5	The Nature of Science & Technology	Scientific Thinking	Physical Setting	Living Environment	Mathematical World		Common Themes	Other
E	E5.4.3 Write informational pieces with multiple paragraphs that: -present important ideas or events in sequence or in chronological order. -provide details and transitions to link paragraphs. -offer a concluding paragraph that summarizes important ideas and details.	E.5.4.5 Use note-taking skills.	E5.5.3 Write research reports about important ideas, issues, or events by using the following guidelines: Frame questions that direct the investigation. Establish a main idea or topic. Develop the topic with simple facts, details, examples, and explanations. Use a variety of information sources, including firsthand interviews, reference materials, and electronic resources, to locate information for the report.	E5.7.1 Ask questions that seek information not already discussed.	E5.7.5 Clarify and support spoken ideas with evidence and examples.		E5.7.10 Deliver informative presentations about an important idea, issue, or event by the following means: -frame questions to direct the investigation. -establish a controlling idea or topic. -develop the topic with simple facts, details, examples, and explanations.
5	The Nature of Science & Technology	Scientific Thinking	Physical Setting	Living Environment	Mathematical World		Common Themes	Other
5	1.1 Recognize/describe that results of similar scientific investigations may turn out differently because of inconsistencies in methods, materials, & observations.	2.1 Multiply & divide whole numbers mentally, on paper, & with a calculator. M5.2.6 Use estimation to decide whether answers are reasonable in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems M5.2.7 Use mental arithmetic to add or subtract simple decimals. M5.7.7 Make precise calculations and check the validity of the results in the context of the problem. M5.7.8 Decide whether a solution is reasonable in the context of the original situation.	The Universe 3.1 Explain that telescopes are used to magnify distant objects in the sky, including the moon & the planets.	Diversity of Life 4.1 Explain that for offspring to resemble their parents there must be a reliable way to transfer information from one generation to the next. H.5.4.1 Understand the influences your family genetically has in terms of your rate of maturation and that this varies greatly.	5.1 Make precise & varied measurements & specify the appropriate units. M5.5.4 Find the surface area and volume of rectangular solids using appropriate units. M5.5.5 Understand and use the smaller and larger units for measuring weight (ounce, gram, and ton) and their relationship to pounds and kilograms. M5.5.6 Compare temperatures in Celsius and Fahrenheit, knowing that the freezing point of water is 0°C and 32°F and that the boiling point is 100°C and 212°F.		6.1 Recognize/describe that systems contain objects as well as processes that interact with each other.
5	The Nature of Science & Technology	Scientific Thinking	Physical Setting	Living Environment	Mathematical World		Common Themes	Other
5	1.2 Begin to evaluate the validity of claims based on the amount & quality of the evidence cited.	2.2 Use appropriate fractions & decimals when solving problems. M5.2.2 Add and subtract fractions (including mixed numbers) with different denominators. M5.2.4 Multiply and divide fractions to solve problems. M5.2.5 Add and subtract decimals and verify the reasonableness of the results.	3.2 Observe/describe that stars are like the sun, some being smaller & some being larger, but they are so far away that they look like points of light.	4.2 Observe/describe that some living things consist of a single cell that needs food, water, air, a way to dispose of waste, & an environment in which to live.	5.2 Show that mathematical statements using symbols may be true only when the symbols are replaced by certain numbers. M5.3.1 Use a variable to represent an unknown number.		6.2 Demonstrate how geometric figures, number sequences, graphs, diagrams, sketches, number lines, maps, & stories can be used to represent objects, events, & processes in the real world, although such representation can never be exact in every detail. M5.4.1 Measure, identify, and draw angles, perpendicular and parallel lines, rectangles, triangles, and circles by using appropriate tools (e.g., ruler, compass, protractor, appropriate technology, media tools). M5.6.1 Explain which types of displays are appropriate for various sets of data. M.5.6.2 Find the mean, median, mode, and range of a set of data and describe what each does and does not tell about the data set.
5	The Nature of Science & Technology	Scientific Thinking	Physical Setting	Living Environment	Mathematical World		Common Themes	Other
5	1.3 Explain that doing science involves many different kinds of work & engages men, women, & children of all ages & backgrounds.	2.3 Choose appropriate common materials for making simple mechanical constructions & repairing things.	3.3 Observe the stars & identify stars that are unusually bright & those that have unusual colors, such as reddish or bluish.	4.3 Observe/explain that some organisms are made of a collection of similar cells that benefit from cooperating. Explain that some organisms' cells, such as human nerve & muscle cells, vary greatly in appearance & perform very different roles in the organism.	5.3 Classify objects in terms of simple figures & solids.		6.3 Recognize/describe that almost anything has limits on how big or small it can be.
