Science should be prioritized.

Somewhere over the last several years, I noticed a pattern — in my own building, in every teacher group I’m part of online, and sometimes even in my own classroom. (#confession)

In the elementary grades, science is the subject that gets cut when the schedule gets tight. Why?

We all know the answer — state testing! Whether we like it or not, our science block can feel replaceable in a way reading and math class never will…

And to top it off, teaching science well can feel like effort we don’t have any extra bandwidth for… (Believe me, some days, I feel that way, too!)

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

So let’s reframe science. Because it's not a fun extra.Rather, let's consider it an opportunity for

authentic literacy and problem-solving practice

while our students build their understanding of the natural world around them.

Kids AreNatural Scientists

Kids are natural scientists before anyone teaches them a vocabulary word or the “scientific method”. They test ideas constantly — what floats, what breaks, what happens if you push harder, (and how far can you push – hah).

But somewhere between kindergarten and 5th grade, a lot of that gets replaced with worksheets and textbooks and vocabulary lists… Because in the lived experience of every classroom teacher, there’s only so much time and there’s only so much we can give. And real inquiry-based science becomes “just another thing” to plan for on top of everything else already on our teacher-plates.

So sometimes, science gets whatever’s left on a Friday afternoon or the day before a break — if it gets anything at all. The problem with that is… a kid who never actually gets to do science stops thinking of themselves as the natural scientist they were born to be. The natural scientist who… thinks critically and creatively, wonders and asks questions, identifies and solves problems, notices patterns and relationships, works collaboratively and constructively…

all the skills we want our kids to develop!

And when you start to think about it that way, you realize… science isn’t an extra. It’s the learning. And it belongs in our classrooms just as much as math and ELA — and in fact, it can support students’ work in math and ELA.

So let’s reframe our science block.

Let’s protect that time.

Let’s embrace our natural scientists…

and watch how our students grow.

The ResourcesYou Didn't Know You Needed

Every unit starts from a real phenomenon — something that actually happens, that presents a puzzle or a task, that sparks their engagement and gets them wondering. Then, they work to build understanding by doing science, not just by reading about it. That means testing ideas, arguing with evidence, and revising what they thought they knew. And throughout it all, students are engaging in literacy practices, developing problem-solving skills, practicing math and ELA standards in authentic contexts, and expanding their schema about the natural world we live in.

These are units that make the science “stick” while also supporting your students’ math and literacy development.

So let’s do this together.

Hi, I’m Nicole. I’m a former “explainer” turned “5th grade discovery guide,” and I know this job isn’t always a breeze. Teaching well takes time, learning, reflection, and community — and in case you ever wondered: it’s so possible and so worth it!

Now, while it’s not necessarily easy, it also doesn’t have to be hard. There are so many things we can do to capitalize on curiosity, to embrace exploration and discovery, to focus on phenomena, and to build our students’ literacy, problem-solving, and number-sense skills simultaneously.

As founder of iExploreScience and through its programs and community, I’ve helped thousands of teachers around the world implement strong science instruction in their classrooms. I’d love to help you, too.

Let’s do this together. Ready?