National Science Education Standards (5–8): Fundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed in Earth in Space

The following excerpts from the National Science Education Standards are grade 5–8 content and process standards addressed in Earth in Space, as well as K-12 unifying concepts and processes.

Reprinted, with permission, from National Science Education Standards (NSES), developed by the National Research Council (Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1996), pp. 115, 145, 148, 154, 155, 158, 159-161, 165-166, 169, 170, 171. © 1996 National Academy of Sciences.

CONTENT STANDARD D:

As a result of their activities in grades 5–8, all students should develop an understanding of

• Structure of the earth system
• Earth’s history
• Earth in the solar system

GUIDE TO THE CONTENT STANDARD

Fundamental concepts and principles that underlie this standard include:

Structure of the Earth System [NSES, pp.159-160]

• Earth is layered with a lithosphere; hot, convecting mantle; and dense, metallic core.
• Landforms are the result of a combination of constructive and destructive forces. Constructive forces include crustal deformation, volcanic eruption, and deposition of sediment, while destructive forces include weathering and erosion.

Earth’s History [NSES, p 160]

• The processes we see today, including erosion, movement of lithospheric plates, and changes in atmospheric composition, are similar to those that occurred in the past. Earth's history is also influenced by occasional catastrophes, such as the impact of an asteroid or comet.
• Fossils provide important evidence of how life and environmental conditions have changed.

Earth in the Solar System [NSES, pp. 160-161]

• Earth is the third planet from the Sun in a system that includes the Moon, the Sun, eight other planets and their moons, and smaller objects, such as asteroids and comets. The Sun, an average star, is the central and largest body in the solar system.
• Most objects in the solar system are in regular and predictable motion. Those motions explain such phenomena as the day, the year, phases of the Moon, and eclipses.
• Gravity is the force that keeps planets in orbit around the Sun and governs the rest of the motion in the solar system. Gravity alone holds us to Earth's surface and explains the phenomena of the tides.
• The Sun is the major source of energy for phenomena on Earth’s surface. Seasons result from variations in the amount of the Sun's energy hitting the surface, due to the tilt of Earth's rotation on its axis and the length of the day.

Physical Science

CONTENT STANDARD B:

As a result of their activities in grades 5–8, all students should develop an understanding of

• Motions and forces
• Transfer of energy

GUIDE TO THE CONTENT STANDARD

Fundamental concepts and principles that underlie this standard include:

Motions and Forces [NSES, p. 154]

• The motion of an object can be described by its position, direction, motion, and speed.
• An object that is not being subjected to a force will continue to move at a constant speed and in a straight line.
• Unbalanced forces, including gravity, will cause changes in the speed and direction of an object's motion.

Transfer of Energy [NSES, p. 155]

• Energy is a property of matter and is transferred in many ways.
• The Sun is a major energy source for changes on Earth's surface. The Sun loses energy by emitting light. A tiny fraction of that light reaches Earth, transferring energy from the Sun to Earth. The Sun's energy arrives as light with a range of wavelengths.

Life Science

CONTENT STANDARD C:

As a result of their activities in grades 5–8, all students should develop an understanding of

Diversity and adaptations of organisms

GUIDE TO THE CONTENT STANDARD

Fundamental concepts and principles that underlie this standard include:

Diversity and Adaptations of Organisms [NSES, p. 158]

Extinction of a species occurs when the environment changes and the adaptive characteristics of a species are insufficient to allow its survival. Fossils indicate that many organisms that lived long ago are extinct. Extinction of species is common; most of the species that have lived on Earth no longer exist.

Science in Personal and Social Perspectives

CONTENT STANDARD F:

As a result of their activities in grades 5–8, all students should develop an understanding of:

• Natural hazards
• Science and technology in society

GUIDE TO THE CONTENT STANDARD

Fundamental concepts and principles that underlie this standard include:

Natural Hazards [NSES, p. 168]

• Natural hazards can change or destroy human and wildlife habitats, damage property, and harm or kill humans. Natural hazards include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, storms, and asteroid impacts.
• Natural hazards can present personal and societal challenges.

