A Day in the Life of a 3rd through 5th Grade Journeyer at Clark Fork School
Our small community gathers for morning meeting at 8:30 am. At this important briefing, we greet each other, discuss the day's schedule, and focus on one of five daily morning meeting themes including Earth-shaping events, Word Wonders, Community Living/Life Skills, Current Events or Logic Skills. Often, we end morning meeting with some Animal Forms yoga or Brain Gym exercises to get focused for a great day of learning.
Mathematics
Our 45-minute math focus begins at 9:00am. We often begin with a short math game or song. Then Journeyers
head to their desks for individual work. Small groups gather at the circle table to work with teacher, Carrie, on
specific skills. While Kris teaches small group lessons, Parent Math Assistants rove the classroom to help Journeyers with individual questions. Journeyers work their way through the Singapore Math curriculum, building solid skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, geometry, fractions, measurement, decimals, word problem/logic skills and mental math skills. Our small class size allows us to shift Journeyers with varying interests and aptitudes into suitable levels of the curriculum. Those who require extra time and practice are
given that opportunity. Those who grasp things quickly progress at their own accelerated pace. At the end of math, a 30-minute snack/outside time break helps to recharge our batteries.
Phenology and Study of our World
Journeyers return to the classroom ready for some brief stretching or other focusing exercises and then move right into our morning phenology focus. Phenology, or the study of seasonal change, invites Journeyers to engage in an integrated and in-depth study of our neighborhood, community, state, region, and beyond. We focus on learning about different aspects of the natural world while simultaneously learning real-world skills in math, reading, writing, geography, and science. We graph photoperiod and daily temperatures, record daily weather while practicing cursive handwriting, calculate average temperatures, read about the different counties in Montana, report on Montana history, convert between Fahrenheit and Celsius degrees, study moon phases, identify local flora and fauna, and much more.
Reading
Once phenology winds down, quiet reading begins. Each day, Journeyers take part in a 35-minute quiet reading session where they independently read chapter books. Throughout the school year, Journeyers participate in book clubs to further develop reading comprehension, inference, and vocabulary skills. Also, Journeyers do a book talk upon completion of each chapter book read during the school year. During book talks, Journeyers give an oral presentation to summarize the book they’ve read and give their recommendations to others. Each month, Journeyers visit the Missoula County Public Library for learning and to check out books for classroom use.
Writing
After a 1-hour lunch and outside time, Journeyers get journals out for a Sentence of the Day, focusing on a lesson in grammar and punctuation. Journeyers also fine tune printing skills and work to learn or improve cursive skills. Once written skills are solid, Journeyers have the choice to learn keyboarding through the PAWS computer program. Writer’s Workshop begins as grammar lessons wrap-up. Journeyers spend 30 to 40 minutes doing creative writing projects, sometimes self-directed pieces other times assigned projects focused on a particular style of writing such as persuasive, informational, descriptive, expository or poetry. Journeyers hone skills in the writing process throughout the school year.
Nature, Science, Thematic Studies, and Fine Arts
In the afternoon, our learning turns towards integrated, nature-based studies, in-depth thematic studies, and fine arts. Research and report writing, experiments, creative writing, drama, poetry, music, and art are all interwoven into a broader yearly theme. Yearly themes consist of Communities, Explorations, Interdependency, Cultures and Change with specific science foci within each theme. Students rotate through these themes on a 5-year cycle, from 1st through 5th grade.* All activities and in-depth studies are designed to meet a broad range of abilities and interests as well as incorporate a diverse set of learning styles.
As a nature-based school, we take time weekly to get out into the natural world. Weekly saunters into our community help us not only to practice our scientific observation skills and nature journaling but also to build a responsible and loving relationship with our world. Weekly art and music explorations, sometimes jointly with younger students, encourages the creative and social development of our Journeyers.
Thank You Circle
Each day we end with a Thank You Circle, taking time to be grateful for all of the gifts in our lives and for a good day together. Journeyers pack up their backpacks and school is dismissed at 2:30pm.
*A full Primary Program rotational cycle available upon request.
Core curricula for 3rd through 5th grade at Clark Fork School
* This is an overview of the core curricula used at the Journeyer level. Please note that some supplemental curricula is used as well, as needed and when appropriate. Science / Social Studies curricula changes depending on our yearly theme.
Reading
Junior Great Books, Starting Off Strong series, Great Books Foundation
http://store.greatbooks.org/index.php?cPath=1_28_39_48
Writing
Step-Up-To-Writing, Sopris West Educational Services, A Cambium Learning Company
http://store.cambiumlearning.com/ProgramPage.aspx?parentId=019005278&functionID=009000008&site=sw
Units of Study for Teaching 3rd–5th grade Writing, Heinemann Publication
http://books.heinemann.com/products/E00870.aspx
Math
Singapore Math, Singapore Math Incorporated
http://www.singaporemath.com/
