During these years of intellectual and personal transition, students need structure and support as well as increased academic challenge and independence. We have structured our Level 4 program accordingly. For the two years students are in this level they find many opportunities to explore emerging interests, to gain experience in leadership roles and to develop the skills critical to later academic success. As at other levels, our curriculum focuses on thematic projects.
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Social StudiesLevel 4 requires students to use critical thinking and evaluation skills to analyze specific events throughout history. Reaching beyond the memorization of dates and names, students must react to various perspectives and learn to recognize accuracy of the information. Additionally, we focus on current events and social phenomena, tying history to students' lives. Recognizing connections between history and current events allows students to see cause and effect in action. Over the course of two years, students learn American history from the end of the Revolutionary War to 1960, the American political system, world geography, ancient civilizations, an introduction to economics, and pertinent events in world history. Social studies reaches beyond historical understanding, and we discuss many difficult topics, allowing students to develop their own ideas about the world around them. Topics include: racial inequality, social inequality, and social interaction with their peers.
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ArtArt is an integrated subject at FGCS, and each art project is designed to complement the place-based curriculum of the primary class. This allows each art project to draw from the rich historical, cultural, social and political context being explored within the classes. Through this integrated approach, students are intrinsically motivated to explore artistic genres and experiment with various media and skills, because their creations have immediate relevance to their studies, families, community and world.
Level 4 students have two art classes each week for one semester and once each week for another semester during the school year. Students at this level have more autonomy and are given greater choice in what they express and in the materials, tools and techniques used. In a previous year, an integrated art project involved design of the school play yard. Level 4 students worked with architects, designers and staff to develop plans for the space. Art integration led to the creation of mosaic stones that pave the entry to the play yard heralding to all who enter that they are coming into a space of joy and creativity. |