Sioux City Community Schools -

The early years in middle school begin to build college-ready skills for students. The Science curriculum is based on the Iowa Core standards and focuses on key concepts in science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and scientific structures.

As a parent, the best thing you can do for your child is to stay engaged in their learning. Each day, take time to ask your child about their school day. Ask open-ended questions to encourage interaction. Then, you can build on their daily learning with some of the activities suggested on this webpage. Here are specific areas to focus on when working with your child.

You can also view suggested learning resources for students. These learning resources offer both digital activities and printable practice materials.

• Encourage finding answers to questions through research and experimentation.

• Join a club or group that offers activities like robotics or computer programming.

• Provide opportunities to observe and talk about changes in a matter related to cooking.

• Visit local observatories and planetariums with your child.

• Encourage the playing of “maker” games or apps such as Minecraft that develop engineering and collaboration skills.

Read the Iowa Core Parent Guide (English) and Iowa Core Parent Guide (Spanish).

• Encourage observations of the sun, moon, and stars at home.

• Encourage finding answers to questions through research and experimentation.

• Help your child plant a garden or grow plants in a pot.

• Encourage the playing of “maker” games and apps such as Minecraft that develop engineering and collaboration skills.

• Help your child to collect data and monitor the use of energy and water at home.

• Utilize programs offered by your area nature center or recreation area.

• Join a club or group that offers activities such as robotics and computer programming.

Read the Iowa Core Parent Guide (English) and Iowa Core Parent Guide (Spanish).

• Encourage finding answers to questions through research and experimentation.

• Help your child create and test a Rube Goldberg device to solve a problem.

• Join a group or club that offers activities such as robotics and computer programming.

• Provide opportunities to observe and talk about changes in a matter related to cooking.

• Encourage and help design, create, and maintain a terrarium to observe the interactions among Earth’s spheres.

• Keep track of weather data at your home and compare it with local news weather data.

Read the Iowa Core Parent Guide (English) and Iowa Core Parent Guide (Spanish).

Source: Iowa Core Parent Guides from the Iowa Department of Education.
Read the complete standards on the Iowa Core website.