The Science Department creates, promotes, and supports a rigorous, joyful, and culturally responsible curriculum that sparks student curiosity, allows students to be active participants in their own learning, and encourages them to be lifelong learners. Our goal is that all students:
- Are curious, life-long learners;
- Feel actively involved in the classroom learning community;
- Have a deep understanding of how to think and work as scientists and engineers and are empowered to see themselves in those roles;
- Deeply understand key scientific and engineering concepts that will have real world connections/value for them throughout their lives;
- Can think critically and communicate effectively about science and engineering; and
- Are stewards of our environment and responsible global citizens.
In our science & engineering classrooms, students are:
- Actively engaged in figuring out intriguing phenomena through hands-on experiences that are driven by student questions and are relevant to their lives;
- Making sense of science and engineering big ideas on their own and with others in multiple ways using the science and engineering practices;
- Explaining their thinking based on their observations (making claims based on evidence);
- Building, testing, refining, and sharing their ideas via literacy (talking, listening, writing, and reading);
- Studying the lives and work of professional scientists and learning how scientific thinking has (and continues to) change over time as new evidence is uncovered and new tools become available; and
- Provided with accessible learning opportunities
Click here for a visual of how students learn science and engineering in our classrooms. View a summary of our criteria for science and engineering curriculum and instruction.
For a quick link to what is taught in JK-8 Science & Engineering, click here. For more details, click a specific grade level on the side bar. (NOTE: If you cannot access a page on the sidebar, please clear your cache.)
Teachers in Cambridge Public Schools can access the curriculum by clicking here.