The Science Curriculum in Primary and Lower Secondary Grades
The K to 5 science curriculum provides a course in science that spans the first seven years of schooling, from Kindergarten to Grade 5. The curriculum focuses on what humans need in order to live on Earth, such as energy sources and uses, and the properties and behavior of common materials.
The objectives of the K to 5 science curriculum include developing in students an enriched view of themselves, their environment, and the future, and increasing student awareness of and enthusiasm for further scientific learning.
The K to 5 science curriculum comprises the following:
- Strands—The four scientific domains around which the curriculum is organized: Earth and Space, Life Systems, Energy Systems, and Matter
- Standards—The knowledge, skills, and understanding that students are expected to achieve at each grade level, from Kindergarten to Grade 5
- Indicators—The knowledge, skills, and understanding that students are expected to demonstrate at each grade level, from Kindergarten to Grade 5
- Content—The subject matter taught in each grade
- Planning, Programming, and Assessing—Guidelines for creating an effective learning environment
- Glossary—An index of important terms used throughout the curriculum and their definitions
Public school standards in Abu Dhabi stipulate that Grade 5 students should develop proficiency in the following scientific competencies:
- Independently construct questions for scientific investigations; conduct scientific investigations based on fair testing; and collect, record, and analyze data
- Identify and describe relationships between living things
- Identify and describe energy sources, forms, changes in form, uses, and transfers
- Know that Earth is the source of most materials, and understand the concept of sustainability and its importance
- Recognize built environments as systems created to meet the needs of people and communities9
Private schools have a variety of curricula based on each school’s curriculum standards, differing among Arabic, Australian, British, Canadian, German, Japanese, and American schools.