Browse Curriculum

Humanities

Humanities encompass language arts and social studies in Grades 4 through 6.

Click on a grade below to see a summary of that grade's work in Humanities. Please note: Each description lists that grade's guiding question or questions, topics covered in that area, and an overview of skills developed through this subject.

  • Humanities in Grade 4

    What does it mean to be a community? How do fears of the unknown impact our actions, attitudes and our understanding of others? What does it mean to have power in communities, in individual relationships? What were the defining features of the Middle Ages in Europe and in other parts of the world? How can we get the most out of what we read? How can we organize, revise, and edit our writing to communicate most effectively?

    Topics of Study:
    The Middle Ages • The Feudal System  • Knights and Castles •  Medieval Korea • Multicultural stories

    Skills We Teach:
    In Reading: 
    Reading for main ideas • Finding textual evidence to support ideas • Taking notes • Summarizing • Applying critical thinking skills as we read • Comprehension strategies • Decoding multi-syllabic words • Spelling patterns and concepts • Building vocabulary 

    In Language Arts:
    Grammar • Parts of speech • Sentence structure • Writing mechanics 

    In Writing: 
    Descriptive writing • Journal writing • Narrative writing • Planning • Utilizing graphic organizers • Revising • Proofreading • Paragraph writing

    In Social Studies:
    Interpreting time lines and maps • The research process • Reading non-fiction for information

  • Humanities in Grade 5

    What skills and strategies can we use to better understand the literature that we read? How can we understand history from more than one perspective?
     
    Topics of Study: 
    Active Citizenship • The Birth of a Nation: Colonial America • The American Revolution
     
     
    Skills We Teach: 
    Using active reading strategies for fiction and non-fiction texts • Drawing inferences • Building vocabulary • Exploring theme • Developing critical thinking skills • Analyzing text • Expressing ideas in writing, speech, and through the use of technology • Refining grammar skills and writing mechanics • Conducting research using nonfiction texts and internet resources • Differentiating main and subordinate ideas • Taking notes • Incorporating research into writing • Managing long-term projects
  • Photo of Jacob Schrader
    Jacob Schrader
    Humanities Teacher
  • Photo of Kristen Sheehan
    Kristen Sheehan
    Humanities, Grade 5 homeroom, Grades 4/5 Team Leader
    978-369-4591 ext 194
    Bowdoin College - B.A.
    Lesley University - M.Ed.
    Bio
200 Strawberry Hill Road
Concord, MA 01742
Phone: 978-369-4591
Email: info@nashobabrooks.org
Situated on a beautiful 30-acre campus in historic Concord, Massachusetts, Nashoba Brooks School enrolls all genders in Preschool through Grade 3, and students identifying as girls in Grades 4 through 8. Nashoba Brooks is an independent school designed to build community, character, and confidence in its students.
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