AND THE NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS Common Core as it Relates to Middle School Science

Aligned with college and work expectations Rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills Build upon strengths and lessons of current standards Designed to prepare students to succeed in our global economy Evidence and research based by top-performing countries

Science Expectations in the Areas of Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing  Students are immersed in a literacy-rich environment with a variety of language experiences with opportunities for classroom discourse and interaction, ie. reading, writing, listening and discussing  Instruction develops foundational skills in English  Instruction includes ongoing assessment (formative assessments)  Active participation also includes explaining, representing and presenting

Science Expectations in the Area of Math There should be a focus on mathematical discourse and academic language Students learn reasoning not merely by learning vocabulary, but by making conjectures, presenting explanation and/or constructing arguments *Vocabulary drill and practice are not the most effective instructions practices for learning vocabulary

Standards in Middle School are Specific to Grade Level Standards are progressive Teachers are free to use professional judgment Include research and media skills Internationally benchmarked Interdisciplinary based on the belief that all teachers have a role in developing literacy Greater focus on informational reading

What Does it Mean to be College and Career Ready? Demonstrate Independence Have strong content knowledge Can respond to a variety of audiences, tasks, purposes and disciplines (know that difference disciplines require different types of evidence, ie. documentary evidence in history and experiential evidence in science)

College and Career Anchor Standards for Reading Key Ideas and Details  Read closely; Determine central ideas and make inferences from the text to analyze and/or summarize; Cite evidence when writing or speaking Craft and Structure  Interpret words, analyze structure as it pertains to the whole, assess purpose Integration of Knowledge and Ideas  Evaluate content of text including visuals and quantitatively, analyze how two or more texts address similar themes/topics Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity  Read and comprehend independently a variety of levels

College and Career Anchor Standards for Writing Text Types and Purposes Write arguments to support claims using relevant evidence; Write informative and explanatory texts to examine and convey ideas and information Production and Distribution of Writing  Produce writing that considers purpose and audience; Strengthen writing by revising and editing; Use technology to publish writing Research to Build and Present Knowledge  Conduct short and more sustained research projects on focused questions; Gather information from multiple relevant digital sources avoiding plagiarism Range of Writing  Write routinely for research and reflection

College and Career Anchor Standards for Listening and Speaking Comprehension and Collaboration  Prepare and participate in a range of conversations with diverse partners; integrate and evaluate information in diverse media, quantitatively, and orally; Evaluate a speakers reasoning/point of view Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas  Present information with supporting evidence in an organized way that so listeners can follow; Use digital media strategically to enhance understanding; Adapt speech to formal English when appropriate

College and Career Anchor Standards for Language Conventions of Standard English  Demonstrate command of conventions in grammar and usage when writing and speaking (including capitalization, punctuation, and spelling) Knowledge of Language  Apply knowledge of language to understand when listening and speaking Vocabulary Acquisition and Use  Use context clues to determine meaning of words, word parts, figurative language (the use of reference materials is included in this); Acquire domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking and listening; Demonstrate independence in acquiring vocabulary

Sample Informational Text Exemplars for Physical Science Middle School Informational Texts:  “Space Probe.” Astronomy and Space: From the Big Bang to the Big Crunch  “Elementary Particles” New Book of Popular Science High School Informational Texts:  “Gravity in Reverse: The Tale of Albert Einstein’s Greatest Blunder” – Neil deGrasse Tyson  “The Mysteries of Mass” – Gordon Kane  “Working Knowledge: Electronic Stability Control” – Mark Fischetti  Executive Order 13423: Strengthening Federal Environmental Energy and Transportation Management – US General Services Administration  “The Coming Merger of Mind and Machine” – Ray Kurzweil

Sample Performance Task Exemplars for Middle School (The exemplars provided here are for reference only. They are not specific to physical science.) 6 th Grade Argument: View a movie and discuss how movie writers and producers promote a topic. Write a letter to the producer of the film.  Argument: process piece  Argument: On-demand assessment 7th Grade Informative Explanatory: Write a scientific report after reviewing existing research and conducting original research. 8 th Grade Informative/Explanatory: Write an essay about a favorite activity for the entire class period. Revise the essay the second day after discussing ideas for revision with a partner  Informative/Explanatory: Analyze a work of literature

Common Core Math Practices Applicable to Physical Science 1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. 2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively. 3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. 4. Model with mathematics. 5. Use appropriate tools strategically. 6. Attend to precision. 7. Look for and make use of structure. 8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.