Return to Objective 1: Curriculum & Instruction

Children's House students are curious, natural observers in a highly absorbent plane of development; they engage in a range of lessons about the natural world, ranging from animal and plant nomenclature to earth science.

Our youngest students students prepare to participate in our Seed to Table program through practical life lessons on flower-arranging and plant care; botany lessons, particularly the parts of a flower and different types of trees and leaves; and by starting seedlings in the classroom for spring planting.

Children also learn about healthy, whole foods, and enjoy curricular extensions to the art room, with engaging opportunities for meaningful integration of the arts.

In Lower Elementary, a hands-on and highly integrated program engages 1st through 3rd graders, and supports their emerging reasoning mind while leveraging their increased social awareness and curiosity about the world around them.

Through Montessori's Great Lessons, students continue their exploration of the natural world, their connection to the universe, and the interdependence and interconnectedness of all living and non-living things. Students enjoy lessons about the solar system, the earth and its atmosphere, timelines for the arrival of living organisms on earth, plant and animal observations, and learn about human impact on our planet's ecology.

Lower Elementary students are active in the student garden and also serve as "Chicken Keepers," assisting with the care and maintenance of our chickens. In 3rd grade, students start participating in Seed to Table - our student-powered healthy cooking and gardening program; healthy cooking lessons are documented below, following all the classroom lessons, and gardening is addressed in the section Structures for Environmental Learning.

Note: Number of lesson plan corresponds to number on photo; ie, Lesson Plan 1 corresponds to photos 1A, 1B, & 1C.

Every year, students take numerous "going outs" - learning experiences in the field that students help to plan - and frequently rely on public transportation or walking. This year, Lower Elementary students traveled to the Jewish Museum of Maryland for an informative exhibit connected to our waste reduction theme entitled, Scrapyard: Innovators of Recycling, and to the National Aquarium in Baltimore:

*Note: Additional Elementary classrooms will visit the Scrapyard exhibit later this spring.

In Upper Elementary, students continue their exploration of a rich and rigorous curriculum, and further develop their reason, intellect, and capacity for critical thinking and scientific inquiry. Students explore botany, earth science, and biology, and use the scientific method to answer questions about the earth's systems as well as the impact of humans on our planet's ecology.

Upper Elementary students are also highly engaged with Seed to Table, our student-powered healthy cooking and gardening program; cooking lessons are documented below, following all classroom lessons, and gardening documentation is listed under Structures for Environmental Learning. Upper Elementary students also lead various green teams to design and implement sustainability initiatives and special projects around the school.

Note: Number of lesson plan corresponds to number on photo; ie, Lesson Plan 1 corresponds to photos 1A, 1B, 1C, & 1D.

Upper Elementary students also traveled to the Jewish Museum of Maryland for an informative exhibit connected to our waste reduction theme entitled, Scrapyard: Innovators of Recycling:

*Note: Additional Elementary classrooms will visit the Scrapyard exhibit later this spring.

In the Adolescent Community (AC), our program of study responds to the unique developmental needs of young adolescents by anchoring meaningful academic study in a real-world context.

Environmental science lessons center on rigorous, inquiry-driven projects and explorations related to major themes, including evolution, life cycles, matter and energy, ecology, and more. Students explore cells and living organisms, interdependent systems, and study human ecological impact, from both local and global perspectives. Students also study genetics, motion and forces, machines, and chemistry.

In addition to their fall outdoor education experiences, the end of the year for AC culminates with field studies at Lake Roland and Fort McHenry National Park; students use public transportation to reach these destinations.

AC Students access Seed to Table - our student-powered healthy cooking and gardening program - through their electives and specials; cooking activities are described below, following all classroom lessons.

3. English Language Arts & Social Studies Integration: 6th and 7th graders in the Adolescent Community read an article and followed up with a Socratic seminar to discuss how to help the environment as individuals and as a society; students also made eco-friendly posters to illustrate their ideas.

4. English Language Arts & Social Studies Integration: 7th and 8th graders in the Adolescent Community learned about Greta Thunberg and adolescent activism for the environment. Students engaged in a board room table-style discussion with guiding questions. For extra credit, students were encouraged to attend Baltimore City's Mayoral Candidates Environment and Equity Forum on February 24.

Adolescent Community students also engage in critical field experiences to further their education around environmental issues and to cultivate youth as environmental stewards. In September 2019, 6th and 7th graders traveled to North Bay Outdoor Adventure Education Center, and 8th graders hiked a portion of the Appalachian Trail with Outward Bound. In previous years, the Adolescent Community traveled to River Valley Ranch.

Seed to Table: By guiding children to grow, prepare, and enjoy healthy foods, our student-powered cooking and gardening program serves to deepen children's understanding of our planet's ecology, their connection to all living organisms, and their role as stewards of the earth,

We launched this signature initiative when our school opened in 2008, and our program has grown from a makeshift space for a small number of Lower Elementary students to its current iteration: a vibrant student kitchen with 4 cooking centers, each equipped with induction burners, as well as pantry space, ovens for baking, systems for dehydration, dry storage, wash and sanitization stations, and more. Our kitchen is a certified food facility and licensed for catering by the Baltimore City Health Department.

Our outdoor spaces include a 3000 square foot vegetable, herb, and flower garden; fruit trees and berry bushes; a large chicken coop area with five hens; an apiary; an outdoor classroom with seating and a chalkboard wall; stadium seating for outdoor gatherings and special events; and ample spaces for exercise and play.

Currently, students in 3rd through 5th grade access the kitchen as part of their school day. For a week at a time, students spend part of their morning work period in the student kitchen, working on a variety of healthy, vegetarian recipes. Depending on the time of year and weather permitting, students also spend part of this time in the school gardens or tending to the chickens, bees, and orchards. Each 3rd through 5th grade student rotates through the kitchen approximately 4-5 times per school year.

Students in the Adolescent Community access the kitchen and garden via school day "specials" and Wednesday afternoon enrichment clubs. They also use the kitchen at several key points in the year that coincide with their fundraising and micro-economy initiatives.

In the student kitchen, we use the harvest from our own gardens as well as eggs from our chickens. We supplement with fresh ingredients from our partners, and prioritize local purveyors who can provide clean, sustainably-sourced, organic items.

In November 2019, AC made homemade apple and pumpkin pies and spiced cranberry relish for the holidays, which they sold via pre-order and at a Thanksgiving week pop up. Buyers raved about the homemade pie crust and fresh ingredients! Proceeds support AC's end of year trip.

In February 2018, AC students led a healthy snack event. Students worked in teams to develop their own businesses to make and sell delicious healthy treats as a fundraiser for their end of year trip. In addition to dreaming up healthy treats, students created business plans, logos, and marketing strategies.

AC students engaged in expert level cooking lessons during their Wednesday afternoon specials in 2017: