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Hands-on: New Middle School Science Curriculum Focuses on Lab-based Exploration
Second-year Eighth Grade Science Teacher Lucy Alexander’s preparation for this school year began the previous spring, as a participant in Bush’s Growth Coaching Program. With help from her growth coach, Middle School Visual Arts Teacher Rebecca Pleasure, Lucy’s goal was to create a more structured map of her curriculum’s trajectory through the year. After working with Rebecca, doing some research, and speaking with other science teachers, Lucy decided to use a more lab-focused approach to teaching science this school year.
“Bush is all about experiential learning, and I believe that how that shows up in science is allowing students to explore scientific concepts while physically doing them,” Lucy said.
There are numerous inherent advantages to the lab-based model. Lucy’s units often begin with a lab, which allows students to explore certain concepts in a lab setting before explicitly going into the content. Working in groups of three to four students, the labs also encourage collaboration and group problem solving skills. While some labs are tightly structured, in other labs there are opportunities for students to pick their own variables and experiment more freely with the materials provided.
“I want them to get really comfortable in a lab setting and be able to design their own experiments. Generally the students have enjoyed the hands-on and collaborative aspects. They’re enjoying how active it is,” Lucy said.
Seventh Grade science teacher Joon Um has also begun using a similar curricular approach in his life science classes, ensuring that students have academic continuity as they progress through Middle School. Similarly, Lucy has met with Upper School Science Department co-chairs Nicole Iranon and Laura LeBlanc to review what essential skills students need to know to be prepared for Upper School science classes. This fits in with the overall theme of crafting what a Bush student’s education looks like from division-to-division, and K-12 overall.
Lucy is excited to further expand and refine the curriculum and she works on it for future years. She is still working with Rebecca this year in the Growth Coaching Program.
“It’s really a foundation for me to build upon and expand from,” Lucy said. Additionally, the Growth Coaching Program “gives me a place to think very intentionally about my teaching practices and learn from them.”
As her students work on labs in the classroom, so too does Lucy take an iterative process to create the best possible outcomes for her students.
-by Colin Murray, Communications Manager
The Bush School is an independent, coeducational day school located in Seattle, WA enrolling 715 students in grades K–12. The mission of The Bush School is to spark in students of diverse backgrounds and talents a passion for learning, accomplishment, and contribution to their communities.
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