Curriculum Highlight:

Fourth-Grade Experiences

What if learning about history meant stepping into it, creating it, and experiencing it firsthand? At The Oaks Academy, students don’t just read about what they are learning; they experience it through hands-on, immersive learning that sparks curiosity and creates lasting memories.

Fourth grade at The Oaks Academy is filled with engaging projects, meaningful field trips, and memorable experiences that bring learning to life. Here are a few of the unique milestones that make fourth grade so special.

Immersive Experience: The Saint Meinrad Trip

One of the most anticipated experiences of fourth grade is our students’ first overnight field trip at Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology.

In the weeks leading up to the trip, students dive into the study of monastic life. They learn about the vows monks take, explore what daily life in a monastery looks like, and discuss the importance of prayer, reflection, and community. As part of this preparation, students memorize the Nicene Creed and even participate in a day of silence, an experience that invites them to slow down, pray, and reflect together.

On the way to Saint Meinrad, students stop at Squire Boone Caverns. Here they mine for gems, explore a cave 600-feet underground, and feed barn animals. Once at the monastery, students spend the night immersed in the community and its traditions. They tour the monastery, attend services in the sanctuary, play a parents-versus-students Capture the Flag game, and reflect on the monks' example they have seen. 

This overnight experience gives students the unique opportunity to step into what they have been learning and experience it in a meaningful and memorable way.

Hands-On Learning: Bringing History to Life

Beyond field trips, fourth graders at The Oaks engage in creative, hands-on projects that make history tangible and exciting.

During their study of the medieval period, students design and build their own castles at home using everyday materials such as cardboard and recycled supplies. Each project showcases imagination, craftsmanship, and attention to detail, and the finished castles are proudly displayed throughout the school for others to enjoy.

Students also participate in a fencing experience led by a professional instructor where they are introduced to basic techniques, equipment, and movements. Wearing protective gear, they safely practice with training swords while learning about the historical connection between fencing and medieval culture.

Students visit Tabernacle Presbyterian Church to explore the beauty and meaning of stained glass windows. After studying the stories and symbolism they see, they create their own stained glass-inspired artwork back in the classroom. They also connect this learning to their visit to Saint Meinrad, deepening their understanding through art and observation.

These engaging experiences help students bring the history they have been studying to life in a memorable way, cultivating a lifelong love of learning and fostering curiosity and creativity.