IIn a typical science class you will see various materials that stimulate thinking and exploration such as plants, terrariums, aquariums or collections (rocks for example). Children will be using science tools like magnifying glasses, magnets, rulers, binoculars, and scales. You will also see science reference books, magazines and story books with science themes and there will be space for ongoing investigations and projects.

Children ask questions, share and discuss their ideas and observations and the results of their investigations. They use technology and tools to do research or carry out investigations. Children use their math and language skills as part of their science investigations.

The children work together as a class, in small groups and individually to design and carry out investigations. They meet people who use science in their work and daily life. They also experience science outside the classroom in places such as the school yard, a local park, or a nature centre. Children learn by being active and curious participants in the learning process.

Talk with your child about school work. Even if you aren’t familiar with the topic, you can still be an interested listener. If you have science expertise, offer to share it with your child’s class. Give your child access to recyclables, odds and ends, and art material for building and making things. Encourage your child’s natural curiosity. Use your child’s experiences, everyday situations, and news headlines to think about and solve science problems. Your child’s questions can lead to investigations using observations, simple experiments, construction projects, discussions and research.

The design process helps children understand how science and engineering work together to find solutions to practical problems, and assist children in recognizing the important role of creativity in science. Students generate ideas for how to solve a problem, come up with a range of solutions, test the solutions through the building of models or prototypes and then analyze how well the chosen solutions work. The design process helps make science knowledge more meaningful to a child because they apply their science understandings to solve a concrete problem.

Science inquiry is a way of learning and being curious about the world. Students address questions about natural phenomena which include observing, predicting, planning investigations, collecting and interpreting information, and developing explanations using evidence from their observations. Science inquiry is about learning how a scientist thinks and what a scientist does to answer questions.