Sophia Institute online Waldorf Certificate Studies Program
Waldorf Curriculum
Waldorf/Steiner Main Lessons and Main Lesson Blocks
The main-lesson (also referred to as the 'morning lesson' in some schools) is a central feature of the Steiner- Waldorf approach. This lesson begins each school day and is normally about two hours in length. Subjects are taught in blocks of several weeks. All classes (Classes 1-12, ages six to eighteen), follow a main-lesson program.
The Main Lesson - Principles and Features
The main-lesson embraces and addresses a varied and progressive range of skills, competencies and faculties in mathematics, English, the arts, science and humanities. Each day's main-lesson is viewed as an integrated and organic whole. Meaningful connections are made across subject areas and between main-lesson themes. The class teacher chooses material, presentation and activities to suit the requirements of the curriculum and the needs of the specific class. Considerable care is given to preparation. Following a daily review process, the class teacher makes adjustments to the lesson plan as needed. It is the aim of the class teacher to make each lesson an artistic whole in which the parts relate to the whole; and the whole is permeated with rhythm, structure and purpose, as opposed to being a mere chain of events, however purposeful each link may be. This artistic
approach is thought to have a beneficial
effect on the children's learning. The main-lesson incorporates activities and content which address the children's
intellectual- cognitive, aesthetic-affective and practical modes of learning. Each lesson is structured to contain a range of the following activities:
- First part - a morning verse, recitation of poetry, singing, musical instrumental work, mental arithmetic and recall of previous material.
- Second part - presentation of new material and discussion.
- Third part - individual working, narrative, practice of basic skills.
The Main Lesson - Structure
Suggested Template for 1st-3rd Grade Main Lesson
8:15- shake hands, children move to desks
8:20- Opening verse/incarnating activity/attendance
8:25- Music- singing/flutes and/or Speech work (poem)
8:35- Mental math and Language skills review (spelling, etc.)
8:45- Activities include:
*Review of yesterday’s story (free rendering, retell, etc.)
*Practice previous new learning (make this as active, as possible.)
* NEW LEARNING presentation
9:25- Movement activities
9:35- Bookwork + plus 1 minute of movement transition activity
10:00- Story
10:15- Grace, snack and recess
Note: the story doesn’t have to be at the end, in fact, if it is part of your introduction of a new concept, you would want it to be at the 9:00 spot. Also, remember that many of these activities and their transitions should involve purposeful movement one way or another.
8:15- shake hands, children move to desks
8:20- Opening verse/incarnating activity/attendance
8:25- Music- singing/flutes and/or Speech work (poem)
8:35- Mental math and Language skills review (spelling, etc.)
8:45- Activities include:
*Review of yesterday’s story (free rendering, retell, etc.)
*Practice previous new learning (make this as active, as possible.)
* NEW LEARNING presentation
9:25- Movement activities
9:35- Bookwork + plus 1 minute of movement transition activity
10:00- Story
10:15- Grace, snack and recess
Note: the story doesn’t have to be at the end, in fact, if it is part of your introduction of a new concept, you would want it to be at the 9:00 spot. Also, remember that many of these activities and their transitions should involve purposeful movement one way or another.
Suggested Template for 4th-8th Grade Main Lesson
8:15- shake hands, students turn in homework, move to desks
8:20- Opening verse/incarnating activity
8:30- Speech or Music (alternate)
8:40- Mental math and Language skills review (spelling, vocabulary, etc.)
8:50- Activities to be covered: Review and practice of yesterday’s new learning; NEW LEARNING (History or other story presentation, science demonstration, new math concepts, etc.)
9:30- Movement/stretching activity/activities
9:35- Bookwork
10:10- Complete work/clean up
10:15- Grace, snack and recess
Note about time: Of course, certain subjects require different timing- the key is that you are in control and the choreographer of the lesson. (This requires a balance of bringing what you have prepared and living into the moment and seeing what the students need at any given time.) Too many teachers find themselves at the end of the block not having covered their curriculum because of their inability to control the timing of their main lesson or their propensity to be sidetracked by student questions. (Unbeknownst to me, the students in one of my classes had a bet to see who would be the first to get a particular special subject teacher off topic by asking derailing questions! When they finally confessed what they were doing, I had to caution the teacher to be ever mindful of staying on topic.) A few spontaneous discussions can actually be enriching, but if they happen often ... beware.
Thoughts on the use of stories: “Story” in the 3rd-8th grades is difficult to put into a template because we use stories in different ways. You will have to determine the story’s purpose before deciding where it belongs in your daily lesson plan. Sometimes the lesson/new learning is not directly related to the block theme (such as stories from the Old Testament during a textile block in 3rd grade) and could, therefore, be told at the end of the morning or even at another time of the day (for example, during handwork or at the end of the day).
a) Stories that would be considered “New Learning” (the lesson). An example of this type of story would be historical biographies and events.
b) Imaginative stories/descriptions that introduce a new concept. An example would be a brief “story” of a day in the life of a young boy, who lives with his tribe on the African Savannah, as an introduction to the grass hut in the 3rd grade shelter block.
c) Stories from the primary literature of the block, which set up the introduction of an academic concept. An example would be the story of the Three Norns (4th grade Norse Mythology) as an introduction to past, present, and future tenses. d) Stories that are told to enrich the students’ overall knowledge, vocabulary, etc. without any direct lesson coming from them. An example would be stories from Greek Mythology told during a 5th grade decimal block.
8:15- shake hands, students turn in homework, move to desks
8:20- Opening verse/incarnating activity
8:30- Speech or Music (alternate)
8:40- Mental math and Language skills review (spelling, vocabulary, etc.)
8:50- Activities to be covered: Review and practice of yesterday’s new learning; NEW LEARNING (History or other story presentation, science demonstration, new math concepts, etc.)
9:30- Movement/stretching activity/activities
9:35- Bookwork
10:10- Complete work/clean up
10:15- Grace, snack and recess
Note about time: Of course, certain subjects require different timing- the key is that you are in control and the choreographer of the lesson. (This requires a balance of bringing what you have prepared and living into the moment and seeing what the students need at any given time.) Too many teachers find themselves at the end of the block not having covered their curriculum because of their inability to control the timing of their main lesson or their propensity to be sidetracked by student questions. (Unbeknownst to me, the students in one of my classes had a bet to see who would be the first to get a particular special subject teacher off topic by asking derailing questions! When they finally confessed what they were doing, I had to caution the teacher to be ever mindful of staying on topic.) A few spontaneous discussions can actually be enriching, but if they happen often ... beware.
