Grade Level Curriculum

Early Childhood (PK - Grade 1)

The Early Childhood Program, PK –Grade 1, is designed to cultivate a love of learning in young children. During the early childhood years, students engage with the world using all their senses. They are full of wonder and eager to explore and make sense of the world. Whether building with blocks, listening to stories, reading on their own, engaging in imaginative play, exploring on the playground, learning to code, or forming letters, words, numbers, and mathematical equations, young children are doers, experimenters, and inventors. Through integrated, thematic curricula, teachers build on this natural curiosity and sense of wonder, and at the same time, lay the foundation for early literacy and numeracy.

At Brimmer, teacher-guided lessons are balanced with hands-on, multisensory learning activities and imaginative, exploratory play. Students’ academic learning is supported by the explicit teaching of social-emotional skills, including Brimmer’s Core Values of Respect, Responsibility, Kindness, Honesty, and Equity. Intentionally small class sizes allow us to offer a personalized approach that moves fluidly between individual, small group, and whole group instruction. Recognizing that there are distinct social, emotional, physical, and intellectual characteristics that define each stage of a child’s development, the early childhood curriculum is developed with these considerations in mind.

Pre-Kindergarten

CENTRAL QUESTION: What is my role in my community?

Overview The Pre-Kindergarten Program offers a joyful and inviting entry into school. Each fall, the teachers welcome students into the classroom and work intentionally to build a sense of community among them. Through Drop-ins and Share Assemblies, Pre-Kindergarten teachers establish warm, supportive relationships with students and collaborative partnerships with families. Recognizing that young children learn best when the connection between home and school is strong, teachers take time and care in establishing these relationships.

The Pre-Kindergarten Program offers a rich, integrated curriculum that reflects the developmental characteristics of four- and five-year-old children. Teachers establish daily routines and schedules that match the natural rhythms of young learners and provide a sense of predictability. Through teacher-guided lessons, songs and games, and intentionally designed learning centers, children are invited to explore a range of activities across different disciplines. Hands-on learning experiences offer freedom of movement and exploration, as well as opportunities to engage in science and math curricula. Throughout the day, students may work independently, with a friend, in a small group, or with the whole class. While navigating different centers in the classroom, circle activities, and both indoor and outdoor play, students learn to mediate conflict and negotiate with peers. As members of the classroom and School community, Pre-Kindergarten students are guided by Brimmer’s Core Values of Respect, Responsibility, Kindness, Honesty, and Equity.

Thematic Studies The Pre-Kindergarten curriculum is centered around thematic studies that integrate the different subject areas and incorporate children’s literature, imaginative play, guided lessons, and hands-on exploration. Different themes focus on the young child’s everyday life and begin with an exploration of self, health and wellness, and one’s unique identity. Moving beyond oneself, students explore their families, their communities, and the natural world, particularly animals of interest. Thematic studies integrate reading, writing, science, and STEAM, and they allow students to explore topics of interest and pursue them in greater depth.

LanguageArts The Pre-Kindergarten language arts curriculum focuses on developing a love of books and reading and introduces students to foundational skills in literacy, including rhyme, alliteration, phonemic awareness, and story elements. Songs and games during circle time and hands-on activities in literacy centers reinforce these skills. High-interest fiction and nonfiction literature fills the classroom and is used to launch thematic studies, teach science and math concepts, build social-emotional skills, and enjoy a wonderful story told. Through shared read-alouds and independent “reading,” students are made familiar with the basic concepts of print.

At the start of the year, teachers introduce students to the names, forms, and sounds of the letters in their own names. Several months into the school year, students begin the Fundations PK Activity Set, which helps support their emerging understanding of alphabetic principles. Through

hands-on, sensory activities students build fine motor skills and continue to explore the forms and sounds of the uppercase alphabet. With daily practice writing their names and free drawing across the curriculum, students refine the accuracy of their letter formation, letter sound associations, as well as their representational drawings.

Social Studies The social studies curriculum is integrated into the Pre-Kindergarten thematic studies and is focused on the Central Question: What is my role in my community? Through literature, teacher-guided activities, and free, imaginative play, students explore a variety of themes focused on self, family, community, and the natural world. Share Assemblies and inquiry into one’s own identity help students develop an appreciation of the rich diversity that exists among them and an honoring of their differences. Curriculum is developed and materials are selected through a culturally responsive and anti-bias, anti-racist lens.

Math The Pre-Kindergarten math curriculum introduces early numeracy through storytelling, nonfiction literature, hands-on activities, exploration of the natural world, and relevant experiences. Pre-Kindergarten students explore concepts such as counting, sorting, comparing and classifying, patterning, sequencing, measuring, and interpreting student-created graphs. Students build number sense through meaningful, real-world experiences and spatial awareness and simple geometric concepts through art and imaginative play, including building with blocks and constructing with 2- and 3-D materials. Engineering design challenges further these skills and students’ critical thinking as they imagine, plan, construct, test, modify, and invent solutions. Scienceand STEAM The Pre-Kindergarten science and STEAM curricula build on the natural curiosity and wonder of young children. During teacher-led walks on campus, recess on the newly designed playground, and time spent in the Lower School Garden, students actively explore and develop an appreciation for the natural world. In the classroom, through hands-on experiments, inquiries, and design challenges, students are guided to observe, make predictions, test hypotheses, gather information, and think creatively. Whether collecting bits of nature to create self-portraits, coding KIBO robots to provide locomotion to student-designed transportation systems, or studying the life cycle of different animals, students are actively engaged and exploring scientific concepts using all their senses.

WorldLanguage:French The Pre-Kindergarten French curriculum helps students become familiar with the sounds and customs of the Francophone world. Using music, games, puppets, structured play, and stories, students become comfortable listening to and using the French language.Ear training is a critical component of language learning, especially for young children. The young child’s brain is programmed to recognize and internalize new systems and structures of language, and the earlier this learning begins, the easier it is for the student to become proficient in a second language. As young students develop familiarity with forms of expression in French, they are more likely to develop fluency in other languages.At Brimmer, teachers build on this window of opportunity, thus offering students an enduring advantage in language acquisition. CreativeArts:VisualArts In the art studio the school year begins with cooperative activities that focus on making each artist feel comfortable creating art. Students learn how to share materials and compliment their tablemates’ artwork. Their teachers, classmates, and the community celebrate each artist’s unique expression. The guiding principles of the Pre-Kindergarten Visual Arts Program are exploration, enjoyment, observation, and self-expression. Curriculum is designed and presented in a manner that encourages each child’s individual creativity and self-expression. Students are guided through an exploratory process with lessons that engage them in learning about the elements of art: color, line, shape, form, texture, and space. In addition, lessons introduce students to aesthetics and art history using prints, artifacts, and books that feature works of art from various historical periods, cultures, and genres. Students create artwork using a variety of 2-D materials and processes such as painting, drawing, collage, and printmaking and 3-D materials such as wood, cardboard, and clay to create sculptures. Art lessons are often planned in collaboration with the classroom, music, and drama teachers in order to complement academic themes.

CreativeArts:Drama Pre-Kindergarten drama focuses on developing a student’s understanding of the difference between pretend and reality. The “start” and “stop” impulse is refined through verbal and physical games and activities. Imaginative play builds upon a child’s natural desire to role-play and experience what is seen in the world, while expanding communication skills in language and movement. Pre-Kindergarten

students are encouraged to use their senses to explore their world and to describe their experiences verbally. Students explore stories and literature by becoming different characters through physical movement and gesture. The Pre-Kindergarten class also explores their role as respectful audience members. Work reflects and expands upon classroom themes. Integrated lessons include storytelling, story-acting, and several other dramatic activities.

CreativeArts:Music Young children respond naturally to music. Each child’s musical potential is honored through exploration of sound. Musical concepts include steady beat, high/low, loud/quiet, and singing voice/speaking voice. These content areas are experienced through singing games, beat motion activities, expressive movement, and active listening. Songs are chosen to reflect the interests and experiences of young childhood. Traditional children’s songs, folk songs, classical music, and music from a variety of cultures, styles, and time periods are incorporated. The children’s voices and observations are used to improvise songs and chants as students explore their world together.

PhysicalEducation The PK Physical Education Program introduces students to movement, physical activity for health and wellness, and the enjoyment of physical activity for oneself and with others. Students are encouraged to have fun while exploring a range of movement activities and games.

PK Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. March April May June

Learning Activities

Body/Spatial Awareness

Locomotor Skills

Ball Skills SoccerSkills

Balloon Activities

Throwing & Catching Skills Obstacle Course

Parachute Activities

Indoor Games StrikingSkills

FitnessSkills

Rhythms & Dance Dribbling & Shooting Skills

Parachute Activities

Stations Floor Hockey Skills

Tumbling & Yoga Skills

Jump Rope Skills Stations

Hawaiian Games Throwing, Catching & BattingSkills

Indoor Games Track & Field Skills

Outdoor Games Summer Games

Kindergarten

CENTRALQUESTION: What can I learn from world around me how to live well with others?

