Science

Teachers:

Ms. Bradshaw (6th Grade)
Ms. Bostic      (7th Grade)
Mr. Slopnick    (8th Grade

Our science department is pleased to participate in the NYC spiraling curriculum, which is based on the New York State Core Curriculum in Science.  In sixth through eighth grade, students will engage in hands-on learning using FOSS kits to practice problem-solving skills, develop positive scientific attitudes, learn new science content, and increase their scientific literacy.

Our sixth, seventh, and eighth grade curricula include topics in physical, life, and earth science.  In sixth grade, our units of study include simple and complex machines, weather, diversity of life, and interdependence.  In seventh grade, our units of study include geology, matter and energy, the human body, and dynamic equilibrium.  Eighth grade science units of study include reproduction, heredity, and evolution; forces and motion on earth; the Earth, sun, and moon system; and humans in their environment.

In each grade, we uphold four key goals as essential to our teaching:

Student-driven learning;

A differentiated curriculum that is engaging and appropriate to the talents of our students;

The understanding that science is all around us, and can be used as a tool to improve our world; and

The advancement of students’ abilities to think critically and communicate their ideas effectively.

Students in all grades are expected to work in pairs and groups, conduct experiments, gather data, and draw conclusions about the world around them. They will become more experienced scientists, while exploring ethical questions relating to science. We learn new vocabulary words every week so that the students will learn to speak the language of science. Finally, the students will complete a year-long independent research project for display at the Science Exposition in the spring.