Third Graders 'Go Where We Have Never Been Before... to Explore!'

Explore! That is more than just a theme that runs throughout Barnesville’s third grade curriculum. It is the essence of what it means to be a third grader in Mrs. Gekas’s class. It is also a word of advice, meant to inspire students as they are introduced to the process of research, reminding them of the joy that comes from inquiry and discovery.
Students start the year exploring geographical features of our world -- its continents, oceans, and biomes. They consider their place in the world, beginning with their home address and extending to their "planetary" address. They refine their map skills to include special lines, cardinal directions, and intermediate directions. Students are also introduced to their first research project by investigating a country, creating a paper doll friend who reflects his/her native country in dress and culture. Later in the year, they are immersed in learning about Africa, examining the continent’s diverse customs and tradition and its terrain. They also research animals from the various regions of Africa.
Reading about the African explorer Mary Kingsley bridges their study of Africa to the research about word explorers in preparation for the Explorers' Hall of Fame -- a Signature Curriculum Event and celebratory capstone of the Barnesville third grade year.

The World Explorer project starts with research, specifically finding facts about each explorer and correlating that information to include their reasons for exploration and the qualities each explorer possesses to achieve success. Students recall and extend their map skills by recreating the routes their explorers traveled. These skills include appropriate labels, a clearly marked route that the explorer followed, a compass rose, and a map key. Students then create life-size replicas of their explorers for the “Third Grade Explorer Hall of Fame” where student curators share knowledge about some of the world’s great expeditions.
This year, families enjoyed a brown bag picnic dinner outside, and students performed skits and songs about the world’s geography before opening their museum to visitors.
Explorers featured this year were:

• Annie Smith Peck
• David Livingstone
• Neil Armstrong
• Jane Goodall
• Charles Darwin
• Captain James Cook
• Marco Polo
• John Cabot
• Jacques Cousteau
• Amelia Earhart

They also shared a song they have sung throughout the year that begins: “We go where we have never been before, to explore, to explore, to explore!” Third graders sing this every Wednesday when they head to Explorer Woods for unstructured, student-driven imaginative play and exploration.
Photos of the Explorer Hall of Fame are on Facebook, and you can see a video tour of Explorer Woods on You Tube.

Barnesville School of Arts & Sciences is an independent private school in Montgomery County, Maryland offering innovative preschool through 8th grade programs. Cross-curricular teaching encourages students to explore how subjects relate to one another, helping them to make connections that spark inquiry and deepen understanding. Small classes enable skilled teachers to engage each child in an academically challenging environment. Our 30-acre campus is our extended classroom where we integrate nature into everyday learning. Barnesville is certified as a Maryland Green School by the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education, demonstrating achievement in curriculum and instruction, community partnerships, and best management practices.