Social Studies

Our social studies curriculum provides a context in which children can explore the connections between self, family, community and the world at large.

During children's early years in our program, the social studies curriculum builds understanding and insight around the familiar-the world of the children and their families. Ample time is devoted to individual exploration, group exploration and guided conversations. An emphasis on the use of open-ended materials-a wooden block that might represent a house, a car or a person, for example-encourages natural creativity. The objective of our social studies activities is to continually expand and reinforce children's understanding of identity, culture and human interaction.

As children mature, the social studies curriculum will support their ability to grasp increasingly abstract concepts and complex ideas. Special emphasis will be placed on the function of time and meaning of history. Moving outward, the children will learn about cultural diversity and investigate the concept of community: a classroom, a school, a neighborhood, New York City, the world. Each of our areas of emphasis plays a critical role in deepening children's understanding of how their world works.

Throughout the year, teachers create opportunities for experiential learning by providing hands-on exploration. Children learn about other cultures and people by going on field trips, interacting with guest speakers and artists, cooking foods from around the world and engaging in internationally themed construction projects.

The term "social studies" has heightened meaning in a program like ours because we value the social dimension of school life every bit as much as the subject matter being taught. This means our exploration of the social sciences extends into the study of how people can most successfully communicate, collaborate and connect within the context of the community we are trying to create.