STEM

What STEM is, What STEM isn’t

Science is the careful application of a specific skills and processes with the intent of discovering the mechanisms that govern how the universe functions. Science is not based on individual opinion, rather it relies heavily on repeatable experiences and experiments to increase knowledge.

The universal language of science is Latin. Most terms are combinations of Latin prefixes, roots, and suffixes. As an example, the Latin prefix ‘bio’ means ‘of life’ and the Latin suffix ‘ology’ means ‘to study’, thus biology becomes the study of life.

The state of Utah has divided science into three main categories: Earth Science, Life Science, and Physical Science. Students are introduced to concepts from each of these disciplines in an integrated science model from kindergarten through eighth grade. In high school, students are given the option to choose specific courses to focus their studies on, however students are required to take courses from both the life and physical sciences areas for graduation.