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PROGRAM GUIDEBenchmarks of Student ProgressBenchmarks include identified assignments and assessments that serve as markers for incremental studentprogress at different points in a grade level or course.Learning EnvironmentThe learning environment addresses the ambiance in which the students work. It is an environment whichencourages active participation through listening, watching, speaking, reading, and writing. It describes thescience classroom / lab where the student’s engagement, understanding, and development of process andinquiry skills are nurtured.Program ImplementationThe implementation section will be dynamic. As the curriculum is available electronically, changes andupdates will be ongoing. Recent revisions to the grade level expectations in the Connecticut K-8 ScienceCurriculum Standards in the Connecticut Core Science Framework have had a subsequent effect on thecurriculum.The focus of implementation includes instructional delivery, requirements, time, and technology. Professionaldevelopment, supervision and evaluation facilitate implementation.Program Monitoring and EvaluationProgram Evaluation addresses the effectiveness of the program from a student performance stance. Theeffectiveness of the designated curriculum is determined by whether the students are progressively gainingproficiency in science as evidenced by benchmark assignments and assessments, unit and course tests,Connecticut Mastery Tests, and Connecticut Academic Performance Tests.ResourcesThe Resources section includes Science Safety Guides for Elementary Science Safety, Middle School ScienceSafety, and High School Science Safety as well as websites and works consulted in the development of thisdocument.AppendicesThe appendices contain reference materials such as the Connecticut Core Science Curriculum Framework,National Science Education Standards, and the Framework for 21st Century Skills.SCIENCE CURRICULUM2

ScienceProgram Framework

PROGRAM FRAMEWORK

PROGRAM FRAMEWORKVision of Science Education: A quality science education fosters a population that: Experiences the richness and excitement of knowing about the natural world and understanding howit functions.Uses appropriate scientific processes and principles in making personal decisions.Engages intelligently in public discourse and debate about matters of scientific and technologicalconcern.Applies scientific knowledge and skills to increase economic productivity. Vision for Scientific LiteracyGlobal interdependence, rapid scientific and technological innovation, the need for a sustainableenvironment, economy and society, and the pervasiveness of science and technology in daily life reinforcethe importance of scientific literacy. Scientifically literate individuals can more effectively interpretinformation, solve problems, make informed decisions, accommodate change and create new knowledge.Science education is a key element in developing scientific literacy and in building a strong future forMadison's students.Scientific literacy is an evolving combination of the science-related attitudes, skills and knowledge studentsneed to develop inquiry, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities, to become lifelong learners, and tomaintain a sense of wonder about the world around them. Learning experiences based on standards andexpectations will provide students with many opportunities to explore, analyze, evaluate, synthesize,appreciate and understand the interrelationships among science, technology, society and the environmentthat will affect their personal lives, careers and future.Mission of Science EducationScientifically literate students posses the knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts and processesrequired for personal decision-making, participation in civic and cultural affairs and economic productivity.Goals for Science EducationTo promote scientific literacy, science education will encourage students at all grades to develop a critical sense of wonder and curiosity aboutscientific and technological endeavors.enable students to use science and technology to acquire new knowledge and solve problems, sothat they may improve the quality of their own lives and the lives of others.prepare students to critically address science-related societal, economic, ethical and environmentalissues.provide students with a proficiency in science that creates opportunities for them to pursueprogressively higher levels of study, prepares them for science-related occupations, and engagesthem in science-related activities appropriate to their interests and abilities.develop in students of varying aptitudes and interests a knowledge of the wide variety of careersrelated to science, technology and the environment.The Need for Science Education―In this changed world, knowledge of math and science is paramount.‖ (U.S. Department of Education.2006) It is essential that students are taught the skills necessary to compete and succeed in highereducation and the workforce. The study and ―work of science relies on basic human qualities such asreasoning, insight, energy, skills and creativity – as well as on scientific habits of mind, such as intellectualhonesty, tolerance of ambiguity, skepticism, and openness to new ideas.‖ (National Science Standards)SCIENCE CURRICULUM5