Thoughts on the use of stories: “Story” in the 3rd-8th grades is difficult to put into a template because we use stories in different ways. You will have to determine the story’s purpose before deciding where it belongs in your daily lesson plan. Sometimes the lesson/new learning is not directly related to the block theme (such as stories from the Old Testament during a textile block in 3rd grade) and could, therefore, be told at the end of the morning or even at another time of the day (for example, during handwork or at the end of the day).
a) Stories that would be considered “New Learning” (the lesson). An example of this type of story would be historical biographies and events.
b) Imaginative stories/descriptions that introduce a new concept. An example would be a brief “story” of a day in the life of a young boy, who lives with his tribe on the African Savannah, as an introduction to the grass hut in the 3rd grade shelter block.
c) Stories from the primary literature of the block, which set up the introduction of an academic concept. An example would be the story of the Three Norns (4th grade Norse Mythology) as an introduction to past, present, and future tenses. d) Stories that are told to enrich the students’ overall knowledge, vocabulary, etc. without any direct lesson coming from them. An example would be stories from Greek Mythology told during a 5th grade decimal block.
The Main Lesson - Rhythm
Fourfold Lesson
Physical: “facts”, content/new material
Etheric: verses, habits, rhythms, start/end on time- these activate the rhythmic system
Astral: discussions, creative review, artistic exercises/activity
Ego: working with the soul gesture of the lesson- why is this lesson brought to the students at this time? How does it nurture their development as a human being?
Things to consider when planning a main lesson
1. Nature description (describe something you saw on way to school)
2. Opening verses/songs- In the case of the “morning verse” that
remains the same 1-4, then changes to the “upper grades’ verse” which is said through high school.
3. Movement activities- think this through! I suggest you consider weaving movement throughout the main lesson- not just filling the first part of the morning with lots and lots of “circle” activities. (see note below)
4. Attendance- how will you do this? How much time do you have for this? How will you acknowledge those who are absent? In the first- third grades it is nice to incorporate the singing of different rhythms as you greet each child and have them respond in kind (But, perhaps you only do this singing version the first month or just on Mondays?).
5. Pedagogical exercises- these can be used to help establish dominance, right/left hand awareness, etc. Work with an extra lesson teacher on this.
6. Singing with students- to develop listening skills/community (standing)
7. Speech work- Begin with tongue twisters and/or speech exercises. Work with seasonal and humorous poems or play lines. Have the students stand during this work.
8. “Birthday or individual report verses”- discuss these with your mentor
9. Mental math- use the season or block theme for your inspiration- get creative!
10. Visual memory exercises
11. Free rendering/retell activity
12. NEW LESSON/LEARNING! Make sure that the students learn something new every day- review is not the lesson! Especially in the younger years, each new concept should be accompanied by some physical activity.
13. Main Lesson Bookwork and any accompanying assignments
14. Main lesson story
15. Grace
16. Snack/recess routine- consider reading an engaging book out loud for the first 10 minutes- the students are less likely to gobble down their food and it’s a great way to share a book you love while modeling oral reading skills. (My students loved Astrid Lindgren’s, The Brothers Lionheart in 3rd grade!)
Considerations on the above lesson activities:
Movement Activity: I encourage teachers not to place all of their movement activities in the first part of main lesson, but rather to weave “purposeful” movement throughout the morning. For example, when in first grade, place the shelf where the students turn in their main lesson books as far away from the seating arc as possible; have them walk over with their books, place them neatly on the shelf and then do one of the “zoo exercises” (such as getting down on their bellies and wriggling like a snake) back to their seats.
Certainly, in the first grade we need to help the students integrate their physical and etheric bodies, establish dominance and dissolve midline barriers, etc. But, to have 1st-3rd graders do a 45-60 minute “Circle”, (movement, speech, music, pedagogical exercises, etc.) at the beginning of the day and then have them mainly sit for the next hour, is counterproductive and does not work with a child’s natural rhythm.
As the students get older, teachers tend to use early morning movement activities to help get them ready to listen and work. An example would be, sending the students out to run a lap or shoot hoops for 15 minutes. (This type of movement, rather than being “awakening” can actually have the very opposite effect.) I would suggest that a 5 minute “warm up” involving some stretching, yoga postures, etc. followed by interspersed movement activities throughout the morning lesson, would be more fruitful. For example, you could place a 5-10 minute movement activity between the “new learning” presentation and bookwork time; this would allow the students to breathe out a bit and get their circulation moving again after sitting for an hour. I am not talking about a “social break”, but one with purposeful movement. (I always found it very instructive for the teacher to spend an hour plus sitting in the students’ chairs and experience how that feels, physically.)
Final note: If a 3rd – 8th grade teacher is spending 30+ minutes on movement, music and speech at the beginning of every lesson, s/he will find it very difficult to adequately cover the curriculum.
Speech work: Remember to introduce the poem through an imagination or some picture that the students can use as a reference point, an anchor.
Music: You might want to consider alternating days with speech and music so you have more time to develop one or the other. On the days my class had music class (not orchestra), we would just practice speech.
Mental math: Again, on those days that my class had math in a later period, I postponed this until that time. Develop auditory, visual, and kinesthetic mental math exercises so that all children have opportunities to “work in their heads” in different modalities (example: strike glockenspiel a number of times and 1st-2nd graders tell you what number it is, add drum for tens place).
Visual Memory: Draw a form on the chalkboard such as some combination of ( * / + ), allow the students to look at the form for 5-10 seconds then cover it up and ask them to reproduce the form, placing each item as accurately as possible on their slates or practice book. (You could also ask one or more to reproduce it on the chalkboard.) After they have finished, remove your paper off the form and have them check to see how accurate they were- then ask them to make any corrections. You can do variations on this form during any track class, as well. Continue to make it more challenging as their skills improve.
Review of the story: When determining your approach to the review, ask yourself, “What was the major theme of yesterday’s story? What were the major images, concepts, facts of the presentation?” Design your review to focus/highlight these areas. Be creative here! Teachers that “retell” every story are in danger of developing a culture in the classroom where some of the students don’t feel it’s necessary to listen to the story the first day, since it will just be retold on the second. That being said, I would recommend having the class “retell” or act out the story if they are going to be asked to write a composition that basically summarizes the story.
