Science

Kindergarten science at The Philadelphia School is an opportunity for children to see, touch, listen, observe, and learn to connect to the natural world. Each year we begin by posing the question, “What is a scientist?” Our hope is that the children see themselves as scientists. We want them to create their own understanding and appreciation of the world around them through their experiences.

Whereas in preschool the children are informally involved in inquiry all the time, it is in kindergarten that the word “science” appears on the weekly schedule for the first time. We try to teach science in the classroom at least once a week, through experiments, small group lessons, read-alouds, and observations. Occasionally, we take neighborhood walks or visit museums in the city to reinforce scientific concepts.

In the fall and spring, we travel to Shelly Ridge every Friday. Shelly Ridge provides us with the space to grow as friends, colleagues, and scientists. Play is an important aspect of our outdoor curriculum and enhances the work we do in the classrooms. Fort building is of keen interest to our young learners, who construct magical spaces out of natural materials, play out issues of inclusion and exclusion, and explore the complexities of friendship groups. The children become comfortable being in the woods, hiking, creating, and imagining. They become good “nature detectives,” and they learn what it means to take care of the natural world.

Although our main goal is to support the natural curiosity of our students, we do teach several specific science topics throughout the year. We maintain some flexibility in the rotation of science topics because we have found that choosing science topics to fit with the all-school theme is the best way to foster authentic connections among disciplines and units. Science activities in the classroom are extended in a more hands-on manner at Shelly Ridge. The kindergarten sometimes partners with the Middle School for science activities. Sixth, seventh, and eighth graders sometimes develop and teach science lessons to the children.

Kindergarten is a place where children learn to observe carefully, use descriptive language, classify objects based on similar characteristics, and draw based on observations. Many of the science skills they learn cross over to skills we work on in mathematics, such as collecting data and graphing results. Children become familiar with basic scientific equipment, such as magnifiers, thermometers, compasses, and microscopes. We focus on helping the children learn about the scientific method. We want them to be able to observe, make predictions, test their ideas, and synthesize information to make conclusions.

The kindergarten science program is enriched by classroom guests, such as parents in the medical field who work with the children when we study the human body, as well as by outreach programs from local museums, such as the Insectarium for our entomology unit. We also take field trips to a variety of destinations, including the Franklin Institute, the Philadelphia Zoo, and Adventure Aquarium, whose programs or exhibits relate to our classroom studies.