Donning lab coats and armed with science notebooks, Arrowhead Elementary School kindergarten students have been exploring a number of complex science topics during recent visits to the building’s science lab.

The initiative is part of the district’s implementation of New York State’s K-12 Next Generation Science Standards, which emphasizes a three-dimensional approach to instruction. 

“The goal is to design experiences in our labs and classrooms that help build a better understanding of science over time,” explained kindergarten teacher Janice Connolly. “The kindergarten students will be introduced to weather and climate, forces and interactions, matter and its interactions, and interdependent relationships in ecosystems.”

Throughout the year, the students will be visiting the lab every other week to explore these and other concepts. During their first introductory lesson, they learned what a scientist does and explored various objects with the tools that scientists use before documenting their investigations in their science notebooks.