SCIENCE
In Spotsylvania County Schools, our vision is that all students will achieve scientific literacy. Our curriculum follows the Science Standards of Learning for Virginia’s Public Schools which identifies academic content at different grade levels.
Standards are identified for kindergarten through grade five, for middle school, and for a core set of high school courses--Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Throughout a student’s schooling from kindergarten through grade six, specific science content strands, or topics are included. These strands are
· Scientific Investigation, Reasoning, and Logic;
· Force, Motion, and Energy;
· Matter;
· Life Processes;
· Living Systems;
· Interrelationships in Earth/Space Systems;
· Earth Patterns, Cycles and Change; and
· Resources
The Standards of Learning in each strand progress in complexity at each grade level K-6 and are represented indirectly throughout the high school courses. In grade 7, students take Life Science and in grade 8, Physical Science. In high school, a variety of science electives are available to our students. These include classes from the core areas of Biology, Earth Science, and Chemistry, as well as courses in Human Anatomy and Physiology, Environmental Science, Meteorology, Astronomy, and Marine Science. Advanced Placement courses are offered in Biology and Chemistry. End of course SOL tests are given in grades 3, 5, 8, Earth Science, Biology, and Chemistry.
Many of the standards in the Science Standards of Learning begin with the phrase, “Students will investigate and understand.” This phrase was chosen to communicate the range of rigorous science skills and knowledge levels embedded in each standard. The standards rest on the premise that science is an active process. We believe that learning science is something that students do, not something that is done to them.