The Science Program at The San Francisco School is based on the premise that learning to think and work like a scientist is the most important curricular goal of the program. The big overarching understanding for the entire eleven year career at SFS is a deep understanding of the scientific method.

At the preschool level, the focus is on observation and questioning. At the lower elementary, the focus moves to data collection and close observation, and in the upper elementary onto asking provocative questions, forming good hypotheses and designing experiments. In middle school, attention turns to carefully controlling variables, challenging apparent results and rigorous analysis.

No matter what the topic, from looking at a fish in the preschool to global warming in middle school, students are learning to think and act like scientists.

SCIENCE BY GRADE

OVERVIEW

SFS preschoolers can be found stacking ring-shaped magnets on a stick, this way and that, observing with great delight how some stick together and some don’t, and laughing at how the magnets can almost magically bounce when touched. The curious 4-year old experiments, too, by turning the magnets over to see if they can be stacked even higher on the stick or bounce even more. A scientific education at The San Francisco School starts just this way, as the preschool classrooms and playgrounds are filled with opportunities for the child to observe and manipulate both nature and materials. Teachers invite, listen, and guide. Science education at this age is about providing the experiences, nurturing the inherent curiosity, honing the observation skills, highlighting connections, and providing the vocabulary to talk about the world. Whether an SFS preschooler is building with blocks, watching seeds sprout or eggs hatch, collecting bugs or shooting a basketball, looking through a magnifying glass or at the stars, she is laying the groundwork needed to become a true scientist. Curiosity, observation, vocabulary and making connections are the foundation.

The SFS science program content can be divided into four core areas of understanding: 1) All the knowledge, formulas, facts and theories that have been developed in the field; 2) The methods that scientists use to further their understanding of the world; 3) The way that professional scientists share that information with each other and in the world generally, in forms such as a scientific report on an experimental finding or a museum display; and 4) The reason that the discipline of science exists and the purpose that draws people into being scientists in the first place. When teachers think about and plan the science program at SFS, they seek to make sure that each area receives an appropriate amount of instructional attention.

As teachers choose what information to teach, they are guided by the California State standards and the National Science Teachers Association frameworks. We often choose to go very deeply into a topic using the scientific method rather than skim across many topics, always with the goal of strengthening the students’ sense of what it is to be a rigorous and ethical scientist. Projects such as first graders excavating bones from the playground, and then cleaning, sketching, and categorizing them takes time but leaves the child with a deep and memorable experience of what it is to be a scientist. Building and launching rockets in the eighth grade takes time, too, but provides the data for a deeper understanding of Newton’s Laws, gravity, and the rather challenging mathematics that describe motion. The overall science curriculum is cyclical, too, so that topics are visited and revisited as students mature, with expectations for thorough experiments, formal laboratory reports and true analysis increasing up the grades. For example, students play with magnets in preschool, experiment with buoyancy in first grade, delve into the physics of simple machines in second grade, experiment with electricity in forth grade, study the physics of structures in fifth grade, all before launching into the physics and mathematics of rockets at eighth.

With SFS commitment to cultivating humanitarian promise, science is taught with purpose and ethics in mind as well. Science helps us understand our world, but it also allows humankind to control our impact. Thus, middle school science is guided by the following overarching questions: “How do I influence the Earth and how does the Earth influence who I am?,” “How does a compassionate biologist behave?” and, “What causes climate change and what can I do to stop it?” The study of science is also fertile ground for developing Service Learning projects which meld science and social action. For example, one recent seventh grade interdisciplinary study had our students assessing the water quality of the San Francisco Bay and writing compelling letters to the Mayor questioning government tolerance of such local pollution.

In our recent query of high schools about what they where looking for in science preparation, high school teachers named an in-depth understanding of the scientific method, and experiences in biology, physics, chemistry and earth science. This is the very education our students enjoy, along with our noteworthy emphasis on how to think and work like a true scientist, and how to act responsibly with the power of scientific understandings. Therein lies part of the response to the biggest of SFS overarching understandings, “Why am I alive?”

