Science
Emphasizing Inquiry, Evidence, and Analysis
From their earliest years, young learners approach the world with curiosity, careful observation, and a willingness to test their ideas. BASIS Independent students learn essential scientific concepts early and revisit them with increasing depth through our spiraled curriculum, strengthening their ability to ask questions, gather evidence, analyze results, and communicate conclusions. By middle school, students are ready to study biology, chemistry, and physics as distinct disciplines. In high school, Honors, AP®, and college-level Capstone courses allow students to deepen their knowledge, make connections across fields, and apply scientific thinking to increasingly complex questions.
Early Learning
Staying Curious Through Scientific Observation
Curiosity is at the heart of the Early Learning Program and is emphasized in science education. Through hands-on investigations, students explore forces and motion, states of matter, and phenomena in the natural world. Along the way, they build confidence as observers, questioners, and problem-solvers—and begin to see themselves as scientists.
Learning How Scientists Think
Young learners build a foundation in scientific inquiry by asking questions, making predictions, testing ideas, and reflecting on what they discover. These engaging experiences strengthen critical thinking, creativity, and a lifelong enthusiasm for science and discovery.
Primary Program
Applying Science to Our World
Students apply foundational knowledge in new contexts and explore increasingly complex questions through observation, experimentation, and analysis. Moving beyond identifying scientific concepts, they begin to make connections, evaluate data, and explain the world around them in units on balancing forces, environments and survival, astronomy, and energy conversion.
Connecting Science, Literacy, and Reasoning
Literacy and analytical skills are woven throughout the science curriculum as students evaluate evidence, communicate findings, and support conclusions with clear reasoning. This integrated approach deepens scientific understanding while strengthening the reading, writing, and critical-thinking skills students use across disciplines.
Middle School
Advanced Study of Scientific Disciplines
Students take biology, chemistry, and physics concurrently in grades 6–8, moving from a broad introduction to science into the focused study of distinct disciplines. Through the spiraled curriculum, they revisit concepts such as homeostasis, kinematics, and molecular properties with increasing depth and complexity each year.
Best Practices in the Lab
Regular lab work helps students become confident with safety protocols, experimental procedures, data collection, and scientific reporting. Rather than observing demonstrations from the sidelines, students participate actively in investigations, collaborate with peers, analyze results, and build scientific understanding through firsthand experience.
High School
Depth and Breadth for AP® Success
Students complete required Honors courses in biology, chemistry, and physics and may progress to AP®-level lab sciences based on their interests and preparation. The curriculum’s depth and breadth equip students with the confidence and knowledge to excel in AP coursework while fostering meaningful connections across scientific disciplines.
Exploring Specialized Scientific Fields
Seniors may choose specialized, often interdisciplinary Capstone courses that reflect faculty expertise and vary by campus, including neuroscience, the biology of cancer, astrophysics, and organic chemistry. These university-level courses challenge students to think critically, explore advanced and emerging fields, and prepare for further scientific study.
