May 23-27

The 4th grade class turned in their homework (an article on Costa  
Rica-China relations) and then took quiz #1 on Tuesday, which covered  
Early China civilizations.

They then made a trip back around the globe, learning about early man  
in America and the first civilizations here. Learning that nobody is  
"really" a Native American--that until between 30,000 B.C. and 13,000  
B.C., there was nobody here--students saw a timeline and also a  
fill-in-the-blank imagining students' trip from Asia, across the  
Bering Strait land bridge, and to what was then a nameless land.  
Students also had to come up with four questions and four answers,  
using important information from the lesson.

Using the services of students to help review the material in front of  
the class, the teacher then moved on to the first American  
Civilizations (the Olmecs and Caral people), reviewing the key points  
before having students review them on their own.

Also during the week the teacher introduced procedures to maximize  
class learning time (including making a "thumbs up" to go the bathroom  
instead of having to interrupt to ask to go).

May 16-May 20

The 4th graders completed In-Class #1 on China on Tuesday and moved on 
to study interesting facets of the Ancient Indus River civilizations. 
In this context they learned about the still-in effect caste system, 
with Brahmans on top and Untouchables at the very bottom.

With the material previewed and read, students were then called up to 
the front to summarize it to their classmates. Also as review, 
students copied down a chart comparing key features of Ancient 
China/Ancient Indus River civilizations.

Following a discussion of likely material on the upcoming Quiz #1 (on 
Ancient China), the class began its discussion of Ancient America. 
They learned that although some Americans are much more "native" than 
others, it wasn't until betweeen 30,000 B.C. and 13,000 B.C. that 
humans (nomads) stepped foot upon the continent, arriving by way of 
the Bering land bridge.

Homework (on Costa Rica's relations with China) was distributed Friday.

May 9-13

With the 4th graders completing their Exam on Monday the year's first  
trimester had ended and the second had begun.

Before jumping back into ancient times, one 4th grade group discussed  
the issue of Education in Costa Rica. Using an article about "El  
Tercer Estado de la Educacion" as a guide, the teacher:

- reviewed several of the report's points (drop-out and exam passage  
rates, inadaquate faciliities--namely bathrooms, and the Escuelas de  
Triple Jornada);

- solicited differences between public and private schools in Costa Rica;
and

- pressed students for possible solutions.

The issue of funding was addressed, with the concept of taxes and  
either "giving more slices of the (tax) pizza" or simply "enlarging  
the tax pizza" being raised. No easy answers here.

In the following set of classes the teacher introduced China,  
soliciting students' current knowledge and emphasizing the country's  
importance to Costa Rica and in the world more generally.

Back into the book, the teacher introduced the lesson and then went  
through its few pages subhead by subhead, reviewing the key points  
after students had read each section. To wrap up, students were asked  
what the most interesting part of the lesson was for them (many noted  
the Ancient Chinese "oracle bones.")

Next up for the 4th graders: the Indus River Valley.

May 2-6

The 4th graders began their exam review first by listening to the  
teacher's explanation of each term on the review sheet they had  
received the week before.

With the terms and concepts clarified, it was time to study them in a  
more active (and fun) way. Following an example written by the  
teacher, students wrote 10 multiple choice questions using 10 words  
from the review sheet. Answer choice "A" was to be the correct answer;  
answer choice "B," something ridiculous. For example:

The Covenant was

A. An agreement between Jews and God to worship only God in exchange  
for a homeland, according to the Jewish people.
B. An agreement between Justin Bieber and his hairstylist to cut his  
bangs shorter

Students came up with very clever "ridiculous answers" while most  
importantly using the activity to confirm and clarify their knowledge  
of the material.

At the end of the week, the teacher did a final, serious review,  
jumping around the room randomly going through the review sheet. If  
the person called on did not know, a subsequent person was called on  
until the correct answer was provided.

April 25-29

It was a very busy week for the 4th grade, and one focused primarily  
on Projects. On Thursday the three groups made their presentations,  
covering such topics as the Rio San Juan conflict, Libya, and Global  
Warming. The groups presented by using posters and in some cases,  
skits. While gaining substantive knowledge of their chosen topic,  
students also learned presentation techniques.

The 4th grade group also turned in its homework (to read an excerpt  
summary on Costa Rican foreign policy and either define 5 words or  
prescribe a role in the world for Costa Rica) and received the Exam  
Review Guide. Students will have a week of in-class time to discuss  
concepts and information gained through the trimester.

Finally, on Fantasy Day Friday, on the wedding day of Prince William  
(and with the teacher wearing a crown), classes discussed the concept  
of Constitutional Monarchy. The teacher noted that many countries were  
still under the British Monarchy while at the same time having their  
own democratic systems. Also noted was the fact that there are a  
handful of "true" monarchies in which the king has tremendous--if not  
unchecked--powers.

With the names of countries among the two groups (Constitutional  
Monarchies and "True" Monarchies) written on the board, students  
identified these places in their book maps on p. 271.