Introduced in kindergarten and evolving through high school, science at Maret is inspiring, rigorous, and directly connected to the world in which we live.
Maret’s science program is based on an inquiry model; students experiment, observe, make predictions, and test their hypotheses. Students design experiments, collect accurate data, and analyze results.
Our goal is to give the students both the opportunity and the desire to understand the natural world around them.”
At every level in science, students use tools and techniques new to them to discover the principles underlying the field. Once these are in place, we ask them to apply their newfound knowledge to novel problems and situations. Throughout their scientific career at Maret, students continue to develop their abilities to solve complex problems, to thoughtfully and carefully analyze data, and to develop strong scientific arguments that are always supported by evidence.
Maret continues to promote and encourage students to gain real-life, out-of-classroom experience in scientific areas.
- Approximately 20 students were placed in science related internships last year
- Made relationships with organizations have been strengthened allowing students a more reliable supply of internship mentors
- Students craft resumes and cover letters directed toward specific internships
- Younger students gain experience by participating in science programs to better position them for obtaining an internship the following summer
- Numbers of students participating in student internships continues to grow
LOWER SCHOOL science focuses on process: making observations, asking questions, setting up experiments, and analyzing data for patterns. Classes are small and are grounded in direct experience.
MIDDLE SCHOOL students start to weave foundational principles in biology, chemistry, and physics into project-based, problem-focused classes.
UPPER SCHOOL students take classes in biology, chemistry, and physics in a sequence that best suits their interests and learning styles. Students can also branch into upper-level electives that are wide ranging, from gravitational astrophysics to biotechnology.
Benefits of a K-12 Campus
SHAD FISH RESTORATION PROJECT
All students are exposed to science in all grades. It is important for educators to disseminate content so that it is meaningful and applicable to the world around them.
In our environmental chemistry course we try to do this through a service learning project involving shad fish restoration and water quality. Upper school students work hand-in-hand with first graders to construct a shad fish hatchery, monitor water quality of the hatchery, and care for and release shad fry into a local river.
As upper school students help first graders to understand water-testing procedures, the younger students become more comfortable with collecting and recording meaningful data. This project allows students who may not feel confident in science to explore what field scientists do on a daily basis, as well as apply the concepts learned in the classroom.
Often times students learn concepts in chemistry classes purely based upon formulaic calculations.
INSTEAD, THIS PROJECT TEACHES CONCEPTS SUCH AS SOLUTION CONCENTRATION OF DISSOLVED IONIC COMPOUNDS, PH, AND THE AFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON DISSOLVED GASES USING A HANDS ON APPROACH.
Providing students an opportunity to see the application of what is taught in the classroom helps them make greater connections to both the science they are learning and the impact humans have on the world.
Jeanne Deslich, Upper School Chemistry
THE BEST PART ABOUT THE SHAD PROJECT WAS GETTING TO WORK WITH THE FIRST GRADERS.
It really was a great experience getting to connect to them through the project. They were just as eager to build the hatchery as we were. The project made me realize how important the Potomac Watershed is to everyone living in its surrounding area, and how anyone at any age can help restore it.
Eleventh Grade Student
The project made me realize how important the Potomac Watershed is to everyone living in its surrounding area, and how anyone at any age can help restore it. ELEVENTH GRADE STUDENT