions marks, and exclamation points, while writing original and dictated compositions. They continue to work on writing paragraphs using a story map to help them organize their thoughts.

Mathematics

Introduction to:

  • Mixing the four processes 
  • Fractions 
  • Solidifying times tables
Details

Arithmetic in Grade 4 is taught in three blocks. The first block in arithmetic is a review of all the arithmetic work from Grade 3 and a firming up of their multiplication tables, as well as an introduction to factoring and long multiplication. The students became familiar with the conventions for writing fractions, and they began adding fractions with common denominators. Every morning, the students play with numbers during mental math and other games, puzzles, and riddles to encourage mathematical thinking.

The second arithmetic block focuses on fractions, long division (story long division and flexible long division), and the students continue practicing long multiplication. The students compare fractions, and they add and subtract fractions with common denominators.

During our last fractions block, the students review the material from the previous blocks and continued with mixed number addition and subtraction of fractions. They are introduced to the following topics: simplifying fractions, regrouping while subtracting mixed fractions, and multiplying mixed fractions. During one of the blocks, they heard the fantastic story of Tal: His Marvelous Adventures with Noom-Zor-Noom, written by Paul Fenimore Cooper, and in another, we heard the story of the Kalevala in The Sampo.

Science

Introduction to:

  • Exploration of the animal kingdom
  • Ecosystems and habitats
  • Observing, researching, and sharing knowledge through a report and presentation
Details

In Grade 4, studies in science begin by looking into the animal world, the closest ‘kingdom of nature’ to the human being. During this block, students begin by exploring the three-fold structure of the human body–head, heart (trunk), and hands (limbs), and we compared this threefoldness with the animal kingdom.

From this, students examine the specialization of each animal species and contrasted it with the generalization of the human being. They look at the four kingdoms (human, animal, plant, mineral) and discuss the qualities they share and what make them different. They observe mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, always comparing and relating them to the human being.

Students examine the three systems of the human being: nerve-sense, rhythmic (cardiopulmonary), and limb-metabolic; they use these as a guide to observe the archetypal animal families that embody these three systems. Each student independently spends time observing, researching, and writing about an animal. They finish the year by sharing their knowledge with their classmates in their first oral report and with the parents and other grades classes.

History and Social Studies

Introduction to:

  • Make maps of our immediate environments
  • History of San Diego
  • California State History
Details

During the first Local Geography and History block, students look out into the world by first observing themselves and then our surrounding environment. The children make maps (for the first time) of their bedrooms, houses, routes to school, classroom, school, and the school neighborhood. They then expand their awareness to the beautiful City of San Diego and its rich history. Students learn about the Native Americans, the Kumeyaay, who lived here before the Spanish and Europeans explored and settled here. They then study Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, Sebastian Vizcaino, and how San Diego was given its name. They paint a map of San Diego and label it. From there, they follow Father Junipero Serra’s journey from Spain to New Spain (Mexico) and into Alta California (San Diego), where he began the first mission: Mission San Diego de Alcala. During the second block, the students hear about how gold was first discovered and how people flocked by sea and land to California. They look at the dangers involved in both routes and learned more about them in the stories we heard. The students hear about the Donner-Reed Party and the difficulties they experienced while crossing by land. They also listen to the very funny book By the Great Horn Spoon, where they learn more about the route by sea.

Subjects

In addition to Music, World Languages, Eurythmy, and Handwork, students also participate in Art, Physical Education, and Gardening.

Music

Introduction to: 

  • Singing
  • Record playing 
  • Music reading 
  • Choosing a string instrument
Details

Grade 4 would sing seasonal or curriculum-related songs. They then play them on their diatonic flutes. Practicing these songs every day helps them improve their reading of music and their ability to play them accurately and beautifully.

World Languages

Introduction to:

  • Begins written language
  • Grammar
  • Listening comprehension skills are honed
Details

Grade 4 is a time of change for Spanish language learning. This is when the students learn to read by writing the material they have memorized in previous years. However, for the majority of the students, this is only their second year of Spanish. They keep experiencing their contact with the language at a deeper level (culturally and grammatically speaking), and this is a very important aspect to take into account from the perspective of language acquisition. Spanish is taught in an immersion method with the intention for students to acquire and comprehend the language the same way they absorbed their mother tongue.


The students are introduced to more courtesy phrases and greetings, the alphabet, and numbers. Through stories, poems, and songs, the students also learn the vocabulary of the seasons, the weather, colors, and animals. This year we started working a little bit on Spanish grammar by introducing them to topics such as masculine and feminine nouns and their articles and subject pronouns. This also prepares the grounds for reading and writing by working on identifying vowel and consonant sounds and recognizing the letters that make these sounds. For the first time, students get to write on their Spanish books some easy poems they know by heart from Grades 1 and 2. They learn about some festivals and cultural traditions from Spain and other Spanish speaking countries through stories and movement. The students also learn about the presence and cultural influences of Vikings in Galicia, a region of Spain, through storytelling.

