Lower School
Grades 1 through 5
Our Lower School is a happy, fun, inclusive, and well-balanced learning place for young learners to discover and to explore the world around them. It is a place where students are encouraged to ask "big" questions. Educators are committed to creating a culture of inquiry that compels students to wonder, investigate, reflect, collaborate, and to learn through study and play. Passion Projects, Brazilian Studies, extra-curricular activities, experiential learning, and community involvement enhance and support students' achievement inside and outside the classroom.
Beth Overby
Lower School Principal
Welcome to EAB Lower School, where we are committed to nurturing all our students academically, socially, and emotionally. We invite you to learn more our program and how we inspire our youngest learners to be bold in vision!
Curriculum
The Lower School focuses on developing conceptual understandings through a standards-based curriculum. Teachers commit to ensuring students receive a balance of academic rigor while also teaching students the appropriate academic mindsets to allow them to acquire skills necessary in the classroom and beyond.
Units are planned based on an inquiry-based model, and specific to certain subjects. For example, teachers employ the Readers and Writers Workshop model, the San Francisco Math framework, Common Core standards, and inclusive English Language Learner programs. The Lower School values students' interest in a wide variety of subjects and includes special offerings in Music, Art, Physical Education, and Makerspace. The main language of instruction is English, though all students receive daily Portuguese language instruction.
Guiding Principles
Science
The aim of science education at EAB is to support and inspire students as they construct understanding of the universe we live in. We strive to provide students with a solid foundation in science while also encouraging the development of their innate curiosity. This process leads them to observe, question, and understand the natural world. We nurture innovative and critical thinkers by fostering inquiry, supporting students to take risks, and encouraging them to persist through obstacles. The Lower School uses the Next Generation Science Standards as the foundation for building scientific understanding.
Social Studies
The aim of social studies education at EAB, whether in English or in Portuguese, is to develop global citizens with a critical and creative understanding of the present as it is connected to the past. Students will gain a comprehensive body of knowledge, understanding and skills that will enable them to better understand the world, and provide them with the tools necessary to solve complex world problems now and in the future. We strive to instill in our students the ability and opportunity to communicate effectively, collaborate constructively, and respect people from diverse backgrounds. Citizenship, social responsibility, and environmental stewardship are important components of social studies at EAB. Our differentiated and interdisciplinary approach allows us to focus on key concepts while developing students' questioning, research and problem-solving skills. The Lower School uses the American Education Reaches Out (AERO) and Brazilian Base Nacional Comum Curricular (BNCC) standards for social studies.
LIteracy
At EAB, we prepare our students to become active and effective readers, writers, and communicators who are empowered to showcase their own thinking, creativity, understanding, and bold visions for the future. In literacy-based endeavors at EAB, students independently use strategies to integrate their own knowledge and ideas into their reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Literacy is integrated across all subjects within our curriculum and students are exposed to quality texts representing a range of genres and authors in
order to develop a global perspective. In reading, students develop critical-thinking skills and the ability to actively read fiction and non-fiction texts to make connections and understand increasingly complex information. Teachers also purposefully guide students to comprehend both domain specific and broader academic vocabulary. Students learn to write effectively in order to communicate their ideas and influence the thinking of others and themselves. Speaking and listening are an integral part of literacy at EAB wherein students develop skills to convey their thinking. Students also use technology to search for, collaborate, share, and create information. The Lower School uses the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and our instructional practices incorporate a workshop model for reading and writing.
Math
The goal of math instruction at EAB is to support students to make sense of mathematics in ways that are "creative, interactive, and relevant."* We strive to develop confident individuals who can successfully approach new problems and concepts in various contexts. Students develop critical thinking, conceptual understanding, number sense, and procedural fluency through the use of visual and concrete representations, pattern analysis, and multiple strategies. Mistakes are an integral part of making sense of math and learning at EAB. The Lower School uses San Francisco Math and the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, which includes the eight Standards of Mathematical Practice. These standards align our expectations for students as they develop their mathematical thinking.
*SFUSD Math
Portuguese
Na EAB, o currículo de Língua Portuguesa é pautado em expectativas definidas pela Base Nacional Comum Curricular (BNCC). Diante dessa proposta, oferecemos aos nossos alunos diferentes oportunidades para que compreendam a língua como um fenômeno cultural e sensível aos contextos de uso, tendo o ato lúdico e a experimentação como centros do processo. Preparamos nossas crianças para participar da cultura letrada como leitores, escritores e comunicadores protagonistas, capazes de compartilhar seus pensamentos, ideias, informações, experiências e sentimentos de maneira assertiva e criativa; além de compreender o mundo ao seu redor com autonomia e respeito à diversidade. Nesse contexto, as crianças são expostas a diferentes gêneros textuais sobre diversos assuntos, incluindo temáticas de Ciências da Natureza e Humanas, de maneira a percebê-los como lugar de manifestação, comunicação, negociação, aprendizado e produção de sentidos. Esta prática favorece a ampliação de vocabulário e a descoberta de um mundo novo, onde avança do aprender a ler para o ler para aprender, tornando-se um ser ativo, cada vez mais pensante e responsável pelo próprio aprendizado. Por meio da leitura, os alunos são incentivados a refletir criticamente sobre as formas de falar e escrever, percebendo as diferenças significativas associadas aos níveis de escrita. São incentivadas a se expressar com sequência lógica, tanto oralmente quanto por escrito, e a registrar o pensamento em forma de textos estruturados, pautados em fatos e argumentos que validam seus pensamentos e ideias. Sistematicamente, se envolvem em práticas literárias que possibilitam a valorização do processo de aquisição da leitura e da escrita, além de ampliarem as dimensões lúdicas através do trabalho literário intencionalmente estruturado, visando o desenvolvimento das quatro habilidades: ler, escrever, falar e compreender.
