Academic Programs : Elementary : Curriculum

Elementary Curriculum

Mathematics

Mathematics is presented in concrete terms which appropriately match the developmental abilities of the Elementary child.  Evergreen School uses all of the recommended Montessori math materials and succinctly prepares each child for his/her natural evolution toward mathematical abstraction.  Elementary children explore the nature of math and over time develop a deep and innate understanding of the workings of mathematics, taking them far beyond the problem-and-answer level of understanding.  By the time the Elementary child finishes Upper Elementary, he/she will have thoroughly grasped abstract reasoning and will have the ability to understand and apply difficult mathematical concepts.

Scope and Sequence

• The History of Numbers
• Place value
• Basic operations
  • Addition: facts and working with large numbers, static and dynamic
  • Subtraction: facts and working with large numbers, static and dynamic
  • Multiplication: multiples and factors, Associative and Commutative properties, squares, cubes, and powers
  • Division: facts and long division
• Measurement
• Word problems
• Logic
• Fractions
  • Concepts and operations
  • Equivalences
  • Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
• Algebra
• Geometry
  • Point, plane, and solid
  • Angles
  • Closed figures
  • Triangles
  • Quadrilaterals
  • Polygons
  • Area and Perimeter
• Trigonometry
  

Language

Our language program consists of the history of language, reading, grammar, written language, spoken language, and literature study.  Students have ample opportunity, on a daily basis, to practice these important language areas.  Students give oral presentations on a daily basis through reading aloud, sharing, current events, or oral reports.  Students are encouraged to explore their ideas verbally in individual or group sessions.  This gives students the opportunity to practice and develop critical thinking skills that are crucial in the process of discovery.

Scope and Sequence

• History of Language
• Reading
• Vocabulary
• Word Study
• Use of dictionary
• Grammar
  • Parts of speech
  • Sentence analysis
• Spelling
• Writing Skills
  • Sentence syntax and structure
  • Paragraph structure
  • Topic, research and essay papers
  • Book reports
  • Creating writing and poetry
  • Revision and editing
• Oral Presentation
• Listening Skills
• Research Skills

History

Factual story telling, charts, maps, and detailed timelines are the tools used to express the richness of the Montessori Elementary history curriculum.  Students begin their exploration of history by first exploring their own heritage, and by developing an understanding of the passage of time. Students study the history of the universe, the earth, and humans.  The exploration of the history of humans is guided by the study of the common needs of humans through time.

Scope and Sequence

• Timeline of Life
• Timeline of people
  • Personal history
  • Personal timline
  • Family tree
  • Cultural heritage
• Time
  • Days and weeks
  • Months and years
  • Past, present, future
• Fundamental Needs of Humans
• Introduction to civilizations
  • Ancient civilizations
  • Age of Exploration
  • Colonization
• Maryland history and government
• U.S. history and government

Cultural and Physical Geography

The geography curriculum is divided into the two main subject areas of cultural and physical geography.  Students begin their exploration of the earth with its formation and its ongoing changes and emerge from the Elementary program with a strong introductory knowledge of cultures around the world, with a thorough knowledge of our continents and their countries, and prepared to take a more detailed look at world cultures currently and historically in Upper Elementary. The geography program is complemented by International Children's Day; our school-wide exploration of the different cultures within our own community.  Elementary students complete an in-depth study of their own cultures and create a travel suitcase for our international exhibit with artifacts from their own cultures.

Scope and Sequence

• Knowledge of the earth:  formation and composition
  • Layers of the earth
  • Gravity
• Map Work
  • Study of the world map
  • Compass and directions
  • Latitude and longitude
  • Cartology
• The earth’s atmosphere
• Zones and global climates
  • Weather
  • Seasons
• Geographical features
  • Land and water forms
  • Erosion
  • Volcanos
  • The seven continents
• Cultures and populations
• Political divisions: countries, states, and cities

Life Sciences/Biology

The life sciences program at the Elementary level focuses on Botany and Zoology.  Students carefully study and observe the physiology and needs of plants and animals.  Students begin their initial study in the classroom and then move on to “field work” at our local parks, gardens, and National Zoo.  Students learn and practice the basic tenets of scientific observation and learn to document their observations, develop conclusions, and report their findings.  Through our community service program, Save the Planet, Save Ourselves, a practical aspect of the biology curriculum is applied as students begin to understand, through direct experience, the role they play in the delicate balance of all life on earth; this understanding is further demonstrated in the outdoor exploration of ecosystems with an emphaiss on interdependence.

Scope and Sequence

• Timeline of Life
• Classification of plants, animals, and fungi
• Water plants
• Land plants
• Invertebrates
• Vertebrates
• Plant and animal care
• Identification, needs, and parts of plants
  • Flowers, seeds, and fruits
• Photosynthesis
• Identification, needs, and parts of animals
  • External parts of animals
  • Internal parts of animals
• Fossils
• Anatomy and physiology
  • Systems of the human body
• Environnmental science
• Introductiion to the microscope

Natural Sciences

This curriculum focuses on the elements of the basis of life, the laws that govern the natural world, and the fundamentals of our solar system.  Through a hands-on learning approach, students conduct a variety of different experiments to further their understanding of the natural sciences.

Scope and Sequence

• Explanations for creation
• Matter
  • Atoms
  • Molecules
  • Periodic Table of Elements
  • States and changes of matter
• Astronomy
  • The earth and the sun
  • The life cycle of stars
  • The solar system
• Chemistry
  • Elements
  • Chemicals
  • Mixtures
  • Solutions
  • Reactions
• Physics
  • Energy and motion
  • Electricity
  • Electromagnetic spectrum
  • Light
  • Sound and sound waves
  • Mechanics: levers, pulleys, ramps, and force

Spanish

The Spanish program is an integrated part of the Elementary classroom.  Educational areas are labeled in English and Spanish, providing regular opportunity for children to make connections with their regular studies to Spanish.  As children advance in their working and applicable knowledge of the language, their presentations move toward a more bilingual format as appropriate.  One lunch period a week is designated as “Spanish Lunch,” during which only Spanish is spoken.  The Spanish curriculum focuses on the cultures of Spanish-speaking countries and is directly integrated with our Cultural and Physical geography curriculum.  Spanish-speaking cultures are brought to life through live presentations from representatives from a variety of Latin cultures.

Scope and Sequence

• Introduction to Spanish-speaking countries
• Reading and comprehension
• Grammar, sentence structure, and syntax
• Spoken language
• Games and songs
• Food
• Cultural aspects of grace and courtesy

Music

Our Music program is a comprehensive program that ranges from musical mechanics to cultural musical experiences.

Scope and Sequence

• Music appreciation
• Singing and vocal technique
• Movement
• Family of instruments and the orchestra
• Music literacy:  notation, mechanics, and tempo dynamics
• Musical composition
• Music history: composers, styles, and their place in history

Art

A balance between projects and theory is maintained while students work with color, line, balance, and composition using a variety of media. Students are encouraged to include art work in all projects and reports as well as create gifts for family and friends.

Scope and Sequence

• History and culture
• Artistic techniques
• Aesthetic perception and judgment
• Analysis of art
• Production
• Care of materials and the environment