Eurythmy

Introduction to: 

  • Work independently from the teacher’s example 
  • Moving spatial forms
Details

Grade 4 students learn the sounds of the alphabet, being able to recognize them and work with them independently from the teacher’s example. How exciting to see one’s name in movement and spell it with Eurythmy gestures! They work on moving spatial forms more consistently in a frontal position, thus experiencing the four directions of forward, backward, right, and left in a more differentiated manner. For the Annual Eurythmy Concert, students prepare a musical piece. The form is based on the big cross with changing patterns. In the spring, students learn how to move to the “Wall of Aasgard.” This year they are introduced to the specific arm gestures of the C-major scale and applied them in various little music pieces. Rhythmical concentration and coordination exercises are an integral part of each lesson.

Handwork and Practical Arts

Introduction to:

  • Embroidery stitches and techniques
  • Attention to detail and form
  • Developing an internal feeling of capability
  • Advanced painting and drawing techniques
Details

Grade 4, Handwork students move away from working with one long, continuous strand of yarn and instead begin working with shorter lengths of finer fibers, which are threaded through needles. These needles are then worked into the fabric to create decorative motifs using different embroidery stitches and techniques. There is more emphasis on form than on function; this attention to detail is intended to foster an appreciation for quality and beauty. Inwardly, the students experience themselves as both capable and creative, further developing their will for meaningful work.

The year begins with learning the basic chain stitch, refining this skill through the creation of a decorative felt mat. The students then move on to embroidering felt bookmarks and needle books, and finally, a handy cotton tote meant to carry their Handwork projects.

In Grade 4 painting, the students use an 18” brush instead of the 20” brush they had been using in the previous grades. This allows the students to paint with a bit more detail. The students work more with the deeper/darker colors they found at the bottom of their paint pots. This also allows for better detail. In drawing, students supplement their main lesson books with curriculum-related drawings. They look at how the three basic shapes of the triangle, square, and circle slightly change to create different shapes. Instead of primarily drawing with crayons, the students begin using colored pencils for the majority of their drawing, while using block crayons for background shadings. They learn a new technique with pencil shavings to create a beautiful shaded background. This requires much practice and patience.

Gardening

Introduction to: 

  • Caring for animals 
  • Topography and Ecosystems 
  • Rainwater cycles 
  • Maintaining healthy garden ecosystems
Details

Grade 4 begins with a newfound sense of responsibility and joy, particularly with the introduction of farm animals to our garden. Other student responsibilities include mucking the goat pen, as well as cleaning the chicken coop, with fresh straw added to the roost and laying boxes. These tasks are rotated weekly. With repetition and practice, students grow proficient at these tasks and learn to enjoy the responsibility. Engaging with the animals weekly and taking responsibility for the animals, fosters respect and reverence for the animal kingdom as well as hard work. The highlight of the year for Grade 4 was, without a doubt, caring for the chickens and goats. 

At the beginning of the year, students explore the garden and observe changes that occur over the summer. During this initial exploration, students explore the concepts of topography and watershed systems. These concepts are revisited several times throughout the winter season as they explore the contours of our land and the flow of water. Students learned about rainwater, harvesting the use of swales/berms to help direct water. In the Spring, students build garden swales around the fruit trees to retain soil and water runoff. The students also study local wildlife and beneficial insects, which exposes students to the concept of balance and their role in supporting a healthy garden ecosystem.

Games

Introduction to:

  • Spacial awareness
  • Traditional sports
  • Accountability and working toward a common goal
  • Deeper integration of teamwork
Details

The emphasis in Grade 4 Games class shifts from “we” to “I.” Students learn how their contributions help to develop the entire class dynamic. They spend a lot of time developing skills that carry over from one game to another, such as catching, throwing, and running sprints. The social and moral skills students learn in Grade 4 become especially important as they evaluate, “Did I really tag him/her?” or “Yes, you got me out.” The students become more aware of where they were in space as it related to their classmates, equipment, and surroundings: above and below, left and right, and front and back. At this stage, the students understand common courtesy and general rule-following. In Grade 4, students know how to take turns, be respectful of authority and each other, and have some accountability. The class is introduced to unicycles during this year. The students feel fear, anxiety, courage, and support of one another.

The students learn traditional sports during this year. The transition is seamless through the use of their equipment and the skills used but brought through imaginative games. The Grader 4 student has the opportunity to connect with games they may see in the bigger world, but in a less competitive environment to learn them. Students explore flag football, basketball, and baseball capture the flag, and kickball this year. There is a clear victor to these games. Strategy is involved in these games, and the students work together toward a common goal.

