"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education." Mark Twain

HISTORY - Elementary Curriculum

The History curriculum begins by allowing the child to experience and learn about the concepts of time in order to prepare the child for the study of history.

Concepts of Time and Culture

The passage of time is conveyed to the early elementary student through a series of activities. Some of these activities include:

• class diaries
• study of days and months
• introduction to the clock
• history of the child
• exploration of the fundamental tenses (past, present and future)

The foundation of the history work begins with a study of the needs and tendencies of humans throughout time. The student explores how humans share common needs, and studies human adaptation in different times and cultures.

Natural and Human History

Natural History is the next area of study. The child discovers how much time passed before human history begins, and how human history accounts for a very small portion of time.

The study of human history begins by discussing the evolutionary theory. The child learns about human evolution from Australopithecine to Homo sapiens. The child explores artefacts to discover how early humans might have lived and how time periods acquired their name.

The child continues a study of human history by looking at ways that humans combined and grouped together to ensure survival and continuation. This includes study of ancient and modern civilizations.

GEOGRAPHY - Elementary Curriculum

The Geography curriculum begins by presenting stories of the formation of the universe. These stories are combined with experiments and demonstrations to provide the child with a sense of awe and wonder in the world around them.

Conducting Physical Experiments

The child is provided with the opportunity to conduct experiments to discover the physical laws of the universe such as:

• gravity
• inertia
• fricton

The child is left with the impression that there are rules and order to the universe.

Studying the Earth

The children's study of geography will move from the universe to the earth. A variety of concepts are explored through experimentation and demonstration. The topics covered are as follows:

• The Movement of the Earth and its Consequences (day/night, time differences, seasons.)
• The Lithosphere (history of the earth rocks and minerals, composition of the earth's crust, plate tectonics, mountain building)
• The Atmosphere (characteristics, layers, importance as a protector and insulator, wind, high and low pressure zones)
• The Hydrosphere (cloud formation, cloud types, the water cycle, types of rain, water currents, erosion, rivers, glaciers.)
• The Biosphere (vegetation, animals and people in different regions.)
• Human Geography (interdependencies, producers, consumers, trade, government and common services, import, export.)