The Sciences
Science, and the teaching of science, is deeply ingrained in Waldorf education. Our teachers build on the young child’s innate connection to the natural world by prioritizing time spent outdoors, and reinforcing the child’s own observations through stories and circle time activities. The foundation for all future scientific study is laid in the intentional development of a sense of wonder and the association of joy with the process of inquiry. The use of natural materials, and a focus on the seasonal and diurnal rhythms of the earth, augment the early understanding of natural sciences. Chemistry is introduced through baking and cooking projects. Botany dwells in the dreamy plucking of flower petals or discovery of seeds nestled inside of a grape. Their first exposure to animal sciences might be feeling the touch of a duck’s feathers or watching the antics of baby goats.
More abstract science is introduced in the upper grades, but even as the children advance through the grades, they still begin every science lesson with hands on experience. In their botany blocks, 5th graders collect plant specimens from the farm, or make targeted observations on hikes through varying ecosystems, rather than reading about plant structures in books. In their study of light, 7th graders turn the entire science room into a pinhole camera. This approach to science keeps it fun and engaging. The memories formed are those of lived experience rather than memorized facts, so our students recall their science lessons with precision, even many years hence.
Waldorf schools have a uniquely interdisciplinary approach to science, and it permeates the other subject areas of the class. In addition to the actual science main lesson blocks, students write about science in their stories, poems, and research papers. They paint and draw and sculpt themes from nature, requiring focus on the minute details of the subject of their work. They use natural fibers and other materials in handwork and crafts. As the child grows, scientific themes are returned to again and again, through different mediums and in developmentally appropriate ways, creating a rich tapestry of understanding and experience. What starts in kindergarten with a story about clouds and a walk in the rain grows to learning about the water cycle, weather fronts, and climate change in the upper grades.
The lack of science textbooks and tests can make it harder for the casual observer to see the incredible amount of scientific study taking place in Waldorf schools. In fact, we often hear a concern from parents that their children won’t be ready for high school science. This couldn’t be further from the truth! From 4th to 8th grade, Swallowtail students study zoology, botany, physics, chemistry (both organic and inorganic), meteorology, geology, astronomy, and human physiology. By the eighth grade, at least half of the year’s curriculum is science.
Our graduates routinely report back that they understand science in a way that their peers do not, and that this understanding allows them to easily navigate advanced science curriculum. Perhaps this is why so many of our graduates go on to major in the sciences in college - the growing list of Swallowtail alumni include those who majored in neuroscience, biology, physics, mechanical engineering, molecular and cellular biology, dentistry, engineering, applied science, and physical therapy.
