Lower School Curriculum Overview

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Lower SchoolCurriculum Overview

Junior Kindergarten – Fifth Grades

ExperienceCollege Prep. Life Ready. pisgah

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MissionstatementTo provide an outstanding college preparatory

education grounded in Christian faith and values.

The Pisgah Primary Experience is defined by a strong academic foundation focusing on traditional liberal arts instruction in math, science, history, language

arts and the humanities with particular emphasis on the arts, technology, and Christian service.

Introduction

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Junior KindergartenLanguage Arts

The Jr. Kindergarten Language Arts program utilizes literature, poetry, and music to help students gain the pre-reading skills necessary for future success. Rhyming, story sequencing, recognition of letters and their sounds are all taught. Students learn to express themselves effectively and become active listeners. Handwriting is taught using the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum.

Mathematics

Jr. Kindergarten mathematics instruction is based on Everyday Mathematics, a completely hands on approach to math. Instruction will focus on numeration, graphing, geometry, patterns, measurement and exploring coins, clocks and calendars. Small group instruction allows students to explore and master concepts. Students learn mathematical concepts while using manipulatives and playing games.

Science

Students learn to observe, predict, and to record experiment results. Learning units include Health, Animals, Plants, Seasons, and Matter. Students enjoy the Science Lab weekly.

Social Studies

Students learn citizenship and personal responsibility in a school setting. They develop awareness of home, country, and the world. Students study American and Christian holidays and learn to recognize symbols of our country. They demonstrate understanding of maps and study the customs of other countries.

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Art

Students have Art class each week with the Art Education Specialist. The Jr. Kindergarten curriculum is modified from the SRA series, Art Connections. Students are introduced to the elements of design as they encounter a broad range of art media for both two and three dimensional self expressions.

Christian Education

Children participate in God’s Time, a devotional each day. They learn from Bible stories which focus on God’s love and the life of Jesus. Students learn the Lord’s Prayer. Students spend a semester learning about the Fruits of the Spirit and how to demonstrate them in their own lives.

Computer

Students go to the computer lab each week for instruction with the Technology Specialist. The curriculum includes learning the proper care for the hardware they will be using, extensive practice using the mouse with web-based programs, and using age-appropriate educational software. Additionally, the students have access to a computer and an interactive Smart Table in the classroom is available during center activities to supplement learning topics. Internet safety skills are taught.

Culinary Lab

Pisgah has implemented an innovative Culinary Lab for Lower School students. Children receive hands on instruction in a variety of developmentally appropriate cooking activities. Lessons reinforce and integrate concepts in math, science, social studies, and language arts. The lab is also used to teach health, nutrition, manners, etiquette, and safety. The Culinary Lab is designed to make academic concepts and skills more relevant and interesting to students.

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Media Center

The Lower School Media Center serves students from Jr. Kindergarten through grade 5. The Media Center is home to over 11,000 items, including books, magazines, audio books, educational DVDs, and reference materials. Its computers provide students with the technology to search for library books and conduct research using online encyclopedias and other approved reference sites. The Media Specialist teaches library, research, and literacy skills. Media Center lessons enhance classroom curriculum and focus on a wide variety of children’s literature.

Music

Students respond to music through moving, singing, and playing instruments, while increasing accuracy in pitch and steady beat by singing developmentally-appropriate songs. Students learn to identify instruments, rhythm, and melody. They participate in musical activities representing a variety of cultures.

Physical Education

Jr. Kindergarten students participate in Physical Education once a week. They acquire and develop basic locomotor skills and spatial awareness through creative games and lessons. Knowledge of body parts and basic fitness are introduced to begin to increase strength and flexibility. Children also enjoy recess time on the gross motor development playground.

Spanish

Jr. Kindergarten students focus on Hispanic cultures. They learn basic words and phrases used in daily classroom and home life. Children play songs and games which build their spoken and receptive language skills.

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Think Tank

Each class in Junior Kindergarten through third grade visits the Think Tank weekly. The purpose of the Think Tank is to give students the opportunity to collaborate and work in teams on problem solving and critical thinking strategies. The classroom teacher and Think Tank teacher work together to enrich each grade’s curriculum through the implementation of thinking routines The Think Tank’s cart of iPads allows teachers to differentiate lessons, research, and activites, thus maximizing each student’s learning time.

Character Education

Character Education is an integral part of the curriculum at Mount Pisgah Christian School. We introduce character: respect, responsibility, citizenship, caring, trustworthiness and fairness with scripture and a skit each month during our chapel/rally. Classroom teachers follow through with activities, discussions and devotions relating to these traits.

We encourage an incentive program with our Specials teachers to reinforce good behavior. Tickets are awarded to students and placed in a bucket for a weekly drawing at rally. Those students whose tickets are picked have their pictures posted on the Character board and are eligible for the bimonthly drawing for a lunch with the Principal and other special guests.

If children are observed exemplifying outstanding character by any of the Pisgah staff, they are given a “character rock.” Their example of character is shared with the students in chapel.

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Enrichment Activities

Chess

Junior Kindergarten students participate in weekly Chess lessons. Studies have shown that learning Chess fosters problem solving and memory skills, and enhances critical thinking and reasoning abilities. These skills support academic achievement, especially in Mathematics.

History Museum

One of Pisgah’s most unique offerings is its American History Museum. This learning lab allows students to immerse themselves in 18th and 19th century environments. Hands on lessons and activities provide students with an in depth understanding of our nation’s history and heritage. From the colonial parlor to the pioneer cabin, students can literally step back in time to experience life in centuries past.