5	The Nature of Science & Technology	Scientific Thinking	Physical Setting	Living Environment	Mathematical World		Common Themes	Other
5	1.4 Give examples of technology, such as telescopes, microscopes, & cameras, that enable scientists & others to observe things that are too small or too far away to be seen without them & to study the motion of objects that are moving very rapidly or are hardly moving.	2.4 Keep a notebook to record observations & be able to distinguish inferences from actual observations. A daily entry into a “log” is common in the business community. E5 Use note-taking skills.	Earth & the Processes That Shape It 3.4 Investigate that when liquid water disappears it turns into a gas (vapor) mixed into the air & can reappear as a liquid when cooled or as a solid if cooled below the freezing point of water.	Interdependence of Life & Evolution 4.4 Explain that in any particular environment, some kinds of plants & animals survive well, some do not survive as well, & some cannot survive at all.	5.4 Compare shapes in terms of concepts, such as parallel & perpendicular, congruence, & symmetry. M5.4.1 Measure, identify, and draw angles, perpendicular and parallel lines, rectangles, triangles, and circles by using appropriate tools (e.g., ruler, compass, protractor, appropriate technology, media tools).		6.4 Investigate, observe, & describe that things change in steady, repetitive, or irregular ways, such as toy cars continuing in the same direction & air temperature reaching a high or low value. Note that the best way to tell which kinds of changes are happening is to make a table or a graph of measurements. M5.3.4 Identify and graph ordered pairs of positive numbers. M5.3.5 Find ordered pairs (positive numbers only) that fit a linear equation, graph the ordered pairs, and draw the line they determine. M5.3.6 Understand that the length of a horizontal line segment on a coordinate plane equals the difference between the x-coordinates and that the length of a vertical line segment on a coordinate plane equals the difference between the y-coordinates. M5.3.7 Use information taken from a graph or equation to answer questions about a problem situation. M5.6.1 Explain which types of displays are appropriate for various sets of data. M.5.6.2 Find the mean, median, mode, and range of a set of data and describe what each does and does not tell about the data set.
5	The Nature of Science & Technology	Scientific Thinking	Physical Setting	Living Environment	Mathematical World		Common Themes	Other
5	1.5 Explain that technology extends the ability of people to make positive &/or negative changes in the world.	2.5 Use technology, such as calculators or spreadsheets, in determining area & volume from linear dimensions. Find area, volume, mass, time, & cost, & find the difference between two quantities of anything. M5.2.5 Add and subtract decimals and verify the reasonableness of the results.	3.5 Observe/explain that clouds & fog are made of tiny droplets of water.	4.5 Explain how changes in an organism’s habitat are sometimes beneficial & sometimes harmful.	5.5 Demonstrate that areas of irregular shapes can be found by dividing them into squares and triangles. M5.4.9 Given a picture of a three-dimensional object, build the object with blocks.
5	1.6 Explain how the solution to one problem, such as the use of pesticides in agriculture or the use of dumps for waste disposal, may create other problems.	2.6 Write instructions that others can follow in carrying out a procedure. Known in industry as the “SOP”, standard operating procedures.	3.6 Demonstrate that things on or near Earth are pulled toward it by Earth’s gravity.	4.6 Recognize/ explain that most microorganisms do not cause disease & many are beneficial.	5.6 Describe & use drawings to show shapes & compare locations of things very different in size. M5.4.1 Measure, identify, and draw angles, perpendicular and parallel lines, rectangles, triangles, and circles by using appropriate tools (e.g., ruler, compass, protractor, appropriate technology, …
5	The Nature of Science & Technology	Scientific Thinking	Physical Setting	Living Environment	Mathematical World		Common Themes	Other
5	1.7 Give examples of materials not present in nature, such as cloth, plastic, & concrete that have become available because of science & technology.	2.7 Read & follow step-by-step instructions when learning new procedures. All positions in industry have this type of instruction sheet, known as the SOP. Must be readily accessible at all times.	3.7 Describe that, like all planets & stars, Earth is approximately spherical in shape.	4.7 Explain that living things, such as plants & animals, differ in their characteristics, & that sometimes these differences can give members of these groups (plants & animals) an advantage in surviving & reproducing.	5.7 Explain that predictions can be based on what is known about the past, assuming that conditions are similar.
