Science

The Middle School Science Program at Trevor Day School helps students make sense of how the natural and designed worlds work. Students are challenged to think critically and independently, to recognize and weigh alternative explanations of events, and to deal sensibly with problems involving evidence, numbers, patterns, logical arguments, and uncertainties. Students acquire scientific literacy through guided discovery, problem solving, cooperative learning, and appreciation of real world relevance. Student explorations are active, innovative and technologically forward.
All Middle School science includes a mixture of Biology, Physics and Chemistry. The curriculum seeks to engage students in direct experience and experimentation. Captivating and developmentally appropriate academic challenges maximize the interest and participation of all students.

Grade 6

Sixth-grade science focuses on Earth, Space and Physical Science. Students explore many intriguing aspects of the earth and the universe through the units Only One Ocean, Plate Tectonics, Sun-Earth Connections, Chemical Reactions, Moons of Jupiter and Environmental Detectives. Student activities include construction of scalar models of the sun and earth, surveys of magnetic fields, estimates of lava viscosities, a lab-based squid dissection and graphing temperatures around the world. Field trips include visits to the Coney Island Aquarium, Central Park, the Hayden Planetarium, and the Museum of Natural History.

Grade 7

Seventh-grade science units include Dry Ice Investigations, Colors and Light, Microscope Explorations, Plant and Animal Cells, Genetics, and Introduction to Developmental Biology and Evolution. Lab activities include a diffraction analysis of the visible light spectrum, microscopic studies of both the living and nonliving, 3-dimensional model construction of plant and animal cells, phenotypic sorting of genetic model organisms, and vertebrate dissection. Students gain invaluable insight into our technology-driven world, particularly with regards to biotechnology and health. Self-motivated research projects and field trips encourage them to develop their individual interests in science.

Grade 8

Eighth-grade students explore the behavior of organisms, elements, and their own mechanical creations in three original units: Engineering Motion, Reacting Elements, and Evolving Behavior. In the first unit, Engineering Motion, students convert electrical energy into mechanical motion while designing and building the “Rollster.” They learn to analyze video, collect data, and graph and measure motion as part of the process. During Reacting Elements, students investigate atomic structure, the Periodic Table, and the interaction of various chemical elements, using their enhanced engineering skills to construct an accurate and artistic atomic model. During Evolving Behavior, students take a compelling journey into the animal kingdom, where they learn about taxonomy and the evolutionary trends that shape behavior. They put concepts like natural selection and adaptive radiation to the test as they fight for food with makeshift beaks and research and observe animals at the Bronx Zoo. Creative presentations about their chosen animal’s status in the wild and in captivity, including reproductive, foraging and survival strategies, bring the year to an exciting close.