After School Enrichment Classes

After School enrichment activities, such as additional art, science and computer classes, are designed for both learning and fun. Classes begin immediately after school is dismissed.

Cultural Arts Experiences

Field trips and special performances serve as an important extension of the Cultural Arts Program. Each year students enjoy live performances by various professional groups. Each year in conjunction with our annual Book Fair, we host guest authors of children’s books.

Service Projects

Each year we provide opportunities for students to experience the joy of Christian service. Each class chooses a service project as their focus for the year. Students also participate in school-wide service projects such as Habitat for Humanity, the North Fulton Charities food drive, and Operation Christmas Child. At Mount Pisgah Christian School, our students realize that they are important members of the body of Christ.

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KindergartenLanguage Arts

The Kindergarten classroom is a literacy rich environment where children are provided a wealth of opportunities that integrate all of their senses to enhance their ability to read, write, and interact with the printed word. Students begin their formal reading instruction through the SMART curriculum (Systematic Multi-Sensory Approach to Reading Training). SMART melds the critical skills of phonemic awareness, phonics, word blending, writing and reading to help each kindergarten student reach his or her full reading potential. The Treasures reading series is also utilized to allow the class to delve into award winning literature to develop key reading comprehension components, study genre and authors and explore grammar components of our language. The environment through which this occurs in kindergarten is managed through the Daily 5 Program which allows the students to rotate through a variety of learning situations where they develop independence and stamina in the areas of reading to self, working on writing, reading to someone, doing word work, and listening to reading. While these activities are occurring, the teacher provides daily individual and small group instruction and assessment. The students experience great joy in their ability as readers to move from reading pictures, through retelling story lines, and progressing towards reading the words in stories that bring the world of books alive.

Mathematics

The Everyday Mathematics curriculum develops a student’s proficiency and understanding of math concepts. Emphasis is focused on Number and Numeration, Operations and Computation, Data and Chance, Measurement and Reference Frames, Geometry, Patterns, Functions, and Algebra. These concepts are introduced and practiced through hands-on exploration, discovery, and the use of a wide variety of materials, games and manipulatives. Students work on various activities in a collaborative setting (partners or small groups) to experience real world problem-solving opportunities. Students will think, wonder, explore, and investigate to build strong life-ready math skills.

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Science

Science is taught thematically by gathering information, making predictions and conducting simple experiments. Students are encouraged to work and think like scientists through observation and hands-on activities. A Primary School Science Lab is utilized for the exploration of physical, earth and life sciences.

Social Studies

The Social Studies curriculum is focused on school, home, family, community, holidays and map skills. Concepts are introduced thematically. Students begin to see Social Studies as the story of real people, past and present. Emphasis is placed on understanding our own American heritage and living in a multicultural democratic nation. Hands-on lessons are presented in our American History Museum.

Art

Kindergarten through fifth grade students have Art class each week with the Art Education Specialist. The curriculum is based on the SRA series, Art Connections. The program integrates the four dimensions of Art into every age-appropriate lesson: art history and culture, aesthetic perception, art production and art criticism. Students encounter a broad range of art media for both two-dimensional and three-dimensional self-expression.

Christian Education

The Christian Education curriculum focuses on the many gifts of love provided for us by God. A firm spiritual foundation is established through age-appropriate Bible stories. An overview of the Bible helps students understand that the Bible is God’s word. The life of Jesus is shared from Genesis through the Resurrection. Devotions, prayers and mealtime blessings are shared each day. All Kindergarten students gather together weekly to participate in Bibleland.

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Computer

Students go to the computer lab each week for instruction with the Technology Specialist. Each classroom is equipped with multi-media computers for use during learning center activities. The curriculum includes learning the proper names and functions of the computer system’s hardware, properly caring for hardware and software and learning basic computer skills, i.e. using a mouse and keyboard to manipulate paint and storybook programs. Additionally, the students use a variety of multi-media programs to supplement topics and units that support the classroom curriculum. Internet safety skills are taught.

Culinary Lab


Media Center

The Lower School Media Center serves students from Kindergarten Prep through grade 5. The Media Center is home to over 11,000 items, including books, magazines, audio books, educational DVDs, and reference materials. Its computers provide students with the technology to search for library books and conduct research using online encyclopedias and other approved reference sites. The Media Specialist teaches library, research, and literacy skills. Media Center lessons enhance classroom curriculum and focus on a wide variety of children’s literature.

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Music

Kindergarten students have music each week with the Music Education Specialist. Concepts from the Orff-Schulwerk approach are used to introduce students to beginning music concepts. Kindergarten students listen and respond to simple musical concepts, recognize and play musical instruments, sing and respond rhythmically to music. They participate in several musical performances throughout the year.

Physical Education

Kindergarten students participate in Physical Education twice a week. Students acquire basic locomotor skills and spatial awareness through various creative and innovative lessons and games. Children have an awareness of body parts and subsequently the range of uses of those parts. We introduce a fitness program to increase strength and flexibility. Children also enjoy outdoor recess time on Mount Pisgah Christian School’s gross motor development playground.

Spanish

Spanish is taught weekly by the Spanish Education Specialist. Greetings, colors, numbers, days of the week, and the months of the year are introduced to students through songs and finger plays. Stories are read to give the children an opportunity to hear the spoken dialect.

Spanish culture and customs are explored. Students are taught to understand and answer simple greetings in Spanish and to act out simple commands, to sing songs in Spanish, to count to ten in Spanish and to recognize vocabulary from various thematic units.

