Science
Our science curriculum is an adaptable and evolving resource focused on using the scientific process to help students better understand their world. It provides a scaffold for learning experiences while remaining flexible enough to incorporate student interests, new opportunities, and emerging ideas in science education. Its current stage of development is heavily influenced by a variety of sources. These include Miquon’s environment and rich traditions, current research on science literacy, progressive education practices, student interests and the wisdom of our experienced staff.
View The Science Curriculum Scope and Sequence, which uses specific terminology from Project 2061: Benchmarks for Science Literacy, the Pennsylvania Department of Education Standards, and the NYC Department of Education has been used to describe key ideas already in place.
From Ancient Greece to the Italian Market, the ⅚ is busy exploring their theme of immigration and migration.
The group started with an ancient civilization study where they learned about different examples of migration throughout history and why people move.
Now, they`ve shifted to their local, contemporary study of Philadelphia’s Italian Market. They began with a focus on Giordano’s, a 104 year old produce store that closed this July.
Through imaginative inquiry, the children will act as researchers, oral historians and cultural ambassadors tasked with creating a Community Story Center about immigrant communities in the Italian Market area. They will continue this work with a field trip to the Italian Market later this winter.
Check out their work so far!
#themiquonschool #progressiveeducation #independentschool #foreveramiquonkid
At Miquon, every child has a Buddy. 💛
Each younger student is paired with an older student for the year, and together they read, create, explore, or simply… play. These cross-age connections help children feel known and supported across our campus.
Our 3/4 teachers note that Buddy Time helps older students practice empathy—tuning in to younger children’s needs, adjusting how they play, and taking on a caring, thoughtful role. It also gives students a meaningful, real-world way to practice reading aloud with confidence and purpose.
Our Meadow Nursery teachers add: “Buddy Time is a cherished Miquon tradition that builds confidence, empathy, and a strong sense of community across the grades.”
These friendships are among the most joyful parts of life at Miquon!
#MiquonSchool #ForeveraMiquonKid #ProgressiveEducation #IndependentSchool
🍎 How many ways can one consider the apple? Many, many ways if you are a kindergartener or first grader at Miquon!
The K/1`s month-long apple study took children from orchard field work to writing workshop, big-number math, and delicious apple treats.
Read the full story on our blog ➜ Link in bio.
#themiquonschool #foreveramiquonkid #progressiveeducation #phillyfamily #independentschool
🍕 Pizza! Pizza! Get your pizza! 🍕
For more than 30 years, Miquon’s Friday Pizza Sales have been a beloved tradition — and an important learning experience — for our 5th and 6th graders.
What started as a fundraiser for their end-of-year overnight trip has become a hands-on lesson in math, economics, organization, and collaboration.
Each fall, the 5/6 comes to a consensus on the menu, carefully weighing cost, price, profit, and equity. Once the menu is set, the real work begins:
📋 Distributing order forms to all groups on Monday
💰 Tallying orders and tabulating order money on Thursday
🍕 Delivering on Friday!
Along the way, students practice real-world math — calculating totals, profits, and even factoring in what happens when there’s leftover pizza.
Who knew math could be this tasty?
#themiquonschool #foreveramiquonkid #independentschools #progressiveeducation
Visit the Woodmere Art Museum to see our K/1 artists’ work in this year’s Kids Care exhibit--on view now through December 13!
Our K/1 drew inspiration from the watercolors of award-winning illustrator Jerry Pinkney. Using his beautifully illustrated version of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” as their guide, they created mixed-media interpretations of the night sky and the silhouetted world below.
Kids Care is an annual collaboration between @woodmereart and the Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance (MANNA). Learn more at woodmereartmuseum.org
(And a big thanks to our art teacher, Nicole, for leading this beautiful project with our K/1 artists!)
#themiquonschool #woodmereartmuseum #progressiveeducation #independentschool #phillyfamilies
✨ Meet Our Alumni Panelists! ✨
We can`t wait to welcome our alums at this Thursday’s Alumni Panel. Today, we’re spotlighting three panelists who will be joining us for the event.
📸 Meet Rachel! She was awarded the Silver President’s Volunteer Service Award last year after completing 75 service hours as an editor for a national literary magazine, caring for cats at an animal shelter, and serving as a board member for a creative writing nonprofit.
