STANDARD: As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should develop understanding and abilities aligned with the following concepts and processes:

• Systems, order, and organization

• Evidence, models, and explanation

• Constancy, change, and measurement

• Evolution and equilibrium

• Form and function

This standard presents broad unifying concepts and processes that complement the analytic, more discipline-based perspectives presented in the other content standards. The conceptual and procedural schemes in this standard provide students with productive and insightful ways of thinking about and integrating a range of basic ideas that explain the natural and designed world.

The unifying concepts and processes in this standard are a subset of the many unifying ideas in science and technology. Some of the criteria used in the selection and organization of this standard are

• The concepts and processes provide connections between and among traditional scientific disciplines.

• The concepts and processes are fundamental and comprehensive.

• The concepts and processes are understandable and usable by people who will implement science programs.

• The concepts and processes can be expressed and experienced in a developmentally appropriate manner during K-12 science education.

Each of the concepts and processes of this standard has a continuum of complexity that

Front Matter (R1-R10)

National Science Education Standards: An Overview (1-10)

1 Introduction (11-18)

2 Principles and Definitions (19-26)

3 Science Teaching Standards (27-54)

4 Standards for Professional Development for Teachers of Science (55-74)

5 Assessment in Science Education (75-102)

6 Science Content Standards (103-208)

7 Science Education Program Standards (209-226)

8 Science Education System Standards (227-242)

Epilogue (243-246)

Appendix (247-253)

Index (254-260)

Credits (261-262)