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Lower School CurriculumClick on the subjects below to learn more about the course offerings in the Lower School. CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE LS CURRICULUM MAP.
- Art
Drawing and painting techniques; tissue collage; clay and pottery designs; computer art; tessellations; recycling art and sculptures; weaving; mask making; art history and appreciation. Read more
- Computer
Keyboarding; word processing; process writing; research; communication and presentation skills; knowledgeable and appropriate Internet use. Read more
- Foreign Language
TK-4: Students develop an enjoyment of language learning, cultural appreciation, listening and conversational skills, and some reading and writing skills through developmentally appropriate activities, songs, stories, and games in Spanish. Grade 5: Students choose to continue their Spanish language study or to participate in an introduction to French. Read more
- Guidance
Age appropriate development of social/emotional skills: social relationships; self-awareness; feelings; friendships; cooperation; responsibility; communication; understanding differences; decision-making; conflict resolution; drug education; peer pressure; stress management; puberty education. Read more
- Information Skills
Today's students live and learn in a world that is continually changing. Information is being mass produced and is readily available for intellectual consumption. Students have to be literate in a variety of media formats. Students at Greensboro Day School will gain a solid foundation in literature, information skills, and navigating a media center beginning in the Lower School. Our youngest students begin learning to be effective users of information and to think critically when choosing personal and assigned reading materials. The Information Skills Curriculum at Greensboro Day School is continually evolving to stay current with the changes in a world where multimedia and communication constantly expands. Our goal is to identify the essential knowledge and skills necessary for students to be able to locate, analyze, evaluate, interpret, and communicate information and ideas in our technology-rich society. Authentic practice is key to students' success in the classroom and in the world beyond. Read more
- Language Arts
TK: The emphasis is on the development of oral language skills, letter recognition, sound/symbol relationships, recording speech, and beginning writing.
K-5th: Language arts, including reading/literature, composition, speaking, grammar, and vocabulary/spelling are taught at all levels. A variety of approaches are used to develop a strong skill base in both decoding and comprehension; those skills are then applied in meaningful ways in both reading and written expression. Literature selections are based on readiness, learning preferences, and interests. A variety of written products is taught: stories, poems, letters, journals, plays, and descriptive writing. Read more
- Math
The mathematics curriculum is based upon the premise that clear, conceptual mathematics understanding is more important than the memorization of algorithms. A hands-on, problem-solving approach begins with the concrete and moves to symbolic representation. Number sense and numeration, mathematical reasoning, concepts of operations and computation, patterns and relationships, measurement, geometry and spatial sense, algebraic notation, and place value are all elements that spiral through the curriculum. Read more
- Music
Transitional Kindergarten: Singing and playing musical instruments in the classroom.
Kindergarten - Grade 4: Matching pitch, steady beat, rhythmic patterns, and listening activities; glockenspiel and xylophone; recorders; composers. Grade 5: Band/chorus/strings.
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- Physical Education & Health
In the Lower School, physical education units studied include motor development, fitness, steady beat, eye-hand coordination, modified gymnastics, dance, and lead-up games skills (striking, throwing, catching). Read more
- Science
TK: Animals; Habitats; LEGO Labs; Rollercoasters; Magic of Science Kindergarten: Habitats; Marine Life; 5 Senses; Health;LEGO Labs; Animal Classification 1st Grade: Insects and Spiders; Earth, Sun, and Moon; States of Matter; Human Body; Dinosaurs; Vertebrates 2nd Grade: Flowers, Seeds, and Soil; Rainforest; Predators/Prey 3rd Grade: Nutrition; Archaeology; Magnets; Electricity; Women in Science; Water 4th Grade: Geology; Recycling; Wetlands and Pond Ecology; Flight; Simple Machines 5th Grade: Plants and Trees; Human Body Systems; Space Read more
- Social Studies
TK: Study of self, family, and community through Language Arts program; Japan Kindergarten: Units of study include "Me" (uniqueness), community helpers, early settlers, China, famous people, fire prevention and safety, dental health 1st Grade: GDS/People at Work, how people in the world live an work together, communication, Australia 2nd Grade: Citizenship in the school, city, state, and world, Greensboro economics, Costa Rica/Brazil 3rd Grade: Comparative study of four different communities, Native Americans, North Carolina, Kenya 4th Grade: Colonial Period, American Revolution, Western Europe, North Carolina people, places, economy, and history 5th Grade: U.S. geography and selected history topics, Pioneers/Westward expansion, Civil War, immigration Read more
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