Inquiry Based Science Learning

Science study at Shaker Road School is enhanced by the school’s natural setting. Situated on nearly 80 acres of land, students have exposure to diverse habitats, including ponds, a pine barrens, woodlands, Lake Winnisquam, and the Merrimack River. Beginning in the youngest grades, the emphasis is on exposure to fundamental concepts such as natural cycles, seasons from a holistic perspective, and a diverse and ongoing understanding of plants and animals. As students enter the primary grades, they are introduced to scientific methods through hands-on and problem solving activities.

The objective of Middle School science is to understand the various scientific disciplines and their relationships as integral to a much larger and more complex Earth Science System. Beginning in Fifth Grade, students participate in several rotating science curriculum cycles. Fifth and Sixth Graders study Earth and Life Science. In Seventh and Eighth Grade, students focus on physics, and chemistry. All science instruction incorporates both labs and technology.

The science curriculum is enhanced by an annual school-wide science fair in the spring and week-long field trips, including:

• Sixth Grade: Lake Ecology Program at Lake Winnisquam with a focus on population sampling, observation analysis, and more.
• Seventh Grade: Alpine trip to the White Mountains to learn geology, weather and erosion patterns, and more.