Lincoln classrooms across both programs utilize several different educational models in order to foster curiosity, critical thinking, and a love for discovery.
Classrooms focus on Experiential Learning to bring topics to life by allowing students to engage directly with materials, tools, and activities that make concepts tangible and meaningful. Students develop a deeper understanding of subjects through experiments, creative projects, and interactive problem-solving. This active approach encourages curiosity, collaboration, and a sense of accomplishment as students see the results of their efforts. From conducting science experiments to building models and cultivating plants for our Lincoln Garden, hands-on learning nurtures a love of discovery and empowers young learners to connect classroom knowledge to the real world.
In our Inquiry-Based Learning units, we focus on a driving question to explore science and social studies topics and solve real-world problems. Through hands-on activities, collaborative projects, and guided exploration, children develop essential skills like research, communication, and problem-solving.
Other units feature Project-Based Learning, where students engage with a real-world problem to explore a topic deeply and create a product or presentation to showcase their learning.
Personalized Learning is woven into all of our instruction, meaning that teachers constantly differentiate and tailor their instruction to meet each student’s individual needs, skills, interests, and pace.
In the Primary Montessori classroom, students are given access to a variety of authentic, hands-on materials to make their learning concrete in all subject areas. With these materials, students can: write stories with the moveable alphabet; match the initial sounds of objects with letters; explore size and volume with the Pink Tower; practice writing numbers on the chalkboard; learn multiplication with concrete, hands-on materials, and so much more!
A fun tradition in Kindergarten is counting to the 100 days of school and celebrating the 100 days of school! Students are encouraged to do 100-day projects at home and then they present their projects to other classrooms in the building.
Hands-On Learning:
First graders explored the importance of pollinators by meeting live honeybees and learning to identify native pollinators while planting vegetables in our school garden.
Inquiry-Based Learning:
In another unit, students researched the driving question, “How do the systems of our body work together to help us grow, move, and stay healthy?” Students learned directly from an Orthopedic Physician’s Assistant and performed “Doctor Rounds” to explore the circulatory, skeletal, muscular, respiratory, and digestive systems through hands-on models.
Second graders explore the relationship between plants and animals in a habitat through research, writing, and hands-on investigations.
In different units of study, second graders explore how geography influenced the development of civilizations along the Yangtze, Yellow, and Indus River valleys thousands of years ago. They investigate how the development of these civilizations led to many significant contributions such as calligraphy, the teachings of Confucious, the development of Hinduism and Buddhism, and the invention of writing tools, fireworks, paper, and farming tools. Students create 3D maps of the region and write postcards describing their “time-traveling experience” to ancient Pakistan, India, and China. Students always show such enthusiasm and creativity with this unit!
In third grade, students learn the historical events and culture of the ancient Roman civilization, as well as several myths about Roman gods and goddesses. They study the historical rise and fall of the Roman Republic and empire and key historical figures such as Hannibal, Julius Caesar, and Augustus. They learn about Roman geography and history, government, major leaders, monumental battles, and ancient Rome’s influence and contributions to today’s society. To end the unit, students have a Roman Forum debating if Julius Caesar was a hero or traitor to Rome and test aqueducts.
Collaborative Work
Students in lower elementary classrooms are encouraged to collaborate. Older children are afforded the opportunity to be leaders and mentors daily. Some recent collaborative projects were a biome fair, animal research reports, and pumpkin carving.
Inquiry-Based Learning:
Students in grades 3-5 research important individuals, from inventors to artists. They write informative essays about the person, then “perform” during a Living Wax Museum each February. This activity utilizes reading skills, writing skills and performance/speech skills.
Hands-On Learning:
Students in all grades get to learn about the Earth and its needs during our Earth Day rotations. Students plant seeds, spend time in our school garden, and do many other activities depending on the year.
Students complete collaborative work with Montessori Materials.
Lincoln students have opportunities to participate in affinity and leadership groups to grow their collaboration, leadership, and teamwork skills. These activities occur during school hours and are available to students in both the Elementary and Montessori tracks.
Students build leadership through Playworks Junior Coaches program, which encourages teams of students to work together to learn games, fair play, and positive conflict resolution strategies. Junior Coaches are then equipped to teach these skills and lessons appropriately to their classmates. Students learn cooperation through recess games, supported by the fourth and fifth grade junior coaches.
Lincoln believes in giving students the opportunity to be leaders in their school and community. The Student Leadership Team consists of 12-14 students in 4th-6th grade. These students are selected by their classroom teachers and have proven themselves to be good role models for the rest of the student body. With their teacher sponsors, the Student Leadership Team helps our administrator with school tours, welcomes and introduces guests to our school, welcomes new students, and brainstorms and implements improvements to our school and community.
Through our school wide social-emotional curriculum “Caring School Communities”, younger and older students become “Cross-Age Class Buddies”.
This program enables every child in our class to develop a special friendship with a buddy from another class, bringing together our Elementary and Montessori tracks. The older and younger buddies will get together for various supervised learning and social activities throughout the year. The Buddies program provides an excellent opportunity for older children to be caring helpers, teachers, and friends. Younger children benefit from having a role model and a special, older friend at school. The bonds developed over the year are amazing and boost the confidence of both the older and younger buddies.
Students participate in a variety of field trips throughout the school year. From the Carson Nature Center, to the Capitol Building, to the Symphony, students enjoy these off-site learning opportunities!
Throughout the year, Lincoln hosts a variety of community-building and fun events, including Laps for Lincoln, Field Day, Staff Experiences, the National Spelling Bee and so much more!
Read more about our annual events on our Annual School Events page!
