Teaching & Learning

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Elementary Science at NNPS

Elementary Science at NNPS

Community Partners

The Elementary Science team has partnered with multiple local entities to provide additional real-world experiences and learning opportunities for our students.

Virginia Living MuseumVirginia Living Museum

Students in first and third, experience provided field trips to the Virginia Living Museum to learn more about conservation, human impact, and animals and plants native to Virginia and our area.

Programs

  • First Grade: Natural Science Programs (Animals of Virginia, Web of Life, Thinking Like a Scientist, Cycles of Survival); Space Science Planetarium Programs (Virginia Skies, Day and Night, Stacey Stormtracker)

  • Third Grade: Students learn about sea turtles and how humans impact their ability to thrive and reproduce. Students use critical thinking skills to weigh, measure, and graph data as well as the opportunity to see some of the animal ambassadors up close.

Jefferson LabJefferson Lab

Students in Grade 5 benefit from Jefferson Lab's BEAMS (Becoming Enthusiastic About Math and Science) program–a special partnership between Jefferson Labs and Newport News Public Schools where our students get additional opportunities to visit the Lab and interact with mathematicians and scientists in real-world settings. Click here to learn more about the program.

Jefferson Lab also offers resources for students including games and homework help. Click here to explore with your student.

The Mariners' MuseumThe Mariners' Museum

Students in Grade 5 have the opportunity for two learning experiences from The Mariners' Museum. The programs offered by the Mariners' Museum offer students real world experiences dealing with the following topics:

  • Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Tsunami
  • Buoyancy
  • What's In My Water
  • The Eye of a Hurricane
  • Are We There Yet?

Virginia ZooVirginia Zoo

Students in grades Kindergarten through Grade 2 benefit from programs either completed virtually or in a Zoo-to-You program that aligned with our Virginia state Standards of Learning. Check out their blog and website for information to visit the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk or to see additional videos about the animals and the Zoo's passion for conservation.

Virtual Programs

  • Kindergarten: Five senses; students learn how animals use their own senses in the wild and compare and contrast to their own senses and structures.

  • 1st Grade: Habitats; students learn about the different habitats that animals live in and/or create for themselves and how their habitats provide the animal with what it needs to survive.

  • 2nd Grade: Life Cycles; students learn about various life cycles of different animals, specifically looking at the differences and similarities in life cycles between insects and mammals.

Zoo-to-You Programs

These programs are designed for the zoo's education department to travel to our schools with up to four animal ambassadors in an auditorium-style presentation for students to learn about animal habitats and adaptations. The zoo has many online resources for families as well. Check out their Digital Resources page for links to downloadable activities, their blog, and their YouTube channel!