Children learn about the world through doing. In grades K-8, our science curriculum uses the 5E Model of Inquiry-Based Learning to ensure that students learn to engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate like real scientists.

Every child is born a scientist, eager to learn about the world that surrounds us. Kindergarteners at The GreenMount School observe the life cycle of living things by watching monarchs emerge from chrysalises in their classroom. They learn about the forces of motion by pushing, pulling, and swinging on our natural playground, and they experience physics through the construction and demolition of structures built with natural materials.

In Explorations, kindergarteners are given the time, space, and permission to explore our local ecosystem and gain valuable skills through play. Students learn to manage risks in a natural environment as they rock hop at the stream, learn cooperative skills and physics as they build forts, and practice negotiation skills as they develop new economic systems with acorns.

Responding to children’s questions as they play, students learn the names of insects, the lifecycle of a salamander, and how to track local wildlife. Teachers also provide more structured time for students to learn how to use tools, such as microscopes, pipettes, materials for water quality testing, and gardening equipment. With curiosity and growing technical skills, they are able to gain a deeper understanding of the ways scientists develop our understanding of observable phenomena.

Every day in kindergarten is an opportunity to learn through hands-on experimentation and observation, building a sense of wonder and appreciation that establishes a foundation for a lifetime of learning.