PLL
At EAB, Portuguese Language Learners (PLL) course is designed to provide students, according to their levels, the beginning, intermediate or high intermediate necessary communication skills to engage into Portuguese language situations such as basic or developing oral interactions, writing and reading comprehension based on school and real life contexts. It will focus on students' language needs, academic vocabulary, contextualized grammar and a variety of aspects from Brazilian culture. In order to achieve this, our students are strongly encouraged to participate in some role plays, to express their thoughts, opinions, preferences and feelings in Portuguese, even though they might need to mix both languages (Portuguese and English), and ask and answer simple and/or complex questions, besides reading books in Portuguese.
Music
Musicians create, respond to and perform to themselves and to others, making music in meaningful and creative ways. Students develop their musicianship skills through theory (by learning how to read music in standard notation), and by playing musical instruments such as xylophones, recorders, drums, ukulele and others. Our musicians learn about the importance of music to the world and to their own personal lives.
Art
Students explore a variety of materials in the Art Studio. They develop skills and concepts in the areas of Drawing, Painting, Clay, Printmaking, and Multimedia. Visual demonstrations guide them as they engage in the artistic process. Class critiques occur throughout projects, allowing students to respond to their own art and the art of other artists. When a project is finished, students reflect on their work as they prepare it for presentation. Students are exposed to artists from a variety of cultures and historical periods. They are encouraged to connect their personal experiences with the art they observe as well as the art they create.
PE
The goal of our physical and health education program is to develop physically literate citizens who have the knowledge, skills and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity. At EAB, our physical and health education curriculum is guided by SHAPE America curriculum standards which focus on building health and physical literacy. Physical literacy is the ability to move with competence and confidence in a wide variety of physical activities in multiple environments that benefit the healthy development of the whole person. Health literacy is an individual’s capacity to access information, resources and services necessary to maintain and promote healthy living.
SEL
EAB Lower School Counselors strongly believe that a true integration of social, emotional, and academic development is crucial to providing students the skills needed to thrive in school, career, and life. Our work is based on international best practices, following the International model for school counseling (ISCA) and CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning) competencies and standards.
Brazilian Program
A Escola Americana de Brasília privilegia o estudante como centro do processo de ensino-aprendizagem, atuando como líder resiliente. Seu potencial criativo, intelectual e humano são trabalhados de forma acolhedora, em ambientes saudáveis de aprendizagens que propiciam a busca incessante do saber, estimulando a independência, a autonomia, a motivação e o aprendizado para a vida, proporcionando inúmeras oportunidades acadêmicas e extracurriculares que auxiliam no foco e na busca de seus ideais na carreira futura.
O principal objetivo, ao se formar na EAB, no final da Educação Básica, é oportunizar que o aluno ingresse, com ética, autonomia, preparo, equilíbrio e integridade, na universidade no Brasil ou no exterior e no mercado de trabalho, dispondo de três diplomas: Brasileiro, Americano e Internacional – International Baccalaureate Organization – IB Diploma Programme.
Assim estruturada, a EAB oferece Educação Infantil, Ensino Fundamental e Ensino Médio, alinhados com o diploma americano e internacional/IB, com objetivos específicos e amplos de modo favorecer o desenvolvimento integral dos alunos em cada modalidade de ensino.
A comunidade escolar é vista como uma extensão do ambiente de ensino e aprendizagem. As famílias são nossas grandes parceiras neste processo, pois acreditam e validam nosso trabalho. A comunidade interna é colaborativa e incentivadora, e os parceiros externos possibilitam trabalhos de cunho social, intelectual e humano, ampliando a formação holística de nossos alunos como sujeitos pensantes.
Como somos uma escola internacional, de imersão na Língua Inglesa, apenas algumas disciplinas são ministradas em Português, tais como: Língua Portuguesa, História e Geografia do Brasil, Filosofia e Sociologia.
Visando expandir o trabalho pedagógico no processo de leitura e escrita elaboradas, a escola oferece um curso de redação, aos alunos do 6º ao 12º ano, com o objetivo de aperfeiçoar o domínio da escrita e a capacidade argumentativa, exigida nos vestibulares e exames nacionais.
Apesar da escola não ser preparatória para o vestibular, com o foco apenas nos exames nacionais, os alunos da EAB são capazes de ingressar nas universidades brasileiras e estrangeiras no final do Ensino Médio.
Como os três diplomas estão integrados, ao concluir o Ensino Médio, o aluno encontra-se apto a trilhar sua carreira universitária em qualquer lugar do mundo. Nossa meta é prepará-lo para a vida, como cidadão capaz de enfrentar os desafios futuros com segurança e independência.
Oferecemos, também, o aprendizado da Língua Portuguesa aos alunos estrangeiros com o foco na aquisição da língua adicional, aliada à comunicação efetiva e associada à nova cultura na qual estão inseridos. Os alunos têm a oportunidade de ampliar os conhecimentos básicos para a construção da linguagem, desenvolvendo a expressão oral e a escrita, além de se apropriar da cultura brasileira.
Objetiva-se no Ensino Fundamental – Anos Iniciais:
- oferecer o alinhamento curricular do currículo brasileiro, americano e internacional;
- superar as rupturas que ocorrem com a transição da Educação Infantil para o Ensino Fundamental, por meio da articulação com as experiências vivenciadas;
- possibilitar os interesses e as experiências de interesse da faixa etária:
- assegurar o pleno desenvolvimento das crianças e adolescentes nos aspectos físicos, psicológicos, intelectuais, afetivos, cognitivos e sociais;
- favorecer o processo de alfabetização e letramento bilíngue, bem como o domínio dos códigos de linguagem matemática;
- proporcionar a construção de conhecimentos, habilidades e hábitos desencadeadores de valores;
- desenvolver a capacidade de aprender a aprender;
- promover a ampliação de experiências curriculares estimulando o interesse pela preservação da natureza, o fortalecimento dos vínculos familiares e os laços de solidariedade humana;
- compreender o ambiente natural e tecnológico em que se estrutura a vida em sociedade;
- desenvolver projetos integradores e interdisciplinares, visando integração curricular em todas as áreas do conhecimento;
- proporcionar o desenvolvimento de atividades curriculares integradas, contínuas e progressivas;
- fortalecer a autonomia, oferecendo-lhes condições e ferramentas para acessar e interagir criticamente com diferentes conhecimentos e fontes de informação.
