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| John Martin (6-8) | William Bixby (K-5) |
| Click to Mr. Bixby's Science Website. |
The science curriculum is designed to promote an understanding of nature and an appreciation of its methods and mysteries. The program prepares each student for the future by providing opportunities to investigate, explore and evaluate the world. The program addresses how science works and what processes and methods expand scientific understanding. In grades Kindergarten through grade five all three strands (Earth, Physical and Life) are studied. In grades six through eight, students study one strand per year. This allows a more in-depth study in the older grades.
The kindergarten's year is arranged around the seasons. They will watch and learn about plants and animals that we see bloom, migrate or nest in each different season. They will also observe changing weather and begin to observe, sort, and chart the characteristics of living and non-living things. The first grade studies plant and animal life, the three states of matter and how weather and the seasons affect all living things. They will also do a unit on stewardship for the Earth. The second grade will be looking at the structure of living and non-living things, at where things live and how nature is sorted and grouped. They will learn about magnets and electrical safety, the water cycle, weather, and taking care of the Earth. The third grade does units on energy and matter, environments and how they change, and on the different objects in space and the patterns that they form. Fourth graders study electricity and magnetism, ecosystems and how energy flows, rocks, minerals and the changing Earth. Fourth grade students continue working with the scientific method of inquiry and for the first time participate in the science fair. In the fifth grade In the fifth grade students study matter and how it changes physically and chemically, basic structures of organisms, the human body systems, water, weather, and the solar system.
The sixth grade focuses on earth sciences, and uses a variety of scientific processes and instruments, such as spectroscopes, to understand the earth's unique place in the universe. They recognize water as an essential resource to life and learn how water circulates and affects climate and weather.
Seventh graders focus on life science: evolution, the human body and earth's living resources. They study the cell and learn that it is the basic unit of life. Students study how organisms interact within the ecosystem and they learn about their responsibilities in preserving ecosystems.
The focus for eighth grade is physical sciences. They use a variety of scientific processes to understand atomic structure, how matter interacts and how forces acting upon matter can explain observations in our every day world. They do experiments with mass, gravity and density. Physics Day at Marine World is a fun and important part of the curriculum.
There are field trips and special science assemblies for the K-8 students to compliment the curriculum. The 5th grade goes to Outdoor Ed at Alliance Redwoods for a four-day three-night program. The fourth grade does a special unit on the Bay and then takes a trip to the Richardson Bay Audubon Center in Tiburon. The third and seventh grades take a field trip to the Aquarium of the Bay at Pier 39. The 3rd grade also does takes an Earth Day field trip to the San Rafael Recycling Center. The first grade goes on a field trip to the Richardson Bay Audubon Center that focuses on the different wildlife habitats there.
St. Isabella School has a Science Fair and Invention Convention each January during Catholic School Week. Fourth, Sixth, and Eighth grade students enter the Science Fair and Fifth and Seventh grade students enter the Invention Convention.
The St. Isabella School garden is an important part of our science curriculum. Each grade has their own garden plot where they plant seeds and seedlings, help with turning compost, watering, weeding, and harvesting the plants. The science teachers Mr. Bixby and Mr. Martin work with the students in the garden.