On the Importance and Joys of Children's Scientific Discoveries: 

EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENTS

• Notebooks (Grades 3-5):  All students in Grades 3, 4, and 5 keep a single Science notebook continuing throughout the year.  The notebook will contain a record in words and diagrams of the students' investigations, including a description of classroom activities and a record of data collected.  It will also include important scientific terms and their meaning.  Each student is expected to ask questions throughout the investigations, and the notebook should also be a record of the student's thinking and questioning.
• Notebooks (Grades K-2):  All students in Grades Kindergarten through 2 will complete age-appropriate hands-on investigations in class.  In most classes, students will do some paperwork or create a tangible project to document their understanding and their progress.  These documents/projects might come home as completed, or they might be assembled into a portfolio of the child's progress. 
• Homework:  When Science homework is assigned, the work is critical to preparing for the next lesson, extending learning, or reinforcing recent learning.  For homework to be effective, students must complete it ON TIME.
• Class participation:  Students learn best by doing.  The inquiry method we use depends on active students engagement with the investigations.  Students receive a separate grade on their report cards reflecting their class participation.
• Attendance:  For students to learn, they must be present.  As with every other subject, please make sure your child is at school on time as much as possible .

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• Why is there no textbook?  Students construct their understanding of scientific concepts and develop scientific thinking by performing hands-on scientific investigations.  The students' thinking and learning, as documented and developed in their notebooks, take the place of a textbook.  In some classes, short reading selections supplement the students' investigations.
• How can I help my student do his or her best in Science?  Apart from the usual encouragement and support parents give their children, parents should encourage their children's natural curiosity about the world.  One way to do this would be to talk about what the student has been investigating in Science and to make connections with the "real world."  For example, talk with your fourth-grader investigating electricity about how electricity is used in the home, or talk with your fifth-grader about news stories on global warming or environmental issues, or talk with your first-grader about the weather.
• Are there any web sites I can visit from home?  Most of our Science materials were developed at the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, as part of the FOSS curriculum.  The FOSS web sites (Grades K to 2, Grades 3-5) have information for parents and additional activities related to those kits.  Other useful general web sites include those of Boston's Museum of Science, the New England Aquarium, and a compilation of links.  Some additional links can be found in the specific grade-level content pages.
• How can parents support the Science curriculum?  In past years, the Parents' Council has supported the Science curriculum with its fundraising efforts.  One direct benefit for the students has been the excellent presentations by Museum of Science staff, who have come to our school each fall.  These presentations have been financed and arranged by members of the Parents' Council. 
• What does the MCAS cover?  All fifth-graders take the Science & Technology MCAS, administered in May of each year, usually over two half day sessions.  The MCAS covers all of the material in the Massachusetts State Framework.  Our Science curriculum from Kindergarten through Grade 5 is matched to the State Framework; hence, the MCAS in effect tests everything our students have covered throughout elementary school.