Philosophy on Teaching Science

 

 

Students are active participants in their science education.

 

• Lessons are based on Grade Level Content Expectations and benchmarks.

• Teachers design lessons that create experiences for students to explore and discover patterns, relationships, and knowledge.

• Through formative assessments, teachers differentiate their instruction to meet the needs of all students in a mixed ability classroom.

• Students participate in inquiry-based, hands-on learning that promotes questioning, predicting, investigating, testing, problem solving, reasoning, and concluding.

• Students explore and engage in the scientific process through student-led exploration.

• Authentic and meaningful instruction and investigations are rooted in real-world application. Learning is reflective of students' interests, curiosities, and needs.

• Teachers act as facilitators in student-led inquiry and discovery. 

• Students engage in critical thinking to explore and problem-solve.

• Through discussion, students formulate explanations based on common experiences and discoveries as well as prior knowledge.

• Students' explanations advance their scientific curiosity. Explanations of real-world patterns and relationships further advance student learning and create a context for future exploration.

• Technology is incorporated in science instruction and investigations as much as possible. Students use technology to explore new realms of investigation and problem solving.

• Science is integrated throughout the curriculum.

• As a result of meaningful investigations and learning, students see science in their everyday life. 

• Teachers share their personal desire to learn whereby encouraging student curiosity. 

• Attend to the I-Aim model and functions during practices and experiences. Integrate with mathematics.