Theme Studies

The GreenMount School 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. Theme-based studies provide meaning, engagement, and relevancy to subjects that otherwise can be abstract. Field trips, guest artists, and speakers provide many opportunities for curricular integration and contextual understanding. The whole school works with synergy as the students and teachers together move through learning and projects related to the theme.

While pursuing theme-based activities, the students acquire many diverse skills. They learn geography and how to read maps, how to use multiple sources for research including the internet, and how to give oral presentations and answer questions from an audience. They gain an understanding of chronology and timelines and learn to relate historical concepts to personal experience. Students also learn how to analyze data and how to work in a cooperative group.

Themes are studied for an average of 10 weeks at a time. All themes end with a culminating event that allows students to experience the process of production and presentation. Complete theme curricula are available in the school office for review.

The U.S history themes are taught in a nine-year cycle and students make references and connections to previous themes to help guide future learning. The cultural theme and multiple intelligences theme are chosen to highlight global understanding within the history theme.