Science

Scientific study in third grade includes both the physical and natural sciences. Additional topics in science are studied as they relate to particular thematic units.

In third grade, students are introduced to the Lego Technic curriculum, which teaches basic principles of physics through the creation of increasingly more complex Lego models. The curriculum requires students to develop keen skills of observation, work precisely, plan strategies, and experiment with various approaches. By building models of simple machines, observing how they work, and discussing their functions, students are directly learning important concepts regarding energy, force, transfer, and work. For example, they investigate how a piston changes the direction of force and how a lever makes work easier.

Students develop greater understanding of technology while also becoming persistent learners, cooperative classmates, and precise observers and workers. Predictions are an integral part of the scientific process. When building a simple lever, for instance, students are asked to predict how moving the force away from the fulcrum might make it easier to lift a weight. Students then test their predictions. After building each machine, the students discuss and write about their observations and what they have learned. This process introduces students to the scientific method.

Another component of the third grade science curriculum is theme-related study. Certain themes lend themselves more easily to scientific study than others. For example, during the all-school Benjamin Franklin theme, the children studied static electricity. One activity involved rubbing a balloon on a piece of wool and observing the static electricity that occurred between the balloon and materials such as hair and tea leaves. Students learned about positively and negatively charged particles and how they react with each other.

At Shelly Ridge our primary emphasis is on exploring the outdoor environment. Shelly Ridge provides us with the space to conduct scientific inquiry and to learn mapping and orienteering skills. It is the perfect place to sharpen observation skills, which are used as a catalyst for exploring concepts such as diversity, change, natural cycles, and ecological interdependence. Topics of study have included trees, migration, the water cycle, creek exploration, and habitats.

In fourth and fifth grades, science study also takes place in the classroom and at Shelly Ridge. Integration with other disciplines is critical to the science curriculum, which is planned with the ancient civilizations theme in mind; equally important is maximal integration with Shelly Ridge in the fall and spring. While environmental studies predominate in the spring and fall, the science program includes classroom units on several other topics, including astronomy and the basics of chemistry.

Critical to the fourth and fifth grade science program is the use of a science notebook, in which students record important and careful observations of the natural world, thoughtful questions and theories, and drawings and written reflections of scientific phenomena. The notebook often provides the grist for classroom conversations, displays, reports, and important sharing with other units.

The fourth- and fifth-grade Robo Lab program continues the exploration of simple machines begun in Junior third grade and leads to a more complex understanding of the physics of motion. This hands-on robotics curriculum introduces students to the process of writing increasingly more sophisticated programs that combine art and physics.