Lower Division
GOOD TEACHING SHOULD BE A LIVELY CONVERSATION—ONE IN WHICH YOU SHOW, BY THE WAY YOU TEACH, YOUR HIGH REGARD FOR YOUR STUDENTS AS FELLOW LEARNERS. GRADE 4 TEACHER
You observe your child’s natural love of learning every day. Park not only preserves that enthusiasm, but nurtures and builds upon it. Our experienced teachers guide and support students on their Lower Division journey, helping them master not only the fundamentals of language arts, math, social studies, and science, but also self-awareness, confidence, and citizenship. As students progress, they take on age-appropriate levels of challenge and responsibility, all the while feeding their curiosity and enjoying their educational adventure.
Hallmarks of Park’s Lower Division
- Social-emotional learning. We educate the whole child at Park. That includes developing listening skills, empathy, kindness, and compassion.
- Students get the challenge they need. Every student is well known here. Our teachers make sure each child is given the appropriate challenge according to their unique learning style, skills, and needs.
- Children find their voice. Beginning at a young age, students get many opportunities to share their ideas, their talents, and their love of learning.
- Parents are our partners. Parents are a crucial part of their children’s progression. So we maintain frequent communication between you and your child’s teacher with weekly newsletters, daily informal check-ins, and comprehensive conferences in the fall and spring.
- Project-based learning. To make learning engaging, holistic, and relevant, teachers facilitate hands-on projects that bring lessons to life.
Lower Division
Prekindergarten
“I wonder, I play, I learn.”
This play-based program lays a strong educational foundation in the areas of literacy, social studies, math, science, and social-emotional learning. Classes are small: 14 students with a lead teacher, an associate, and a shared assistant teacher between both classes. Teachers guide each child’s growing cognitive skills, while paying close attention to the development of social-emotional skills such as self-esteem, acceptance of others, love of learning, and lasting friendships.
Children explore a variety of books, celebrate and discuss similarities and differences among themselves and their families, and focus on many mathematical concepts: numbers and number sense; classifying, sorting, and patterning; geometry and spatial sense; and analysis of data collections. Children explore science and art in the natural world, all while engaging in play indoors and out. The PreK schedule includes library lessons, PE, music, science, and coding workshops.
Over the course of their PreK year, highlights include creating a “Me Doll,” playing in the fairy tent, celebrating holidays of light and participating in a Lunar New Year Parade, creating a recycled city, grade-wide community music, and bringing home the class treasure bag and mascot.
Library
Kindergarten students participate in library classes on a scheduled weekly basis. Classes introduce students to elementary principles of library organization, build upon and expand personal interests, and inspire students to think about how writers and illustrators craft meaning in books. Lessons are frequently designed to further the connection between the library and the classroom curriculum. During 30-minute visits, students are also encouraged to borrow books, with special emphasis on picture books and beginning readers’ fiction and non-fiction. Additionally, hands-on projects reinforce the written and visual qualities of books, and Kindergarten students are introduced to the Library Makerspace.
Music
PreK children participate in a wide range of musical activities that include: listening, dancing/movement, instrumental work, singing, and performing. General music instruction is in alignment with the National Association for Music Education standards.
Consideration of young children’s growing abilities, both physical and cognitive, is reflected in the selection of materials. For example, songs generally span the range of one octave, have short phrases, are thematically appealing to young children, and include some movement and/or percussion instrument playing. In both solo and group singing, emphasis is given to vocal quality, the conscious discrimination of high-low tones, fast-slow beats, strong-weak accents, melodic direction, and rhythm. Percussion instrument playing helps to develop fine and gross motor skills, rhythmic accuracy, and improvisational skills. Attention is given to the historical, cultural, and social context of music through listening, discussion, movement, and stories.
Park’s music program helps to foster creativity and self-expression, while developing the student’s music skills. Performances and informances are used as learning tools and are opportunities for students to demonstrate what they are learning in music class.
Classes meet four times per week in 20-minute sessions.
Physical Education
In PreKindergarten, children explore their physical capabilities and develop physical skills at their own pace. Movement exploration, perceptual motor development, the development of fundamental physical skills, and the importance of physical fitness are all emphasized.
Each class begins with warm-up exercises and basic locomotor skills. Important aspects of the program include the development of basic movement skills, work with small manipulatives, bean bags, hoops, balls, short and long jump rope skills, and rhythmic activities. The children also explore balance beams and other gymnastic equipment, climb, and negotiate a variety of obstacle courses. Teamwork is developed through parachute activities, partner activities, and the introduction of simple group games. Throughout the program, individual exploration is stressed, and the teachers strive to make the children’s introduction to the world of physical education a happy and enjoyable experience.
Classes meet three times per week in 30-minute sessions.
