Science

The sense of wonder in children makes them natural explorers of the physical world around them. Young children are encouraged to carefully observe plants, animals, weather, magnets, electricity and their own bodies. They are taught to ask probing questions and thoughtfully record their observations. In the middle years, children engage in a variety of open-ended investigations that further build upon the skills of observing, classifying, measuring, communicating, inferring, predicting, and experimenting in a hands-on Science Center. Using state-of-the-art technologies, seventh graders investigate micro and macro organisms as they concentrate on a year-long life science study, while eighth graders explore earth and physical science.

Kindergarten

• Study of plants and animals
  • Trees – parts of trees, leaf identification, trees and the environment
  • Characteristics and care of baby chicks
  • Birds – characteristics of birds, bird identification, owls
  • Animal tracks in winter
  • Dinosaurs – identify and compare
• Human Body – healthy foods
• Energy, Light and Sound – introduction
• Solar System - introduction
• Color – introduction
• Magnets – exploration and simple terms
• Technology - Designing vehicles from recycled materials that moves on land
• Block building- use of space, balance, design. mazes
• Forces in Nature – push and pull, float and sink
• Chemical Reactions – experimentation, cooking
• JEM topics – air, water, light, soil

Grade 1

• Organisms
  • Similarities and differences between plants and animals
  • Interdependency
  • Animal groups – mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, insects, invertebrates
• Weather
  • Daily observations and record keeping
  • Cloud formations and weather features
  • Gauges and thermometers
• Solids and Liquids – compare and sort, behaviors and characteristics
• Problem Solving and Design Applications
• JEM activities

Grade 2

• Life Cycles – butterfly, frog, meal worm
• Woodland Biome – comparison of Eastern woodland and Southwestern desert
• Electricity
  • Magnetism as it relates to electricity
  • Static / current
  • Safety
  • Circuits, conductors, insulators
• Technology Design – electricity related projects

Grade 3

• Plant growth and development
  • Life cycles of plants
  • Plants’ requirements for life
  • Reproductive parts of plants
  • Carnivorous plants
• Rocks and Minerals – properties
• Sound
  • Wavelength
  • Amplitude
  • Pitch
• Making simple machines

Grade 4

• Classifying and caring for living things
• States of matter (classification, properties, states, changes
• Wetlands and Watersheds
• Design and problem-solving application

Grade 5

• Microscopic organic and inorganic things
• Ecosystems, biomes, and organisms
• Food chemistry and nutrition

Grade 6

• Sound and Light
• Electricity and Magnetism
• Force, work, energy and motion

Grade 7

• Earth and living things
• Cells and living things
• Cell processes
• Diversity of living things
• Classification of living things
• Viruses and Monerans
• Protists and Fungi
• Organisms and their environment
• Interactions among organisms

Grade 8

• Metrics and measuring
• Chemistry – an investigation into matter
• Astronomy – an investigation of the universe
• Geology – rocks, minerals, changing earth structures
• Cycles of non-living things