Science

Gantry View School’s science curriculum covers the subject matter of the life sciences, the physical sciences, and earth/space science, along with practical applications of this knowledge in engineering and human affairs, throughout history. A distinct aspect of Gantry View School’s curriculum is focus on the methods of science as the primary means to find things out, put questions to nature, and make sense of the answers received. Students apply critical thinking and analysis to approach scientific questions and create strategies for answering them. They learn these skills through discussion, independent research, hands-on experiments, and demonstrations, and they practice them in projects they originate on topics that interest them.

Foundational Concepts
(approx. ages 5-7)

Students are introduced to concepts in life science, physical science, and earth/space science. At this early stage, topics are treated in a big-picture way to be elaborated in subsequent stages. Students learn to recognize patterns across various scientific concepts and obtain initial practice in classifying and organizing information—important building blocks for future learning in science and many other areas.

Life sciences: animals and plants; basic human body parts and their functions.

Physical sciences: basic forces; states of energy (sound, heat, light); types of materials.

Earth/space sciences: seasons and weather; water cycle; solar system and time measurement via rotations and orbits of planets and moons; pollution and recycling.

In this stage students perform simple lab experiments and observe demonstrations to provide context for the concepts they are learning in individual and group sessions. They also conduct their own experiments, form hypotheses, and analyze and compare actual with predicted results.

Working with Scientific Concepts
(approx. ages 7-9)

Students revisit topics in greater depth and detail, and increase their conceptual understanding of topics in life science, physical science, and earth/space science. They engage in independent research by writing short reports on topics of interest to them, and carry out related projects. Students are introduced to the scientific method and the use of standard lab materials and tools, like rulers, scales, and microscopes, to measure and record data. They write their first lab reports, and discuss in group sessions the impacts of science and technology on society.

Life sciences: ecosystems and biodiversity; plant and animal adaptations for survival; life cycles.

Physical sciences: states of matter; atoms and molecules; simple collisions; magnetism; electricity.

Earth/space sciences: basic geology and landform development; extreme weather patterns (hurricanes, tornados, floods); volcanic activity and plate tectonics; causes/effects of erosion.

Working with Scientific Concepts
(approx. ages 9-10)

Students build on the basic conceptual knowledge they have acquired, and use more mathematics in their research and analysis. They are exposed to simple chemistry and physics and continue to write research papers with increased use of multiple sources and scientific principles and facts to support their arguments. Lab reports are more detailed and include data recorded in tables or charts, which are then used to create graphs; students interpret the data in relation to the validity of hypotheses. They discuss ways to improve experiments and demonstrations, as well as possible sources of error.

In this stage students also review previous topics, and again go into greater depth and detail within them.

Life sciences: structures and organs of plants and animals; human anatomy; predator/prey relationships; taxonomy; food webs/chains in various ecosystems.

Physical sciences: wave properties of sound, light and the electromagnetic spectrum; conservation of matter; molecules; chemical vs. physical changes; gravity.

Earth/space sciences: weathering/erosion, human impact on the environment; water cycle; planetary motion.

Delving into the Scientific Method
(approx. ages 10+-12)

Students in Stage 2 revisit topics from Stage 1 in greater depth and detail, and increase their conceptual understanding of topics in life science, physical science, and earth/space science. They engage in independent research by writing short reports on topics of interest to them, and carry out related projects. Students are introduced to the scientific method and the use of standard lab materials and tools, like rulers, scales, and microscopes, to measure and record data. They write their first lab reports, and discuss in group sessions the impacts of science and technology on society.

Life sciences: ecosystems and biodiversity; plant and animal adaptations for survival; life cycles.

Physical sciences: states of matter; atoms and molecules; simple collisions; magnetism; electricity.
Earth/space sciences: basic geology and landform development; extreme weather patterns (hurricanes, tornados, floods); volcanic activity and plate tectonics; causes/effects of erosion.