The vision of K-12 science education in Oregon is to ensure that each and every student has access to high-quality, three-dimensional instruction that includes thoughtful and coordinated approaches to inspire future generations of scientifically literate students.
There is no doubt that science - and therefore, science education - is central to the lives of every community member. Never before has our world been so complex and scientific literacy so critical to making sense of it all. Science is also at the heart of each community’s ability to continue innovating, leading, and creating jobs for the future. That's why each and every student - regardless of whether they pursue college or STEM careers -
should have access to a high-quality, three-dimensional science education. “Equity in science education requires that all students are provided with equitable opportunities to learn science and become engaged in science and engineering practices; with access to quality space, equipment, and teachers to support and motivate that learning and engagement; and adequate time spent on science. In addition, the issue of
connecting to students’ interests and experiences is particularly important for broadening participation in science.” —
NRC Framework
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Oregon K-12 Science Standards with Clarifying Guidance - This document describes the vision for science education in Oregon and identifies the three dimensions that make up the K-12 science standards for each grade level in K-5 and grade band in 6-8 and high school.
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A Framework for K-12 Science Education - This is a compilation of science education research identifying critical topics and best practices for youth to learn science that centers students' cultures, interests, and identities as they make sense of their world. The Framework highlights how "all science learning can be understood as a cultural accomplishment."
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Guide to Implementing the Next Generation Science Standards - This document provides guidance to district and school leaders and teachers charged with developing a plan and implementing the NGSS as they change their curriculum, instruction, professional learning, policies, and assessment to align with the new standards. For each of these elements, this report lays out recommendations for action around key issues and cautions about potential pitfalls.
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Next Generation Science Standards Website - This site provides a closer look at the three dimensions called for in each of the standards and the foundational language used to compose the standards, in addition to the connections each standard has to Common Core ELA and mathematics practices.
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Next Generation Science Standards: Evidence Statements - This site provides educators with additional detail on what students should know and be able to do. These are statements of observable and measurable components that, if met, will satisfy NGSS performance expectations.
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Next Generation Science Standards: Appendices - These appendices provide background and additional details about the standards, along with implementation models and case studies.
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Conceptual Shifts
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Responses to Public Feedback
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College and Career Readiness
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All Standards, All Students Case Studies
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Disciplinary Core Idea Progression in the NGSS
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Science and Engineering Practices – Practices Matrix
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Crosscutting Concepts in the NGSS –Crosscutting Concepts Matrix
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Nature of Science in the NGSS – Nature of Science Matrix
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Engineering Design in the NGSS
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Science, Technology, Society, and the Environment
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Model Course Mapping in Middle and High School
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Advancing Coherent and Equitable Systems of Science Education (ACESSE) - These are professional learning resources that include slide decks, facilitators guides, and embedded resources that focus on the fundamental components of three-dimensional teaching and learning.
- Using Phenomena - This resource answers questions about how and why to center science education on phenomena so that students are motivated to explain. This focus of learning shifts instruction from learning about a topic to figuring out why or how something happens. Video support.
- Qualities of a Good Anchor Phenomenon - This resource identifies how instructional sequences are more coherent when students investigate compelling natural phenomena (in science) or work on meaningful design problems (in engineering) by engaging in the science and engineering practices.
- Attending to Student Interests and Community Priorities in Phenomena - This open educational resource (OER) is a professional learning resources that includes slides, speaker notes, facilitator guide, and embedded resources focused on identify a variety of meaningful phenomena of different types that connect to specific science and engineering learning standards.
- Going 3D with GRC - This site is a collection of grades K-12 vetted, three-dimensional lessons grounded in phenomena and aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards developed from the Framework for K-12 Science Education.
- NGSS Design Badge Lessons and Units - This collection of lessons and units have been awarded a digital badge based on the Educators Evaluating the Quality of Instructional Products (EQuIP) Rubric for Science.
