Rivendell will be closed Wednesday, Feb. 22 due to inclement weather.

Summer Camp public registration will still open at 8am. If you need assistance, please email rivendell-camps@rivendell-school.org or call 970-493-9052 and press 5 to leave a message and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

Science and Social Studies

Science and social studies are taught in school-wide topic units each year. Topics are organized so that essential skills and knowledge that all elementary students need to know before middle school are taught each year. For example, each year Rivendell studies one of the continents. In the study of a continent, students also learn map-reading skills, geography, cultural literacy, and history. Science topics focus on the scientific process as well as inquiry-based learning. The topics repeat on a four-year cycle.

Topic studies at Rivendell are exciting for teachers, students, and parents. Teachers truly integrate the topics into all areas of learning, and student products are usually on display throughout the school for all to see. Hands-on activities and thought-provoking assignments truly engage our students in not only learning the facts but connecting with the content in personal and meaningful ways.

Rivendell School-Wide Topic Units:

Year One:
Oceans
Mesopotamia
Simple Machines
Australia and Oceania
Colorado History
Westward Expansion
Plants
Insects
Year Two:
Reptiles, Amphibians, and Fish
Egypt
The Senses
Africa
Weather
Physical Science
US Geography
Ponds, Rivers, and Lakes
Year Three:
Ancient Greece and Rome
The Democratic Process
Systems of the Body
Europe
Physical Science
The Industrial Revolution/Immigration
Dinosaurs/Birds
Year Four:
The Solar System
Maya/Inca/Aztecs
Central and South America
Mountains, Plains, Deserts/Geology
Native Americans
World Geography/Map Skills
Asia
Mammals