Question about science in school (also social studies)

[SKL]

This has happened every year so far from grades 1-4.  The class only gets through the earliest chapters in their science and social studies texts.  Last night my kid's homework was to complete a review for chapter 2 in science.  No word yet on when the test will be.

 

Their science books always start with stuff about what is science, scientific method, what is technology, design process.  I don't really know what comes next.  When do they study biology or earth science?

 

Similarly, their social studies curriculum generally gets done up to the point where white people are settling the land.  A little bit of map reading gets mixed in.

 

In math they usually get to some early chapter in the B book (Singapore).

 

On one hand, I guess this means the stuff they do teach is actually being covered?  Or is it that all the extras - computers, Spanish, music, religion, free reading time etc. - are eating up time that would be spent on science / social studies?

 

What is your experience with your school?  Do you think it matters if they don't really do much science / social studies in elementary school?

 

For my part, I can supply other options to fill in gaps, but I'm frankly sick of going over "what is technology" over and over.  :P

[Dmmetler]

Middle school and high school.

 

Seriously, there was very little to no real history or science covered even when I was in school in K-5, and honestly, everything done in 6-8 was done again in high school. 

 

I don't thinjk it's the "Extras" so much as focus on math/reading. Really, even if the test includes social studies and science, it's usually more of a reading test than anything else (this is the case even for the ACT. If you can read and interpret charts/graphs/tables, you'll do fine even if you've never taken classes covering the content. Actually, for my DD, I've found that she has a harder time on some practice passages because she knows more than the passage includes, and therefore knows that more than one or that no answer is completely correct.), so if you want your kids to do well, you do social studies and science less than reading. And many reading textbooks do include some social studies and science mixed in as well.

 

I think the lack of math probably has more to do with a teacher's comfort level. I know when DD was in PS, she'd come out complaining that "We didn't do math again today", and I really think it's because she had a teacher who really loved the diving in and having kids dress up as historical figures or characters from a story and elaborate crafts, but didn't really like math much. So, math was both taught less, and taught in much more boring ways than other subjects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 10, 2016 by dmmetler

[mathnerd]

This is not typical in most private schools - in ours, they give a weekly lesson plan to the child every monday. So, the child can see what the teachers will cover each day of the week for science, history etc. They have science and history 4 days per week. 3rd grade covered astronomy and biology for the first 2 trimesters in science. In history, they are doing California history this year. They are "STEAM" focused so, they make science and history as 2 of their core subjects and hence the emphasis on science. Traditional schools consider Math and LA as the "core" and the other subjects as not very important in elementary schools. That might well be the case in your school.

 

I think that you have a good plan in supplying other options to fill the gaps - science is important in late elementary grades. A really good way to add in extra science is to go to your local science museum, aquarium, marine research center etc on a family field trip.

Edited March 10, 2016 by mathnerd

[Bluegoat]

That seems very strange to me.  Does it take them the whole year to do it, or do they start out doing them and then drop the subjects

 

I am not inclined to think book-work is the only or even best way for young kids to cover these subjects, but if they are being totally left out because of focus on testable subjects, I would not be hhappy and would talk to the teacher about it.

[vonfirmath]

We do not have a "book" at home that tells us what chapters are being covered. (They might have one in the class. there is at least a class set of books on the shelves that I know get used occasionally, though I do not remember what subject they were.) But I know a range of science topics have been covered. None of them very in depth, sure. But he's 3rd grade. There is time.  They seem to go back and forth in covering a social studies topic or a science topic every week.  Social Studies might be the Constitution/form of Government. Or information about 4-5 famous inventors. Another week is talking about famous brand names and how they started. Etc. SOmething to tie them together, finishing up with a 2page multiple choice test at the end of the week. But he is learning information because he will come out with a fact he learned on the way home, etc.  DD (preschool) spent a month on animals and habitats. This month they are covering nutrition -- making good choices of food, etc.  January I believe they spent time on different countries and cultures -- so very broad information. But still there. (Not so much social studies. What history/social studies they get has to do with the books chosen to be read. But they do a LOT of play/learning to get along with each other/learning how to control oneself when you are in a bad mood. Which could be considered citizenship.)

 

I believe 4th grade is Texas History so the social studies will likely be focused on that next year. (And 7th grade too. In fact the BIG Texas history I remember is 7th grade.)

Edited March 10, 2016 by vonfirmath

[Library Momma]

Here in K -3 separate time for history and science is pretty sparse.  It is mostly incorporated in reading and language arts, but there are some fun hands on projects like growing seeds, making butter, etc.  Math would be relative to the students level and what math group they are in.  In 4th grade science picks up and they learn general earth science and basic physical science.  Social Studies is a mix of civics and geography.  In 5th grade science they rotate through units including astronomy, anatomy, nutrition, the different systems in the body and a few others that I can't remember.  5th grade history begins with the explorers and makes its way through the French and Indian War.  In 4th and 5th again math would relate to the group the student is in.

 

In K-5 however science and social studies are always  incorporated into the other subjects.  Often its hard to separate.  If a first grader is doing a book report on bats or Spain or Harriet Tubman it is no longer just language arts.  In Library when students do a non-fiction book report or use an Atlas, it incorporates social studies.  In computers if they use Google Earth or create a power point it is not just "computers."  Even in art and music they learn about artists and art or music  from other cultures or points in history.  I don't think it is ever really easy to separate subjects and not have overlap, except perhaps with math and gym.  OK maybe not gym when they learn about nutrition and keeping their body healthy.