In late May 2023, ODE released
Oregon's Early Literacy Framework to provide coherence, clarity and common ground for high-quality, comprehensive early literacy education statewide. Below are some elementary-focused resources that support both the statewide literacy vision and science education:
- Advancing Coherent and Equitable Systems of Science Education (ACESSE) - These are professional learning resources that include slide decks, facilitators guides, and embedded resources that focus on the fundamental components of three-dimensional teaching and learning.
- Call to Action for Science Education: Building Opportunities for the Future - This interactive overview from National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine provides a vision to achieve equitable access to quality science learning across the K-12 educational system. The full report also identifies specific recommendations for key educational partners.
- Culture, Learning, and Identity Framework - This framework provides opportunities to focus on culture and identity in science learning and teaching.
- Designing for Social Justice in Science Teaching and Learning: Working Toward Rightful Presence - This resource is based on multiple manuscripts to explore three specific tenets of how Rightful Presence might be enacted in science classrooms.
- Equity and Diversity in Science and Engineering Education - In A Framework for Science Education, Chapter 11 highlights equity challenges and approaches to inclusive science instruction through a lens that all science learning can be understood as a cultural accomplishment.
- Focusing Science and Engineering Learning on Justice -Centered Phenomena across PK-12 - This resource explores ways to design scientific investigations based on justice-centered phenomena.
- Gender-Inclusive Biology - This site provides gender affirming resources, a reflection framework for adapting curriculum, and professional development materials.
- Helping Students Make Sense of the World: Toward More Equitable Learning in Science - This chapter focuses on expanding relationships among students, teachers, and science practices. The vignettes provide examples of potential approaches to equitable learning for each and every student.
- How can you advance equity and justice through science teaching? - This resource focuses on seven key intersectional tenets of equity that can guide the teaching and learning of science towards social justice.
- NGSS Instruction: A Powerful Lever for Equitable Learning, Language Development, and Learning in Other School Subjects - This brief from WestEd describes some key results and takeaways from implementing the instructional shifts called for in A Framework for K12 Science Education and the NGSS.
- Power and Historicity Framework - This framework provides an overview of the ways power and historicity are present in science learning environments and approaches toward ethical, just, and sustainable forms of learning in science education.
- CLEAN Culturally Relevant Climate Teaching - This resource focuses on the Living Landscapes project is a set of educational resources designed to integrate traditional knowledge (Native Science) about the climate with current climate research.
- CLEAN Guidance in Elementary Teaching about Climate and Energy - This resource provides guidance, ideas, and strategies for elementary educators for teaching climate and energy in elementary grades.
- CLEAN Teaching Energy/Enseñar temas sobre energía - This resource traces the story of energy in our lives, beginning with the physics of energy and how energy flows throughout the earth system. Explore energy's influence on human society, sources of energy, the ways we use energy, how we make decisions about energy, and the impacts of energy use.
- CLEAN Teaching Climate/La Enseñanza de la Ciencia Del Clima - This resource walks students through key components of the climate system: the Sun, the atmosphere, life on Earth, human impacts, how scientists study climate, and actions humans can take.
- ClimeTime - This website provides developed PK-12 climate science lessons, units, and professional development resources that are shared through the OER Commons group.
- National Center for Science Education - This site provides resources for educators to address misconceptions about climate change and high school climate science lessons and units.
- Smithsonian Science Education Center - This site hosts Sustainability Resources that are designed to engage students in phenomenon-based learning through coherent storylines, inspire teachers with point-of-use support, and connect students firsthand to the world around them.
- STEM Teaching Tools: Climate Learning Resource Designing Climate Change Learning for Action - These practice briefs, webinars, and professional learning resources focus on different aspects of this climate science and provide a variety of examples for diverse learning environments. .
- Talk Climate - This website provides age appropriate, emotionally-responsive, and action centered resources for PK-12, caregivers, educators, and professionals.
- Yale Program on Climate Change Communication - This site focuses on resources for educators grades 6-12 and were developed based on recommendations from educators across the United States.