Science, Engineering, and Medicine published
A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices,
Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas,
a landmark document written by a diverse committee of scientists and engineers. Its purpose
was to provide recommendations for overhauling K-12 science education to
reflect our current understanding of the natural world and how scientists (and
engineers) go about doing their work. The Framework
was the guiding force behind the Next Generation Science Standards, which were
released in 2013 and are now being implemented in schools across the country.
NGSS is different from previous science education guidelines in many ways,
but the change that may have the greatest impact on how we all think about what
science is and how it gets done are the eight “practices.”
These practices replace the antiquated idea that there is a single scientific
method that involves developing a hypothesis and then testing it with an
experiment.
engineers can design and build systems:
–Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
practices emphasize that researchers are now thinking about scientific inquiry in broader, more creative
ways than ever before. They acknowledge that important discoveries can be made
by reviewing the scientific literature or re-examining specimens that have been
sitting in museum drawers for decades or
observing animals in their habitat or modeling weather and climate
patterns, etc.
Recently, I’ve read several newly-published
MG and YA titles that don’t take this new way of thinking into account. As a
result, the books contain ideas and explanations that directly contradict what
students are learning in science class. That’s a problem.
I hope that authors and editors working on
science books for young readers will take the time to familiarize themselves
with both the content and the ideology of NGSS, so that future books will
support the excellent, innovative science standards that are now guiding student learning. It’s time for us to celebrate the many
different ways of investigating our world.
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5 Responses
Thank you for this! As a writer of scientific materials for children, I found the old process was very limited and didn't really describe the way scientists that I know think or work.
Your timing couldn't be better Melissa! This will be very helpful as I craft an authors note for a current NF PB I'm working on. Thanks!
Super interesting, Melissa. It's good when the model reflects reality. Sometimes it's hard explaining why my writing process includes many elements of but doesn't necessarily mimic exactly THE writing process as students are taught it in school.
Hi Melissa. This post was recommended reading at the Nuts and Bolts of Science Writing I attended last week. If it's not any trouble, could you send me an example of a MG title that you mention contradicts this new framework? Thanks! connors.halcyon@gmail.com
Hi Lisa,
You can DM me via Facebook or Twitter.