SCIENCE
Science is a
Process
The world is full of natural phenomena which children (and adults) experience daily. They make us question:
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WHY is this happening?
HOW does this work?
WHAT is this?
How do we turn this natural questioning into science? At Peregrine School, we try to imitate the actions of a professional in whatever discipline we are studying. This leads to active rather than passive learning. In science, we do the active work of scientists: we observe, record, communicate, question, experiment, analyze, reflect, compare our work to the findings of others, and do it all again.
Science is a perfect subject for project based learning, since it is all about inquiry and problem solving. And most importantly, science is fun for kids.
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Young Children are
Natural Explorers
Preschool is a perfect time to expose children to the habits of mind of science. Science always starts with a real experience in the world: a plant, animal, rock, nature walk, garden exploration, or experiment in the classroom. From this experience, we challenge children to ask questions, to communicate what they see, to analyze and think clearly. They pool knowledge, and ask more questions.
Science for
Citizenship
Our foremost science applications at Peregrine School are enhancements of our own environment, creating gardens, compost piles, and solar ovens, among other things, which then become ongoing sources of inquiry. In addition, as children get older, we ask questions about science and industry in our world, and in some cases take actions beyond our school. Peregrine children have written a book about conserving vernal pools and sold it in bookstores downtown, have entered (and won) county poster contests about conserving water, and have participated in habitat
restoration at Putah Creek.
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