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Think Tank

Each class in Junior Kindergarten through third grade visits the Think Tank weekly. The purpose of the Think Tank is to give students the opportunity to collaborate and work in teams on problem solving and critical thinking strategies. The classroom teacher and Think Tank teacher work together to enrich each grade’s curriculum through the implementation of thinking routines. The Think Tank’s cart of iPads allows teachers to differentiate lessons, research, and activites, maximizing each student’s learning time.

Character Education


We encourage an incentive program with our Specials teachers to reinforce good behavior. Tickets are awarded to students and placed in a bucket for a weekly drawing at rally. Those students whose tickets are picked have their pictures posted on the Character board and are eligible for the bimonthly drawing for a lunch with the Principal and other special guests.

If children are observed exemplifying outstanding character by any of the Pisgah staff, they are given a “character rock.” Their example of character is shared with the students in chapel.

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Chess

Kindergarten students participate in weekly Chess lessons. Studies have shown that learning Chess fosters problem solving and memory skills, and enhances critical thinking and reasoning abilities. These skills support academic achievement, especially in Mathematics.

History Museum





Field trips and special performances serve as an important extension of the Cultural Arts Program. Each year students enjoy live performances by various professional groups. Each year in conjunction with our annual Book Fair, we host guest authors of children’s books.

Service Projects

Each year we provide opportunities for students to experience the joy of Christian service. Each class chooses a service project as their focus for the year. Students also participate in school-wide service projects such as Habitat for Humanity, the North Fulton Charities food drive, and Operation Christmas Child. At Mount Pisgah Christian School, our students realize that they are important members of the body of Christ.

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1st - 3rdgrades

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First GradeLanguage Arts

SMART (Systematic Multisensory Approach to Reading Training) is the core reading, phonics, and spelling program in first grade. This curriculum provides the foundation by which each student can become the strongest reader and writer possible through the key elements of phonemic awareness, phonics rules, and fluency training.

In conjunction with the SMART reading instruction, reading comprehension and higher order thinking skills are taught using the Treasures reading series which allows the students frequent interaction with award winning literature. Vocabulary development, genre and authors, and grammar skills are also taught through this program.

Spelling is completely integrated with the reading instruction in first grade through the SMART curriculum. The students are learning to spell implementing the same rules that they are learning to read. Spelling is not a process of becoming word memorizers, but of being adept word analyzers.

The structure through which the skills are introduced and practiced involves whole group instruction, small group instruction, and lots of interactive time spent in literacy centers throughout the week. First grade writing opportunities allow students to use their creative minds and to apply the skills and strategies to their own printed word. Handwriting instruction is provided using the Zaner-Bloser series.

Mathematics

We incorporate the Wright Group’s Everyday Math series to introduce students to math concepts and to help them move from concrete to abstract thinking via a spiraling curriculum. The manipulatives, math games, and small group activities allow students to record, demonstrate, and practice what they are learning. Students learn addition, subtraction, place value, time, money, measurement, geometry, fractions, graphing and problem-solving strategies.

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First Grade

Science

Mount Pisgah Christian School’s curriculum is used to introduce the scientific method of discovery. Units of study include health and safety, animals and their habitats, life cycles, sound, seasons, weather, magnets, and various ecological systems. Field trips, exploration of elements, and scientific studies are used to enrich these units. Use of a dedicated Primary School Science Lab is available for weekly experiments and exploration.

Social Studies

We use a thematic approach designed to Incorporate and enrich the Social Studies content, to allow students to examine families and communities near and far, today and long ago. Application and exploration are fostered In the history museum. Units include study of out national heritage, explorers, inventors, community helpers, U.S. symbols, and presidents. Field trips make unit concepts meaningful. Map skills are taught using published materials along with Rand McNally maps and globes.

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Christian Education

Christian Education is taught daily in the classroom. Students read and discuss Bible stories and learn that the Bible is the word of God and that it teaches us how to live a life of faith. Students learn about God’s power, love and faithfulness.

A daily devotion and prayer is shared at the beginning of each school day. Blessings are shared at mealtime. Christianity is incorporated into the school day. Teachers intertwine moral values and Christian nurturing in their everyday teaching.

All Lower School students attend chapel every Monday afternoon. This service is conducted by a member of the Mount Pisgah Chapel Team and members of the Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church ministerial staff. Songs, prayers and a children’s sermon make this an important start to our spiritual as well as our academic week at Mount Pisgah Christian School. All Lower School students participate in Christmas and Easter services.

Computer

Students go to the computer lab each week for instruction with the Technology Specialist. Each classroom has a multi-media computer for use during learning center activities. The curriculum includes using age appropriate software to support topics and units that are introduced in the classroom. Fundamental computer skills emphasizing proper use and care of software and hardware plus computer terminology are introduced. The students add text to illustrations and create short stories and poems while learning basic word processing skills and concepts such as saving and retrieving files. Computer networking and telecommunication skills are introduced through the use of network printing and saving files. The use of the internet is introduced.

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Culinary Lab


Media Center


Music

First grade students have music each week with the Music Education Specialist. Concepts from the Orff-Schulwerk approach and the Kodaly Method are used is used to help students understand the relationship between music, history and culture. Students sing and play rhythm instruments to a varied repertoire of music. They move creatively to music, listen for melody and rhythm patterns and recognize high-low-same sounds. They respond to simple musical concepts, such as up/down. They participate in a musical performance at Christmas.

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Physical Education

First grade students participate in physical education twice each week. During this time, they engage in developmental activities related to gross motor movement and begin the more specific developmental process of throwing and catching, kicking, tumbling and dodging. We also begin emphasizing aerobic fitness.

