A Science Curriculum Proven To Increase Growth
It has always been the goal of Ballancrest Academy at Blakeney in Charlotte, North Carolina, to provide our children with the educational foundation necessary for academic success. The science curriculum we have chosen is based on five modules, such as properties of matter and neighborhood habitat, and is proven to be effective. Children engaged in this lesson plan have shown significant cognitive and linguistic gains on standardized tests. For example, children in ScienceStart! have achieved a significant gain of 0.5 standard deviations on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test.
Measurement and Mapping
Measurement and mapping is the first module. It is taught at the beginning of the year and is designed to help your child form a community and establish routines. In these lessons, your child is exposed to the science cycle and various forms of measurement. To understand and organize important dates, your child learns representations in the following forms:
• Charts |
• Drawings |
• Graphs |
• Photography |
• Writing |
Movement and Machines
The second module, movement, and machines are geared toward teaching your child to make observations on how their bodies bend, twirl, dance, and relax. They must then take these observations and explore the movements of other objects, such as spinning tops and pendulums. Gravity and friction are investigated, and then simple machines used in daily life are introduced, including:
• Axles |
• Levers |
• Pulleys |
• Ramps |
• Wheels |