Science

All students will graduate from Highline with an appreciation of science and the skills and knowledge to:

• Engage in public discussions on science and technology issues;
• Be careful consumers of scientific and technological information;
• Continue to learn about science outside of school;
• Enter careers in science, engineering and technology, if they choose.

Learning Standards

Our students will develop a deep understanding of core science ideas through actively engaging in science and engineering practices and applying cross-cutting concepts. Our science programs align with the Washington State K-12 Science Learning Standards. As educators, we implement Ambitious Science Teaching, research-based instructional practices that align to the instructional shifts of the standards.

Effective Practices for Equitable Science Teaching

Use students’ ideas and experiences as resources

Students’ everyday ideas, experiences, and questions are treated as resources within the classroom community to advance everyone’s thinking.

Foster productive discourse

Teachers provide daily opportunities for students to reason through talk.

Scaffold talk, writing, and participation

Students have access to tools and routines to support writing, talk, and participation.

Make thinking visible to work on ideas together

Student thinking is regularly made public and used as a resource in the classroom community.

Build complex and cumulative understanding

Learning experiences are sequenced and documented to help students integrate ideas together and revise understandings of big science ideas.