What to Expect in...
Grade 1
In grade 1, EAB uses the Common Core standards to guide instruction in reading, writing, and math. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are used in science and American Education Reaches Out (AERO) standards are used to guide social studies instruction. Grade 1 students will engage in the following inquiry units that integrate both science and social studies: Culture, Past/Present, It’s Alive, and Light and Sound.
Listed below are examples of EAB’s academic expectations for first grade students by the end of the school year.
Reading
Foundational Skills
- Blend, segment, and isolate sounds in spoken, one-syllable words
- Read two letter combinations that make a new sound (e.g., sh, th, ph, ch)
- Read one-syllable words
- Read words with inflectional endings (e.g., -s, -es, -ed, -ing)
- Read high-frequency words by sight
- Read grade-level text with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression
- Identify the features of a sentence
Informational/Literature
- Ask and answer questions about key details
- Identify and retell the main topic and key details of a text
- Describe characters, settings, and major events
- Identify text features and story structure
- Explain the differences between books that tell stories and books that give information
- Determine the meaning of unknown words
- Read and understand grade 1 literature and informational texts
Speaking/Listening
- Participate in collaborative conversations
- Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says to gather additional information
- Speak in complete sentences
Writing
- Write a narrative that recounts two or more appropriately sequenced events
- Write an informative piece and provide facts about the topic
- Write an opinion piece and supply a reason(s) for the opinion
- Demonstrate grade-appropriate use of spelling, grammar, usage, and mechanics
Social Studies
- Explain culture and why people live in social groups
- Describe how people in different groups interact with each other
- Identify stories about the past and differentiate between the past, present, and future
Science
- Investigate and observe nature to develop an understanding of structure, function, growth, and development in plants and animals.
- Use nature to create innovative solutions
- Plan and conduct investigations about light and sound
Math
Grade Level Fluencies
- Add and subtract within 10
Operations and Algebraic Thinking
- Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction
- Understand and apply properties of operations and the relationship between addition and subtraction
- Add and subtract within 20
- Work with addition and subtraction equations
Number and Operations in Base Ten
- Extend the counting sequence and count up to 120
- Understand place value to the tens place
- Use place value understanding and properties of operations to add and subtract
Measurement and Data
- Measure lengths using repeated objects as units
- Tell and write time to the nearest half hour
- Represent and interpret data
Geometry
- Reason with shapes and their attributes
EAB uses the Shape America Standards to guide instruction in PE and the National Core Arts Standards in Art and Music. In Portuguese, EAB follows the Brazilian National Curriculum (BNCC - Base Nacional Comum Curricular)
Português
Oralidade/Leitura/Escrita
- Relacionar texto com ilustrações e outros recursos gráficos. Localizar informações explícitas e implícitas nos textos. Trabalhar a escrita espontânea associada à sonoridade das letras e sílabas, conforme fases do letramento.
- Ler novas palavras com precisão na decodificação dos códigos linguísticos, distinguindo as vogais, consoantes, sílabas complexas e as dificuldades ortográficas (nh, lh, ch, rr, ss, gu, qu, as, ar, cr, bl, sons do x,…)
- Relacionar letras, sons, grafemas, fonemas e palavras compostas.
- Comparar palavras, identificando semelhanças e diferenças entre sons de sílabas iniciais.
- Ler e compreender palavras dentro e fora de contexto de diferentes gêneros.
- Identificar outros sinais no texto além das letras, como pontos finais, de interrogação e exclamação e seus efeitos na entonação.
- Escrever pequenos textos dentro do nível alcançado.
Leitura Orientada/ Literatura
- Fazer e responder perguntas sobre os principais detalhes da história narrada ou lida.
- Identificar e recontar o tópico principal e os principais detalhes de um texto.
- Descrever personagens, cenários e eventos principais.
- Identificar os recursos do texto e a estrutura da história.
- Determinar o significado de palavras desconhecidas, ampliando o vocabulário.
- Ler, entender e diferenciar textos literários de textos informativos de 1º ano.
- Planejar leituras sistemáticas por meio do projeto de leitura.
As Ciências Sociais são trabalhadas de maneira interdisciplinar com a Língua Portuguesa.
PLL
Listening Comprehension
- Listen and demonstrate the use of vocabulary according to a given context. Demonstrate understanding of short sentences according to a given context.
Speaking
- Answer yes or no questions about stories or experiences.
- Orally present short sentences (statements, questions).
- Repeat words, phrases of language related to different topics.
- Construct simple statements or questions.
Reading comprehension
- Associate sound-letter. Read and associate specific vocabulary to the respective meaning.
- Identify key words in the relevant context.
- Describe information about sentences or short texts independently or with help.
Writing
- Label pictures from word banks.
- Write scaffolded words and sentences.
- Associate pictures with words using word banks.
- Write complete scaffolded sentences.
PE - Physical Education
- Demonstrates grade-level competency in a variety of motor skills and movement patterns
- Applies grade-level knowledge of concepts, principles, strategies and tactics related to movement and performance
- Demonstrates grade-level knowledge and skills to achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical activity and fitness
- Exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others.
- Recognizes the value of physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression and/or social interaction
Art
- Explore uses of materials and tools to create works of art.
- Explain why some objects, artifacts, and artwork are valued over others.
- Interpret art by categorizing subject matter and identifying the characteristics of form.
