USA National Science Education Standards
Developed in 1996, the USA National Science Education
Standards (NSES) have become the "currency" for K-12 science
education in the United States. They were developed by the National
Academy of Science with help from a broad range of scientific and
educational organizations. They spell out a vision for science
education in the 21st century and provide a roadmap for how to get
there. These standards are the most widely used science standards in
the United States. Individual states, publishing companies, and
science teaching organizations use the NSES to guide their goals,
products, and services.
Although the NSES includes standards for science teaching,
assessment, and more, most K-12 educators focus on the standards for
science content. Included are eight categories: Unifying Concepts
and Processes in Science, Science as Inquiry, Physical Science, Life
Science, Earth and Space Science, Science and Technology, Science in
Personal and Social Perspectives, and History and Nature of Science.
The content standards are clustered for grade levels K-4, 5-8, and
9-12.
The focus of this NSES description is limited to Science as Inquiry
in the K-4 and 5-8 grades.
Content Standards: K-4
Science as Inquiry
CONTENT STANDARD A:
As a result of activities in grades K-4, all students should
develop:
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Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry |
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Understanding about scientific inquiry |
 DEVELOPING STUDENT ABILITIES AND
UNDERSTANDING
From the earliest grades, students should experience science in a
form that engages them in the active construction of ideas and
explanations that enhance their opportunities to develop the
abilities of doing science. Teaching science as inquiry provides
teachers with the opportunity to develop student abilities and to
enrich student understanding of science. Students should do science
in ways that are within their developmental capabilities. This
standard sets forth some abilities of scientific inquiry appropriate
for students in grades K-4.
In the early years of school, students can investigate earth
materials, organisms, and properties of common objects. Although
children develop concepts and vocabulary from such experiences, they
also should develop inquiry skills. As students focus on the
processes of doing investigations, they develop the ability to ask
scientific questions, investigate aspects of the world around them,
and use their observations to construct reasonable explanations for
the questions posed. Guided by teachers, students continually
develop their science knowledge. Students should also learn through
the inquiry process how to communicate about their own and their
peers' investigations and explanations.
There is logic behind the abilities outlined in the inquiry
standard, but a step-by-step sequence or scientific method is not
implied. In practice, student questions might arise from previous
investigations, planned classroom activities, or questions students
ask each other. For instance, if children ask each other how animals
are similar and different, an investigation might arise into
characteristics of organisms they can observe.
Full inquiry involves asking a simple question, completing an
investigation, answering the question, and presenting the results to
others. In elementary grades, students begin to develop the physical
and intellectual abilities of scientific inquiry. They can design
investigations to try things to see what happens--they tend to focus
on concrete results of tests and will entertain the idea of a "fair"
test (a test in which only one variable at a time is changed).
However, children in K-4 have difficulty with experimentation as a
process of testing ideas and the logic of using evidence to
formulate explanations.
GUIDE TO THE CONTENT STANDARD
Fundamental abilities and concepts that underlie this standard
include:
ABILITIES NECESSARY TO DO SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY
ASK A QUESTION ABOUT OBJECTS, ORGANISMS,
AND EVENTS IN THE ENVIRONMENT. This aspect of the
standard emphasizes students asking questions that they can answer
with scientific knowledge, combined with their own observations.
Students should answer their questions by seeking information from
reliable sources of scientific information and from their own
observations and investigations.
PLAN AND CONDUCT A SIMPLE INVESTIGATION.
In the earliest years, investigations are largely based on
systematic observations. As students develop, they may design and
conduct simple experiments to answer questions. The idea of a fair
test is possible for many students to consider by fourth grade.
EMPLOY SIMPLE EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS TO GATHER
DATA AND EXTEND THE SENSES. In early years, students
develop simple skills, such as how to observe, measure, cut,
connect, switch, turn on and off, pour, hold, tie, and hook.
Beginning with simple instruments, students can use rulers to
measure the length, height, and depth of objects and materials;
thermometers to measure temperature; watches to measure time; beam
balances and spring scales to measure weight and force; magnifiers
to observe objects and organisms; and microscopes to observe the
finer details of plants, animals, rocks, and other materials.
Children also develop skills in the use of computers and calculators
for conducting investigations.
USE DATA TO CONSTRUCT A REASONABLE
EXPLANATION. This aspect of the standard emphasizes the
students' thinking as they use data to formulate explanations. Even
at the earliest grade levels, students should learn what constitutes
evidence and judge the merits or strength of the data and
information that will be used to make explanations. After students
propose an explanation, they will appeal to the knowledge and
evidence they obtained to support their explanations. Students
should check their explanations against scientific knowledge,
experiences, and observations of others.
