Class 4

In class 4 the child turns 10 and usually goes through a critical period -the 9 1/2 year change. Through the awakening consciousness of the individuality, the child for the first time experiences the outer world as separate; they realize that their role models are not infallible. This transitional, developmental ‘wilderness’ demands a strength in the teacher to guide with an authority that increasingly can show flexibility as responsibilities are more and more handed over. Individually the children need to find a new relationship to the world.

As new confidence emerges, vigour and eagerness to look at and learn about the world arises; the children need to be challenged and stretched to channel their energy positively.

The teacher aims to meet, through imaginatively presented lessons, the growing interest of the children in more concrete areas of knowledge and to provide them opportunities for more independence in their work.

Ancient Egypt is the generative impulse in the year four class. Stories of the Gods, death and the after-life reflect the child’s changing consciousness, moving from the imaginative to the reality of life quests. Stories of adventure allow the children to work through difficulties and find positive outcomes to all situations. Stories reflecting this are the Myths of Northern Europe. In the stories of the Norse Mythology the children can be shocked about the death of the gentle God Baldur, which comes about through Loki’s cunning. The children have followed Loki’s pranks with joy and often identified with him and devised harmless jokes on others. Many lessons can be learned from this. And the disappearance of the world of the Gods reflects the change of their consciousness.

English/History

On the backdrop of stories from Ancient Egypt, Norse Mythology, History of Writing, Spirituality of the Dreaming, animal stories for the Human Being and the Animal kingdom lesson block, stories from our local region and the arts of Language and Literacy the students will extend their English skills and understanding of extended grammar. They will practice spelling, extend their vocabulary and write stories and accounts of their experiences. This is the year when the teacher might introduce class readers.

Mathematics/Form Drawing/Geometry

The teacher will continue Form Drawing and introduce Freehand Geometry. This is the year for learning Fractions and Number Processes are continued; Children will discover Factors and Multiples. They’ll learn and practice Long Multiplication and Division.

Science/Home Surroundings/ Geography

Students will map their local area after they have learned the basic skills and mapped their school, then the local area, putting every child’s home and the roads connecting everybody and the waterways  into their drawing. In Science they’ll learn about the specialised development of the animal kingdom and the human being in comparison. They’ll explore the senses, physicality and soul characteristics of some animals and discover how we incorporate all those in us.

Arts

The students enjoy singing, playing recorder and their strings instrument, playing in the strings ensemble, pencil shading, wet on wet painting, clay sculpture and drama.

Movement

Students will participate in Eurythmy/Bothmer Gymnastics and traditional Gymnastics with building Pyramids, rhythmic games, cart wheels, practicing the broadsword, boomerang and nulla nulla, dance, bush walking, climbing, swimming and camping, cooperative games, advanced skipping, ball games and cooperative games.

Craft/Technology

These include the making of writing implements, making musical instruments, sewing simple toys, bags, felting and constructing 3D models, in general using and making tools.