- Understand that people from different places and times have made art for a variety of reasons.
Music
- With limited guidance, create musical ideas (such as answering a musical question) for a specific purpose.
- With limited guidance, demonstrate and discuss personal interest in, knowledge about, and purpose of varied musical selections.
- With limited guidance, identify and demonstrate how personal interests and experiences influence musical selection for specific purposes.
- Demonstrate how interests, knowledge, and skills relate to personal choices and intent when creating, performing, and responding to music.
Grade 2
In grade 2, EAB uses the Common Core standards to guide instruction in reading, writing, and math. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are used in science and American Education Reaches Out (AERO) standards are used to guide social studies instruction. Grade 2 students will engage in the following inquiry units that integrate both science and social studies: Community/Conflict, Investigating Materials, Places, & Structures.
Listed below are examples of EAB’s academic expectations for second grade students by the end of the school year.
Reading
Foundational Skills
- Distinguish long and short vowels when reading one-syllable words (including common vowel teams like oo, ee, ea)
- Read two-syllable words
- Recognize common prefixes and suffixes (e.g., re-, un-, -ed, -ing)
- Read grade-level text with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression
Informational/Literature
- Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, why, when, why, and how
- Retell a story to determine the main idea, lesson or moral
- Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges
- Identify text features & story structure
- Recognize differences in the points of view of character
- Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text
- Read and understand grade 2 literature and informational texts
Social Studies
- Explain why communities have laws and identify ways that promote civic ideals
- Demonstrate map skills
- Identify landforms and discuss how indigenous groups relate to the landforms
Writing
- Write a narrative that recounts an event and includes details, actions, thoughts, and feelings
- Write an informative piece and provide facts to develop points
- Write an opinion piece and provide clear reason(s) for the opinion
- Demonstrate grade-appropriate use of spelling, grammar, usage, and mechanics
Speaking/Listening
- Participate in collaborative conversations
- Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension
Science
- Plan and conduct investigations to describe and classify different kinds of materials
- Investigate structures locally and globally and differentiate between structures in the past, present, and future
- Explain how scientific and technological advancements influence human life
Math
Grade Level Fluencies
- Add and subtract within 20;
- Add and subtract within 100 (pencil and paper)
Operations and Algebraic Thinking
- Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction
- Add and subtract within 20
- Work with equal groups of objects to gain foundations for multiplication
Number and Operations in Base Ten
- Count, read, write and compare numbers within 1000
- Skip-count by 5s, 10, and 100s
- Use place value understanding and properties of operations to add and subtract
Measurement and Data
- Measure and estimate lengths in standard units
- Relate addition and subtraction to length
- Work with money and time (to the nearest 5 minutes)
- Represent and interpret data
Geometry
- Reason with shapes and their attributes
EAB uses the Shape America Standards to guide instruction in PE and the National Core Arts Standards in Art and Music. In Portuguese, EAB follows the Brazilian National Curriculum (BNCC - Base Nacional Comum Curricular)
Português
Oralidade/Leitura/Escrita
- Localizar informações explícitas em textos.
- Inferir informações implícitas nos textos lidos.
- Reconhecer o conflito gerador de uma narrativa ficcional e sua resolução, além de palavras, expressões e frases que caracterizam personagens e ambientes.
- Ler e compreender, com autonomia, textos injuntivos instrucionais, com a estrutura própria desses textos (verbos imperativos) e mesclando palavras, imagens e recursos gráficos visuais, considerando a situação comunicativa e o tema/assunto do texto.
- Ler e demonstrar compreensão, silenciosamente e, em seguida, em voz alta, com autonomia e fluência, textos curtos com nível de textualidade adequado.
- Planejar e escrever relatos relatos de observação de processos, de fatos, de experiências pessoais, mantendo as características do gênero, considerando a situação comunicativa e o tema/assunto do texto.
- Identificar a função na leitura e usar na escrita ponto final, ponto de interrogação, ponto de exclamação e, em diálogos (discurso direto), dois-pontos e travessão.
- Criar narrativas ficcionais, com certa autonomia, utilizando detalhes descritivos, sequências de eventos e imagens apropriadas para sustentar o sentido do texto, e marcadores de tempo, espaço e de fala de personagens.
Leitura Orientada/ Literatura
- Ler, entender e diferenciar textos literários de textos informativos de 2º ano.
- Planejar leituras sistemáticas por meio do projeto de leitura.
As Ciências Sociais são trabalhadas de maneira interdisciplinar com a Língua Portuguesa.
PLL
Listening Comprehension
- Listen and demonstrate the use of short sentences according to a given context.
- Listen and explain facts considering some details.
- Identify specific vocabulary (real life objects, people or actions) based on descriptive oral phrases or questions.
- Sequence pictures according to story events.
Speaking
- Orally present short sentences (statements, questions) according to the given context.
- Provide descriptive information from personal experiences.
- Construct simple statements or questions independently or based on word banks or sentences starters.
- Orally present simple stories from picture cues, videos, books and/ or tales.
- State information from personal or school-related experiences.
Reading comprehension
- Read and respond appropriately to written sentences
- Recall content related information from texts with pictures and read aloud.
- Identify and describe characters, scenes and other information.
Writing
- Link objects, pictures, or diagrams using the word banks.
- Write complete sentences independently or based on scaffolded sentences. Write sentences independently or based on scaffolded sentences.
PE - Physical Education
- Demonstrates grade-level competency in a variety of motor skills and movement patterns
- Applies grade-level knowledge of concepts, principles, strategies and tactics related to movement and performance
- Demonstrates grade-level knowledge and skills to achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical activity and fitness
- Exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others.
- Recognizes the value of physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression and/or social interaction
Art
- Experiment with various materials and tools to explore personal interests in a work of art or design.
- Categorize artwork based on a theme or concept for an exhibit.
- Interpret art by identifying the mood suggested by a work of art and describing relevant subject matter and characteristics of form.