Overview The Kindergarten Program offers a rich, integrated curriculum that reflects the developmental characteristics of five- and six-year-old children. Students at this age are both imaginative and literal. They learn best in an environment where they are free to explore, and at the same time, know boundaries and expectations. Classroom activities reflect the growing energy and enthusiasm of the emerging six-year-old, while also providing the support and consistency required of the more cautious five-year-old student. As cognitive skills grow, so too do their physical beings, curiosity, and fine and gross motor skills.

The Kindergarten curriculum integrates the different content areas into an overarching theme: The World. Subjects are taught interchangeably and without boundaries so that students can explore topics in greater depth and detail. Students can be found practicing math concepts while immersed in the social studies curriculum, building literacy skills using educational technology, or discovering the wonders of science through social studies and STEAM-related design projects.The Kindergarten Program builds on the magical and ambitious thinking of children at this age, while also introducing them to more formal learning.

LanguageArts The Kindergarten language arts curriculum focuses on developing a love of reading and building foundational skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Throughout each day, Kindergarten students interact with rich, engaging literature that helps to build vocabulary, knowledge of story elements, and comprehension skills, including sequencing, making inferences, predicting, and connecting with different texts. Explicit, teacher-guided instruction using programs such as Fundations and Units of Study in Writing is balanced with shared read-alouds, book discussions, guided reading groups, independent reading, open responses in journals, hands-on activities in literacy centers, and literacy-related art and drama experiences.

Students work on building decoding and encoding skills, including sound-symbol relationships, phonemic awareness, rhyme, and syllabication, while also building knowledge of specific sight words and comfort and ease with inventive spelling and written expression. Fine motor activities throughout the day help to develop hand strength, as well as handwriting skills. Morning meetings, We Care Circle curriculum, read-alouds, and cooperative learning group activities help students become active listeners and build confidence in expressing their ideas. While students participate in daily reading and writing lessons, language arts learning is incorporated into every subject and is prevalent throughout each day.

Social Studies The Kindergarten social studies curriculum launches students on a journey to becoming global citizens. The year begins with an exploration of maps, highlighting the continents and the countries where students have personal connections. Through the Kindergarten Where Are We Traveling? and We Care Circle curricula students begin to develop an understanding of identity, diversity, community, and social activism, as well as early understandings of globalization and interdependence. Through hands-on activities, authentic stories, Share Assemblies, virtual field trips, artifact museums in the classroom, and a variety of design projects, students “travel” the globe learning about each of the seven continents. With an anti-bias, anti-racist approach, students explore family life, language, geography, education, celebrations, and animal habitats. Students simultaneously build social-emotional skills, including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.

Scienceand STEAM The Kindergarten science and STEAM curricula are designed to foster curiosity, exploration, discovery, and a love of the natural world. Embracing the unique characteristics of five- and six-year-old learners, science knowledge and skills are built through engaging, hands-on activities across different content areas. The science curriculum incorporates the question, What makes up the Earth? and is integrated into the yearlong study of the continents. As students visit each continent, they learn about its native plants and animals, focusing on endangered species. They also study the states of matter and the life cycle of different flora and fauna.

Kindergarten students have an active role in caring for the Lower School Garden. They plant, maintain, and harvest vegetable and herb gardens throughout the year, thus developing an appreciation and care for the plant life of the earth. Across the curriculum Kindergarten students are guided through experiments and STEAM-related design challenges that encourage observation, inquiry, data

collection, and analysis. Through the Design Process, they develop problem-solvingskillsand find increasing comfort with using their own creativity to iterate and solve simple design challenges.

Math The Kindergarten math curriculum focuses on building number sense, utilizing multiple approaches to solving mathematical problems, and communicating mathematical reasoning. In Kindergarten students build their knowledge and skills in the following areas: identifying numbers to 100, counting by 1’s, 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s, exploring place value, forming numbers, creating and extending patterns, collecting data, constructing and interpreting graphs, using standard and nonstandard units of measurement, exploring 2-D and 3-D shapes, understanding the concepts of one or two more or less, exploring the concepts of sum and difference, combining and comparing amounts, solving story problems, utilizing manipulatives for problem-solving, explaining mathematical thinking, and following multistep directions.Brimmer’s Lower School math curriculum is a hybrid of two programs, Investigations andenVisionMath. Investigations emphasizes number sense and building a foundation for mathematical concepts, andenVisionMath incorporates technology and problem-solving. The hybrid approach allows us to draw from the best of both programs and differentiate instruction for targeted skill development.

WorldLanguage:French Ear training is a critical component of language learning, especially for young children. The young child’s brain is programmed to recognize and internalize new systems and structures of language, and the earlier this learning begins, the easier it is for the student to become proficient in a second language. As young students develop familiarity with forms of expression in French, they are more likely to develop fluency in other languages.At Brimmer, teachers build on this window of opportunity, thus offering students an enduring advantage in language acquisition.

The Kindergarten French curriculum emphasizes oral communication. In a fun and positive environment, children develop a love of the Francophone world. Using music, games, puppets, structured play, and stories, students become comfortable listening to and using the French language.Through singing students build their pronunciation, understanding, and memorization of familiar words and expressions.

CreativeArts:VisualArts The guiding principles of the Kindergarten Visual Arts Program are exploration, enjoyment, observation, and self-expression. Each school year begins with cooperative activities that focus on making each artistfeel comfortable creating art. Students learn how to share materials and compliment their tablemates’ artwork in celebration of each artist’s unique expression.

Curriculum is designed and presented in a manner that encourages each child’s individual creativity and self-expression. Students are guided through an exploratory process with lessons that engage them in learning about the elements of art: color, line, shape, form, texture, and space. In addition, lessons introduce students to aesthetics and art history using prints, artifacts, and books that feature works of art from various historical periods, cultures, and genres. Students create artwork using a variety of 2-D materials and processes such as painting, drawing, collage, and printmaking and 3-D materials such as wood, cardboard, and clay to create sculptures. Art lessons are often planned in collaboration with the classroom, music, and drama teachers in order to complement academic themes.

CreativeArts:Drama Kindergarten theater education expands students’ communication skills through both language and action. Drama helps young children to develop confidence and creative thinking and provides students with experiences that stress the importance of working cooperatively with one another. In Kindergarten drama, children venture into the world of creative play and experience the freedom to explore physical movement, gesture, and sound. Work reflects and expands upon classroom themes and knowledge. In addition, students listen to stories and bring them to life through role-playing, movement, and sound. Kindergarten children are introduced to the theater concepts of character, setting, and story. Attention is paid to the students’ understanding of the difference between pretend and reality, and their ability to make choices within their pretend play. As the year progresses, students work cooperatively to build skills in problem-solving while creating original theater.

CreativeArts:Music Young children respond naturally to music. Invitations for playful and joyful participation with organized sound are offered in each music class. Students energetically interact with music by singing, playing, moving, and listening. Kindergartners develop tuneful singing skills, the ability to feel the steady beat of a song, and sensitivity to the artful nuances of music.

Listening examples allow Kindergarten students to aurally analyze and recognize sounds, and improvisation activities lead to the creation of movement and musical compositions. Musical concepts also introduced include steady beat, sound versus silence, singing voice/speaking voice, and expressive movement. The full complement of classroom instruments is available to students including small percussion and barred instruments for sound exploration.

Songs are chosen for Kindergartners that reflect the life experiences of childhood within this country and other nations. Traditional children’s songs, folk songs, classical music, and music from a variety of cultures, styles, and time periods compose the classroom repertoire. In Kindergarten, music-making with classmates yields an opportunityto develop the concept of ensemble. Students learn the magic of sharing and cooperating to send musical messages and enjoy creative responses together.

PhysicalEducation The Kindergarten Physical Education Program introduces students to movement, physical activity for health and wellness, and the enjoyment of physical activity for oneself and with others. Students are encouraged to have fun while exploring a range of movement activities and games.

Kinder. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. March April May June

Learning Activities

Body/Spatial Awareness

Locomotor Skills

Ball Skills SoccerSkills

Balloon Activities

Throwing & Catching Skills Obstacle Course

Parachute Activities

Indoor Games StrikingSkills

FitnessSkills

Rhythms & Dance Dribbling & Shooting Skills

Parachute Activities

Stations Floor Hockey Skills

Tumbling & Yoga Skills

Jump Rope Skills Stations

Hawaiian Games Throwing, Catching & BattingSkills

Indoor Games Track & Field Skills

Outdoor Games Summer Games

Grade 1

CENTRALQUESTION: What is courage?

