Essential Standards Elementary Science Overview

Essential Standards Elementary Science OverviewDecember 20th, 20111Adopted in 2009 to replace the 2004-2005 Standard Course of Study for Science

Will NOT be implemented in CMS until 2012-2013.

The Essential Standards are different than the Common Core State Standards.Essential Standards for ScienceImportant here to EMPHASIZE that we are still using the 2004 SCOS to teach science this year! This will be the 7th year we have used those standards --- 7 is a considered a lucky number! Formative and summative assessments this year have been developed using the 2004 SCOS teachers should understand that. 2There are NO Common Core State Standards for elementary science!

There is an increased emphasis on science in the Common Core to support student learning in ELA and math.

Argumentation in science will largely involve student opinions about science concepts. Essential Standards vs.Common Core State StandardsTeachers may be confused about Essential Standards for science and science in the Common Core State Standards. In the Common Core, science is used to help students master the common core standards for reading, writing, speaking, and listening. When we implement the Essential Standards teachers will continue to have students read and write using science content, but students will also explicitly do science to master science processes and to understand science content.3Organized around eight broad strands.

Based on a conceptual framework.

Uses Revised Blooms Taxonomy.Organization of Essential StandardsThe three main areas of study will be Physical Science, Earth Science, and Life Science. The 8 strands will be listed shortly on following slides. For example, a strand in Physical Science would be Force and Motion. The conceptual framework refers to research about how students learn science concepts at different ages. Some teachers may have heard about Project 2061 and the Atlas which is a detailed road map for what students should know and be able to do at various grade levels to understand science concepts.4PHYSICAL SCIENCE (P)

(1) Force and Motion

(2) Matter, Properties and Change

(3) Energy, Conservation and Transfer

Strands for Elementary ScienceThis would be a good time to mention that 85-90% of the Essential Standards represent science concepts we have already been teaching in the Standard Course of Study. That content has been moved around to various grade levels and organized into broad strands based on what students are able to know and do at different ages of their development. Force and motion for example is now explored at all grade levels with students building a deeper understanding of force and motion each year.5EARTH SCIENCE ( E)

(4) Earth Systems

(5) Earth in the Universe

(6) Structures and Processes

Strands for Elementary ScienceIn the 2004 SCOS these concepts would have taught as part of goals such as weather, soil, rocks and minerals, landforms, Earth materials, and Earth, Moon, Sun and Stars.6LIFE SCIENCE

(7) Structures and Functions of Living Organisms

(8) EcosystemsStrands for Elementary ScienceThese topics in the 2004 SCOS were related to animals, needs of living organisms, animal life cycles, plants, animal adaptation, and ecosystems. 7Compare the current Standard Course of Study to the Essential Standards

Available on-line at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/standards/support-tools/#crscience

Summarized for each grade level ( handout #4 for todays PD).Crosswalk DocumentsGrade level teams need to dive into the crosswalks to fully understand what is different about what they need to teach, what is the same, and what may be new material for the teachers and students. Well start that process today with a quick look at the crosswalks.8Lists what students should know, understand and be able to accomplish.

Supports teachers in their understanding of what they need to teach.

Available at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/standards/support-tools/#unscience

Unpacking Standards DocumentsThe unpacking documents include everything one would want or need to know about the science content the teachers are being asked to teach. We start unpacking some today, but that process will continue throughout the year and over the summer as we get ready to implement the Essential Standards in 2012-2013.9 K.P.2.1

K is the grade level.P is the strand ( Physics)2 is the essential standard for the strand.1 is the clarifying objective.

Essential Standards ExampleThis may look confusing at first, but there is a method behind the madness. It helps to think of the Essential Standard as the science goal or topic from the 2004 adoption and the clarifying objective as the science objectives we have used since 2004-2005. For example, the 2 above relates to the Essential Standard for Matter, Properties, and Change. This used to be Goal 3 in Kindergarten ( Properties of Objects). The clarifying objective 1 asks students to classify objects by observable physical properties such as size, color, shape, texture, and weight.10Pacing guides and resources for the Essential Standards are being developed.

There will be additional PD for the Essential Standards for Science this year and during the summer.

Questions, comments, suggestions may be emailed to Wayne Fisher at w.fisher@cms.k12.nc.us.

Additional InformationLet teachers know that help is always a click away for elementary science! For questions that cannot be resolved or answered at the grade or school level, please check the Elementary Science Wiki or email 11