Oceans

4-5 conducts an in-depth study of the ocean. Students learn about the role and function of the ocean, basic tools for the promotion of healthy and sustainable marine environment, and protection and conservation of the oceans’ resources. Each student choses a marine animal to research and present to the class. They each create a three dimensional model of the animal, made from recyclable materials.

Mountains and Forests

Much of this thematic unit is based on the novel Peak, which takes place in the Himalayas, with a young boy attempting to summit Mt. Everest. At the same time, we engage in a comprehensive study of geography. This includes learning about major mountain ranges and forests, latitude and longitude, time zones, climate, and an overall understanding of landforms and continents.

Industrial Revolution/Simple Machines

4-5 students dig into some United States history with a study of the shift from an agrarian economy to an industrialized nation. The field trip to the Lowell Mills is the kick-off for this integrated unit that focused on the many facets of an extreme cultural shift. As a way of comprehending the mechanics of the factories, students also learn about simple machines during this unit. They study the six types of simple machines and then get to work constructing each one. Additionally, students are tasked to learn many new vocabulary words, which give them the opportunity to experiment with a variety of study skills.

Poetry and Short Stories

Students study many forms of poetry, including odes, sonnets, haikus, and free verse poems. After much reading, students try their own hands crafting poems, often inspired by the beautiful grounds containing and surrounding Birches School.

Mathematical concepts explored during fourth-grade include: place value, large digit addition and subtraction, adding and subtracting fractions, use of parentheses in number sentences, converting fractions to mixed numbers, converting fractions to decimals, decimal addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, and converting units within the metric system.

A large conceptual focus for fourth graders is multi-digit multiplication. Students practice identifying fact families and using inverse operations to check their answers. Students also work on division concepts. Students applied addition, subtraction, multiplication, and/or division to solve multi-step word problems.

In fifth grade, students cover several key concepts, many of which focus on understanding and manipulating decimals. Students learn to add, subtract, and compare decimals. Fifth graders also focus on solving word problems, practicing multiplication fluency, performing multi-step problems, understanding unit conversions, converting fractions and decimals to percents, algebraic thinking, and articulating math strategies by sharing their thinking aloud and/or in writing. Fifth graders continuously work on building their number sense, solidifying their math vocabulary, and increasing their fluency with facts.

In the fourth and fifth grade classroom, students experience science across multiple topics. Thematic units vary each year; students delve deeply into specific concepts rather than touching superficially across a wide survey of general science. An example of a yearlong unit is titled, Biomimicry: What can nature teach us? Units are designed around concrete essential questions and enduring understandings, while also allowing for flexibility of exploration, based on student inquiry. The science program weaves SEL, mixed-media Art, Engineering, Research, and field trips to Boston area labs and research institutes.

The focus of the 4-5 class is responsibility for oneself and each other. We consistently emphasize the importance of physical and emotional well-being for all students. As they become increasingly autonomous, students begin to manage many different situations independently, in partnerships, and in small groups. Students routinely host meetings to discuss ways to solve problems. They practice weighing the benefits to the individual as well as to the collective. Additionally, as the academic expectations grow with the students’ capabilities, students are encouraged to become self-advocates, taking ownership and seeking help when they need it. Adapting habits of good citizenship and healthy work habits is an ongoing goal in the 4-5 classroom.

Our curriculum offers opportunities for students to learn about the world around them and value the differences they discover. Our Modern World Cultures and Immigration thematic study for the 2022-2023 school year takes students on a journey through the world as they study elements of culture in a variety of countries. This is a year-long, literature-based study that includes novels such as Inside Out and Back Again, Kira Kira, Turtles of Oman, and Return to Sender. Students learn about the intricacies of culture as well as the courage and strength of immigrants. Through this multidisciplinary unit, students gain an awareness of the world’s diversity and build empathy for the experiences of others.