Overview The Grade 1 curriculum reflects the curiosity, excitement, and growing cognitive abilities of six- and seven-year-old students. While teaching specific academic skills, Grade 1 teachers also focus on the social-emotional learning (SEL) of students through circle activities, SEL-based design projects, and cooperative learning experiences. Because relationships with peers play a vital role in the daily experience and healthy development of early childhood students, teachers work intentionally to develop problem-solving skills, as well as comfort and confidence with navigating conflicts.

The Grade 1 curriculum is extensively integrated. This allows students and teachers to delve more deeply into topics and build their understanding of areas of study through explicit, teacher-guided instruction, as well as hands-on experiences in learning centers, the Design Lab, and across a variety of disciplines. The school year is marked by significant development in the areas of literacy and numeracy, as well as in a student’s ability to think more broadly and deeply.

LanguageArts The Grade 1 Language Arts Program focuses on continuing to build a love of reading, as well as more advanced early reading and literacy skills. Explicit, teacher-guided instruction using programs such as Fundations and Units of Study in Writing is balanced with shared read-alouds, book discussions, guided reading groups, independent reading, open-response writing activities, and hands-on activities in literacy centers. Grade 1 language arts instruction focuses on phonics, reading, and writing skills.

Fundations is the backbone of our phonics instruction. While systematically introducing sound-symbol relationships, teachers also address specific phonics rules and spelling patterns. With a word study approach, students simultaneously focus on word recognition, vocabulary, phonics, and spelling.

In Grade 1 teachers use a variety of texts, including fiction and nonfiction, to meet the needs and interests of individual readers. While following a sequence of specific reading comprehension strategies, teachers also organize smaller, guided reading groups to differentiate instruction and provide each reader with the appropriate level of challenge. Formaland informal assessments are performed throughout the year to respond to students’ strengths and areas of challenge.

In Grade 1 teachers use the Units of Study program to help students express their ideas in writing and develop specific writing skills. Students practice writing in complete sentences, and they learn how to write a story with a beginning, middle, and end. Conferencing with their teacher andsharingtheirwritingwithpeers help students with editing and generating new ideas. Students continue to practice letter formation using theFundations program.

Social Studies The Grade 1 social studies curriculum focuses on the peoples and the geography of North America, including the United States, Canada, and Mexico. With an integrated and anti-bias, anti-racist approach that incorporates language arts, science, and social studies subjects, students explore the genre of biography and learn about the courageous individuals who demonstrated perseverance and the pursuit of a just, equitable world. Grade 1 students study and design a variety of maps,compareNative American cultures of the Southwest, and explore the geography and customs of Mexico.

Math The Grade 1 math curriculum is based on the enVisionMath program and focuses on building foundational math skills and concepts. First Grade students build their knowledge and skill in the following areas: working with numbers up to 100, exploring different ways to represent numbers, combining and comparing numbers, writing addition and subtraction number sentences, using a ten frame to add or subtract numbers, using double facts as a tool for adding, solving addition and subtraction story problems, sharing and recording problem-solving strategies, exploring standard and nonstandard units of measurement, investigating fractions, exploring 2-D and 3-D, identifying and describing attributes of various objects, sorting and categorizing objects and data, and learning how to tell time to the nearest hour and half hour. In addition to explicit, teacher-guided lessons, students explore math concepts in daily math centers that address the needs of each learner. Math center activities include interactive math journals, hands-on learning opportunities, and cooperative games. Brimmer’s Lower School math curriculum is a hybrid of two programs, Investigations andenVisionMath.

Scienceand STEAM The Grade 1 science and STEAM curricula are focused on developing skills and knowledge in the areas of physical, earth, and life sciences, as well as scientific inquiry, technology, engineering, and the Design Process. While studying simple machines, first graders learn about force and motion, and they also collaborate with Grade 5 buddies and science “experts.” In their study of the elements of the sky, the sun, the moon, and the stars, they explore a variety of hands-on activities, fiction and nonfiction literature, and art-integrated projects.

Moving closer to home and an area of particular interest, Grade 1 scientists study pond ecosystems of the Northeast, as well as the life cycle of frogs. Throughout their studies, including units on coding and Blue-Bot robots, students learn about the scientific process. They make and record observations, hypothesize, make predictions, plan and carry out investigations and experiments, and draw conclusions. Consistent with their experience with the Design Process, students engage in hands-on projects, problem-solving, and iterative practices. This approach is both knowledge and inquiry based.

WorldLanguage:French The Grade 1 French curriculum is based on the program Story in Action, which uses stories and music to teach French. Based on the story LaPouleMaboule,which is about a chicken who thinks the sky is falling, students are guided through a range of motivating language activities that help develop confidence and competence in the French language.In Grade 1, the teacher and students speak French almost exclusively during lessons, as this helps students acquire the language at a faster pace. Additionally, the “Gesture Approach,” a technique that uses hand signals, helps students learn and remember the important vocabulary found in the plays, songs, and other activities. Each word is associated with a gesture, so that the language is represented visually and kinesthetically for the benefit of all language learners and their learning styles. Activities are varied so that studentscanwork individually, with partners, in small groups, and as a whole class.

CreativeArts:VisualArts The guiding principles of the Grade 1 Visual Arts Program are exploration, enjoyment, observation, and self-expression. The school year begins with activities that set a positive tone in the art studio. Students participate in lessons that highlight the importance of respecting the creative process. They learn that each artist has their own unique way of creating and expressing themselves. Grade 1 artists observe and come to respect that each classmate takes a different amount of time to create their artwork and that there is no prescribed outcome for each student.

Curriculum is designed and presented in a manner that encourages each child’s individual creativity and self-expression. Students are guided through an exploratory process with lessons that engage them in learning about the elements of art: color, line, shape, form, texture, and space. In addition, lessons introduce students to aesthetics and art history using prints, artifacts, and books that feature works of art from various historical periods, cultures, and genres. Students create artwork using a variety of 2-D materials and processes such as painting, drawing, collage, and printmaking and 3-D materials such as wood, cardboard, and clay to create sculptures. Art lessons are often planned in collaboration with the classroom, music, and drama teachers in order to complement academic themes.

CreativeArts:Drama Grade 1 Drama students develop confidence and creative thinking, while working collaboratively in small and large groups. Drama work expands students’ communication skills through language and action.

Grade 1 drama classes are scheduled in the Ruth Corkin Theatre, where students gain comfort in sharing their ideas on the stage. Class discussion incorporates the sets that are built on the stage for various productions and performances throughout theschool year. Audience behavior is a focal point as students take turns sharing their dramatic work.

Grade 1 students engage in theater activities that further develop listening and communication skills. Through storytelling activities and directed imaginative play, students experience both bringing a story to life and creating original stories. Students explore the importance of action, setting, characters, and story sequence. There is also a focus on cooperation in order to prepare students for ensemble work. Drama activities incorporate and expand on classroom themes and curriculum. Through sharing ideas in the drama classroom, students build a sense of community with their classmates

CreativeArts:Music Young children are intrigued with music’s power to send a message and invite a response. Invitations for playful and joyful participation with organized sound are offered in each music class. Students energetically interact with music by singing, playing, moving, and listening. First graders develop tuneful singing skills, the ability to feel the steady beat of a song, and sensitivity to the artful nuances of music.

Listening examples allow students to aurally analyze and recognize sounds. Improvisation activities lead to the creation of movement and musical compositions. Musical concepts also include melody, form, dynamics, and timbre (tone quality and character). The full complement of classroom instruments is available including small percussion and barred instruments for sound exploration. Songs are chosen that reflect the life experiences of childhood within this country and other nations. Traditional children’s songs, folk songs, classical music, and music from a variety of cultures, styles, and time periods compose the classroom repertoire. In Grade 1, music-making with classmates yields an opportunity to develop the concept of ensemble. They learn the magic of sharing and cooperating to send musical messages and enjoy creative responses together.

PhysicalEducation Grade 1 Physical Education continues the development of students’ movement skills, an understanding of the health benefits of physical activity, and their introduction to a variety of activities, games, and sports. Students develop both their individual skills and their ability to cooperate with their classmates. They learn, succeed, and have fun as active participants in physical education class.

