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The science department’s primary mission is to provide all students with a comprehensive background in science that will enable them to critically evaluate and solve problems in their ever-changing world. During the three-year course of study students have the opportunity to explore topics in environmental science and engineering (6th grade), biology (7th grade) and chemistry and physics (8th grade). Further work in Engineering is available to students through electives in 7th and 8th grade.
Science courses facilitate exploration and experimentation so that students develop skills to think critically about the world around them. The program is housed in a LEED-certified building which offers spacious science laboratories. Classes also take advantage of the green roof and the expansive Fieldston campus. The different learning environments provide students with a variety of unique educational opportunities in which they can engage in fieldwork, research and inquiry.
The science program is rooted in progressive and multicultural pedagogies, as well as inquiry-based learning. Students learn about historical perspectives of science as well as the diverse groups of people that have built the body of scientific knowledge. They learn by doing, exploring their interests and constructing and creating models and testable questions. Classes are student-centered and focus on helping students master concepts and skills in a variety of ways. Learners engage in lab experiments, project-based learning, collaboration, individual and group activities, research projects, scientific writing, journaling, written reflection and discussions. Middle school science students are encouraged to take risks, be curious and think critically. Emphasis is placed on the presentation of ideas, as well as scientific literacy and writing with the understanding that communication is a fundamental skill. Students engage in activities that connect their science studies to their other coursework. Throughout the middle school years, students gain a deeper understanding of the nature of science and their interconnectedness to the world around them.
Successful completion of the coursework curriculum will help students refine skills in observing, inferring, measuring, collecting and analyzing data. Additionally, students develop increasingly sophisticated critical thinking skills and are able to question data presented to them. The expectation is for students to establish their own conclusions and share those findings with classmates in verbal and written communications. By the end of the 8th grade year, students are not only capable of discussing current issues in the field of science, but are proficient in supporting claims with evidence and analyzing problems. Students are empowered to engage with the larger scientific community by sharing their research, in addition to proposing creative solutions to problems to legislators.
6th GRADE
6th GRADE
6th Grade science takes a place-based, integrated approach to the study of Environmental Science. Incorporating lenses of ethics and sustainability, students explore the many layers of environmental justice, conduct a field study of the Fieldston campus and utilize a combination of engineering and scientific practices to explore solutions to some of today's biggest environmental issues. Classes take place in science labs, in the engineering design studio, on the Green Roof and throughout the campus.
Essential Questions:
What does it mean to live sustainably?
How do our interactions impact the living and nonliving parts of ecosystems?
Where do we fit into Earth’s systems? How are we each connected to “science”?
What does environmental justice look like and how can we stand up for it locally and globally?
How can we create a tool to educate the community about issues affecting our local ecosystem?
How can we use scientific understanding and the engineering process to build structures that will meet humans’ needs in a warming world?
7th GRADE
7th GRADE
The seventh grade year focuses on life science. Students will refine their skills in observing, collecting data, and interpreting data while studying a variety of organisms. They are expected to come to their own conclusions and share those findings with classmates as if they were professional scientists.
Essential Questions:
What does it mean to be alive?
How do living things maintain homeostasis and stay alive?
How do traits get passed down from one generation to the next?
Why are there so many different types of living things on planet Earth?
Where did life come from? How did life evolve?
In what ways is the human body ideally adapted to life’s needs? In what ways is it not?
8th GRADE
8th GRADE
The eighth grade year builds on the sixth and seventh grade experiences and focuses on the physical sciences. Students study physical interactions, including Newtonian mechanics and rotational motion. They also investigate the invisible world of atoms and molecules, exploring interactions between the seen world and the unseen.
Essential Questions:
How can you predict how and why something moves?
What is matter made up of and how can we tell?
How do you investigate things you can’t see?
How do matter and energy interact to form our world?
For specific information about a particular class, please visit that teacher's website (see sidebar on left).
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