Dee Dee Whitaker
Product Content Manager

July 2018

Many of us are making the shift to the Next Generation Science Standards* (NGSS) and 3 dimensions of learning. So what’s changing? How is the content changing? And where is the instructional emphasis?

This table highlights comparisons between the National Science Education Standards and the NGSS to illustrate some of the changes.

Emphasis of Standards
Then	Now
Objectives and Essential Questions	Performance Expectations
Understanding scientific concepts	Making sense of phenomena and 3-dimensional learning
Developing abilities of inquiry	Actively engaged in 8 science and engineering practices
Integrating all aspects of science content	Emphasizing crosscutting concepts
Implementing inquiry as instructional strategies, abilities, and ideas to be learned	Implementing 3-dimensional learning (integrating science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas)
Activities that investigate and analyze science questions	Student-generated questions
Process skills in context	Science and engineering practices identified
Using multiple skills	3-dimensional learning
Public communication of student ideas and work to classmates	Public communication of student ideas, questions, and making sense of concepts
Science Skills
Skills and Processes	Dimension 1: Science and Engineering Practices
Use evidence and strategies for developing or revising an explanation	Constructing explanations and designing solutions
Science as argument and explanation	Engaging in argument from evidence
Communicating science explanations	Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
Analyzing and synthesizing data after defending conclusions	Analyzing and interpreting data
Doing more investigations to develop understanding, ability, values of inquiry, and knowledge of science content	Planning and carrying out investigations
Using multiple process skills (manipulation, cognitive, or procedural)	Developing and using models
Activities that investigate and analyze science questions	Asking questions and defining problems
Using evidence and strategies for developing or revising an explanation	Developing and using models
Unifying Concepts and Processes
Concepts	Dimension 2: Crosscutting Concepts
Systems, order, and organization	Patterns
Evidence, models, and explanation	Cause and effect: mechanism and explanation
Constancy, change, and measurement	Scale, proportion, and quantity
Evolution and equilibrium	Systems and system models
Form and function	Energy and matter: flows, cycles, and conservation
	Structure and function
	Stability and change
Content
Content Standards	Dimension 3: Disciplinary Core Ideas
Life Science
The cell	From molecules to organisms: structures and processes
Molecular basis of heredity	Heredity: inheritance and variation of traits
Biological evolution	Biological evolution: unity and diversity
Interdependence of organisms
Matter, energy, and organization in living systems	Ecosystems: interactions, energy, and dynamics
Behavior of organisms
Physical Science
Structure of atoms	Matter and its interactions
Structure and properties of matter	Motion and stability: forces and interactions
Chemical reactions	Energy and matter: flows, cycles, and conservation
Motions and forces	Waves and their application in technologies for information transfer
Conservation of energy and increase in disorder
Interactions of energy and matter
Earth and Space Science
Energy in the earth system
Geochemical cycles	Earth's systems
Origin and evolution of the earth system	Earth and human activity
Origin and evolution of the universe	Earth's place in the universe
Science and Technology
Abilities of technological design	Engineering design
Understandings about science and technology	Links among engineering, technology, science, and society

Resources

National Science Education Standards

Next Generation Science Standards

 

 

*Next Generation Science Standards® is a registered trademark of Achieve. Neither Achieve nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of, and do not endorse, these products.