Next Generation Standards for a 21st Century Science EducationJames A. ShymanskyUniversity of Missouri-Saint Louis

Recent Trends in US Science Education:

the economic thread!1957--Sputnik!!

60s--JFK, Vietnam, “Great Society” …XYZ science

70s--OPEC, inflation, …back to the basics

80s—Japan, STEM supply, …A Nation at Risk

90s--Internet, PCs, Google, dot coms…NSES

00s--9/11, NCLB, cell phones, bail-outs,…on-line

10s--”Arab Spring,” World recession ,…NGSS?

How to make the US competitive: the new core thesis

In addition to learning and understanding isolated core ideas of science, the next generation needs to engage in science and engineering practices that

build models and explanations that cut across topics and be able to participate in evidence-based

debates!!

A new focus that means some new topics in the science curricula, e.g.,

Climate change

Engineering design

Human impacts

Environmental impacts

Human sustainability

…with a subtle, but significant change in standards from…

“Students should develop an understanding of… to the NGSS call for students to …

Use or apply…

Design and/or construct …

Develop and use..

Ask questions about,

Obtain information about..

Evaluate information about..

Plan and carry out..

…with an emphasis on…

Asking questions

Identifying problems

Designing investigations

Building models

Arguing from evidence

Recognizing limitations

..that translate into new standards for primary grades…

(From 1-Light & Sound) Design a device that uses light or sound to send a signal over a distance.

(From 1-Structure & Functions) Define a problem and design an object that replicates the function (use) of a structure (part) present in an animal or a plant to address the problem.

(From 2-Pushes & Pulls) Develop and share a design solution to reduce friction between two objects.

…for middle school grades…

(From MS-Earth’s Surface…) Apply scientific knowledge to design engineered solutions to natural hazards that result from surface geologic and hydrologic processes.

(From MS-Matter & Energy in Ecosystems) Construct models of food webs to explain the interrelationship among plants, animals, and fungi within ecosystems.

…right through high school!

(From HS-Climate Change) Use global climate models in combination with other geologic data to predict and explain how human activities and natural phenomena affect climate, providing the scientific basis for planning for humanity’s future needs.

(From HS_Human Sustainability) Construct arguments about how engineering solutions have been and could be designed and implemented to mitigate local or global environmental impacts.

What might an NGSS science class include?

(K-2) Design and test a “wind sock”

(3-5) “Wire” a card board play house

(6-8) Design and grow a hybrid fruit

(9-12) Debate the cause of climate change

How effective will the NGSS be?

Resistance/time to change?

Re-tooling K-College?

The role of technologies?

Your thoughts?

Think about a science class you have recently taught or perhaps taken as a student:

*Did it include asking questions, posing problems, designing and building models and things related to science ideas?

*Did it devote time to the study and debate of climate change, human impacts, engineering designs, human sustainability,..??

More thoughts?

*Is the idea of devoting class time to having students ask their own questions, pose their own problems, design and build models and things related to science ideas and to debate topics such as climate change, human impacts, human sustainability,..a good one for you? for Taiwan? Why or why not??