MEMORIES THAT STICK - Harbor Day School

The Importance of
Social Studies
BY
JENNIFER FENNER
AND MARTI MURPHY
As parents and teachers of young students, we have an
obligation to demonstrate the role each of them plays
as a citizen of the global community. The Social Studies
curriculum at Harbor Day School is designed to lay
that strong foundation for understanding how our
world works. From studying American Colonial history
to a comprehensive study of geography, Harbor Day School students are
amply prepared for their high school years and beyond. Class and crossgrade
level events help solidify the importance of Social Studies, while
making it come alive for each child.
The Social Studies curriculum begins as soon as
students arrive in Kindergarten. A favorite
event that kindergartners through fourth
graders experience is International Day. While completing
a cross-curriculur and focused unit of study
on a single country, each grade learns about that culture’s
native dances, songs, food, art, and literature.
The students then follow with a celebration filled with
music, dancing, and costumes.
In Lower School, a defining moment in the
program for our third graders is the recreation of
the California Gold Rush. The Harbor Day Gold
Rush event, which has occurred for the last 21 years,
is set in the school’s sand covered playground, where
children feverishly pan for gold. Fourth graders take
part in a yearlong and in-depth study of U.S. geography.
To exercise their knowledge, students perform
and present their state report at the annual Harbor
Day School State Fair.
In Upper School, American history graces Fifth
Grade with the study of Native American societies
of the Eastern United States and the early European
explorers. The Colonial Day reenactment brings great
perspective to the study of American history; students,
teachers, and parents participate together in a
variety of activities, such as building early American
toys, learning the art of candle making, and even
preparing and tasting a batch of Johnnycakes.
In Sixth Grade, students study ancient history.
Concluding the year with a Medieval Faire, students
play their part as members of a feudal manor by
producing textiles, writing and performing ballads
to entertain the court, and dining on an authentic
Medieval fare.
Sixth and Seventh Grade students study human,
as well as physical, geography (or physiography).
These lessons provide students with a greater
understanding of how our planet’s structure helps to
keep us all interconnected. They also help students to
develop a deeper understanding of the way that
culture, society, economics, and geography affect the
historical events of the past and the present. After
completing their studies, students learn that they are
expected to play a part as a global citizen.
PAGE 14 BEACON — SPRING 2012