X. ENCORE COURSES
SCIENCE LAB The LS Science Lab Program encourages students to discover and learn about the natural world around them through a process or “hands-on” approach. Students are provided with skills and knowledge that serve as a foundation for future science exploration. The Science Lab Program emphasizes a laboratory method of instruction that focuses on ways of developing basic skills in the processes of science. This methodology includes skills such a classifying, gathering, organizing, and interpreting data, predicting, observing, and creating models. The goal of the LS Science Lab Program is to instill inquisitiveness in each student and inspire each student to become a lifelong learner. Students are encouraged to draw conclusions, form hypotheses, and
work collaboratively with their peers, while labs, activities, and discussions help to burture a lifelong fascinaation with the natural world. This program is continuously evolving to meet the different needs of students, any changes in the Lower School’s integrated program, or changes in our ever-changing world. Detailed lab reports and teamwork are integral parts of lab work in Grades 3-5. Other important program elements for all grades include field experiement labs, technology integration, and the use of the Scientific Method. By the time students leave the Lower School, they have been exposed to all major science topics. They have also had extensive lab experience and are familiar with important lab techniques and methods of collecting data. Below is a chart that outlines the major units and concepts covered in each grade level:
SCIENCE PROGRAM SEQUENCE
PreK
Kindergarten
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
5 Senses
Properties of Water
Solar System
Plants
Sound
Vertebrates
Introduction to Chemistry
Fall
Fall/Apples/ Pumpkins
Properties
Dinosaurs/ Volcanoes
Motion
The Human Body
Introduction to Physics
Science Tools and Measurement
Physics – Rocks, Sand, Balance, Motion, and Silt Weight, Electricity, and Energy
Animal Groups, Habitats
Light
Nutrition
The Solar System
Sound
Constellations
The Human Body
Liquid Measurement
Heat
Trees
Science Fair Projects
Spring – Changes in Weather, Plants, Animals
Spring – Plants, Birds Earth Day
Weather and Water
Ocean, Long Island Sound
Simple Machines
Count, Order, and Sort
Measurement
2012- 2013 Lower School Program Guide
The Water Cycle
Inventions
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