📸 Meet Zoë! She recently performed at her school’s “Night of Noise,” an event celebrating the LGBTQ+ community. Since leaving Miquon, she’s especially proud of her growing confidence both socially and onstage. Theater has become an important way for her to express and understand herself.
📸 Meet Sam! He received the AP Scholar with Distinction award for his strong performance on AP exams last spring. Outside the classroom, he’s an avid long-distance runner. He ran his first marathon last November and is training for his next one now.
We hope you’ll join us for an evening of conversation, reflection, and community.
🔗 Register at miquon.org/visit.
#themiquonschool #foreveramiquonkid #progressiveeducation
Join us at our annual alumni panel to hear about the value of a Miquon education from the experts: our alumni!
This panel discussion will feature recent graduates and fifth/sixth grade teachers who can speak to the importance of the last two years at Miquon and transition to middle and high school.
🔗 Register today: miquon.org/visit.
“Plants, Trees, and Me” — this year’s K/1 theme — invites children to study both trees and themselves. 🌲🌳
Through this integrated exploration, they’ll ask and answer big questions:
How do trees change and grow over time? What unique things do they bring to the world? How do I change and grow? What do I bring to the world? How are we all connected—to each other, to plants, to our ecosystem?
At Miquon, theme work weaves together math, literacy, art, and social-emotional learning, helping children see connections across their world.
To begin the year, each child chose their own special tree on campus—one they’ll return to again and again to observe, draw, and write about as the seasons change. 🍂
Check out the trees they’ve chosen!
#themiquonschool #foreveramiquonkid #phillyfamilies #progressiveeducation #independentschool
Approach
To support the development of curious, life long learners, Miquon students actively experiment to better understand the world. The science program emphasizes critical thinking processes that give children the skills they need to explore their own questions.
These essential questions guide the development of worthwhile experiences for Nursery through 6th Grade students:
- How can we observe, question and experiment to better understand our world?
- What lives, grows and breaks down at Miquon?
- How do parts of a system affect each other?
- How can we create what we need or want?
- How does science work? How does science information change over time?
Specific areas of study are selected through the interplay of a variety of factors (including, but not limited to): personal relevance to students’ daily lives, local and global events, the availability of resources, and student and teacher interests. The disciplines of biology, chemistry, physics, ecology, engineering, and art are woven throughout the curriculum. Core ideas in these fields are investigated and revisited in age appropriate ways to build the foundation for a broad and nuanced knowledgebase.
The Art and Science Show
The Art and Science Show is an event in the spring that showcases work from every child in the school. The art presentation is curated by the students and the art specialist teacher. The science show has had a variety of iterations over the last few years, but it always features reflective learning exhibitions from fifth and sixth grade students. These exhibitions may feature inventions developed by students, extensions of science projects completed earlier in the year, live demonstrations, or creative exhibits that educate visitors about a specific topic. Younger students are also invited to present their projects and inventions, but it is not mandatory.
Science Choice
In addition to scheduled classes, many children also enjoy visiting the science room at lunch choice. The science room is open two to three days a week. Students visit to continue projects from class, build new creations, work with computer programs, read books and spend time with the live animal visitors.
Minicourses
Minicourses are elective courses for children held for an hour on Friday mornings in eight week installments. Topics for these courses may be suggested by teachers or children. Some science related minicourses held over the last few years include: SCRATCH-an introduction to computer programming created by MIT, Google Sites, Woodworking, Art and Sculpture in Nature, Baking Bread, Move It–a dance and fitness class, Bird Watching and Hiking, Paper Airplane Design, Building Things That Go, and Chemistry & Crystals.
Science Blog
Want to learn more about the latest with Science Kate? Check out pictures, kid projects and the other happenings posted to the Science Blog.
Science Blog
- The Miquon Kids’ Research Journal Volume Two
- Spotted Lanternflies and Children
- The Miquon Kids’ Research Journal
Curriculum Report
The curriculum report is the teachers’ review of the entire year, looking back and making observations after their plans, projects, problems, and revelations are long over. One of the distinguishing features of this report is the great extent to which each teacher’s style, focus, and personality come through in this retrospective narrative. Check out the Science Curriculum Report.
