SCIENCE
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Mission Statement | Science Science is the lens through which we understand our universe. Therefore, it is more vital than ever to scientifically educate citizens as we engage in this new century of unprecedented change and challenge. Scientific progress and the technological and environmental choices we make primarily determine the future of our planet, species, and society. Scientific education is built upon the joys and satisfactions of questioning, discovering, and understanding. The scientist’s commitment to objectivity and analysis helps dispel ignorance, superstition, and prejudice. We revel in the increased sense of independence and competence that results from looking at phenomena and figuring out what is happening. Sound training in scientific thinking has a broad application – it is as helpful in the boardroom or the courtroom or town hall as in the laboratory. A scientific education can also develop a deeper sense of appreciation of the natural world, and a more richly enjoyed life can follow. The Dalton Science Department is committed to educating its students to: • Work and act as scientists do
• Observe, explore, experiment, hypothesize, model, analyze, critique like a scientist • Speak, read and write like a scientist
• Apply previous learning to new situations
• Graduate scientifically literate, with core understandings and knowledge
• Understand and appreciate the power, beauty, and limitations of science Approach scientific issues and questions appropriately, with: • Curiosity
• Open-mindedness
• Rational skepticism • Imagination
• Willingness to take intellectual risks • Desire to learn more
• Capacity to work both independently and collaboratively
• Take moral and intellectual responsibility towards present and future generations in all actions, as a citizen or as a scientist.
Science 4
Science 5
Science in 4th grade aims to instill a sense of questioning in students. The Assignments in the 4th grade curriculum include, but are not limited to: Ecosystems; Rocks and Minerals; Matter; Energy; and Simple Machines. In each Assignment, we ask students to use observations to generate questions that can lead to an investigation. By approaching their learning experiences the same way a scientist would approach an investigation, students access and challenge their prior conceptions of the natural world. Each Assignment is taught through social justice lens, and we are deeply committed to fostering an anti-racist school community. Fourth grade students work collaboratively with classmates to conduct, record and interpret observations, and apply new knowledge to novel situations. Cooperative learning and a hands-on, inquirybased approach are key to sparking the children’s curiosity in their science learning.
The 5th grade science program approaches science in an inquirybased manner. Students develop scientific questions, design experiments, make observations, and collect data to make inferences and draw conclusions. The Assignments in the 5th Grade curriculum include Light, Planetary Conditions, Plant Investigation, Unseen Life, and an end-of-year independent research project. Students will build their conceptual understanding throughout the year by accessing and elaborating on their prior knowledge and then applying it to new situations. Our curriculum teaches the Assignment through a social justice lens, and we are deeply committed to fostering an anti-racist school community. It is vital that students participate in class discussions and engage productively in group work. Students are routinely asked to analyze and interpret their observations, sequence their ideas logically, and support their thinking with evidence.
The Dalton School Middle School Curriculum Guide
