NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS
Pre-K: Our very youngest students investigate and explore in their very own learning space. They utilize their five senses to investigate, observe, question, and make predictions. Students love conducting experiments such as erupting a volcano, seasonal cooking activities and outdoor nature exploration.
Kindergarten - 5th Grade Curriculum: Stemscopes
Kindergarten: The Kindergarteners explore in our fully equipped Science Lab twice per week, making observations about why things occur. Students actively investigate pushes and pulls, speed and direction, energy from the sun, plant and animal needs, and weather. They also travel to the pumpkin patch and Hidden Villa to further explore the world around them.
1st Grade: First grade science is explored in our fully equipped Science Lab twice per week. Students actively learn about plants, animals, traits, patterns in space, sound, light and communication. The curriculum combines digital resources, supplemental print, and hands-on STEM experiences that engage every type of learner.
2nd Grade: Second graders attend science class in the Science Lab twice per week. Students explore states of matter, properties of materials, heat, parts of plants and animals, protecting the young, trait inheritance, and quick and slow changes to land. The curriculum combines digital resources, supplemental print, and hands-on STEM experiences that engage every type of learner.
3rd Grade: Third graders attend class in the science lab twice per week exploring objects and motion, electric and magnetic forces, life cycles, social and group behavior, traits, survival, weather and natural hazards. The curriculum combines digital resources, supplemental print, and hands-on STEM experiences that engage every type of learner.
4th Grade: Fourth graders attend science 3 times per week exploring energy, waves, light, plant and animal parts, sense receptors, rock patterns, changing land and natural processes. The program combines digital resources, supplemental print, and hands-on STEM experiences that engage every type of learner.
5th Grade: Fifth graders attend science 3 times per week exploring matter, changes to matter, properties of matter, mixtures, observing the stars, Earth's rotation, water sources, reducing the human footprint, matter and energy in plants, foodwebs and ecosystems. The program combines digital resources, supplemental print, and hands-on STEM experiences that engage every type of learner.
Jr. High: We have recently begun use of the new Pearson integrated curriculum that aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) established by the State of California. This curriculum provides a significant increase in the availability of on-line resources to support and supplement the classroom activities.
6th Grade: The integrated curriculum in 6th grade begins with significant study of living organisms, Biology (including Cell biology), and Body systems. From there it continues with Earth Sciences, Energy, and Weather systems.
7th Grade: The integrated curriculum in 7th grade begins with a study of Chemistry and introduces many of the classical underpinnings of the discipline. From there, we investigate Cells, Minerals, Earth's resources and Ecosystems.
8th Grade: The integrated curriculum in 8th grade begins with the study of Newton's three laws of motion and an investigation of Electricity & Magnetism. Students then begin studying how these ideas apply to the Earth, Moon and Sun before stretching out to a larger investigation of the Universe. From there students study Genetics, Earth's historic geology, and Electromagnetic radiation.