Science
Overview
In the Del Mar Science Program, students are empowered to get in the driver’s seat of their own discovery. Our Program is strongly committed to enhancing scientists’ scientific reasoning skills and knowledge through hands-on activities and technology-driven lessons in order to prepare them for a lifetime of scientific literacy. Students engage in authentic scientific practices and learn the techniques and skills employed by real-life professional scientists. Every unit of study begins with a complex question that is not easily answered and ignites curiosity. Students then seek the answers to these questions through research, experimentation, and exploration, and as new questions arise along the way, they follow their curiosity and gather evidence to support their ideas. The Del Mar Science department believes that people obtain and share knowledge through the process of storytelling, and our students are given the support and freedom to author their own narratives of discovery.
- Phenomenon-based learning
- Real-world examples
- Hands-on projects
- Student-driven investigations
- Student collaboration at the forefront
Curriculum
RUSD has adopted Savvas Elevate Science, a California Department of Education-approved NGSS aligned curriculum that complements existing rigorous, high-quality, teacher-developed resources, labs, and student-driven projects. Savvas Elevate science is a flexible, adaptable enriching science program with multiple pathways to proficiency. Students gain foundational, grade-leveled scientific knowledge by reading, annotating, and answering content and skill-based questions in the workbooks. Hands-on labs are offered weekly to anchor these foundational ideas in experiential learning.
An important part of how students are taught is how their learning is assessed. In the Del Mar Science Department we believe that, “It is not what you know, but what you can do with what you know.” Students demonstrate their knowledge through traditional assessments, but they also have the opportunity to demonstrate their scientific skills and practices through project-based assessments that include higher-order thinking tasks and student choice.