• Science & STEAM @ OJR

    Science instruction @OJR connect the Pennsylvania Academic Standards with components of the National Next Generation Science Standards  in order to prepare students to:

    (1) experience the richness and excitement of knowing about and understanding the natural world

    (2) use appropriate scientific processes and principles in making personal decisions

    (3) engage intelligently in public discourse and debate about matters of scientific and technological concern

    (4) increase their economic productivity through the use of the knowledge, understanding, and skills of the scientifically literate person in their careers 1

    STEAM @OJR is an approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. The end results are students who take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration, and work through the creative process. These are the innovators, educators, leaders, and learners of the 21st century! 3

    STEAM@OJR incorporates:

    (1) prescribed project based coursework and problem-solving challenges

    (2) career and industry partners

    (3) integrated collaborative instruction

    (4) integrated science and art topics into other coursework with new science course opportunities

    (5) additional post high school opportunities for:  internships, International Baccalaureate (IB) coursework, new programming opportunities from College Board/AP, and expanded dual-enrollment opportunities

    Our comprehensive K-12 science program spirals content by specific grade ranges in order to meet content standards and STEAM initiatives as a collaborative effort among all grade levels for:

    (1) Science Process Skills, (2) Biological Sciences, (3) Physical Science, Chemistry and Physics, (4) Earth & Space Sciences, (5) Environment & Ecology, and (6) Engineering & Technology.

    K - 6     Science content can be viewed on the Elementary Curriculum page.

    7 & 8     Science content can be viewed on the Middle School Curriculum page.

    9 - 12    Science content can be viewed on the High School Curriculum page.

     

    Science Process Skills The nature of science and technology is characterized by applying process knowledge that enables students to become independent learners.  These skills include observing, classifying, inferring, predicting, measuring, computing, estimating, communicating, using space/time relationships, defining operationally, raising questions, formulating hypothesis, testing and experimenting, designing controlled experiments, recognizing variables, manipulating variables, interpreting data, formulating models, designing models, and producing solutions.  These process skills are developed across the grade levels and differ in the degree of sophistication, quantitative nature and application to the content. 2

    Biological Sciences Biology concerns living things, their appearance, different types of life, the scope of their similarities and differences, where they live and how they live.  Through the study of the diversity of life, students learn to understand how life has changed over a long period of time.  This great variety of life forms continues to change even today as genetics instructions within cells are passed from generation to generation, yet the amazing integrity of most species remain. 2

    Physical Science, Chemistry and Physics Physics and Chemistry involve the study of objects and their properties.  Students examine changes to materials during mixing, freezing, heating and dissolving and then learn how to observe and measure results.  In chemistry students study the relationship between matter, atomic structure and its activity.  Physics deepens the understanding of the structure and properties of materials and includes atoms, waves, lights, electricity, magnetism and the role of energy, forces and motion. 2     

    Earth & Space Sciences The dynamics of Earth Science include the studies of forces of nature that build the earth and wear down the earth.  The understanding of these concepts uses principles from physical sciences, geography and mathematics. 2

    Environment & Ecology Environment and Ecology is grounded in the complexity of the world we live in and its sustainability. It examines the world’s natural processes and systems. Environment and Ecology places its main emphasis in the real world. Allowing students to understand, through a sound academic content base, how their everyday lives evolve around their use of the natural world and the resources it provides. 2

    Engineering & Technology Education Engineering and Technology Education is the use of accumulated knowledge to process resources to meet human needs and improve the quality of life.  Students develop the ability to select and correctly use materials, tools, techniques, and processes to answer questions, understand explanations and solve problems encountered in real life situations.  These overriding themes require students to design, create, use, evaluate and modify systems of Biotechnologies, Information technologies, and Physical Technologies. 2

    1National Research Council. 2000. Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards: A Guide for Teaching and Learning. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/9596.

    2Pennsylvania teacher's desk reference and critical thinking guide. (2005). Jacksonville, Fla: Pennsylvania Educational Tools.

    3http://educationcloset.com/steam/what-is-steam/

     

    For more information please contact:

    Heidi E. Lehmann, Ed.D.  

    Science & Technology  Curriculum  Supervisor

    Owen J. Roberts School District 610 469-5169

    @ojrscience     #STEMatOJR

    “…using one’s imagination and pencils that have good erasers are essential problem solving tools….” - unknown