Nevada Science Standards

For additional Nevada Science Standards you can cover see the STANDARDS CORRELATION chart for the following PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE projects:

PASSPORT TO THE RAINFOREST

PASSPORT TO THE SOLAR SYSTEM

PASSPORT TO WEATHER AND CLIMATE

LIVE FROM MARS 2001/2002

PASSPORT TO THE UNIVERSE

Grades K-4,   Grades 5-12

Introduction

Science is the component of the school curriculum in which student inquiry and discovery can develop and flourish. Science seeks to make sense of the natural world by describing its complexity, explaining its systems and events, and finding patterns that allow for predictions. It is the basis for the design of technologies that solve real-world problems and occupies an increasingly important place in our everyday lives. As citizens, we are asked to make decisions about social issues that involve science and technology. As workers, we have occupations that increasingly involve science and technology. In the twenty-first century, adults will need to be comfortable and competent in a complex scientific and technological world. Schools have the responsibility of preparing students for the future. Schools must prepare all students to be scientifically literate.

The study of science involves exploration using a variety of technologies. Current technology tools for communication, research, problem solving, and decision making provide students with opportunities to apply scientific concepts in project-based activities. Use of video, the Internet, and other print and non-print sources enhances students' learning experiences and helps make those experiences meaningful.

The Nevada Science Standards represent a common core for curriculum throughout Nevada's schools. Many people may recognize, however, that as in many human endeavors the process is at least as important as the product. These content standards are the result of an invaluable process of dialogue and consensus-building among educators, scientists, industry representatives, and parents from throughout Nevada about what all students should know and be able to do in science. The content standards are essential to accomplishing the goals for science education listed below.

Goals of Science Education in Nevada

All graduates of Nevada schools should:
•Demonstrate the processes of science by posing questions and investigating phenomena through language, methods, and instruments of science;
•Acquire scientific knowledge by applying concepts, theories, principles, and laws from life, physical, and Earth/space science;
•Demonstrate ways of thinking and acting inherent in the practice of science and exhibit an awareness of the historical and cultural contribution to the enterprise of science; and
•Demonstrate an ability to solve problems and make personal decisions about issues affecting the individual, society, and the environment.

Content Organization

All of the sciences connect with each other. However, it has been necessary, for ease of use, to divide this document into an ordered hierarchy. This organizational scheme should in no way be interpreted as a mandate for structuring academic courses or curriculum.

The complete domain of what students should know and be able to do is organized in this document as six strands: physical science; life science; earth and space sciences; environmental sciences; the nature and history of science; and scientific inquiry: processes and skills. Each of the six strands is further divided into content standards which constitute the "big ideas" of science. For example, Physical Science is divided into five content standards, beginning with Forces and Motion. Specific grade-level benchmarks further define student expectations relative to this content standard. These benchmarks are specific enough to provide a common content core for local curriculum but broad enough to allow school districts many diverse curricular paths to meet the standards. The order in which concepts are listed from top to bottom on any given page is not meant to imply an order in which concepts should be taught. Curriculum designers and teachers are encouraged to build units of study that address standards from multiple strands, to emphasize interdisciplinary study.

Knowledge and processes are both important in the area of science. It is even more important that students be able to combine their scientific knowledge and the processes of science to develop their own understanding of science. For example, students should be encouraged to engage in such activities as asking questions, planning and conducting their own investigations, and using tools and technology to gather data. Therefore, the Nevada Science Standards frequently use verb combinations to describe what a student is expected to know and be able to do. For example, at the third grade, students are expected to "investigate and describe the ways that different objects may balance or topple in various situations."

The Nevada Science Standards are intended to provide Nevada students with a rich, thorough, and varied science education to prepare them for the challenges, discoveries, and demands of life in the twenty-first century.