Class Five

Ancient Epochs and The Greek World

In Class Five the child begins to experience themselves as an individual within the group. They begin to connect to the other through empathy. A depth of feeling can be seen emerging, along with a developing sense of personal responsibility. The individual, within the context of their history, is the work of the Class Five child.

Undertaking an epic journey through the ancient cultures of Persia, India, Egypt and Greece, the children develop an understanding of the different pictures of social and human geography. Descending from the dream world of the ancient epochs, through the development of agriculture, and concluding with the conscious civic society of the Greeks, the children trace the foundations of modern consciousness.

Through a study of Greek architecture as ‘form balanced between earth and heaven’, the children develop a strong sense of the beauty of form. This connects to the Olympic ideal, which is the counterpart to their historical studies, incorporating grace, strength, and the will to strive and physically do their best.

Curriculum:

Year 5 Main Lessons: English; Mathematics; Local History; Local Geography; Science (Botany); Ancient Epochs.

English:

  • Stories/myths from the Ancient epochs
  • Grammar work: writing, editing, punctuation
  • Reading: novel study

Mathematics:

  • Fractions continued in greater complexity
  • Geometry of the circle
  • Decimals and conversion to fractions

Botany (Science):

  • The Plant Kingdom

Geography/History – orienting the child in time:

  • Local environments: a wider region of Australia
  • History: the local story, Australian explorers
  • Ancient epochs: India, Persia/Mesopotamia, Egypt
  • Ancient Greece: The Trojan War; Classical Greece

Other subjects:

  • Craft: four needle knitting, woodwork (hand-carving)
  • Painting
  • Drawing
  • Games: Olympic Games event – Pentathlon
  • Music: singing/treble recorder (rounds, canons, harmony, part songs)
  • Drama: Class Play

Outdoor education program for Class 5