Here are just a few ideas of other approaches to the review besides “retell”:
For 1st through 3rd grades: Story Review
1. Choose a specific subject from the story and focus on that. An example would be remembering the various animals, plants, homes/buildings that appear in the story and their role.
2. Name the various people/characters that appeared in the story in chronological order and what each did.
3. Tell the story backwards.
4. Have the students model with beeswax, clay, etc. a key character in the story. They can all do the same character or assign different characters and then have them line them up according to first appearance.
5. Have the students draw their favorite scene in the story and then tell about the scene or come up in front of the room and place in chronological order.
6. Free renderings are wonderful to do any time.
7. After Grammar introduction in the Third Grade, you could have the children make a list on the board or on paper of the various Proper noun characters that appeared in the story, or you could focus on the verbs that describe the “heroes” actions in the story, or collect the adjectives that would describe a person or place ... etc.
8. Maybe in 2nd, definitely in 3rd, you could write out a summary of the story on the board leaving blanks and have the students fill in the blanks (you can choose to provide possible answers in a list or not). This could then be used to put in their main lesson books.
9. Divide the class into small groups- give each group part of the story to act out- give them a basket full of possible props to use and 5 minutes to come up with their part. Then have them act it out. (This is a good one for Fridays instead of telling them a story.)
10. Bring in items from the story, have the students discuss the role of each.
11. Go outside and have a treasure hunt to find as many things mentioned in the story as possible- could hunt in teams of two. You could add to the objects in the environment, if appropriate.
12. Give each team a character from the story to “dress up” (have a basket of costume items for this available). After 5 minutes, line up the characters and see if the other students can guess who each team had as a subject.
13. Discuss what would have happened to the story if a particular character had done something differently ... especially a “mean” character.
14. Do a chronology of “feelings” ... how did the hero/heroine feel at the beginning of the story, after this event and that event, at the end.
For 4th through 8th grades: Story/Biography Review
1. Review the story by proper nouns, nouns or verbs- as they appear chronologically
2. Write out a summary of the story leaving blanks and have the students fill in the blanks (you can choose to provide possible answers in a list or not)
3. Divide the class into small groups- give each group part of the story to act out- give them a basket full of possible props to use and 10 minutes to come up with their part- act it out
4. Make up a “Jeopardy” type game, divide the class into 2 or 3 teams - remember they have to answer with, “What is ___________?” For example, you could do this with the life of Benjamin Franklin using the categories: Early Years (Birth-18 yr.), Businessman, Scientist, Citizen: his role as a citizen of Philadelphia ( how he made life better for those who lived there) and his role as a citizen of the nation/world.
5. List the chronological events of a person’s life, such as Eleanor of Aquitaine (if on the computer, use larger font), make as many copies as you would need for teams of 2-4, cut each list up so that each event is separate. Mix up each set of events so it is not in chronological order. Hand out a set to each team, give them a certain number of minutes (5 maximum, depending on the number of events) to place the events in chronological order. You can decide whether they can use their notes or not.
6. Identify the first major event or person that dramatically changed the life of the person you are studying- what might have happened if he or she did not have this experience or encounter?
7. Create a “True” or “False” statement game about the character, animal, plant, event, etc.
Ways to Review non-story lessons:
8. Use removable names/labels on maps so that you can remove them and have students replace them
9. “Around the World” – Have a number of questions about the lesson the day before (at least 50% more than you have students). One student stands behind his neighbor’s chair and they both are asked a question about yesterday’s lesson; whoever answers correctly gets to move on to the next chair for a new question. Ties get one more question as do no answers- if tied or no answer again, both students sit down the next two students continue the game. (This can also be used for story lessons.)
10. Ask the students to write review questions- what s/he thought was an important part of the lesson- ask the class the ?s
11. 8th Grade Anatomy- Get a human skeleton (plastic) from a science supply firm, put the names of various bones on separate pieces of paper and have the students attach the papers with tape to the proper part of the skeleton.
Note: you can combine, adjust, be inspired by the above- have fun and make your review serve the assignment or goal of the lesson.
When Planning the New Learning portion of the Lesson:
1. First find an imagination around which you can build the lesson. For example, when telling the biography of Louis XIV of France, draw a picture on the blackboard of a radiating sun. Begin with this image and then connect it to Louis, the “Sun King”.
2. Make a list of the highlights of the lesson, those topics/people/images that you want to include in the presentation.
3. Make a point to include some new vocabulary in your presentation (a few choice adjectives or adverbs at least!)
4. Make a list of any resources/items you might need for the lesson and procure these prior to the morning bell- don’t waste precious time hunting around during class.
5. When presenting the lesson to the students, be mindful of those opportunities when something in the new lesson harkens back to a lesson that you taught them in an early grade or even earlier that year- remind them of this.
6. In the 5th grade, the lesson and the story are often separate presentations ... for example: you might do a lesson on the geography of India and end with the story of “Manu and the Fish”. By the time you get to Ancient Greek History, the story becomes the lesson ... for example: The story of the “Battle of Thermopylae”.
Things to Consider When Creating Student Assignments:
1. Refer to the Skills list or school academic guidelines for your grade and plan your assignments to support a variety of skills.
2. When it comes to student compositions, take into consideration the aspects of writing on which you wish to focus and then be creative in how the assignment will accomplish this. Avoid assigning a composition on “A Day in the Life of a ______” for every block or culture. Strive for at least one writing assignment a week during History blocks. (This includes writing poetry.)
3. Make sure that the instructions of the assignment are very clear. Nothing frustrates students more than to come up short on an assignment because they did not understand what you wanted or how to do what you asked.
4. Group writing assignments can be fun for the students and help develop social relationships, but they are usually time-consuming. I suggest limiting these to maybe 2 a year.
5. There are, however, many wonderful activities that can be done in a group for example: creating a 3-D map, building a diorama, putting on a play or puppet show, etc.
6. Beginning in the spring of First Grade, students can begin to compose very simple sentences. As they move through the grades, opportunities for individual composition should increase until by 5th grade most, if not all of the main lesson books’ written entries, should be the student’s own work, reflecting his/her skills and understanding.
7. Consider doing some of the paintings in painting class on smaller paper and including them in the book. (This is especially great for Botany.)
