COLORADO MODEL CONTENT STANDARDS
FOR SCIENCE
K-4 , 5-8
www.cde.state.co.us/sci.htm
INTRODUCTION
Colorado Model Content Standards for Science
The Colorado model standards presented here specify what all students should know and be able to do in science as a result of their school studies. Specific expectations are given for students completing grades K-4, 5-8, and 9-12. These standards reflect high expectations and outline the essential level of science knowledge and skills needed by all citizens to participate productively in our increasingly technological society. Some suggestions are also offered for those students who elect to extend their study of science beyond that specified in these content standards, based on their particular interests, motivation, career goals, and needs.
In 1992, the National Committee for Science Education Standards and Assessment (NCSESA), which directed the National Research Council's development of K-12 national science education standards, issued guiding principles for its work. This statement provides useful perspective on the purpose and eventual use of Colorado model science content standards:
"In particular, the commitment to `Science for All' implies inclusion not only of those who traditionally have received encouragement and opportunity to pursue science, of women and girls, all racial and ethnic groups, the physically and educationally challenged, and those with limited English proficiency. Further, it implies attention to various styles of learning and differing sources of motivation. Every person must be brought into and given access to the ongoing conversation of science."
NCSESA, 1992
In that spirit, these model science standards define the level of science knowledge and proficiency that all Colorado students should gain in their school studies. The goal is to have students apply scientific Information and processes to practical problems in an ethical and safe manner.
The view of the nature of science conveyed in these content standards can be summarized through this excepted material from "Science for All Americans", published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1990:
Science presumes that the things and events in the universe occur in consistent patterns that are comprehensible through careful, systematic study. Scientists believe that through the use of the intellect, and with the aid of instruments that extend the senses, people can discover patterns in all of nature. Science is a process for producing knowledge. Change in scientific knowledge is inevitable because new observations may challenge prevailing theories. In science, the testing and improving and occasional discarding of theories, whether new or old, go on all the time. However, the modification of ideas, rather than their outright rejection, is the norm in science, as powerful constructs tend to survive and grow more precise, and to become widely accepted. Continuity and stability are as characteristic of science as change is, and confidence is as prevalent as tentativeness.
The numerical order of the six science content standards does not imply any particular judgments regarding their relative importance or teaching priorities. In fact, as the document emphasizes, Standards 1, 5, and 6-relating to scientific investigations, applications, and connections-should be addressed through teaching subject matter from the physical, life, and earth/space sciences (Standards 2, 3, and 4). Even though the six science content standards are identified separately, they represent interconnected expectations for students.
The organization of these content standards into six categories does not imply that standards-based science must be taught in separate units or courses that carry these particular titles. The student proficiencies in science can be supported within courses organized in a variety of ways, ranging from integrated and interdisciplinary approaches, to instruction built on major scientific themes, as well as more conventional subject- or discipline-specific approaches. Regardless of how science instruction is organized, these model standards specify the core knowledge and skills that all students should acquire.
Even though these science content standards represent high expectations for all students, they can be reached only if students are provided appropriate science instruction at all grade levels. If K-4 science content standards, for example, are designated as the responsibility of only fourth grade (or even third and fourth grade) teachers, this will place an unfair (and instructionally irresponsible) burden on both those teachers and their students. These standards are set with the expectation that science-related activities will occur at all grade levels-from initial explorations in kindergarten through increasingly organized and focused science instruction in higher grades.
These content standards were developed by a group of experienced Colorado science educators whose efforts have been guided-at least in part-by related work at the national level focused on defining what all students should know and do in science. The Benchmarks from the American Association for the Advancement of Science's Project 2061 and draft reports from the National Science Education Standards Project at the National Research Council have been particularly useful and influential. References to those documents and to others consulted are listed at the end of this document.
Colorado Model Content Standards
SCIENCE
STANDARD 1: Students understand the processes of scientific investigation and design, conduct, communicate about, and evaluate such investigations.
RATIONALE
In everyday life, we find ourselves gathering and evaluating information (data), noting and wondering about patterns and regularities, devising and testing possible explanations for how things work, and discussing ideas with others. These characteristically human activities mirror in many ways how scientists think and work. Scientific investigation (inquiry) often begins with a question or problem and usually ends with further questions to investigate. Such investigations may include long-term field studies and are not limited to direct experimentation in a lab setting. They involve the identification and control of variables. Inquiry in the science classroom helps students develop a useful base of scientific knowledge,
communicated in increasingly mathematical and conceptual ways as they progress through school. In addition, scientific inquiry stimulates student interest, motivation, and creativity. Designing and conducting investigations encourages students to interpret, analyze, and evaluate what is known, how we know it, and how scientific questions are answered. The knowledge and skills related to scientific inquiry enable
students to understand how science works, and are powerful ways for students to build their understanding of the scientific facts, principles, concepts, and applications that are described in the other science content standards, particularly standards two, three, and four. To comprehend the world around them, students need opportunities to pursue questions that are relevant to them and to learn how to conduct scientific investigations. Some scientific inquiries can only be investigated by the use of models since actual events are not repeatable.