Gr. 1 Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. March April May June

Learning Activities

Cooperative Games

Playground Games

Movement Concepts

Soccer Skills Field Hockey Skills

Throwing & Catching Skills Indoor Games

FitnessSkills

Jump Rope Skills StrikingSkills

FitnessSkills

Rhythms & Dance Handball Skills

Basketball Skills

Stations Tumbling & Yoga Skills

Juggling Skills

Floor Hockey Skills Hawaiian Games

Indoor Games

ManipulativeSkills Circus Arts

FitnessSkills

BattingSkills Track & Field Skills

Outdoor Games Summer Games

Overview

The primary goals for students in the middle and upper elementary grades are for them to love to come to school and to share in the excitement of the learning process. Toward these ends, their teachers work to develop each child’s intellectual, physical, social, and emotional skills. In the classroom, teachers seek to build communities in which all children feel accepted and respected. In this atmosphere of trust, teachers focus on building each student’s sense of self-confidence and responsibility.The Lower School offers a diverse environment in which children feel confident about taking risks and experimenting with the world around them.

Grade 2

CENTRALQUESTION: How does the environment around us influence our perspective?

Overview Children come to Grade 2 inquisitive about the world around them and stimulated by the wealth of information provided by the written word. In Grade 2, the teachers’ goal is to create a diverse environment in which children feel confident in taking risks and experimenting with the world around them. The curriculum is designed to help students recognize their unique talents and interests and to promote enthusiasm for learning. In Grade 2, as in all of the Lower School, teachers are committed to educating the whole child. Throughout the year, students explore and investigate content through the lens of a Central Question: How does the environment around us influence our perspective?

LanguageArts The Grade 2 Language Arts Program is a balanced literacy block consisting of fluency, comprehension, writing, and word study. Through the reading workshop model, students are exposed to daily mini lessons that develop and enhance reading strategies. Students engage in small, differentiated literature groups, which focus on decoding, fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, and expression. Grade 2 students are also exposed to a variety of genres in their reading selections. Read-alouds are often utilized to model good reading practices and to connect to and support a unit of study, and independent reading activities allow students to apply learned skills. The Fundations reading program and the Words Their Way spelling program continue to grow the already established spelling and phonics components.This program meets each student where they are on the spellingcontinuum. These programs allow for flexibility and individualization, and help children build word knowledge.

The Units of Study in Writing program is used to enhance writing projects in Grade 2 include narratives, poetry, personal journals, opinions, and expository reports. Students engage in writing exercises across all content areas. Students are taught appropriate writing conventions and mechanics as well as encouraged to expand stories with more detail. They begin to learn how to edit for basic punctuation, spelling, and clarity.

SocialStudies Grade 2 begins the school year with an overview of important terms such as city, state, country, and continent. The Grade 2 Central Question, which ties all the content together, establishes its foundation in the social studies program. During the year, students delve into the question: How does the environment around us influence our perspective? In response to this question, students learn about Massachusetts in comparison to the Pacific Northwest, specifically Alaska, and learn about the various geographic features and cultures in these regions. Students also take a closer look at Black American history in Massachussetts and the Civil Rights Movement in the United States with a focus on the freedom fighters: their perspective and their courage to find a voice for their movement. To continue their development of global citizenship, students end the year with the study of Brazil.Students examine thecountry’s culture, peoples, history, and geography. To demonstrate mastery, students showcase their knowledge in the Grade 2 Brazil Exhibition to the Brimmer community. Opportunities for verbal and written expression are presented frequently in the Grade 2 curriculum as students learn about the world around them.

Math Kindergarten through Grade 5 use a hybrid of two math programs: Investigations and enVisionMath. The Grade 2 content strands include number and numeration, operations and computations, data and analysis, measurement, time, money, geometry, and patterns. Students develop computational fluency, numerical flexibility, and problem-solving strategies through practice, games, and logic problems. In order to create a solid foundation of concepts and skills, students engage in hands-on experiences with a variety of activities using pictorial, numerical, and real-life examples. By understanding and using different representations, Grade 2 studentscan make the transition to more complex math concepts. Work is often completed in partners, groups, or independently so that instruction can be differentiated to meet the needs of each student.

Science and STEAM The Lower School Science and STEAM Programs are dynamic, hands-on curricula that utilize authentic experiences to build skills such as critical thinking, inquiry, collaboration, and empathy. Through the STEAM program students learn to think like innovators and develop problem-solving skills using the design process. Grade 2 students engage in engineering tasks that are reflective of their curricular content. For example, students design erosion barriers to prevent a building from collapse during the study of soil. When investigating

how bones break and heal, students are tasked to create a cast for a broken animal bone that can withstand weight. Students also engage in coding activities using platforms such as ScratchJr. and Lego WeDo 2.0.

The science program in Grade 2 captures the children’s curiosity in the world around them through hands-on investigation and exploration. Students in each grade level cover the three major science disciplines: life science, physical science, and earth science. Topics covered in Grade 2 include soil, the human body, light and color, and engineering. Using an inquiry-based approach, students learn to ask scientific questions and find answers to these questions as they construct their understanding of scientific concepts.Students have opportunities to investigate a problem, search for solutions, make observations, ask questions, test their ideas, and draw conclusions. Students plan and investigate collaboratively to uncover data that can be used as evidence to answer a question. The science program is rooted in the notion that scientific concepts are best learned when students’ curiosity is heightened and when students feel empowered to take charge of their own learning.

In the spring second graders team up with third graders for a month-long engineering ColLab. Students have an opportunity to engage in fun engineering tasks with a mixed cohort. It is also a wonderful opportunity for the students to get to know a future Grade 3 teacher.

World Language:French Grade 2 French uses Story in Action, a storytelling program, and music to teach French.

This year’s fairy tale, Le Chat et la Lune (The Cat and the Moon), delivers anemotionally charged, humorous story with an important moral. Because one animal believes that the moon has fallen into the water, all the others follow suit in panic; that is, until the king shows them that they are simply looking at a reflection. Written in the form of a play, the story provides both familiarity and plenty of opportunity for the pleasant repetition of key vocabulary and structures. It becomes the focus for a range of motivating language activities that help students develop confidence and competence in French.

For Grade 2 students, the teacher continues the use of the “Gesture Approach,” a technique that incorporates hand signs to help students learn and remember the important vocabulary found in the plays, songs, and other activities. Each word is associated with a gesture, so that the language is represented visually and kinesthetically for the benefit of all language learners and their learning styles. Activities are varied so that studentscanwork individually, with partners, in small groups, and as a whole class.

French classes meet three times per week for 30 minutes in the French library.Teacher and students speak French almost exclusively during lessons, as this helps the students acquire the language at a faster pace.

CreativeArts:VisualArts As independent thinkers, second graders begin to contribute more ideas and become aware of the process of creating and expressing themselves through art. Exploration, enjoyment, observation, and self-expression are the guiding principles that Grade 2 artists experience in visual arts. Curriculum is designed and presented in a manner that encourages each child’s individual creativity and self-expression. Students are guided through an exploration process with lessons that engage them in learning about the elements of art: color, line, shape, form, texture, and space.

In addition, lessons introduce students to aesthetics and art history using prints, artifacts, and books that feature works of art from various historical periods, cultures, and genres. Art lessons are often planned in collaboration with the classroom, music, and drama teachers in order to complement academic themes. Students create artwork using a variety of 2-D materials and processes such as painting, drawing, collage, and printmaking and 3-D materials such as wood, cardboard, and clay to create sculptures.

Second graders begin the year with activities that promote an understanding of the process of making art. Activities are designed to help students to be aware that each of their classmates is unique. Students continue to learn how to be respectful and supportive of one another in order to make the art studio a fun and exciting place to be.

CreativeArts:Drama Drama students develop confidence and creative thinking, while working collaboratively in small and large groups. Drama work expands students’ communication skills through language and action.

Grade 2 drama classes take place in the Ruth Corkin Theatre. Students continue to gain comfort in sharing their ideas on the stage. Class discussion incorporates the sets that are built on the stage for various productions and performances throughout the school year. Audience behavior is a focal point as students take turns sharing their dramatic work.

Grade 2 students engage in theater activities that further develop listening and communication skills. Through storytelling activities and directed imaginative play, students experience both bringing a story to life and creating original stories. Students explore the importance of action, setting, characters, and story sequence. There is also a focus on cooperation in order to prepare students for ensemble work. Drama activities incorporate and expand on classroom themes and curriculum. During the year, the students also engage in various forms of assessment and reflection. Through sharing ideas in the drama classroom, students build a sense of community with their classmates.

CreativeArts:Music Elementary-age children are intrigued with music’s power to send a message and invite a response. Invitations for playful and joyful participation with organized sound are offered in each music class. Students energetically interact with music by singing, playing, moving, and listening. Second graders develop tuneful singing skills, ability to feel the steady beat in groups of two and three, and sensitivity to the artful nuances of music. Listening examples allow students to aurally analyze and recognize sounds. Children also learn to aurally decode, read, and write music with traditional notation for quarter note, eighth notes, and solfège syllables mi, re, do. Improvisation activities lead to creation of movement and musical compositions. The full complement of classroom instruments is available including small percussion and barred instruments for sound exploration, improvisation, and composition. Soprano recorders are part of the curriculum for melodic performance and note reading. At the end of the year, instruments of the concert band and symphony orchestra are introduced.

