“The open-endedness of the project allows the students
to properly learn and utilize the information I want
them to understand, all while allowing them to explore
a question of their own design.”
prompted me to help others who might similarly “coast”
through school and whose main activity involved staring
at the clock until the dismissal bell was rung. Ultimately, I
needed to teach the way I wish I were taught.
Success in rigorous academic pursuit is accomplished
when a student demonstrates a willingness to fully immerse
themselves in the material and truly develop a strong
understanding of it. However, none of this can occur if a
student lacks enthusiasm for the subject matter. The Lower
School science curriculum is dedicated to instilling that
drive, nurturing the curiosity that comes easily to young
kids, and allowing it to evolve into passion, ultimately
transforming these young men into independent-thinkers
who crave knowledge for the sake of it.
For a student to demonstrate rigorous academic pursuit,
they need to be interested in the academic. Personal interest
can only occur if the subject matter is interesting to the
student. I have found that interest in a subject can be attained
if the material is presented with enthusiasm and is relatable
to a person’s life. For example, rather than lecture on about
the steps of the scientific method and list the order of how
scientists approach a question, we introduce Third Grade
students to the process when attempting to discover if
Mexican cola really does taste better than USA cola. Each
step of the scientific method demonstrates its value when
one attempts to answer a high-interest, relatable student
question. Afterwards, third graders work together to develop
a school-wide testable question in a similar vein, one that
will utilize the scientific method to provide data and a proper
conclusion. The open-endedness of the project allows the
students to properly learn and utilize the information I want
them to understand, all while allowing them to explore a
question of their own design. This student-driven project
is also the result of a full-grade collaboration, with boys
listening to and contributing their own ideas until one
workable experiment is agreed upon and fleshed out. The
enthusiasm and relatability remain intact, and the students
are happy to rigorously pursue the topic. They are also
learning to respect the process and each other’s thoughts.
Much of my love for the Lower School science program
stems from the fact that many of the units are designed to
allow for these open-ended explorations, supporting and
strengthening students’ drive to explore on their own, while
allowing them to progress at their individual skill levels.
Smaller group assignments allow for similar practice in
creating a project where students are self-driven to learn and
build, while emphasizing respect for their partner’s ideas and
contributions. My approach to designing the lessons in a way
to promote students wanting to learn felt especially justified
when, in our last unit, students asked to skip their recess in
an effort to spend more time working on their projects in
the lab. My hope is that they can maintain their enthusiasm
for exploration as they progress beyond the walls of Saint
David’s, helping to mold them into good men with a strong
work ethic and a curious mind. M
Brian Donnelly teaches Lower School science at Saint
David’s School.
Winter 2020 • 17