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Science Literacy: Benchmarks For Science Literacy

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Benchmarks for Science Literacy
Benchmarks for Science Literacy is a part of project 2061. It outlines that what all students should know or be able to do in science in K-12 setting. It is a companion report to Science for All Americans (SFAA). Benchmarks are put together in a way that is similar to textbook. It is divided into chapters just like SFAA. There are comments on the ideas to be learned in the chapter along with general terms. Each chapter has sections like introductions on pacing, clarification of ideas, and common difficulties and they are broken down into grade spans. There are statements of what students should know at the end of each grade span: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12. It can be used to explore the concept of science literacy in …show more content…

That is another great companion in Project 2061. The Science Literacy Maps is an interactive tool for teachers and learners to explore specific science concepts. The maps illustrate connections between concepts as well as how concepts build upon one another across grade level. Maps shows resources for the concepts including related AAAS Project 2061 Benchmarks, assessments, misconceptions, and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Boxes are the big ideas that students need to know. They are placed in grade bands and ideas are connected with arrows. Maps are good for examining big ideas and their connections. It allows users to see the progression of students understanding, identifying student learning difficulties and what we know about students learning according to …show more content…

As Whitehead says, “If a science forgets its heroes, it is lost.” Learning about nature of science and its social and cultural aspects will enhance of our understanding that science is a human endeavor. Science is a way of explaining natural phenomena by using interpretations and interferences with experimental data and observations. However, including history of science in our teachings, as well as a laboratory part, is a great way to illuminate students about the evolution of science and how scientists can take risks and sometimes fail while seeking information. Whether they study science fields or not, this history will encourage students to make and learn from mistakes while engaged in scientific practices that will expand their

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