SCIENCE

Science

Our Lady of Peace Catholic School believes science is the active study of the natural world, its structures and its processes.

 

In science students use their senses and tools to observe, record and analyze data about the world. 

 

The overall goal of the science program is to have students understand phenomena, solve problems and produce new technologies for the world today. 

 

Our Lady of Peace adopted the 2009 MN Science Standards and the 2010 Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in English Language Arts which use the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects for alignment with the science curriculum.

 

BEST PRACTICE IN TEACHING SCIENCE

 

Each teacher who teaches science strives to increase the use of best practice in teaching through a science curriculum that:

 

1. Emphasizes active and extended scientific inquiry that:

  • Includes learning disciplines (physical, life, earth sciences) in the context of inquiry, technology, persona and social perspective, history and nature of science
  • Includes natural phenomena and science related social issues that students encounter in everyday life
  • Includes scientific concepts and develops inquiry skills
  • Integrates all aspects of science
  • Connects science to other school subjects

 

2. Builds understanding through:

  • Providing challenging opportunities for all students to learn science
  • Focusing on student understanding and use of scientific knowledge, ideas and inquiry processes
  • Activating students’ prior knowledge
  • Sharing responsibility for learning with students
  • Supporting a classroom community with cooperation, shared responsibility and respect
  • Providing opportunities for scientific discussion and debate among students
  • Understanding and responding to individual student’s interests, strengths, experiences and needs

 

3. Promotes inquiry by:

  • Implementing inquiry as instructional strategies, abilities and ideas to be learned
  • Investigating and analyzing science questions over extended periods of time
  • Emphasizing multiple process skills in context
  • Using evidence and strategies for developing or revising an explanation
  • Communicating science explanations through student collaborative groups defending conclusions, analyzing and synthesizing data
  • Doing investigations in order to develop understanding, ability, values of inquiry and knowledge of science content
  • Applying the results of experiments to scientific arguments and explanation

 

4. Assessment and evaluation by:

  • Continuously assessing student understanding through a variety of assessment methods and techniques
  • On-going checking for student understanding