Connections to
THE NATURE OF SCIENCE

Scientists and science teachers agree that science is a way of explaining the natural world. In common parlance, science is both a set of practices and the historical accumulation of knowledge. An essential part of science education is learning science and engineering practices and developing knowledge of the concepts that are foundational to science disciplines. Further, students should develop an understanding of the enterprise of science as a whole—the wondering, investigating, questioning, data collecting, and analyzing.  s extensions of the science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts, not as a fourth dimension of standards.  

The integration of science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts sets the stage for teaching and learning about the nature of science. That said, learning about the nature of science requires more than engaging in activities and conducting investigations.

When the three dimensions of the science standards are combined, one can ask what is central to the intersection of the science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts? Or, what is the relationship among the three basic elements of the Framework? Humans have a need to know and understand the world around them. And they have the need to change their environment using technology in order to accommodate what they understand or desire. In some cases, the need to know originates in satisfying basic needs in the face of potential danger. Sometimes it is a natural curiosity and, in other cases, the promise of a better, more comfortable life. Science is the pursuit of explanations of the natural world, and technology and engineering are means of accommodating human needs, intellectual curiosity, and aspirations.

One fundamental goal for K–12 science education is a scientifically literate person who can understand the nature of scientific knowledge. Indeed, the only consistent characteristic of scientific knowledge across the disciplines is that scientific knowledge itself is open to revision in light of new evidence.

In K–12 classrooms the issue is how to explain both the natural world and what constitutes the formation of adequate, evidence-based scientific explanations. To be clear, this perspective complements but is distinct from students engaging in science and engineering practices in order to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the natural world.

Source: NGSS Appendix H

• APPENDIX H: Understanding the Scientific Enterprise: The Nature of Science in the Next Generation Science Standards

• Articles: 

  • The Principal Elements of the Nature of Science: Dispelling the Myths

  • Bridging the three dimensions of the NGSS using the nature of science