Middle School Science
The middle school science department has implemented science projects into the classroom curriculum this school year. All students in 6th through 8th grade selected their own area of interest to pursue for an independent research project. Students incorporated Next Generation Science Standards into the project through science and engineering practices.
Students started by defining a problem they were interested in investigating, then designing an experiment to conduct. Once students collected and analyzed their data, they created a summary of the results using graphical representations. At the conclusion of their project, each student delivered a slide presentation of their research to their class. Students also have the option to use these projects to compete in middle school science fairs, if desired.
In addition to completing an oral presentation, students had several opportunities to improve their scientific writing skills. Each student wrote a scientific abstract and developed an in-depth research plan. After reading informational texts on their project topics, students gathered additional resources to summarize their learning with an annotated bibliography.
This project has allowed students to pursue the areas of science they are passionate about, while simultaneously improving their science and engineering skills and developing their understanding of the scientific method.
