Class 5

Class 5: The Golden Age of Childhood

Having lived in the world of the fairytale and myth in the first four years, the students of Class 5 are now ready for the borderland between mythology and history proper. Fifth Graders have a dynamic interest in the world and they need to be inspired in an ennobled way; they thrive on goodness and beauty, seeking truth and striving to imbue their entire world with these virtues.

Through vast pictures of human evolution, the children move from the dawn of pre-history in the ancient culture of India through story and biography through Persia, Babylon, Egypt and Ancient Greece, the great cultures of the ancient world. This helps the children to understand progress and change through time and helps them begin to take responsibility for their own learning and development.

Fifth graders have new capacities for thought and reflection, and begin an exploration of human history and world geography. They are creative, confident, and eager to work cooperatively. They have an emerging sense of personal responsibility and community.

Students explore the physical characteristics of the earth and the plant life that grows on its surface. In botany, the class studies monocotyledon and dicotyledon plants, algae, and mosses, and investigate how climate and geography affect plant growth. In math, students practice fractions and decimals, ratios and proportions.

A crowning moment of Class 5 is participating in the Pentathlon where the children demonstrate their flow of movement in five athletic events of the original Olympic Games. The study of Greece follows the children from the world of mythology to history, a transition that reflects a growing interest and awareness of the world around them.