8. Starting in Third Grade with shelter project, block projects should be part of the annual curriculum. Projects are a wonderful way to allow the students to deepen their work in a specific area while developing a variety of skills. I probably incorporated 5-6 projects every year beginning in the 5th grade (Famous American research biography, Family Tree research project, Ancient Civilization artistic project (visual art), Ancient Greek project (visual, dramatic, music), and a botany journal.)
Physical: “facts”, content/new material
Etheric: verses, habits, rhythms, start/end on time- these activate the rhythmic system
Astral: discussions, creative review, artistic exercises/activity
Ego: working with the soul gesture of the lesson- why is this lesson brought to the students at this time? How does it nurture their development as a human being?
Things to consider when planning a main lesson
1. Nature description (describe something you saw on way to school)
2. Opening verses/songs- In the case of the “morning verse” that
remains the same 1-4, then changes to the “upper grades’ verse” which is said through high school.
3. Movement activities- think this through! I suggest you consider weaving movement throughout the main lesson- not just filling the first part of the morning with lots and lots of “circle” activities. (see note below)
4. Attendance- how will you do this? How much time do you have for this? How will you acknowledge those who are absent? In the first- third grades it is nice to incorporate the singing of different rhythms as you greet each child and have them respond in kind (But, perhaps you only do this singing version the first month or just on Mondays?).
5. Pedagogical exercises- these can be used to help establish dominance, right/left hand awareness, etc. Work with an extra lesson teacher on this.
6. Singing with students- to develop listening skills/community (standing)
7. Speech work- Begin with tongue twisters and/or speech exercises. Work with seasonal and humorous poems or play lines. Have the students stand during this work.
8. “Birthday or individual report verses”- discuss these with your mentor
9. Mental math- use the season or block theme for your inspiration- get creative!
10. Visual memory exercises
11. Free rendering/retell activity
12. NEW LESSON/LEARNING! Make sure that the students learn something new every day- review is not the lesson! Especially in the younger years, each new concept should be accompanied by some physical activity.
13. Main Lesson Bookwork and any accompanying assignments
14. Main lesson story
15. Grace
16. Snack/recess routine- consider reading an engaging book out loud for the first 10 minutes- the students are less likely to gobble down their food and it’s a great way to share a book you love while modeling oral reading skills. (My students loved Astrid Lindgren’s, The Brothers Lionheart in 3rd grade!)
Considerations on the above lesson activities:
Movement Activity: I encourage teachers not to place all of their movement activities in the first part of main lesson, but rather to weave “purposeful” movement throughout the morning. For example, when in first grade, place the shelf where the students turn in their main lesson books as far away from the seating arc as possible; have them walk over with their books, place them neatly on the shelf and then do one of the “zoo exercises” (such as getting down on their bellies and wriggling like a snake) back to their seats.
Certainly, in the first grade we need to help the students integrate their physical and etheric bodies, establish dominance and dissolve midline barriers, etc. But, to have 1st-3rd graders do a 45-60 minute “Circle”, (movement, speech, music, pedagogical exercises, etc.) at the beginning of the day and then have them mainly sit for the next hour, is counterproductive and does not work with a child’s natural rhythm.
As the students get older, teachers tend to use early morning movement activities to help get them ready to listen and work. An example would be, sending the students out to run a lap or shoot hoops for 15 minutes. (This type of movement, rather than being “awakening” can actually have the very opposite effect.) I would suggest that a 5 minute “warm up” involving some stretching, yoga postures, etc. followed by interspersed movement activities throughout the morning lesson, would be more fruitful. For example, you could place a 5-10 minute movement activity between the “new learning” presentation and bookwork time; this would allow the students to breathe out a bit and get their circulation moving again after sitting for an hour. I am not talking about a “social break”, but one with purposeful movement. (I always found it very instructive for the teacher to spend an hour plus sitting in the students’ chairs and experience how that feels, physically.)
Final note: If a 3rd – 8th grade teacher is spending 30+ minutes on movement, music and speech at the beginning of every lesson, s/he will find it very difficult to adequately cover the curriculum.
Speech work: Remember to introduce the poem through an imagination or some picture that the students can use as a reference point, an anchor.
Music: You might want to consider alternating days with speech and music so you have more time to develop one or the other. On the days my class had music class (not orchestra), we would just practice speech.
Mental math: Again, on those days that my class had math in a later period, I postponed this until that time. Develop auditory, visual, and kinesthetic mental math exercises so that all children have opportunities to “work in their heads” in different modalities (example: strike glockenspiel a number of times and 1st-2nd graders tell you what number it is, add drum for tens place).
Visual Memory: Draw a form on the chalkboard such as some combination of ( * / + ), allow the students to look at the form for 5-10 seconds then cover it up and ask them to reproduce the form, placing each item as accurately as possible on their slates or practice book. (You could also ask one or more to reproduce it on the chalkboard.) After they have finished, remove your paper off the form and have them check to see how accurate they were- then ask them to make any corrections. You can do variations on this form during any track class, as well. Continue to make it more challenging as their skills improve.
Review of the story: When determining your approach to the review, ask yourself, “What was the major theme of yesterday’s story? What were the major images, concepts, facts of the presentation?” Design your review to focus/highlight these areas. Be creative here! Teachers that “retell” every story are in danger of developing a culture in the classroom where some of the students don’t feel it’s necessary to listen to the story the first day, since it will just be retold on the second. That being said, I would recommend having the class “retell” or act out the story if they are going to be asked to write a composition that basically summarizes the story.
Here are just a few ideas of other approaches to the review besides “retell”:
For 1st through 3rd grades: Story Review
1. Choose a specific subject from the story and focus on that. An example would be remembering the various animals, plants, homes/buildings that appear in the story and their role.
2. Name the various people/characters that appeared in the story in chronological order and what each did.
3. Tell the story backwards.
4. Have the students model with beeswax, clay, etc. a key character in the story. They can all do the same character or assign different characters and then have them line them up according to first appearance.
5. Have the students draw their favorite scene in the story and then tell about the scene or come up in front of the room and place in chronological order.
6. Free renderings are wonderful to do any time.
7. After Grammar introduction in the Third Grade, you could have the children make a list on the board or on paper of the various Proper noun characters that appeared in the story, or you could focus on the verbs that describe the “heroes” actions in the story, or collect the adjectives that would describe a person or place ... etc.
8. Maybe in 2nd, definitely in 3rd, you could write out a summary of the story on the board leaving blanks and have the students fill in the blanks (you can choose to provide possible answers in a list or not). This could then be used to put in their main lesson books.
