Lower School Science: Fostering a Lifetime of Exploration
Lower School Science: Fostering a Lifetime of Exploration
"Give the pupils something to do, not something to learn; and the doing is of such a nature as to demand thinking; learning naturally results.” - John Dewey
The overarching vision for the Lower School Science program is to foster a love of science while preparing students for a lifetime of discovery, research, and analysis of the world around them. The curriculum is presented in a student-centered, project-based approach, and encompasses all three branches of science (earth, life, and physical). Our program includes integrated engineering units that encourage students to design and create solutions for real-world problems.
In Lower School science, kindergarten through fifth grade students are required to ask questions, define problems, and learn a variety of techniques to plan and carry out investigations. They use models, mathematical thinking, and data analysis to interpret, explain, and communicate scientific concepts as related to the world around them. The concepts and practices are built upon as they move forward into Middle School and then Upper School. For example, our investigation of flowers and pollination becomes genetic variation in meiosis, learning about forces and motion becomes kinematic equations in physics, and the discussion of planetary bodies and space becomes theoretical astronomy.
The goal of the Lower School Science program is to create a foundation that provides students with the knowledge and practices necessary to blossom into scientific, critical thinkers. With these solid roots provided in Lower School, and subsequently built upon in Middle and Upper School, students have the opportunity to become the thinkers, innovators, and pioneers of the 21st century.
The overarching vision for the Lower School Science program is to foster a love of science while preparing students for a lifetime of discovery, research, and analysis of the world around them. The curriculum is presented in a student-centered, project-based approach, and encompasses all three branches of science (earth, life, and physical). Our program includes integrated engineering units that encourage students to design and create solutions for real-world problems.
In Lower School science, kindergarten through fifth grade students are required to ask questions, define problems, and learn a variety of techniques to plan and carry out investigations. They use models, mathematical thinking, and data analysis to interpret, explain, and communicate scientific concepts as related to the world around them. The concepts and practices are built upon as they move forward into Middle School and then Upper School. For example, our investigation of flowers and pollination becomes genetic variation in meiosis, learning about forces and motion becomes kinematic equations in physics, and the discussion of planetary bodies and space becomes theoretical astronomy.
The goal of the Lower School Science program is to create a foundation that provides students with the knowledge and practices necessary to blossom into scientific, critical thinkers. With these solid roots provided in Lower School, and subsequently built upon in Middle and Upper School, students have the opportunity to become the thinkers, innovators, and pioneers of the 21st century.
Susan Washburn
Lower School Science Teacher
- Lower School
- Science