PROGRAM FRAMEWORKPeople of both genders and of all social and ethnic backgrounds with diverse talents engage in activities ofscience including engineering, research and health professionals and related fields. Scientists in all fieldsmay work in teams or alone but they must communicate extensively with others. For progress in science,the exchange of ideas, information, data and materials is essential. This communication goes well beyondresearch facilities or universities crossing national boundaries and spanning the globe. Therefore, thedevelopment of good communication skills is needed in addition to inquiry skills including the forming of ascientific question, the testing of a hypothesis, designing and performing a valid experiment, collecting validand useful data, analyzing data, and drawing conclusions.PhilosophyTo promote scientific literacy, it is crucial to recognize how students learn, how science can best be taught,and how learning can be assessed. Students are curious, active learners who have individual interests,abilities and needs. They come to school with various personal and cultural experiences and prior knowledgethat generate a range of attitudes and beliefs about science and life.Students learn most effectively when their study of science is rooted in concrete learning experiences,related to a particular context or situation, and applied to their world. The ideas and understandings thatstudents develop can be progressively extended and reconstructed as students grow through theirexperiences and in their ability to conceptualize. Learning involves the process of linking newly constructedunderstandings with prior knowledge and adding new contexts and experiences to current understandings.Development of scientific literacy is supported by instructional environments that engage students in theprocesses of scientific inquiry: students address questions about natural phenomena, involving explorations aswell as focused investigations.technological problem solving (design process): students seek answers to practical problemsrequiring the application of their science knowledge in various ways.decision making: students identify issues and pursue science knowledge that will inform the issues.It is through these processes that students discover the significance of science in their lives and come toappreciate the interrelationships of science, technology, society and the environment.Each of the processes is a potential starting point for approaching science learning. These processes mayencompass a variety of learning approaches for exploring new ideas for development specific investigationsand for applying the ideas that are learned.To achieve the vision of scientific literacy, students must increasingly become engaged in the planning,development and evaluation of their own learning experiences. They should have the opportunity to workcooperatively with other students, to initiate investigations, to communicate their findings, and to completeprojects that demonstrate their learning. To assist teachers in planning for instruction, assessment,evaluation and reporting, science teachers recommend: At the beginning of each unit of instruction, the expected student learning outcomes andperformance criteria are identified. It is important that the student learning outcomes andperformance criteria correspond with state and national standards and expectations. Thecommunication between students and teachers helps to clearly establish what needs to beaccomplished, thereby assisting in the learning process.When students are aware of expected outcomes, they will be more focused on the essentiallearning and more likely to assess their own progress. Furthermore, they can participate inassessment as learning to meet expectations. Assessment must be valid, reliable and fair tostudents.SCIENCE CURRICULUM6

PROGRAM FRAMEWORKGuiding PrinciplesGuiding principles form the basis of an effective science education program. They address the complexity ofthe science content and the methods by which science content is best taught. They clearly define theattributes of a quality science curriculum at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.Effective science programs: are based on standards and use standards-based instructional materials. develop students’ command of the language of science used in the standards. reflect a balanced, comprehensive approach that includes the teaching of inquiry along with directinstruction and reading. use multiple instructional strategies and provide students with multiple opportunities to master thestandards. include continual assessment of students’ knowledge and understanding. engage all students in learning and prepare and motivate students for further instruction inscience. use technology to teach students, assess their knowledge, develop information resources, andenhance computer literacy. have adequate instructional resources as well as library-media and administrative support. use standards-based connections with other core subjects to reinforce science teaching andlearning.K-12 Conceptual Themes and Guiding (Essential) QuestionsThe conceptual themes and the guiding questions together with the content standards and grade level expectationscontribute to students' abilities to have enduring understandings and to respond to the guiding (essential) questions.Properties of MatterHow does the structure of matter affect the properties and uses of materials? Properties of Objects (K) Properties of Materials (2) States of Matter (3) Elements, Compounds and Mixtures (6) Chemical Reactions (9) Carbon Compounds (9)Energy Transfer and TransformationsWhat is the role of energy in our world? Electricity and Magnetism (4) Physics of Sound (4) Light (5) Energy and Work (7) Energy Conservation and Transformation (9) Electrical Forces

The Appendices follow and include references to the Connecticut Core Science Curriculum Framework and Standards, National Science Education Standards, and the Framework for 21st Century Learning that provides the foundation to insure that the science learning is