Science
jump to 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4-5th, Middle
School
Kindergarten
Our science explorations encourage students to extend their natural curiosity.
Students participate in a
salmon-raising project that involves observing and recording the continuous
development of our eggs, the
hatched alevin, and the growing fry. Year-long strands of study include
units in earth science and life science.
The students’ direct experiences with many different objects in the
earth science unit help build
their understanding of the concept of matter. The students set up an
aquarium system for a long-term life
science study. This model ecosystem allows students to observe, monitor,
and record changes that occur
in the aquarium.
Skills that are introduced and developed in kindergarten encourage the
students to:
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
•
Observe processes related to topics of study and use past knowledge to
gain understanding of current topics.
•
Predict outcomes when new things are added to a system.
•
Begin to develop an understanding of the difference between predictions
and guesses.
QUESTIONING
•
Ask questions to encourage further student inquiry.
GATHERING DATA
•
Measure with standard and non-standard units of measure (length and weight).
•
Identify data, and record data in pictures and words.
•
Classify objects according to various criteria.
MAKING SENSE OF DATA
•
Look for patterns and compare predictions with outcomes.
•
State what has been learned in their own words (spoken, written, and
drawn).
•
Identify cause and effect relationships.
COMMUNICATION
•
Share information through class charts.
•
Participate in discussions.
First Grade
Our science program is a “hands-on” approach to learning and
is divided into a physical science unit and a
life science unit. Through investigations we work on developing three
main skills: observation, prediction
and interpretation. Children record their investigations and discoveries
in their own science journal
through written and illustrated observations. A major emphasis in our
physical science unit is to build an
understanding of the concept of interaction. The students investigate
magnetic systems, electric circuits,
chemical systems, and gear/pulley systems to observe and interpret evidence
of interaction. Investigations
of living things are developed in the life science unit. The major concepts
and processes emphasized in this
unit are: growth, development, life cycle, genetic identity, plant and
animal metamorphosis.
Skills that are introduced and developed in first grade encourage the
students to:
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
•
Observe processes related to topics of study and predict outcomes of
experiments.
•
Begin to develop an understanding of the difference between predictions
and guesses.
QUESTIONING
•
Identify data, examine changes and record information with pictures and
words.
GATHERING DATA
•
Identify data, examine changes, and record data with pictures and words.
•
Classify objects according to various criteria.
MAKING SENSE OF DATA
•
Compare predictions with outcomes and draw conclusions.
•
Compare current information to past experiences.
•
State what has been learned in their own words (spoken, written, and
drawn).
COMMUNICATION
•
Record data on graphs and in journals.
•
Participate in discussions.
Second Grade
The science program seeks to nurture students’ natural curiosity
while developing the tools to explore systematically.
Science is taught with a hands-on approach with students actively engaged
in cooperative
groups. By using the scientific process, students learn how to ask questions,
make observations, collect
data, organize information, interpret data, compare their predictions
with their findings, and communicate
what they have learned. In addition, we provide many opportunities for
students to develop research skills
and make oral presentations about topics that interest them.
Skills that are introduced and developed in second grade encourage the
students to:
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
•
Use past knowledge to gain understanding of current topics of study.
•
Use tools to make observations.
QUESTIONING
•
Ask questions to check past knowledge with current understanding.
GATHERING DATA
•
Organize data in charts and graphs.
•
Choose appropriate materials for gathering data.
•
Classify objects according to various criteria.
MAKING SENSE OF DATA
•
Use observations and background knowledge to draw conclusions.
•
Check how results relate to an initial question.
•
Identify cause and effect.
COMMUNICATION
•
Share information through individual charts, tables, graphs, pictures,
and writing.
•
Give oral reports on topics.
•
Actively participate in class discussions.
Third Grade
In science, students continue their development of the scientific process
skills. These skills include making
observations, asking questions, making hypotheses, collecting data and
information, comparing, categorizing,
and analyzing data, communicating results, and discussing ideas. These
skills are practiced through
hands-on activities and experiments focused around a unit of study. Students
are able to use scientific
processes and principles in making decisions, communicate effectively
when discussing scientific concepts
and concerns, and develop love and excitement for knowledge and understanding
about our world.