COMMUNICATE INVESTIGATIONS AND
EXPLANATIONS. Students should begin developing the
abilities to communicate, critique, and analyze their work and the
work of other students. This communication might be spoken or drawn
as well as written. [See Teaching Standard B]
UNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY
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Scientific investigations involve asking and
answering a question and comparing the answer with what scientists
already know about the world. [See Content Standard G (grades K-4)] |
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Scientists use different kinds of investigations depending on the
questions they are trying to answer. Types of investigations include
describing objects, events, and organisms; classifying them; and doing a
fair test (experimenting). |
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Simple instruments, such as magnifiers, thermometers, and rulers, provide
more information than scientists obtain using only their senses. [See Program Standard C] |
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Scientists develop explanations using observations (evidence) and what
they already know about the world (scientific knowledge). Good explanations
are based on evidence from investigations. |
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Scientists make the results of their investigations public; they describe
the investigations in ways that enable others to repeat the investigations. |
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Scientists review and ask questions about the results of
other scientists' work. |
Science Content
Standards: 5-8
Science as Inquiry
CONTENT STANDARD A:
As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop
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Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry |
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Understandings about scientific inquiry |
 DEVELOPING
STUDENT ABILITIES AND UNDERSTANDING
Students in grades 5-8 should be provided opportunities to engage in
full and in partial inquiries. In a full inquiry students begin with
a question, design an investigation, gather evidence, formulate an
answer to the original question, and communicate the investigative
process and results. In partial inquiries, they develop abilities
and understanding of selected aspects of the inquiry process.
Students might, for instance, describe how they would design an
investigation, develop explanations based on scientific information
and evidence provided through a classroom activity, or recognize and
analyze several alternative explanations for a natural phenomenon
presented in a teacher-led demonstration.
Students in grades 5-8 can begin to recognize the relationship
between explanation and evidence. They can understand that
background knowledge and theories guide the design of
investigations, the types of observations made, and the
interpretations of data. In turn, the experiments and investigations
students conduct become experiences that shape and modify their
background knowledge.
With an appropriate curriculum and adequate instruction,
middle-school students can develop the skills of investigation and
the understanding that scientific inquiry is guided by knowledge,
observations, ideas, and questions. Middle-school students might
have trouble identifying variables and controlling more than one
variable in an experiment. Students also might have difficulties
understanding the influence of different variables in an
experiment--for example, variables that have no effect, marginal
effect, or opposite effects on an outcome.
Teachers of science for middle-school students should note that
students tend to center on evidence that confirms their current
beliefs and concepts (i.e., personal explanations), and ignore or
fail to perceive evidence that does not agree with their current
concepts. It is important for teachers of science to challenge
current beliefs and concepts and provide scientific explanations as
alternatives.
Several factors of this standard should be highlighted. The
instructional activities of a scientific inquiry should engage
students in identifying and shaping an understanding of the question
under inquiry. Students should know what the question is asking,
what background knowledge is being used to frame the question, and
what they will have to do to answer the question. The students'
questions should be relevant and meaningful for them. To help focus
investigations, students should frame questions, such as "What do we
want to find out about . . .?", "How can we make the most accurate
observations?", "Is this the best way to answer our questions?" and
"If we do this, then what do we expect will happen?"
Students in grades 5-8
can begin to recognize the relationship between explanation and
evidence.
The instructional activities of a scientific inquiry should involve
students in establishing and refining the methods, materials, and
data they will collect. As students conduct investigations and make
observations, they should consider questions such as "What data will
answer the question?" and "What are the best observations or
measurements to make?" Students should be encouraged to repeat
data-collection procedures and to share data among groups.
In middle schools, students produce oral or written reports that
present the results of their inquiries. Such reports and discussions
should be a frequent occurrence in science programs. Students'
discussions should center on questions, such as "How should we
organize the data to present the clearest answer to our question?"
or "How should we organize the evidence to present the strongest
explanation?" Out of the discussions about the range of ideas, the
background knowledge claims, and the data, the opportunity arises
for learners to shape their experiences about the practice of
science and the rules of scientific thinking and knowing.
The language and practices evident in the classroom are an important
element of doing inquiries. Students need opportunities to present
their abilities and understanding and to use the knowledge and
language of science to communicate scientific explanations and
ideas. Writing, labeling drawings, completing concept maps,
developing spreadsheets, and designing computer graphics should be a
part of the science education. These should be presented in a way
that allows students to receive constructive feedback on the quality
of thought and expression and the accuracy of scientific
explanations.
This standard should not be interpreted as advocating a "scientific
method." The conceptual and procedural abilities suggest a logical
progression, but they do not imply a rigid approach to scientific
inquiry. On the contrary, they imply codevelopment of the skills of
students in acquiring science knowledge, in using high-level
reasoning, in applying their existing understanding of scientific
ideas, and in communicating scientific information. This standard
cannot be met by having the students memorize the abilities and
understandings. It can be met only when students frequently engage
in active inquiries.
