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
PI.2.3

High School

 Physical Science Rank the accelerations of objects in a system based on the slope of a velocity vs. clock reading (time) graphical representation. Recognize that the magnitude of the slope representing a negative acceleration can be greater than the magnitude of the slope representing a positive acceleration.
PI.2.4

High School

 Physical Science Given a graphical representation of the position, velocity, or acceleration vs. clock reading (time), be able to identify or sketch the shape of the other two graphs.
PI.2.5

High School

 Physical Science Qualitatively and quantitatively apply the models of constant velocity and constant acceleration to determine the position or velocity of an object moving in free fall near the surface of the Earth.
PI.3.1

High School

 Physical Science Understand Newton’s first law of motion and describe the motion of an object in the absence of a net external force according to Newton’s first law.
PI.3.2

High School

 Physical Science Develop graphical and mathematical representations that describe the relationship among the inertial mass of an object, the total force applied, and the acceleration of an object in one dimension where one or more forces is applied to the object and apply those representations to qualitatively and quantitatively describe how a net external force changes the motion of an object.
PI.3.3

High School

 Physical Science Construct force diagrams using appropriately labeled vectors with magnitude, direction, and units to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze a scenario and make claims (i.e. develop arguments, justify assertions) about forces exerted on an object by other objects for different types of forces or components of forces.
PI.3.4

High School

 Physical Science Understand Newton’s third law of motion and describe the interaction of two objects using Newton’s third law and the representation of action-reaction pairs of forces.
PI.3.5

High School

 Physical Science Develop graphical and mathematical representations that describe the relationship between the gravitational mass of an object and the force due to gravity and apply those representations to qualitatively and quantitatively describe how changing the gravitational mass will affect the force due to gravity acting on the object.
PI.3.6

High School

 Physical Science Describe the slope of the force due to gravity vs. gravitational mass graphical representation in terms of gravitational field.
PI.3.7

High School

 Physical Science Explain that the equivalence of the inertial and gravitational masses leads to the observation that acceleration in free fall is independent of an object’s mass.
PI.4.1

High School

 Physical Science Evaluate the translational kinetic, gravitational potential, and elastic potential energies in simple situations using the mathematical definitions of these quantities and mathematically relate the initial and final values of the translational kinetic, gravitational potential, and elastic potential energies in the absence of a net external force.
PI.4.2

High School

 Physical Science Identify the forms of energy present in a scenario and recognize that the potential energy associated with a system of objects and is not stored in the object itself.
PI.4.3

High School

 Physical Science Conceptually define “work” as the process of transferring of energy into or out of a system when an object is moved under the application of an external force and operationally define “work” as the area under a force vs. change in position curve.
PI.4.4

High School

 Physical Science For a force exerted in one or two dimensions, mathematically determine the amount of work done on a system by an unbalanced force over a change in position in one dimension.
PI.4.5

High School

 Physical Science Understand and apply the principle of conservation of energy to determine the total mechanical energy stored in a closed system and mathematically show that the total mechanical energy of the system remains constant as long as no dissipative (i.e. non-conservative) forces are present.

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