Science

Vision

Students are deeply engaged in rich science learning experiences on a daily basis as they collaboratively make sense of complex phenomena, and explore solutions to local and global problems.
Students’ personal, cultural, community, and linguistic assets are valued and leveraged to drive science instruction.
Students feel a sense of belonging in the science learning environment and are developing the necessary skills to become informed civic actors and critical consumers prepared to pursue whatever their aspirations may be.

Family Resources

Science instruction has shifted from students “learning about” to “figuring out” through phenomenon-driven instruction. In the table below are the kinds of questions D65 students are investigating and figuring out in science:

Grade	Inquiry
K	How and why do animals change their environment? How can we obtain information about the weather and prepare for storms? Why do birds lay eggs in the spring? How can we design a structure to reduce the warming effects of the sun? How can you protect a mountain town from falling rocks?
1	How do plants and animals use their parts to survive? Why can we only see (most) stars at night? How can we design a device that uses sound or light to send a message to someone too far away to speak to?
2	Why do plants and animals live in the places they do? How can we design solutions to problems caused by erosion? What materials are best for different purposes (making toys, cooking, etc.) and why?
3	How can we prevent a storm from becoming a disaster? How do butterflies survive over time in a changing environment?
4	How did the Grand Canyon’s features form? How do windmills change wind to light?
5	What caused the Statue of Liberty to change over time? How can trees support so much life?
6	How does a one-way mirror work? How can we design a drink container that can perform as well as a store-bought container in terms of keeping a beverage cold? Why does a lot of hail, rain, or snow fall at some times and not others?
7	Why do bath bombs fizz, break apart, and change color when added to bathwater? What is causing M’Kenn’a symptoms (inability to concentrate, headaches, stomach issues when she eats, and a lack of energy for everyday activities and sports that she used to play regularly)? What causes droughts and floods, how do they impact our communities, and what can we do about it?
8	How can we design a solution to protect an object from getting damaged in a collision? How are we connected to the patterns we see in the sky and space? Why are some cattle born with extra-big muscles?

Science Scope and Sequence: K-5; 6-8

Instructional Materials

Supporting Your Student

	NGSS Parent Guides K-2: English; Spanish 3-5: English; Spanish 6-8: English; Spanish
	Family activities designed to be used right outside your door English; Spanish; Chinese
	Daily Do Sensemaking tasks families can use to engage students
	Science at Home Activities and ideas to keep science learning going at home

Key Areas of Focus (For the Upcoming School Year)

K-2	3-5	6-8
Cultivating student-driven classrooms. Supporting the shift to standards-based grading.	Cultivating student-driven classrooms. Supporting the shift to standards-based grading.	Equitable access to grade-level, standards-aligned tasks. Supporting the shift to standards-based grading.

Contact

To contact the Science Department, please call (847) 859-8109. To reach a specific member of the Curriculum & Instruction Team, please visit our staff directory and search 'Curriculum & Instruction Department'.

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