The GMS Theme Studies program enables students to make connections across disciplines in a real-world setting. Students apply and integrate both skills and content in reading, writing, mathematics, science, art, and drama. The skills listed below reflect only the “social studies” component of the theme studies program. Theme studies work is also used to evaluate skills in the other integrated disciplines.

Themes are studied for nine weeks at a time, and all students in the school study the same theme at the same time. The four themes for the 2004-2005 school year are “The Olympics”, “India”, “Immigration, Industry and Idealism: The Gilded Age in the US”, and “Give Me Shelter.” And the 2005-2006 themes are "Speak and Hear: Communications", "Australia and Oceania", "The Age of Extremes: World Wars, Boom and Bust, Harlem Renaissance", and "Ecology 101". Complete theme curricula are available in the school office for review. All themes end with a culminating event that allows students to experience the process of production and presentation.

By the end of grade 2, students can perform these skills:

• relate historical concepts to personal experiences
• investigate theme-related information from independent sources
• explain theme concepts verbally
• show understanding of chronology
• master geographic directions
• understand landforms and physical geography characteristics

By the end of grade 4, students can perform these skills:

• construct and ask historically or culturally accurate and appropriate questions
• conduct research using the “I-search” process
• use encyclopedias and similar reference materials effectively to obtain information
• use an atlas effectively
• interpret and create a map key
• create a timeline
• understand different community structures

By the end of grade 6, students can perform these skills:

• conduct a clear, well-prepared and effective interview
• extract important and topical information from factual reading
• keep and organize notes
• create an in-depth biographical sketch
• organize and prepare a successful oral presentation
• use and interpret different map types
• understand and identify and implement various memorization techniques
• utilize latitude and longitude concepts

By the end of grade 8, students can perform these skills:

• construct and present a lengthy research paper
• identify and extract important information from primary sources
• keep and record organized notes from verbal instruction and textual material
• explicitly and accurately site sources of research
• show understanding of how individuals affect historical trends
• identify historical context
• organize, prepare and give a successful oral presentation utilizing public speaking skills
• memorize facts and information