LS Curriculum

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Social Studies/History

Lower School students strengthen their awareness of commonality and diversity with carefully selected experiences. Students learn to articulate what they would like to explore and are then introduced to the many ways in which they can uncover information: asking questions, reading books, researching on the Internet, interviewing experts, conducting experiments, making observations, and more. Students have the opportunity to work cooperatively and solve problems democratically—all key elements of the curriculum. Students are increasingly cognizant of their responsibility to their community.

Grade 1 Social Studies

Grade 1 social studies uses Central Park as a laboratory to study both scientific and social interactions. The class explores big questions such as: What is a community? What does “commons” mean? What do we already know about Central Park? Who designed the park and why? What jobs do people have in the park? How can we help take care of the park? What are different ways that people enjoy and use the park? What are the physical characteristics of Central Park’s bridges?
Grade 3 Social Studies

Grade 3 science focuses on a yearlong study of the Hudson River, including uses of the river, its importance, urban rivers, upriver, estuaries, pollution, its wildlife, and human roles in the river ecosystem. Examples of a class inquiry include: How is a river a Commons? How do we assess a river’s water quality? How do Hudson River fish navigate the varying conditions in the river over their lifetimes? What are the differences between a food chain and a food web?
Grade 2 Social Studies

Grade 2 social studies explores individual family histories and different New York City neighborhoods—to study changes over time and immigration, both past and present. The class explores important questions such as: How do you establish community? What is similar and different about our lives today, as opposed to long ago? What is immigration, and how do we experience it in New York City?
Grade 4 Social Studies/History

Grade 4 students learn to ask big questions and conduct research to find in-depth answers. Through independent work and collaboration with peers, they take notes, organize ideas, and present information on a variety of topics. Units of study include Ancient Civilizations of Africa, Age of Exploration, and New Amsterdam. Students begin the year with geography and timeline studies, which they then carry through each unit. They learn about life in the past through various outlets, such as stories, artifacts, primary and secondary sources, videos, art, music, and literature. Students develop their research skills, employing questioning, a variety of resources, and note-taking to dig deeply; they then share what they have learned in the form of creative projects and/or presentations.
Grade 5 Social Studies/History

Fifth-grade students focus on immigration as a major theme throughout the school year. Some of the topics include immigration to the U.S. through Ellis Island, Angel Island, and the Mexican border. These topics are explored through various books and nonfiction texts, and materials from Pollyanna, our racial literacy curriculum. These texts help to strengthen students’ literacy skills. Students also publish the Trevor Tribune, a student newspaper, as part of their study of current events.

Michelle Wu-Buchenholz

Grade 1 Head Teacher

mwu@trevor.org
Bio
Michelle joined Trevor in 2010 from The Spence School, where she taught Kindergarten. She earned her BA in Social Work and AS in Liberal Arts from NYU, and her MA in Early Childhood Special Education from NYU Steinhardt School of Education.