Grade 4 Nordic Blocks

One of the more unique and fascinating part of Waldorf curricula is the study of Nordic tales in grade 4. This is presented often through the teaching of Norse mythology, stories about Vikings, information about Scandinavia and Finland, and the Finnish Kalevala. We chose to cover this block during the coldest and darkest time of the year at home, enjoying reading Thorkill of Iceland, D'Aulaires Norse Myths and the Kalavela while naalbinding yarn and sipping hot chocolate....

Main Lesson Book page on Norse God Balder.

Symbols from ancient Finland.

Wet-on-dry watercolor of heroes fighting at Asgard in Norse Mythology.

Lucetting a gift for big brother for Christmas.

Designing and carving Thor's hammer, "Mjolnir" out of clay.

Yggdrasil = The nine worlds in Norse Mythology

Making a raw vegan "Odin's Yule Log"

Creating rune stones out of clay

Baking vegan Santa Lucia buns

A handwork basket filled with Scandinavian tools: nostepinne, lucet, double-lucet, naalbinding needle

Oil crayon drawn, then wet-on-dry watercolor painted Vainamoinen playing the kantele from the Kalevala

Wet-on-dry watercolor of a Viking ship

  

April Enrichment Guide

April Enrichment Book eBook is out! (over 100 pages!)Four Full Weeks of Waldorf Crafting, Verses, Songs, Stories, Recipes, Caregiver Meditations, Adult Inner Work and Seasonal Celebrations, some written by Syrendell.

These beautiful monthly enrichment ebooks follow the rhythm of a weekly theme with the flexibility that teachers, homeschoolers and afterschooling parents need to enrich their children's Waldorf learning experience at home or school.

Week One, April

Spring Animals & Birds, Nurturing

Week Two, April

The Rain, Awakening

Week Three, April

Earth, Remaining Grounded


Week Four, April
Easter, Rebirth

For more details on each week's wonderful activities and a sample of the beautiful songs you will teach your children - visit  Little Acorn Learning.

Storytelling - Letters and Drawing

Girl With One Hand (V - valley, visitory, vines) - Asia

Each week, Mommy tells a story. Usually it's a fairy tale or folk tale from a different country. Stories come from Grimm's Fairy Tales, Enki, or Earthschooling. She acts it out, uses props, and then we discuss the story.

Each story features a letter that Wilson is learning for the week. There usually is some type of verse or song that is repeated. This verse is typed out, Wilson draws a picture from the story, and then we pastel the background. Can you find the letter hidden in each picture?

Nixie of Mill Pond (W - water, wave) - Western Europe

Princess of Peony Peak (P) - Asia

Rapunzel (R) - Western Europe


Yeh-Shien (Y) - Asia

Telling and Remembering Stories

The Turnip (Russia)

The Persimmon Monster (Korea)

Three Billy Goats Gruff (Western Europe)

Fairytales and folktales are wonderful stories to share. Every 1-2 weeks, we dive into a new tale as a family. The story will come from a part of the world that relates to our social studies and sometimes, our science blocks.

We tell the story, read the story, re-tell the story (in our own words), and then do a project that will help us remember and enjoy the tale. Our Enki K and 1st grade fairy tales and folk tales books are terrific resources. Here are some of the projects that we do:

1. Felt Boards

We draw patterns on paper, cut out felt pieces, and place them on our homemade felt board. Our felt board is a long piece of cardboard from a box, covered with a piece of light blue flannel on one side (day time) and black flannel on the other side (night). We move the characters on the board as we tell the story.

Tiddlelick the Frog (Australia)

The Old Woman and the Red Pumpkin (India)

2. Puppet Plays

Sometimes we use our puppet theater that hangs in the doorway, and sometimes we sit behind the couch! We have all sorts of puppets by Folkmanis.

3. Finger Puppets

Using material from old clothes, we cut and sew material to fit our index fingers for each character. Finger puppet plays are done on the side of the table or in the twig house. Daddy said that he wants to build us a finger puppet play stage, soon!

The Elves and the Shoemaker (Western Europe)

4. Wood, Crocheted, Felted Characters and Props

Daddy's wood creatures, Mommy's crocheted animals, and the kids' wood/felted characters act out stories on the twig house stage.

The Turnip (Russia)


Cluck Cluck and Little Tuppen (Western Europe)

5. Plays

Sometimes, we act out the stories ourselves! We make props and costumes from our dyed silks, wood blocks, rocks, and other items that we can find around the house.

Stone Soup (Eastern Europe)

6. Songs

If a story has poems or songs in it, we sing them together (sometimes we make up the tune). We especially like Shake it Up Tales which has stories from around the world, many of them with songs included.

7. Main Lesson Book (Writing and Drawing)

Wilson draws the story at the end of the 1-2 weeks in his MLB.