The goal of the Elementary II program is for students to make an active contribution toward the improvement of the quality of life for our present communities and future generations. This classroom fosters active community participation, an understanding of human rights and responsibilities, and the valuing of multiple perspectives. Students begin to expand their knowledge - learning how to play an active role in developing ethical and sustainable practices in our environmental and social communities. To do this, the Social Studies curriculum’s overarching theme is based on a social ecological foundation, giving students a basis for developing their understanding of the interrelationships between people, societies and the environment.

Elementary II students will look at what healthy eco-systems look like in relationship to human culture. Through this process, students examine social communities, and the environment in past and current cultures. The rich and diverse ecological focus in this room is based on four pillars that create the foundation of ecological awareness:

• The first pillar is the natural environment
• The second pillar is the living world
• The third pillar is sustainability
• The fourth pillar is community

The goal is to understand that nature and people are not separate but actually interwoven in the tapestry of the ecosystem. Also, it is essential for students to understand that there are a wide range of diverse cultures past and present that have lived upon this earth. Students are taught to think critically about the practices they learn and consider the impact and relationships different cultures have had with their environment and others. The past and present are used as a springboard to the future. After examining practices and the challenges of history and our current times, students imagine a future of which they would like to be a part. Experiential learning opportunities are an instrumental part of the curriculum and will take place in the classroom, in the wetland behind the school, within our local community, and on field trips.

What you might see:

• Students building a three dimensional interactive community out of clay.
• Students exploring different regions of Vermont in order to directly experience the natural habitats.
• Students exploring and comparing an organic and conventional farm to understand the impact farming has had on the land. After students return to the classroom they discuss what they observed, if methods used were sustainable, and what changes they might make.
• Students creating natural history time-lines in small groups.
• A student presenting his/her personal interest project on "Green Architecture" in an urban environment.

The Elementary II classroom is an engaging and innovative environment in which students learn about themselves, about others, and about the world around them. A primary way they engage in this process is through a dynamic and multi-disciplinary language and literacy program. The language and literacy curriculum is based off of Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell’s book, Guiding Reading and Writers, Grades 3–6, Teaching Comprehension, Genre, and Content Literacy.

By developing strategies for comprehension and fluency, the students will gain confidence and increased enjoyment in reading and writing. Also, they will grow in their knowledge and language and literacy skills while reading, discussing news events, and conducting research for projects. As students notice connections, they will broaden their understanding and be able to make meaning of the world around them and will deepen their ability to use literacy as a multifaceted tool.

The writing program includes teacher-directed instruction in Writing Workshops and daily writing times with an emphasis on the process. In the Elementary II classroom students work on focused writing assignments that include, but are not limited to, expository and creative writing, as well as informational essays. Listening and speaking skills also play a major role in language development. As children communicate with each other, they work toward greater awareness of themselves and the impact of their use of language and tone on those around them. Ways to communicate and listen effectively are explored during meeting time, explore time, and throughout the day. Throughout the year, a broad language/literacy framework will include language and word study, read-aloud, reading, writing, poetry, and the visual and performing arts.

What you might see:

• A community of engaged learners reading independently or working with a partner or teacher during readers workshop.
• A student reading a story he/she has written to classmates, parents, and community members.
• Students generating their own topics for writing and keeping ongoing notebooks of resources where they record ideas for future writing in a variety of forms.
• Students coming to class prepared with a summary and opinion paper based on a newspaper article they will share and discuss with class.

The TERC Investigations in Numbers, Data, and Space curriculum offers students meaningful mathematical problems from hands-on activities to develop certain skills. This curriculum is correlated to meet NCTM Standards. Investigations emphasizes depth in mathematical thinking rather than superficial exposure to a series of fragmented topics. The goal of the mathematics curriculum is to supply each student with the skills and confidence to apply mathematical concepts in increasingly complex ways. Students are given opportunities to apply their knowledge to real-life situations, and learn that math is an integral part of their everyday lives.

Students learn to work individually, in small groups, and as a whole group when exploring mathematical topics. Throughout the year, students will explore a wide range of mathematical topics. Some specific mathematical areas studied include: Two-and three dimensional geometry, measurement including the American and metric system, data collection, base ten number system, fractions, percents, decimals, multiplication and division, functions and algebra concepts, and pattern comprehension (tessellations, fractals, fibriaci pattern, etc.).

What you might see:

• Students solving mathematical or logical thinking games or puzzles in groups, learning to work cooperatively, explaining their thinking and reasoning to others, and listening and learning from their classmates.
• Students building and investigating models of numbers with graph paper and square tiles while seeing that visual and concrete models can help them gain important insights into mathematical ideas.
• Students solving problems that make sense to them, thereby valuing their own unique problem-solving approaches and computational strategies.
• Students making open rectangular boxes from graph paper and finding ways to determine how many cube or "packages" of cubes fit inside. This hands-on activity helps students learn the structure of the rectangular boxes they are trying to measure, as well as the structure of the cube arrays that fit inside.
• Students participating in Number Chat in which they practice basic computational skills particularly in multiplication and division.

