It is well noted that questions grow out of our basic encounters with the world and questions are at the core of science and engineering: What is the nature of? Asking questions and evaluating evidence are central to the ways in which scientists and engineers engage in their work. As they raise and seek answers to questions, scientists and engineers wrestle with contradictions, puzzle through paradoxes, search for connections and explanations, and engage in the multitude of ways that the natural and human-made world presents itself. These are also the ways in which we believe that students best learn about science and engineering. Furthermore, we believe that children are born investigators, understanding develops over time, students’ interests must connect to their experiences, and science and engineering require both knowledge and practice. Our mission based on these beliefs, is to promote scientific literacy among all students. We want our students to develop disciplinary core ideas using overarching themes and scientific and engineering practices. Our goals are to encourage students to:
• Engage in the ways that scientists and engineers do
• Find meaning in their investigations to explain phenomena
• Integrate new experiences with prior understanding
• Evaluate problems and rethink ideas
With the support of our district and state and federal governments, we give our students the opportunity to demonstrate proficiency in these areas. We expect our students to learn the core ideas and practices of science and engineering. We expect students to learn them, just as they are expected to learn how to read and write. This is accomplished through a continuum of learning that begins in the early school years and continues into their high school years.