Spanish

Spanish is taught by the Spanish Education Specialist each week. Greetings and farewells, colors, numbers, body parts, weather, vocabulary, days of the week, and months of the year are introduced to students with songs and hands-on activities. Stories are read to give the students an opportunity to hear the spoken dialect. Spanish culture and customs are explored. Simple skills such as making a personal introduction, giving family information, and sharing personal preferences are introduced.

Think Tank


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Character Education


We encourage an incentive program with our Specials teachers to reinforce good behavior. Tickets are awarded to students and randomly selected at a weekly drawing at rally. Those students whose tickets are picked have their pictures posted on the Character board and are eligible for the bimonthly drawing for a lunch with the Principal and other special guests. If children are observed exemplifying outstanding character by any of the Pisgah staff, they are given a “character rock.” Their example of character is shared with the students in chapel.

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History Museum


After School Enrichment ClassesAfter School enrichment activities, such as additional art, science and computer classes, are designed for both learning and fun. Classes begin immediately after school is dismissed.

Cultural Arts ExperiencesField trips and special performances serve as an important extension of the Cultural Arts Program. Each year students enjoy live performances by various professional groups.

Service ProjectsEach year we provide opportunities for students to experience the joy of Christian service. Each class chooses a service project as their focus for the year. Students also participate in school-wide service projects such as Pennies for Patients, the North Fulton Charities food drive, and Operation Christmas Child. At Mount Pisgah Christian School, our students realize that they are important members of the body of Christ.

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Second GradeLanguage Arts

SMART (Systematic Multisensory Approach to Reading Training) is the core reading, phonics, and spelling program in second grade. This curriculum continues to build on the strong phonics skills of the students to ensure that each child can utilize the best strategies to become strong and fluent readers.

In conjunction with the SMART reading instruction, the Treasures reading series allows the students frequent interaction with award winning literature. Emphasis is placed on reading strategies, analogies, grammar, main idea, characters, and inferential thinking.

Spelling is completely integrated with the reading instruction in second grade through the SMART curriculum. The students are learning to spell implementing the same rules that they are learning to read. Spelling is not a process of becoming word memorizers, but of being adept word analyzers of single and multi-syllable

Writing

Students are regularly and creatively using skills and strategies of the writing process. Basic grammar is taught with daily emphasis on capitalization, punctuation, and parts of speech. Second grade students learn to write for a variety of purposes, including fictional stories, poetry, non-fiction works, narratives and a friendly letter. They participate in the writing process, edit and publish class and individual books. Second grade students continue to work on the mechanics of legible handwriting and are introduced to cursive writing. The Zaner-Bloser series is used to move students from manuscript to cursive handwriting.

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Mathematics

The Everyday Math series is used to teach math concepts, process skills and problem solving. Simple Solutions Mathematics is used to reinforce concepts. Students focus on fractions, place value, geometry, numerical relations, measurement, time, two/three digit addition and subtraction. An introduction to number lines, bar graphs, pictographs, and multiplication is also emphasized. Students continue to use manipulatives and hands-on experiences as they move from concrete to abstract mathematical operations.

Science

Mount Pisgah Christian School’s curriculum is used to introduce the scientific method of discovery. Units of study include states of matter, energy of motion, changes of the earth’s surface, and celestial bodies. We use the Simple Solutions Science program to reinforce themes taught. Field trips, exploration of elements, and scientific studies are used to enrich these units. Use of a dedicated Primary School Science Lab is available for weekly experiments and exploration.

Social Studies

Our social studies curriculum places emphasis on history and critical thinking. Units are taught thematically and field trips are coordinated to make concepts meaningful. Major emphasis is placed on American and world geography, the 50 states, the seven world continents, the world’s oceans, the five great lakes, and the history of Georgia.

Study Skills

Students are introduced to systematic study skills in second grade. They are taught to organize study materials to maintain assignments and strengthen techniques for studying. A student agenda is used for assignment and project planning.

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Art


Christian Education

Christian Education is daily in the classroom. Second graders learn that God worked in the everyday lives of Bible people, and He will also work in their lives as they respond to Him. They learn to praise and thank God as they grow in their understanding of Him. They learn to know about Jesus by studying His life.

A daily devotion and prayer is shared at the beginning of each school day. Blessings are shared at mealtime as well as snack time. Christianity is incorporated into the school day. Teachers intertwine moral values and Christian nurturing in their everyday teaching.

Second grade students attend Bible JAM (Jesus and Me) weekly. Each week a Bible hero (both Old Testament and New Testament) is introduced and discussed. The story is supported with scripture and appropriate Christian music. Application of hero character traits are taught and explained. Students learn how to incorporate these biblical hero traits into their lives.

Second grade students attend chapel each Monday afternoon with the Lower School. Members of Mount Pisgah’s Chapel Team conduct this service. Songs, prayers and a children’s sermon make this an important start to our spiritual as well as our academic week at Mount Pisgah Christian School. All Lower School students participate in Christmas and Easter services.

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Computer

Second graders go to the computer lab each week for instruction with the Technology Specialist. Each classroom has a multi-media computer for their use during learning center activities. The curriculum includes using age-appropriate software to support topics and units that continue to be emphasized in the classroom. Fundamental computer skills emphasizing proper use and care of software and hardware plus computer terminology are introduced. The students add text to illustrations, and create short stories and poems while learning basic word processing skills and concepts such as saving and retrieving files. Computer networking and telecommunication skills are introduced through the use of network printing, saving files and using multiple storage drives. Internet safety is taught.

