Science

Newark Educators Community Charter School uses the FOSS science curriculum. FOSS provides an inquiry-based, hands-on approach to science. This approach guides teachers in teaching children important scientific concepts while developing the habits of mind or skills of real scientists, including meaningful observation and exploration, testing hypotheses, and analyzing new information, while learning about the natural world. FOSS inquiries ask students to make use of all five senses for observation. This multi-sensory approach makes content accessible for all learning styles.

Students investigate, experiment, gather data, organize results, and draw conclusions based on their own actions and scientific experiences. These processes enhance the development of the following scientific thinking processes:

• OBSERVING
  using the senses to get information
  
• COMMUNICATING
  talking, drawing, acting
  
• COMPARING
  pairing, one-to-one correspondence
  
• ORGANIZING
  grouping, serializing, sequencing
  
• RELATING
  cause and effect, classification
  
• INFERRING
  superordinate/subordinate classification, if/then reasoning, developing scientific laws
  
• APPLYING
  developing strategic plans, inventing