Success Academy’s unique commitment to science starts in elementary school. We are one of a handful of schools in the nation that teach discovery-oriented science five days a week beginning in kindergarten. We continue this commitment in middle school, when scholars still have science all five days, with four of them offering a full 75 minutes dedicated to science within their larger STEM block!
Our vision of middle school science relies on two related commitments: mastery of a substantive body of scientific knowledge and an inquiry-based approach to accumulating this knowledge. Equipping scholars with a firm grasp of scientific concepts is central to our model, and scholars must understand that these concepts aren’t simply plucked from the air, but rather arrived at through scientific thinking and experimentation. To that end, our scholars do science to understand that scientific knowledge comes from posing questions, designing experiments, gathering data, and drawing conclusions. Rather than viewing scientific knowledge as etched in stone, they come to understand that ideas about the world change with new evidence. Just like professional scientists in the laboratory or the field, they hone mastery of core concepts by engaging in the practices that lead to new discoveries and understanding.
We believe excellent science classrooms are ones in which scholars experience curiosity and joy, and make connections between classroom science and the natural world around them. Embedded in our program is the belief that struggle and student-led inquiry are inherent to the mastery process. Through our progressive approach to teaching and learning, scholars come to realize that ideas are only as true as the evidence that supports them and that unexpected results do not signal failure, but instead present valuable opportunities for new questions.
Through our science program, scholars learn and experience that science and engineering are creative and exciting fields. They understand that there are countless fascinating scientific questions to be asked and engineering challenges to be solved and they will be inspired and equipped to seek answers and solutions. No matter what path scholars choose to pursue, the SA Science program will cultivate their curiosity, sharpen their problem-solving capabilities, and fuel their passion for knowledge.
