Science
The CMS science program is designed to provide students with the opportunity for hands-on, investigative, problem-solving experiences with a variety of science topics, while integrating 21st century skills and focusing on the nature of science. In addition to developing laboratory skills, students will be given a foundation of basic science concepts, terminology, graphing, data analysis, measurement and math application. Teachers provide the instructional framework that breaks down the practice of scientific explanation into manageable components – claim, evidence, and reasoning. This framework enhances students’ conceptual understanding and ability to think and communicate scientifically. The CMS science program follows the Cherry Creek School District Middle School Curriculum, which is aligned with the Colorado Academic Standards for Science.
21st Century Skills in Science
Colorado's Description of 21st Century Skills
Colorado's description of 21st century skills is a synthesis of the essential abilities students must apply in our rapidly changing world. Today’s students need a repertoire of knowledge and skills that are more diverse, complex, and integrated than any previous generation. These skills do not stand alone in the standards, but are woven into the evidence outcomes, inquiry questions, and application and are within the nature of science. Science inherently demonstrates each of Colorado’s 21st century skills, as follows.