Science

Philosophy
The Curtis science program will instill in every child an understanding and passion for science. The program will lead students through a developmentally appropriate, hands-on, inquiry based approach in which they will learn to apply scientific procedures to make informed evidence-based decisions. Students will be immersed in a variety of scientific and modern topics. As a result, students graduating from Curtis will be knowledgeable in a broad array of topics and issues facing the natural world and be able to apply their understanding to help find a solution. This will be accomplished at Curtis School by using groups, fostering discussion where all ideas are validated and by teaching students about historical discoveries that, while not attributed to, were made by other cultures and/or races.

Essential Questions

• Why is it important to use evidence to make decisions?
• How do diverse ways of thinking contribute to more effective problem solving?
• Why is it important for all of us to understand the causes of environmental destruction and work together to find ways to restore the balance that allows life on earth to continue to thrive?
• Why is it important to study all different branches of science and understand how they’re all related?
• How does technology impact all living things (positively and negatively)?

Learning Goals

1. Students will use their content knowledge to advance their scientific thinking and investigation.
2. Students will embrace having a positive and curious attitude about the natural world.
3. Students will be able to work in groups to foster diverse points of view during scientific, inquiry-based investigations.
4. Students will be able to ethically follow scientific procedures from start to finish.

- Propose hypotheses or predictions
- Test/collect data
- Draw evidence based conclusions to support an inquiry-based investigation
- Suggest solutions
- Compare with peers