5		2.8 Recognize when & describe that comparisons might not be accurate because some of the conditions are not kept the same.	Matter & Energy 3.8 Investigate, observe, & describe that heating & cooling cause changes in the properties of materials, such as water turning into steam by boiling & water turning into ice by freezing. Notice that many kinds of changes occur faster at higher temperatures.	4.8 Observe/describe how fossils can be compared to one another & to living organisms according to their similarities & differences.	5.8 Realize & explain that predictions may be more accurate if they are based on large collections of objects or events. M5.6.3 Understand that probability can take any value between 0 and 1, events that are not going to occur have probability 0, events certain to occur have probability 1, and more likely events have a higher probability than less likely events.
5	The Nature of Science & Technology	Scientific Thinking	Physical Setting	Living Environment	Mathematical World		Common Themes	Other
5			3.9 Investigate, observe, & describe that when warmer things are put with cooler ones, the warm ones lose heat & the cool ones gain it until they are all at the same temperature. Demonstrate that a warmer object can warm a cooler one by contact or at a distance.	Human Identity 4.9 Explain that like other animals, human beings have body systems. H.5.1.4 Describe the basic structure and functions of the human body system.	5.9 Show how spreading data out on a number line helps to see what the extremes are, where they pile up, & where the gaps are. M5.1.7 Identify on a number line the relative position of simple positive fractions, positive mixed numbers, and positive decimals.
5			3.10 Investigate that some materials conduct heat much better than others, & poor conductors can reduce heat loss.		5.10 Explain the danger in using only a portion of the data collected to describe the whole.
5	The Nature of Science & Technology	Scientific Thinking	Physical Setting	Living Environment	Mathematical World		Common Themes	Other
5			Forces of Nature 3.11 Investigate/describe that changes in speed or direction of motion of an object are caused by forces. Understand that the greater the force, the greater the change in motion & the more massive an object, the less effect a given force will have.
5			3.12 Explain that objects move at different rates, with some moving very slowly & some moving too quickly for people to see them.
5			3.13 Demonstrate that Earth’s gravity pulls any object toward it without touching it.
6	The Nature of Science & Technology	Scientific Thinking	Physical Setting	Living Environment	Mathematical World	Historical Perspectives		Common Themes
E	E6.1.4 Understand unknown words in informational texts by using word, sentence, and paragraph clues to determine meaning.	E6.2.4 Clarify an understanding of texts by creating outlines, notes, diagrams, summaries, or reports.	E6.2.2 Analyze text that uses a compare-and-contrast organizational pattern.	E6.2.5 Follow multiple-step instructions for preparing applications.	E6.4.1 Discuss ideas for writing, keep a list or notebook of ideas, and use graphic organizers to plan writing.	E6.4.3 Write informational pieces of several paragraphs that: -engage the interest of the reader. -state a clear purpose. -develop the topic with supporting details and precise language. -conclude with a detailed summary linked to the purpose of the composition.		E6.4.4 Use a variety of effective organizational patterns, including comparison and contrast, organization by categories,
E	E6.4.5 Use note-taking skills.	E6.4.6 Use organizational features of electronic text (on computers), such as bulletin boards, databases, keyword searches, and e-mail addresses, to locate information.	E6.4.7 Use a computer to compose documents with appropriate formatting by using word-processing skills and principles of design, including margins, tabs, spacing, columns, and page orientation.	E6.4.8 Review, evaluate, and revise writing for meaning and clarity.	E6.5.2 Write descriptions, explanations, comparison and contrast papers, and problem and solution essays that: -state the thesis (position on the topic) or purpose. -explain the situation. -organize the composition clearly. -offer evidence to support arguments and conclusions.	E6.5.3 Write research reports that: -pose relevant questions that can be answered in the report. -support the main idea or ideas with facts, details, examples, and explanations from multiple authoritative sources, such as speakers, newspapers and magazines, reference books, and online information searches. -include a bibliography.		E6.7.3 Restate and carry out multiple-step oral instructions and directions.
6	The Nature of Science & Technology	Scientific Thinking	Physical Setting	Living Environment	Mathematical World	Historical Perspectives		Common Themes
E	E6.7.6 Support opinions with researched, documented evidence and with visual or media displays that use appropriate technology.	E6.7.11 Deliver informative presentations that: -pose relevant questions sufficiently limited in scope to be completely and thoroughly answered. -develop the topic with facts, details, examples, and explanations from multiple authoritative sources, including speakers, periodicals, and online information.	E6.7.14 Deliver presentations on problems and solutions that: -theorize on the causes and effects of each problem. -establish connections between the defined problem and at least one solution. -offer persuasive evidence to support the definition of the problem and the proposed solutions.