Songs are chosen that reflect the life experiences of childhood within this country and other nations. Traditional children’s songs, folk songs, classical music, and music from a variety of cultures, styles, and time periods compose the classroom repertoire. In Grade 2, music-making with classmates yields an opportunity to develop the concept of ensemble. Students learn the magic of sharing and cooperating to create and appreciate a variety of musical styles. PhysicalEducation Grade 2 Physical Education continues the development of students’ movement skills, an understanding of the health benefits of physical activity, and their introduction to a variety of activities, games, and sports. Students develop both their individual skills and their ability to cooperate with their classmates. They learn, succeed, and have fun as active participants in physical education class.

Gr. 2 Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. March April May June

Learning Activities

Cooperative Games

Playground Games

Movement Concepts SoccerSkills

Field Hockey Skills

Throwing & Catching Skills Indoor Games

FitnessSkills

Jump Rope Skills StrikingSkills

FitnessSkills

Rhythms & Dance Handball Skills

Basketball Skills

Stations Tumbling & Yoga Skills

Juggling Skills

Floor Hockey Skills Hawaiian Games

Indoor Games

ManipulativeSkills Circus Arts

FitnessSkills

BattingSkills Track & Field Skills

Outdoor Games Summer Games

Grade 3

CENTRALQUESTION: How do geography, climate, and natural resources affect the way people live and thrive?

Overview The Grade 3 program develops each child’s intellectual, physical, social, and emotional skills. In the classroom teachers seek to build communities in which all children feel accepted and respected. In this atmosphere oftrust, the focus is on building each child’s sense of confidence and responsibility. Also, in Grade 3, a team system is used to promote social/emotional development and academic success. Students can work with their teams to problem solve in different academic areas with an eye toward the Core Values. Students develop an understanding of the importance of being an individual working as part of a team.

In Grade 3, students explore the question: How do geography, climate, and natural resources affect the way people live and thrive? As students navigate the water forms around the world, explore the unique adaptations of insects and plants, and board a whaling trade ship, they engage in various open discussions, written reflections, scholarly research, and scientific discovery to delve into how communities of peoples, animals, and plants strive to live and thrive in their surroundings.

Language Arts The Grade 3 Language Arts Program balances critical thinking, active listening, and meaningful reading and writing activities. In Grade 3 students continue to build on their fluency, decoding, written expression, writing mechanics, and grammar skills.However, this approach is used not only in language arts classes but also in the integration of the reading and writing programs with other curricular areas, specifically science and social studies curricula (this includes bothfiction andnonfiction reading and writing). Teachers focus on whole-class novel reading throughout the year, through which students develop their inference and critical thinking skills as they respond to the literature in writing and by sharing ideas within their Literature Circles.

A wide variety of reading experiences are offered in Grade 3. Developmentally, third grade students are transitioning into the concept of “reading to learn.” Third graders learn to summarize information, identify cause-effect, make predictions, compare and contrast information from different sources, and activate prior knowledge and experience from their own lives to information found in a text. Literacy skills such as making inferences or inferring, reading comprehension, vocabulary development, and critical thinking continue to evolve and grow as students work toward independence when responding to the literature through journal entries and sharing ideas in differentiated Literature Circles. They learn to apply strategies to clarify information that does not make sense. Teachers provide opportunities for oral reading and discussion, sustained silent reading, and shared reading.

The Units of Study in Writing program is used in Grade 3 as students continue to sharpen their writing skills. Written expression focuses on the craft of writing, which includes organization, idea development, word choice, and writer’s voice. Topics included in writing mechanics instruction are grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. Students engage in different genres of writing such as narration, opinion, poetry, and exposition to fine-tune their ability to write topic sentences, develop full paragraphs, summarize and identify main ideas, and express themselves clearly and creatively. The Words Their Way spelling program continues into Grade 3. It is a developmental spelling program that uses word study to find patterns in words. Students work with level-appropriate word sort exercises in order to improve their understanding word patterns.

SocialStudies Throughout their school year, students focus on the Central Question: How do geography, climate, and natural resources affect the way people live and thrive?As students explore the various units insocial studies and science, they develop an understanding of what living things need in order to live and thrive on earth.

The social studies program in Grade 3 helps students think inquisitively about the world in which they live. The primary topic students explore is African geography, which includes a focus on the development of atlas-reading skills. Students explore the continent of Africa through the perspective of geography and how it affects the way people and animals live. Throughout the year students examine different cultures and communities and how their surroundings affect the way they live and how they survive. Much of the social studies content is integrated with the Language Arts program. Relevant novels and primary and secondary resources serve as tools to teach students about perspective and point of view. The students learn note-taking strategies, how to write a three-paragraph expository paper, and how to deliver information in their first public speaking exhibition.

Math The Grade 3 Math Program reinforces previously learned concepts such as addition and subtraction, fractions, data, measurement, geometry, and pre-algebraic expression, and builds on new concepts such as multiplication and division. Students use their understanding of concrete mathematical knowledge to help grow their understanding of abstract concepts. The goal of the Grade 3 Math Program is to develop math thinkers who can develop strong problem-solving skills that are useful in the students’ daily lives. Grade 3 students continue to strengthen their mathematical flexibility and computational fluency from the previous grade as they develop their mathematical reasoning and problem-solving skills. Students are encouraged to use multiple strategies to solve problems and to explain their thinking in written and oral forms. Real-life examples and authentic mathematical connections to other content areas allow students to truly understand that math is all around them.The goal is to be proficient in multiplication basic facts at the end of Grade 3 so they can enter Grade 4 having confidence in their multiplication skills.

The curriculum continues with the use of a hybrid math program comprised ofenVisionMathand Investigations. These programs provide students with ample problem-solving practice and help them build strong number sense and computational fluency. In addition, students use manipulatives to help them visualize and better understand the concepts being taught. Class exercises and homework assignments reinforce concepts, helping students to retain their knowledge and skills. Scienceand STEAM A hands-on inquiry-based approach is the foundation for theGrade 3Science and STEAM Programs. Students in each grade level cover the three major science disciplines: life science, physical science, and earth science. Students are encouraged to ask questions, explore concepts, collect data, and develop inferences based on their observations. Students in Grade 3 study insects and plants, the role of water on earth, and mixtures and solutions. Using an inquiry-based approach, students learn to ask scientific questions and find answers to these questions as they construct their own understanding of scientific concepts.Students have opportunities to investigate a problem, search for solutions, make observations, ask questions, test their ideas, and draw conclusions.

In the spring third graders team up with second graders for a monthlong engineering ColLab. Students have an opportunity to engage in fun engineering tasks with a mixed cohort. It is also a wonderful opportunity for the students to reconnect with past homeroom teachers and for the second graders to get to know a future Grade 3 teacher.

As in all the grades in the Lower School, STEAM projects are integrated into each grade level’s curriculum. Grade 3 students rely on the Design Process thinking routine to build and test the prototypes they create. Students take on the perspective of an entomologist to design an insect trap that allows for the study of a new, imaginary species. In addition, students learn how to code using the Lego WeDo 2.0 by designing their own insect during their study of insects and plants. They test different boat designs and weight loads on the “Brimmer River” just like the Ancient Egyptians did on the Nile. The third graders are encouraged to approach each new task with empathy and ingenuity.

WorldLanguages:French Grade 3 continues the use of Story in Action, a storytelling program, and music to teach French. Classes meet three times per week for 30 minutes with the emphasis of the lessons on songs, rhymes, stories, and role-playing activities based on real communication situations. The vocabulary that is taught in this method has been carefully selected, as it is essential vocabulary for students during the initial stages of their language learning. In Grade 3 the teacher continues the use of the “Gesture Approach,” a technique that uses hand signs to help students learn and remember the important vocabulary found in the plays, songs, and other activities. Each word is associated with a gesture, so that the language is represented visually and kinesthetically for the benefit of all language learners and their learning styles. Activities are varied so that studentscanwork individually, with partners, in small groups, and as a whole class.

In addition, students are introduced to reading in French as they read their scripts and practice their lines for the annual French plays. For many students, performing in French serves as the highlight of their language learning experience for the year.The plays are interdisciplinary collaborations among world language, drama, music, and visual arts. In their French classes, third graders will work with the French teacher on pronunciation and comprehension. In drama students work with their teacher

to develop their acting, blocking, staging, and movement skills. In music they explore traditional French folk music, and in the art studio, third graders create scenery, costumes, props, and the production’s printed program. This wonderful event truly celebrates the interdisciplinary approach used at Brimmer.

