Science and Our Schools

At my tutoring center in Maplewood, we conduct science experiments every Friday. The students are always excited when they walk in for "Science Fridays" as they call it. We conduct experiments like the egg float experiment where kids learn about density and buoyancy or the liquid/solid "slime" experiment where we discuss how molecules move.

There’s one thing I’ve noticed through the years: the more inquisitive the student, the better the data and the better the findings. When students are willing to ask interesting and challenging questions, they are willing to go beyond what they think they know, to explore what they don’t. Often, the kids who do that best are the youngest ones. That’s why I know how important science is in our earliest grades.  

Unfortunately in the last several years, our elementary students have gotten less and less science as the curriculum is overtaken by the demands on math and language arts. We must work to remedy this.  

A recent report by the National Research Council titled "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" states that science is taught too haphazardly in schools and students are often not given an opportunity to experience how science is done. The report ends with a call to action to implement reforms of science standards [which New Jersey has already undertaken] stating that " learning science is important for everyone, even those who eventually choose careers in fields other than science or engineering."

As a practicing scientist for more than 15 years, I understand the urgency of this call to action.  Science provides an opportunity for students to expand the way they think. Scientific experimentation allows students to question and then look for the answers on their own, building critical thinking and analytical skills. Science is also an interdisciplinary subject, calling on other skill sets such as language arts and math.

At a time when our curriculum is being revised to align with the new Common Core standards, which call for more rigorous and interdisciplinary work, science instruction, starting at the earliest grades, should be at the forefront of the discussion.  

The Common Core calls for experimentation and focused inquiry as early as preschool. Children this young can and should be taught to reason about cause and effect. I recall conducting an experiment with a kindergarten class using yeast, sugar and water. They were all so engaged and excited!

To satisfy both the letter and spirit of the new Common Core standards, we need to bring science into the elementary schools (and middle schools ) in a more meaningful and engaging way.

Why the focus on elementary education? It is a critical time when students are still inquisitive, which is a key component of scientific experimentation.This is especially important for girls, who often lose an interest in science by 6th grade. Knowing this and the difficult time many students have transitioning from elementary school to middle school, more attention should be focused on translating science from the elementary school to the middle school. 

As a board member, I would recommend that the IB implementation plan address how the science program at our primary schools will align with the middle school curriculum. In addition, as we update our facilities, including the addition of science labs at the middle school, it is critical that we project what science education will look like over the next decade.

One component of a strong science program is the exposure to more hands-on work, building the skillset necessary to be successful in high school, college and beyond. We can use examples from other districts as well. For example, programs like the one at Byram Hills High School in Armonk, NY which involves students in year long independent research projects with assigned mentors, may enhance the science program at Columbia High School.  

The question we must ask is how do we develop a consistent science program in our school district? The answer is we must build it. We must ensure that examples of good science instruction are shared in all schools, we should ensure that the new Common Core standards are aligned with our curriculum and used to identify critical skills that students need to be academically successful, especially as they transition from one grade to the next.

A strong science program, starting in the elementary grades and through high school, will make our good schools, better.

For more information see Payne-ParrishandSwanson.org and AmyHiger.org. Remember the school board election is on April 17  between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m.