Science

Science at Sisters Elementary School begins with curiosity, observing the world, asking questions, noticing patterns, and wondering why things happen. As students progress through the elementary years, those natural questions develop into increasingly sophisticated scientific thinking. Students learn to make predictions, investigate ideas, gather and interpret information, recognize cause and effect, and use evidence to draw conclusions.

Science at SES also extends beyond the traditional classroom. Students have regular opportunities to visit the STEM Lab, where instruction connects science with technology, engineering, mathematics, and real-world problem-solving. Environmental science, the STEM Garden and Greenhouse, and partnerships with local and regional organizations provide additional opportunities to connect learning to the remarkable natural environment surrounding Sisters.

Have questions? Please contact Sisters Elementary School for more information or assistance

Building the Foundation

In the early elementary years, science begins with exploration and observation. Young learners are naturally curious about how the world works, and teachers encourage them to ask questions, investigate, describe what they notice, and begin recognizing patterns. Hands-on experiences help students understand that science is not simply a collection of facts, it is a way of exploring questions and making sense of the world around them.

In First Grade, students increasingly search for their own answers to questions about the natural world. They explore patterns and begin investigating concepts related to plants and animals, the human body, water and weather, and forces such as pushing, pulling, and motion. These experiences establish important habits of scientific thinking: observe, question, explore, and explain.

Recognizing Patterns & Making Predictions

By Second Grade, students begin using what they already know to make predictions and identify patterns in nature. Their understanding of Earth science grows as they explore natural resources, how people use those resources, and how Earth changes over time. Fossils provide a way to begin thinking about Earth's history, while studies of plants and animals deepen students' understanding of life cycles. Science at SES also becomes increasingly connected to the local environment. The school's STEM and environmental science programming gives students opportunities to investigate the natural world through applied learning. For example, the current SES program includes geology experiences in second grade, supported through community partnerships.

Investigating Systems & Gathering Evidence

In Third Grade, scientific investigations become more detailed. Students explore increasingly complex systems, including relationships among the sun, Earth, and moon; weather; food chains and other living systems; landforms and bodies of water; states of matter; sound; and light. Students are increasingly expected to make thoughtful predictions based on their observations rather than simply describing what they see. Hands-on and place-based experiences continue to strengthen this learning. SES's environmental science programming includes opportunities to study topics such as hydrology and the life cycles of trout, connecting classroom science to the ecosystems and natural resources of Central Oregon. Partnerships with organizations such as the U.S. Forest Service, Upper Deschutes Watershed Council, Central Oregon Geological Society, Children's Forest, Think Wild, and others help bring additional expertise and authentic experiences into student learning.

Connecting Science to the World Around Us

As students move through the upper elementary grades, science increasingly asks them to bring different skills together. Fourth Grade learning is intentionally integrated across disciplines through approaches such as Storyline, allowing science to connect with reading, writing, mathematics, social studies, and the creative arts. Students continue developing their ability to investigate questions, communicate ideas, make connections, and understand scientific concepts within a broader context.

By Fifth Grade, students have become increasingly capable scientific thinkers who can observe and experiment, gather information, and use evidence to draw conclusions. Their understanding expands to more complex physical, Earth, and life science concepts, including processes of living things such as photosynthesis and digestion, Earth's resources and human impacts on those resources, matter and chemical reactions, Earth's atmosphere and weather, and the solar system. Students are also able to draw upon the mathematics and scientific skills developed throughout elementary school to interpret their observations and approach increasingly sophisticated questions.

Learning Through STEM & Our Community

A distinctive part of science education at Sisters Elementary is the opportunity to apply learning. SES students visit the STEM Lab approximately one to two times each week, where learning is centered on science, computer science, mathematics, engineering, and real-life problem-solving. Programs include environmental science, applied mathematics, engineering basics, movement and mechanics, computer science, and experiences through the STEM Garden and Greenhouse.

These experiences are strengthened by community partnerships that help students understand the environment in which they live. One of the goals of SES's Environmental Science Program is for students to understand how the natural world works, how people interact with it, and how human actions affect the environment, while developing knowledge of the native plants, fish, animals, and ecosystems of Central Oregon.

The K-5 Journey

Across the elementary years, the progression is intentional: curiosity develops into observation; observation leads to questions and predictions; questions lead to investigation; and investigation develops into the ability to gather evidence, recognize relationships, and draw informed conclusions.

By the end of fifth grade, our goal is for students to see science not simply as something they study, but as something they do. Whether examining a living organism, investigating water and geology, experimenting in the STEM Lab, studying the environment, or asking questions about Earth and space, students learn to approach the world with curiosity, evidence, creativity, and a willingness to keep asking why, how, and what if?