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Upper Elementary & Junior High - Science
The purpose of studying science is to understand the nature of the physical world. Through individual instruction, small group sessions, selected readings, and hands-on experiments, students study past discoverers and their discoveries. In the process, our students not only master basic scientific concepts, but also learn how to think like scientists–systematically and objectively.
Grade Four
We begin by introducing students to an abundance of directly observable facts: features of plants and animals in biology, phases of the moon in astronomy, simple lever and pulley machines in physics. This direct observation and experimentation engages the child and gives meaning and reality to abstract ideas learned later. Our students come to understand, for themselves, how and why abstract scientific theories correspond to observable facts. For example, only a student who gains an abundance of information about plants and animals can later grasp Darwin's theory of evolution.
By the end of fourth grade in LePort School's science program, students will have acquired a rich database of factual knowledge across the various branches of science. One-on-one assistance and individualized programming ensure that each student meets, or exceeds, this requirement, regardless of his/her previous level of knowledge.
Some examples of the types of topics covered in fourth grade: The classes and features of plants and animals; human anatomy and the functions of different body systems; the layers of the earth; the different types of rocks; weather patterns; the behavior of the sea; the movements of planets and stars; the observed properties of light and color; different types of substances and textures.
Grades Five & Six
In fifth and sixth grade, the emphasis shifts towards more theoretical perspectives. Advanced topics are introduced, and students revisit fourth grade material in light of the new topics. Key to the success of our science program at these grade levels is our method of organizing and presenting new material.
Rather than moving from one unit to another in a disconnected, haphazard manner, we use the historical progress of scientific discovery to organize the introduction of new topics. This approach ensures that students see for themselves how early discoveries lead to new, more advanced scientific knowledge. Students learn that science is a developing system of explanations, not just a hash of random theories.
For instance, our students understand how Gregor Mendel, a 19th century monk, discovered the basic laws of heredity through his simple pea plant experiments. Then, they trace how this breakthrough contributed to Thomas Morgan's 20th century fruit fly experiments, in which he discovered the existence of chromosomes, and, in turn, how Morgan's theories helped lay the foundation for the whole field of modern genetics.
As an added bonus, this historical approach facilitates integration between the fields of science, history and literature. In history, students learn about the Enlightenment ideals of reason, exploration, and innovation. In literature, they see these ideals manifested in such Enlightenment works as Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth or Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. In science, students observe the fruits of this Enlightenment mindset in such technological breakthroughs as the steam engine and the cotton gin.
Another important goal of these grades is to introduce the students to the central role of mathematics in scientific inquiry, especially through the topic of measurement in science. For example, when the student learns (through guided observations and experiments) about concepts such as velocity and force, he will also be introduced to the units by which such properties are measured.
Grades Seven & Eight
In the seventh and eighth grade, the science program will divide itself into three streams: physics, chemistry, and biology. The student will learn the key introductory facts in each discipline. In physics, for example, students will refine and expand their knowledge of the atomic theory of matter, the nature of forces and motion, heat energy, light energy, sound energy, electricity and magnetism. The teaching of each stream will draw upon all of the material the student has previously learned, so that the result will be a clear grasp of the highly abstract content tied to all of the factual data it illuminates.
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