Guiding Principles of Science Instruction:

  • Science instruction should be three-dimensional, implementing the science and engineering process standards and applying the crosscutting concepts to deepen understanding of core ideas. (NSTA, 2019)
  • Science instruction should foster independent thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving.
  • Standards-based instruction accelerates student gains.
  • Students construct scientific knowledge through exploration, discussion, and reflection.
  • Teachers are facilitators of student learning, as they engage students in rich tasks. Administrators are change agents and have the power to create and to support a culture of scientific inquiry.

IDOE Resources

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Select one Content Area or High School course at a time.
Search for key words within each standard's description.
Standard Grade Area/Subject Description
3.E.2

3

 Engineering Construct and compare multiple plausible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
3.E.3

3

 Engineering Construct and perform fair investigations in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.
3.ESS.1

3

 Earth and Space Science Obtain and combine information to determine seasonal weather patterns across the different regions of the United States.
3.ESS.2

3

 Earth and Space Science Develop solutions that could be implemented to reduce the impact of weather related hazards.
3.ESS.3

3

 Earth and Space Science Observe the detailed characteristics of rocks and minerals. Identify and classify rocks as being composed of different combinations of minerals.
3.ESS.4

3

 Earth and Space Science Determine how fossils are formed, discovered, layered over time, and used to provide evidence of the organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago.
3.LS.1

3

 Life Science Analyze evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms.
3.LS.2

3

 Life Science Plan and conduct an investigation to determine the basic needs of plants to grow, develop, and reproduce.
3.LS.3

3

 Life Science Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
3.LS.4

3

 Life Science Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive.
3.PS.1

3

 Physical Science Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.
3.PS.2

3

 Physical Science Identify types of simple machines and their uses. Investigate and build simple machines to understand how they are used.
3.PS.3

3

 Physical Science Generate sound energy using a variety of materials and techniques, and recognize that it passes through solids, liquids, and gases (i.e. air).
3.PS.4

3

 Physical Science Investigate and recognize properties of sound that include pitch, loudness (amplitude), and vibration as determined by the physical properties of the object making the sound.
3-5.CD.1

3
4
5

 Computing Devices and Systems Demonstrate proficiency with keyboards and other input and output devices.

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