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Lower School

Lower School Curriculum Overview

In our Lower School, we foster a love of learning by combining strong foundational skills with hands-on experiences. Through diverse subject areas, students are challenged to grow academically and personally, while field trips and special projects offer opportunities for real-world application. Below is a detailed look at the curriculum for each grade level.

3rd Grade Curriculum Highlights:

·        Language Arts: Students explore fiction and non-fiction genres, including reading one novel per quarter. Writing skills are developed across multiple genres—informative, descriptive, persuasive, narrative, and biographical. They also engage in grammar lessons covering parts of speech, sentence structure, and punctuation. Technology projects, book reports, and class presentations integrate reading and writing skills.

·        Math: Using the Math in Focus curriculum, students delve into place value, addition and subtraction with regrouping, multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, geometry, and measurement. Instruction is given through a mix of whole-group lessons, small-group activities, and math games.

·        Science: Students investigate earth, life, and physical science, learning about states of matter, life cycles, and the materials of the earth through hands-on experiments and outdoor exploration.

·        Social Studies: Focus areas include government, Native Americans, Georgia history, and national geography. Students expand their knowledge through immersive experiences such as field trips to Rock Eagle 4-H Camp, the Georgia State Capitol, and other key locations.

4th Grade Curriculum Highlights:

·        Language Arts: Divided into grammar, spelling, vocabulary, reading comprehension, writing, and literature, students work on comprehension strategies through literature circles and small group discussions. Reading selections include A Christmas Carol, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and My Side of the Mountain.

·        Math: Using the Math in Focus curriculum, students dig into whole numbers, fractions, decimals, measurement, area, perimeter, angles, polygons, and graphs. Instruction is given through a mix of whole-group lessons, small-group activities, and math games.

·        Science: Topics include weather systems, marine biology, ecosystems, the human body, and the water cycle. Students participate in hands-on experiments and projects to better understand scientific principles.

  • Social Studies: Geography and culture are explored with a focus on the seven continents, landforms, and map skills. The curriculum is enriched with projects like the "Tastes of the World” to bring other cultures to our world.

5th Grade Curriculum Highlights:

·        Language Arts: Focused on grammar, spelling, vocabulary development, and reading comprehension, students participate in literature circles, journaling, and discussions. Literature includes The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Hatchet, and Number the Stars. Research skills are integrated into project-based learning.

  • Math: Using the Math in Focus curriculum, students explore the four operations of whole numbers, fractions, decimals, volume, line plots, coordinate planes, polygons, ratios, and percents. Instruction is given through a mix of whole-group lessons, small-group activities, and math games.

·        Science: Studies span earth, physical, and life sciences, covering topics such as cells, genetics, ecosystems, and physics. Students participate in experiments and projects to enhance learning.

·        Social Studies: The curriculum focuses on American history, from Native American culture to the Civil War. Through interactive experiences, students gain a deeper understanding of historical events. Field trips enhance this learning, with visits to locations such as Stone Mountain, Space Camp, and High Falls. Students also participate in experiments and projects, including the "American History Wax Museum," to bring social studies to life.