Science
PreK science is the stepping stone to learning the language and thinking of science necessary for life and school. Engaging a child’s natural curiosity and continuously wondering about the world around them, the theme for this curriculum is “Discover My World: See, Hear, Touch, and Wonder.” Weekly hands-on investigations center on categorizing, seasons and light, animal secrets, pushes and pulls, and it leaves plenty of room for the questions that pop-up in a child’s thinking along the way. Students will learn to communicate their observations and make predictions through our inquiry-based activities. Although NGSS standards do not begin until Kindergarten, this curriculum is closely aligned with the principles and practices within these national standards.
Kindergarten
The Kindergarten program prioritizes community, connection, and play. Social-emotional and academic development are fully integrated throughout the day as children develop independence and embrace a culture of thinking to serve them throughout their lives. Through authentic and playful pursuits, children come to understand their role within a classroom community and learn to communicate and collaborate in a considerate, constructive, and caring manner.
With a curriculum that promotes the development of the whole-child, teachers incorporate differentiated instruction to best support each child and family. Children explore various means of expression, and develop strong oral language and communication skills. They come to view themselves as capable readers, writers, mathematicians, and problem solvers who reason about the world around them. Literacy lessons include concepts of spoken words, syllables, and sounds, and the construction of foundational phonics skills and early reading strategies. The approach to mathematics merges the development of secure skills and conceptual understanding, providing opportunities for students to develop strong reasoning and critical thinking skills. Investigations focus on building number sense and counting skills, understanding of number composition and decomposition, and visual mathematics approaches.
Kindergartners at Park come to know themselves to be valued individuals and responsible and considerate community members. Students are supported as they take risks, learn from each step, and explore new avenues in our increasingly complex world.
Library
For Kindergarten students, the Library is a welcoming space for exploring personal interests and learning from others. During weekly lessons, students are encouraged to discover and borrow books, with special emphasis on picture books and beginning readers’ fiction and nonfiction. Classes introduce students to elementary principles of library organization, community expectations and responsibilities, and they inspire students to think about how writers and illustrators skillfully create meaning.
Lessons are also designed to further the connection between the Library and the classroom curriculum – a notable example is the social justice unit on the universal rights of children. Additionally, Kindergarten students are introduced to the Library Makerspace, where hands-on projects reinforce the written and visual elements of books. Author visits begin in Kindergarten, giving students the opportunity to meet the people responsible for the books and stories they love.
Music
In Kindergarten, children participate in a wide range of musical activities that include music listening, improvised and directed movement, percussion instrumental playing, rhythmic notation reading, singing, and performing. General music instruction is in alignment with the National Association for Music Education standards.
Consideration of the young child’s growing abilities, both physical and cognitive, is reflected in the selection of materials. For example, songs generally span the range of one octave, have short phrases, are thematically appealing to young children, and include some movement or dance. In both solo and group work, vocal quality and the discrimination of high-low, fast-slow, melodic direction, and rhythm are emphasized. Percussion instrument playing develops fine and gross motor skills, rhythmic accuracy, and improvisational skills. Attention is given to the historical, cultural, and social context of music through listening, discussion, movement, and stories.
Park’s music program helps to foster creativity and self-expression, while developing the student’s music skills. Performances and informances are used as learning tools and are opportunities for students to demonstrate what they are learning in music class.
Classes meet three times per week in 30-minute sessions.
Physical Education
In Kindergarten, children explore their physical capabilities and develop physical skills at their own pace. Movement exploration, perceptual motor development, the development of fundamental physical skills, and the importance of physical fitness are emphasized.
Each class begins with warm-up exercises and basic physical fitness concepts. Important aspects of the program include the development of basic movement skills (running, jumping, balancing, etc.), ball skills, work with small manipulatives (bean bags, hoops, etc.), short and long jump-rope skills, and rhythmic activities. The children also explore balance beams and other gymnastic equipment, climb, and negotiate a variety of obstacle courses. Teamwork is developed through parachute activities, partner activities, and the introduction of simple group games and relays. Throughout the program, individual exploration is stressed, and the teachers strive to make the children’s introduction to the world of physical education a happy and enjoyable experience.
Classes meet three times per week in 30-minute sessions.
Science
Kindergarten science builds on a child’s natural sense of wonder. The curriculum focuses on the yearlong essential question, “What does change look like?” To discover the answer, students may study monarch butterflies, the concept of farm-to-table, seeds-to-plants-to-flowers, and the growth of chicks. Within each of these change topics, children learn to make predictions, observe carefully, and record observations, just as scientists do. Kindergarten science is supplemented by field trips and hands-on experiments.
Classes meet twice each week for 30-minute sessions.
