Science

Boys develop scientific inquiry skills such as making observations, inferences, and predictions while being challenged to expand their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. They are active learners who engage in a hands-on exploration of science and the scientific process. By encouraging inquiry, ingenuity, and imagination, boys master science fundamentals that prepare them for chemistry, biology, and physics at the Upper School. Some students take a high-school-level biology course in grade 8. Our Science Fair and Young Surgeons programs provide opportunities for deeper scientific research and career exploration.

Science class inspires students to discover, question and explore the world around them. They are encouraged to inquire and participate in activities grounded in real-world scenarios.

Sixth-grade science units have four main components: encouraging natural curiosity; establishing a foundation of basic scientific knowledge; engaging in hands-on experiences to solidify and expand understanding; and exploring real-life, current applications. Areas of concentration are chemistry, magnetism, cell biology, genetics, and botany. The curriculum is flexible, allowing for adjustments to incorporate current events in a timely fashion. All boys have the opportunity to investigate topics of personal interest, and often teach the class what they have learned. During the year, students develop basic scientific inquiry skills such as making observations, inferences, and predictions, while being challenged to expand their critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills. Integration of other disciplines including math, history, languages, art, music, and drama occurs regularly, keeping the course lively and ever-changing.

Seventh-grade science is a thorough, student-driven, hands-on exploration of the science and the scientific process. Students are encouraged to take the role of the scientist through independent research, group discussions, experiment design, and data collection. Our curriculum builds on prior knowledge, connects to the real world and community, leads to a better understanding of the systems and processes in the world, emphasizes the role of humans on our planet, and pushes students to be inquisitive learners who are strong problem solvers and self-driven. Through problem and project-based learning, we explore topics such as plate tectonics, rocks and minerals, scale, time, deep space structures, the solar system, forces, Newton’s Laws, climate, biomes, light, and heat. It is our goal to prepare students for the rigorous demands of eighth grade and high school by encouraging inquiry, ingenuity, and imagination.

Two courses are offered: Eighth Grade Science and Eighth Grade Biology. Both courses are designed for boys who love science and include exciting, hands- on experiments which cover an impressive range of concepts. Boys experiment, work cooperatively, and problem solve. Boys think like scientists, take ownership of their learning, and intellectually step out of the classroom to better understand the world. Eighth Grade Science covers the topics of biology, chemistry, and physics and provides students with a solid foundation for their high-school science studies. A key experience in the course is the Sludge Test, a challenge that requires boys to use lab techniques to separate, identify, and quantify an unknown sample. Eighth Grade Biology offers qualified students an opportunity for early acceleration, allowing them to complete a high- school level biology credit during their eighth-grade year and begin high school in chemistry.