Grade School Curriculum

History & Social Sciences

Pulitzer prize winning author and historian, David McCullough, exclaims "History is not about names, dates and battles. History is about life!"

The wisdom and timeless lessons of ancient civilizations are portrayed in the music, art, foods, medicine, landscapes, climate, beliefs and drama of the times. Biographies of both famous and common people combine with practical and artistic activities so students can discover the human experience of each era on a meaningful, personal level.

Waldorf teachers rely on the oral tradition, a powerful, proven method of imparting important pedagogical substance that touches each student. Through these stories, emotions are engaged and rise into the cognitive sphere, becoming available content for future ideas and concepts. Teachers are able to make the most of a story by directing details to the student who will benefit most. Clara Barton's struggle with extreme shyness, Marie Curie's insatiable passion for science or Frederick Douglass's mistreatment as a slave all resonate differently in each child. Today, storytelling has nearly disappeared, yet the value of imparted wisdom through storytelling remains a profoundly human need in our modern time.

One of the goals in the social studies program is to encourage children to learn about practical things by doing. There is a de-emphasis on testing; our school stresses a hands-on approach to learning.

For example in the third grade the children study farming and house building. They grow and harvest foods themselves. They examine how houses are built and then build a play house themselves as a class, or they build small-scale models of dwellings. They travel to a farm and work in groups doing farm chores. These are experiences they will never forget, experiences which anchor what they’ve learned in ways appropriate to their age.

In the fourth and fifth grades they are developmentally prepared to step out of their environment and look at it objectively. The study of local geography and local history helps them recognize their place in the world around them, starting at home and school and extending to the state of New Jersey. In the fifth grade they move on to North American geography and later, world geography.

The children combine studies of literature, history and social studies as they study the myths, religions, and cultures of ancient peoples. This study also serves as a foundation for the understanding of their own culture and way of life. The usual historical progression in Waldorf schools is:

Third Grade: Hebrew Scriptures, including aspects of Judaism / Pioneer Life

Fourth Grade: Norse mythology / Native American Lenape Life

Fifth Grade: Ancient Civilizations of India, Persia, Egypt and Greece, including the Life of Buddha

Sixth Grade: Ancient Rome, the Middle Ages, Islam, the Crusades, the Life of Muhammad, the Life of Christ

Seventh Grade: The Renaissance and Reformation / The Age of Discovery / World and European History

Eighth Grade: The Age of Revolutions, Individual Responsibilities and Duties