Preschool Science

At SFS, especially for our youngest students, everything in the classroom, the yard and the world around them is an opportunity for a science project. Many activities arise from the natural environment of our expansive yards and gardens. Children explore animals, plants, water, soil and weather in an informal way daily. The youngsters also experience many aspects of physics when playing ball, doing hula-hoops, swinging and riding tricycles. Teachers guide children's curiosity toward a deeper understanding of the world around them by encouraging children to ask questions, make predictions, hone their observations and discuss their ideas and experiment. The formalized science curriculum picks up on the preschoolers' interests and provides children with the scientific vocabulary to describe their observations.

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Kindergarten Science

Much like preschool, the kindergarten experience is filled with science. The young scientists continue to explore and examine, but the questions become more complex and the investigation more thorough. In the kindergarten year, teachers encourage our young scientists to observe, explore, identify, question, predict, measure, record, discuss, revise, and seek to understand their findings. During their three years in the preschool-kindergarten, topics include the life cycle of plants and butterflies; the water cycle; solids, liquids and gasses; the five senses; nutrition, buoyancy, the solar system and more. Children discover patterns and relationships and make connections between their own experiences and the laws, facts and methodology of science. Our goal is to keep our students' sense of wonder alive, cultivate their curiosity, and inspire them to take care of the environment.

Here is a glimpse into how science in the kindergarten emerges from student wonder and curiosity: At Thanksgiving, some children brought decorative corn to school as a gift to the class. When the season passed the children peeled the kernels out off the cobs and admired the many colors. Quickly a question came up:” Will these kernels make popcorn just like the regular, store-bought corn?” We tried, and the answer to this science experiment was: No! The corn popped, but not a lot. The kernels also were a lot tougher than the popcorn the children were used to. Since the popping experiment did not produce an edible snack, children decided to keep a bowl of kernels on the science table just to look at. In January the children wondered if the corn would grow. We took several handfuls and planted them in a planter box. A few weeks later the green leaves appeared. When a younger child pulled out some of the plants, many kindergartners were incensed about this act but also quite fascinated with the pulled out corn plants. The roots were well developed but the red, blue, brown, yellow and golden kernels that went into the soil only a month ago were still visible. The children’s excitement sparked the consequent unit. Each kindergartner sprouted a few of the remaining kernels in wet paper towels. We guessed what would happen to the kernels next. A few days later we checked on their progress and developed answers to our questions. We then transferred the sprouts into soil. Interestingly enough, all of our sprouts grew, though not all at the same rate.

We had practiced measuring in an earlier plant unit and next all the kindergartners spontaneously began to measure their own corn plants and chart their growth. “What do you see? What do you think?” became a daily ritual during our circle time. Throughout the time, children voiced detailed observations, posed questions, helped with experiments, ventured guesses and engaged in lively conversations about plants. In conclusion here is just one of their inquiries: “Will our corn plants grow flowers?”

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First Grade Science

Science is taught through two intensive eight week units which engage the students in activities that bring information and facts but also hands-on experience in how scientists approach learning and discovery. The first is “Physical Science Experiments” and the second is “Prehistoric Life”.

Through simple science experiments the students explore:

The properties of water and air
What causes objects to sink or float
What causes objects to fall through air in different ways
How can I create a marble track and how does gravity affect it?
How can I light a bulb with two wires and a battery and how can I make a simple electrical circuit board?
How I can use my understanding of circuit boards to make knowledge games?

The Prehistoric Life unit provides an introduction to the concept of evolution and material for first graders’ first research project. In doing this work students learn:

How the Earth and life evolved
How the various dinosaurs are grouped; how they are the same and different

Strategies for organizing and presenting the information
How to present an oral and written report
How scientists learn information about an animal from just one bone

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Second Grade Science

Second graders bring the outside world into the classroom (and us out into the world around us).

Second graders explore the mechanics of simple machines: how they operate and how they are used to do work. Using the elements and principles of simple machines, the students design and build original inventions in class. Students are exposed to great inventors and their inventions through books and other materials.

