Science
Digital information Product
Why NGSS?
Science Standards are from 20 years back. For our students to keep up with the growing technology, our science standards need a major make-over!
Why NGSS?
Science and Engineering Practices
- Asking questions (Science) and defining problems (engineering)
- Developing and using models
- Planning and carrying out investigations
- Analyzing and interpreting data
- Using mathematics and computational thinking
- Constructing explanations (science) and designing solutions (engineering)
- Engaging in argument from evidence
- Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
Examples
Questions
Science starts with a question. Asking questions can be as simple as being curious, inspired by findings, theory, or investigations. Scientific questions are questions where the answer is supported by evidence. From K-12 each students questions should build on prior knowledge, as the students get older the questions should increase in difficulty.
Developing and Using Models
Examples of Models include diagrams, Physical replicas, Mathematical representations, analogies and computer simulations. In science models are used to build questions, and use as explanations.
Investigation
Students should be given the opportunities to investigate either questions that were formed from the teacher or those questions that the students have. (NRC Framework, 2012)
Analyzing and Interpreting Data
Practice 4 - Analyzing and Interpreting Data
Crosscutting Concepts
Patterns
Patterns can be something simple as a repeating shapes or events such as the changing seasons. Naturally the human brain is amazing at identifying patterns. For example the moon producing patterns, waves, life cycle, etc
Cause and Effect
Concept 2 - Cause and Effect
Scale, Proportion and Quantity
Concept 3 - Scale, Proportion, and Quantity
System and System Models
"Defining the system under study - specifying its boundaries and making explicit a model of that system, provides tools for understanding and testing ideas that are applicable throughout science" ("Next Generation Science Standards", 2015).
Energy and Matter
"Flow, cycles, and conservations. Tracking fluxes of energy and matter into, out of and within systems helps one understand the systems' possibilities an limitations." ("Next Generation Science Standards", 2015).
Structure and Function
"The way in which an object or living thing is shaped and it's substructure determine many of it's properties and functions." ("Next Generation Science Standards", 2015).
Stability and Change
Concept 7 - Stability and Change
References
Next Generation Science Standards. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.nextgenscience.org/