From my perspective, there are four equity/access reasons science is not a priority in elementary school.

1.The science block is shared with other subjects.

At the beginning of the school year, my building usually sets aside time for each teacher to build their master schedule for the year so that students with services can be seen outside of content learning. We are recommended from those guidelines that we should spend 90 minutes in reading, 45 minutes writing, 80 minutes in mathematics, 10-25 minutes in social emotional learning (SEL), 30 minutes for intervention/small groups, and 20-60 minutes of science/social studies/health/digital citizenship/media literacy/computer science/art. Science does not have to be a priority as long as it is rotated among the other subjects. Since these are also just guidelines and recommendations, teachers could minimize their science block to 20 minutes, which is not enough time to teach science effectively. A recent National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education (2018) found that Science is not prioritized in elementary classrooms. Educators tend to cut down Science time to make time for reading and writing (Why Science Education Matters in Your Elementary School Classroom).

2. Pulling students for services during science.

Beyond our schedule, many schools strive to have accommodations and external support during school to ensure that students can meet grade-level expectations and be the best they can be in the general elementary school classroom. Such services include counseling, mental health therapy, speech therapy, additional math, reading, writing, small groups, executive function check-ins, and more. Once services are deemed necessary, they are mandated to provide the students with these services every week. Realistically, students who need services cannot all be pulled during our 30-minute interventional or small group times. This puts general elementary school teachers in a situation where they have to decide what will be the best time for these students to get the services they need. How do we decide which subject they would miss if they cannot be pulled during their singular allotted time? Typically, the answer is for students to be pulled from science.

3. Rotating science kits.

Our school district shares science kits and materials between other buildings on a rotating schedule. Sometimes we are lucky and get the kits earlier than expected, and sometimes we are not as fortunate and do not get the kits until much later. This causes a rift in content rotation scheduling. Teachers may choose to further extend the current content rotation that they are teaching or start a new content while waiting for the science kit, which sometimes completely takes precedence over teaching science when the kit finally arrives. There have been multiple accounts where teachers do not get through a full unit of science before sending the kit back.

4. Science state testing.

Science state testing is mandated through the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which states that science needs to be tested once during 3rd-5th grade, 6-9th grade, and 10-12th grade. Compared to other school subjects, Science is not prioritized, even in state testing. This again demonstrates the lack of attention, time, and resources allocated for Science learning and teaching.   

Taking Science Beyond the “Science” Block: Making cross-cutting connections

While mathematics and literacy are tools to access science and are important, we also need to show up for our students and make science important because it gives them a chance to make sense of the world around them. Many educators fight against the stigma that STEM is more important as an adult and literacy is more important as a child (Clements & Sarama, 2016). However, science, math, literacy, and social studies are not independent subjects, but rather subjects that can become dependent upon each other when given the opportunity (Bartels et al, 2019). We, the educators, have the power to ensure that these elementary students can have access to science. Educational transformation can happen, and it starts with us. Here is an example from my teaching. 

The “Science of Baking” Project: Integrating Interdisciplinary Standards in Science and Math while Centering on Families’ Funds of Knowledge in Baking 

I was first inspired by two things whenever I think about baking – math and science. I see math in baking when I think about the fractions used in baking and the possibility of converting measurements if you do not have the exact tool of measurement. I see science in baking when I think about physical versus chemical changes and observations of the baking processes that support scientific claims. So I drew on both Science and Math standards. 

• 5-PSI-4: Conduct an investigation to determine whether the mixing of two or more substances results in a new substance.
• PS1.B: Chemical Reaction
• Math: Convert like measurement units within a given measurement system.

After finding a chocolate chip cookie recipe, I handed off the real work to my students. In groups, they collaborated and figured out how to (1) use a tablespoon, (2) convert cups to tablespoons using fractions, (3) collect materials, and (4) make the cookies by following directions and careful measurement throughout the process. Then we had conversations about physical and chemical changes in our baking process. 

This project exemplified my teaching and PASTEL commitments: Positioning culture, families, and communities as rightfully belonging & Building a Classroom of Interdependence and Care. As I designed the project, I reflected on my own experiences in baking. As someone who also grew up in Renton and comes from an immigrant family, I do not always have the right tools when it comes to baking. So I made sure that this chocolate cookie chip recipe is accessible and accommodating to families who only need 1-2 measuring tools to make the perfect portions for their family size. During those days, families were invited to come in and learn with the students. Of course, it was also nice to have more hands on when it came to helping bake the cookies. The room bustled with family members and students working together to make sure that they could have the best cookies possible.

• Why Science Education Matters in Your Elementary School Classroom
• Making Time for Science in Kindergarten Could Have a Big Payoff  
• Science Is Losing the Battle for America’s Trust. How Schools Can Help
• Social Studies and Science Get Short Shrift in Elementary Schools. Why That Matters 
• Bartels, S. L., Rupe, K. M., & Lederman, J. S. (2019). Shaping Preservice Teachers’ Understandings of STEM: A Collaborative Math and Science Methods Approach. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 30(6), 666–680.
• Clements, D. H., & Sarama, J. (2016). Math, Science, and Technology in the Early Grades. The Future of Children, 26(2), 75–94. 
• TIMSS 2019 Report Mullis, Martin, Foy, Kelly, & Fishbein, 2020