6	1.1 Explain that some scientific knowledge, such as the length of the year, is very old & yet is still applicable today. Understand, however, that scientific knowledge is never exempt from review & criticism.	2.1 Find the mean & median of a set of data. M6.6.3 Compare the mean, median, and mode for a set of data and explain which measure is most appropriate in a given context.	3.1 Compare/contrast the size, composition, & surface features of the planets that comprise the solar system, as well as the objects orbiting them. Explain that the planets, except Pluto, move around the sun in nearly circular orbits. E6.2.2 Analyze text that uses a compare-and-contrast organizational pattern. E6.4.4 Use a variety of effective organizational patterns, including comparison and contrast, organization by categories,	4.1 Explain that one of the most general distinctions among organisms is between green plants, which use sunlight to make their own food, and animals, which consume energy-rich foods.	5.1 Demonstrate that the operations addition & subtraction are inverses & that multiplication & division are inverses of each other. M6.2.1 Add and subtract positive and negative integers. M6.2.2 Multiply and divide positive and negative integers.	6.1 Understand/explain that from the earliest times until now, people have believed that even though countless different kinds of materials seem to exist in the world, most things can be made up of combinations of just a few basic kinds of things. Note that there has not always been agreement, however, on what those basic kinds of things are, such as the theory of long ago that the basic substances were earth, water, air, & fire. Understand that this theory seemed to explain many observations about the world, but as we know now, it fails to explain many others.		7.1 Describe that a system, such as the human body, is composed of subsystems.
6	1.2 Give examples of different ways scientists investigate natural phenomena & identify processes all scientists use, such as collection of relevant evidence, the use of logical reasoning, & the application of imagination in devising hypotheses & explanations, in order to make sense of the evidence.	2.2 Use technology, such as calculators or computer spreadsheets, in analysis of data.	3.2 Observe/describe that planets change their position relative to the background of stars.	4.2 Give examples of organisms that cannot be neatly classified as either plants or animals, such as fungi and bacteria. (Rationale for different kingdoms…multi-ple systems for classification)	5.2 Evaluate the precision & usefulness of data based on measurements taken. M6.5.6 Understand the concept of significant figures and round answers to an appropriate number of significant figures.	6.2 Understand/describe that scientists are still working out the details of what the basic kinds of matter are on the smallest scale, & of how they combine, or can be made to combine, to make other substances.		7.2 Use models to illustrate processes that happen too slowly, too quickly, or on too small a scale to observe directly, or are too vast to be changed deliberately, or are potentially dangerous.
6	The Nature of Science & Technology	Scientific Thinking	Physical Setting	Living Environment	Mathematical World	Historical Perspectives		Common Themes
6	1.3 Recognize/explain that hypotheses are valuable, even if they turn out not to be true, if they lead to fruitful investigations.	2.3 Select tools, such as cameras & tape recorders, for capturing information.	3.3 Explain that Earth is one of several planets that orbit the sun, & that the moon, as well as many artificial satellites & debris, orbit around Earth.	4.3 Describe some of the great variety of body plans and internal structures animals & plants have that contribute to their being able to make or find food and reproduce.	5.3 Explain why shapes on a sphere like Earth cannot be depicted on a flat surface without some distortion. M6.4.7 (related) Visualize and draw two-dimensional views of three-dimensional objects made from rectangular solids.	6.3 Understand/explain that the experimental & theoretical work done by French scientist Antoine Lavoisier in the decade between the American & French Revolutions contributed crucially to the modern science of chemistry.		7.3 Identify examples of feedback mechanisms within systems that serve to keep changes within specified limits.