- Create works of art about events in home, school, or community life.
Music
- Improvise rhythmic and melodic patterns and musical ideas for a specific purpose.
- Demonstrate and explain personal interest in, knowledge about, and purpose of varied musical selections.
- Explain and demonstrate how personal interests and experiences influence musical selection for specific purposes.
- Demonstrate how interests, knowledge, and skills relate to personal choices and intent when creating, performing, and responding to music.
Grade 3
In grade 3, EAB uses the Common Core standards to guide instruction in reading, writing, and math. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are used in science and American Education Reaches Out (AERO) standards are used to guide social studies instruction. Grade 3 students will engage in the following inquiry units that integrate both science and social studies: Patterns, Forces & Motion, Trade/Production, Animal Adaptations, & What a Waste.
Listed below are examples of EAB’s academic expectations for third grade students by the end of the school year.
Reading
Foundational Skills
- Read words with more than two syllables
- Know common prefixes (e.g., mis-, pre-, re-) & suffixes (e.g., -ful, -ible, -ous)
- Read grade-level text with accuracy appropriate rate, and expression
Informational/Literature
- Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
- Retell a text and determine a text’s theme or main idea and how key details support it
- Describe characters and how their actions contribute to the events in a story
- Distinguish personal point of view from that of the author or the characters
- Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text
- Explain how illustrations or text features contribute to meaning (e.g., create mood, emphasize character or setting, etc.)
- Read and understand grade 3 literature and informational texts
Social Studies
- Explain and compare ways in which people satisfy their basic needs and wants through the production of goods and services
- Interpret how the choices people make when managing resources impact our environment
Writing
- Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences using dialogue, descriptions, and a clear sequence
- Write informative pieces with a topic, facts, and a concluding statement
- Write opinion pieces with supporting reasons and a concluding statement
- Conduct short research projects
- Demonstrate grade-appropriate use of spelling, grammar, usage, and mechanics
Speaking/Listening
- Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions
- Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker
Science
- Record patterns and use them to make predictions about the weather and Earth’s place in the universe
- Observe and predict the effects of forces on objects
- Investigate how living things adapt to different environments
Math
Grade Level Fluency
- Multiply and divide within 100; add and subtract within 1000
Operations and Algebraic Thinking
- Represent and solve problems involving multiplication and division
- Understand properties of multiplication and the relationship between multiplication and division
- Multiply and divide within 100
- Solve problems involving the four operations;, and identify and explain patterns in arithmetic
Number and Operations in Base Ten
- Use place value understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit arithmetic
Number and Operations - Fractions
- Develop understanding of fractions as numbers
Measurement and Data
- Solve problems involving measurement and estimation of intervals of time, liquid volumes, and masses of objects
- Represent and interpret data
- Geometric measurement:understand concepts of area and relate area to multiplication and addition. Recognize perimeter as an attribute of plane figures and distinguish between linear and area measures
Geometry
- Reason with shapes and their attributes
EAB uses the Shape America Standards to guide instruction in PE and the National Core Arts Standards in Art and Music. In Portuguese, EAB follows the Brazilian National Curriculum (BNCC - Base Nacional Comum Curricular)
Português
Oralidade/Leitura/Escrita
- Identificar a ideia central do texto, demonstrando compreensão global. Inferir informações implícitas nos textos lidos.
- Ler e compreender, com autonomia, cartas dirigidas a veículos da mídia impressa ou digital (cartas de leitor e de reclamação a jornais, revistas) e notícias, dentre outros gêneros do campo jornalístico, de acordo com as convenções do gênero carta e considerando a situação comunicativa e o tema/assunto do texto.
- Ler e compreender, com certa autonomia, narrativas ficcionais que apresentem cenários e personagens, observando os elementos da estrutura narrativa: enredo, tempo, espaço, personagens, narrador e a construção do discurso indireto e discurso direto.
- Utilizar, ao produzir um texto, conhecimentos linguísticos e gramaticais, tais como ortografia, regras básicas de concordância nominal e verbal, pontuação (ponto final, ponto de exclamação, ponto de interrogação, vírgulas em enumerações) e pontuação do discurso direto.
- Planejar e produzir textos injuntivos instrucionais, com a estrutura própria desses textos (verbos imperativos, indicação de passos a ser seguidos) e mesclando palavras, imagens e recursos gráfico-visuais, considerando a situação comunicativa e o tema/assunto do texto.
- Identificar a função na leitura e usar corretamente na escrita todos os sinais de pontuação trabalhados.
- Grafar palavras utilizando regras de correspondência fonema-grafema regulares diretas e contextuais.
- Identificar e diferenciar, em textos, substantivos e verbos, suas funções na oração: agente, ação, objeto da ação, adjetivos e sua função de atribuição de propriedades aos substantivos.
- Identificar e reproduzir textos de diferentes gêneros.
Leitura Orientada/ Literatura
- Ler e demonstrar compreensão, silenciosamente e, em seguida, em voz alta, com autonomia e fluência, textos curtos com nível de textualidade adequado.
- Ler, entender e diferenciar textos literários de textos informativos de 3º ano.
- Planejar leituras sistemáticas por meio do projeto de leitura.
As Ciências Sociais são trabalhadas de maneira interdisciplinar com a Língua Portuguesa.
PLL
Listening Comprehension
- Listen and demonstrate the use of short sentences according to a given context.
- Listen and explain facts considering some details.
- Identify specific vocabulary (real life objects, people or actions) based on descriptive oral phrases or questions.
- Sequence pictures according to story events.
Speaking
- Ask and answer simple questions (noun + verb + complement) based in a context.
- Orally present stories or events.
- Reproduce facts or statements based in a given context.
- Ask and/or answer questions about information from personal experiences.
Reading comprehension
- Read and identify the main theme of short stories, interviews, descriptive and/ or informative texts.
