Science

It is the goal of the science program to make science accessible, exciting, and challenging for all students through the implementation of inquiry-based, hands-on science. Our aim is for our students to view themselves confidently as scientists within their immediate school community and the extended community of the world, actively engaging in real and important investigations that promote curiosity, collaboration, innovation, creativity, critical thinking skills, and self-reflection.

The “Big Ideas”

Our program is organized around the important “Big Ideas of Science” in the domains of Life, Physical, and Earth and Space Science, as well as in the area of Environment and Sustainability that is embedded within each of these domains. Three “big ideas” that cut across, unite, and are likewise embedded within each of the science domain are Systems, Inquiry, and Application which all help to build the scientific process skills which are the cognitive tools of the scientist.

The Science program is closely connected to the Math program as our programs seek in interweave the worlds of science, technology, engineering, and math as closely as possible. Relevant connections are forged between these areas as meaningfully as possible, and one teacher teaches both math and science for each class in 5th and 6th Grades, looking to meaningfully link mathematical thinking to relevant scientific concepts.

Scientists

St. Thomas School believes our students ARE scientists. They are guided though the processes of asking questions, developing hypotheses, using the tools of science, and designing experiments that will test their hypotheses. Students are also supported in developing their independence as scientists and have many opportunities to design investigations to answer their own questions. They practice writing and following experimental procedures, collecting and graphing data, prepare research to become experts in their area of study, and present their conclusions to an audience. Having a dedicated Science Lab offers an unprecedented opportunity for the more involved exploration of projects and ideas in addition to providing opportunities for more sophisticated types of experimentation. The annual Science Expo project sees our students exercise their scientific thinking skills in an exciting quest to explore their own scientific questions, designing their own investigations and making their conclusions based on accurately-gathered evidence.

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