Professional scientists make discoveries by learning and understanding science content, researching and exploring science, and using overarching concepts to guide thinking across disciplines. Science proficiency doesn’t just begin when students enter their careers; it must start long before that. If scientists in the field rely on these tools to make sense of the world, shouldn’t students do the same?
A Framework for K–12 Science Education (The Framework) echoes this foundational belief by introducing three-dimensional learning. The three dimensions are:
- Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI) describe the scientific content knowledge. Think about DCI as “what student scientists learn.”
- Science and Engineering Practices (SEP) describe the actions of science and engineering. Think about SEP as “what student scientists do.”
- Crosscutting Concepts (CCC) describe the overarching science concepts that connect ideas. Think about CCC as “what connections student scientists make.”
The Framework requires students to learn science with all CCCs and SEPs consistently. Over time, students should continue to develop these skills and tackle increasingly complex tasks. When integrated effectively, these tools deepen student internalization. They also promote inquiry and help make science more relevant to students’ lives. However, these skills aren’t always explicitly taught, making it harder for students to use them effectively.
Teachers play a critical role in helping students use these tools. They must design learning experiences that align with grade-level expectations and integrate CCCs and SEPs. But how can educators make intentional integration happen in their classrooms?
Our work begins with understanding the grade-level expectations for each area. For example, we want both our second and eighth-grade students to “develop and use models” in a grade-appropriate way. According to the progressions, second graders will identify commonalities and differences of models. Since they are older and ready for more advanced skills, eighth graders will assess the limitations of a model.
We then begin thinking about incorporating more CCCs and SEPs into instruction. We increase opportunities for students to engage in scientific activities and decrease teacher demonstrations. We put scaffolds in place so students learn these important skills and gradually remove support over time.
Another way to incorporate more CCCs and SEPs is through prompting. We use prompts to draw students’ attention to how they can do science and guide them to rely on concepts they can use to make sense of the new learning. With practice, students internalize strategies and mindsets. They begin to pose these prompts themselves to figure out the world around them. Let’s see what this could look like in action. We start with CCCs.
On a basic level, teachers:
- Identify the CCC from the NGSS Performance Expectations.
- Review NGSS Appendix G, the CCC, to focus on the descriptors for their grade-level.
- Use these descriptors to craft prompts that facilitate student thinking.
For example, let’s examine the first CCC, “patterns.”
| CCC “Patterns” Progression Across the Grades | Sample Prompts to Guide Student Thinking at Grade-Level |
|---|---|
| “In grades K–2, children recognize that patterns in the natural and human-designed world can be observed, used to describe phenomena, and used as evidence.” | What patterns do you observe? |
| “In grades 3–5, students identify similarities and differences in order to sort and classify natural objects and designed products. They identify patterns related to time, including simple rates of change and cycles, and to use these patterns to make predictions.” | How can we make a prediction using a pattern? |
| “In grades 6-8, students recognize that macroscopic patterns are related to the nature of microscopic and atomic-level structure. They identify patterns in rates of change and other numerical relationships that provide information about natural and human-designed systems. They use patterns to identify cause and effect relationships, and use graphs and charts to identify patterns in data.” | What patterns do you notice in the graphs and chart? |
| “In grades 9–12, students observe patterns in systems at different scales and cite patterns as empirical evidence for causality in supporting their explanations of phenomena. They recognize classifications or explanations used at one scale may not be useful or need revision using a different scale; thus requiring improved investigations and experiments. They use mathematical representations to identify certain patterns and analyze patterns of performance in order to reengineer and improve a designed system.” | How do the patterns we see change at different scales? |
We can apply nearly the same process when drafting grade-level aligned questions from SEPs:
- Identify the SEP from the NGSS Performance Expectations.
- Review NGSS Appendix F, the SEP, to focus on the descriptors for their grade-level.
- Use these descriptors to craft prompts that facilitate student thinking.
We’ve created a tool to help guide this process. It includes examples for each grade band for every CCC and SEP. Download the tool today!
Let’s empower students with the skills they need to navigate the increasing complexities of science and engineering.
Reference
National Research Council. (2012). Appendix G. In A framework for K-12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. The National Academies Press
Access Our Tool
