Dannah DeVore

Quest in Science is proud to present Science Investigators, an introductory science course that teaches young learners to investigate the physical world around them with analytical minds, scientific eyes, and experiment-ready hands.  Science Investigators will cover three quarters, with a different topic to explore each quarter.  Children will work together in small lab groups to perform experiments and make observations.  Your child will maintain a folder of our adventures together that can be used as their evidence of science in your records; please encourage your child to share what they are learning with you and your family.

Homework:  Occasional

Type of Class:  Students that attend this class and do the homework do not need to do additional learning outside of the class to learn this subject.

Prerequisites:  To get the most out of this class, participants should also be able to read long numbers, decimals, and fractions, and do basic math calculations including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; students should also be able to read and write at a paragraph level.  Accommodations are available for students who are just learning these skills; please let us know at the start of the term if your child may need these so that they can be provided from Day 1!

Science Investigators is a 3 year program that offers hands-on experiments and activities designed to learn 9 different topics in science!  Your child can take this class for 3 years and never repeat a subject!  After completing this series of science classes, your child is ready for our suite of Middle School science classes!

Fall - Forces & Engineering

In “Forces and Engineering,” students will enjoy exploring what makes objects move and why.  Newton's three laws will be investigated with hands-on experiments.  Students will learn about inertia, unbalanced forces, acceleration, friction, equal and opposite forces and gravity.  Students will also learn how these principles apply to the human-built world around them, harnessing different forces into age-appropriate engineering projects that solve a problem humans face.  In the last few weeks of the quarter, the class will be given a new problem, and each group will work to apply the principles they have learned and design their own solution.

Winter - Air & Space

“Air and Space” takes young learners into the sky, focusing on the different forms of flight (airplanes, balloons, kites, and rockets) that humans can achieve and how we make flight happen.  Students will begin with simple projects that explore inertia, lift, and other related concepts, building paper airplanes and gliders.  Students will learn about the different levels of gravity and what is required to move from the Earth’s surface into its atmosphere.  We will explore what it takes to survive in space and the demands of the space program on astronauts and spacecraft.  Students will also study the history of space exploration and the technological achievements made so far.  At the end of the quarter, students will discuss the planets of the Solar System, what it would take to inhabit them, and why humans live on Earth.

Spring - Marine Bio & Oceanography

In “Marine Bio and Oceanography,” students will investigate the interplay of powerful forces that shape the ocean shores and floors.  Students will begin with an introduction to a watery world that’s completely unlike the land they know.  They will move through the ocean zones, identifying life forms, observing specimens, and sorting marine creatures into scientific groups.  Students will study the properties of water and the composition of sand, tracing the origins of different sand types and exploring how minerals from deep within the Earth end up in our oceans and beaches.  Students will investigate the ocean floor and shorelines, learning how to map, measure, and change each feature.  At the end of the quarter, students will demonstrate their understanding of SONAR and waves by creating ocean floor dioramas.