Science and Technology in Society [NSES, p. 169]

• Science influences society through its knowledge and worldview.
• Technology influences society through its products and processes. Technology influences the quality of life.
• Science and technology have advanced through contributions of many different people at different times in history.
• Scientists and engineers work in many different settings.
• Science cannot answer all questions and technology cannot solve all problems.

Science as Inquiry

CONTENT STANDARD A:

As a result of their activities in grades 5–8, all students should develop:

• Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
• Understandings about scientific inquiry

GUIDE TO THE CONTENT STANDARD

Fundamental concepts and principles that underlie this standard include:

Abilities Necessary To Do Scientific Inquiry [NSES, pp.145-148]

• Identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations.
• Design and conduct a scientific investigation.
• Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data.
• Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models using evidence.
• Think critically and logically to make the relationships between evidence and explanations.
• Recognize and analyze alternative explanations and predictions.
• Communicate scientific procedures and explanations.
• Use mathematics in all aspects of scientific inquiry.

Understandings About Scientific Inquiry [NSES, p. 148]

• Scientists use different kinds of investigations, depending on the questions they are trying to answer.
• Current scientific knowledge and understanding guide scientific investigations.
• Mathematics is important in all aspects of scientific inquiry.
• Technology used to gather data enhances accuracy and allows scientists to analyze and quantify results of investigations.
• Scientific explanations emphasize evidence.
• Asking questions and querying others’ explanations is part of scientific inquiry.
• Scientific investigations sometimes result in new ideas for study or generate new methods for investigation.

History and Nature of Science

CONTENTS STANDARD G:

As a result of their activities in grades 5–8, all students should develop understanding of:

• Science as a human endeavor
• Nature of science
• History of science

GUIDE TO THE CONTENT STANDARD

Fundamental concepts and principles that underlie this standard include:

Science as a Human Endeavor [NSES, p. 170]

• Women and men of various backgrounds engage in the activities of science. Some scientists work in teams and some work alone, but all communicate extensively with others.
• Science requires different abilities, depending on such factors as the field of study and type of inquiry.

Nature of Science [NSES, p. 171]

• Scientists formulate and test their explanations using observations, experiments, and mathematical models. Scientists change their ideas about nature when they encounter new experimental evidence that does not match their existing explanations.
• It is normal for scientists to differ with one another about the interpretation of the evidence or theory being considered.
• It is part of scientific inquiry to evaluate the results of scientific investigations.

History of Science [NSES, p. 171]

• Many individuals have contributed to the traditions of science.
• In historical practice, science has been practiced by different individuals in different cultures. In looking at the history of many peoples, one finds that scientists and engineers of high achievement are considered to be among the most valued contributors to their culture.
• Tracing the history of science can show how difficult it was for scientific innovators to break through the accepted ideas of their time to reach the conclusions that we currently take for granted.

Science and Technology

CONTENT STANDARD E:

As a result of their activities in grades 5–8, all students should develop:

• Abilities of technological design
• Understandings about science and technology

GUIDE TO THE CONTENT STANDARD

Fundamental concepts and principles that underlie this standard include:

Abilities of Technological Design [NSES, p. 165-166]

• Identify appropriate problems for technological design.
• Design a solution or product.
• Implement a proposed solution.
• Evaluate completed technological designs or products.
• Communicate the process of technological design.

Understandings About Science and Technology [NSES, p. 166]

• Scientific inquiry and technological design have similarities and differences. Scientists propose explanations for questions; engineers propose solutions to problems and needs.
• Many different people in different cultures have made and continue to make contributions to science and technology.
• Science and technology are reciprocal. Technology also provides tools for investigation, inquiry, and analysis.
• Perfectly designed solutions do not exist. All solutions have trade-offs, such as cost, efficiency, and appearance.
• Technological designs have constraints, such as properties of materials. Other constraints limit choice in design.

Content Standards K-12

Unifying Concepts and Processes [NSES, p. 115]

Standard: As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should develop understanding and abilities aligned with the following concepts and processes:

• Systems, order, and organization
• Evidence, models, and explanation
• Constancy, change, and measurement
• Evolution and equilibrium
• Form and function