Social Studies
Throughout the Kindergarten year, the idea of community is explored in a progression, from the classroom to the school to beyond our campus. With a focus on meaningful classroom experiences, there is an acknowledgement that there are a variety of communities that students may belong to. Recognition of this is one way that we explore the value of similarities and differences among us. We explore varied cultural identifiers and help our young learners develop understanding of and appreciation for how people are different in all kinds of ways. These studies plant the seeds for lifelong conversations about topics within social justice.
The Social Studies curriculum also includes an inquiry focused on Wants vs. Needs, promoting an investigation of what we believe all children need and deserve to have to be safe, healthy, and to thrive. The theme of changemakers is woven into inquiry projects throughout the year. With all that we know about the world, how can we work to change what isn’t just or what we believe can be better? This is the question that guides so much of our curriculum. Kindergarten students explore individuals who have served as changemakers in communities small and large. Moving beyond the school community, students look at famous artists through the lens of changemaking. Throughout this study, students are introduced to national and international artists of varied ethnic backgrounds, gender, and styles. Students learn about how these artists impacted their communities and develop an appreciation for the diverse body of work and the varied ways that one can express themselves through art. Students have the opportunity to express themselves by experimenting with various artists’ techniques, and working to create their own body of work. As the culminating event, the Kindergarten students curate their own exhibits to share with the community.
Grade 1
From the first day of school, first graders work with their teachers and classmates to build a community and further develop their Social-Emotional Learning skills. Through daily Morning Meetings, students and teachers collaborate and build community. First graders participate in ongoing acts of community service to the School and organizations like the Brookline Food Pantry.
Students take part in a range of literacy, math, and social studies lessons. The daily and weekly schedules for first graders provide a balance between child-initiated and teacher-directed projects, whole group meetings, one-on-one time with teachers, independent work time, and small group time. Students also get opportunities to teach their peers, reinforcing social emotional learning skills such as, cooperation and compromise.
In first grade, we meet each child where they are developmentally and academically. Together we celebrate the joy of learning!
Art
Park’s visual art program formally begins in Grade 1. The curriculum is designed to give students mastery of the techniques and tools necessary for artistic self-expression. Designed to spiral, the comprehensive curriculum provides children with skills and concepts that are intentional, sequentially taught, reinforced, and built upon over their years at Park. The goal is for every child to have the confidence to find an entry point, to take creative leaps, and succeed in non-verbal expression.
First graders explore a broad variety of art concepts and methods. Freely experimenting with 2-D and 3-D materials, students begin to develop and improve hands-on skills and creative thinking. They investigate basic principles and elements of visual art: line, shape, color-mixing, transparency, texture, and composition by creating collages, drawings and paintings, and paper sculptures. Students learn how to organize materials and clean up by themselves. Teachers work to create a cooperative atmosphere where children delight in working together.
Throughout the year, students meet for 40-minute classes twice each week.
Library
Grade 1 students are eager and ready for an introductory exploration of the Library’s multi-faceted collection. Therefore, library classes focus on books and multimedia materials that represent a wide range of genres and subject matters, including picture books, early readers, fairy tales, beginning chapter books, and all areas of nonfiction. Weekly library classes allow for formal instruction and browsing time. Students are encouraged to check out books, and library and classroom teachers assist in finding appropriate reading-level material.
Students also learn age appropriate literature evaluation skills and participate in a national, student-centered book award contest. In addition, the Library supports advocacy and service learning in Grade 1 through a study of food insecurity, which culminates in a visit to a local food pantry. Students continue to use the Library Makerspace to support project-based learning, and author visits are routinely arranged to emphasize the work and skill that go into creating and publishing books.
Literacy
In first grade, we approach Literacy through guided and independent reading and writing activities as well as highly structured phonics lessons. In Reading, students are taught both decoding and comprehension strategies in preparation for success as lifelong readers. Students participate in differentiated small group and large groups where they read new and familiar, easy and challenging test. First graders build their stamina to read with independence through the year while also having many opportunities to read with teachers. Students learn to analyze different genres and story formats. Targeted phonetic skills are taught with the use of Wilson Fundations to support encoding and decoding skills. High frequency use words are introduced throughout the year and students are supported in memorizing these words on an individual basis. In writing, an emphasis is placed on expressing ideas through words and illustration. In daily journal writing, students are encouraged to express themselves as they work to apply taught spelling patterns and sentence conventions to their work. Through the writing process, students are introduced to and practice story structure, revising, editing, and beginning punctuation. First graders learn to see themselves as authors and are taught to write with a specific purpose and audience in mind.
Math
Our math curriculum focuses on building spiraling skills using lessons from TERC’s Investigations. We begin the year by reinforcing foundational skills such as counting and comparing quantities, and addition and subtraction. We revisit these ideas throughout the year, developing efficient strategies for adding and subtracting, looking at equations with multiple or missing addends, and learning to read and solve story problems. Manipulating groups of ten is a skill that lays the groundwork for understanding of place value, adding two digit numbers, and working with higher numbers. Other concepts introduced during first grade include geometry, data collection and analysis, measuring, time, fractions, and money. Whole group instruction allows for introduction to new concepts which are practiced through hands-on games and activities. Small group instruction then allows for differentiated work based on students’ levels of understanding.
