In third grade, through the themes of creation stories, house building, and farming, the children are brought literally down to the earth in their education. The students themselves bring a special blend of capability and innocence, plus a powerful energy for work. Enthusiasm, from the Greek word meaning “infused with divine spirit,” is the quintessential third grade characteristic.
The students are connected to all that surrounds them in the world, yet they experience a profound change in their inner lives during “the nine-year change.” The preeminent mode of learning up until this age is imitation, where the child primarily replicates what teachers do and say. The child begins to experience a new emergence of self wherein s/he becomes and feels more separate and distinct, more an individual. With this change, the child can be more objective and critical, but also experiences a period of separation and loneliness.
The curriculum for the third grade is designed to help the child stand as an individual on the Earth, confident of his or her ability to become a valued member of the human community. The stories of the Old Testament provide a metaphoric picture for the child of the separation from the parental home (Garden of Eden) and of the ability to make one’s way in the world through individual good deeds and the laws of the community (Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil). During these language arts blocks, students are introduced to the parts of speech in grammar, spelling, and cursive writing to facilitate their own independent writing skills. They typically learn Hebrew as part of their study of the Hebrew legends as well.
On the practical side, the themes of house building and farming show the child how basic human needs are met on this Earth. The solidity of the foundation of a house, the firmness of the floor joints and the uprightness of the stud walls give the child a picture for his or her own development. Likewise, the farming block creates a picture of the bounty of the Earth and of the human responsibility to care for our collective home. Children study how human shelters have been made by many cultures. The native American way of life is especially interesting for students at this age.
The study of measurement in the mathematics curriculum allows the children to discover how human beings orient themselves on the Earth. The children learn about the earliest attempts to mark the passage of time by watching the cycles of nature to the later inventions of the water clock and sundial, which they may construct as a class. How distance is related to the measurements in the human body (e.g., the king’s foot being “a foot”) is a fascinating discovery for how the human being is truly the “measure for all things.” Further topics in mathematics include carrying and borrowing, number patterns, and word problems. Rhythmic math movement work also continues. They also learn about money and currency through the stories they hear and may open their own market for the school to visit. Later in sixth grade, business math will leverage this foundational learning.
In music, the children begin singing rounds and playing a stringed instrument, as well as the soprano recorder. In the arts and handwork, the children spin fleece into yarn, and continue painting, crayon drawing and modeling with clay. In handwork class, the students learn to crochet their flute cases and further develop dexterity of fingers and flexibility of hands. German and Spanish continue with stories and much more complex games, rapidly expanding vocabulary to hundreds of words. Lessons are filled with conversation. The class play, related to their studies and intended to bring forth each student’s innate gifts, is shared with the school community.
The students are connected to all that surrounds them in the world, yet they experience a profound change in their inner lives during “the nine-year change.” The preeminent mode of learning up until this age is imitation, where the child primarily replicates what teachers do and say. The child begins to experience a new emergence of self wherein s/he becomes and feels more separate and distinct, more an individual. With this change, the child can be more objective and critical, but also experiences a period of separation and loneliness.
The curriculum for the third grade is designed to help the child stand as an individual on the Earth, confident of his or her ability to become a valued member of the human community. The stories of the Old Testament provide a metaphoric picture for the child of the separation from the parental home (Garden of Eden) and of the ability to make one’s way in the world through individual good deeds and the laws of the community (Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil). During these language arts blocks, students are introduced to the parts of speech in grammar, spelling, and cursive writing to facilitate their own independent writing skills. They typically learn Hebrew as part of their study of the Hebrew legends as well.
On the practical side, the themes of house building and farming show the child how basic human needs are met on this Earth. The solidity of the foundation of a house, the firmness of the floor joints and the uprightness of the stud walls give the child a picture for his or her own development. Likewise, the farming block creates a picture of the bounty of the Earth and of the human responsibility to care for our collective home. Children study how human shelters have been made by many cultures. The native American way of life is especially interesting for students at this age.
The study of measurement in the mathematics curriculum allows the children to discover how human beings orient themselves on the Earth. The children learn about the earliest attempts to mark the passage of time by watching the cycles of nature to the later inventions of the water clock and sundial, which they may construct as a class. How distance is related to the measurements in the human body (e.g., the king’s foot being “a foot”) is a fascinating discovery for how the human being is truly the “measure for all things.” Further topics in mathematics include carrying and borrowing, number patterns, and word problems. Rhythmic math movement work also continues. They also learn about money and currency through the stories they hear and may open their own market for the school to visit. Later in sixth grade, business math will leverage this foundational learning.
In music, the children begin singing rounds and playing a stringed instrument, as well as the soprano recorder. In the arts and handwork, the children spin fleece into yarn, and continue painting, crayon drawing and modeling with clay. In handwork class, the students learn to crochet their flute cases and further develop dexterity of fingers and flexibility of hands. German and Spanish continue with stories and much more complex games, rapidly expanding vocabulary to hundreds of words. Lessons are filled with conversation. The class play, related to their studies and intended to bring forth each student’s innate gifts, is shared with the school community.
