Experiential Learning

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL the college school

At each grade, students master core concepts and academic skills through hands-on learning. By linking curriculum to real-life experiences, students engage in the learning process and discover their unique capabilities. Below are a few examples of how experiential learning comes to life in the elementary grades at The College School.

First Grade

Life Cycle First Grade experiences hands-on science through the study of the life cycle of chickens. Students nurture the animals from egg to chicken coop, learning stewardship and responsibility along the way.

Maple Syrup Using our LaBarque Campus as their classroom, students use Science, Math, and Language Arts to learn the maple sugaring process. From finding the proper trees and drilling the holes, to carrying the sap to our Sugar Shack and boiling down the sap, First Grade engages deeply in this process, and emerges with new knowledge and skills both in and outside the classroom.

Second Grade

Civic Engagement Through our annual Wagon Train of Food, Second Grade leads the collecting, organizing, and counting of more than 5,000 non-perishable food items for a local food pantry. As our hallways become filled with red wagons, our second graders are developing their Math skills and learning what it means to be an active member of their community.

Continued on following page ...

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL the college school

Relationships in Ecosystems Every year, second graders participate in a science theme of Water. As a member of the Missouri Department of Conservation Stream Team, students are charged with monitoring the macroinvertebrate population of Sandy Creek at our LaBarque Campus. They study the biodiversity of creek beds and how natural and man-made events impact the natural world. Back at school, they analyze the information and create a report.

Third Grade

Campout A favorite student journal quote of ours is: “On Third Grade Campout, I learned I was brave.” Third Grade’s fall campout is connected to their community theme study and is an opportunity for students to explore their place within both their class and their natural community. The adventure education curriculum works to challenge students and provide opportunities to safely take risks. One ntention is to help students learn that they can do more than they first thought they could, which is one of the most powerful things in education.

Community Study As part of an 18-week Community Theme, third graders seek to understand how community works. They visit neighborhoods and historic sites, conduct interviews, write stories and articles based on their experiences, complete four-page research papers, and ultimately build a model community at our LaBarque Campus. Not only do they learn about urban planning and economic literacy, but also how to synthesize ideas into a concrete project.

Continued on following page ...

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL the college school

Fourth Grade

States and Stories A history project at heart, students investigate and research historical events from multiple perspectives and study their impact on society. Students write reports on the events, collect news articles and stories, and use modern-day technology to share their work with the larger school community. The class explores the Lincoln Museum in Springfield, Illinois, and spends the night in covered wagons at a campsite where they can experience colonial period living.

World Peace Game The World Peace Game, created by master teacher John Hunter, is a simulation of world governments and crisis solving. In this theme, fourth graders take on different roles and work to solve crises around issues such as water rights, land disputes, religious tensions, climate change, refugee crisis, and natural disasters in order to achieve world peace.

Fifth Grade

Fourth/Fifth Grade Play Each winter trimester, the Fourth and Fifth Grades come together for a 12-week class that culminates in the production of their Play. Usually adapted from a storybook or existing play, the production involves students designing sets, costumes, and programs, as well as running the light and sound boards. Social Studies, Visual and Performing Arts, Language Arts, and Technology are all disciplines woven into this Fourth and Fifth Grade TCS tradition.

Monarch Theme In the classroom, Fifth Grade students raise larvae, build a lightweight cage, interview experts from local universities, plant milkweed, and sew their own butterfly nets. In the field, they catch monarchs and tag them, as part of the International Monarch Watch Program. Students reflect on how human behavior impacts this insect’s habitat and 3,000-mile flight to Mexico.