Science
The USD 417 Science Subject Area Committee (SAC), with representatives K-12, met in the summers of 2016 and 2017 to study and plan for the switch of our science curriculum to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The SAC finalized our local science curriculum during the summer of 2017 and all K-12 grade levels were expected to make the official switch to the new NGSS during the 2017-18 school year.
The NGSS are organized into three dimensions: Scientific & Engineering Practices, Crosscutting Concepts across all fields, and Disciplinary Core Ideas (Life, Physical, Earth & Space, and Engineering). The NGSS give us Performance Expectations for each grade level K-5, and for Middle School and High School. These guide what we expect to see from students at each grade level and are also what the state science assessment in grades 5, 8, and 11 are built upon.
To see the progression of each dimension across all grade levels, see the following documents:
K-12 Disciplinary Core Idea (DCI) Progressions
K-12 Science & Engineering Practices (SEP) Progressions
K-12 Crosscutting Concepts (CC) Progressions
Performance Expectations for grade levels K-5 and the Middle School band are below. The STEMscopes and HMH Dimensions programs, adopted by our district, teach the Performance Expectations through the assigned units and modules shown below. All three dimensions are addressed in each Performance Expectation.
STEMscopes Units (Storylines) per Grade Level K-5
6th, 7th, 8th Grade Life Science
6th, 7th, 8th Grade Physical Science
6th, 7th, 8th Grade Earth & Space Science
6th, 7th, 8th Grade Engineering & Technology
Dimensions Modules per Grade Level 6-8
Performance Expectations for the High School grade bands are linked below. The list of required and elective high school courses are also shown.
9th-12th Earth & Space Science
9th-12th Engineering & Technology
10th Grade Integrated Chemistry
Anatomy & Physiology elective*
Advanced Physics elective*
Engineering Design elective*
*course information for the elective courses will be posted Summer of 2018
The link to the NGSS site is https://www.nextgenscience.org/