STANDARDS
GOALS
There are four areas of curricular goals that are addressed in the LA STEM Stories curriculum:
• Connecting science content to applied problems. The content addressed follows the Framework for K-12, NAS, and, as such, anticipates the Common Core Standards that may be developed and approved by states. The units embed science process, unifying themes, and more traditional content topics.
• Engineering Design and STS links. The engineering goals already embedded in the Framework for K-12, NAS, are also incorporated into each unit. Problems are defined, solutions brainstormed, experiments conducted, prototypes developed, and results evaluated and communicated.
• Both New Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Common Core State Standards (CCSS) emphasize the critical role of literacy in developing STEM subjects. Appendix M of the NGSS states that “Literacy skills are critical to building knowledge in science.” Specific literacy standards for Science & Technical Subjects can be found at ahttp://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/
NGSS and CCSS emphasize the following literacy skills and abilities:
•Asking questions and defining problems
•Developing and using models
•Planning and carrying out investigations
•Analyzing and interpreting data
•Providing explanations and finding solutions
•Using evidence when presenting a position
•Using reading and writing to obtain, evaluate and communicate information
The resource, Reading and Writing in the Disciplines(Annenberg, 2018) lists the following aspects of science literacy:
Highly specialized technical vocabulary
The use of special characters, symbols, and mathematical representations
A strong affinity for quantitative evidence and datasets that have statistical power, i.e., large numbers of observations and measurements
An emphasis on graphical representations of data
A standard of reproducibility of results by independent researchers
A standard of drawing on multiple independent lines of evidence to support conclusions
A special emphasis on parsimonious interpretation of results aimed at persuasion by overwhelming evidence and flawless logic, rather than argumentation or appeal to desirable outcomes
Nearly universal accepted standards for the organization and components of scientific reports
Crediting the specific contributions of various researchers and authors
Careful referencing of previous work
• Where applicable, the NCTM standards for mathematics will be referenced for applications that require mathematics as a utility.