Kindergarten – Grade 2: Building Curiosity

• In grades K–2, students develop curiosity about the world around them through the Mystery Science curriculum, which is aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Lessons begin with engaging questions and real-world phenomena that encourage students to observe, investigate, and explain what they discover. Through hands-on investigations and collaborative learning, students explore life science, physical science, Earth and space science, and engineering while developing foundational scientific thinking and problem-solving skills. View the Mystery Science Storyline Progression

Grades 3–5: Exploring the Natural World

• In grades 3–5, students expand their scientific knowledge through increasingly complex investigations that connect classroom learning to the world around them. Using the Mystery Science curriculum, students study ecosystems, weather and climate, Earth's systems, energy, forces, heredity, and the solar system while designing solutions to engineering challenges. Students develop the skills to ask questions, analyze evidence, communicate scientific ideas, and apply their learning through authentic, hands-on experiences.  View the Mystery Science Storyline Progression

Grade 6 – Physical and Earth Systems

• The sixth-grade science curriculum engages students through hands-on investigations and the application of scientific and engineering practices. Students explore the engineering design process by defining problems, developing solutions, and evaluating designs. Throughout the year, students investigate energy and its transfer, forces and motion, the structure and properties of matter, Earth's history through plate tectonics and continental drift, and the interactions among Earth's systems, including the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. Students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills by analyzing data, developing models, constructing explanations, and supporting their conclusions with evidence.

Grade 7 – Life Science

• The seventh-grade science curriculum engages students through hands-on investigations and the application of scientific and engineering practices. Students explore the living world by examining cells as the basic units of life, how body systems work together to sustain organisms, how traits are inherited from one generation to the next, and how energy flows through ecosystems. Students also investigate biodiversity, natural selection, and the evidence supporting the theory of evolution. Throughout the year, students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills by analyzing data, developing models, constructing explanations, and supporting their conclusions with evidence.

Grade 8 – Earth & Space Science

• The eighth-grade science curriculum prepares students for high school science by deepening their understanding of key concepts in Physical Science and Earth & Space Science through hands-on investigations and the application of scientific and engineering practices. Students explore energy, including its forms, transfer, and conservation; cycles and systems in space, including the patterns of motion and relationships among celestial bodies; and weather and climate, examining how energy drives atmospheric processes and conditions on Earth. Throughout the year, students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills by analyzing data, developing models, constructing explanations, and supporting their conclusions with evidence. Students also prepare for the Grade 8 New York State Science Assessment, administered during the final quarter of the school year.

Grade 8 Honors – Earth & Space Science (Regents)

• Grade 8 Honors Earth & Space Science is an accelerated high school Regents course designed for students who have demonstrated exceptional achievement and interest in science. Students explore Earth's systems, geology, meteorology, astronomy, and the history of our planet through rigorous laboratory investigations and the application of scientific and engineering practices. This course fulfills the New York State laboratory requirement and culminates in the Earth & Space Science Regents Examination in June. As a high school credit-bearing course, the final course grade and Regents examination score become part of the student's official high school transcript.