Music
The general music curriculum, in alignment with the National Association for Music Education standards, consists of singing, listening, playing, movement, and performing. Through music, children discover and explore the concepts of tone, color, harmony, texture, dynamics, and form.
A typical class includes echo clapping to develop rhythmic coordination and singing, accompanied by rhythmic response through body movement and/or instrument playing. Music reading emphasizes quarter note, eighth note, and quarter rest patterns, as well as solfege pitches “sol” and “mi.” Lessons also include listening to different styles of music and recognizing outstanding melodic and rhythmic patterns. Students respond to the music through movement and the playing of various instruments. Attention is given to the historical, cultural, and social context of the music.
Park’s music program helps to foster creativity and self-expression, while developing the student’s music skills. Performances and informances are used as learning tools and are opportunities for students to demonstrate what they are learning in music class.
Classes meet two times per week in 40-minute sessions.
Physical Education
In Grade 1, the Physical Education program aims to expand children’s awareness of movement and to teach basic skills with various pieces of equipment. Children are introduced to the importance of physical fitness through a variety of fun activities. The program encourages each child to progress at his or her own speed and allows for individual differences and interests. Although students are at different skill levels, each child is challenged to improve.
First-grade classes begin with warm-up exercises and elements of physical fitness. Students develop locomotor skills and basic skills using balls and other manipulatives. They also jump rope, dance, experience track & field events, and participate in gymnastics, circuit stations, and small-sided games. Group problem-solving challenges emphasize the importance of cooperation in achieving a common goal. Good sportsmanship, fair play, and respect for individual differences are stressed at all times.
Classes meet three times per week in 40-minute sessions.
Science
The two primary goals for science in the first grade are to provide experiences that ignite curiosity and to learn the language and skills of science, essential for school and life. The Grade 1 science program focuses on the essential question, “Why is water so important?” Students have many opportunities to explore this question both in the classroom and throughout the outdoor spaces on our campus. This is an inquiry-based, hands-on, yearlong exploration of the effects water has on our earth and on all living organisms, with experiences in each of the four sciences, Life, Physical, Earth, and Engineering. The curriculum is in close alignment with both the Next Generation Science Standards and areas of learning in the students’ home classrooms.
Learning will be organized under the following sub-questions.
- What is water? … a basic exploration of the properties of water, a comparison of different liquids, and an introduction to the water cycle. This unit serves as an introduction to physical science.
- What happens when water moves? … observation, discussion, and hands-on activities to explore how currents, puddling, and erosion create different types of landforms found on a map. This unit will build on the concepts of earth science introduced in Kindergarten science.
- What if you do not have enough water? … investigations into the desert regions of the United State, with an eye on scarcity. Each student will create a short, non-fiction report on a desert inhabitant and it’s necessary adaptations. This is a life science unit.
- How do we span bodies of water? … analyzing different types of bridges, using the Golden Gate Straight as a case study, students will create their own body of water and design and build a bridge to span this water. This is an engineering unit.
- How do we measure and change water? … utilizing a variety of measurement tools found in a science lab, students will explore the different ways to measure water and they will investigate states of matter, all through hands-on activities. Learning to record data like a scientist is the focus skill of this unit.
- Is Water a Want or Need? … considering a variety of functions in the human body. In a final project students will consider all they have learned about water. Using claims and evidence, they will generate arguments to support their understanding of this vital global question.
Classes meet twice each week in 40-minute sessions.
Social Studies
The Grade 1 Social Studies curriculum begins with a focus on building the classroom community. In the first weeks of school, teachers and students work together to build a safe, engaging, and inclusive learning environment where all members feel known and valued. Throughout these beginning weeks, students are explicitly taught the routines and expectations of their classrooms. First graders next embark upon a geography unit, where they begin to recognize themselves as residents of a continent, country, region, state and city or town. Students use maps, globes, and various technology tools in their geographical learning and exploring. Students will learn about American symbols and points of interest, and will develop an understanding of how our different identities contribute to our collective whole.
Grade 2
In Grade 2, students work toward mastering basic reading and math skills and gaining an expanded awareness of their identity within the contexts of the school, other communities, and the world. Teachers help them build confidence in themselves as individuals and learners, and they grow able to pursue more challenging learning activities involving critical and abstract thinking.
As part of the social studies curriculum, second graders participate in a yearlong study of the daily lives of children in five countries: Mexico, India, Colombia, China, and South Africa. By exploring the question “How are second graders around the world similar to and different from me?” students dive deeply into learning about food, clothing, games, and shelters. As a final project, the whole class creates a multi-media global market where students engage in the design process to create products that represent their learning about the five countries.