GRADES K-4
In grades K-4, what students know and are able to do includes
asking questions and stating predictions (hypotheses) that can be addressed through scientific investigation;
selecting and using simple devices to gather data related to an investigation (for example, length, volume, and mass measuring instruments, thermometers, watches, magnifiers, microscopes, calculators, and computers);
using data based on observations to construct a reasonable explanation; and
communicating about investigations and explanations.
GRADES 5-8
As students in grades 5-8 extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes
identifying and evaluating alternative explanations and procedures;
using examples to demonstrate that scientific ideas are used to explain previous observations and to predict future events (for example, plate tectonics and future earthquake activity);
asking questions and stating hypotheses that lead to different types of scientific investigations (for example, experimentation, collecting specimens, constructing models, researching scientific literature);
creating a written plan for an investigation;
using appropriate tools, technologies, and measurement units to gather and organize data;
interpreting and evaluating data in order to formulate conclusions;
communicating results of their investigations in appropriate ways (for example, written reports, graphic displays, oral presentations);
using metric units in measuring, calculating, and reporting results;
explaining that scientific investigations sometimes result in unexpected findings that lead to new questions and more investigations; and
giving examples of how collaboration can be useful in solving scientific problems and sharing findings.
STANDARD 2: Physical Science: Students know and understand common properties, forms, and changes in matter and energy. (Focus: Physics and Chemistry)
2.1 Students know that matter has characteristic properties, which are related to its composition and structure .
RATIONALE
Everyone has experience with matter in a variety of forms. Such experiences help build students' understanding of similarities and differences in the properties of matter. Their personal experiences help students understand common properties such as hardness, strength, color, shape, and states of matter (solid, liquid, and gaseous). Knowledge of observable properties of matter and its structure and composition is helpful in considering matter's varied uses, availability, and limitations in our world.
GRADES K-4
In grades K-4, what students know and are able to do includes
examining, describing, classifying, and comparing tangible objects in terms of common physical properties (for example, state of matter, size, shape, texture, flexibility, color);
measuring common physical properties of objects (for example, length, mass, volume, temperature); and
creating mixtures and separating them based on differences in properties (for example, salt and sand, iron filings and soil, oil and water).
GRADES 5-8
As students in grades 5-8 extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes
examining, describing, comparing, measuring, and classifying objects based on common physical and chemical properties (for example, states of matter, mass, volume, electrical charge, temperature, density, boiling points, pH, magnetism, solubility);
separating mixtures of substances based on their properties (for example, solubility, boiling points, magnetic properties, densities);
classifying and describing matter in terms of elements, compounds, mixtures, atoms, and molecules (for example, copper is an element, water is a compound, air is a mixture); and
developing simple models to explain observed properties of matter (for example, using a particle model to account for the solubility of a substance).
2.2 Students know that energy appears in different forms, and can move (be transferred) and change (be transformed).
RATIONALE
Energy is a central concept in science because all physical interactions involve changes in energy. Students need to understand that all physical events involve transferring energy or changing one form of energy into another. When a transformation of energy takes place, some of it is likely to appear as heat. Knowledge of forms of energy, its transfer and transformation, is essential to interpreting, explaining, predicting, and influencing change in our world.
GRADES K-4
In grades K-4, what students know and are able to do includes
recognizing that energy (for example, light, heat, motion, sound, mechanical) can affect common objects and is involved in common events;
making observations and gathering data on quantities associated with energy, movement, and change (for example, distances for a bean-launcher, time for a melting ice cube); and
comparing quantities associated with energy movement and change by constructing simple diagrams or charts (for example, graph of launch distances, chart of melting time).
GRADES 5-8
As students in grades 5-8 extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes
measuring quantities associated with energy forms (for example, temperature, mass, speed, distance, electrical charge, current,voltage); and
describing qualitative and quantitative relationships, using data and observations and graphs, associated with energy transfer or energy transformation (for example, speed of object vs. height of ramp; length of string vs. pitch of sound; electric current vs. volume of gas produced in electrolysis, with length of time kept constant).
2.3 Students understand that interactions can produce changes in a system, although the total quantities of matter and energy remain unchanged.
RATIONALE
Interactions between matter and energy account for changes observed in everyday events. Understanding how matter and energy interact extends students' knowledge of the physical world and allows them to monitor and explain a wide variety of changes and to predict future physical and chemical changes. Students gain both a practical and conceptual understanding of the laws of conservation of matter and energy.
GRADES K-4
In grades K-4, what students know and are able to do includes
observing and describing parts of system (for example, water in a closed jar, water in an open jar, a plant terrarium);
describing an observed change (for example, a melting ice cube, crystal growth, burning candle, physical breakage) in terms of starting conditions, type of change, and ending conditions, using words, diagrams, or graphs; and
predicting what changes and what remains unchanged when matter experiences an external influence (for example, a push or pull, addition or removal of heat, division of clay into pieces, melting an ice cube, changing a ball of clay to a flattened shape).
