Eureka Union School District - The Next Generation Science Standards

The Next Generation Science Standards

3-D Science LearningTop of Page

Image from: www.nextgenscience.org

The Science Frameworks from the National Science Council describes what it means to be proficient in science. This vision of proficiency aligns with a view of science as "both a body of knowledge and an evidence-based, model and theory building enterprise that continually extends, refines, and revises knowledge." This proficiency description presents three dimensions of science that is embodied in each science standard (http://www.nextgenscience.org/three-dimensions).

Three dimensions of NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards):

Dimension 1: Practices

The practices describe the attitudes and behaviors that scientists engage in as explore and develop models and theories about the natural world. The practices also contain a key set of engineering practices that engineers utilize as they design and build models and systems.

Dimension 2: Crosscutting Concepts

Crosscutting concepts are broad themes that intersect all domains of the sciences and have applications. The CCCs offer a way of linking the different domains of science. They include: Patterns, similarity, and diversity; Cause and effect; Scale, proportion and quantity; Systems and system models; Energy and matter; Structure and function; Stability and change.

Dimension 3: Disciplinary Core Ideas

Disciplinary core ideas focus K–12 science curriculum, instruction and assessments on the most important conceptual understandings in the sciences. These DCIs are grouped to address four domains:

Physical Sciences
Life Sciences
Earth and Space Sciences
Engineering, Technology and Applications of Science

NGSS DocumentsTop of Page

NGSS ResourcesTop of Page

The NGSS Documents displayed on the left were downloaded from the Next Generation Science Website (www.nextgenscience.org) and the California Department of Education Website.

Some helpful links are listed below:

http://www.nextgenscience.org/overview-dci - Search the standards by DCIs
http://www.nextgenscience.org/overview-topics - Search the standards by TOPIC.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/sc/cf/ - 2016 Revision of California's Science Frameworks
http://www.cde.ca.gov/pd/ca/sc/ngssfaq.asp - Frequently Asked Questions about the NGSS

Mystery Science: Supplementary (Gap) Curriculum for K-5 TransitionTop of Page

Eureka Union School District uses Mystery Science units as supplementary (gap) curriculum for NGSS for K-5 science classrooms. Mystery Science is a hands-on curriculum that is fully aligned to NGSS. The curriculum was created to make explicit connections to CCSS-ELA and Mathematics. Each engaging "mystery" (or unit) is anchored in a phenomenon that drives the mystery (and science learning). To learn more about Mystery Science, click HERE.

EUSD K-5 teachers were provided many opportunities to plan and collaborate on how to integrate Mystery Science with current adopted FOSS curriculum, as well as build upon the Mystery Science units to create a robust and comprehensive science program.

A teacher instructing using Mystery Science

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