Activity Directions: Progressions across Grades in Science

1. Decide whether the work will be done with the 2009 science standards (option 1) or the 2019 science standards (option 2)

2. Decide if the participants will use online versions of the standards or with paper copies. The standards documents are available at the MDE Science webpage. The spreadsheet versions are probably easiest to use.

3. Provide highlighters (fi using paper standards), markers, and sticky notes for each individual or group.

4. Provide chart paper, large paper sheets (e.g. 11 X 17) or white boards for each group.

5. Have a camera (e.g. cell phone) available to capture pictures of the charts and an electronic folder to store them.

1. Pick a Content Standard you currently teach. The science standards are available at the MDE Science webpage.

2. Go to the Frameworks website and find that standard.

a. At the Overview tab, Read the big ideas and the related NSES standards and Benchmarks for Science Literacy

b. Write some of the main concepts or skills on post-it notes

3. Using the Science Standards Benchmarks Summary chart, find other grades where related standards are taught

a. go to the Frameworks website and repeat the directions for #2 for each grade level you identified

4. Place the post-its on a chart paper in a flow chart that shows the progression of ideas.

5. Draw connections between ideas with lines. Take a picture of your chart and add to your electronic files for later use.

6. Discussion: Now that you know how your standard fits within the progression, how might that affect the way you teach the standard and related benchmarks at you grade?

7. Pick a Nature of Science and Engineering Standard in a grade you currently teach that could be taught with the content standard in #1

8. Repeat #2-5

9. Discuss how the Content standard and the NSE standard could be taught together at your grade.

1. Find a benchmark you are likely to teach. The science standards are available at the MDE Science webpage.

2. Read the sections in A Framework for K-12 Science Education that relate to the Practice, Crosscutting Concept and Core Idea for that benchmark. (The numbers of these three dimensions are in parentheses after the benchmark statement). Write the main ideas for students to learn that are emphasized in the benchmark on post-it notes.

a. Science and Engineering Practices are on pages 49-77.

b. Crosscutting Concepts are on pages 83- 101.

c. Disciplinary Core Ideas are on these pages: Physical Sciences: 103-137, Life Sciences: 139-167, Earth and Space Sciences: 169 - 198.

3. Read the progression documents in the Next Generation Science Standards Appendices, especially the charts, that are related to the Practice, Crosscutting Concept and Core Idea for that benchmark. Write the main ideas for students to learn in the grade bands given that are emphasized in the benchmark on post-it notes.

a. Science and Engineering Practices, Appendix F

b. Crosscutting Concepts, Appendix G

c. Disciplinary Core ideas, Appendix E. The progressions in A Framework for K-12 Science Education may provide more detail than the Appendix for the Core Idea.

4. Place the post-its on a chart paper in a flow chart that shows the progression of ideas.

5. Draw connections between ideas with lines. Take a picture of your chart and add to your electronic files for later use.

6. Discussion: Now that you know how your standard fits within the progression, how might that affect the way you teach the standard and related benchmarks at you grade?