In Fourth Grade, Waldorf students learn about the human being and the animal world.  They learn what is special about human beings and what is special about animals, and the ways in which we share characteristics with our fellow creatures.

The Fourth Graders demonstrated great enthusiasm and generosity after their trip to the Maryland Zoo in December.  They brought in their own money to “adopt” a penguin, tortoise, lemur, Kirk’s dik dik, and chimpanzee.  In this program you donate $67 toward the care of a specific animal.   My aim was not for quantity but to help them start thinking of the holidays as a time for giving as well as receiving.   They brought in more than $300!  I took their homemade envelopes with their donated cash and handwritten business letters to the zoo.   We will be writing more business letters and personal letters later in the year as part of the language arts curriculum.

Be sure to check out the gorgeous pictures that Michel Anderson took at our field trip last week. Maryland Zoo Trip.

It was also nice to count money for the adoptions, we have been reviewing money in our math classes.  The students very much enjoy our new game “Storekeeper,” where four storekeepers each “sell” a small object like a pencil or crayon, and the rest of the students each get a bowl full of change to “buy” things.  The storekeepers write receipts for each purchase.  After the holidays we will make “dollar bills” of various denominations and learn more about making change for larger purchases.

Learn more about the Elementary School.

Written by Fourth Grade Teacher, Claire Jerram.