9. Divide the class into small groups- give each group part of the story to act out- give them a basket full of possible props to use and 5 minutes to come up with their part. Then have them act it out. (This is a good one for Fridays instead of telling them a story.)
10. Bring in items from the story, have the students discuss the role of each.
11. Go outside and have a treasure hunt to find as many things mentioned in the story as possible- could hunt in teams of two. You could add to the objects in the environment, if appropriate.
12. Give each team a character from the story to “dress up” (have a basket of costume items for this available). After 5 minutes, line up the characters and see if the other students can guess who each team had as a subject.
13. Discuss what would have happened to the story if a particular character had done something differently ... especially a “mean” character.
14. Do a chronology of “feelings” ... how did the hero/heroine feel at the beginning of the story, after this event and that event, at the end.
For 4th through 8th grades: Story/Biography Review
1. Review the story by proper nouns, nouns or verbs- as they appear chronologically
2. Write out a summary of the story leaving blanks and have the students fill in the blanks (you can choose to provide possible answers in a list or not)
3. Divide the class into small groups- give each group part of the story to act out- give them a basket full of possible props to use and 10 minutes to come up with their part- act it out
4. Make up a “Jeopardy” type game, divide the class into 2 or 3 teams - remember they have to answer with, “What is ___________?” For example, you could do this with the life of Benjamin Franklin using the categories: Early Years (Birth-18 yr.), Businessman, Scientist, Citizen: his role as a citizen of Philadelphia ( how he made life better for those who lived there) and his role as a citizen of the nation/world.
5. List the chronological events of a person’s life, such as Eleanor of Aquitaine (if on the computer, use larger font), make as many copies as you would need for teams of 2-4, cut each list up so that each event is separate. Mix up each set of events so it is not in chronological order. Hand out a set to each team, give them a certain number of minutes (5 maximum, depending on the number of events) to place the events in chronological order. You can decide whether they can use their notes or not.
6. Identify the first major event or person that dramatically changed the life of the person you are studying- what might have happened if he or she did not have this experience or encounter?
7. Create a “True” or “False” statement game about the character, animal, plant, event, etc.
Ways to Review non-story lessons:
8. Use removable names/labels on maps so that you can remove them and have students replace them
9. “Around the World” – Have a number of questions about the lesson the day before (at least 50% more than you have students). One student stands behind his neighbor’s chair and they both are asked a question about yesterday’s lesson; whoever answers correctly gets to move on to the next chair for a new question. Ties get one more question as do no answers- if tied or no answer again, both students sit down the next two students continue the game. (This can also be used for story lessons.)
10. Ask the students to write review questions- what s/he thought was an important part of the lesson- ask the class the ?s
11. 8th Grade Anatomy- Get a human skeleton (plastic) from a science supply firm, put the names of various bones on separate pieces of paper and have the students attach the papers with tape to the proper part of the skeleton.
Note: you can combine, adjust, be inspired by the above- have fun and make your review serve the assignment or goal of the lesson.
When Planning the New Learning portion of the Lesson:
1. First find an imagination around which you can build the lesson. For example, when telling the biography of Louis XIV of France, draw a picture on the blackboard of a radiating sun. Begin with this image and then connect it to Louis, the “Sun King”.
2. Make a list of the highlights of the lesson, those topics/people/images that you want to include in the presentation.
3. Make a point to include some new vocabulary in your presentation (a few choice adjectives or adverbs at least!)
4. Make a list of any resources/items you might need for the lesson and procure these prior to the morning bell- don’t waste precious time hunting around during class.
5. When presenting the lesson to the students, be mindful of those opportunities when something in the new lesson harkens back to a lesson that you taught them in an early grade or even earlier that year- remind them of this.
6. In the 5th grade, the lesson and the story are often separate presentations ... for example: you might do a lesson on the geography of India and end with the story of “Manu and the Fish”. By the time you get to Ancient Greek History, the story becomes the lesson ... for example: The story of the “Battle of Thermopylae”.
Things to Consider When Creating Student Assignments:
1. Refer to the Skills list or school academic guidelines for your grade and plan your assignments to support a variety of skills.
2. When it comes to student compositions, take into consideration the aspects of writing on which you wish to focus and then be creative in how the assignment will accomplish this. Avoid assigning a composition on “A Day in the Life of a ______” for every block or culture. Strive for at least one writing assignment a week during History blocks. (This includes writing poetry.)
3. Make sure that the instructions of the assignment are very clear. Nothing frustrates students more than to come up short on an assignment because they did not understand what you wanted or how to do what you asked.
4. Group writing assignments can be fun for the students and help develop social relationships, but they are usually time-consuming. I suggest limiting these to maybe 2 a year.
5. There are, however, many wonderful activities that can be done in a group for example: creating a 3-D map, building a diorama, putting on a play or puppet show, etc.
6. Beginning in the spring of First Grade, students can begin to compose very simple sentences. As they move through the grades, opportunities for individual composition should increase until by 5th grade most, if not all of the main lesson books’ written entries, should be the student’s own work, reflecting his/her skills and understanding.
7. Consider doing some of the paintings in painting class on smaller paper and including them in the book. (This is especially great for Botany.)
8. Starting in Third Grade with shelter project, block projects should be part of the annual curriculum. Projects are a wonderful way to allow the students to deepen their work in a specific area while developing a variety of skills. I probably incorporated 5-6 projects every year beginning in the 5th grade (Famous American research biography, Family Tree research project, Ancient Civilization artistic project (visual art), Ancient Greek project (visual, dramatic, music), and a botany journal.)
The Main Lesson - Planning a Main Lesson Block
It is helpful when planning a main lesson block to use a four fold approach; one that nurtures the soul needs, knowledge foundation, academic skills and artistic skills of the students.
Soul Aspect
The first step in planning any block is to answer the following questions:
1. Why did Steiner suggest that we teach this topic at this particular age? How will this subject help the students evolve/develop at an inner/soul level? (If you don’t know, find out! Ask your mentor or research the subject in the basic educational literature: Study of Man, Practical Advice, Discussions with Teachers, etc.)
2. Are there particular aspects of this study that would especially “meet” my class or certain students in my class?
The answers to these questions will help to inform your choices of curriculum, assignments, etc. as you plan your block.
Knowledge Foundation
(This is the story/lesson content that will supply the images and basis for the students’ academic and artistic skills’ development. It also provides them with an introduction/growing knowledge of their world and an understanding of human evolution.)
