Engineers' Guide

Science Standards By Grade Level

The National Science Standards jointly developed through the National Research Council, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Medicine can be found at http://books.nap.edu/books/0309053269/html/index.html. Like the math standards, students are grouped into K(indergarten) - 4, 5-8 and 9-12.

The science standards are broken up into 8 "content standards":

  • Unifying Concepts and Processes,
  • Science as Inquiry,
  • Physical Sciences,
  • Life Sciences,
  • Earth and Space Science,
  • Science and Technology,
  • Science in Personal and Social Perspectives,
  • History and Nature of Science.

For each content standard there is a list of subject matter which should be taught.

For Grades K-4 the science standards include:

  • Unifying Concepts and Processes - systems, models, measurement; evolution; form; function;
  • Science as Inquiry;
  • Physical Sciences - light, heat, magnetism, and electricity, property of materials and objects, motion of objects
  • Life Sciences - organism characteristics and organism life cycles and environments;
  • Earth and Space Science - earth materials and properties; objects in the sky;
  • Science and Technology - differentiating between natural and man-made objects;
  • Science in Personal and Social Perspectives - health, changes in populations and resources; using science and technology to solve problems;
  • History and Nature of Science;

For Grades 5-8 the science standards include:

  • Unifying Concepts and Processes - systems, models, measurement; evolution; form; function;
  • Science as Inquiry;
  • Physical Sciences - forces and motion, energy transfer, properties and changes in matter;
  • Life Sciences - physiology, reproduction, heredity, behavior, regulation, ecosystems and population, adaptation and diversity;
  • Earth and Space Science - earth's structure and place in the solar system;
  • Science and Technology;
  • Science in Personal and Social Perspectives - personal health; populations, environments, and resources; risks and benefits; natural hazards; science and technology in society.
  • History and Nature of Science.

For Grades 9-12 the science standards include:

  • Unifying Concepts and Processes - systems, models, measurement; evolution; form; function;
  • Science as Inquiry;
  • Physical Sciences - atomic structure, chemical reactions, forces and motion, energy and matter interaction, conservation of energy, disorder, structure and properties of matter;
  • Life Sciences - cells, heredity, evolution, organism interdependence and behavior; matter, energy and organization in a living system;
  • Earth and Space Science - the universe, energy, origins and evolution of the earth;
  • Science and Technology;
  • Science in Personal and Social Perspectives - environmental concerns, natural resources, population growth, human and community health;
  • History and Nature of Science.

Fortunately, as engineers our profession touches and influences all of these areas. This provides us tremendous flexibility in creating classroom activities since we can add an engineering theme to ANY subject.

A school district or school also may have additional curriculum specifications. For example, one of the national K-4 life sciences standard is "Organisms and Environment". A school or school district may integrate this standard and additionally specify that marine life and the ocean floor will be taught in Grade 3 and tropical forest animals will be taught in Grade 4.

Adapting the science standards into a classroom engineering activity or presentation is not required but also is not difficult. One of the easiest ways to integrate science standards is to focus on "Forces and Motions" under the Physical Science standards and "Science as Inquiry". Examples are provided in the SWE Internet Activities Center Lesson Plans.

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