Exploring Community through Experience in Grade 3
Place-based and project-based learning experiences, a cornerstone of the GUS curriculum, put GUS students at the center of their learning, making learning real, tangible, and engaging.
In third grade at GUS, students take a closer look at the communities they are part of and embark on an exploration that involves study not just on campus, but off. Guided by the question, where am I going?, the third grade theme, students dive deep into a yearlong study of communities. In the classroom, we begin by exploring the word ‘community,’ and what it means to be a part of one. We think about all the communities we might be a part of (at home, at school, in our towns, etc.), which helps us build a strong sense of our contributions to our individual communities. Last fall, we visited Hamilton and Beverly Farms to explore firsthand the infrastructure of some of our local communities - buildings, parks, and public safety buildings. We learned about some of the jobs that help to keep these communities running and heard from the employees who work there. A favorite project during this initial investigation is the classroom arcade where students work together to create an arcade game out of recycled materials. The project is a hands-on lesson in planning, cooperation, and problem-solving – essential skills in any successful society.
At the same time, we are also exploring natural communities in science class. We notice that just as people have roles and responsibilities in a society, so do organisms in the natural world. During this investigation, our classroom extends to the GUS Nature Trail where we identify decomposers, consumers, and producers. We also take trips to the Danvers-Wenham Swamp Walk and the Cox Reservation to observe and sketch the various flora and fauna found in diverse ecosystems. We compare and contrast the plants and animals of the wetlands, swamp, and salt marsh.
Next, we broaden our lens to examine another community close to us, the City of Boston. Last month, we ventured into the city on the commuter rail to see firsthand this drastically different urban community that is only 30 miles from our small school by the sea. Small shops replace expansive supermarkets, busy streets are more prevalent than grassy parks, buildings are bigger, and things seem to move faster. As we gear up for our annual Skyscraper Project, we will head back into the city to explore the dynamics that make up the city skyline. We will study architecture, innovation, and urban development and the physical and social impact the skyscraper has had on the urban landscape. We are also learning about multiplication and electricity and will use this to help understand how big these structures are and how circuits of energy help keep them lit up!
This spring, we will begin our investigation of communities from a different time. We will explore medieval communities throughout the world, and also learn about the Abenaki, Penacook, and Wabanaki people, the original inhabitants and stewards of the land Glen Urquhart School is situated on. We will look to identify similarities between these historical communities and our own communities, today. In science, we will learn about the simple machines that enabled these people to build structures as simple as a small house to enormous cathedrals, and we will tend to a medieval garden to grow some of the same crops that were harvested back then. We look forward to celebrating the culmination of this unit with Medieval Morning, a celebration where each student is assigned a various citizen from the Middle Ages. The event also provides an opportunity for students to showcase the lovely recorder skills that they have learned over the year!