Culinary Lab


Media Center


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Music

Second graders have music each week with the Music Education Specialist.

Concepts from the Orff-Schulwerk approach and the KodalyMethod are used to help students understand the relationship between music, history and culture. Students listen to a variety of musical styles, recognize tone center and distinguish beat. They respond to musical notation and learn simple musical terms. Accurate vocal pitch, tempo and rhythm are taught. Students enjoy playing musical instruments and begin recognizing the instruments of the orchestra. They participate in an annual performance.

Physical Education

Students have Physical Education twice each week. Students develop physical fitness and basic movement skills necessary for successful sports participation. They participate in developmental activities related to strength, heart-lung endurance and flexibility. Students participate in games, tumbling, and balancing activities. Students learn lead-up skills which prepare them for team sports. Good sportsmanship is always emphasized. Children enjoy outside recess time on the Mount Pisgah Christian School gross motor development playground.

Spanish

Spanish is taught by the Spanish Education Specialist each week. Greetings and farewells, colors, numbers, weather, vocabulary, days of the week, and months of the year are introduced to students with songs and hands-on activities. Stories are read to give students an opportunity to hear the spoken dialect. Latin American culture and customs are explored. Simple skills, such as making a personal introduction, giving family information, and sharing personal preferences, are taught.

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Think Tank


Character Education


We encourage an incentive program with our Specials teachers to reinforce good behavior. Tickets are awarded to students and randomly selected at a weekly drawing at rally. Those students whose tickets are picked have their pictures posted on the Character board and are eligible for the bimonthly drawing for a lunch and a trip to the game room with the Principal and other special guests. If children are observed exemplifying outstanding character by any of the Pisgah staff, they are given a “character rock.” Their example of character is shared with the students in chapel.

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History Museum





Field trips and special performances serve as an important extension of the Cultural Arts Program. Each year students enjoy live performances by various professional groups. Author visits and concerts also provide enrichment opportunities.

Service Projects

Each year we provide opportunities for students to experience the joy of Christian service. Each class chooses a service project as their focus for the year. Students also participate in school-wide service projects such as Pennies for Patients, the North Fulton Charities food drive, and Operation Christmas Child. At Mount Pisgah Christian School, our students realize that they are important members of the body of Christ.

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Third GradeLanguage Arts

Reading

We use the Macmillan/McGraw-Hill reading series, Treasures. This series focuses on the teaching of reading through quality, award-winning literature. An integrated language approach is utilized to interest students through the use of thematic units. Students experience a variety of traditional and contemporary literature: fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Analogies, predictions, cause and effect and story elements are emphasized. Vocabulary is taught through daily vocabulary exercises with an emphasis on increasing vocabulary for daily use. A structured program is used to emphasize decoding skills and phonemic awareness to assist in reading and writing abilities.

A variety of award winning children’s novels round out our reading program. The students learn how to find information within the body of the text and participate in in-depth literature discussions.

English

Third graders use the Macmillan/McGraw-Hill reading series with English taught as a separate component. Students apply writing and grammar skills: capitalization, punctuation, and usage. The students demonstrate an understanding of the nature and function of the English language.

Spelling

Spelling instruction is provided through the Clockface spelling program. Students are taught spelling conventions for vowel variations, syllable types, and the twelve most critical spelling rules for mastery in the third grade. This instruction is multi-sensory and actively involves students in analyzing and encoding the sounds of the English language. Students are actively engaged in enhancing their spelling analysis skills rather than relying on rote memorization of word lists.

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Writing

Students are encouraged to write regularly and creatively using skills and strategies of the writing process. Prewriting, writing, editing and publishing are emphasized. Students write paragraphs, identify the main idea and summarize stories. They learn to recognize and write poetry in its various forms. In addition, students write in a variety of texts, including expository and narrative.

Handwriting

Third graders continue to work on the mechanics of legible cursive handwriting. The Zaner-Bloser handwriting series is used to help students write in cursive using legible letter formation.

Mathematics

We use the Wright Group/McGraw Hill Series Everyday Math. Lessons and activities focus on active learning, computational proficiency, problem solving and cooperative learning. Students learn to think, question and make decisions with confidence. Students focus on whole numbers up to ten thousands, fractions, place value, number patterns, time graphing, geometry, data, measurement, multiplying and dividing by single digit numbers, probability, estimation, mental math, and calculator proficiency. Additionally, the curriculum incorporates the systematic study of math facts. Students are expected to know facts for all four mathematical operations by the end of the third quarter.

Science

McGraw Hill Science is used to introduce students to the scientific method of discovery through thematic units and a hands-on, interdisciplinary approach. Units include: Plant and animal groups and their life cycles, fossils, rocks, soil, minerals, and the structure of matter. Additional units include magnets, heat energy, conservation, and pollution. Use of a dedicated Primary School Science lab is available for experiments and exploration.

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Social Studies

Students use the Macmillan-McGraw Hill series. Additional material is integrated into the curriculum for the study of the foundations of America and a basic government unit. A study of consumers and producers is included. Map skills and geography are also taught.

Study Skills

Students are introduced to systematic study skills in third grade. They are taught to organize study materials to maintain assignments and strengthen techniques for studying. A student agenda is used for assignment and project planning.

Art


Christian Education

Students have Christian Education daily in the classroom. Third graders study Bible lessons that deal with life in Biblical times. They discover the geography and customs of the people. Students learn of God’s relationship with the people of ancient times. Students memorize scripture verses. Once a week, the third grade Chapel Leader provides enrichment opportunities for all third graders. Students attend Chapel every Monday afternoon with the entire Lower School.

