Mission: The Montgomery Virtual Academy Science Department will engage students in critical thinking, emphasize student choice, and cultivate social-emotional well-being in a safe space.

Vision: The Montgomery Virtual Academy Science Department is an innovative, personalized virtual learning community that disrupts traditional systems and expectations while developing students’ potential to achieve at high levels and connect in a global society.

A phenomenon is simply an observable event. In the science classroom a carefully chosen phenomenon can drive student inquiry. Phenomena add relevance to the science classroom showing students science in their own world. A good phenomenon is observable, interesting, complex, and aligned to the appropriate standard.

The scientific method is a problem-solving approach used in all sciences—including chemistry, physics, geology, and psychology. The scientists in these fields ask different questions and perform different tests.

1. Question: identifying the problem. 

2. Research: information about the problem. 

3. Hypothesis: prediction or an educated guess of a possible outcome.

4. Experiment: testing the hypothesis.

5. Observation: data collected while performing the experiment. 

6. Result/Conclusion: determining if the hypothesis is correct and what impacted the outcome

7. Communicate: presenting the result and data through various media.

The Design Process is an approach for breaking down a large project into manageable chunks. Architects, engineers, scientists, and other thinkers use the design process to solve a variety of problems. 

Define the Problem

You can’t find a solution until you have a clear idea of what the problem is.

Collect Information

Collect sketches, take photographs and gather data to start giving you inspiration.

Brainstorm and Analyze Ideas

Begin to sketch, make, and study so you can start to understand how all the data and information you’ve collected may impact your design.

Develop Solutions

Take your preliminary ideas and form multiple small-scale design solutions.

Gather Feedback

Present your ideas to as many people as possible: friends, teachers, professionals, and any others you trust to give insightful comments.

Improve

Reflect on all of your feedback and decide if or to what extent it should be incorporated. It is often helpful to take solutions back through the Design Process to refine and clarify them.