6	1.4 Give examples of employers who hire scientists, such as colleges & universities, businesses & industries, hospitals, & many government agencies. IU, Ivy Tech, Crane, Baxter, Cook, Cook Pharmica	2.4 Inspect, disassemble, & reassemble simple mechanical devices & describe what the various parts are for. Estimate what the effect of making a change in one part of a system is likely to have on the system as a whole.	3.4 Explain that we live on a planet which appears at present to be the only body in the solar system capable of supporting life.	4.4 Recognize and describe that a species comprises all organisms that can mate with one another to produce fertile offspring. (definition of a biological species…does not work for asexual organisms or extinct organisms)	5.4 Demonstrate how graphs may help to show patterns, such as trends, varying rates of change, gaps, or clusters, which can be used to make predictions. M6.7.1 Analyze problems by identifying relationships, telling relevant from irrelevant information, identifying missing information, sequencing and prioritizing information, and observing patterns. M6.7.8 Use graphing to estimate solutions and check the estimates with analytic approaches. M6.6.1 Organize and display single-variable data in appropriate graphs and stem-and-leaf plots, and explain which types of graphs are appropriate for various data sets. M6.6.2 Make frequency tables for numerical data, grouping the data in different ways to investigate how different groupings describe the data. Understand and find relative and cumulative frequency for a data set. Use histograms of the data and of the relative frequency distribution, and a broken line graph for cumulative frequency, to interpret the data. M6.6.5 Use data to estimate the probability of future events.
6	1.5 Identify places where scientists work including offices, classrooms, laboratories, farms, factories, & natural field settings ranging from space to the ocean floor. Local examples include DNR, IU, Baxter, Cook, Cook Pharmica, food inspection, soil specialist, etc.	2.5 Organize information in simple tables & graphs & identify relationships they reveal. Use tables & graphs as examples of evidence for explanations when writing essays or writing about lab work, fieldwork, etc. M6.7.1 Analyze problems by identifying relationships, telling relevant from irrelevant information, identifying missing information, sequencing and prioritizing information, and observing patterns. M6.7.8 Use graphing to estimate solutions and check the estimates with analytic approaches. M6.6.1 Organize and display single-variable data in appropriate graphs and stem-and-leaf plots, and explain which types of graphs are appropriate for various data sets. M6.6.2 Make frequency tables for numerical data, grouping the data in different ways to investigate how different groupings describe the data. Understand and find relative and cumulative frequency for a data set. Use histograms of the data and of the relative frequency distribution, and a broken line graph for cumulative frequency, to interpret the data.	3.5 Use models or drawings to explain that Earth has different seasons & weather patterns because it turns daily on an axis that is tilted relative to the plane of Earth’s yearly orbit around the sun. Know that because of this, sunlight falls more intensely on different parts of the Earth during the year (the accompanying greater length of days also has an effect) & the difference in heating produces seasons & weather patterns.	4.5 Investigate and explain that all living things are composed of cells whose details are usually visible only through a microscope.	5.5 Explain the strengths & weaknesses of using an analogy to help describe an event, object, etc.
6	The Nature of Science & Technology	Scientific Thinking	Physical Setting	Living Environment	Mathematical World	Historical Perspectives		Common Themes
6	1.6 Explain that computers have become invaluable in science because they speed up & extend people’s ability to collect, store, compile, & analyze data; prepare research reports; & share data & ideas with investigators all over the world.	2.6 Read simple tables & graphs produced by others & describe in words what they show. MATH graphs	3.6 Use models or drawings to explain that the phases of the moon are caused by the moon’s orbit around Earth, once in about 28 days, changing what part of the moon is lighted by the sun & how much of that part can be seen from Earth, both during the day & night.	4.6 Distinguish the main differences between plant and animal cells, such as the presence of chlorophyll & cell walls in plant cells & their absence in animal cells.	5.6 Predict the frequency of the occurrence of future events based on data. M6.6.5 Use data to estimate the probability of future events.
6	1.7 Explain that technology is essential to science for such purposes as access to outer space & other remote locations, sample collection & treatment, measurement, data collection & storage, computation, & communication of information.	2.7 Locate information in reference books, back issues of newspapers & magazines, CD-ROMs, & computer databases.	3.7 Understand/describe the scales involved in characterizing Earth & its atmosphere. Describe that Earth is mostly rock, that three-fourths of its surface is covered by a relatively thin layer of water, & that the entire planet is surrounded by a relatively thin blanket of air.	4.7 Explain that about two-thirds of the mass of a cell is accounted for by water. Understand that water gives cells many of their properties.	5.7 Demonstrate how probabilities & ratios can be expressed as fractions, percentages, or odds. M6.1.4 Convert between any two representations of numbers (fractions, decimals, and percents) without the use of a calculator. M6.1.5 Recognize decimal equivalents for commonly used fractions without the use of a calculator. M6.6.6 Understand and represent probabilities as ratios, measures of relative frequency, decimals between 0 and 1, and percentages between 0 and 100 and verify that the probabilities computed are reasonable.
