Bringing the Great Lessons to Life in Middle Elementary

Cultural lessons began during the second week of school with the First Great Lesson, "The Birth of the Universe." This lesson directed our attention to the laws that govern the universe and make it possible for humans to investigate and make predictions about our world. The Second Great Lesson is "The Coming of Life," which allowed us to look at the great diversity of life.  "The Coming of Humans," the Third Great Lesson, focused our work on the human experiences of communal living, tool-making, shelter and communication needs, survival, and migration through the world.

The work of the playground reflects these intense developments.  The lower playground, "the woods," is an ideal place for the children to do the work of planning, building, hunting and scavenging for materials, negotiating for desired objects, cooperating and collaborating within a group, communicating and solving differences, and developing systems of trade and defense.  The constructions vary in complexity and the builders often rotate in and out of a "fort." The one guiding principle is the monumental importance of each person's contribution to the whole.