Cynthia Kimura

Cynthia Kimura is a dedicated and experienced educator with over 16 years of teaching across diverse school settings, including LAUSD, Lynwood Unified School District, and SCVi Charter School. She is passionate about sparking curiosity and creativity in her students through hands-on, engaging learning experiences.

Her science academic background includes participation in educational programs through UCLA and USC, such as COSEES and SWIMMS, which have enriched her teaching through marine science. At SCVi Charter School, Cynthia applied Project-Based Learning (PBL) strategies to guide students through collaborative projects, including a student-created museum exhibit attended by representatives from Assembly Member Pilar Schiavo's office, members of the press, the Castaic Area Town Council, and students' families.

Cynthia’s classes have also taken their learning into action, raising funds for national and local causes such as Team Trees, Team Seas, Ballona Wetlands, and Save LA Cougars—giving students the opportunity to connect classroom lessons with meaningful real-world impact.

Throughout her career, Cynthia has inspired students to think critically, care deeply about their communities, and explore the world with curiosity and confidence. Her thoughtful, student-centered approach makes her a valued and inspiring presence in any classroom.

Living Science - Year 1

Ages 6-9

Teacher: Cynthia Kimura

Homework: Provided.

Prerequisites:

Ages 6-9: Students should be able to hold a pencil and do minor writing. It’s OK if your child is still writing phonetically!

Course Description:
Living Science is a hands-on, minds-on adventure into the natural world where students become young scientists, engineers, and environmental explorers. Through exciting labs, model-building, simulations, and creative problem-solving, students will ask questions, collect and analyze data, and discover how science works in the world around them.

Using the scientific method and engineering design process, students will build and test models, draw diagrams and blueprints, and conduct simulations that explore how science solves real-world problems. They will analyze data using tables, graphs, and measurements, and apply mathematical practices as they observe patterns, test ideas, and measure results. Working collaboratively, students will plan and carry out investigations to deepen their understanding of how the natural world works.

Throughout the course, students will explore big ideas like cause and effect, patterns in nature, stability and change, and systems and system models. They'll also discover how structure and function relate in living and non-living things, learn how scientists use scale and maps to observe natural processes, and use sequencing and problem-solving skills to explore science-based math word problems in real-world contexts.

We begin with an introduction to the scientific method and process. Students will explore basic science concepts through experiments with buoyancy, solubility, and chemical reactions. These hands-on investigations help build foundational skills for observation, measurement, and analysis.

FALL:

The first major unit focuses on the life systems of plants and animals. Students will learn about plant life cycles and the essential needs plants have to grow and thrive. They will then dive into the life cycles and survival needs of animals. Through this exploration, students will investigate how plants and animals depend on one another in nature, including how animals help with pollination and seed dispersal, and how plants provide food and shelter for animals. Students will also explore the parts of a seed, plant, and flower, building their vocabulary and understanding of living systems.

Continuing on, students will explore Earth science and the dynamic changes that shape our planet. We’ll study landforms and the processes of weathering and erosion through hands-on experiments and creative simulations. Students will build and test models, map landforms using topographic maps, and measure and compare land and water features. These activities help students see how Earth changes both quickly (like during a landslide) and slowly (such as through erosion and deposition).

WINTER:

Moving on, students will explore different types of land and water habitats and how people interact with and impact the environment. They will learn how human activities change the Earth, and they’ll design and test solutions for protecting land and water. Through engaging labs and projects, students will create windbreaks to prevent erosion, simulate the effects of ocean waves on coastlines, and compare natural events that cause change to the Earth's surface.

SPRING:

We will round out our year with our engineering unit, students will explore what it means to be an engineer and how engineers use technology and creativity to solve problems. Using the Engineering Design Process, students will brainstorm, plan, build, and improve their designs. They’ll learn about the differences between natural and man-made materials and explore the concept of biomimicry—how solutions in nature inspire human inventions. Students will build models, evaluate designs, and create their own solutions to real-world challenges. Projects include drawing blueprints with measurements, gathering and graphing data, creating design manuals, and building a model of a wildlife crossing that shows how nature and engineering can work together.