A daily devotion and prayer is shared at the beginning of each school day. Blessings are shared at meal time. Christianity is incorporated into the school day. Teachers intertwine moral values and Christian nurturing in their everyday teaching.

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Computer

Third graders go to the computer lab each week for instruction with the Technology Specialist. Each classroom has a multi-media computer for use during learning center activities. Students use intermediate word processing and desktop publishing skills to create and edit stories, poems and reports. Keyboarding skills continue to develop. The students are also introduced to multimedia software with which they create and present multimedia projects. Information management skills such as accessing and retrieving information and identifying appropriate resources are reinforced. Fundamental computer skills emphasizing proper use and care of software and hardware plus computer terminology and legal and ethical skills are reinforced. Internet safety is taught.

Culinary Lab


Media Center


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Music

Concepts from the Orff-Schulwerk approach and the Kodaly Method are used to help students understand the relationship between music, history and culture. Students listen to musical selections of various ethnic cultural groups, learn simple folk rhythmic games, read simple rhythmic patterns from notation, and begin choral singing. Third graders focus on the orchestra, the instruments of the orchestra, and the lives and works of various composers. Students play instruments including the recorder. Students participate in several performances during the year.

Physical Education

Third grade students come to physical education three times a week. The emphasis is on fitness and basic movement skills necessary for successful sports participation. Activities in class are designed to help refine eye-hand and eye-foot coordination as well as body control needed in soccer, flag football, wiffleball, volleyball, team handball, tumbling, track and field, tennis, hockey, and basketball. On non-PE days, children enjoy outside recess time on the Mount Pisgah Christian School gross motor development playground.

Spanish

Spanish is taught each week by the Spanish Education Specialist. Greetings and farewells, colors, numbers, weather, days of the week, and months of the year are introduced and applied by students with songs and hands-on activities. Stories are read to give students an opportunity to hear the spoken dialect. Spanish culture and customs are discussed and learned. Simple skills, such as making a personal introduction, giving family information and sharing personal preferences, are developed. Students learn to: count by 10s up to 100, and by 100s to 1000, talk about family, and family members. They learn basic knowledge of the customs and culture of Latin America, basic geography of North, Central, and South America, the Spanish alphabet, as well as how to spell simple vocabulary. Students begin to read and write phonetically in Spanish. Mathematics in Spanish is introduced.

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Think Tank


Character Education



Third Grade

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History Museum






Service Projects

Each year we provide opportunities for students to experience the joy of Christian service. Each class chooses a service project as their focus for the year. Students also participate in school-wide service projects such as Pennies for Patients, the North Fulton Charities food drive, and Operation Christmas Child. At Mount Pisgah Christian School, our students realize that they are important members of the body of Christ.

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4th-5thgrades

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Fourth GradeLanguage Arts

Reading

We experience a variety of classic and contemporary literature through novel studies, literature circles and in-depth reading response projects. Many of the novels have a direct tie-in to the topics that are a part of our social studies curriculum. In addition, we use the Macmillan/McGraw-Hill reading series, Treasures, for mastering reading skills and short stories, both fiction and non-fiction. They focus on the following reading strategies: summarize, predict/infer/monitor/clarify, and question. Word building is taught through reading, writing and challenging vocabulary activities.

English

We use the Easy Grammar series by Wanda C. Phillips. Grammar concepts are introduced and reviewed throughout the year. This series begins with a strong emphasis on prepositions and the importance of prepositions in sentence structure and the ease in which a subject and a verb can be determined. There are a variety of writing skills, including proper punctuation and capitalization, proofreading and editing, and improving the quality of sentences and writing pieces.

Spelling

The spelling curriculum in Fourth grade begins with an expansion of the spelling rules taught through the Clockface Spelling Program. The students apply these spelling rules to larger and more complex words to continue developing their spelling analysis skills in increasingly more difficult words. In fourth grade the students begin a study the most frequently used Latin and Greek roots, prefixes, and suffixes through the WordBuild spelling curriculum. This equips students to unlock spelling and meaning of thousands of new and unknown words.

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Writing

Fourth graders are encouraged to write regularly and creatively using skills and strategies of the writing process. Prewriting, writing, editing and publishing are emphasized. Students write stories, poetry and tales/myths, news articles, journal entries and informational essays.

Mathematics

We use the Wright Group/McGraw Hill Series Everyday Math. Lessons and activities focus on active learning, computational proficiency, problem solving and cooperative learning. Students learn to think, question and make decisions with confidence. Students focus on whole numbers up to hundred millions, fractions, place value, number patterns, time, graphing, geometry, data, measurement, multiplying and dividing by double digit numbers, probability, estimation, mental math, and calculator proficiency. Additionally, students learn to add and subtract decimals as well as to convert decimals and fractions to percentages. Fast facts are used weekly to help students practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts.

Science

The McGraw Hill series is used as a basis for the study of the 3 areas of Science with supplementation using lab experiments and presentations with websites on the SmartBoard. The Intermediate Department Science Lab is utilized for many hands-on experiments. Students record their experiments in a booklet to demonstrate understanding. The areas covered in the 4th grade include Life Science – Ecology, Food Chains, and Classification of Organisms; Physical Science – Energy and Its Transformation, Motion and Forces, Sound, Light, Magnetism, Electricity, and Chemistry; and Earth Science – Weather, Climate, and Water.