6	The Nature of Science & Technology	Scientific Thinking	Physical Setting	Living Environment	Mathematical World	Historical Perspectives		Common Themes
6	1.8 Describe instances showing that technology cannot always provide successful solutions for problems or fulfill every human need.	2.8 Analyze & interpret a given set of findings, demonstrating that there may be more than one good way to do so.	3.8 Explain that fresh water, limited in supply & uneven in distribution, is essential for life & also for most industrial processes. Understand that this resource can be depleted or polluted, making it unavailable or unsuitable for life.	LIFE & EVOLUTION 4.8 Explain that in all environments, such as freshwater, marine, forest, desert, grassland, mountain, & others, organisms with similar needs may compete with one another for resources, including food, space, water, air, & shelter. Note that in any environment, the growth & survival of organisms depend on the physical conditions.
6	1.9 Explain how technologies can influence all living things. H.6.4.4. Describe that due to the increase amount of TV, movies, video games that adolescents are physically moving less and eating more, increasing childhood obesity.	2.9 Compare consumer products, such as generic & brand-name products, & consider reasonable personal trade-offs among them on the basis of features, performance, durability, & costs. H.6.2.2. Demonstrate the ability to utilize resources from home, school and community that provide valid health information.	3.9 Illustrate that the cycling of water in & out of the atmosphere plays an important role in determining climatic patterns.	4.9 Recognize & explain that two types of organisms may interact in a competitive or cooperative relationship, such as producer /consumer, predator/prey, or parasite/host.
6	The Nature of Science & Technology	Scientific Thinking	Physical Setting	Living Environment	Mathematical World	Historical Perspectives		Common Themes
6			3.10 Describe the motions of ocean waters, such as tides, & identify their causes.	4.10 Describe how life on Earth depends on energy from the sun.
6			3.11 Identify/explain the effects of oceans on climate.	HUMAN IDENTITY 4.11 Describe that human beings have body systems for obtaining & providing energy, defense, reproduction, & the coordination of body functions. H.6.1.4 Review the functions of the various systems and how they each work together to function as a whole.
6			3.12 Describe ways human beings protect themselves from adverse weather conditions.	4.12 Explain that human beings have many similarities & differences & that the similarities make it possible for human beings to reproduce & to donate blood & organs to one another. H.6.1.8 Describe how pathogens are related to the cause or prevention of disease.
6	The Nature of Science & Technology	Scientific Thinking	Physical Setting	Living Environment	Mathematical World	Historical Perspectives		Common Themes
6			3.13 Identify, explain, & discuss some effects human activities, such as the creation of pollution, have on weather & the atmosphere.	4.13 Give examples of how human beings use technology to match or exceed many of the abilities of other species.
6			3.14 Give examples of some minerals that are very rare & some that exist in great quantities. Explain how recycling & the development of substitutes can reduce the rate of depletion of minerals.
6			3.15 Explain that although weathered rock is the basic component of soil, the composition and texture of soil and its fertility and resistance to erosion are greatly influenced by plant roots & debris, bacteria, fungi, worms, insects, & other organisms.
6	The Nature of Science & Technology	Scientific Thinking	Physical Setting	Living Environment	Mathematical World	Historical Perspectives		Common Themes
6			3.16 Explain that human activities, such as reducing the amount of forest cover, increasing the amount & variety of chemicals released into the atmosphere, & farming intensively, have changed the capacity of the environment to support some life forms.
6			3.17 Recognize/describe that energy is a property of many objects & is associated with heat, light, electricity, mechanical motion, & sound.
6			3.18 Investigate/describe that when a new material, such as concrete, is made by combining two or more materials, it has properties that are different from the original materials.
6	The Nature of Science & Technology	Scientific Thinking	Physical Setting	Living Environment	Mathematical World	Historical Perspectives		Common Themes
6			3.19 Investigate that materials may be composed of parts that are too small to be seen without magnification.
6			3.20 Investigate that equal volumes of different substances usually have different masses as well as different densities.
6			3.21 Investigate, using a prism for example, that light is made up of a mixture of many different colors of light, even though the light is perceived as almost white.
6			3.22 Demonstrate that vibrations in materials set up wavelike disturbances, such as sound & earthquake waves, that spread away from the source.
6			3.23 Explain that electrical circuits provide a means of transferring electrical energy from sources such as generators to devices in which heat, light, sound, & chemical changes are produced.