During our food unit, students explore the local produce and the seasons of the bay area. What plants are harvested in August? January? Students investigate soil and the benefits of compost. They read about farm animals and the history of domestication. They experiment with different methods of preserving food. What will salt do to cucumbers? Fish? Students take trips to a farm, the local farmer’s market and a honey producer. They assess vegetable and fruit production on our campus. And they share what they have discovered with others during the elementary science fair.

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Third Grade Science

Third grade science activities encourage children to embody environmental intelligence and to become stewards of the earth:

Bay Ecosystems allows the children to explore their "ecological neighborhood" and discover the plants and animals of this region. Children at this age have a deep appreciation for nature and are ready to learn ecological concepts through field study, research, building models and playing games.
Towards the end of the year, third graders study Botany. Students continue to build their knowledge of the scientific method, including the use of controls and the accurate reporting of observations. A student garden yields vegetables for a final salad.
The students share their original science experiments and activities at the school Science Fair.

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Fourth Grade Science

Fourth grade science activities encourage children to inquire and guide their own learning based on their interest.

The central goal of the unit, “The Scientific Method” serves to answer the question, "How do scientists work?”. Allowing students’ inquiry around electricity to unfold, students are introduced to the Scientific Method step by step. We focus especially on conducting experiments that involve controls and variables and keeping a science journal that includes sketches, labels and detailed descriptions that can lead to logical conclusions.
Students develop questions based on their own findings and interests. From these questions, each student designs his or her own experiment. Students refine their observation skills, practice the scientific method, write lab reports and learn about laboratory safety. Children design their own exhibit and determine the best way to communicate their growing understanding of the question being pursued. After sharing projects with each other in class, the children show and explain their work to parents and other students on the day of the science fair.
During our Oceanography Unit, students explore the question, "How can life exist in the greatest depths of our oceans?". The children develop respect for our water planet as we look at ocean ecology and learn about the diversity of life in the seas. We study biological classification, the deep ocean habitat and basic ideas of evolution, including adaptation, diversity of species and the relationship between form and function.

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Fifth Grade Science

Fifth grade science is integrated through themed units called Project Times. Students gain key content knowledge while developing a solid understanding of inquiry methods to explore the world around them. They are introduced to increasingly sophisticated tools of scientific investigations. They also get many opportunities to apply growing math skills to collect numerical data and use them to draw evidence-based conclusions. Whenever possible science and math are integrated.

Key content areas covered in fifth grade include:

The solar system, earth’s atmosphere and weather (through a real-time study of hurricanes),
System analysis (How to Investigate a System)
The engineering of structures
Nutrition (through the study of the diet of the Lewis and Clark expedition)
River processes (through the study of the Missouri River during the Lewis and Clark unit).

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Sixth Grade Science

The sixth graders follow an integrated curriculum based on the National Standards, incorporating aspects of Earth Science and Life Science. Students will develop skills of inquiry, investigation, analysis, and explanation through a variety of exploratory activities and hands-on laboratory experiences. The course meets three times each week, once for 45 minutes, and twice for 90-minute laboratory sessions.

Our throughlines for the year are:

How do I think and behave like a scientist?
How are structure and function related in living things?
How do I influence the Earth and how does the Earth influence who I am?

Goals for the students in science are:

To enhance appreciation, understanding, and curiosity about the world around them.
To think critically about the interdependency between themselves and the environment.
To display exemplary teamwork and learn cooperatively
To develop organizational and study skills.

Concepts and Methods
Throughout the year, emphasis is placed on hands-on experiential learning. In addition to reading and reflecting upon given materials, students will have the opportunity to discover new concepts through fieldtrips, debates, projects, and labs. The units typically covered in the school year are:

What is life?
Ecosystems and Biomes
Cells
Human Body Systems
Scientific Method/Science Fair
Plate Tectonics

Sources and Materials
Each unit of study will be crafted from a variety of resources available on that topic, including texts, magazine articles, library books, the internet, and activity books. Homework assignments will include reading, writing, internet research, small-scale experimentation using household items, and preparation for upcoming labs.

Assessment
Student performance in science will be assessed through homework assignments, lab reports, quizzes, tests, research reports, projects, and classroom participation.