Fourth Grade

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Social Studies

In fourth grade students enjoy formal study of United States history. Curriculum begins with the development of Native American cultures and concludes with the antebellum period ending in 1860. The geography component emphasizes the influence of geography on early U.S. History. Regions of the U.S. are studied throughout the year as well. Civics lessons emphasize ideas and rights developed during the formation of our government. Economics lessons use material from a historical perspective to further student understanding of economic concepts.

Study Skills/Organizational Skills

Students identify their learning styles and learn ways to study according to their styles. Students develop many study skill strategies during the year. They learn how to manage their time wisely, how to stay organized, how to be good listeners, how to take tests, how to read textbooks, and how to use resources for research.

Students are introduced to systematic study skills in fourth grade. They are taught to organize study materials to maintain assignments and strengthen techniques for studying. A student agenda is used for assignment and project planning.

Art


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Band, Chorus, Orchestra

Students in 4th and 5th grades may select Band, Chorus, or Orchestra as a music option. Classes meet with Music Specialists twice per week. Students study a variety of melodic patterns, recognize rhythmic notation, and develop sight reading skills. Instrumental and vocal techniques are taught. Students are given several performance opportunities throughout the year.

Christian Education

Fourth graders study Old Testament characters and stories throughout the year including Joshua, Esther, David and Nehemiah. They learn how God worked in the Bible times through problem-filled periods that parallel ours today and what He has promised to do for all who trust His word and obey His will. Once a week, all fourth graders attend Bible class to enrich their learning.

A daily devotion and prayer is shared each school day. Blessings are shared at meal time. Christianity is incorporated into the school day. Teachers intertwine moral values and Christian nurturing in their everyday teaching.

Computer

Students go to the computer lab each week for instruction with the Technology Specialist. Each classroom has a multi-media computer for their use during learning center activities. Students continue to use word processing, desktop publishing, and presentation software to create, edit, and save documents and presentations. Keyboarding skills continue to develop. Information management skills, including the introduction of the internet as a research tool, are emphasized. Internet safety is taught. In addition to Computer class, students have access to the school’s cart of iPads, which allows teachers to differentiate lessons, research, and activities, maximizing each student’s learning time.

Fourth Grade

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Culinary Lab


Media Center

The Lower School Media Center serves students from Kindergarten Prep through grade 5. The Media Center is home to over 11,000 items, including books, magazines, audio books, educational DVDs, and reference materials. Its computers provide students with the technology to search for library books and conduct research using online encyclopedias and other approved reference sites. The Media Specialist teaches library, research, and literacy skills.

Physical Education

Fourth graders have Health/Physical Education three times a week. Students participate in developmental activities for strength, endurance, flexibility, speed, balance, power and agility. They refine skill patterns and perform skills of endurance and coordination. We introduce aspects of health such as nutrition, personal health, and alcohol, tobacco, and drugs. Fitness begins to play a larger part of the curriculum as the fourth graders become aware of their Presidential Fitness scores and how to interpret them.

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Spanish

Spanish is taught each week by the Spanish Education Specialist. Greetings and farewells, colors, numbers, weather, days of the week, and months of the year are reviewed and applied by students through written and oral activities, with a special emphasis on grammatical concepts. Spanish culture and customs are discussed and learned. Students review counting by 5’s and 10’s up to 100, and by 100’s to 1000. They learn the concept of time. Students review basic knowledge of customs and culture of Latin America, and review knowledge of basic geography of North, Central, and South America. They review the Spanish alphabet and spell simple words in Spanish. Students begin to read and write phonetically in Spanish.

Character Education



Fourth Grade

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History Museum






Service Projects

Each year we provide opportunities for students to experience the joy of Christian service. Each class chooses a service project as their focus for the year. Students also participate in school -wide service projects such as Pennies for Patients, the North Fulton Charities food drive, and Operation Christmas Child. At Mount Pisgah Christian School, our students realize that they are important members of the body of Christ.

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Fifth GradeLanguage Arts

Reading

We experience a variety of classic and contemporary literature through novel studies, literature circles, and in-depth reading response projects. Many of the novels have a direct tie-in to the topics that are a part of our social studies curriculum. In addition, we use the Macmillan/McGraw-Hill reading series, Treasures, for mastering reading skills and short stories, both fiction and non-fiction. Fifth graders will be focusing on the major reading strategies of: predicting, inferring, monitoring, clarifying, questions, evaluating and summarizing.

English

We use the Easy Grammar series by Wanda C. Phillips. Grammar concepts are introduced and reviewed throughout the year. This series begins with a strong emphasis on prepositions and using a scaffolding approach the students are able to recognize the parts of sentence and understand their purpose in a sentence. The grammar concepts are introduced and reviewed throughout the year to ensure mastery learning. They use a variety of writing skills, including proper punctuation and capitalization, proofreading and editing, and improving the quality of sentences and writing pieces.

Spelling

Fifth graders are exposed to ever increasingly more difficult words with application of the Clockface spelling rules. They then proceed onto the WordBuild spelling curriculum through which we provide explicit instruction in the most frequently used Latin and Greek roots, prefixes, and suffixes. This equips students to unlock spelling and meaning of thousands of words. Long term retention is the goal since our students now understand the core parts (morphemes) of the words they are encountering (and more importantly, will encounter) as they reach higher levels of vocabulary through the MS and US years.

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Writing

Fifth graders write regularly and creatively using skills and strategies of the writing process. Students recognize and use simple, complex and compound sentences. They recognize and use standard editing symbols. Students write multiple quality paragraphs about a topic, using the writing process. Personal narrative, persuasive writing, explanatory writing, expository writing and persuasive essay are the focus of our vocabulary/word work.

