Class IV Physics students create a homemade propulsion system to launch themselves across the South Tennis Courts. These students then use video software analysis to measure accelerations, net Forces, and frictional forces acting on these propulsion systems.
Learning by Doing, Always
Humans have an innate curiosity about scientific exploration, about how the world works.At Milton, we fuel this spirit of inquiry—teaching sophisticated concepts and research skills—through doing science from day one. Introducing students to foundational scientific concepts and laboratory techniques, we provide the tools, shifting from teacher-directed learning to student-driven discovery. Students formulate their own research questions based on what they’ve learned; they develop experiments to test these questions—gathering evidence, analyzing data, communicating findings, and discovering the next round of important questions that rise from that work.
Through this work, students learn to deconstruct a problem, formulate a plan, observe with a critical eye, and identify what they don’t yet know. They develop the skills and confidence to execute intricate and complex research experiments that help them develop scientific knowledge and understanding that builds as they progress through the program—from Physics to Chemistry to Biology, and to advanced electives in Molecular Genetics and Organic Chemistry.
Milton scientists bring their skills to bear in the favorite “DYO” (Design Your Own) research experiment, the culmination of all full-year science courses. Students in advanced electives hone their presentation skills in the annual Science Symposium—a showcase of capstone projects that invites the entire School community to celebrate and learn from the work of Milton’s most accomplished science students.
View photos from the last Science Symposium in Milton’s Pritzker Science Center.