Science Instruction

The curriculum is based upon the philosophy that each student should engage intelligently in public discourse and debate about important issues that involve science and technology, therefore achieving eventual scientific literacy. Students will demonstrate mastery of the skills of observing, inferring, experimenting, constructing hypotheses, testing those explanations against current scientific knowledge, and communicating their ideas to others.

At the elementary level, children experience the excitement of exploring the natural world. They record seasonal changes, observe the life cycle; explain differences between plant and animal cells; study the relationships in ecosystems; record data on plant development; study how simple machines work using Newton’s laws of motion; study constellations, earth’s rotation, and force of gravity; study the functions of the human body systems; learn about light, sound, and weather and how to use the tools and vocabulary of science, i.e., microscopes, scales, computers, weather instruments, and the metric system. They learn to keep science journals and write lab reports.

Middle School curriculum builds on the foundation of elementary science instruction, and focuses on specific areas of science at each grade level. Middle School grade 6 focuses on physical science, grade 7 on life science, and grade 8 on earth and space science.

The science sequence at the high school begins with physical science in grade nine, followed by biology in grade 10, with chemistry and physics in grade 11 and 12. AP courses are offered in biology, chemistry and physics. Environmental Science is also part of the curriculum. Courses are supported by new textbooks and computer-based labs.