Primary (1-3)

Collaborate in Community

The early elementary years in our Primary program at Evergreen—1st through 3rd grades—weave together awareness of self, others, and the world. By nurturing independence and collaboration in young learners, we build a foundation for rich academic engagement and exploration attuned to global citizenship, environmental stewardship, and hands-on learning in which students are inventors and investigators, doers, and makers.

Our Primary Division at Evergreen emphasizes working together and building enduring connections.

In 1st grade, class meetings and a key unit on inclusivity and different abilities help foster core social-emotional skills that students then channel into their 2nd grade work.  A multifaceted study of communities in 2nd grade—culminating in students creating their own communities, complete with murals showing geographical features, homes, and businesses—as well as a weeks-long interdisciplinary project focused on exploring a single theme from many different angles are two signature undertakings. In 3rd grade, students grow more reflective as they consider their classroom as a community and practice strengthening connections close to home.

Learn Languages of the World

Evergreen is the only area elementary school offering instruction in three world languages: Mandarin Chinese, French, and Spanish. Following a year-long World Language Exploratorium in kindergarten, introducing students to each language for 12 weeks each, starting in 1st grade students focus on one language to study throughout their time at Evergreen. Through 4th grade, they meet for language class for 45 minutes, three times a week, before advancing to deeper, more frequent study in 5th grade and beyond.

Create Interdisciplinary Connections with Nature

At Evergreen, we consider the natural world an extension of our classrooms. And we seek to scaffold each student’s sense of environmental stewardship by engaging them in field work that inspires and informs. Below, reflections from teachers in Evergreen’s elementary program exemplify ever-invigorating outdoor exploration in action.
 

“Nature has acted as our laboratory this spring as students explored
the amazing world of native flora and fauna. Students explored species’
relationships to their habitats and human impact upon those delicate systems.”
–Evergreen Teacher

Build in the BIG Lab

Every grade visits the BIG Lab, our campus makerspace where hands-on projects are integrated with academics. For example, our 1st graders experiment with cantilevers and suspension, practicing new ways of asking testable questions. Second graders design and create musical instruments using their knowledge of sound waves and the way sound is produced in different families of instruments, and 3rd graders make detailed working models of covered wagons during their social studies unit about the Oregon Trail.

Grades 1-3 subjects include:

  • Advisor
  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Math
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • World Language
  • Art
  • Music
  • PE
  • Technology

A Deeper Look at 1-3 Learning

From 1st through 3rd grades, students’ development as individuals and as learners is nothing short of astonishing. We emphasize young people’s agency as we infuse our intensive academic curriculum with social and emotional skills—from becoming “social detectives” while working to understand another’s perspective, to exploring the science behind a “growth mindset.” We focus on developmental work during Advisor time at each grade level, and our educators integrate these critical tools into classroom lessons, so that academic and personal growth fuel each other.

For example:

1st Grade - Writing

KNOW

The difference between nonfiction and fictional writing

The differences between brainstorming, rough drafts, and final drafts

The elements of the writing process

How to properly format a letter

UNDERSTAND

Multiple forms of writing (letters, narratives, “how to”, nonfiction research, etc.)

Multiple stages in the writing process (brainstorming, rough draft, editing, final draft)

Strategies to gather ideas for writing (drawing, verbal brainstorms, etc.)

Utilizing spaces, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation for clear written communication

DO

Focus on a topic

Write opinion pieces introducing a topic, providing an opinion and reason, and including a sense of closure

Respond to questions and suggestions from peers and add details to strengthen writing

Use a variety of tools with adult support to publish writing (including digital tools and collaborating with peers)

Write narratives that include two or more sequenced events, including details about what happened, temporal words, and closure

Write informative texts naming a topic, including a few facts, and providing some sense of closure

Sequence a few instructions to explain how to do something

Participate in shared research and writing projects

Use legible handwriting and phonetic spelling

Use conventional manuscript handwriting

With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided resources to answer a question

2nd Grade - Math

KNOW

The place value system

Math facts

The meaning of symbols for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division

How to read graphs to answer questions and draw conclusions

How to read a ruler to the nearest half inch and nearest centimeter

UNDERSTAND

Multiple methods can be used to solve the same problem. Some methods are more efficient than others.

Discussing mathematical concept and methods builds understanding

Math is all around us, and we use it every day.

DO

Read numbers up to 1,000,000

Write numbers up to 1,000,000

Demonstrate fluency with addition and subtraction facts through 20

Demonstrate fluency with multiplication facts through 10x10

Read, write, and solve equations

Demonstrate application of problem solving strategies

Draw and describe angles

Measure perimeter and area of polygons

3rd Grade - Social Studies

KNOW

Different types of maps (political, physical, thematic, topographical)

Parts of a map (key, compass, title)

Physical and cultural characteristics of places, regions, and people in Washington State

Ways to read for information

Strategies to reflect and write about factual information

Note-taking strategies

Migration (hardships, purpose, rewards, impact)

History of westward expansion

How to conduct an interview

UNDERSTAND

People moved by sea, across land, to the Pacific Northwest

People migrate for a variety of purposes and in a variety of ways

Westward expansion impacted the lives of the First Peoples of the Pacific Northwest

Migration has historical roots and continues in modern day

All people have a migration story that includes purpose, hardships, rewards, and impacts on self and others

Understanding the past helps to understand who we are now

DO

Create maps of WA State that demonstrate geographical understanding

Understand and explain why people came to the Northwest

Understand and explain who were the people who came to the Northwest

Understand the specific impacts on First Peoples of westward expansion (death, loss of land, culture, language, economy, traditions)

Understand the physical and cultural characteristics of places, regions and people in Washington State including the difference between cities, states, and countries

Read for information

Organize ideas in new ways through reading, writing, class discussion, group work, and development of models (characters, environments, and communities)

Use research strategies to learn and communicate about topics

Uses persuasion, compromise, debate, and negotiation to resolve conflicts and problems through discussion