Curriculum: Science at the School for Children

Science in the Middle School

Teachers develop the Middle School science curriculum in collaboration with the Middle School Coordinator and the Math/Science Coordinator. Science is taught by the classroom teacher in the 6/7s, 7/8s and 8/9s, and by a math/science teacher in the 9/10s.

Middle School students take part in the annual Science Expo by presenting whole class projects from the 6/7s through the 8/9s, and small group projects from the 9/10s.

6/7s

The 6/7s learn about the life cycles of fruits and vegetables through a focus on seeds, the conditions that allow plants to grow, parts of the plant we eat, and those parts the plant needs to reproduce. All of these food-related experiences and projects complement the social studies inquiry into how food finds its way into New York City and to people's tables. As part of their building of a crate city, the 6/7s study simple electric circuits as they work with batteries and bulbs to light their edifices. A study of snails and their many adaptations is another focus of the science curriculum.

7/8s

In the 7/8s, as part of a social studies unit, the students study the natural environment of Central Park or the Lenape Indians who lived in the New York area in the Sixteenth century. This includes an in-depth exploration of the Hudson River. Children investigate the nature of a river estuary and set up a river tank in their classrooms stocked with the fauna collected when they went seining. As part of their river study, they dissect a fish. In addition, as a complement to their study of the Lenape, children research the properties of various insulating materials, and look at the different ways people keep warm.

8/9s

During their study of New Amsterdam, the 8/9s learn about the geography and environment during Colonial times and the adaptations the settlers needed to make in order to survive. Students also engage in a windmill study in which they build windmills and explore wind currents. They investigate how the blades work, and what angles are the most efficient. Sinking and floating are also a part of the Explorers curriculum. In addition, they construct boats of different shapes and out of different materials, then test how much weight they support, and how they handle the water. The children also study human sexuality and development.

9/10s

Students in the 9/10s investigate the nature of simple machines. Through their experiments, they discover the mechanical advantage when using inclined planes, levers, and pulleys to move a heavy object. This study connects with some of the historical uses of these machines, as in the building of the Egyptian pyramids. Students create a collection of simple machines that perform a given task and demonstrate them in the Science Expo. Students learn how the human body moves by using the principles of simple machines. The 9/10s have a science teacher that meets with the class three times a week in half groups.