Second graders explore a variety of writing genres through class read-alouds, after which they try to model their own writing, creating a portfolio over the year. As part of a unit on biographies, students have the opportunity to study a changemaker whose life and work has made, and continues to make, a positive impact on society. They take time to reflect on their own identities in relation to their changemaker in order to build empathy and awareness. The unit culminates with an exciting oral presentation from each child where they tell their subject’s life story, with the goal of inspiring them to consider what it means to be a changemaker.
Art
As a beginning foundation in studio art, the second grade curriculum encourages students to be creative and explore ways to communicate ideas visually. Using new materials and subject matter, students build and refine the art skills they learned in Grade 1. Over the course of the year, students meet for 40-minute classes twice each week.
Students use various two- and three-dimensional materials to expand their creative thinking. Through drawing, students focus on observation: contour lines, structure, and building a “shape” vocabulary. Students use color to explore line, shape, and composition using color diffusing paper and concentrated liquid watercolors. To connect with their study of global communities, students weave a colorful yarn basket and make large scale paintings inspired by the ancient Indian tradition of Madhubani wall painting. Working in sculpture, they create self-portraits in clay – studying proportion and facial features.
Library
Ever-increasing academic skills make second grade the perfect time to explore more deeply the distinct areas of the Library’s collection. A “Read Around the Library” tour gives students the unique opportunity to learn about the many age-appropriate books found in fiction and graphic fiction, fairy and folk tales, biography, poetry, social sciences, natural sciences, arts and applied arts, and history and geography. Students share their reading and learning through the creation of a digitally-based project, enhancing their technology skills and fluency.
Grade 2 students have a regularly scheduled 40-minute library period each week, where formal instruction is balanced with browsing time. Lessons promote identifying and developing personal reading interests, as well as providing opportunities for collaboration and project-based learning. Finally, the library program arranges author visits that deepen the students’ understanding of the professional skill and work that underlie the creation of books.
Music
The general music curriculum, in alignment with the National Association for Music Education standards, consists of singing, listening, playing, movement and performing. Through music, children discover and explore the concepts of tone color, harmony, texture, dynamics, melody, rhythm, and form.
Second graders work to develop rhythmic coordination, vocal accuracy, self-expression, and confidence. Vocal and instrumental instruction focuses on the solfege pitches sol, mi, la, do, and re, and various rhythmic combinations. A typical class may include echo clapping, pattern reading, antiphonal or ensemble singing, music listening, interpretive movement, and the playing pitched and non-pitched percussion instruments. Grade 2 students also begin an exploration of vocal and instrumental music by exploring classical orchestral works, American folk songs, spirituals, jazz, blues and opera. Attention is given to the historical, cultural, and social context of the music.
Park’s music program helps to foster creativity and self-expression, while developing the student’s music skills. Performances and informances are used as learning tools and are opportunities for students to demonstrate what they are learning in music class.
Classes meet two times per week in 40-minute sessions.
Physical Education
In Grade 2, the Physical Education program aims to expand children’s awareness of movement, teach fundamental sport skills as well as, basic motor skills and introduce the importance of physical fitness through a variety of activities. The program encourages each child to progress at his or her own speed and allows for individual differences and interests.
Classes begin with warm-up exercises and physical fitness activities. Students explore movement, develop basic skills using balls and other manipulatives, juggle, jump rope, and participate in gymnastics, circuit stations, and low organizational games. Lead-up games to team and individual sports are introduced. Group problem-solving challenges emphasize the importance of cooperation in achieving a common goal. Good sportsmanship, fair play, and respect for individual differences are stressed at all times.
Classes meet three times per week in 40-minute sessions.
Science
This inquiry based, hands-on program is designed to accomplish two important goals: to provide exciting experiences that extend children’s natural fascination with the world and to help them learn the scientific skills and concepts that they will need in school and in life. The Grade 2 course focuses on scientific investigation: observing, analyzing, discovering, sorting, categorizing, and questioning.
- Measurements: Students learn about the measurements of volume, mass, length, and time. They also practice with instruments and devices that are used to take measurements, like balances, thermometers, and stop watches.
- Our Solar System: Second graders study the solar system and the history of human space exploration.
- Simple Machines and Robotics: Students search the school building and their homes to find and discuss levers, wedges, pulleys, wheels and axles, and screws, and they learn what these simple machines do to make work easier. Students also build simple machines, using LEGO® Education WeDo, and then program their machines to move using Scratch and WeDo software.
- Magnets and Magnetism: Students study tiny magnets and universal magnetism and everything in between. Magnets of various sizes and strengths are used in class.
Classes meet twice each week in 40-minute sessions.
