Social Studies

With cooler temperatures in the forecast, it has finally starting to feel like fall around campus. First grade partners with a parent, or a loved one, to build a Mayan or Aztec style temple. This hands on project concludes our study of these early American civilizations. It’s a great way to have a shared learning experience and bring to life some of the concepts we discussed in social studies. It also helps teach children at a very young age what history is and how different cultures have shaped our current culture. My goal is to teach children to respect others no matter what they believe and what their background is. At St. James it is part of our mission statement to include project-based learning and hands-on experiences for our students. Research has proven that this is the best way for children to learn. So, any opportunity we get to enrich the child’s learning we take it! These temple projects are the first of many project based experiences these children will have while attending St. James. While, at the first grade level there is more teacher and parent support, as they grow each year they have more projects that they are responsible for completing independently. I will frequently say that this event or that project is my favorite. The truth is, I love them all for different reasons. My favorite aspect of the temple project is that it’s the children’s first time to participate in a school project on campus. This is their first year in lower school and, like a grade level states, it’s the first for so many things. Getting to experience these milestones with every group of first graders has been so fulfilling and brings me so much joy. I hope you enjoy these amazing replicas of Mayan and Aztec temples!