1. Select and prioritize those events, biographies, demonstrations, areas of study, etc. that should/could be considered as main lesson topics.
2. Once you have a list of possible lessons, determine how many main lesson periods you have for the block and then decide which of the listed topics/lessons you wish to include in the block. When setting up your block, be sure you have a balance of topics. (For example, in Fifth grade Greek history you would want a balance between the characteristics of the various city states and the life of their citizens, the arts that arose from Ancient Greece, the major wars and individual biographies.) Note: When selecting your lessons, try to be mindful of the way each of the lessons will affect the various temperaments; try to find a balance here, as well. Also, keep in mind that much of our history is very heavily oriented towards male actions and characters. If you have a choice between an archetypal biography that is female or male, I would encourage you to choose the female story. (For example: during the Middle Ages block you could choose to tell the story of Eleanor of Aquitaine instead of a king or knight.) Another consideration are those stories, biographies, etc. that would really meet individual children. (For example: choosing a Chinese Fairy tale in 1st grade because you have a student from that ethnic origin.)
3. After you have laid out the topics/lessons to be covered in your block, begin to identify the archetype, image or metaphor that you will use for each lesson. These serve as an “anchor” and provide the students with a context for the new concept or information. Some examples of this “metaphorical” teaching are listed below:
a. First Grade introduction of the 2 phonetic sounds of “C” might begin with the following story: “When C was born, it looked around and realized that all of the sounds were already taken so it went to the Mayor of Letter Village and asked what it should do. .... (See “Endnote #1 for the rest of the story.)
b. Third Grade introduction to silk in the Textile block could be something to do with the origin of silk being one of the best kept secrets in the world...the Chinese kept the secret of its origin for over 2,000 years.... Follow this with the story of how a Chinese Empress discovered the secret of silk while sipping tea in her garden.
c. A lesson in Fifth grade Botany, which would help the students understand the gifts of the plant world, could be a visualization of what the world would be like without plant life. (Actual exercise can be found in Endnote # 2).
d. In Seventh Grade Renaissance History you could use the image of Petrarch as the first “Modern Man”. (He was the first acknowledged nature poet, tourist, mountain climber-someone who climbed a mountain just to see the view-, auto-biographer, etc.)
Note: In your reviews and discussions, remember to return to this image to help the students anchor the lesson.
Academic Skill Goals
Ask yourself, “What academic skills should be developed or further strengthened during this block? (For example: how to use the dictionary, write a persuasive essay, write up a chemistry demonstration or write a poem using a new poetic style.) A good place to start when identifying academic goals for each block is your school’s curriculum standards or guidelines for your grade. (If you don’t have these, I highly recommend that your faculty work on creating them. It communicates a level of professionalism when a school can state for example, “Every 4th grader that attends this Waldorf school will be taught these academic concepts, regardless of teacher.”)
1. When referring to your school’s academic goals for your grade, identify those that lend themselves to the subject you are going to teach.
2. Once you have identified these academic goals/concepts, look at your lesson plan and see if there are “natural fits”. For example, the introduction of verb tenses with the story of the three Norns in 4th grade Norse Mythology. After filling in the “natural fits”, begin looking for ways to bring in other academic skills. 3. After identifying those academic goals you would like to work with during the upcoming block, begin to plan your lessons and consequent assignments incorporating/utilizing these goals. (An example would be the introduction of map drawing using a grid in 5th grade, the average cost per student of a field trip in 6th grade business math or determining the amount of dirt, compost, boards and plants needed to create a new raised flower bed at the school in a basic geometry lesson.) Of course, when planning, you always need to keep in mind the all important concept of BALANCE; assignments should be varied.
Note: Establishing academic goals for each grade is a cornerstone for the accreditation work that Waldorf schools are currently undergoing. Teachers often find themselves in “hot water” with parents and the school by 5th grade if they have just been “winging” the academic curriculum. This is especially true with language skills, which is not as linear in its development as mathematics.
Artistic Skills Development
1. When looking at this aspect of block planning, we should choose activities that expand the students’ artistic skills through instruction of new techniques in the visual arts, new approaches to poetry and recitation and more challenging pieces of music, both choral and instrumental. To begin with, ask yourself, “What artistic skills need to be strengthened or introduced to my class during this block?” (For example: how to sing in a round in 3rd grade, how to draw a portrait in 6th, or perform a dramatic reading of a play in 7th.)
2. When setting out the day to day plan of your block, be sure to incorporate a balance of the arts throughout.
(Note: our personal artistic gifts serve as an inspiration to our students, but we must make sure that we don’t limit their artistic growth by only teaching to our strengths. Either focus on developing weaker artistic skills during the summer and throughout the year or bring others in to support your weaker areas...we have an obligation to the students to create a curriculum that includes a rich artistic training.
Final Steps
1. Once you have settled on the above, it is time to choreograph the block- how will you set up the lesson/topic flow, integrate music and speech/poetry, which assignments will you include? Always take into consideration the time required for projects, guest speakers, field trips, special school events, etc.
2. Arrange for guest speakers, field trips, etc. (Some of these may need to be done much earlier in the year... identifying those items requiring earlier planning should be part of your summer pre-planning work.)
3. Gather all of the materials you will need for your various lessons. This will take quite a bit of time if you are in a 6th-8th grade science block. (Over the summer, be sure to review the school’s science equipment and order any missing science supplies and equipment that you will need for your various blocks way ahead of time- this will prevent all kinds of headaches.)
4. Prepare the room physically- design blackboard content- consider thematic borders and a major black board drawing (that could serve as an inspiration for the ML book cover), put up thematic paintings, posters, maps, set up “theme areas/table”, gather relevant library books, etc. – whatever will inspire and inform your students about the subject of study.
5. Make decisions about Main Lesson Book entries:
a. Will the book be created horizontally or vertically?
b. Will it be a normal “Waldorf” main lesson book or something different? (Perhaps a parchment-style ship’s log for the Age of Exploration, a blue paged book for Astronomy, or a scrapbook for poetics.)
c. What will be the design/lettering of the cover? What about page titles: will you require certain styles of writing? How will you take them to the next level of title design?
d. What type of writing instrument should they use for written entries? (Graphite pencils, fountain pens, colored pencils)
e. Will any of the pages require a “fold out”, overlay, burned edges/parchment appearance, etc. (prepare for this).
f. What type of artistic work will be included? (water color, shaded drawings, pastels, maps, etc.)
g. What poem/s will you have them enter?
h. How much will be original artwork/design and how much teacher led? (I’m a great believer that every artistic entry 1st-5th should be teacher led with the idea that each assignment helps to develop a new skill, technique, or understanding of how to draw that kind of object, scene, etc. If you do this, by 6th grade your students should have a plethora of skills and be able to design their covers, borders and illustrations with acumen and artistry. Please note: that does not mean that art classes stop! Portraiture, pen and ink drawings...all sorts of new subjects and skills await them.)
i. Will you ask them to proofread their entries? What process will you use for correcting errors?
