Science

Differentiation between living and non-living things. (Age 3-4)
Differentiation between animals and plants; basic characteristics (Age 3-5)
Observation of animals in nature.
First puzzles representing the biological parts of flowers, root systems, and trees, along with the anatomical features of common animals. These are first used by very young children and puzzles, then as a means to learn the vocabulary, then are related to photos and/or the “real thing,” then traced onto paper, and finally with labels as a reading experience.
Nomenclature Cards:
Botany: identifying, naming, and labeling the parts of plants, trees, leaves, roots, and flowers.

Zoology: identifying, naming, and labeling the external parts of human beings, insects, fish, birds, and other animals.
Introduction of the families of the animal kingdom, and identification and classification of animals into the broad families. Introduction to the basic characteristics, life-styles, habitats, and means of caring for young of each family in the animal kingdom. (Age 5-7)
Introduction to ecology: habitat, food chain, adaptation to environment and climate, predator-prey relationships, camouflage, and other body adaptations of common animals.
Advanced elementary biology study: the names and functions of different forms of leaves, flowers, seeds, trees, plants, and animals. This usually begins with considerably more field work collecting specimens or observing.
Study of evolution and the development of life on the Earth over the eons. (Age 6 and up)
Study of the internal parts of vertebrates: limbs, body coverings, lungs, heart, skeleton, reproduction. (Age 5-8)
Advanced study of plants in class, greenhouse and garden: experimenting with soil, nutrients, light, etc. (Age 6 and up)
More advanced study of the animal kingdom: classification by class and phyla. (Age 7 and up)
The plant kingdom: Study of the major families of plant life on the Earth and classification by class and phyla. (Age 7 and up)
Life cycles; water, oxygen, carbon-dioxide, and nitrogen. (Age 7 and up)
Introduction to chemistry: Begins at age 6 and continues throughout the elementary science curriculum
The three states of matter
Basic atomic theory
How elements are created through stellar fusion
Elements and compounds
Mendelov’s table of the elements
Basic molecular theory: Building atomic models
Physical and chemical changes
Research into the elements and continued study of the periodic table
Introduction to chemistry lab experiments
Animal behavior: detailed observation. (Age 9 and up)
Anatomy: Systems of the animal and human body. (Age 9 and up)
Health and nutrition. (Age 9 and up)
Ecology: Advanced study of the interrelationships of life forms. (Age 9 and up)
Development of skills in careful observation, recording and describing, and use of increasingly sophisticated techniques of measurement.
Development of skills using common scientific apparatus: microscopes, telescopes, hand lens, collecting field specimens, dissecting, preparing displays.
Development of field science skills: tracking, listening, observing.
Development of scientific inquiry skills: forming hypothesis, designing experiments, recording results.
Study of the great inventions; machines and technology and their effect on society throughout history.
Study of the great scientists.
Introduction to the physical sciences: (Age 10-12)
Geology and mineralogy
Meteorology
Astronomy and cosmology
Elementary physics: light, electricity, magnetic fields, gravity, mass.
Preparing and analyzing all sorts of graphs and data displays; basic statistics.