LOMS Science & STEAM

With Mr. Olson

Welcome to Mr. Olson’s Science Class!

Students will be challenged in this class. To be successful, you will need to stay on top of your work and use your time well. Remember that learning is a process, and everything is hard before it is easy! In this class, you will spend a lot of time exploring scientific concepts and phenomena in lab, which will require you to be highly responsible, focused, and safe. As a class we will prioritize creating a welcoming and supportive classroom culture, where everyone has the opportunity to learn. I am confident in your abilities to work well independently and with others. Get ready for an exciting and productive year!

Todo el mundo es bienvenido aquí, todo el mundo pertenece.

Tout le monde est le bienvenu ici, tout le monde appartient.

Jeder ist hier willkommen, jeder gehört.

Kila mtu ni kuwakaribisha hapa, kila mtu ni mali.

Everyone is welcome here, everyone belongs!

It is my intent that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives be well served by this course, that students’ learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength and benefit. It is my intent to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity: gender, sexuality, disability, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture.

Science is fun! Be curious, be engaged, and be ready to explore!

"Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge." - Carl Sagan

"The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge" - Thomas Berger

"Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing." - Wernher Von Braun

NGSS: Three Dimensional Learning

Our curriculum is designed to promote student mastery of three dimensions of learning: Disciplinary Core Ideas, Scientific and Engineering Practices, and Crosscutting Concepts.

Students learn through a variety of inquiry-driven, kinesthetic experiences, investigations, experiments, simulations, and research. Students uncover truths, and build understanding through activities that require investigative critical thinking, problem solving skills, and collaboration. Lessons are designed to provide context, justification of significance, and opportunities for students to transfer, adapt, and apply their knowledge. Curriculum is structured around NGSS standards, and is connected, with one concept building towards the next, in a steadily unveiling narrative about the world around us.