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Overview
The goal of the K-6 science program is to cultivate a deep understanding and appreciation of science concepts in young students through an inquiry-based and hands-on learning approach. By integrating the core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and science and engineering practices outlined in the NGSS, the program aims to develop students’ skills of asking questions, sense-making, and working with evidence. It encourages students to explore natural phenomena while engaging in collaborative investigations and engineering projects. The program also strives to make science relevant and accessible to all students, preparing them to be informed citizens capable of making thoughtful decisions about the world around them.
Units of Study
Stem Careers and Rollercoasters
Throughout the unit, budding scientists will immerse themselves in hands-on explorations of forces such as magnetic force, gravity, and friction. Through a series of investigations, students will have the opportunity to conduct tests, collect and organize data, and draw conclusions. Our students will then apply their science knowledge as they work as engineers to design, build, test, and improve models of roller coasters.
In addition to engineering, our students will also step into the world of computer programming as they use Legos and Chromebooks to build and code amusement park rides. By learning about algorithms and debugging, students will program their rides to spin, light up, and make sounds.
Read books together about forces and motion, as well as STEM careers, to spark discussions and deepen understanding.
Explore STEM careers by talking with friends, family, or professionals who work in fields such as engineering, medicine, or computer programming. Talk about how people use science in their jobs.
Visit code.org and explore the sequential coding courses designed for children, providing a fun and game-based introduction to coding skills.
Encourage an engineering mindset by approaching projects or problems like an engineer: defining the problem, researching, brainstorming ideas, planning, building, testing or trying it out, evaluating, and improving.
Try out an engineering challenge from Science Buddies (check out the engineering challenges from past years).
Pollinators
Students will embark on a fascinating journey to explore the essential role that pollinators play in our world. Through a variety of hands-on activities, they will delve into the intricate process of pollination and discover the amazing creatures that make it all happen. In addition to hands-on explorations, students will immerse themselves in a wealth of books about pollinators, honing their reading skills while gaining valuable knowledge about these important creatures. They will also have the opportunity to express their understanding and creativity by writing a piece about pollinators with options ranging from an information book to a narrative story or an opinion piece.
Throughout the unit, learners will have the opportunity to study a diverse array of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, moths, bats, beetles, and hummingbirds. They will explore the life cycles of these fascinating creatures, as well as the unique structures and functions and behaviors that enable them to survive and carry out their vital roles in nature.
As a highlight of the unit, we will take a field trip to the Wilcox Bushley Homestead, hosted by the Farmington Land Trust. Here, students will engage in active, hands-on activities related to pollinators in order to deepen their understanding. We will also have meaningful discussions about the importance of being stewards of pollinators and how we can all play a role in protecting them.
Ways to Support Your Child in Science
Read books together about forces and motion, as well as STEM careers, to spark discussions and deepen understanding.
Explore STEM careers by talking with friends, family, or professionals who work in fields such as engineering, medicine, or computer programming. Talk about how people use science in their jobs.
Visit www.code.org and explore the sequential coding courses designed for children, providing a fun and game-based introduction to coding skills.
Encourage an engineering mindset by approaching projects or problems like an engineer: defining the problem, researching, brainstorming ideas, planning, building, testing or trying it out, evaluating, and improving.
Try out an engineering challenge from Science Buddies (check out the engineering challenges from past years).
Observe: Allow your child to have authentic experiences where they observe forces in motion. Discuss as a family what they notice.
Create: Provide opportunities for your child to create chain reactions by using materials around the house- matchbox cars, ramps, string, dominos, etc. Apply this thinking to a task or problem they must solve.
Plant a pollinator-friendly garden in your yard or community space and observe the different pollinators that visit.
Hike: Visit a nature area such as a Farmington Land Trust property and try to identify different pollinators. Have your child keep a journal or sketchbook to record observations of pollinators they encounter.
Explore: Visit local museums, community events and library events that align with the topics of pollinators and forces in motion.
Research: Use websites such as PebbleGo, Discovery Education and BrainPOPjr to have students research a topic of their choice. Encourage them to take notes on the same topic from multiple sources.
Find more books about pollinators (such as bees, butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, beetles, and bats) at the local library to read together as a family.
Learn: Go to Explore.org to observe live cams of animals around the world in their habitats (especially pollinators).
Discuss the importance of pollinators and ways to protect them, such as avoiding pesticide use and planting native plants.
Additional Resources for Science
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