Science Content Standards

1. Students know and understand the processes of scientific investigation and are able to design, conduct, evaluate, and communicate about such investigations.
  • Teen Talk: Students will be able to complete a scientific experiment and communicate the results.
  • Examples in the classroom:
    • Students will communicate, defend, or refute scientific arguments that lead to particular conclusions.
    • Students will identify major sources of error or uncertainty within an investigation and their impact on experimental results.
  • Service Learning Activities:
    • Students will coordinate with a community agency and design an investigation about an environmental issue in their community, conduct a scientific investigation and design a brochure to be distributed (to the participating agency.
  • Careers for Exploration:
    • Social Scientist, Engineer, Laboratory Scientist, Product Researcher
  • Classroom Exploration:
    • All science classes, Construction Technology, Food Science, Teen Living, Sociology
2. Students know and understand common properties of matter, forms of and interactions between the two.
  • Teen Talk: Students will know how to recognize states of matter and how matter and energy interact.
  • Examples in the classroom:
    • Students will use word and chemical equations to relate observed changes in matter of its composition and structure.
    • Students will describe and explain physical interactions of matter using conceptual models (for example, conservation laws of matter and energy, linear momentum, charge, symmetry principles).
  • Service Learning Activities:
    • Students will survey community members as to the types of energy to use in homes, cars, boats, snowmobiles, lawn mowers, etc., and create a data -base on energy usage in their community. They will then distribute an informational brochure to energy-related businesses and agencies in their community.
  • Careers for Exploration:
    • Geologist, Chemist, Educator
  • Classroom Exploration:
    • Geology, Chemistry, Physics
3. 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.
  • Teen Talk: Students will know how to identify life and how different life forms interact with each other.
  • Examples in the classroom:
    • Students will use examples to show how energy is used in the maintenance, repair, growth, and development of tissues (for example, the production of new skin cells requires chemical energy).
    • Students will give examples to show how some traits can be inherited while others are due to the interaction of genes and the environment.
  • Service Learning Activities:
    • Students will map their community and divide it into sections and make an in- depth study of the plant, animal, and environmental conditions in each section. They will then create an informational brochure for the local visitor centers, Chamber of Commerce, and Parks and Recreational agencies.
  • Careers for Exploration:
    • Biologist, Environmental Engineer, Behavior Scientist, Hunting Outfitter
  • Classroom Exploration:
    • Biology, River Dynamics, Anatomy, Sociology, Psychology
4. Students know and understand the processes and interactions of Earth's systems and the structure and dynamics of Earth and other objects in space.
  • Teen Talk: Students will know and recognize how celestial bodies relate (planets, stars, solar systems, galaxies, and universe).
  • Examples in the classroom:
    • Students will analyze the costs, benefits, and consequences of natural resource exploration, development, and consumption.
    • Students will identify and explain factors that influence the quality of water needed to sustain life.
  • Service Learning Activities:
    • Students will contact a local newspaper and request a weekly column on the natural and manmade objects of importance in space each week. They will set up a data- base, write the column, proof and critique each other's work and submit the best report to the paper.
  • Careers for Exploration:
    • Astronomer, Astrologer, Teacher, Meteorologist, Biologist Classroom Exploration: Physics, Earth Science, River Dynamics, Biology
5. Students know and understand how science, technology, and human activity have impacted the world and can apply this information in order to make informed decisions about personal, social and environmental topics.
  • Teen Talk: Students will understand that science applies to our everyday lives. Examples in the classroom:
    • Students will analyze benefits, limitations, costs, and consequences involved in using technology or resources (for example, x-rays, agricultural chemicals, natural gas reserves).
    • Students will analyze how the introduction of a new technology has affected, or could affect, human activity (for example, invention of the telescope, applications of modern telecommunications).
  • Service L earning Activities:
    • Students will perform an experiment in their school to see if they can change the climate of the school. For a period of time (1-3 weeks) as they pass in the hall they will find a person they don't know well, smile, look the person in the eye, and say something nice to them. They will then tally the results, if there is a response or not, and publish it in the school newspaper.
  • Careers for Exploration:
    • All careers
  • Classroom Exploration:
    • All science, math, and social studies classes
6. Students know and understand the nature of science thorough its history, philosophy, and the relationships between scientific disciplines.
  • Teen Talk: Students will understand that science is a timeline and that all advances are because of advances made before.
  • Examples in the classroom:
    • Students will evaluate print and visual media for scientific evidence, bias, or opinion.
    • Students will refine a hypothesis based on an accumulation of data over time (for examples, Alvarado's theory on the extinction of dinosaurs).
  • Service Learning Activities:
    • Students will find or write poems about science related topics and publish a book of poetry.
  • Careers for Exploration:
    • Historian, Curator, Teacher, Biography writer
  • Classroom Exploration:
    • Earth Science, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geometry
7. Students know and understand common connections between scientific disciplines as well as the connection between science and other academic disciplines.
  • Teen Talk: Students will understand that science has applications to all other subject areas.
  • Examples in the classroom:
    • Students will use the scientific method to evaluate a mathematics problem.
    • Students will incorporate geological earth science studies into history classes to understand the motives of the people of the time.
  • Service Learning Activities:
    • Students will research the scientific basis of many mathematical formulas and prepare a presentation for middle school science students
  • Careers for Exploration:
    • All careers
  • Classroom Exploration:
    • All classes