Skills that are introduced and developed in third grade encourage the
students to:
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
•
Predict outcomes when new things are added to a system.
•
Infer information from observations.
QUESTIONING
•
Contemplate teacher questions to stimulate curiosity, enthusiasm, and
focus.
GATHERING DATA
•
Recognize that variables cause change.
•
Construct tables and graphs to record data.
•
Identify and follow the steps of an experiment.
MAKING SENSE OF DATA
•
Verify and revise results through evaluation.
•
Recognize spatial relationships.
•
Construct two and three-dimensional models.
COMMUNICATION
•
Share information through individual charts, tables, graphs, pictures,
and writing of personal and class data.
•
Write about what has been learned.
•
Actively participate in class discussions.
back to K-3 Curriculum
Grades 4 and 5
The science program aims to develop the habits of mind that promote increasingly
detailed perception of physical events
paired with increasingly accurate data collection and graphical analysis.
Over time, students develop a rich knowledge of
physical and natural sciences and become familiar with modes of scientific
inquiry, rules of evidence, ways of formulating
questions, and methods of proposing explanations. The science program
also provides opportunities for innovative
engineering and for exploring materials of the technological world. Beginning
in the fourth grade, students engage in a
variety of topical units from three scientific categories: Physics and
Chemistry, Physiology/Biology, and Earth and Space.
Skills that are introduced and developed in fourth and fifth grade encourage
the students to:
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
•
Predict outcomes when new things are added to a system using knowledge
of the distinction between predicting
and guessing.
•
Use various tools to make observations.
•
Infer information about scientific processes and phenomena from observations.
QUESTIONING
•
Ask questions to check and compare prior knowledge with current understanding.
•
Contemplate and reflect on teacher-initiated questions to stimulate curiosity,
enthusiasm, and focus.
GATHERING AND MAKING SENSE OF DATA
•
Recognize that variables cause change, use independent/dependent variables,
and examine uncontrolled variables.
•
Identify, follow, and develop the steps of an experiment.
•
Choose appropriate materials for gathering data, construct tables and
graphs to organize and record data, and identify
relevant data.
•
Use data to look for patterns, draw conclusions, and identify cause and
effect.
COMMUNICATION
•
Share information and data through individual charts, tables, graphs,
pictures, and writing.
•
Participate meaningfully in class discussions.
back to 4-5 Curriculum
Grades 6, 7, and 8
Science is a way of understanding that involves speculation, observation,
experimentation, data collection, analysis, and summarization.
All curriculum units in science reiterate these steps. Students learn
about various science concepts through an inquiry
method to discover and modify their ideas. Student competency is measured
through lab performance and reporting, discussion
participation, tests, project completion and presentation. Topics in
sixth grade may include Living Systems, Genetics, Biological
Diversity, Interdependence of Life, Human Biology, and Ecosystems. Topics
in seventh grade may include Evidence of Change,
Basic Chemistry, Electricity and Magnetism, Plant Biology, Weather and
Astronomy. Topics in eighth grade may include
Chemistry, Genetics and Heredity, Mollusk Project, Physics of Light and
Motion, and Biology of the Eye.
Skills that are developed in Middle School encourage the students
to:
QUESTIONING
• Use past knowledge to gain understanding of the current
topics of study.
• Ask questions to check past knowledge with current
understanding.
• Contemplate teacher questions to stimulate curiosity,
enthusiasm, and focus.
• Predict outcomes of new experiments.
GATHERING DATA
• Develop and perform experiments.
• Make measurements using standard metric units.
• Use dependent and independent variables and identify
uncontrolled variables.
• Organize data in charts and graphs.
MAKING SENSE OF DATA
• Look for patterns.
• Verify and revise results through evaluation.
• Use observations and background knowledge to draw
conclusions.
• Check how results and conclusions relate to the question.
COMMUNICATION
• Share information visually through charts, tables, graphs,
and pictures.
• Share information through writing.
• Share information through class discussions.
• State what has been learned in their own words.
back to Middle School Curriculum
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