[SKL]

That seems very strange to me.  Does it take them the whole year to do it, or do they start out doing them and then drop the subjects

 

I am not inclined to think book-work is the only or even best way for young kids to cover these subjects, but if they are being totally left out because of focus on testable subjects, I would not be hhappy and would talk to the teacher about it.

 

I thought in 3rd grade it was because there was a lot of testing in 3rd grade that "mattered."  Now in 4th grade they are moving even more slowly, or so it seems.

 

The grades in those subjects are relatively low also.  I guess it may be because months pass between the time they do lesson 1 and the time they take the test.  Plus, frankly, the texts are not so great, but nobody asked me.  :P

 

I assume the upcoming test will involve memorizing the "8 steps in the design process," which will be immediately forgotten after the test even if they do manage to get them right.  :/  I dunno, it almost seems like they'd be better off not doing this stuff, or at least not being tested on it.

 

[AggieMama]

The school I teach at we spend about 30-45 minutes twice a week on social studies and 30-45 minutes per day on science. I think we are suppose to spend more time, but because of dismissal, etc. the time gets eaten up. I teach third grade and a swear we spend about an hour in a line of some sort every day. Grrrr!!!!!

[SKL]

Yeah, they do test on science and social studies on the Terra Nova each year.  My kids do fine on it, but then they get a lot of science and social studies exposure outside of school.

[MistyMountain]

They barely touch on it in the majority of schools I toured. At the school my kids go to they only do very basic science and not much of it. They also do not do much history either. What they do do is not world history it has to do with the holidays like they learn about Martin Luther King around Martin Luther King day and the pilgrims on Thanksgiving. I really wish they taught science and history better because it is something a lot of kids enjoy learning and it is fundamental to understanding how the world works. The area I grew up did a better job then the area I live now but I think barely covering it is more the norm in most schools for the elementary grades.

[SKL]

Well, if they're only going to pay it lip service, I think I'd rather they didn't bother.

[Tsuga]

This has happened every year so far from grades 1-4.  The class only gets through the earliest chapters in their science and social studies texts.  Last night my kid's homework was to complete a review for chapter 2 in science.  No word yet on when the test will be.

 

Their science books always start with stuff about what is science, scientific method, what is technology, design process.  I don't really know what comes next.  When do they study biology or earth science?

 

Similarly, their social studies curriculum generally gets done up to the point where white people are settling the land.  A little bit of map reading gets mixed in.

 

In math they usually get to some early chapter in the B book (Singapore).

 

On one hand, I guess this means the stuff they do teach is actually being covered?  Or is it that all the extras - computers, Spanish, music, religion, free reading time etc. - are eating up time that would be spent on science / social studies?

 

What is your experience with your school?  Do you think it matters if they don't really do much science / social studies in elementary school?

 

For my part, I can supply other options to fill in gaps, but I'm frankly sick of going over "what is technology" over and over.  :p

 

I'm PMing you with the curriculum.

 

We have those subjects in our school.

 

The curriculum is online.

 

This is public school.

[KathyBC]

Yup. And then in the higher grades they start racing through every. single. chapter. to cover everything for finals. Brutal.

 

Knowing how to sift through the learning outcomes, spend the bulk of the time on what is important, and how to touch on the less important topics seems to be a real art form that is not as common as one might like.

Edited March 11, 2016 by KathyBC

[debi21]

Most days I ask my son (1st) if he did any social studies or science. The answer is almost always no. In social studies the only thing I know for sure they studied was Mesopotamia. In science, they did a packet on the human body and processes (respiration, digestion, etc.) and studied the phases of the moon. For the year, that's all that he's told me about, that I can remember. Art is the third subject that they never seem to do, although supposedly they do it every Friday.

 

 

[Arcadia]

For K-5

Social studies is just covering things like Martin Luther King, Rosa Park and all the general info behind federal holidays. They use the Ewan Moor worksheets.

Science is done when the teacher is in the mood. No state test for science at all from K-5. The curriculum is FOSS California edition.

 

For 6-8,

Science is done using the district approved textbooks which I think is still the Pearson California edition series but I didn't ask my neighbors with middle school kids recently. They just go by the teacher's guide so it gets done but how well is teacher dependent.

Social studies has textbooks too for 6-8.

 

Art almost never get done but Music gets done by a music teacher in music room. IT also gets done because the kids would go to the computer room for IT and is done by the IT personnel.

[kiwik]

The NZ curriculum does have social studies and science but it is fairly random depending on your teacher.  National standards only apply to reading, writing and maths.  I don't expect to see a textbook for any subject until high school if then so it is hard to tell whether they are doing what they should.  They are subjects I cover for the most part.

[EKS]

I think that not getting through the material--when you have planned to--is a sign of a mediocre teacher.  All the good teachers I have known seem to have a sense of urgency.

[kiwik]

I think that not getting through the material--when you have planned to--is a sign of a mediocre teacher.  All the good teachers I have known seem to have a sense of urgency.

 

 

I do think though that teachers sometimes get so much pressure from on high to urgently address x,y or z that the time they had planned to spend gets eaten up.