trevordayschool

1 8 T R E V O R D AY S C H O O L n S U M M E R 2 0 2 0 – 2 0 2 1 Naturally, all three science teachers—Mr. Topping, Mr. Danenberg, and Ms. McDonough—have the knowledge and flexibility to teach a wide range of subjects. Each Middle School science course includes a mixture of content drawn from the fields of biology, physics, chemistry, and ecology. So, in addition to learning about avian ecology, 6th graders study forces on structures (physics) and properties of matter (chemistry), centered around the questions of what to do about aging infrastructure and how what happens on Earth affects the atmosphere (and vice versa). Several years ago, we saw an answer to the question of aging infrastructure when we visited the old Tappan Zee Bridge as it was being dismantled and the new Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge was being constructed. Every September, Mr. Danenberg tells 7th graders, "is class is about you!" roughout the year, students explore what science teaches them about themselves and their role on this planet. Mr. Danenberg opens the course with the question "What is life?" Students start small, examining microscopic organisms as well as the cells that make up all living things. ey work their way up from cells to tissues to organs to organ systems, completing a unit on human anatomy and physiology. In addition to biology, 7th graders review the basics of chemistry and study the essential life processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Students learn how knowledge of science helps them take care of their bodies and live healthy lives—for example, by by Rebecca Damas, Director of Middle School middle school science T R E V O R T R A N S L AT E S : May 11, 2018, 5:30 pm. An avid birdwatcher in Central Park posts a photo of a Kirtland's warbler on Twitter. Birdwatchers around the city drop everything to catch a glimpse of this rare bird in person. After all, it's only the fourth time on record that this bird has been spotted in the entire state of New York. And who but our very own Kevin Topping, Grades 6–8 Science Teacher, was the birdwatcher who set off the "hushed frenzy" reported in local news outlets around the city. When analyzing what makes Trevor's Middle School science program so special, I always come back to the teachers and their dedication to science—both in and out of the classroom. Mr. Topping's love of birds finds its way into our 6th-grade curriculum as a unit on avian ecology, where students tackle big questions such as: How does the structure of a bird's body affect how it interacts with its environment? How do humans affect bird migration and interaction with their habitats? Students present their answers to these questions—and more—at our annual Science Expo.

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