Curriculum

Fifth Grade

d

Fifth Grade Curriculum

Main Lessons

The youngsters can experience life as the Greeks did with a focus on art and movement, including the Pentathlon. The glories of ancient civilizations lead the children out into the world, expanding their view to a wider understanding of others, and of themselves. Study of the plant world supports this expansion of the mind in a complementary way by guiding the children to see how the earth is blanketed with plant life from pole to equator. A study of fractions and decimals focuses on the relationship of part to whole.

l

English and Language Arts

Introduction to:

  • Writing in paragraph format
  • Spelling of word families, sentence structure, and parts of speech
  • Researching and writing reports
Details

Students use content from studies in mythology, history, and early science blocks to practice language arts topics. Students review the spelling of word families in the context of the new curriculum; they review sentence structure and parts of speech; they present with new aspects of composition to organize and strengthen their writing; they learn new spelling based on their common errors and based on new vocabulary. New spelling also comes out of the study of root words from Ancient Greek.

Mathematics

Introduction to:

  • Freehand Geometry
  • Discovering prime, square, triangular, perfect and abundant numbers in their relationships, patterns and polarities
  • Fractions and decimals
Details

Freehand geometry is used; practicing spatial orientation, symmetry, fine motor accuracy, and detail, in addition to beauty, were emphasized. Students work with prime, square, triangular, perfect, and abundant numbers and learn their relationships, patterns and polarities in Grade 4. Students work with puzzles, word problems and games to become familiar with these properties, and theorems are defined that are used in higher math. Fraction-work and use of decimals continues with multiplication, addition, subtraction, and division of fractions, mixed numbers, and improper fractions. We work on converting mixed numbers to improper fractions and vice versa. Math homework is assigned weekly during Language Arts blocks to keep students practicing new and past concepts.

Science

Introduction to:

  • Botany
  • Seasonality and its relation to nature
  • Practicing process of observation, detailed descriptions, and drawings
Details

The class discusses the earth as a whole, and from our geography discussions of different weather and climate, they come to the conclusion that the forms of plant adaptations are based on their relationship to the Equator. They explore the relationship between the four seasons and the interconnectedness of the insect world with plant life. From this whole picture, students begin the discussion of the most simple forms of life and plants. They study fungi, algae, moss, ferns, and conifers, then they compare the development from a simple plant to the most complex plant with the development of the human being.

Students learn the parts of the flower, relating to the four elements and the seasons. They practice Goethean observation with careful, detailed description and drawings of a chosen plant in our south orchard. Complex plants and their groupings were then introduced, beginning with the lily (monocotyledon) and the rose (dicotyledon). The main lesson work is enlivened with daily pencil drawings, poetry, and watercolor painting.

History and Social Studies

Introduction to:

  • Ancient India, Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, and Ancient Greece
  • United States Geography
  • Exploration of culture 
Details

Beginning with the geography of India, the students review map skills and terminology. They discuss how India’s unique climate and the river Ganges contributes to the consciousness and welfare of the people. In the study of Persia, students learn Persia’s geography and landscape. They learn about the discovery of the beginnings of agriculture and the domestication of animals. The block closes with a feast of Indian and Persian food which that allows the students to have a sensory experience of these rich, ancient cultures. The students then begin their study on Egyptian history by reading the story of Isis and Osiris enabling them to practice their composition further: paragraphing, using transitions and description words, and spelling. The main lesson closes with Greece. Beginning in ancient Greek mythology and ending with the Persian Wars, students have ample descriptive stories with which to practice their spelling and writing skills.

After learning and mapping countries of the Mediterranean and Asia, the mapping and drawing of an entire continent were challenging and fulfilling. Students begin by drawing the coastline of the North American continent from Canada to Central America, and then slowly adding color to each section as we learned about the First Peoples who lived there. In each section, they study the geography, people, climates, plants, animals, and gifts they provide to the world. Stories of the people from each region and how they related to the earth supported the content.

Subjects

In addition to Music, World Languages, Eurythmy, and Handwork, students also participate in Art, Physical Education, and Gardening.

Music

Introduction to: 

  • Choice between brass, woodwind, or string instruments
  • Participating in instrumental ensemble 
  • Choir class 
Details

In Grade 5, students have the opportunity to switch to a brass or woodwind instrument. The string students begin to play in the lower school orchestra. Students participate in their instrumental ensemble and sing in choir class two times a week.

World Languages

Introduction to:

  • Learn directional prepositions
  • Grammar and conjugating verbs
  • Writing stories
Details

In Grade 5 Spanish, the students begin learning about the cultures of India, Persia, Mesopotamia, and Egypt, culminating in Greece. They experience contact with the language at a deeper level (culturally and grammatically speaking), and this is a very important aspect to take into account from the perspective of language acquisition. Spanish is taught in an immersion method with the intention of students to acquire and comprehend the language the same way they absorbed their mother tongue.

