Mathematics
The study of mathematics offers students a different way of understanding the world through the expansion of their ability to reason. Because mathematics is a model for describing the world, our math curriculum emphasizes the connections between what students learn in the classroom and the world outside of school.

To enhance each student’s understanding of math, we use a variety of techniques and approaches to learning. Included are emphases on fundamentals, problem solving, sharing ideas through discussion, daily routines, establishing links between past experiences and exploration of new concepts, cooperative learning through partner and small-group activities, practice through games, ongoing review throughout the year, and informal classwork assessment.

Based on the standards published by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and adapted for various grade levels, content areas each year include numbers, numeration, and order relations; measures and measurement; coordinate systems and other reference frames; operations, number facts, and number systems; problem solving and mathematical modeling; exploring data; geometry and spatial sense; functions, patterns, and sequences; and algebra and use of variables. Students need to experience numbers of various kinds and sizes. Common sense, intuitive understanding of basic ideas, and estimation skills are basic goals of the math curriculum. Students will have completed the equivalent of the first year of high school algebra when they graduate from Dawson.

Science
The science curriculum develops a spirit of exploration and discovery as well as respect for the earth and all its creatures. Active student participation in our technology-rich, fully networked elementary science laboratory supports all aspects of our science program. Exploration of the variety of flora on campus and the surrounding desert environment enhances student understanding and inspires a love of the land.
Built on the students’ natural curiosity about the world around them, students in Kindergarten explore topics relating to the human body, to food, to seeds, and to children’s own questions. In the lower grades, the curriculum introduces students to life science (plants and animals, extinct species, the human body), physical science (how things move, matter and energy, simple machines), and earth science (weather, composting, gardening, astronomy).

The intermediate science curriculum involves the students in more complex investigations stressing the process of scientific procedure through the analysis and interpretation of data. These investigations include research and replication of molecular structures, the physics of energy and how it occurs naturally in weather phenomena and volcanoes and in man-made structures like roller coasters, the design and function of the human body, the activities of a cell, plate tectonics, and astronomy. The practical application of physics is explored through long-term construction projects during which students learn the use of hand and power tools as they utilize their science and math skills.

Technology
Our students learn in an environment where they use computers and other electronic devices to enhance their studies. Students deepen their understanding of how technology can enhance learning and can be a tool for research and discovery. Students explore the impact of technology on culture through their studies in science, mathematics, music, art, and history, and through their experiences in woodworking and other spatial arts, including photography.

The Dawson motto, "Love of the Land," reminds us of our responsibility to learn about the botany, zoology, ecology, geology, and meteorology of the Las Vegas Valley. We are blessed with a campus that lends itself to that study. Our students come to appreciate the interdependence of all creation as well as learning to use natural resources wisely. We teach our students to be careful observers. Building on their natural curiosity, we provide a hands-on science curriculum that provides an excellent foundation for future study. We emphasize the use and complexity of the scientific method and how to achieve verifiable results by experimentation. Students also explore the basic principles of physics, chemistry, the life sciences, astronomy, and geology. Outdoor education trips form an integral part of the curriculum.