GRADES 5-8
As students in grades 5-8 extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes
identifying and classifying factors causing change within a system (for example, force, light, heat);
identifying and predicting what will change and what will remain unchanged when matter experiences an external force or energy change (for example, boiling a liquid; comparing the force, distance, and work involved in simple machines);
observing and gathering data to support the concept of conservation of mass within a closed system (for example, precipitation reaction, forming mixtures, gas production);
describing, measuring (for example, temperature, mass, volume, melting point of a substance) and calculating quantities before and after a chemical or physical change within a system (for example, temperature change, mass change, specific heat); and
describing, measuring (for example, time, distance, mass, force) and calculating quantities that characterize moving objects and their interactions within a system (for example, force, velocity, acceleration, potential energy, kinetic energy).
STANDARD 3: Life Science: Students know and understand the characteristics and structure of living things, the processes of life, and how living things interact with each other and their environment.
STANDARD 4: Earth and Space Science: Students know and understand the processes and interactions of Earth's systems and the structure and dynamics of Earth and other objects in space.
STANDARD 5: Students know and understand interrelationships among science, technology, and human activity and how they can affect the world.
RATIONALE
Our world is shaped in many ways by scientific advances, technology (involving applications of science), and human activity. Science and technology provide useful connections between the natural world and the designed world. Since the invention of stone tools, technological applications have provided, and will continue to provide, humans the ability to modify their environment. Because scientific advances and
technology affect all of Earth's living and non- living systems, it is vital that students understand the interrelationships of science, technology, and human activity.
GRADES K-4
In grades K-4, what students know and are able to do includes
recognizing the diversity of resources provided by the Earth and Sun (for example, soil, fuels, minerals, medicines, food);
inventing a device that addresses an everyday problem (or task), and communicating the problem (or task), design, and solution;
describing resource-related activities in which they could participate that can benefit their communities (for example, recycling, water conservation); and
identifying careers that use science and technology.
GRADES 5-8
As students in grades 5-8 extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes
investigating and describing the extent of human uses of renewable and non-renewable resources (for example, forests, fossil fuels);
describing advantages and disadvantages that might accompany the introduction of a new technology (for example, mountain bikes, cellular telephones, pagers);
describing how the use of technology can help solve an individual or community problem (for example, using catalytic converters on automobiles to help reduce air pollution); and
describing how people use science and technology in their professions.
STANDARD 6: Students understand that science involves a particular way of knowing and understand common connections among scientific disciplines.
RATIONALE
Human societies have long asked questions about, observed and collected data on, and offered explanations for natural phenomena. Scientific evidence and knowledge are distinguished from other ways of knowing and other bodies of knowledge in terms of the criteria that must be met. These criteria include the use of empirical standards and rules of evidence, a logical structure, rational thought, questioning, and openness to criticism. Scientific disciplines differ from one another in what is studied, techniques used, and outcomes sought. They share a common purpose-to explain and predict events and phenomena-and offer strategies to solve defined problems. Scientific knowledge is dynamic. Although some scientific theories have withstood the test of time and are still used, other knowledge claims have been altered by new scientific evidence. Change, continuity, and stability are characteristic features of science. Although acquiring scientific knowledge of laws, concepts, and theories is central to learning science, it does not necessarily lead to an understanding of how science itself works. Students need to understand that science works by weaving different aspects of science together so that they reinforce one another. To bring coherence to seemingly diverse sets of ideas or facts involving natural phenomena, scientific themes such as change, systems, models, and organization are highly useful. Themes can encompass and connect large quantities of basic data and evidence in science and can be used to integrate science with other disciplines.
GRADES K-4
In grades K-4, what students know and are able to do includes
recognizing that when a science experiment is repeated with the same conditions, the experiment generally works the same way;
comparing knowledge gained from direct experience to knowledge gained indirectly (for example, collecting data about student heights in their class and comparing the results to similar data collected in another class or school);
identifying observable patterns and changes in their lives and predicting future events based on those patterns (for example, seasonal weather patterns);
describing and comparing the components and interrelationships of a simple system (for example, tracing the continuous flow of water through an aquarium, filter, and pump); and
comparing a model with what it represents (for example, comparing a map of the school to the actual school; a model of the Earth to the Earth itself).
GRADES 5-8
As students in grades 5-8 extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes
explaining why a controlled experiment must have comparable results when repeated;
giving examples of how scientific knowledge changes as new knowledge is acquired and previous ideas are modified (for example, through space exploration);
describing contributions to the advancement of science made by people in different cultures and at different times in history;
identifying, comparing, and predicting variables and conditions related to change (for example, climate, population, motion);
identifying and illustrating natural cycles within systems (for example, water, planetary motion, geological changes, climate); and
using a model to predict change (for example, computer simulation, video sequence, stream table).
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