Science

KINDERGARTEN
The Science program involves a "hands on" curriculum with modules based on the Life Sciences, and the Physical Sciences. Children learn to observe, predict, hypothesize, classify, experiment, and organize data. The five main units of instruction include a study of the variety of living and non-living things in the natural world: 

• Senses, Weather/Seasons, Farming: Crops & Animals

FIRST GRADE
In conjunction with the Science 21 program, science activities are aimed at developing the ability to predict, observe, compare, draw valid conclusions, and record data. Sample units include:

•  Organizing Ourselves
•  Seasonal Science/Weather
•  Investigating Attributes and Properties
•  Identifying the States of Matter
•  Investigating Living Things
•  Seeds and Plants 
•  The Sea
   

SECOND GRADE
The inquiry-based Science program encourages the children to explore the world around them. They are given many opportunities to observe, question and record their findings about measurement, energy, living things and environment. 

The Science program is enriched through experiments, videos, field trips and in-class presentations by scientists.

THIRD GRADE
This year your little scientist will discover great new things about plants, electricity, the water cycle, and the life cycle of a butterfly. We use the Science 21 approach which emphasizes investigation and promotes the role of student as scientist. Through hands on experimentation each student will predict and hypothesize, experiment, and draw conclusions about their investigations. Throughout our units of study we introduce and use scientific tools and learn new vocabulary specific to the unit. There is a strong emphasis on the importance of data collection and journaling.

FOURTH GRADE
The Fourth Grade science program follows the scope and sequence of Science 21, an inquiry based hands-on curriculum. The theme of the curriculum is "Organization In The World". The units of study are: Organizing Ourselves For Doing Science; Organization Of The Earth (rocks & minerals): Simple Machines; and Digestion, Nutrients, Food Chains & Webs. These topics develop student interest and skill in the use of scientific methods and equipment. Students are taught to observe, measure, classify, infer, predict, record and communicate results. These units are often integrated into other of curriculum areas.

FIFTH GRADE
The primary objectives of the fifth grade program are to instill in our students a thorough understanding of the scientific process, while covering important content areas. Frequent opportunities are given for children to observe, classify and compare. Through an interactive approach, the students learn to become inferential thinkers. Emphasis is placed on forming a hypothesis, conducting a study and writing a conclusion. Topics include the study of variables, microworlds, the human body and ecology.