MySSES

Science

Members of the science department teach science scientifically, which requires instructors to create situations that allow students to interact with natural phenomena from which they discover the major principles or concepts of a particular discipline. This methodology can be described as a guided-inquiry approach, as the teacher actually guides the process by a sequence of carefully planned experiences. This methodology enables students individually and collectively to gain a better and deeper understanding of a concept or topic.

The school’s guided-inquiry approach to science instruction enables students to “play” in the laboratory and learn through experiments, observations and analysis of nature, followed by careful and logical interpretation. Students enjoy a hands-on/mind-on approach to experiments and access to an array of technological resources. Computer-assisted lab equipment includes motion sensor cameras, photogates, oscilloscopes, radio telemetry, GPS units, gem production technology, electrophoresis, telescopes and microscopes, 3-D printers, and accelerometers, among others.

Instructors spend time and invest energy showing students how concepts in a particular discipline and across disciplines are connected, exploring how one idea leads to the next or how different ideas are unified at a later time. Their goal is for students to gain a better understanding of the nature of science, major scientific concepts, and the scientists themselves.