The central tenets of District 109’s instructional model for science are designed to support the Next Generation Science Standards, which revolve around making sense of phenomena in the natural and human-made world. After conducting and recording these observations, students design and test solutions to problems they see. These key applications of the scientific endeavor provide meaningful, authentic contexts to motivate and engage students across learning experiences. Depending on the grade level, students explore content within the domains of Life Science, Earth and Space Science, Physical Science and Engineering Design. Students are encouraged to make connections across these domains and identify common and/or broad applications across different disciplines.