CreativeArts:VisualArts Observation, abstraction, invention, and expression are the guiding principles Grade 3 artists experience in visual arts. Curriculum is designed and presented in a manner that encourages each child’s individual creativity and self-expression. Students are guided through an exploration process with lessons that engage them in learning about the elements and principles of design. The elements of art explored are color, line, shape, form, texture, and space, and the principles of art are pattern, space, composition, and balance.

Students in Grade 3 demonstrate knowledge of the materials and methods they have learned and begin to refine and self-assess their work. Students create artwork using a variety of 2-D materials and processes such as painting, drawing, collage, and printmaking and 3-D materials such as wood, cardboard, and clay to create sculptures.

In addition, lessons introduce students to aesthetics and art history using prints, artifacts, and books that feature works of art from various historical periods, cultures, and genres. Students explore the role of the arts in their community and in society.

Art lessons are often planned in collaboration with the classroom, music, and drama teachers in order to complement academic themes. Third graders begin the school year with activities that focus on the process of making art. Students are given a concept for a project and throughout the process of creating their artwork, they are asked to make observations about their classmates’ approach to the lesson. Third graders become aware that some students may stand while they work, some artists like clean surfaces, and others like a messier approach. Students look at the project outcomes as a group and learn that each individual responds in a unique way to the same concept. This awareness helps students to be sensitive to their classmates and encourages them to focus on their own process as they create their works of art.

CreativeArts:Drama In Grade 3, drama students develop confidence and creative thinking while working collaboratively in small and large groups. This drama work expands the students’ communication skills through language and action.

Grade 3 drama classes take place in the Ruth Corkin Theatre. Students continue to gain comfort in sharing their ideas on the full-sized stage. Class discussion incorporates the sets that are built on the stage for various productions and performances throughout the school year. Audience behavior is a focal point as students take turns sharing their dramatic work.

Students hone their problem-solving skills through dramatic activities, and they work collaboratively to create original theater. Scene work focuses on the sequence of events in a story, as well as settings and character development. Students explore improvisation to develop a comfort level with creating theater without direction. In preparation for the Grade 3 French play, students explore dialogue using scripts. Student ideas are compiled to create a dramatic script in English before it is translated and performed in French. The Grade 3 class participates in the process of putting on a production through rehearsals and formal performances on the stage. Throughout the year, the students engage in artistic forms of assessment and reflection. Through sharing ideas in the drama classroom, students build a sense of community with their classmates.

CreativeArts:Music Elementary-age children are intrigued with music’s power to send a message and invite a response. Invitations for creative and joyful participation with organized sound are offered in each music class. Students energetically interact with music by singing, playing, moving, and listening. Third graders develop tuneful singing skills, the ability to feel the steady beat in groups of two and three, and sensitivity to the artful nuances of music.

Listening examples allow students to aurally analyze and recognize sounds. Students also learn to aurally decode, read, and write music with traditional notation including rhythmic notation and note recognition on the treble staff. Improvisation activities lead to the creation of movement and musical compositions. The full complement of classroom instruments is available including small percussion and barred instruments for sound exploration.

Songs are chosen that reflect the life experiences of childhood within the country and other nations. Traditional children’s songs, folk songs, classical music,

and music from a variety of cultures, styles, and time periods compose the classroom repertoire. In Grade 3, music-making with classmates yields an opportunity to develop the concept of ensemble. They learn the magic of sharing and cooperating to create and to appreciate a variety of musical styles.

Third graders may also elect to participate in Beginning Band. This ensemble, which forms in mid-October, meets weekly during the school day. Beginning Band is a yearlong commitment and is offered to students in Grade 3 who take lessons in piano, brass, percussion, or woodwinds. Students who are not in the ensemble participate in an elective program that occurs in their homeroom during the same meeting time.

PhysicalEducation As students transition into the upper elementary grades, they begin to engage more complex movement skills and more activities, games, and sports that require strategy and teamwork. Students are introduced to and participate in a wider range of fitness and movement activities that help them develop their individual movement skills as well as their understanding and interaction in team play.

Gr. 3 Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. March April May June

Learning Activities

Team Building Challenges

FitnessSkills

SoccerUnit Field Hockey Unit

Track &Field

Running Events Football Skills

RugbySkills

Volleyball Skills Badminton

Handball Unit

Team Building Challenges Basketball Unit

Track &Field

Jumping Events Badminton

Tumbling & Yoga Skills Skills Floor Hockey Unit

Hawaiian Games

BowlingUnit Lacrosse Skills

Track & Field Throwing Events TennisSkills

Softball & BaseballUnit Team Building Challenges

Grade 4

CENTRALQUESTIONS: What is Identity? What is Culture?

Overview Grade 4 students immerse themselves in the study of Asia. Two important questions--What is Identity? What is Culture?--help frame the students’ inquiry of the vibrant and unique cultures, traditions, and peoples of this continent. Students achieve a deeper understanding through carefully designed learning experiences that blend multisensory activities, opportunities for trial and error, and individualized instruction to achieve clearly established goals. The substantially integrated curriculum gives students the opportunity to think deeper and wider, to problem solve, and to interpret concepts. With teachers as guides, fourth graders engage in a variety of learning experiences that foster cooperation, respect, independence, and perseverance. Personal responsibility is the cornerstone of the schoolyear; the curriculum instills the tenets of the School’s mission to foster lifelong learning in order to prepare students to be global and ethical citizens.

Grade 4introduces the regular use of theiPad, a tool for students to use more regularly to support them in their research and expression of their knowledge and creativity in dynamic new ways. Fourth Graders have dedicated technology time each week in order to practice new skills that they will then actively apply in their learning. This technology period will also be the entry portal to the development of stronger research and organizational skills. Whether the students are using a laptop oriPad,they will develop the skills needed to master a variety of technological tools that will enhance, support, and allow them to share their learning.

Language Arts The Grade 4 Language Arts Program is a literature-based curriculum that weaves reading comprehension, research, and writing together. The “reading to learn” concept continues its trajectory in Grade 4. Students become active participants in the integrated theme study by delving into a range of literature throughout the year. Numerous nonfiction and fiction texts are introduced to students as they develop a deeper understanding of culture and identity. Students begin to dissect their readings and dig deeper, moving beyond recall of plot events and main characters. Response journals are utilized to develop and practice written expression. Students are asked to make inferences, interpret imagery and themes, and discuss character analysis. Grade 4 students learn both theme-related and unfamiliar words by actively applying them in their own writing and speaking.

Writing plays is an integral role in each child’s development as a lifelong learner. Students begin to look at the material they are reading not just as readers, but as writers. Across the writing-skills spectrum, from the most reluctant writer to an inspiring young author, students are supported and exposed to a multitude of writing genres: folktales, opinions, poetry, and exposition through the Units of Study in Writing program.Mini lessons focus on elaboration, organization, revision, mechanics, and grammar. Students become active proofreaders and editors of their own work as they move toward a deeper understanding of the writing process. Grade 4 students continue their progression in the five stages of theWords Their Way spelling program. SocialStudies Grade 4 students engage in an integrated study of Asia throughout theyear. Students consider the various elements that shape culture and identity, and they observe and interpret the connections between these elements. Students use literature, both fiction and nonfiction, to learn about the various people and places that make up the continent of Asia. They engage in a multitude of writing projects and have opportunities for reflection as they move through the timeline of Asian history. Specifically, the study of the Silk Road serves as a portal into Asian geography, environment, and modern cultural practices and influences. Students examine the culture and environment of Pan-Asia through informational readings and integrated projects.The annual FourthFest celebration highlights the history, geography, culture, and traditions of two specific Asian countries.Finally, students end the year exploring the cultural and social contributions of all immigrants to America with a special focus on the Asian-American experience. Fourth graders consider the process of becoming a United States citizen through an intensive and interactive simulation of the immigrant experience.

Math TheInvestigationsand enVision Math programs are at the core of the Lower School’s approach to teaching mathematics. The emphasis of the curriculum is to increase mathematical thinking and reasoning. Students develop a variety of strategies to solve problems by learning how to describe, compare, and discuss their approaches. This allows students to develop a deeper understanding of the math behind the algorithms. Exploration provides students

with the opportunities they need to develop efficient strategies, as well as hone their skills as problem-solvers. Alternative strategies are valued, multiple strategies are encouraged, and communication about mathematics is central.

The Grade 4 Math Program guides students’ mathematical thinking in the following areas: addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, geometry, measurement, the number system, fractions, and statistics.Through guided instruction, hands-on learning, and strategic problem-solving all learners work to gain a strong conceptual understanding and mathematical flexibility.

Scienceand STEAM All science investigations require that students become actively engaged in experiments in order to help them better understand the scientific process. Students in each grade level cover the three major science disciplines: life science, physical science, and earth science. Through an inquiry-based approach, students learn to construct their own meaning of scientific concepts. Students have opportunities to investigate a problem, search for solutions, make observations, ask questions, test their ideas, and draw conclusions.

