Science at Waimea Country School

Children are questioners, and our program helps children think critically while stimulating their natural curiosity about the world around them. We use a hands-on instructional approach where students are involved in actually doing science, not just covering material in a text. Our format encourages collaborative work to seek knowledge and understanding, just like the approach in which scientists engage.

While the content rotates through a two-year cycle in each class (see below), all science classes teach and build scientific inquiry which involves many process skills, including posing questions; organizing, evaluating, and interpreting data; hypothesizing; reflecting; and communicating information.

Science Fair

The annual school-wide Science Fair is the focus of the science curriculum in the fall. Participation is built over the course of the 6-year program.

‘Ohi’a students participate by running a hands-on science center related to a unit of study. Students learn the scientific process as they work together on a single topic. Individual students have the opportunity to show their learning through small group demonstrations at the Science Fair itself.

Koai’a students work with a partner or in small groups to share knowledge about a unit of study they have been working on. Students engage in all parts of the scientific method and prepare a presentation for visiting scientists from the local community. This event serves as an introduction to the scientific method that we practice throughout the remainder of the school year.

Koa students each choose a scientific question that is personally interesting to him or her, and then research, investigate, perform experiments, draw conclusions, and report on his or her findings. Through this project, students learn scientific skills, including how to use the scientific method to solve problems and answer questions.

Science Unit Rotation

YEAR 1

YEAR 2