- Identify main ideas in texts.
- Order sentences in logical sequence.
Writing
- Write sentences in a logical sequence according to the context.
- Write short sentences (noun + verb + complement) independently
PE - Physical Education
- Demonstrates grade-level competency in a variety of motor skills and movement patterns
- Applies grade-level knowledge of concepts, principles, strategies and tactics related to movement and performance
- Demonstrates grade-level knowledge and skills to achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical activity and fitness
- Exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others.
- Recognizes the value of physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression and/or social interaction
Art
- Create personally satisfying artwork using a variety of artistic processes and materials.
- Identify exhibit space and prepare works of art including artists’ statements, for presentation.
- Interpret art by analyzing use of media to create subject matter, characteristics of form, and mood.
- Develop a work of art based on observations of surroundings.
Music
- Improvise rhythmic and melodic ideas, and describe connection to specific purpose and context (such as personal and social).
- Demonstrate and explain how the selection of music to perform is influenced by personal interest, knowledge, purpose, and context.
- Demonstrate and describe how selected music connects to and is influenced by specific interests, experiences, or purposes.
- Demonstrate how interests, knowledge, and skills relate to personal choices and intent when creating, performing, and responding to music.
- Play simple songs on the recorder, xylophone, boomwhackers and read from the music score.
Grade 4
In grade 4, EAB uses the Common Core standards to guide instruction in reading, writing, and math. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are used in science and American Education Reaches Out (AERO) standards are used to guide social studies instruction. Grade 4 students will engage in the following inquiry units that integrate both science and social studies: Structures and Function, Exploration, Earth Science, Children's Rights and Responsibilities, & Energy/Waves.
Listed below are examples of EAB’s academic expectations for fourth grade students by the end of the school year.
Reading
Foundational Skills
- Use knowledge of syllable types, word parts (e.g. roots, prefixes, suffixes), and letter-sound correspondence to read unfamiliar multisyllabic words
- Read grade-level text with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression
Informational/Literature
- Refer to details and examples in a text when drawing inferences; summarize the text
- Determine a text’s theme or main idea from details in a text; compare and contrast similar themes in stories
- Describe a character, setting, or event in depth using specific details
- Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text
- Identify text structure (e.g., compare/contrast, cause/effect, sequence) and structural elements (e.g., stanza, meter, settings, dialogue, stage directions)
- Compare/contrast a narrator’s point of view, the difference between first and third-person
- Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support points in a text
- Explain how charts, graphs, diagrams, illustrations, etc., aid understanding
- Read and understand grade 4 literature and informational texts
Writing
- Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear sequences
Write informative texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. - Write opinion pieces, supporting a point of view with reasons and evidence
- Conduct short research projects
- Demonstrate grade-appropriate use of spelling, grammar, usage, and mechanics
Social Studies
- Explain reasons for exploration
- Describe children's rights and responsibilities and why they are essential
Speaking/Listening
- Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions
Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points
Science
- Construct an argument that animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction
- Explain how and why Earth changes over time
- Describe and test different types of energy transfer
Math
Grade Level Fluency
- Add and Subtract within 1,000,000
Operations and Algebraic Thinking
- Use the four operations with whole numbers to solve problems
- Gain familiarity with factors and multiples
- Generate and analyze patterns
Number and Operations in Base Ten
- Generalize place value understanding for multi-digit whole numbers
- Use place value understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit arithmetic
Number and Operations - Fractions
- Extend understanding of fraction equivalence and ordering
- Build fractions from unit fractions
- Understand decimal notation for fractions, and compare decimal fractions
Measurement and Data
- Solve problems involving measurement and conversion of measurements from a larger unit to a smaller unit
- Represent and interpret data
- Geometric measurement: understand concepts of angle and measure angles
Geometry
- Reason with shapes and their attributes
EAB uses the Shape America Standards to guide instruction in PE and the National Core Arts Standards in Art and Music. In Portuguese, EAB follows the Brazilian National Curriculum (BNCC - Base Nacional Comum Curricular)
Português
Oralidade/Leitura/Escrita
- Identificar a ideia central do texto, demonstrando compreensão global.
- Inferir informações implícitas nos textos lidos.
- Inferir o sentido de palavras ou expressões desconhecidas em textos, com base no contexto da frase ou do texto.
- Ler e compreender, com certa autonomia, narrativas ficcionais que apresentem cenários e personagens, observando os elementos da estrutura narrativa: enredo, tempo, espaço, personagens, narrador e a construção do discurso indireto e discurso direto.
- Utilizar, ao produzir um texto, recursos de referenciação (por substituição lexical ou por pronomes pessoais, possessivos e demonstrativos),vocabulário apropriado ao gênero, recursos de coesão pronominal (pronomes anafóricos) e coerência verbal e articuladores de relações de sentido (tempo, causa, oposição, conclusão, comparação), com nível suficiente de informatividade.
- Identificar gêneros do discurso oral, utilizados em diferentes situações e contextos comunicativos, e suas características linguístico-expressivas e composicionais.
- Diferenciar discurso indireto e discurso direto, determinando o efeito de sentido de verbos de enunciação.
- Identificar em textos e usar na produção textual a concordância entre substantivo ou pronome pessoal e verbo (concordância verbal) e a concordância entre artigo, substantivo e adjetivo (concordância no grupo nominal).
- Grafar palavras utilizando regras de correspondência fonema-grafema regulares diretas e contextuais.
- Identificar e diferenciar, em textos, substantivos e verbos, suas funções na oração: agente, ação, objeto da ação, adjetivos e sua função de atribuição de propriedades aos substantivos.
- Identificar e reproduzir textos de diferentes gêneros.
Leitura Orientada/ Literatura
- Ler, entender e diferenciar textos literários de textos informativos de 4º ano.
- Planejar leituras sistemáticas por meio do projeto de leitura.