At the start of Grade 4, students discover relationships between objects and outcomes through controlled experiments. They learn concepts such as independent and dependent variables. Through the course of the year, students study geology and investigate the characteristics of rocks and minerals as they learn how to identify a plethora of specimens. The electricity and magnetism unit introduces concepts in physical science that relate to energy and change. Through hands-on investigations, students explore the concepts of positive and negative charges, circuits, and alternative energy. Fourth graders also study one of the most complex machines ever created—the human body. The students learn the cellular makeup of muscles as well as how muscle filaments make the muscle contract or relax. Equipped with this knowledge, students are challenged to design a prototype of a robotic arm. The year culminates in an EnvironmentalColLabwhere Grades 4 and 5 students are intermixed to study a range of environmental concerns and problems that face the global community, and they work to develop solutions for them.

By Grade 4 students are well versed in the Design Process. Applying science concepts and content knowledge from other disciplines is automatic. Students design engineering projects to meet challenges, learn the fundamentals of coding, and actively apply technology skills to a variety oftheme-basedideas. Spheros are programmed to become tour guides along the Silk Road, alternative energy sources are researched and designed in make-believe Japanese and Indian villages, and robotic arms are built to move objects from one place to another. Much of the STEAM curriculum is integrated with the other elements of the Grade 4 curriculum to develop greater understanding and so that projects are authentic and applicable to the real world.

WorldLanguage:French Grade 4 continues the use of Story in Action, a program that uses storytelling, songs, and role-playing activities based on real communication situations.

The story that is the focus of Grade 4 French is titled Comment y aller? (How do I get there?) It is based on an experience of a girl from Quebec who decides to visit her friend in Paris. Students continue to increase their vocabulary in French by responding to the “Gesture Approach” and will also review previously learned words with the associated gestures. Throughout the year, there is an equal and strong emphasis on the development of all four language skills--reading, writing, listening, and speaking-—through a program that meets the needs of all language learners and their learning styles. Activities are varied so that students can work individually, with partners, in small groups, and as a whole class.

CreativeArts: Visual Arts Students in Grade 4 have developed a rich background in the arts from their previous work in the art studio, and they are ready to apply, practically, the skills they have acquired. The visual arts curriculum is designed to encourage students to take an active role in the creative process. During the school year, students will have the opportunity to enhance classroom projects by gathering ideas and inspirations outside of the school day. Occasionally students will have homework assignments such as completing worksheets, writing journal entries, and gathering images for research. This is a great opportunity for families to connect with the activities and art processes in which the students are involved.

Observation, abstraction, invention, and expression are the guiding principles of the Grade 4 artist’s experience in visual arts. Curriculum is designed and presented in a manner that encourages each child’s individual creativity and self-expression. Students are guided through an exploration process with lessons that engage them in learning about the elements and principles

of design. The elements of art are color, line, shape, form, texture, and space, and the principles of art are pattern, space, composition, and balance.

Students in Grade 4 demonstrate knowledge of the materials and methods they have learned and begin to refine and self-assess their work. Students apply their knowledge and describe the similarities and differences in works of art. Through informal critiques, they explain the strengths and weaknesses in their own work.

Students create artwork using a variety of 2-D materials and processes such as painting, drawing, collage, and printmaking and 3-D materials such as wood, cardboard, and clay to create sculptures. Students are encouraged to make their own material choices and to choose processes based on past experiences and knowledge of the processes they have learned.

In addition, lessons introduce students to aesthetics and art history using prints, artifacts, and books that feature works of art from various historical periods, cultures, and genres. Students will explore the role of the arts in their community and in society.

Art lessons are often planned in collaboration with the classroom, music, and drama teachers in order to complement academic themes.

CreativeArts:Drama Grade 4 drama students develop confidence and creative thinking while working collaboratively in small and large groups. Drama work expands students’ communication skills through language and action.

Grade 4 drama classes focus on the importance of cooperation through ensemble work, as students continue to develop skills as stage artists. Theater concepts and skills such as improvisation, memorization, and playwriting are expanded upon. Students build characters through their bodies and voices and in writing exercises.

Grade 4 creates and performs an original one-act play, while also collaborating with Grade 5 to create a dramatic musical production. Students participate in auditions, rehearsals, and formal performances on the stage. Grade 4 students are introduced to the elements of stagecraft, stage design, and production. Throughout the year, students analyze the successes and challenges of performances and assess their work as thoughtful performers. Through sharing ideas in the drama classroom, students build a sense of community with their classmates.

CreativeArts:Music Elementary-age learners are intrigued with music’s power to send a message and invite a response. Invitations for creative and joyful participation with organized sound are offered in each music class. Students energetically interact with music by singing, playing, moving, and listening. Fourth graders develop tuneful singing skills, an ability to move to the steady beat in groups of two and three, and sensitivity to the artful nuances of music.

Listening examples allow students to aurally analyze and recognize sounds in a variety of musical forms. Students also learn to aurally decode, read, and write music with traditional notation including rhythmic notation and note recognition on the treble staff. Improvisation activities lead to the creation of movement and musical compositions. The full complement of classroom instruments is available including small percussion and barred instruments for sound exploration. Students explore the many ways they can engage with music, from singing games and folk dances to performing in a musical and composing music with modern technology.

Songs are chosen that reflect the life experiences of childhood within this country and other nations. Traditional children’s songs, folk songs, classical music, and music from a variety of cultures, styles, and time periods compose the classroom repertoire. In Grade 4, music-making with classmates yields an opportunity to develop the concept of ensemble. They learn the magic of sharing and cooperating to create and appreciate a variety of musical styles.

Annually in March, students participate in the Grades 4 and 5 Creative Arts Performance. This collaborative presentation highlights the artistry, confidence, and teamwork of the students through visual arts, drama, and music. In addition, the Grades 4 and 5 Chorus performs at the Lower School Chorus and Band Concert and at a Share Assembly each spring.

Fourth graders may also elect to participate in the Grades 4 and 5 Band. This ensemble, which forms in mid-October, meets weekly during the school day. Band is a yearlong commitment and is offered to students in Grade 4 who take lessons in piano, brass, percussion, or woodwinds. Students who are not in the ensemble participate in an elective program that occurs in their homeroom during the same meeting time.

PhysicalEducation Students in Grade 4 are presented more complex movement skills and more activities, games, and sports that require strategy, tactics, and teamwork. Students are introduced to and participate in a wider range of fitness and movement activities that help them develop their individual movement skills as well as their understanding and interaction in team play. Sportsmanship is always emphasized as is making physical activity fun, rewarding, and enjoyable. InterscholasticAthletics Beginning in Grade 4 students have the option to participate in a limited interscholastic athletic program in the fall and winter. Sports offered include coed soccer and boys and girls basketball. Students attend practices for a week or two prior to their two or three scheduled games.

Gr. 4 Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. March April May June

Learning Activities

Team Building Challenges

FitnessSkills

SoccerUnit Field Hockey Unit

Track &Field Running Events Football Skills

RugbySkills

Volleyball Skills

Badminton Handball Unit

Team Building Challenges Basketball Unit

Track &Field Jumping Events Badminton

Tumbling & Yoga Skills Skills Floor Hockey Unit

Hawaiian Games

BowlingUnit Lacrosse Skills

Track & Field Throwing Events TennisSkills

Softball & Baseball Unit Team Building Challenges

Grade 5

CENTRALQUESTION: What is strength of character?

Overview The Grade 5 program is robust and highly interdisciplinary; the teachers encourage students to think creatively and challenge themselves to reach new levels of achievement. The comprehensive curriculum is integrated across disciplines, embodying academic rigor and creating innovative approaches to motivate and challenge each child and engage every student’s learning style. Elements of the Grade 5 curriculum are connected by the Central Question: What is strength of character? Over the course of the year students analyze this question as it relates to themselves and to others. The pedagogical approach, termed “Windows and Mirrors,” fosters a thoughtful understanding of oneself and how we connect with people and events in literature, history, math, and science. Through the lens of “strength of character,” students explore the rise of the Renaissance and the path to the United States’ Revolutionary War; they delve deeply into the research and reflect on the qualities of strength of character. In this way, fifth graders practice reading, writing, creative arts, technology, and presentation skills through an interdisciplinary approach in which teachers connect their coursework to these topics and themes: change, community, and character. As leaders of the Lower School, students reflect on these themes, strengthening self-knowledge and taking risks that allow for greater confidence as they transition to Middle School. LanguageArts As in Grade 4, the Grade 5 Language Arts program is a literature-based curriculum that is integrated with the social studies program. Students continue to develop and strengthen their vocabulary, comprehension, and written and oral language skills as they prepare for Middle School. Literature explores the traits and motivations of why and how a character demonstrates strength of character. Students develop strategies to help them understand the written text. A gradual shift toward more advanced text and analytical thinking continues in the Grade 5 program. Students learn to read a text closely and to examine it on many interpretive levels. Reading is practiced both orally and silently. In addition, students enjoy and benefit from having novels read aloud to them by their teachers.