The students are introduced to more courtesy phrases and greetings and introductory questions and answers. They review the alphabet and the numbers. The students also learn how to write the seasons, months, weeks, days of the week, and colors through poems; the weather; the date and time; as well as body parts and clothes. Students start working on Spanish grammar and started bringing awareness to spelling. The students learn about some festivals, cultural traditions, and popular sayings from Spain and other Spanish speaking countries. They also have the opportunity to learn more about Mexico: its geography, the history of its flag, the lifestyle of its first inhabitants through legends, and its culture through one of the Mexican folkloric dances called La Raspa.

Eurythmy

Introduction to: 

  • Working as an in-sync team 
  • Creating social art
  • New tones
Details

Grade 5 students learn to move the geometrical form of the pentagram and discover that when five straight lines are rightly moved together, in time and space, they create a circular motion in the center. In order to do this well, all five people have to tune into each other enough to make this work correctly, making it a social art. In Tone Eurythmy, students venture in the keys of C, G, and D major (based on sharps) and F major (based on flats). For the Annual Eurythmy Concert, students choose a poem. The entire class works on one large choreography together and works to master it. Rhythmical concentration and coordination exercises are an integral part of each lesson. 

Handwork and Practical Arts

Introduction to:

  • Teaching knitting to Grade 1
  • Cultivating a sense of responsibility
  • New forms of artistic expression
Details

In Grade 5, Handwork returns to knitting. By exploring a familiar skill in a new and exciting way, they engage their growing sense of memory while cultivating a sense of responsibility. This skill is best demonstrated by the Grade 5 students helping to teach the Grade 1 students how to knit.

After reacquainting the class with basic knitting and purling at the very beginning of the year, we immediately moved into circular knitting. Instead of two needles, now there are four. The students had to learn to visualize their work in a different way, a testament to their growing capacity to see things from several different sides.

Students complete a knitted swatch, and all of the students work with four needles in their hands—most of the students completed at least one pair of socks.

In grade 5 art, students use clay and beeswax to sculpt finer, and more practical objects. Watercolor painting continues, although less frequently this year. Students continue to show more control of the paint and are able to add details and combine colors to create the hues and shades they desire. Chalk pastels are introduced this year and used in addition to painting and drawing as a more tactile expression of color and form.

Gardening

Introduction to: 

  • Studying observations and analysis
  • Identifying native and invasive species 
  • Using new gardening tools
  • Human relationships within the local ecosystem
Details

Grade 5 begins with observing and studying the native flora and fauna of our garden and surrounding nature trails. They learn to identify native and invasive species and learn about the relationship between the native and naturalized species as well as the impact naturalized species have on native flora and fauna. Classes focus mainly on learning about Arundo donax, a tall invasive perennial cane that grows abundantly in San Diego and throughout the school, covering areas once home to native flora. Grade 5 embarks on an effort to remove a section of the invasive Arundo that grows in the area adjacent to our garden. Students embrace this task with great enthusiasm, mainly out of the joy of learning to use a pickaxe and the satisfaction of seeing the progress of their work.

Students learn about the impact that humans pose as members of the local ecosystem. As part of their botany block in the main lesson, students observe one plant for a week, which the students carry on during Gardening class. These moments of deep observation help students form a stronger relationship with the flora of our garden and their role as members of the great web of life.

Games

Introduction to:

  • Self-responsibility
  • Strength building and strategy 
  • Social interactions and group dynamics
  • Communication and encouragement
Details

Grade 5 games class reflects self-responsibility, social interaction, and group dynamics. Students look at acknowledging individual strengths and taking risks while accepting our teammates when they are not successful, as well as when they are victorious. They continue to work on sharpening skills regarding our hand-eye coordination, breath control, and speed. In Grade 5, strength building and strategy are introduced through wrestling games. They try to find a balance between levity and gravity, between imagination and intellect, and between individual and group challenges. Students feel and recognize the transition between play and sport. Students are evaluated on their ability to take instructions, willingness to learn new skills, their social contribution to the class, as well as the overall quality of their participation and movement.

We spent many games classes training for the five disciplines of the Pentathlon (javelin, discus, long jump, ring wrestling, and running). Every Grade 5 student worked hard in anticipation of this event. The students start classes with a “chariot race,” which is a group run. This class uses strategy, communication, and encouragement to be successful. Students join six other Waldorf schools on Coronado Beach to experience a day in Ancient Greece at our Olympic style games. In addition to Pentathlon work, they continue to work on skills that benefit us in many areas of play or sport such as throwing and catching, communication, and teamwork.

Grade 5 has a Circus Arts block this year that includes the balance board, spinning plates, diabolos, and an introduction to juggling. They also revisit the unicycle. The game of dodge-ball was officially introduced this year, both through Games class and overflowing into recess. Grade 5 students are held accountable to class and school expectations of common courtesy and respect, both with their elders and their peers.