Embedded Files
“From Phenomena to Proof: Explaining Our World Through Science”
The 2026–2027 District 8 Science Expo marks a continued evolution in how we define, experience, and showcase science learning across our schools. Building on last year’s focus on innovation and solution-driven thinking, this year’s theme—From Phenomena to Proof: Explaining Our World Through Science—shifts the emphasis toward deep scientific understanding, evidence-based reasoning, and authentic sensemaking.
In today’s world, where information is constantly evolving and access to knowledge is immediate, it is no longer enough for students to simply build or design solutions. Students must be able to ask meaningful questions, analyze data, construct explanations, and defend their thinking using evidence. This year’s Expo challenges students to take on the role of scientists by investigating real-world phenomena and developing explanations grounded in scientific principles.
Through this work, students will engage in three-dimensional learning, integrating:
Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) to investigate and analyze
Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) to build content understanding
Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs) to make connections across scientific domains
Rather than focusing solely on creating products or models, students will center their work on understanding the “why” behind observable events and systems. Whether examining patterns in weather, analyzing forces and motion, investigating ecosystems, or exploring matter and energy, students will engage in sustained inquiry that leads to evidence-based conclusions.
Projects will reflect a progression from:
Observation of a phenomenon
Investigation and data collection
Analysis and interpretation
Construction of a Claim, supported by Evidence and Reasoning (CER)
Page updated
Report abuse