Students use the scientific method to describe, investigate, and explain phenomena. Students raise questions, develop tests and hypotheses, seek consultation with others, revise conclusions, and work to seek clarity. During this process, they will consider other students' diverse viewpoints. Students will draw from prior knowledge and their imagination to pursue inductive and deductive reasoning to understand a certain principle, hypothesis, or their observations. Our goal is that students will come to value science as a process and learn that science like many curriculum areas is relevant to their lives. Students present information to children of many ages providing opportunities for further exploration through inquiry and continued experimentation. Students are expected to design and follow through on projects that arise from personal or community questions.

In an effort to encourage deeper understanding of what students are learning, science topics and projects are often integrated with other disciplines. The focus on Ecology provides a strong interdisciplinary framework to apply critical thinking skills and the interrelationships between disciplines. Elementary II teachers focus a great deal on experiential education and frequently take field trips and use the wetlands behind the school for hands-on science activities. Each student will also explore the many and varied contributions to science, mathematics, and technology by people of many cultures.

What you might see:

• Students exploring forces and motion through simple design construction projects. Understand the basic properties of matter (solid, liquid, gas), and energy sources and transformations from one form of matter to another.
• Students observing the seasonal growth patterns of on-sight wetland trees.
• Students taking soil samples to understand their composition as acidity.
• Students observing a leaf, making a hypothesis about how its shape evolved, and then developing, through research, using the scientific method, ways to discover if the hypothesis is valid or not.
• Students going to a local quarry to understand the geological history of that area.

One of our main goals is for each student to begin the never-ending process of observing and understanding themselves. They begin to discover individual strengths, gifts, and potential, as well as areas in which they struggle. Through this process, students will begin to recognize that no one stands alone, that we are all interrelated, and that by helping and sharing with each other, by acting with compassion and kindness, we end up helping ourselves. The development of self-awareness starts on the first day. Through meditation and reflection, each student begins to understand the nature of the self. Throughout the year, students are expected to engage in active listening skills and in quieting their mind. They will explore relaxation techniques and critical thinking to peacefully solve conflicts. Through this on-going process, students will begin to let go of ego-centrism and thereby have a deeper sense of understanding about others' differing perspectives, laying the foundation for living in a pluralistic society.

What you might see:

• Students listening to differing viewpoints with sensitivity and respect.
• Students honoring the work of self and others.
• Students willingly sharing in the care of the classroom environment and offering help beyond assigned responsibilities.
• Students using materials with purpose, creativity, and experimentation, and depositing them in the appropriate place when finished.
• Students viewing a given situation from a multitude of perspectives and demonstrating that they are also self-aware of their own ideas and feelings.

Ongoing opportunities for artistic expression help to develop creative thought, self-discovery and aesthetic awareness. As the art curriculum emphasizes the process rather than the product, students engage and explore with a variety of materials while being willing to make mistakes.

What you might see:

• Students using natural materials to create an art piece in an outdoor forum while at the same time observing that the project is impermanent.
• Students drawing a picture after meditating and then writing about what their thinking was during their artistic expression.
• Students cooperatively constructing a multi-leveled 3-D building using blocks.

Service learning creates an understanding of community responsibility in students. The Elementary II students focus on the importance of community, and how each of them is responsible for giving to and helping local human and environmental communities. Students not only participate in projects but also discuss the impact of these projects on the greater community. Beginning as classroom jobs, and roles in the classroom, students begin engaging their services to the external communities. At the end of the year, each student will be involved in small group-developed service learning project.

What you might see:

• Students noticing a local beaver pond polluted by trash. They decide to take the initiative to clean it up and write letters to local business’s to help keep that environment clean and healthy.
• Students writing letters to organizations to help support environmental and social issues.
• Students creating in small groups their own service learning projects to help the local social and environmental communities.

Movement and health are integral in every student's growth. Whether it is running around during an outside game, dancing together, yoga, stretching, learning about food and its impact on our bodies, balance practice, the students are actively engaged throughout the day. In fact, much research has shown that physical movement during parts of the day is essential for optimal learning in all areas.

What you might see:

• Students involved in a cooperative game in which they have to discover certain plants or trees in the on-site wetland in a certain amount of time. Once they find the tree they are looking for, they have to run back to a certain area, and then proceed to find the next organism.
• Students stretching in yoga poses while learning about their bodies, building core strength, and finding their centeredness.
• Students having a dialogue about food. In particular, they are discussing where it comes from, whether it is local or not, whether it is organic or conventional, whole food or processed, and the impact that has on our bodies and the environment.