Lower Elementary Arts
Visual Arts
The Lower Elementary program offers students an opportunity to study art in a structured and safe environment. Students experiment with a variety of art techniques and materials such as printmaking, painting, sculpture, drawing and collage. In addition to art creation students will also improve their art vocabulary and investigate art history through visual reference, group discussion and critique. Projects are designed for each class based on three criteria:
- Students' previous knowledge and experience
- Cross-curriculur collaboration
- Goals outlined in the Visual and Performing Arts Framework for California
Each art activity will introduce a new art material and technique, encourage critical thinking and problem solving, and promote original thinking and art making.
Music
It is the goal of the music program to provide students with classroom and performance experiences in music, dance and drama. The curriculum broadens their cultural perspective, encourages creativity and inspires students to deepen their study in the arts. When possible, the activities are correlated to core subject areas and classroom themes. The students have two music classes in each six-day cycle. The music curriculum encourages all students to:
The music curriculum encourages all students to:
- Sing alone and with others using a varied repertoire of music
- Perform on instruments alone and with others
- Improvise melodies, variations and accompaniments
- Read and notate music
- Listen to, analyze and describe music
- Evaluate music and music performances
- Understand relationships between music and other disciplines
- Understand music as an expression of history and cultures
Lower Elementary Science
Students are encouraged to work as young scientists using an inquiry method. Inquiry is central to what it means to be a learner; a curious and involved person. Students also benefit from, and are motivated by, being able to pursue answers to questions they ask. Engaging in active investigation and analytical thinking, they learn how to implement experiences and advance their scientific understanding as they develop hypothesis, take risks, and record their results. The science curriculum is developmentally appropriate and interdisciplinary in scope. Using many of the ideas and concepts from the Council for Elementary Science International, California Department of Education Science framework and the National Science Teachers Association, the Lower School Science program focuses on four areas of curriculum:
- Investigation and Experimentation
- Physical Science
- Earth Science
- Life Science
