Professional Documents
Culture Documents
GVS 4th Grade Sample
GVS 4th Grade Sample
GVS 4th Grade Sample
Thank you for your interest in the Global Village Whole Child, Healthy Planet curriculum
guides. This sample contains the full Table of Contents along with excerpts from the 4th
grade curriculum guide.
Table of Contents
Getting Started – Step One is Ordering Your Books and Resources ....................... 5
English ....................................................................................................................... 18
Math ........................................................................................................................... 20
Science ...................................................................................................................... 20
Art/Nature................................................................................................................... 21
Citizenship/Service Learning...................................................................................... 21
Values/Character ....................................................................................................... 21
Chapter 4: How to Use the Materials: A Suggested Structure for the Year............... 22
Part 1: How to Use the Books in Our Curriculum – A Learning Model ...................... 65
Consultations – If you would like additional support with this curriculum ................... 76
Books for Instilling a Love of Reading (by Mary Kate Considine) ........................... 76
Appendix ....................................................................................................................... 92
Acknowledgements: ................................................................................................... 92
This is such an incredible time to be alive because so much of the world is open to us - people
in other centuries did not have access to the amount of knowledge and information that we do.
The thought of homeschooling may be intimidating if you are a first-time homeschooler, but we
trust that you will soon feel much more confident as your view of learning expands to include the
world around you. In fact, you'll likely have trouble remembering what you were so worried
about!
… Our goal is to assist you in homeschooling your child in a humane, inspiring, and socially
conscious way. We encourage you to listen to your heart and to listen to your child: observe
them – what lights them up? What fascinates them? When do they come alive? That is where to
start your “curriculum.”…
We want to help parents and children make the learning process their own. We provide a
multitude of ideas; by following your child’s interests and learning style you are free to branch
out in numerous ways. There is no reason for every fourth grader to answer the same questions
about the same topic at the same time. Some families will probably structure their year exactly
as we have suggested, while others may be so excited by one of the books that they spend
several weeks following where it takes them, and, accordingly, spend less time on some of the
other topics.
If you have not already done so, we suggest that you start by reviewing the list of suggested
resources (see Chapter 3). Check your local library first, then order anything that you or your
library do not already have. We recommend that you get your own copies of all the core
resources, since you will be using them throughout the year. If your particular grade level
contains movie recommendations and you have a local video store, you can rent the suggested
movies from them. Otherwise, you may want to rent them from Netflix.
Once you have ordered the materials—or at least a good portion of them—then take your time
and read through the rest of this guide.
While some people do fine “just winging it,” we highly recommend that you look at the full year
in the beginning, and plan around when your vacations and other family activities and trips
might be. See the Appendix for a calendar format that you may find helpful.
Then there is the idea we mentioned earlier and it's one that pretty much everyone buys into: “to
get a good job you have to have a good education.” Putting aside disagreements over what a
“good education” is, we see that this emphasis on jobs and competition has created a
tremendous climate of fear that impacts families almost from the time their children are born.
Fairly early on many worry about being able to get their child into a good preschool. And so it
goes, right through high school and into college…
… We have provided a substantial number of resources for you. Some are listed in the main
Resource List (Chapter 3); others are in the Resources section (Chapter 6) at the end of this
guide.
We have spent many months researching and combing through our collective resources to
come up with a list of materials to inspire and enliven your family. There is a lot here – most
likely much more than you will be able to get through in a year. So please remember that we
have designed it to be like a big smörgåsbord, which means you probably do not want to put
everything on your plate all at once, and some of it might not even make it onto your plate this
time round!
Core – you need to get it; it is a core part of the curriculum for the year (If a resource is
not labeled as optional or recommended then you can assume that it is core)
Optional – we really like it, but it’s up to you (depends on your time, interest, budget,
etc.)
In addition to the resources listed in this chapter, there are many more in Chapter 6. These are
all optional.
There are some books and resources that you will use for more than one year. We call these
the homeschool “kit.” Some are optional and some are a core part of the curriculum. You will
find notations about this in your resource list. Some are optional and some are a core part of the
curriculum.
Again, please remember: this is just a place to start. We do not believe there are any education
standards (even ours) that work for everyone.
Most of the materials we have chosen are readily available. If we have not told you where to get
something, it means it can easily be found at either a local bookstore or library or online. We
have provided information on where to get the resources that are not so easy to find.
Social Studies
English
2 writing options
2 grammar options
Science/Eco-Integrity
2 books
Math
Citizenship/Service Learning
The Kid’s Guide to Service Projects (optional – KIT – also used in 5th grade)
By Barbara Lewis
This guide has something for everyone who wants to make a difference, from simple
projects to large-scale commitments. Kids can choose from a variety of topics, including
animals, crime fighting, the environment, friendship, hunger, literacy, politics and
government, and transformation.
Values/Character
Includes one resource that is part of the homeschool Kit (used in several grade levels)
Art/Nature
Planning
One page - Includes general instructions and a chart for planning the month’s activities
Instructions
Reminder: Chapter 5 of this curriculum guide lists a large number of activities that you can use
to integrate and demonstrate learning as you work with the various books and resources listed
below.
Social Studies
First text
Use this book as a reference as you learn about various areas during your
studies. You can read all the way through it if you wish, and use it as a
springboard for all kinds of different activities. We suggest breaking it up over
nine months. We will break it up for you in the order it was written, but feel free
to study the countries in any order you like!