As Ciências Sociais são trabalhadas de maneira interdisciplinar com a Língua Portuguesa.
PLL
Listening Comprehension
- Listen and demonstrate understanding of facts, procedures or stories considering details.
- Identify main ideas in a multi-paragraph speech.
- Answer questions according to a give context.
- Identify specific vocabulary (objects, figures, people or actions) from oral statements or questions.
Speaking
- Respond to preference/ choice questions according to the given context.
- Ask and answer simple questions (noun+verb+complement) based in a context.
- Tell short stories, events or information.
- Respond by justifying a choice using logical information.
- Ask simple question based in a context.
- Orally present short sentences based in a given context
- Construct statements about different themes.
- Justify answers about information from speakers.
Reading comprehension
- Read and identify the main idea of short stories, in different kinds of texts.
Read and demonstrate the use of supporting details.
Describe characters and facts from short stories.
Order paragraphs in logical sequence.
Writing
- Write sentences in a logical sequence according to the context.
- Use a variety of transition words to connect the sequence of events.
- Relate a sequence of events using a variety of transitional words, phrases, and clauses.
- Write sentences independently.
PE - Physical Education
- Demonstrates grade-level competency in a variety of motor skills and movement patterns
- Applies grade-level knowledge of concepts, principles, strategies and tactics related to movement and performance
- Demonstrates grade-level knowledge and skills to achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical activity and fitness
- Exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others.
- Recognizes the value of physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression & social interaction
Art
- Collaboratively set goals and create artwork that is meaningful and has purpose to the makers.
- Revise artwork in progress on the basis of insights gained through peer discussion.
- Analyze the various considerations for presenting and protecting art in various locations, indoor or outdoor settings, in temporary or permanent forms, and in physical or digital formats.
- Interpret art by referring to contextual information and analyzing relevant subject matter, characteristics of form, and use of media.
- Through observation, infer information about time, place, and culture in which a work of art was created.
Music
- Improvise rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic ideas, and explain connection to specific purpose and context (such as social and cultural).
- Demonstrate and explain how the selection of music to perform is influenced by personal interest, knowledge, context, and technical skill.
- Demonstrate and explain how selected music connects to and is influenced by specific interests, experiences, purposes, or contexts.
- Demonstrate how interests, knowledge, and skills relate to personal choices and intent when creating, performing, and responding to music.
- Read music in standard notation, recognizing musical symbols and developing fluency in reading rhythms
Grade 5
In grade 5, EAB uses the Common Core standards to guide instruction in reading, writing, and math. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are used in science and American Education Reaches Out (AERO) standards are used to guide social studies instruction. Grade 5 students will engage in the following inquiry units that integrate both science and social studies: Migration, Earth Systems and Human Impact, Citizenship, Living Systems, and Matter.
Listed below are examples of EAB’s academic expectations for fifth grade students by the end of the school year.
Reading
Foundational Skills
- Use combined knowledge of letter-sound correspondences, syllable types, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read unfamiliar multisyllabic words
- Read grade-level text with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression
Informational/Literature
- Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says and drawing inferences
- Determine the theme or two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize a text
- Compare/contrast two or more characters, settings, or events and how characters respond to challenges
- Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes
- Explain how a series of chapters fits together to provide the overall structure of a text and compare and contrast the overall structure in two or more texts
- Describe how point of view influences the description of events
Explain how claims in a text are supported by relevant reasons and evidence - Integrate information from several texts (including print and digital sources) in order to write/speak about the subject knowledgeably
- Read and comprehend grade 5 literature and informational text
Writing
- Write narratives using effective technique, descriptive details and clear sequencing
- Write informative/explanatory texts to convey ideas and relevant information
- Write opinion/argument pieces, supporting a point of view with reasons and information
- Conduct research projects using several sources
- Demonstrate grade-appropriate use of spelling, grammar, usage, and mechanics
Social Studies
- Describe social systems and structures and how these influence individuals
- Explain causes and effects of conflict and cooperation
- Explain what citizenship is and identify the elements of major political systems
Speaking/Listening
- Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions
- Summarize the points a speaker makes and how claims are supported by reasons and evidence
Science
-
Explain the components of complex systems and how they are interdependent
-
Use data and research to understand the cause and effect of the human impact on Earth's spheres
-
Make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties
-
Develop models to explain the interconnected relationship of living organisms
Math
Grade Level Fluency
- Multi-digit multiplication
Operations and Algebraic Thinking
- Write and interpret numerical expressions
- Analyze patterns and relationships
Number and Operations in Base Ten
- Understand the place value system
- Perform operations with multi-digit whole numbers and with decimals to hundredths
Number and Operations - Fractions
- Use equivalent fractions as a strategy to add and subtract fractions
- Apply and extend understanding of multiplication and division to multiply and divide fractions
Measurement and Data
- Convert like measurement units within a given measurement system
- Represent and interpret data
- Geometric measurement: understand concepts of volume and relate volume to multiplication and addition
Geometry
- Graph points on the coordinate plane to solve real-world and mathematical problems
- Classify two-dimensional figures into categories based on their properties
EAB uses the Shape America Standards to guide instruction in PE and the National Core Arts Standards in Art and Music. In Portuguese, EAB follows the Brazilian National Curriculum (BNCC - Base Nacional Comum Curricular)
Português
Oralidade/Leitura/Escrita
- Identificar a ideia central do texto, demonstrando compreensão global. Inferir o sentido de palavras ou expressões desconhecidas em textos, com base no contexto da frase ou do texto.
- Ler e compreender, com autonomia, narrativas ficcionais que apresentem cenários e personagens, observando os elementos da estrutura narrativa: enredo, tempo, espaço, personagens, narrador e a construção do discurso indireto e discurso direto.
- Organizar o texto em unidades de sentido, dividindo-o em parágrafos segundo as normas gráficas e de acordo com as características do gênero textual.
