Science

Our Vision

The Oceanside Schools aspire to graduate students that think critically about the natural world and how we can design solutions to issues in the real world. Starting in elementary school with our science and Makerspace curriculum, we will begin to develop problem solving, communication, and collaboration skills with our youngest learners. As students progress through elementary to middle-level to high school courses, our students will gain critical scientific knowledge and important process skills in order to make informed decisions about the world, especially in the areas of life sciences, physical sciences, Earth and space sciences, and engineering.

Elementary Curriculum Overview

In elementary school, students are first exposed to hands-on investigations that are centered on students uncovering many different science core ideas. Instead of asking students to memorize vocabulary or small pieces of science content, students are asked to develop explanations or argue from evidence as they move through their various science units from Kindergarten to 5th Grade. With the shift in the science standards, these important process skills are equally as important as understanding key science core ideas. As students move through their elementary experience, they will increasingly be asked to apply more of their science knowledge to explain puzzling phenomena or to advocate for solutions to real-world problems. Engineering practices are also slowly introduced to our students so that they have yet another way to demonstrate their science knowledge in order to design prototypes for engineering problems. Along with their Makerspace experience in first through third grades, we are looking to develop our students' problem solving and critical thinking skills before they enter the middle school curriculum.

Each grade level has specific units of study to engage students in their learning of science while also preparing them for their middle school and high school science coursework. Please note that Grade 6 is listed under the middle school tab, as they will be exposed to the more rigorous middle-level science standards from New York State. Starting the spring of 2024, fifth grade students will be administered a new science assessment from New York State which will assess both their knowledge of the core science ideas as well as their ability to use different process skills, like modeling, identifying patterns and cause-and-effect relationships, and arguing from evidence.

Middle Level Curriculum Overview

In both our Grade 6 and OMS curricula, the students are exposed to higher-level process skills and science core ideas as they uncover more about the world around them. In each grade level, the students will focus on one of the major science disciplines and investigate different phenomena in order to more deeply understand these core ideas. Similar to the elementary curricula, we ask the students to apply their understanding of the core ideas to be certain that they will be prepared for the shift in learning and teaching with the new science standards. Starting in the spring of 2024, students in eighth grade will take a newly developed science assessment that will focus on students using their process skills to apply their knowledge of the major science ideas to new situations and phenomena.

In sixth grade, students focus their attention on diving deeper into uncovering the Earth and Space Sciences. Through various phenomena and investigations, students learn about the major Earth's systems and how they work together in order to make the Earth a habitable planet. Natural processes, such as rock formation, natural disasters, and climate change throughout history, are examined before evidence of current climate change are investigated in terms of changing weather patterns across the United States.
In seventh grade, students turn their attention to learning more about the Physical Sciences. In the beginning of the school year, students are exposed to various phenomena related to the principles of chemistry in order to develop a deeper understanding of the building blocks of nature. Later in the school year, we turn our attention to different phenomena and engineering tasks related to the principles of physics, including energy, forces, and motion.
In eighth grade, students investigate different topics in the field of Life Sciences. Again, through different phenomena and real-world examples, students are exposed to the building blocks of living organisms and how these systems are able to survive and grow. Additionally, students deepen their knowledge of ecosystems and how the outside world puts pressures on living organisms to survive and thrive.

Students also have the ability to enrich their science classroom experiences through the research program at OMS. Starting in 7th grade, many students will take an Introduction to Research course during their core extension block. In this alternate day class, students deepen their research and investigative skills through various projects throughout the school year. In eighth grade, students can elect to take Science Research as an elective course, where they continue to cultivate their collaboration, communication, and problem solving skills as they complete various investigations and argue from evidence about their findings.

High School Curriculum Overview

The high school science department offers various coursework to expose students to various levels of science topics, including NYS Regents coursework, AP classes, and local elective courses. Students must take at least three laboratory sciences to graduate, and it is highly recommended that students take at least 4 credits of science before graduation to meet university requirements. Students can discuss graduation requirements and the best course of study with their guidance counselors. Please click here to view the high school website to see course pathways and course descriptions to better plan the best high school science experience.

Free Online Resources

Khan Academy Science: Instructional videos in the various disciplines

District Contact

Matthew Christiansen, Ed.D.

Director of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Enrichment Programs

(516) 594-2359

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