Next Generation Science Standards
(NGSS)
What are California Next Generation Science Standards (CA NGSS)?
NGSS overview.pdfThe California Next Generation Science Standards (CA NGSS) are a new set of science standards (learning goals) that are based on research on how students learn best. The CA NGSS require science and engineering to be taught in every grade K-12 to build understanding and skills systematically year on year.
The CA NGSS call for teachers to facilitate more student-centered learning that enables students to think on their own, problem solve, communicate, and collaborate—in addition to learning important scientific concepts.
Link to CA Science Framework Executive Summary
Rocklin High School and Whitney High School will be offering students access to either a 3-course or 4-course pathway to meet the learning goals of the Next Generation Science Standards.
How are California NGSS different from previous science standards?
ngss instructional shifts.pdfCA NGSS instruction that were not given explicit emphasis in California’s previous science standards are as follows:
Three-dimensional learning—students engage in scientific inquiry of phenomena using all three dimensions of NGSS.
Coherent across the curriculum—learning builds upon itself from year to year, and science integrates with other parts of the curriculum including CCSS integration with math and language arts.
Relevant to local communities and student interests—content and practices build on students’ existing experience to learn about and solve real-world societal and environmental problems through phenomena.
What is the High School Three-Course Model?
Living World 9th.pdf"High School Three-Course Model Introduction: The three-course model combines all high school performance expectations into three courses to highlight the nature of Earth and Space Science (ESS) as an interdisciplinary pursuit with crucial importance in California, each of the three courses presents an integration of ESS and one of the other high school domains. In each course, the integration adds value to both domains in the pair, with each providing an engaging motivation for and a deeper insight into the other. ESS phenomena can serve as an engaging motivation for studying the other domains while understanding of each domain provides deeper insight into processes in ESS. The three courses have been explicitly titled to emphasize this synergy:"
Living Earth: Integrating Biology and Earth Science
Chemistry in the Earth System: Integrating Chemistry and Earth Science
Physics of the Universe: Integrating Physics and Earth and Space Science
