Introduction 
This is the home page for Mr. Fiero's Science class at Rio Norte Junior High School. We hope you find it useful and entertaining. Please come back often as you like for it is constantly expanding as we attempt to share our enthusiasm for the adventure of discovery. The truth, or something like it, is everywhere!
Please consider the following...
Educational Philosophy
This class is for my seventh grade students and the subject is life science. My goal for my students is science literacy so they can be fully functioning members of this 21st century global civilization. I want them understand and value the elements that characterize the nature of science: curiosity, creativity, logic, authenticity, skepticism, self-critiquing community of intellectuals, applicability, and empiricism so they can apply scientific principles in their daily lives and their world views. We all seek truths to live by: spiritual, psychological, and worldly. Although 'science' only can measure, observe, and therefore theorize, about the natural physical universe; it can help guide and inform individuals in all of their personal and professional endeavors. Science is not just about fact finding and knowing or skills in a particular science career; it is a modern way of being and thinking.
My approach to science teaching is guided inquiry where students construct their knowledge of science using their previous experience adding and modifying their preconceptions into real science literacy through laboratory exploration and group and self-guided study. I combine this inquiry-based teaching with more traditional direct teaching-lecture and discussion, vocabulary building strategies, text prereading and deconstruction, cornell note-taking, and differentiated instruction. I hope to peak their interests and critical thinking abilities and fully engage them in life science.