Science in early grades within PG schools

[Anonymous]

How do the PGCPS schools handle science curriculums for grades k-3 or 4, whether within a general, TAG, or other specialty school? Is it daily? Weekly? Bi-weekly or similar? I ask as I have heard from many parents around the DC metro area that early grade dedicated science education in the various public school systems is severely lacking. I am wondering if PG is the same or does it differently. Hoping for the latter..

[Anonymous]

It is highly dependent on
1) The school
2) The teacher
3) If the classes are departmentalized (i.e. kids move from one teacher to another for different subjects)

Our experience has been that the instruction day is roughly broken down into thirds. One for English, one for math and one for Science/Social Studies/Health. My daughter's Science/Social Studies/Health teacher did 2 days science, 2 days social studies and 1 day health per week. Some weeks she was running experiments so they did science all week though.

I was pleasantly surprised that some of the reading they did in 4th grade English and their spelling words were correlated to what they were covering in Science/Social Studies/Health.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is highly dependent on
1) The school
2) The teacher
3) If the classes are departmentalized (i.e. kids move from one teacher to another for different subjects)

Our experience has been that the instruction day is roughly broken down into thirds. One for English, one for math and one for Science/Social Studies/Health. My daughter's Science/Social Studies/Health teacher did 2 days science, 2 days social studies and 1 day health per week. Some weeks she was running experiments so they did science all week though.

I was pleasantly surprised that some of the reading they did in 4th grade English and their spelling words were correlated to what they were covering in Science/Social Studies/Health.

Thank you.

Please forgive me, yet when you say Health, do you mean gym or similar?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is highly dependent on
1) The school
2) The teacher
3) If the classes are departmentalized (i.e. kids move from one teacher to another for different subjects)

Our experience has been that the instruction day is roughly broken down into thirds. One for English, one for math and one for Science/Social Studies/Health. My daughter's Science/Social Studies/Health teacher did 2 days science, 2 days social studies and 1 day health per week. Some weeks she was running experiments so they did science all week though.

I was pleasantly surprised that some of the reading they did in 4th grade English and their spelling words were correlated to what they were covering in Science/Social Studies/Health.

Thank you.

Please forgive me, yet when you say Health, do you mean gym or similar?

Health is things like units on preventing drug and alcohol use, anti-smoking, healthy eating, taking care of your teeth. From the PGCPS site " The Maryland Health Education State Curriculum (SC) has Seven Standards:

1. Mental and Emotional Health – Students will demonstrate the ability to use mental and emotional health knowledge, skills, and strategies to enhance one’s self-concept and one’s relationship with others.

2. Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs - Students will demonstrate the ability to use drug knowledge, decision-making skills, and health enhancing strategies to address, the non-use, use, and abuse of medications, alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

3. Personal and Consumer Health - Students will demonstrate the ability to use knowledge, skills, and strategies to develop sound personal and consumer health practices involving the use of health care products, services, and community resources.

4. Family Life and Human Sexuality – Students will demonstrate the ability to use human development knowledge, social skills, and health enhancing strategies to promote positive relationships and healthy growth and development throughout the life cycle.

5. Safety and Injury Prevention - Students will demonstrate the ability to apply prevention and intervention knowledge, skills, and processes to promote safe living in the home, school, and community.

6. Nutrition and Fitness - Students will demonstrate the ability to use nutrition and fitness knowledge, skills, and strategies to promote a healthy lifestyle.

7. Disease Prevention and Control - Students will demonstrate the ability to apply prevention and treatment knowledge, skills, and strategies to reduce susceptibility and manage disease."


They have physical education (gym) for one hour 5 times in a 2 week period (2 times one week, 3 times the next).