Science
Mina's School Science Program begins with building curiosity through observation of our environment and hands-on experiments in nature. Our teachers provide personalized step-by-step guidance to equip each student with proficient study skills through textbooks and on-line materials. Our curriculum themes introduce biology, chemistry and physics. Areas of study include: classification of living things, human body systems, plants, the water cycle, solar system, ecosystem, matter, electricity, and simple machines. An integrative approach is used incorporating themes explored in science with other subject areas. We explore science particularly through the tool of mathematics, recognizing the core relationship between math and an understanding of higher science. Our instruction usually starts with a "big question" that frames the lessons to follow, and an example with prediction questions. We do a brief background check with important terms; a longer lesson with integrated questions; lesson questions that link back to the big question; "lab zone" hands-on questions; and "got it?" questions that provide an opportunity to prove that the main point has been learned, or for students to raise where they're still confused. We ask a lot of questions, such as "do the math," "what do you know?," "apply it!" and other forms of assessment, practice, and review.
Section 1: (Grades K-2)
We introduce the nature of science, solving problems, objects, matter, motion, the earth, the sky, living things, nonliving things, plants, animals, and more.
Section 2: (Grades 3 & 4)
We cover the nature of science, technology, design, the design process, living things, plants, animals, ecosystems, weather, the earth, space, the universe, matter, energy, force, electricity, magnetism, motion, and more.
Section 3: (Grades 5 & 6)
We cover the earth, minerals & rocks, plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, weathering & soil, erosion & deposition, a trip through geologic time, energy resources, water, the atmosphere, weather, climate, solar system, and more. Our instruction provides children with a student-centered approach to scientific discovery. Each hands-on activity presents a child with a challenging question that can be investigated and explored independently or with parent guidance. As part of the directed inquiry process, the child will answer this question by exploring the resources, following the outlined procedures of each activity, collecting data, and drawing conclusions. In some instances, parents might need to help children with certain parts of the activity. Following the directed inquiry, the child will be given an opportunity to expand and demonstrate scientific reasoning by modifying the investigation and designing his or her own experiments to illustrate the concept. Utilizing these activities will encourage every child to think like a scientist and encourage him or her to be inquisitive.
Mina's School Science Program begins with building curiosity through observation of our environment and hands-on experiments in nature. Our teachers provide personalized step-by-step guidance to equip each student with proficient study skills through textbooks and on-line materials. Our curriculum themes introduce biology, chemistry and physics. Areas of study include: classification of living things, human body systems, plants, the water cycle, solar system, ecosystem, matter, electricity, and simple machines. An integrative approach is used incorporating themes explored in science with other subject areas. We explore science particularly through the tool of mathematics, recognizing the core relationship between math and an understanding of higher science. Our instruction usually starts with a "big question" that frames the lessons to follow, and an example with prediction questions. We do a brief background check with important terms; a longer lesson with integrated questions; lesson questions that link back to the big question; "lab zone" hands-on questions; and "got it?" questions that provide an opportunity to prove that the main point has been learned, or for students to raise where they're still confused. We ask a lot of questions, such as "do the math," "what do you know?," "apply it!" and other forms of assessment, practice, and review.
Section 1: (Grades K-2)
We introduce the nature of science, solving problems, objects, matter, motion, the earth, the sky, living things, nonliving things, plants, animals, and more.
Section 2: (Grades 3 & 4)
We cover the nature of science, technology, design, the design process, living things, plants, animals, ecosystems, weather, the earth, space, the universe, matter, energy, force, electricity, magnetism, motion, and more.
Section 3: (Grades 5 & 6)
We cover the earth, minerals & rocks, plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, weathering & soil, erosion & deposition, a trip through geologic time, energy resources, water, the atmosphere, weather, climate, solar system, and more. Our instruction provides children with a student-centered approach to scientific discovery. Each hands-on activity presents a child with a challenging question that can be investigated and explored independently or with parent guidance. As part of the directed inquiry process, the child will answer this question by exploring the resources, following the outlined procedures of each activity, collecting data, and drawing conclusions. In some instances, parents might need to help children with certain parts of the activity. Following the directed inquiry, the child will be given an opportunity to expand and demonstrate scientific reasoning by modifying the investigation and designing his or her own experiments to illustrate the concept. Utilizing these activities will encourage every child to think like a scientist and encourage him or her to be inquisitive.