Scientific & Engineering Practices (Next Generation Science Standards)

 

  1. Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)

  2. Developing and using models

  3. Planning and carrying out investigations

  4. Analyzing and interpreting data

  5. Using mathematics and computational thinking

  6. Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)

  7. Engaging in argument from evidence

  8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information 


Themes by grade level

Kindergarten pasta skeletons during our human body unit.

Kindergarten pasta skeletons during our human body unit.

Kindergarten

  • How can we use our sense to investigate the world around us? (Making and recording scientific observations)

  • How does the body support us, and how do we take care of it? (identifying parts/functions of body parts & healthy behaviors)

  • How do meteorologists measure and predict our weather? (making predictions based on data)

  • How can we create a garden where plants and insects can thrive? (the needs of plants and insects)

  • How are light and shadows connected? + Light and Shadow Inquiry (experimenting and manipulating tools)

1st grade Students engineered water filtration prototypes.

1st grade Students engineered water filtration prototypes.

1st Grade

  • How does an electric circuit work?

  • How do scientists use tools to gather information?

  • What are some properties of sounds and how can we represent those properties?

  • How does the mass and volume of an object affect whether it sinks or floats?

  • How can we engineer a device that creates clean water?

  • + Egg Drop Engineering Challenge

Prototype #1 of 2nd grade bridge building challenge

Prototype #1 of 2nd grade bridge building challenge

2nd Grade

  • How can we build a habitat that bees love? (pollinators and our food systems)

  • What are some of the forces that act on structures, and how do civil engineers design structures that can withstand these forces? (forces - bridges & towers)

  • How can we create a better rider experience on San Francisco cable cars? (simple machines)

  • What is the relationship between earth, moon, and sun? (moon phases & seasons)

3rd grade student field guide about the monarch butterfly migration.

3rd grade student field guide about the monarch butterfly migration.

3rd Grade

  • How can we use our knowledge of thermal properties to creatively engineer a solar oven? (solar energy)

  • What processes shape the surface of land? (landforms and erosion)

  • How does an animals' shape and coloration determine its role in the environment? (migration and birds)

  • How are the structure and properties of minerals related to how the mineral was formed? (rock cycle)

4th grade student’s lab poster of a oil spill clean-up engineering challenge.

4th grade student’s lab poster of a oil spill clean-up engineering challenge.

4th Grade

  • How does our knowledge of volcanoes & earthquakes inform us about earth’s past? (volcanoes & earthquakes)

  • What are three stimuli that produce plant responses, and how do plants respond? (photosynthesis)

  • How do living things affect one another? (populations & communities)

  • How does energy move through an ecosystem?

  • How do environmental engineers use their knowledge of soil and water to investigate solutions to environmental problems?

  • + What are the five concepts of light that help to explain the shadow phenomena? (light & shadow inquiry)


STEM at Town.

At Town School, we inspire curiosity and creativity in students through hands-on, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)-centered inquiry activities. By developing an integrated curriculum we are allowing our boys to practice their 21st century skills and competencies. We use engaging STEM activities to promote a deeper understanding of science facts, a sense of wonder with the world around us, and problem solving skills. The overarching question all students at Town explore is: How can we think and behave as scientists and engineers?

Town STEM utilizes best practices from a number of innovative teaching approaches to meet the specific needs of our boy learners.

  • Project Based Learning (Buck Institute)

  • Design Thinking (Stanford d.school and Lime Design)

  • Inquiry and Science Process Skills (Exploratorium)

  • Scientific and Engineering Practices (Next Generation Science Standards)

  • Online STEM (Global Online Academy)

STEM experiences involve investigating and solving a real-life problem, or building and designing a product that successfully meets a given challenge. Students often work in small teams, using collaboration and communication skills. Our STEM units are aligned with existing projects and programs at Town School, such as our rooftop garden, our sustainable lunch program, our reading and social studies units, and access to local museums. Significant academic content provides a foundation for STEM projects, critical thinking and exploration is be guided by questions that provide focus.

With a full-time K-4 STEM teacher, we are updating our science curriculum to meet the needs of our boy learners and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). We look forward to incorporating more physical science and engineering skills.