6. Choose the type of review of the story content and/or academic concept/skill that will best prepare the students for their main lesson book assignment.
7. Begin Learning your story/lesson content, practice your experiments, whatever you have to do to be well prepared to present each lesson.
Endnotes
1.) “When C was born, it looked around and realized that all of the sounds were already taken so it went to the Mayor of Letter Village and asked what it should do. After pondering a bit, the Mayor said, “Go out tonight when the other letters are sleeping and choose a sound you would like to use. I’m sure the letter you choose will be glad to share for it would be an honor to have its sound be chosen. So that night, C, along with its friend G quietly tiptoed about the village listening at the windows of the various letters. Since each letter lightly snored using its sound, the sounds were easy to identify. The M snored with a “mmmmmmm”, the L with a “lllllll” and so forth. The next morning C, accompanied by his friend G, returned to the Mayor’s office and reported the results of his midnight research. “I have a dilemma Mr. Mayor,” said C, “I really like the strength of the sound of K – kkkkk, and yet sometimes I don’t feel strong and active, but rather quiet and gentle, like S and its sound – sssss.” “I tell you what said the Mayor, since you don’t actually have a sound of your own, if it is okay with them, you can use both the K and the S sound as fits your mood.” Delighted with that solution, C hurried over to K and S and asked if it would be okay to use their sounds. Honored to be chosen over all of the letters, both K and S agreed. And since that day, the letter C has spoken with either a KKKK or a SSSS sound, depending on its mood.” - This story could be continued on a similar vein with G wanting a soft sound to and being allowed to use JJJJ.
2.) Lead the students in the following exercise: Ask the students to close their eyes and imagine themselves sitting in a meadow (or some natural place on campus) First ask them to pay attention to the trees nearby, the bushes beneath the trees, the grasses, then the flowers. “Now picture what it would look like without the trees (pause)....without the bushes (pause)....without the flowers (pause) - you are just sitting on the ground surrounded by grass (pause) ...now imagine what it would be like and feel like if all of the grass were gone and all that was left is barren ground.”.....You could continue on from there with a discussion of how the disappearance of each type of plant would affect the animal life that would dwell in the meadow, as well. A wonderful story to follow up this imagination is The Man Who Planted Trees By Jean Giono
Soul Aspect
The first step in planning any block is to answer the following questions:
1. Why did Steiner suggest that we teach this topic at this particular age? How will this subject help the students evolve/develop at an inner/soul level? (If you don’t know, find out! Ask your mentor or research the subject in the basic educational literature: Study of Man, Practical Advice, Discussions with Teachers, etc.)
2. Are there particular aspects of this study that would especially “meet” my class or certain students in my class?
The answers to these questions will help to inform your choices of curriculum, assignments, etc. as you plan your block.
Knowledge Foundation
(This is the story/lesson content that will supply the images and basis for the students’ academic and artistic skills’ development. It also provides them with an introduction/growing knowledge of their world and an understanding of human evolution.)
1. Select and prioritize those events, biographies, demonstrations, areas of study, etc. that should/could be considered as main lesson topics.
2. Once you have a list of possible lessons, determine how many main lesson periods you have for the block and then decide which of the listed topics/lessons you wish to include in the block. When setting up your block, be sure you have a balance of topics. (For example, in Fifth grade Greek history you would want a balance between the characteristics of the various city states and the life of their citizens, the arts that arose from Ancient Greece, the major wars and individual biographies.) Note: When selecting your lessons, try to be mindful of the way each of the lessons will affect the various temperaments; try to find a balance here, as well. Also, keep in mind that much of our history is very heavily oriented towards male actions and characters. If you have a choice between an archetypal biography that is female or male, I would encourage you to choose the female story. (For example: during the Middle Ages block you could choose to tell the story of Eleanor of Aquitaine instead of a king or knight.) Another consideration are those stories, biographies, etc. that would really meet individual children. (For example: choosing a Chinese Fairy tale in 1st grade because you have a student from that ethnic origin.)
3. After you have laid out the topics/lessons to be covered in your block, begin to identify the archetype, image or metaphor that you will use for each lesson. These serve as an “anchor” and provide the students with a context for the new concept or information. Some examples of this “metaphorical” teaching are listed below:
a. First Grade introduction of the 2 phonetic sounds of “C” might begin with the following story: “When C was born, it looked around and realized that all of the sounds were already taken so it went to the Mayor of Letter Village and asked what it should do. .... (See “Endnote #1 for the rest of the story.)
b. Third Grade introduction to silk in the Textile block could be something to do with the origin of silk being one of the best kept secrets in the world...the Chinese kept the secret of its origin for over 2,000 years.... Follow this with the story of how a Chinese Empress discovered the secret of silk while sipping tea in her garden.
c. A lesson in Fifth grade Botany, which would help the students understand the gifts of the plant world, could be a visualization of what the world would be like without plant life. (Actual exercise can be found in Endnote # 2).
d. In Seventh Grade Renaissance History you could use the image of Petrarch as the first “Modern Man”. (He was the first acknowledged nature poet, tourist, mountain climber-someone who climbed a mountain just to see the view-, auto-biographer, etc.)
Note: In your reviews and discussions, remember to return to this image to help the students anchor the lesson.
Academic Skill Goals
Ask yourself, “What academic skills should be developed or further strengthened during this block? (For example: how to use the dictionary, write a persuasive essay, write up a chemistry demonstration or write a poem using a new poetic style.) A good place to start when identifying academic goals for each block is your school’s curriculum standards or guidelines for your grade. (If you don’t have these, I highly recommend that your faculty work on creating them. It communicates a level of professionalism when a school can state for example, “Every 4th grader that attends this Waldorf school will be taught these academic concepts, regardless of teacher.”)
1. When referring to your school’s academic goals for your grade, identify those that lend themselves to the subject you are going to teach.
