. "Appendix D: Overview of the Content Standards in the National Science Education Standards." What Is the Influence of the National Science Education Standards?: Reviewing the Evidence, A Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2003.
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Appendix D OVERVIEW OF THE CONTENT STANDARDS IN THENATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS
The following tables list the science content standards from the National Science Education Standards (NRC, 1996, Chapter 6). The content standards outline what students should know, understand, and be able to do in natural science.
The science as inquiry standards are described in terms of activities resulting in student development of certain abilities and in terms of student understanding of inquiry.
TABLE 6.1. SCIENCE AS INQUIRY STANDARDS
LEVELS K-4
Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Understanding about scientific inquiry
LEVELS 5-8
Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Understanding about scientific inquiry
LEVELS 9-12
Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Understanding about scientific inquiry
Standards for science subject matter in physical, life, and earth and space science focus on the science facts, concepts, principles, theories, and models that are important for all students to know, understand, and use.
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Appendix D
OVERVIEW OF THE CONTENT STANDARDS IN THE NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS
The following tables list the science content standards from the National Science Education Standards (NRC, 1996, Chapter 6). The content standards outline what students should know, understand, and be able to do in natural science.
The science as inquiry standards are described in terms of activities resulting in student development of certain abilities and in terms of student understanding of inquiry.
TABLE 6.1. SCIENCE AS INQUIRY STANDARDS
LEVELS K-4
Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Understanding about scientific inquiry
LEVELS 5-8
Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Understanding about scientific inquiry
LEVELS 9-12
Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Understanding about scientific inquiry
Standards for science subject matter in physical, life, and earth and space science focus on the science facts, concepts, principles, theories, and models that are important for all students to know, understand, and use.
TABLE 6.2. PHYSICAL SCIENCE STANDARDS
LEVELS K-4
Properties of objects and materials
Position and motion of objects
Light,heat, electricity, and magnetism
LEVELS 5-8
Properties and changes of properties in matter
Motions and forces
Transfer of energy
LEVELS 9-12
Structure of atoms
Structure and properties of matter
Chemical reactions
Motions and forces
Conservation of energy and increase in disorder
Interactions of energy and matter
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TABLE 6.3. LIFE SCIENCE STANDARDS
LEVELS K-4
Characteristics of organisms
Life cycles of organisms
Organisms and environments
LEVELS 5-8
Structure and function in living systems
Reproduction and heredity
Regulation and behavior
Populations and ecosystems
Diversity and adaptations of organisms
LEVELS 9-12
The cell
Molecular basis of heredity
Biological evolution
Interdependence of organisms
Matter, energy, and organization in living systems
Behavior of organisms
TABLE 6.4. EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE STANDARDS
LEVELS K-4
Properties of earth materials
Objects in the sky
Changes in earth and sky
LEVELS 5-8
Structure of the earth system
Earth’s history
Earth in the solar system
LEVELS 9-12
Energy in the earth system
Geochemical cycles
Origin and evolution of the earth system
Origin and evolution of the universe
The science and technology standards establish connections between the natural and designed worlds and provide students with opportunities to develop decision-making abilities. They are not standards for technology education; rather, these standards emphasize abilities associated with the process of design and fundamental understandings about the enterprise of science and its various linkages with technology.
TABLE 6.5. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS
LEVELS K-4
Abilities to distinguish between natural objects and objects made by humans
Abilities of technological design
Understanding about science and technology
LEVELS 5-8
Abilities of technological design
Understanding about science and technology
LEVELS 9-12
Abilities of technological design
Understanding about science and technology
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An important purpose of science education is to give students a means to understand and act on personal and social issues. The science in personal and social perspectives standards help students develop decision-making skills.
TABLE 6.6. SCIENCE IN PERSONAL AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES
LEVELS K-4
Personal health
Characteristics and changes in populations
Types of resources
Changes in environments
Science and technology in local challenges
LEVELS 5-8
Personal health
Populations, resources,and environments
Natural hazards
Risks and benefits
Science and technology in society
LEVELS 9-12
Personal and community health
Population growth
Natural resources
Environmental quality
Natural and human-induced hazards
Science and technology in local , national, and global challenges
The standards for the history and nature of science recommend the use of history in school science programs to clarify different aspects of scientific inquiry, the human aspects of science, and the role that science has played in the development of various cultures.
TABLE 6.7. HISTORY AND NATURE OF SCIENCE STANDARDS
LEVELS K-4
Science as a human endeavor
LEVELS 5-8
Science as a human endeavor
Nature of science
History of science
LEVELS 9-12
Science as a human endeavor
Nature of scientific knowledge
Historical perspectives
