Our science program teaches more than content. Students learn to think critically, be methodical, organize and problem solve using a systematic and scientific approach.
At The Greenwood School, short and long term inquiry-based science projects feed into innate human curiosity across remedial and more advanced college preparatory courses. In small, hands-on indoor and outdoor classes, we delve into Earth and Environmental Sciences, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and various electives.
We strive to foster students’ natural sense of inquiry and wonder. We support them in developing their academic and critical thinking skills so that they can become informed, educated, and productive members of society with a strong sense of community engagement, responsibility, and empowerment. We provide an integrated curriculum that is relevant, meaningful, and taps into real-life, local issues through exciting, hands-on experiences. We feel that learning is not just rote knowledge. Learning comes from curiosity, exploration, critical thinking, and trial and error—and most of all, enjoyment.
Because each student is different, we strive to teach in a way that takes into account their unique learning profile. Additionally, educating students requires more than memorization;, it requires creating an environment that helps to develop social, physical, emotional, and intellectual skills. By teaching the whole student, we can help them to develop the necessary skills, values, and motivations to be educated, well-rounded, engaged, and productive members of society.
Biology class provides tangible life-study opportunities. Students incubate chicken eggs, observing evolution of the organism from fetal development through hatching, learning about animal behavior in real time. Drosophila (fruit flies) are cultured in class to study genetics and how different traits are passed on through the generations. Working with trout in the classroom and applying observations to larger habitat and environmental topics is yet another example of hands on inquiry-based scientific study.
Every Greenwood Physics segment begins with a thorough demonstration using apparatus to illustrate a physical phenomenon taking place. Curiosity leads to inquiry. When questions can no longer be answered using simple language, students build sophisticated mathematical models to address complex questions. Their “language” evolves and gets more refined through discovery. Students close every physics segment with an experiment to measure how close their predictions compared to reality.
Courses Offered:
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Physical Science
- Earth and Environmental Science
- Watershed Science
- Ecology
- GIS and Mapping
- Middle School Integrated Science
Science is based on curiosity for the natural world.