- Utilizar, ao produzir um texto, recursos de referenciação (por substituição lexical ou por pronomes pessoais, possessivos e demonstrativos), vocabulário apropriado ao gênero, recursos de coesão pronominal (pronomes anafóricos) e articuladores de relações de sentido (tempo, causa, oposição, conclusão, comparação), com nível suficiente de informatividade.
- Opinar e defender ponto de vista sobre tema polêmico relacionado a situações vivenciadas na escola e/ou na comunidade, utilizando registro formal e estrutura adequada à argumentação, considerando a situação comunicativa e o tema/assunto do texto.
- Diferenciar discurso indireto e discurso direto, determinando o efeito de sentido de verbos de enunciação e explicando o uso de variedades linguísticas no discurso direto.
- Diferenciar, na leitura de textos, vírgula, ponto e vírgula, dois-pontos e reconhecer, na leitura de textos, o efeito de sentido que decorre do uso de reticências, aspas, parênteses.
- Identificar, em textos, o uso de conjunções e a relação que estabelecem entre partes do texto: adição, oposição, tempo, causa, condição, finalidade.
- Utilizar, ao produzir o texto, conhecimentos linguísticos e gramaticais: regras sintáticas de concordância nominal e verbal, convenções de escrita de citações, pontuação (ponto final, dois-pontos, vírgulas em enumerações) e regras ortográficas.
Leitura Orientada/ Literatura
- Ler, entender e diferenciar textos literários de textos informativos de 5º ano. Planejar leituras sistemáticas por meio do projeto de leitura.
As Ciências Sociais são trabalhadas de maneira interdisciplinar com a Língua Portuguesa.
PLL
Listening Comprehension
- Listen and demonstrate understanding sentences according to a given context.
- Listen and demonstrate understanding of multiple instructions
- Identify main ideas in a multi-paragraph speech.
- Identify specific vocabulary (objects, figures, people or actions) from oral statements or questions.
Speaking
- Respond to questions by giving a short reason why.
- Present detailed content-related information that has been rehearsed.
- Ask and answer simple questions (noun+verb+complement) based in a context.
- Recall/Tell short stories or events
- Respond by justifying a choice using logical information.
Reading Comprehension
- Read and identify the main theme of short stories, interviews, descriptive and/ or informative texts.
- Read and identify the main idea in different kinds of texts.
- Read and demonstrate the use of supporting details.
Writing
- Use key words and sentence starters to write.
- Write short paragraphs in a logical sequence according to the context.
- Use a variety of transition words to connect the sequence of events.
- Write short paragraphs according to the context.
- Relate a sequence of events using a variety of transitional words, phrases, and clauses.
PE - Physical Education
- Demonstrates grade-level competency in a variety of motor skills and movement patterns
- Applies grade-level knowledge of concepts, principles, strategies and tactics related to movement and performance
- Demonstrates grade-level knowledge and skills to achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical activity and fitness
- Exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others.
- Recognizes the value of physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression and/or social interaction
Art
- Experiment and develop skills in multiple art-making techniques and approaches through practice.
- Create artist statements using art vocabulary to describe personal choices in artmaking.
- Develop a logical argument for safe and effective use of materials and techniques for preparing and presenting artwork.
- Compare one's own interpretation of a work of art with the interpretation of others.
- Identify how art is used to inform or change beliefs, values, or behaviors of an individual or society.
Music
- Improvise rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic ideas, and explain connection to specific purpose and context (such as social, cultural, and historical).
- Demonstrate and explain how the selection of music to perform is influenced by personal interest, knowledge, and context, as well as their personal and others’ technical skill.
- Demonstrate and explain, citing evidence, how selected music connects to and is influenced by specific interests, experiences, purposes, or contexts.
- Demonstrate how interests, knowledge, and skills relate to personal choices and intent when creating, performing, and responding to music.
- Read music in standard notation, recognizing musical symbols and developing fluency in reading rhythms.
.
Miriam Rodriguez
Lower School Assistant Principal
Now that you know how our Lower School Students engage in their own learning, please read the Student Handbook to see our day-to-day in detail.
Making a Difference
The American School of Brasilia offers a rigorous academic program for students in grades PreK through 12. An integral part of this academic program is the support services program which is staffed to meet the needs of students with mild academic learning needs within an inclusive educational model.
Certified Learning Support Teachers, Counselors, ELL staff (as needed), classroom teachers, and administrators at all levels work cooperatively to address the majority of student needs by differentiating within the regular education classroom. If needed, and when possible, our staff collaborates with outside professionals, such as speech and language, occupational, physical therapists and psychologists, to best meet the needs of all students.
Choice and Opportunity
As children enjoy singing, playing instruments, and moving to music, EAB provides opportunities to develop the musical potential that every child has.
In EAB’s two Lower School art studios, all students have the chance to be artists. It is a place where students can take risks, try new materials, and express themselves.
Physical Education curriculum in Grades 1-5 is currently based on the S.H.A.P.E. standards. The emphasis in this domain is on physical development as an integral part of children’s well-being, personal health, and safety.
To help cultivate a STEAM-oriented mindset, EAB has a Makerspace area in which students practice and apply design thinking skills in a hands-on setting with a real-world focus.
Learning Gateways
At the American School of Brasilia, we believe students learn best by doing. Through hands-on experiences such as passion projects, field trips, and reflection, students connect classroom learning to real-world situations. Our Maracujá Projects are central to this approach, encouraging students to explore subjects they are passionate about. This fosters ownership, motivation, and essential skills like critical thinking and problem solving.
Field trips enrich this learning by showing the practical applications of studies, whether in local ecosystems or community organizations. Reflective activities help students make interdisciplinary connections and transfer knowledge effectively. This integrated approach prepares our students to be inquisitive, principled, and bold in their vision, ready to positively impact the world.