Social Studies
In Grade 2, children further broaden their knowledge of the relationship between themselves and the world. They study geography using the essential questions, “Are all second graders just like me?” and “Is it weird to be different?” As a class, students study five countries within four continents, focusing on similarities and differences by comparing shelter, food, clothing, celebrations, and toys and games. Through these topics, second graders gain an awareness of how people live in different parts of the world.
Skills that are taught include listening, reading for information, questioning, making connections and inferences, observing and recording observations, comparing and contrasting, and understanding the concepts from multiple points of view.
Grade 3
This year marks a significant transition in children’s academic and social lives at school as they begin to apply the fundamental skills acquired in earlier grades to more difficult and complex tasks. Students express a sense of growing competence and confidence in their skills as readers, writers, mathematicians, and thinkers.
Grade 3 includes an exploration of how the history of the United States and Indigenous people are intertwined. Over the course of the year, students will become familiar with different Indigenous nations in North America and learn about how European contact and Westward expansion affected Indigenous people historically and still do today. By working cooperatively on hands-on projects about Indigenous inventions and art forms, students will research modern issues facing Indigenous people. They will also gain a deeper understanding of stereotypes. Third graders will write persuasive pieces to practice advocacy for self and others and learn how to give compassionate and constructive feedback to their peers.
Third graders’ natural curiosity leads them to investigative research and problem-solving, and as the year progresses, they delight in working more independently.
Art
The Grade 3 curriculum is designed to expand, develop, and hone each student’s knowledge of art concepts and technical skills. Students continue to draw and paint from observation and their imagination. They have an opportunity to study traditional art-making techniques from other cultures, as well as develop their own. Teachers encourage students to share ideas, work cooperatively, and take pride in their artwork.
Over the course of the year, students rotate through three distinct art studios, meeting for 40-minute classes twice each week.
Studio I
Students draw detailed and realistic self-portraits. They surround the portrait with pictures or symbols that have important personal meaning. Colored with bold and brilliant craypas, the portrait is finished with a shiny acrylic glaze. Using clay, students create imaginative clay dragons that are glazed and fired in a kiln.
Studio II
This studio focuses on color and shape. Students continue to practice painting skills, experiment with brushes, and use new techniques to mix colors. Third graders look at and discuss the work of realistic and abstract artists. Using landscapes as a theme, students create original scenes on paper and small canvas.
Studio III
Experiencing the woodworking studio for the first time, third graders learn the expectations for this studio and how to use the tools effectively and safely. In conjunction with their study of Pacific Northwest Indians, students craft wooden paddles modeled on those traditionally used by these indigenous people.
Library
Grade 3 students demonstrate a blossoming critical ability, and weekly library lessons encourage active student participation. Students begin to use the library more independently. Instruction on the use of the School’s library catalog for physical books and our catalog for digital books builds the foundation of essential online research skills.
Classes promote critical thinking skills through book evaluation and the examination of cultural bias and stereotypes. The students’ one-to-one iPad program extends into the library curriculum to include digital storytelling that reflects their learning. Librarians introduce the very best in transitional chapter books and lengthier works of fiction and non-fiction. Students deepen their understanding of non-fiction through participating in a National Book Award contest. Visiting authors enrich the library experience by bringing children into the world of books with a direct connection to the material.
Music
The general music curriculum, in alignment with the National Association for Music Education standards, consists of singing, listening, playing, performing, and movement. Through music, children discover and explore the concepts of tone color/timbre, harmony, texture, dynamics, melody, rhythm, and form.
A typical class includes music reading and dictation, singing, rhythmic response through body movement, and instrument playing. Students develop rhythmic coordination and vocal accuracy. They focus on quarter note, eighth note, sixteenth note, half note, and whole note combinations along with their various rests. They also work on the pitches do, re, mi, sol, and la in various combinations. In addition to percussion instrument playing, third graders also begin soprano recorder instruction during the spring term. Recorder instruction develops sight-singing, rhythm reading, music writing and solo and ensemble instrument playing skills. Attention is given to the historical, cultural, and social context of the music.
Park’s music program helps to foster creativity and self-expression, while developing the student’s music skills. Performances and informances are used as learning tools and are opportunities for students to demonstrate what they are learning in music class.
Classes meet two times per week in 40-minute sessions.
Physical Education
The Grade 3 Physical Education program aims to expand children’s awareness of movement, extend skills learned in previous years in preparation for more dynamic game situations, and introduce the importance of physical fitness through a variety of activities.
Classes begin with warm-up exercises, strengthening and physical fitness. Students explore movement, develop sport skills, and play lead-up games. Group problem-solving challenges, such as Project Adventure, emphasize the importance of cooperation in achieving a common goal. Good sportsmanship, fair play and respect for individual differences are stressed at all times. One of the year’s highlights is learning the Maypole and Morris stick dances for May Day.