Science Fair
All 6th grade students participate in science fair. Students will be guided through all aspects of the process from deciding on an interesting and manageable question, to doing research and planning a controlled experiment. Students are asked to adhere to a schedule of deadlines for choosing topics and for completing scientific research and reports.

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Seventh Grade Science

Seventh grade science is a life science curriculum that focuses on aspects of ecology, cell biology, genetics and evolution. The heart of the curriculum places a student’s developing understanding of scientific concepts and the scientific method in the broader context of environmental and social action. Students are encouraged to make connections between scientific theory and the broader society in order to understand the ethics of science. Student inquiry for the year is guided by through-line questions that identify the key understandings and generative topics of the whole curriculum. The through-line questions for the year are:

How do I think and behave as a scientist?
Why do biologists think healthy communities are diverse and interconnected?
How does a compassionate biologist behave?

Concepts and Methods
The California Science Standards are the basis for the main understanding goals in the middle school science curriculum. Students develop their skills of inquiry, investigation, analysis, and explanation through a wide variety of hands-on laboratory and field experiences. The course meets three times each week, once for forty-five minutes and twice for ninety-minute laboratory sessions. Understanding goals are questions rooted in the through-line that direct student inquiry during a specific unit. Listed below are the understanding goals for the 7th grade curriculum:

How do communities behave within an ecosystem?
Why am I alive?
Why is life diverse and interconnected?
How do we determine if our community is healthy and what do we do if it is sick?

Sources and Materials
Each unit of study is crafted from a variety of resources available on that topic, including texts, magazine articles, library books, the Internet, and activity books. Homework assignments include reading, writing, Internet research, small-scale experimentation using household items, and preparation for upcoming labs.

Assessment
Student performance is assessed primarily through laboratory work and the scientific writing process. Multiple learning styles are engaged during many different types of assessment throughout the year. The one constant is that important assessments all involve the use of a rubric that outlines work quality expectations.

Science Fair
The purpose of the science fair is for students to gain experience asking scientific questions and designing experiments to further their understanding of the scientific method. It is also a chance for students to develop their communication skills as a scientist.

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Eighth Grade Science

In the seventh grade students approached environmental justice issues in an outward manner, coming into eighth grade students are encouraged to place a heavier emphasis on looking inward. The eighth grade curriculum encourages students to use their scientific understanding to become aware of the implications of their behaviors on a global scale. From this awareness students are encouraged to live in a simple and positive manner using the perspectives gained in science class. The through-line questions that guide student inquiry for the year are:

How do I think and behave as a scientist?
What causes climate change and what can I do to stop it?
How do I get to the moon and back safely?

Concepts and Methods
The California Science Standards are the basis for the main understanding goals in the middle school science curriculum. The scientific concepts investigated during the year are: the structure, classification and physical change of matter, work, energy, the laws of motion, pressure, density and buoyancy. Students investigate the structure of matter during the fall semester as they investigate global warming. In the spring this investigation continues outside of school with a semester-long carbon footprint project aimed at reducing their carbon footprint. Also during the spring students begin an in-school water bottle rocket project which investigates the laws of motion and the conservation of energy. During both semesters students develop scientific skills of inquiry, investigation, analysis, and explanation through a wide variety of hands-on laboratory and field experiences.

The course meets three times each week, once for forty-five minutes and twice for ninety-minute laboratory sessions. Students adhere to understanding goals which are questions rooted in the through-line that direct student inquiry during a specific unit. Listed below are the understanding goals for the 8th grade curriculum:

What affects our climate?
What’s the Matter with global warming?
Why does my rocket move?
How does my rocket work?

Sources and Materials
Each unit of study is crafted from a variety of resources available on that topic, including texts, magazine articles, library books, the Internet, and activity books. Homework assignments include reading, writing, Internet research, small-scale experimentation using household items, and preparation for upcoming labs.

Assessment
Student performance in science is assessed primarily through laboratory work and the scientific writing process. Multiple learning styles are engaged in many different types of assessment throughout the year. The one constant is that important assessments all involve the use of a rubric that outlines work quality expectations.

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