|
Curriculum
Hearthstone's curriculum is designed to nurture and
educate the whole child, "head, heart, and hands." Children are encouraged
to see meaning and purpose, not simple facts. Small classes provide
quality, individualized instruction. Learning takes place in an environment
of compassion and safety. Hearthstone deepens a child's natural
love of learning. The curriculum is a unique blend of traditional and
innovative elements, emphasizing:
- In-depth treatment of mathematics, natural science,
languages, and social sciences.
- The arts as a foundation for success in math and
science.
- Study of the natural world, including environmental science, organic
gardening and animal care, and field trips to the neighboring Shenandoah
National Park.
- Practical life skills such as nutrition, handcrafts, and carpentry.
- Physical movement including dance, skiing and snowboarding, camping
and hiking, non-competitive games and ultimate frisbee.
- Hearthstone bases its work in part on the Waldorf method, used successfully
throughout the world for over 80 years (see box at right). This approach
fosters imagination and creativity as keys to academic success.
The Hearthstone Band— Research has shown that students who are
well-grounded in the arts achieve greater success in mathematics and science.
Nursery/Kindergarten
Click here
to see Nursery/Kindergarten daily activities.
First Grade
In
the First Grade, students rotate between Mathematics and Language Arts
as their main lesson throughout the year. Each subject is taught as
a block in 4 to 5 week time periods before being rotated.
During
Language Arts the letters and sounds of the alphabet are brought to
the child through fairy tales to engage their imagination. Much of their
work also involves retelling the stories they hear and drawing letters
from the stories. The students write words and practice tongue twisters
that illuminate the sounds they are learning. Language Arts is taught
through fairy tales, fables adn riddles, consonants, vowels, spelling,
reading and drawing.
During
mathematics the four processes are introduced through a wizard who takes
the child on a journey to meet King Plus, Queen Minus, Princess Divide
and Prince Multiply. Even the colors of these processes are important.
Much of the math work is verbal math with reinforcement in rhythmical
motions of stomping, skipping, jumping and hopping during circle to
the count of the times tables.
Additional
first grade classes include Spanish, knitting, cooking, watercolor,
form drawing, cooperative games and practical activities.
Second Grade
The
Second Grade curriculum revolves around Saints, legends and fables.
Reading, writing and grammar are taught through creation of the main
lesson books, books in the classroom, poems and songs. Lower case, letter
formation and cursive writing are introduced and practiced.
The
Second Grade mathematics curriculum lessons address addition / subtraction
facts, times tables, number patterns, time, and money. Fact families
and skip counting are discussed throughout the year.
Holidays
are celebrated with play performances, music, poetry and art projects.
Third Grade
The Third Grade curriculum follows the rhythm of the year:
Farming:
The Harvest- Examine the importance of farming as the basis of human
existence. Overview of grains; visits to local farms. Study farm animals
and their relationships and interdependence between elements of farm
life. Class activities: clear, prepare and plant in our garden beds.
Shelters/House
building: A look at how humans protect themselves from the elements.
A survey of indigenous forms of housing including geographic factors.
The class will visit construction sites to observe and learn current
construction practices and will build a structure on school grounds
using hand tools.
Arithmetic: Continue practice of the four operations along with word
problems and number patterns. Linear, liquid and dry weights and measurements
will be explored through experiential lessons and class work. We will
study the origins, use and significance of money. A classroom store/market
will introduce record keeping, computation and estimating.
Language Arts: The Old Testament including Genesis, The Patriarchs,
Exodus, Rise of Israel including Sampson, Ruth, David and Goliath. Class
work will include cursive writing, grammar, vocabulary, drawing and
composition.
Other
third grade classes include Spanish, music, water color, form drawing,
recorder, cooperative games, cooking, and hand crafts.
Fourth Grade
Fourth Grade curriculum in brief: {to come}
Middle
School
Middle
School Curriculum in Brief:
Math:
Algebra I topics including integers, algebraic expressions, solving
basic equations. Problems include working with variable equations, formulas;
graphing linear equations. Factoring and multiplying polynomials.
Chemistry
- Atoms, elements, acids, bases. The history of atoms. The Periodic
Table.
Nutrition-
The basic needs of the human body. What does the body need nutritionally?
Geology-
Study of the Earth's crust. Class trips include study of river erosion
and cave observations of Skyline Caverns.
Machines and Hydraulics--a hands-on experience of taking apart a motor
and discussing how it works.
History:
Monarchs and kings are explored through a play written and performed
by the class. The Industrial Revolution and how it changed the world,
including inventions and the true stories behind them.
Current
Events: “the class becomes a newsroom”as students read newspapers
and magazines and watch television to learn about and discuss current
world events.
Geography:
The class will choose a country to report on including the history,
government, culture, education, religion and current events. They will
draw a map, flag, native plant and an historical site of that country.
Crafts:
Chip carving and the use of the sewing machine.
Life
skills: We will learn about ourselves. Respect for ourselves and others;
personal Responsibilities, health, strengths and weaknesses. Values.
Finances. Mediation.
Middle
School classes also include Spanish, music, physical education, pottery,
form drawing, art, cooking and crafts.
High School
As
the teenager becomes aware of the many contrasts in life, they begin
to seek lawfulness in all things. They are interested in their origins
and why the world is the way it is. They begin to envision concept of
balance—in nature and in human actions—and in the process,
transformation and interdependence are observed in opposing forces.
History and physics are the main lessons. In physics, the studies of
the properties of the universe are explored. In history, we will learn
about the social conditions and events that shape our understanding
of these properties.
History:
Students study the origins and evolution of the universe, life, mankind,
human thought and scientific and technological development. Other topics
include the formation of the solar system; theories of the origin of
life on Earth, the fossil record; early human settlements and migration
in Mesopotamia and North and South, the European explorers and native
inhabitants, the social and political structures of colonial America
slavery, immigration, colonization. Also included are the revolutionary
ideas of the Enlightenment to the birth of modern democracy.
Physics:
The evolution of human understanding of the universe from Aristotle
to String Theory including relativity, quantum mechanics, vectors, scalar
quantities and the search for the Unified Theory. Newton’ s laws;
force, energy and motion. Sound and light waves.
English:
Creative writing, vocabulary, current events, public speaking and debate.
Focus on Steven Hawking’s “A Brief History of Time”
and Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience”; on local journalism/politics
using local newspaper articles on county issues. Examine critical thinking;
science fiction writing, poetry.
Latin:
First year structure and grammar.
High
School classes also include Spanish, music, photography, physical education,
pottery, form drawing, art, cooking and crafts.
|