NATIONAL Research on Science Education...What does the research say?

* The majority of lessons incorporate content that is significant and worthwhile.

* Teachers seem confident in their ability to teach science and provide accurate content information.

* Fewer than 1 in 5-science lessons …

- Are strong in rigor.

- Include teacher questioning that is likely to enhance student conceptual understanding

- Provide "sense-making" appropriate for the needs of the student and the purposes of the lesson.

* A drop in US international standing occurs between the 4th and 8th grade.

* The best predictor of whether a student will complete a B.S./B.A. is the intensity & quality of that student's secondary school curriculum.

* Accelerated curricular tracks receive clearer signals about college preparation.

* Theory: The brain is constantly searching for meaning and seeking patterns and connections, and adapts in response to external stimuli.

* Authentic learning situations increase the brain's ability to make connections and retain new information.

* Brain-based teaching strategies: manipulatives, active learning, field trips, guest speakers, & real-life projects (many learning styles and multiple intelligences), interdisciplinary curriculum

High-quality lessons share some common features...

* Provide opportunities for students to grapple with content in meaningful ways.

* Giving students experience with phenomena, making real-world connections, playing games that focus on important learning goals, and/or using contrived texts to motivate learners are all used effectively.

* Start where the students are and provide opportunities for students to deepen their understanding.

* Classroom learning environment that is both respectful and challenging of students.

* Teachers make sure students are intellectually engaged, monitor student understanding with lesson progression and help students make sense of the concepts being addressed.

Low-quality lessons share some common features...

* Learning environments that are lacking in respect and/or rigor.

* Questioning that emphasizes getting the right answer and moving on w/o focusing on student understanding.

* Just starting or ending with no particular motivation, w/o summarizing or other "sense-making."

Inquiry strategy that addresses some of the research...

1. What is the problem/issue/topic that you want to know about?

2. What do you already know about this topic?

3. Explore/Investigate/Collect Evidence (continuum of guided to open)

* Labs

* Activities

* Demonstrations

* Textual research

* Expert/community contact

4. Conclusion...what do you know now?

5. What might be next questions? What would you still like to know? Unanswered questions?

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INDIANA UNIVERSITY

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Last updated: 05 December 2005

Comments: Jose Bonner, OSO

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