The goal of the Language Arts Program is to encourage students to express themselves creatively and to understand the commitment that successful writers must make to their writing. The writing process continues to play an important role in how students engage in writing projects. Organizational structure, idea development, language conventions, and revision of work are elements of the process that students master before leaving the Lower School program. Vocabulary is primarily taken from the literature read, and spelling, writing, and grammar lessons are derived from theUnits of Study in WritingandWords TheirWayprograms.

SocialStudies The Grade 5 Social Studies Program is designed to help students develop an understanding of the American past, as well as to promote awareness and reflection of how the country came to be where it is today. The Grade 5 social studies curriculum focuses on the central theme of “strength of character” as students explore the influence of the Renaissance in Europe, early American colonization, the American Revolution, and the formation of a new government. Map skills and research skills are incorporated into the study of the history, geography, and economics of these time periods and events. Critical thinking skills are promoted as students learn to observe, compare, classify, predict, and think reasonably and reflectively when looking at different examples of strength of character throughout history. Students begin to understand the perspective and experiences of the many people who composed and built early America and its impact on today’s world.

Students learn to collaborate with others through project-based learning inquiries, using primary and secondary sources. They conduct three research projects during the year with the final project, the Grade 5 Capstone Exhibition, the culmination of the students’ work in the Lower School. Students are assigned a topic and asked to analyze and identify the characteristics of an individual or group who demonstrates strength of character. Students are assigned advisors, and the final product includes a written piece, an oral presentation, and an art/design/ tech project.

Math Grade 5 students continue their transition from concrete to abstract learning with a strong emphasis on the further development of problem-solving skills. The growth mindset approach to math allows students to develop a deep understanding of math concepts and strategies to solve real-world

problems by encouraging them to ask questions and empathizing the process. The mathematics curriculum builds upon the concepts learned in the previous grades and prepares students for the more complex abstract work of Middle School.Students use a combination of the enVision Math and Investigations programs to study the following topics:place value; factors and multiples; multiplication and division strategies; estimation; geometry and measurement; fractions; decimals; percent; probability; data; and statistics. They also begin their introduction to pre-algebra.

Scienceand STEAM Throughout the Lower School science investigations require that students become actively engaged in experiments in order to help them better understand the scientific process. Students in each grade level cover the three major science disciplines: life science, physical science, and earth science. Through an inquiry-based approach, students learn to construct their own meaning of scientific concepts. Students have opportunities to investigate a problem, search for solutions, make observations, ask questions, test their ideas, and draw conclusions.

Grade 5 students continue to learn the scientific method using a hands-on, inquiry-based approach. The Grade 5 sciencecurriculum is designed with several objectives in mind: to understand that science is all around us, to develop critical thinking skills, to develop the ability to communicate scientific concepts, to develop cooperative and purposeful work habits with peers, and to empower students to be responsible for their own learning. Students explore the concepts of simple machines, astronomy/rockets, and cell biology/nutrition. The year in science culminates in an EnvironmentalColLabwhere Grades 4 and 5 students are intermixed to study a range of environmental concerns and problems faced by the global community and work to develop solutions for them.

In addition, students in Grade 5 work both independently and collaboratively to create several interdisciplinary STEAM projects throughout the year using the Design Process. Students design engineering projects to meet challenges, learn the fundamentals of coding, and actively apply technology skills to a variety oftheme-basedideas. While learning about simple machines, fifth graders are challenged to build a machine that can lift an egg from the ground. Designing and programming a Lego Mindstorms rover to explore the surface of Mars continues the emphasis on the integration of the STEAM program with the academic curriculum.

FrenchLanguageand FrancophoneWorld Cultures The focus of the Grade 5 program in French is the exploration in French of the cultures, traditions, people, and geography of the Francophone world. This educational journey will lead us through North America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, and the Caribbean islands. Students work to reinforce language and concepts they have learned throughout their language study at Brimmer while using online, spoken, and written activities to develop their knowledge and understanding of the Francophone world. This is an exciting year of study, as the language will be learned to explore cultural diversity in greater detail. CreativeArts:VisualArts Students in Grade 5 have developed a rich background in the arts and are ready to practically apply the skills they have acquired. The Creative Arts Curriculum is designed to encourage students to take an active role in the creative process. During the school year, students can enhance classroom projects by brainstorming ideas and finding inspirations outside of the school day. Students have homework assignments such as completing worksheets, writing journal entries, and gathering of images for research. This is a great opportunity for families to connect with the activities and art processes in which the students are involved.

Observation, abstraction, invention, and expression are the guiding principles for Grade 5 artists’ experience in visual arts. Curriculum is designed and presented in a manner that encourages each child’s individual creativity and self-expression. Students are guided through an exploration process with lessons that engage them in learning about the elements and principles of design. The elements of art are color, line, shape, form, texture, and space, and the principles of art are pattern, space, composition, and balance.

Students create artwork using a variety of 2-D materials and processes such as painting, drawing, collage and printmaking and 3-D materials such as wood, cardboard, and clay to create sculptures. Grade 5 artists are encouraged to make their own material choices and to choose approaches based on past experiences and knowledge of the processes they have learned. In May students will plan and execute an artistic component for their Grade 5 Capstone Exhibition.

Students in Grade 5 demonstrate knowledge of the materials and methods they have learned and begin to refine and self-assess their work. They apply their knowledge and describe the similarities and differences in various works of art. Through informal critiques they explain the strengths and weaknesses in their own work and share constructive comments with classmates.

In addition, lessons introduce students to aesthetics and art history using prints, artifacts, and books that feature works of art from various historical periods, cultures, and genres. Students explore the role of the arts in their community and in society. Art lessons are often planned in collaboration with the classroom, music, and drama teachers in order to complement academic themes.

CreativeArts:Drama Drama students develop confidence and creative thinking, while working collaboratively in small and large groups. Drama work expands students’ communication skills through language and action.

Grade 5 drama students continue to hone their creative skills as young performers. Students express their cumulative theatrical knowledge through several performance opportunities. They explore ensemble building, character development, and scene structure through improvisation and script work. The Grades 4 and 5 production is a platform for Grade 5 students to further explore the processes of auditioning, casting, pre-production, rehearsal, and performance skills. As part of the rehearsal process, students keep journals to reinforce character development and reflect on their artistic contributions. Throughout the school year, students assess their work as thoughtful performers. Through sharing ideas in the drama classroom, students build a sense of community with their classmates.

CreativeArts:Music Elementary-age children are intrigued with music’s power to send a message and invite a response. Invitations for creative and joyful participation with organized sound are offered in each music class. Students energetically interact with music by singing, playing, moving, and listening. Fifth graders develop tuneful singing skills, an ability to move to the steady beat in groups of two and three, and sensitivity to the artful nuances of music.

Listening examples allow students to aurally analyze and recognize sounds. Students also learn to aurally decode, read, and write music with traditional notation. Improvisation activities lead to the creation of movement and musical compositions. The full complement of classroom instruments is available including small percussion and barred instruments for sound exploration. Students will explore the many ways they can engage with music, from singing games and folk dances to performing in a musical and composing music with modern technology.

Fifth graders may also elect to participate in the Grades 4 and 5 Band. This ensemble, which forms in mid-October, meets weekly during the school day. Band is a yearlong commitment and is offered to students in Grade 5 who take lessons in piano, brass, percussion, or woodwinds. Students who are not in the ensemble participate in an elective program that occurs in their homeroom during the same meeting time.

PhysicalEducation Grade 5 physical education offers students a wide selection of physical movement activities, including fitness regimes, games, and sports to engage in both individually and with teammates. Grade 5 also introduces Lower School students to interscholastic sports team play, which become available to all students throughout the year in Middle School. Sportsmanship is always emphasized as is making physical activity fun, rewarding, and enjoyable.

Gr. 5 Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. March April May June

Learning Activities

Team Building Challenges

FitnessSkills

SoccerUnit Field Hockey Unit

Track &Field Running Events Football Skills

RugbySkills

Volleyball Skills

Badminton Handball Unit

Team Building Challenges Basketball Unit

Track &Field Jumping Events Badminton

Tumbling & Yoga Skills Skills Floor Hockey Unit

Hawaiian Games

BowlingUnit Lacrosse Skills

Track & Field Throwing Events TennisSkills

Softball & Baseball Unit Team Building Challenges