We suggest you start here: Read the Introductory section and about one-third of
North and Central America.
If your family likes cooking together, we suggest choosing one recipe a week.
Mmmmm!
Start with the book for your home state (the other books are optional). If you
enjoy this series, choose as many other states as you like! For this month, focus
on the state where you live. If you do not live in the USA, then study your local
area. You may want to do research at the library, or maybe even take a road trip!
This is a fun book that combines history, science and art. You may find that the
activities lead you into many more hours of discovery. We suggest choosing a
new activity every two weeks.
* Please note that while we have chosen to divide all the social studies books up over
several months, it is fine if you want to do them one at a time, or to study a different
region each month, or to use them in whatever other way works best for you!
Cultural Diversity/Art
Text name:
Choose a different culture to study each month. Ideally, you will be able to
coordinate this with the cultures and regions you are learning about in your
______________ book. Note to parents: Please be sure to read the
introductions to each culture and discuss them with your child.
English
Folktales and Stories: Depending on which book(s) you have chosen, pick one or two
stories each month. Read the story, and do some kind of creative writing, art, or other
activity of your choice.
We also recommend reading _____________. If you are using the Leonardo da Vinci
activity book, then this month would be a good time to read it.
If you would like to do additional reading, look through our list at the end of this
curriculum guide and choose something that interests you.
The English section also contains brief instructions for writing, spelling, vocabulary, and
grammar.
First text
Second text
For this month, read: Introduction, The Universe and Galaxies, The Solar System and
Gravity
If you would like to include this in your curriculum this is a great book to use. It is
a core text for 5th grade, but it contains over 500 different activities, so you do not
need to worry about running out of things to do! We suggest that you choose at
least one activity a month.
In our curriculum guide we present a suggested book list you can use as the framework upon
which to build your child’s learning year. This is by no means a complete list of all books you
need or could use. You can get more suggestions from your GVS teacher.
Our hope is that you will utilize these books as a springboard into the many ideas and
discoveries they present. At best these are a representation of what is out there. In exploring
these suggested books you may be led to many others.
Most curricula are built around a textbook and a workbook. Ours is built around the inspiration
found in many types of literature. Sometimes we do suggest a text or a workbook, but more
often we look for a book that will bring about the same learning in a more creative, beautiful and
fulfilling way. In many ways our choice of books resembles the idea of “living books” that early
home educator Charlotte Mason proposes. Some of the qualities of living books are:
Our suggested books (and those that you can find for yourself) can be used as a way into your
own creativity. You can do this in lots of ways, specifically: Book Projects, Re-tell or Re-Create,
Make Your Own Workbook, and Saturation Projects.
Book Project:
Select your book and read it. Stop now and then to ask your student to make predictions about
what they think may happen in the story, or to find out what they are noticing about this book.
Take time to notice the illustrations and discuss them. How do you discuss a picture? You can
talk about the colors used, the content of the pictures, whether you feel the illustrations really
express what is written or not, how they make you feel, if the illustrations match the “pictures”
the story brings to mind, etc.
Activity Ideas:
This section contains over 30 different suggestions; they match a variety of different learning
styles. Below are three examples:
If your children are enrolled in Global Village School, then contact your GVS teacher for support.
They will be happy to help you. If your kids are not enrolled, then you can arrange for individual
consultations. Call 805-646-9792 or e-mail info@globalvillageschool.org for more information.
Books for Instilling a Love of Reading (by Mary Kate Considine) (Excerpt)
Every educator agrees that the key to a successful student experience is instilling a love of
reading at an early age. The statistics go on ad nauseum about the importance of reading to
your child, but in the world of parenting there is nothing so valuable as curling up on a couch or
holding your little one on your lap as you read them a story…
This section contains over 70 books. We include the full article and resource list with each grade
level. (Approximately 30 of the books are for younger children, grades 4 and below. Advanced
readers may enjoy some of the books for the older children as well.)
A half dozen books that may be helpful as students or their families go through the changes that
life brings…
Some families have an LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender) family member. Some
parents may wonder if their child is gay. A child might think they are gay, but be afraid to talk
about it. Even if none of these is the case, every child hears about the issue in the media or
some other way, at a very early age. “Sexual orientation” is an unfortunate term in a way,
because—just like heterosexuals— there is so much more to an LGBT person, and to their
relationships with those whom they love, than sex. Know that there are many beautiful
sensitively written books out there that open the door to the conversation without talking about
sex at all. If you feel the need or desire to address the idea of sexual orientation in age-
appropriate ways with your children—or if you would like to be better educated yourself—here
are some resources that may be helpful.
GLBTQ: The Survival Guide for Queer and Questioning Teens by Kelly Huegel, Ages 13 and
up. The teen years are full of challenges. For gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and
questioning teens, these challenges can include prejudice, discrimination, rejection, reprisals,
insensitive remarks (even among friends and families) and violence. Topics include coming out
(the pluses and minuses), facing prejudice and pressure, getting support, navigating
relationships, staying safe, making healthy choices, surviving and thriving in high school, and
more. (Description from the publisher, freesprit.com)
GLSEN (The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) has compiled a wonderful
comprehensive list of books that they have screened for accuracy, sensitivity, and age-
appropriateness:
http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/booklink/K-6.html
http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/booklink/7-12.html
Thank you for your interest; we look forward to sharing our curriculum with you!