GUIDE TO THE CONTENT STANDARD
Fundamental abilities and concepts that underlie this standard
include:
ABILITIES NECESSARY TO DO SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY
IDENTIFY QUESTIONS THAT CAN BE ANSWERED THROUGH SCIENTIFIC
INVESTIGATIONS. Students should develop the ability to refine and
refocus broad and ill-defined questions. An important aspect of this
ability consists of students' ability to clarify questions and
inquiries and direct them toward objects and phenomena that can be
described, explained, or predicted by scientific investigations.
Students should develop the ability to identify their questions with
scientific ideas, concepts, and quantitative relationships that
guide investigation.
DESIGN AND CONDUCT A SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION. Students should
develop general abilities, such as systematic observation, making
accurate measurements, and identifying and controlling variables.
They should also develop the ability to clarify their ideas that are
influencing and guiding the inquiry, and to understand how those
ideas compare with current scientific knowledge. Students can learn
to formulate questions, design investigations, execute
investigations, interpret data, use evidence to generate
explanations, propose alternative explanations, and critique
explanations and procedures.
USE APPROPRIATE TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES TO GATHER, ANALYZE, AND
INTERPRET DATA. The use of tools and techniques, including
mathematics, will be guided by the question asked and the
investigations students design. The use of computers for the
collection, summary, and display of evidence is part of this
standard. Students should be able to access, gather, store,
retrieve, and organize data, using hardware and software designed
for these purposes.
DEVELOP DESCRIPTIONS, EXPLANATIONS, PREDICTIONS, AND MODELS USING
EVIDENCE. Students should base their explanation on what they
observed, and as they develop cognitive skills, they should be able
to differentiate explanation from description--providing causes for
effects and establishing relationships based on evidence and logical
argument. This standard requires a subject matter knowledge base so
the students can effectively conduct investigations, because
developing explanations establishes connections between the content
of science and the contexts within which students develop new
knowledge.
THINK CRITICALLY AND LOGICALLY TO MAKE THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN
EVIDENCE AND EXPLANATIONS. Thinking critically about evidence
includes deciding what evidence should be used and accounting for
anomalous data. Specifically, students should be able to review data
from a simple experiment, summarize the data, and form a logical
argument about the cause-and-effect relationships in the experiment.
Students should begin to state some explanations in terms of the
relationship between two or more variables.
See the example entitled "Pendulums"
RECOGNIZE AND ANALYZE ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS AND PREDICTIONS.
Students should develop the ability to listen to and respect the
explanations proposed by other students. They should remain open to
and acknowledge different ideas and explanations, be able to accept
the skepticism of others, and consider alternative explanations.
COMMUNICATE SCIENTIFIC PROCEDURES AND EXPLANATIONS. With practice,
students should become competent at communicating experimental
methods, following instructions, describing observations,
summarizing the results of other groups, and telling other students
about investigations and explanations. [See Teaching Standard B]
USE MATHEMATICS IN ALL ASPECTS OF SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY. Mathematics is
essential to asking and answering questions about the natural world.
Mathematics can be used to ask questions; to gather, organize, and
present data; and to structure convincing explanations. [See Program Standard C]
UNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY
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Different kinds of questions suggest different kinds of
scientific investigations. Some investigations involve observing and
describing objects, organisms, or events; some involve collecting specimens;
some involve experiments; some involve seeking more information; some
involve discovery of new objects and phenomena; and some involve making
models. |
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Current scientific knowledge and understanding guide
scientific investigations. Different scientific domains employ different
methods, core theories, and standards to advance scientific knowledge and
understanding. |
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Mathematics is important in all aspects of scientific
inquiry. |
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Technology used to gather data enhances accuracy and
allows scientists to analyze and quantify results of investigations. |
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Scientific explanations emphasize evidence, have
logically consistent arguments, and use scientific principles, models,
and theories. The scientific community accepts and uses such
explanations until displaced by better scientific ones. When such
displacement occurs, science advances. |
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Science advances through legitimate skepticism.
Asking questions and querying other scientists' explanations is part
of scientific inquiry. Scientists evaluate the explanations proposed
by other scientists by examining evidence, comparing evidence,
identifying faulty reasoning, pointing out statements that go beyond
the evidence, and suggesting alternative explanations for the same
observations. |
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Scientific investigations sometimes result in new
ideas and phenomena for study, generate new methods or procedures for
an investigation, or develop new technologies to improve the
collection of data. All of these results can lead to new investigations. |
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