Fourth & Fifth Grade: August 17-21, 2026

Aug 24

Dear Fourth and Fifth Grade Families,

After spending the last few days learning about the cardinal directions and moving through space, the class dove into the first step in understanding mapmaking: the bird's-eye view. We began with an imaginative story in which they transformed into birds and flew high into the sky, navigating through their everyday surroundings and noticing how things don't quite look the same from above. For a real-life point of view, students took turns standing on the treehouse and looking down at their peers, noting how they appeared differently than they normally do.

With this new perspective in mind, the class began to map out self-portraits of themselves from a bird's-eye view. From there, students mapped their everyday surroundings at school, such as their desks, and designed a blueprint of our classroom. Once the students started making maps of larger spaces, the concept of symbols and labeling was introduced as a way to help viewers better understand what is being seen.

Over the course of the next two weeks, the Fourth and Fifth grade class will learn how to create a blueprint of The Garden School campus. Next, we will expand outward into learning about the history and physical geography of Marietta and the rest of the Greater Atlanta area through stories and mapmaking activities. The goal is to deepen an understanding of the land around us while also learning how to navigate through it.

Over the next few days, your children may begin asking you questions about your travel routes to and from school or other frequently visited places. As a way to feed your child's curiosity, please help them learn the names of the streets, roads, and highways that are part of their everyday commute. With time, they can become the human GPS on the daily drive to school!

Class Reminders and Announcements: