Standards

The following Science Education Standards apply to the text and experimental portion of this web contribution. The texts referred to will be cited in full at the end of this portion.

I. From the National Research Council's Science Education Standards, 1996.
Chapter 6. Science Content Standards.

Content Standards: K-4.

Employ simple equipment and tools to gather data and extend the senses (Content standard A, p.122).

Properties of objects and materials (Content Standard B, p.127).

Earth and Space Science (Content Standard D, p.130):

• Students should develop an understanding of properties of earth materials.

Science and technology (Content Standard E, p.135):

• Abilities of technological design--
  • Identify a simple problem; Propose a solution (p.137).
• Understanding about science and technology--
  • People have always...invented tools and techniques to solve problems;
  • Women and men of all ages, backgrounds, and groups engage in a variety of scientific and techological work
    (p. 138).

Science in Personal and Social Perspectives (Content Standard F, p.138):

• Abilities to distinguish between natural objects and objects made by humans.

History and Nature of Science (Content Standard G, p.141):

• Science and technology have been practiced by people for a long time.
• Men and women have made a variety of contributions throughout the history of science and technology.

Content Standards: 5-8.

Science as inquiry (Content Standard A):

• Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry (p.143):
  • Identify questions that can be answered (p.145).
  • Design and conduct a scientific investigation (p.145).
  • Use appropriate tools and techniques (p.145).
  • Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models using evidence (p.145).
  • Think critically and logically to make the relationships between evidence and explanations (p.145).

Physical science (Content Standard B, p.149):

• Understanding of properties and changes of properties in matter (p.154):
  • Characteristic properties such as solubility.
  • Substances react chemically in characteristic ways to form new substances with different characteristic properties.
  • Substances often are placed in categories or groups if they react in similar ways; metals is an example of such a group.

Science and technology (Content Standard E, p.161):

• Abilities of technological design (p.165).
• Understandings about science and technology (p.166):
  • Scientists develop explanations for questions about the natural world. Engineers seek solutions to human needs.
  • Many different people in many different cultures have made contributions to science and technology.
  • Solutions to scientific or human problems are not perfect. Some outcomes are not predicted or intended.

Science in personal and social perspectives (Content Standard F, p.166):

• Populations, resources and environments.
• Causes of environmental degradation and resource depletion vary from region to region and from country to country (p.168).
• Science and technology in society.
• Sciences influences society through its knowledge and world view (p.169).
• Technology influences society (p.169).

History and nature of science (Content Standard G, p.170):

• History of science.
• Science has been practiced by different individuals in different cultures (p.171).

Content Standards: 9-12

The portions of this website that deal with the history of copper mining, and the science and technology of copper mining are appropriate by older students. The metal extraction experiment, however, is aimed at middle school and younger children. The ci ted high school copper activity satisfies the other, more technical content standards.

Physical science (Content Standard B, p.176):

• Chemical reactions.

Science and technology (Content Standard E, p.190):

• Abilities of technological design.
• Understandings about science and technology.

Science in personal and social perspectives (Content Standard F, p.193):

• Natural resources.

History and nature of science (Content Standard G, p.200):

• Science as human endeavor.
• Historical perspectives.
• Diverse cultures have contributed scientific knowledge and technological inventions. Modern science began to evolve rapidly in Europe several hundred years ago. During the past two centuries it has contributed significantly to the industrialization of Western and non-Western cultures. However, other non-European cultures have developed scientific ideas and solved human problems through technology (p. 201).

References on Science Education Standards

American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1993.
Benchmarks for Science Literacy: Project 2061. New York: Oxford University Press, 418 p.

National Research Council, 1996.
National Science Education Standards. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 262 p.

National Science Teachers Association, 1993.
The Content Core: Scope, Sequence, and Coordination of Secondary School Science.
Volume I, rev. ed.: ed. by Marcia K. Pearsall.
Washington, D.C.: National Science Teachers Association, 138 p.

National Science Teachers Association, 1995.
A High School Framework for National Science Education Standards:
Scope, Sequence, and Coordination of Secondary School Science.
Volume III: ed. by Bill G. Aldridge.
Washington, D.C.: National Science Teachers Association, 146 p.

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Please direct questions to: Tom Lugaski
Last Modified May 20, 1997
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