This article originally appeared in Kingsley's Spring 2018 issue of The New Kingsleyan
. Written by Kingsley Lower Elementary Teacher Caroline Locke and Upper Elementary Teacher Patrick Davis.
Kingsley's Cultural Curriculum
As anyone who knows an elementary student can attest, two of the most frequent questions that they ask are: why and how? “Why do the days get shorter in the fall?” “Why are whales mammals and not fish?” “Why are there so many different countries in the world?” “How big is the sun?”
The move from Preschool to Elementary indicates a remarkable shift in a student’s perspective of the world. During the first six years of life, a child is only aware of oneself and one’s immediate environment. As children enter the second plane of development and Elementary school, they begin to connect more meaningfully to society and expand their consciousness of the world beyond them.