Science

Philosophy

In 1993, in a report called Benchmarks for Science Literacy, the American Association for the Advancement of Science urged that “students should be actively engaged in learning to view the world scientifically. That means encouraging them to ask questions about nature and to seek answers, collect things, count and measure things, make qualitative observations, organize collections and observations, discuss findings, etc.”

At K12, we believe this applies to all students, not just those for whom one might predict a career in the sciences. All children benefit from knowing about the life cycles of plants and animals, about electricity and gravity, about force and motion, about the ocean tides and the flow of blood through the body, about the Earth’s core and the Milky Way. The very word science comes from the Latin scientia, meaning knowledge. An early grounding in basic scientific knowledge—not only facts and concepts, but also processes and procedures—helps produce scientifically literate citizens who can think logically and clearly about a world in which scientific discoveries and insights continue to have profound influence on the way we live and understand our universe.

The overall goals of our Science program are “to give children an understanding of the general laws of nature; make sure that they know some important facts and ideas about the universe; train them in some methods scientists use; give them an appreciation of the scientific view of the world; and stimulate their desire to ask questions and find answers.” We also aspire to foster in children “some of the traits that distinguish scientific thought and enterprise: curiosity, careful observation, formulation of testable hypotheses, experimentation, reliance on evidence, adherence to rules of logic, skepticism balanced by openness to new ideas, objectivity, intellectual honesty, and perseverance.” (William J. Bennett et al, The Educated Child, pp. 345–46, 350)

For children, those lofty ends are best achieved through concrete means—through many opportunities for hands-on investigations and experiments. Of course, all the weighing and measuring, observing and collecting, planting and mixing need to occur within an orderly sequence of scientific concepts and content that build over time. To provide this orderly sequence, K12 has built its Science curriculum on the strong foundation of the rigorous California Science Standards (see http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/sc/im/scicriteria.asp), as augmented by specific content recommendations from the Core Knowledge Sequence (see http://www.coreknowledge.org).

Safety

In the Lesson Overview, K12 provides a list of safety reminders. As needed, K12 also provides specific safety guidance at the Investigation level in each lesson.

It is important that you click on and read the safety instructions before conducting any laboratory experiment.

We encourage you to use standard safety precautions and to take opportunities to teach your child the value of good safety practices, such as wearing safety goggles (provided by K12) when performing many of the experiments.

Some lessons involve eating or working with food. Before beginning, check with your doctor, if necessary, to assess whether your student will have any allergic reaction to those foods.

Legal Disclaimer

K12 makes no representations, warranties, or guarantees as to, and assumes no responsibility for, performance of any of the laboratory experiments included herein. K12 expressly disclaims all liability for damages of any kind arising out of the use, performance, or participation in any of the laboratory experiments included herein.