Classes meet three times per week in 40-minute sessions.
Science
The inquiry-based experiential program in Grade 3 science is designed to accomplish two important goals: to provide engaging experiences that extend children’s fascination with the world and to help children learn the scientific skills and concepts they will need in school and in life.
- Computer Science and Robotics: Students learn about and practice the skills of events, loops, de-bugging, and writing algorithms using the Scratch Jr. platform. Students also complete a Robotics unit using Sphero Minis. Sphero Minis have their own coding platform and are able to respond to many different commands including distance, direction, sounds, and lights. Students will code the Sphero Mini to travel through courses they create.
- Space Science: During the Space Unit, the curriculum focuses on what is found in space (planets, stars) and how what is found in space affects us here on Earth (seasons and day and night). Also, who is living in space and what future missions to space may look like. Students participate in an experiment in conjunction with NASA. They grow tomato seeds that had been to space versus seeds that had stayed on Earth to compare germination rates. Students write a full lab report on this experience.
- Forces and Motion: The hands-on experiments and activities during this unit are designed to help students explore the physical world and the forces that govern it. The experiments and activities during this unit target experimental design and analysis, specifically the skills of hypothesis writing, data collection, making observations, and making connections to the content learned.
- Biodiversity: In the spring, students learn about the amazing biodiversity of our planet through learning about biomes and the characteristics, flora and fauna of the six major biomes of the world (rainforest, ocean, desert, polar regions, temperate forest, and savannahs).
Classes meet twice each week in 40-minute sessions
Social Studies
Grade 3 social studies is a project-oriented course of study that explores the relationship between people and place. Our work is guided by and grounded in the following essential questions: Who are Native Americans? What is power and who has it? Who is affected by power and how? How does where you live affect how you live?
Over the course of this yearlong study, your children will investigate the rich diversity of traditional and modern cultures of Native American communities, including the Wampanoag in the Northeast, the Hopi and Navajo in the Southwest, the Tlingit in the Northwest, and the Lakota in the Great Plains. Students will understand that while there may be some similarities among Native cultures, each is varied and rich in language, history, traditions, and beliefs owing to the differences in landscape and climate of their respective regions.
Students practice thinking critically and understanding the concept of multiple points of view. Throughout the year, students will explore stereotypes, including an in-depth study of the Native American experience. Additionally, students examine the contributions of Native people to our country’s history and culture.
The approach to projects that third graders create is always to respect and honor the work of Native people. We strive to be culturally responsive, and we are aware that developmentally-appropriate student construction of Native designs do not necessarily result in accurate representations of Native art and culture, yet these projects lead to more meaningful understanding. The projects focus on developing the students’ engineering, collaboration, and design-thinking skills, while exploring Native technologies and engineering innovations still in use today.
Grade 4
Fourth graders continue in their progression from the concrete to a more complex understanding of the world; the concepts of citizenship and respect for others underlie every component of the academic program. Throughout the curriculum, students compare, synthesize, analyze, and draw conclusions about content and learn to support their ideas with evidence. In addition to working independently, they complete assignments in small groups and partnerships, which helps them learn essential collaboration skills. Along with being assigned a Park School Google account and an iPad, students learn how to be responsible and productive digital citizens.
Students extend their understanding of history, geography, and civics by learning about ancient Greece, with emphasis on fifth-century Athens. Major projects include researching and role-playing Greek gods, goddesses, heroes, and heroines, studying Greek vases, archaeology, and daily life. Fourth graders extend their research skills by doing more sophisticated outlining and note-taking, as well as writing an informational book about a chosen topic. As a culminating project, students create an interactive “living museum” where they teach about their research topic through the perspective of a person from ancient Greece. Students also extend their STEAM skills through several design challenges throughout the year.
In Grade 4, environmental justice is another important throughline. In addition to conversations throughout the year, students spend several weeks researching and creating Public Service Announcements educating others on topics related to environmental justice.
Art
Students in Grade 4 develop their ability to imagine, to create, and to express ideas with different art materials. Using paint, clay, and wood, students delve into an exploration of color, detail, and shape. Integrating art experiences with social studies curricular content, students create a clay sculpture of a Greek god, goddess, hero, or heroine. Teachers encourage each student to take pride in their artwork.
Over the course of the year, students rotate through three distinct art studios. Each meets for 40-minute classes twice per week.
Studio I
Fourth graders examine montage through the creation of large-scale multimedia mythological creatures. Drawing on their classroom study of Greek mythology, students experiment with deconstructing mythological creatures as the inspiration for developing their own unique creature. They break their creature into three distinct parts, juxtaposing different mediums to create each section.
Studio II
Inspired by their study of ancient Greece, students create and embellish a large vase of their own design.
