Science
Understanding and appreciating the natural world, science and technology
Understanding and appreciating the natural world, science and technology
In the LePort Montessori Elementary program, science is about the world, not mere words to be memorized. We enable children to understand and appreciate the natural world, and the crucial role of science and technology in enabling humans to flourish. In contrast to other programs, which often rely on textbooks to transmit disconnected scientific terms and formulae, in our Montessori Elementary program, science starts with children observing the natural world, then classifying, describing, and sketching their observations. Often, student’s studies retrace the historical logic of scientific discovery. In the process, students come to appreciate the wondrous world we live in. They gain a profound understanding of, and respect for, the life-sustaining role of scientific discoveries and technology in their lives.
Our science program has three main goals:
Interestingly, by learning science (and history and geography) this way, children also improve their reading skills: much of reading in Upper Elementary and beyond rests on children having relevant background knowledge. Our rich science and cultural curriculum puts our students at an advantage, compared to the narrower curriculum common in the early elementary years at schools where literacy and math standardized testing looms large.
“The man of culture today is superior to the natural man, having sensory powers far beyond those given by nature, through the telescope and microscope which extend his vision and through the accumulated researches of mathematicians, chemists and physicists who have investigated the secrets of nature, by the magical powers of the human mind.“
Focus on the World, not Words—Observation First, Explanation Second
Our science program raises interesting questions, and then guides the students as they observe, classify, and draw conclusions. Throughout, students actively apply what they learn: they work with classification cards; they conduct experiments; they observe demonstrations, answer questions, and summarize their observations. Our science program is always about understanding the world, not about scientific jargon, which is why we do not ask students to study lessons from traditional textbooks, and memorize theories by rote.
Instead, our students might:
“At LePort, they make learning so fun that even a 3rd grader notices the difference. My younger daughter will be entering 3rd grade. She recently told me: ‘At our old school, we couldn’t do anything. All we did was look at books, then take tests. Now, we get to do all kinds of fun things, look at birds, go outside, look at plants and trees. It’s totally different here at LePort!’ If a 3rd grader is noticing, and mentioning it to me, without me even asking—that shows you what a different attitude towards learning there is at LePort.“
A Broad Base of Representative Observational Knowledge Across Life Science, Earth Science, and Physical Science
Our Montessori Elementary science program ranges broadly across life science, physical science, and Earth science. We ensure our students are exposed to some content from each. Within each area, we provide them the opportunity to delve deeper depending on their own interests. Our goal is to train our students to observe carefully, discover interesting questions, and use their observations and research to answer them. The goal at this age is not to cover each area exhaustively, or even to ensure each student acquires a specific body of knowledge in each. Rather, we want to introduce students to the interesting questions and puzzles of science, by means of some representative, selective content.
We thus give our students plenty of choice regarding what to explore, and how deeply they want to follow their interests. Each classroom may cover different areas of science from year to year.
The following list gives an indication of the kinds of topics our students study:
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