Douglas

10:00am – 3:00pm Thursdays
Class Four, Age 9

Scroll down to view detailed class descriptions.

Students are invited to join us for a Waldorf-inspired schedule that includes: Main Lesson, Watercolor, Lunch, Creative Movement, and Practical Science.

Main Lesson Teacher: Kathleen Pierfy

Main Lesson

Fourth grade brings a growing sense of independence and curiosity about the wider world. Students deepen their academic skills while exploring history, geography, and storytelling traditions. In language arts, students develop stronger writing skills through journaling, creative stories, grammar, and structured paragraphs. In math, students explore fractions, long division, measurement, graphing, and multi-step problem solving.

Fourth Grade Blocks

• Local Geography & Mapmaking – understanding landscapes and regions

• Native American Studies – exploring indigenous cultures and traditions

• Early American History – explorers, settlers, and early communities

• Norse Mythology – stories of Odin, Thor, Loki, and the heroes of the North

• Animal Studies – exploring the relationship between humans and animals

• Perspective Drawing – developing artistic observation and spatial awareness

These studies encourage independence, curiosity, and deeper exploration of the world.

Additional activities may include:

• Artistic Projects- There will be a focus on artistic activities that encourage the child’s natural sense of beauty and color.

• Outdoor and Play Times- These activities will be incorporated into the day so that students have a natural balance of active play time and time to quietly focus.

• Sensory Garden- Spending time in our outdoor sensory garden will allow students to use and nourish all of their senses while connecting to nature.

• Class Play- A Waldorf class play provides a creative outlet for children to build confidence and a sense of interdependence within their class. Each week children will be utilizing storytelling, musical instruments, games, songs, and colorful scarves and costumes to tap into their imagination. This is a beautiful collaboration of the arts and a chance for children to explore their creative spirits.

WATERCOLOR

Students will explore the world of watercolor painting and develop their inner artist by working on a variety of approaches and techniques.

CREATIVE MOVEMENT

Students will tap into their imagination and spontaneous nature using movement. Creative movement techniques help individuals channel energy into motion and engage their auditory, visual, kinesthetic, and tactile senses. This class encourages body awareness, balance coordination, memory skills, and improved spatial awareness. Students will have fun learning to work individually or in groups while challenging their auditory and physical skills through activities such as rhythmic clapping exercises, echoing patterns, acting out stories through movement, using balls or other props to throw and catch to music, and much more!

PRACTICAL SCIENCE

This class introduces students to the fundamentals of physics and chemistry through hands-on, practical experiments. Students will explore concepts such as motion, forces, energy, reactions, and matter by actively building, testing, and observing real-world examples. Using simple materials and guided experiments, students will investigate how things work, from basic chemical reactions to mechanical systems like ramps, pulleys, and simple machines. The course emphasizes curiosity, experimentation, and learning through trial and error, helping students connect scientific ideas to everyday life. Through collaborative lab activities and group challenges, students will develop critical thinking skills, learn how to make observations, and draw conclusions based on evidence. This class creates an engaging and interactive environment where students gain confidence in exploring science through doing, not just reading.