A Journey Through Waldorf Homeschooling

Grade Five

 

Table of Contents

 

Contributors                                                                                                            
Foreword by Melissa Grable                                                                          
Introduction                                                                                                              
History of Waldorf schools and anthroposophy                                            
Chapter 1: The fifth grade                                                                             

·         Grade five book and resource list

·         A Study of Ancient Greece through Astronomy  by Robin McCloud             

Chapter 2: Treading Lightly on the Earth  by Lisa Marshall          
Chapter 3: Music for our children      

Chapter 4: Inner work for self and family                                                     

·         Japa and Chanting by Sandi Russi                                                    

·         Non Violent Communication by Michael Banta                                

·         Using the Vimala Handwriting Method in Waldorf Education by Jennifer Crebbin                          

Chapter 5:  Grade five lesson blocks and sample schedule                           

Closing remarks                                                                                             
Appendix                                                                                                       

                                                     

October

 

Week 1 – LA/social studies- Welcome to India!

·         Day 1 – Form drawing. Find India on the map and the next part of the container story.  Where are the characters? Tell the story of Manu.  The version often told in Waldorf schools has the flood happening in Atlantis.  The people then become the people of India. Illustrate and write about it.

·         Day 2 – Talk about other cultures and flood myths.  We just studied Atlantis, how does this fit there?  How about discussing the Noah story from grade 3.  Are there other flood myths you can think of together?  What conclusion do you come to?  Could they all be myths?  All be the same story? Perhaps your child could spend some time writing their own flood myth, what would the people be like? Would they build an ark? What animals would they like to leave behind? Maybe they take some imaginary animals with them?

·         Day 3 – Introduction to the Hindu faith.  Explain that they have many sacred texts that they consider scripture.  They are a very vast faith, it will take you on a month long adventure!  Begin with the stories.  Start reading the story of the Ramayana.  I have included one from a public domain resource.

·         Day 4 – New concepts of another calendar are introduced in this story – much like the idea that the Jewish faith has a different calendar, there is an alternate calendar used in some Hindu cultures, the Bengali calendar. It is a solar calendar.  It begins on April 14 or 15th with the month of Boishakh (all the months are listed on page ___.  Finish the story of Rama.  What I have included is one account of the Rama and Sita story, it is the beginning of a long saga.  There are many stories, if the culture interests you, I encourage you to continue stories throughout the year.  The internet is a wonderful resource for these.

 

Don’t forget to start some daily math practice.  Math in circle time is good, also a few problems written in their main lesson book of concepts they already know and are reviewing is a good idea.  I get sample problems from workbooks or from math websites on the internet.  I generally only use a few problems a day.

Week 2 – LA/Social Studies/Science – India

·         Day 1 – Form drawing.  Explore some Indian cuisine. Do some cooking together.  Begin reading the play King Sangara’s Horse. 

·         Day 2, 3 & 4 – Finish reading the play.  Decide if you will act it out as a shadow play (as it is written) or perhaps you’d rather spend time illustrating it and writing it?  If you chose a pictoral account, how will you do it?  Paintings? Story boards? Drawing?  You could easily have a drawing or painting for each scene and the prologue and epilogue.  At the end of the week your child could put on the play or narrate his/her story for a family show.