Mathematics

We use the Wright Group/McGraw-Hill Series Everyday Math. Lessons and activities focus on active learning, computational proficiency, problem solving and cooperative learning. Students learn to think, question and make decisions with confidence. Fifth graders focus on whole numbers up to one billion, rounding and estimating whole numbers up to one billion, multiplying and dividing by three-digit numbers, multiplying and dividing decimals and fractions, plane and solid geometry, ratios, percentages, graphs, and customary and metric units of measurement. In addition, students study exponents, negative numbers, and algebraic concepts. Fast facts are used weekly to help students practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts.

Science

The McGraw Hill series is used as a basis for the study of the 3 areas of Science with supplementation using lab experiments and presentations with websites on the SmartBoard. The Intermediate Department Science Lab is utilized for many hands-on experiments. Students record their experiments in a booklet to demonstrate understanding. The areas covered in the 5th grade include Life Science – Classification of organisms (plants and animals), Adaptation, Cells and Microorganisms, Inheritance of Traits and Learned Behavior, Ecosystems and Food Webs; Physical Science – Structure of Atoms, Physical and Chemical Changes, Motion and Forces including Newton’s Laws; Earth Science – Effects of Constructive and Destructive forces, Rocks and Minerals, Fossils, Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and the Solar System.

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Social Studies

In fifth grade, students continue their formal study of United States history. Students study United States history beginning with the Civil War and continue to the present. The geography component emphasizes the influence of geography on U.S. history. The civics lessons emphasize concepts and rights as outlined in amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Economics lessons use material from a historical perspective to further students understanding of economic concepts.

Study Skills

Students develop many study skills strategies during the year. They learn how to manage their time wisely, how to stay organized, how to be good listeners, how to take tests, read textbooks, and use resources for research.

Students are introduced to systematic study skills in fifth grade. They are taught to organize study materials to maintain assignments and strengthen techniques for studying. A student agenda is used for assignment and project planning.

Art


Band, Chorus, Orchestra

Students in 4th and 5th grades may select Band, Chorus, or Orchestra as a music option. Classes meet with Music Specialists twice per week. Students study a variety of melodic patterns, recognize rhythmic notation, and develop sight reading skills. Instrumental and vocal techniques are taught. Students are given several performance opportunities throughout the year.

Fifth Grade

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Christian Education

Fifth grade students attend Bible class once a week. They concentrate on the Gospel of Matthew, the life of Jesus from birth to resurrection and the Great Commission. Introduction to reference skills includes using the Bible dictionary, Atlas, Concordance, and other reference books. Life application of Bible truths is emphasized.

A daily devotion and prayer is shared each school day. Blessings are shared at meal time. Christianity is incorporated into the school day. Teachers intertwine moral values and Christian nurturing in their everyday teaching.

Fifth grade students attend chapel every Monday afternoon with the Lower School. This service is conducted by a member of Pisgah’s Chapel Team and by members of the Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church ministerial staff. Songs, prayers, and a youth sermon make this an important start to our spiritual as well as our academic week at Mount Pisgah Christian School. All Lower School students participate in Christmas and Easter services.

Computer

Students attend computer lab each week for instruction with the Technology Specialist. Each classroom has a multi-media computer for use during learning center activities. Students also have access to open computer lab time each week for research purposes. Students continue to use word processing, desktop publishing, and presentation software to create, edit, and save documents and presentations. Keyboarding skills continue to develop. Information management skills are reinforced and citing electronic sources is introduced. Internet safety is taught. In addition to Computer class, students have access to the school’s cart of iPads, which allows teachers to differentiate lessons, research, and activities, maximizing each student’s learning time.

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Media Center

The Lower School Media Center serves students from Kindergarten Prep through grade 5. The Media Center is home to over 11,000 items, including books, magazines, audio books, educational DVDs, and reference materials. Its computers provide students with the technology to search for library books and conduct research using online encyclopedias and other approved reference sites. The Media Specialist teaches library, research, and literacy skills.

Physical Education

Fifth graders attend Health/Physical Education three times a week and have recess twice a week. They continue to refine their basic skills pertaining to the specific sport being taught as well as being introduced to the cognitive side of the unit with strategies and rule concepts. We relate more health issues to the curriculum in the fifth grade, such as personal health, growth and development, nutrition, alcohol, tobacco and drugs.

Spanish

Spanish is taught each week with the Spanish Education Specialist. Students continue to understand and apply vocabulary words through written and oral activities with an emphasis on grammatical concepts. They continue to develop word order, sentence patterns, verb conjugation, formal and informal pronouns. Skits and short plays are learned and performed, giving students the opportunity to speak the language with adequate pronunciation, intonation and comprehension. Students continue to learn about the cultures of Latin America and Spain.

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Character Education



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History Museum



After School enrichment activities, such as additional art, science and computer classes are designed for both learning and fun. Classes begin immediately after school is dismissed.



Service Projects

Each year we provide opportunities for students to experience the joy of Christian service. Each class chooses a service project as their focus for the year. Students also participate in school -wide service projects such as Pennies for Patients, the North Fulton Charities food drive, and Operation Christmas Child. At Mount Pisgah Christian School, our students realize that they are important members of the body of Christ.

Fifth Grade

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mount pisgahC h R i s t i a n s C h o o L

9820 Nesbit Ferry Road | Johns Creek, Georgia 30022 | 678-336-3443

Documents

Lower School Curriculum Overview