Rocket News
April Edition
The Placement Process
Author Day with Aaron Becker April 28th
Next Generation Science Standards
In the 2017-2018 school year, the New Jersey Department of Education will be implementing The New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science in grades K-5. The New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science are based on the Framework for K–12 Science Education developed by the National Research Council. Each standard has three dimensions: disciplinary core ideas (content), scientific and engineering practices, and cross-cutting concepts that span the K-12 experience. Our curriculum team has been hard at work over the last few years to prepare for this change. This year, our teachers are piloting one new unit at each grade level in preparation to next year's full implementation. The students and teachers are thoroughly enjoying their new units of study!
The Kindergarten Pilot Unit, A Home For All Seasons, takes a look at animals, plants, and their environment. Each class is working on identifying different habitats such as: Arctic, Desert, Forest, Fresh Water, Ocean and Rainforest. The students will then explore what plants and animals live in each habitat and why. The Kindergarten Classes will be hatching butterflies in their study of various animal homes!
Our first grade students are exploring a unit entitled Waves: Light and Sound.
Throughout this unit, the students will plan and conduct investigations to provide evidence that vibrating materials can make sound and that sound can make materials vibrate. Students will be planning and conducting an investigation to determine the effect of placing objects made with different materials in the path of a beam of light. Tools and materials will then be used to design and build a device that uses light or sound to solve the problem of communicating over a distance.The Second Grade Pilot Unit, Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, involves students making observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats. Students will investigate the habitats around our school to notice how plants and animals rely on one another for survival. They will plan and conduct an investigation to determine if plants need water and light to grow, and develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal dispersing seeds. Much of this unit involves students working hands-on with seeds and making observations in nature.