Science

St. Paul’s inquiry-driven and discovery-based approach to science is at the heart of the STEAM program.  Teachers foster a sense of curiosity and love of the natural world by starting with engaging questions rather than general scientific facts.  The student-centered questions, often student-initiated, are the building blocks for future discoveries acquired through a variety of hands-on, project-based initiatives inside and outside the classroom.

While teaching and assessing the Ohio Learning Standards, teachers utilize a variety of resources, including Mystery Science, an online discovery-based video curriculum for grades K-3, and a new Pearson science textbook series for grades 4-8.  The Pearson series combines an online personalized learning platform with a focus on the engineering and design model for the classroom. Teachers introduce an engaging question, initiate a hands-on lab experience, and follow up with an online lesson or assessment that addresses the learning.

 A yearly interdisciplinary Engineering and Design Science Fair for 8th-grade students is the capstone of the program.  Based on a question of their choosing, students complete a comprehensive research paper and conduct a study following the engineering and design process.  Students then present their findings to a wide variety of scientists, engineers, and other career professionals in our local Westerville community.