2. Once you have identified these academic goals/concepts, look at your lesson plan and see if there are “natural fits”. For example, the introduction of verb tenses with the story of the three Norns in 4th grade Norse Mythology. After filling in the “natural fits”, begin looking for ways to bring in other academic skills. 3. After identifying those academic goals you would like to work with during the upcoming block, begin to plan your lessons and consequent assignments incorporating/utilizing these goals. (An example would be the introduction of map drawing using a grid in 5th grade, the average cost per student of a field trip in 6th grade business math or determining the amount of dirt, compost, boards and plants needed to create a new raised flower bed at the school in a basic geometry lesson.) Of course, when planning, you always need to keep in mind the all important concept of BALANCE; assignments should be varied.
Note: Establishing academic goals for each grade is a cornerstone for the accreditation work that Waldorf schools are currently undergoing. Teachers often find themselves in “hot water” with parents and the school by 5th grade if they have just been “winging” the academic curriculum. This is especially true with language skills, which is not as linear in its development as mathematics.
Artistic Skills Development
1. When looking at this aspect of block planning, we should choose activities that expand the students’ artistic skills through instruction of new techniques in the visual arts, new approaches to poetry and recitation and more challenging pieces of music, both choral and instrumental. To begin with, ask yourself, “What artistic skills need to be strengthened or introduced to my class during this block?” (For example: how to sing in a round in 3rd grade, how to draw a portrait in 6th, or perform a dramatic reading of a play in 7th.)
2. When setting out the day to day plan of your block, be sure to incorporate a balance of the arts throughout.
(Note: our personal artistic gifts serve as an inspiration to our students, but we must make sure that we don’t limit their artistic growth by only teaching to our strengths. Either focus on developing weaker artistic skills during the summer and throughout the year or bring others in to support your weaker areas...we have an obligation to the students to create a curriculum that includes a rich artistic training.
Final Steps
1. Once you have settled on the above, it is time to choreograph the block- how will you set up the lesson/topic flow, integrate music and speech/poetry, which assignments will you include? Always take into consideration the time required for projects, guest speakers, field trips, special school events, etc.
2. Arrange for guest speakers, field trips, etc. (Some of these may need to be done much earlier in the year... identifying those items requiring earlier planning should be part of your summer pre-planning work.)
3. Gather all of the materials you will need for your various lessons. This will take quite a bit of time if you are in a 6th-8th grade science block. (Over the summer, be sure to review the school’s science equipment and order any missing science supplies and equipment that you will need for your various blocks way ahead of time- this will prevent all kinds of headaches.)
4. Prepare the room physically- design blackboard content- consider thematic borders and a major black board drawing (that could serve as an inspiration for the ML book cover), put up thematic paintings, posters, maps, set up “theme areas/table”, gather relevant library books, etc. – whatever will inspire and inform your students about the subject of study.
5. Make decisions about Main Lesson Book entries:
a. Will the book be created horizontally or vertically?
b. Will it be a normal “Waldorf” main lesson book or something different? (Perhaps a parchment-style ship’s log for the Age of Exploration, a blue paged book for Astronomy, or a scrapbook for poetics.)
c. What will be the design/lettering of the cover? What about page titles: will you require certain styles of writing? How will you take them to the next level of title design?
d. What type of writing instrument should they use for written entries? (Graphite pencils, fountain pens, colored pencils)
e. Will any of the pages require a “fold out”, overlay, burned edges/parchment appearance, etc. (prepare for this).
f. What type of artistic work will be included? (water color, shaded drawings, pastels, maps, etc.)
g. What poem/s will you have them enter?
h. How much will be original artwork/design and how much teacher led? (I’m a great believer that every artistic entry 1st-5th should be teacher led with the idea that each assignment helps to develop a new skill, technique, or understanding of how to draw that kind of object, scene, etc. If you do this, by 6th grade your students should have a plethora of skills and be able to design their covers, borders and illustrations with acumen and artistry. Please note: that does not mean that art classes stop! Portraiture, pen and ink drawings...all sorts of new subjects and skills await them.)
i. Will you ask them to proofread their entries? What process will you use for correcting errors?
6. Choose the type of review of the story content and/or academic concept/skill that will best prepare the students for their main lesson book assignment.
7. Begin Learning your story/lesson content, practice your experiments, whatever you have to do to be well prepared to present each lesson.
Endnotes
1.) “When C was born, it looked around and realized that all of the sounds were already taken so it went to the Mayor of Letter Village and asked what it should do. After pondering a bit, the Mayor said, “Go out tonight when the other letters are sleeping and choose a sound you would like to use. I’m sure the letter you choose will be glad to share for it would be an honor to have its sound be chosen. So that night, C, along with its friend G quietly tiptoed about the village listening at the windows of the various letters. Since each letter lightly snored using its sound, the sounds were easy to identify. The M snored with a “mmmmmmm”, the L with a “lllllll” and so forth. The next morning C, accompanied by his friend G, returned to the Mayor’s office and reported the results of his midnight research. “I have a dilemma Mr. Mayor,” said C, “I really like the strength of the sound of K – kkkkk, and yet sometimes I don’t feel strong and active, but rather quiet and gentle, like S and its sound – sssss.” “I tell you what said the Mayor, since you don’t actually have a sound of your own, if it is okay with them, you can use both the K and the S sound as fits your mood.” Delighted with that solution, C hurried over to K and S and asked if it would be okay to use their sounds. Honored to be chosen over all of the letters, both K and S agreed. And since that day, the letter C has spoken with either a KKKK or a SSSS sound, depending on its mood.” - This story could be continued on a similar vein with G wanting a soft sound to and being allowed to use JJJJ.
2.) Lead the students in the following exercise: Ask the students to close their eyes and imagine themselves sitting in a meadow (or some natural place on campus) First ask them to pay attention to the trees nearby, the bushes beneath the trees, the grasses, then the flowers. “Now picture what it would look like without the trees (pause)....without the bushes (pause)....without the flowers (pause) - you are just sitting on the ground surrounded by grass (pause) ...now imagine what it would be like and feel like if all of the grass were gone and all that was left is barren ground.”.....You could continue on from there with a discussion of how the disappearance of each type of plant would affect the animal life that would dwell in the meadow, as well. A wonderful story to follow up this imagination is The Man Who Planted Trees By Jean Giono
Sample Template for Waldorf/Steiner Main Lesson Block
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