Studio III
Students use wood to create projects with a sense of whimsy. They begin their time in the wood shop crafting oversized wooden nuts and bolts, and they finish the term constructing ridiculously oversized clothespins that measure 11 inches in length. Students learn the importance of careful measuring and marking, and they gain hands-on experience using various hand tools, including miter saws, Japanese-style pull saws, a brace and bit, block planes, a tap and die, and sanding blocks. Fourth graders explore techniques and practice how to choose the right tool for each task while broadening their woodworking skills.
They focus on exploration as they investigate a variety of different materials and delve deeper into their independent interests as artists. Teachers introduce the opportunity for more student choice while students work to establish a self-motivated artistic routine. Fourth graders study several mediums including drawing, painting, and 3D construction. Students are asked to observe and develop thematic connections between art history from various cultures and their social studies curricular content of ancient Greece. Fourth graders independently keep a sketchbook they work on throughout the year to practice non verbal communication of ideas, reflection, and self-expression. Teachers encourage students to share ideas, work cooperatively, and take pride in their artwork through independent and group brainstorming and supportive critiques that focus on reflection.
Library
Students visit the library once each week on a regular schedule and are encouraged to use the library more frequently to explore individual interests and borrow books. In library classes, students continue to develop their individual reading tastes and share reading recommendations, while being encouraged to explore a variety of literary genres. They enjoy book talks and participate in reading incentives, such as the Massachusetts Children’s Book Award. Author/illustrator visits remain an important component of the library curriculum.
Students build their understanding of media through evaluation of advertising techniques and original content creation that builds their digital skills to illustrate their ideas and demonstrate their understanding. They go on to use these new skills and techniques in the classroom.
Music
In Grade 4, the music program provides an opportunity for all students to become actively involved in four basic areas of musical experience: creating, performing, listening, and history. Music is taught through singing, instrument playing and movement activities. Students are introduced to a wide range of songs covering various genres and conversational solfege (the application of sol-fa syllables to a musical scale or melody) is used to support musical literacy instruction. These activities emphasize an awareness of melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, and form. Attention is given to the historical, cultural, and social context of the music. General music instruction at Park is aligned with the National Association for Music Education standards.
Park’s music program helps to foster creativity, self-expression, while developing the students' music skills. Performances and informances are used as learning tools and are opportunities for students to demonstrate what they are learning in music classes.
Classes meet two times per week in 40-minute sessions.
Physical Education
In Grade 4, the Physical Education program aims to provide an opportunity for each student to explore the world of movement. Students practice basic sports skills, work toward proficiency in a variety of team and individual sports, experience a variety of dance styles, and develop an appreciation for the importance of physical fitness.
The fourth grade program introduces team games with an emphasis on the development and extension of fundamental and specialized skills, the application of those skills, decision-making, and sport activities. Students begin to focus more on rules, strategy, decision-making, team play, sportsmanship, and the enjoyment of working with others toward a common goal.
A highlight of the year is the Olympic Day track and field meet, which enhances and brings to life the study of ancient Greece.
Classes meet three times per week in 40-minute sessions.
Science
The focus of science in Grade 4 is to look closely at things that students interact with in their everyday lives. Throughout the year, students are at the center of their learning, working together to solve problems, make decisions, and organize their work. As students ask each other questions such as, “How can we figure that out?” “What does the evidence say?”, they not only build scientific understanding, but also an awareness of their own growth as inquirers. An emphasis is placed on students becoming creative, self-confident thinkers with the ability to put scientific knowledge and skills into action.
- Electricity and Circuitry: Students will learn about electricity, what it is, why it is important, how it is a part of our everyday lives. The unit begins with a hands-on investigation of circuits and determining the factors important for completing a circuit. They will construct simple circuits and will explore conductors and insulators through using MaKey MaKey. Alternative energies will be explored as well such as solar energy and wind energy.
- Human Body Systems: Students will be able to describe the basic structure and functions of the human respiratory, digestive, circulatory, skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems and explain how the different body systems are interconnected. In the spring, fourth graders are introduced to the Growth Education curriculum with a unit on puberty. The unit, which covers nutrition, stress, body changes, and emotional and social issues, helps prepare nine-and ten-year old students for the processes and changes that their bodies are about to experience.
- Weather: Exploring weather with children and building on their prior experiences helps them understand the different kinds of weather phenomena they experience every day. In this unit, children will go beyond observation as they learn to identify and describe different kinds of weather and learn about the main drivers of weather- temperature, wind and precipitation. Observing weather can give us clues that help us dress for the day, plan activities, or prepare for a storm as they engage with interactive media and hands-on activities.
- Computer Science: Coding and physical computing is taught in Grade 4 using the Micro:bit. It is a tiny computer that has its own programming platform. It has inputs, sensors, and outputs and is a challenging and exciting way to learn about robotics and programming.
Grade 4 science classes meet twice per week for 60 minutes.