Arkansas Science Standards
The Arkansas K-12 Science Standards for biology - integrated is an integrated science course that focuses on conceptual understanding of foundational life and Earth science core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts, and is an integration of life science, Earth and space science, and engineering design standards.
Students in biology - integrated develop understanding of key concepts that help them make sense of the interactions between life science and Earth and space science. The ideas are building upon students’ understanding of disciplinary ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts from earlier grades. There are seven topics in biology - integrated: (1) Cycling of Matter and Energy, (2) Structure and Function, (3) Biodiversity and Population Dynamics, (4) Genetic Variations in Organisms, (5) Evolution by Natural Selection, (6) Earth’s Changing Climate, and (7) Humans and Natural Systems.
Students in biology - integrated also continue their ability to develop possible solutions for major global problems with engineering design challenges. At the high school level, students are expected to engage with major global issues at the interface of science, technology, society and the environment, and to bring to light the kinds of analytical and strategic thinking that prior training and increased maturity make possible. As in prior levels, these capabilities can be thought of in three stages:
Defining the problem at the high school level requires both qualitative and quantitative analysis. For example, the need to provide food and fresh water for future generations comes into sharp focus when considering the speed at which the world population is growing and conditions in countries that have experienced famine. While high school students are not expected to solve these challenges, they are expected to begin thinking about them as problems that can be addressed, at least in part, through engineering.
Developing possible solutions for major global problems begins by breaking them down into smaller problems that can be tackled with engineering methods. To evaluate potential solutions, students are expected to not only consider a wide range of criteria but to also recognize that criteria needs to be prioritized. For example, public safety or environmental protection may be more important than cost or even functionality. Decisions on priorities can then guide tradeoff choices.
Improving designs at the high school level may involve sophisticated methods, such as using computer simulations to model proposed solutions. Students are expected to use such methods to take into account a range of criteria and constraints, anticipate possible societal and environmental impacts, and test the validity of their simulations by comparison to the real world.