Course Overview
Arkansas K-12 Science Standards "Environmental science is an integrated science course that continues to develop conceptual understanding of the interactions in Earth science, physical science, and life science systems. The standards for environmental science engage students in the core ideas, scientific and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts to support the development of knowledge that can be applied to understanding, explaining, and improving human interactions with Earth systems and resources. There are strong connections to mathematical practices of analyzing and interpreting data with creating mathematical and computational models. Additionally, it should be noted that the environmental science standards are not intended to be used as curriculum. Instead, the standards are the minimum that students should know and be able to do. Therefore, teachers should continue to differentiate for the needs of their students by adding depth and additional rigor."
There are 5 units with some overlap of Performance Expectations to allow teachers the flexibility to differentiate. The Evidence Statements are the guides for adding depth and rigor.
Full Course Resources:
Flexbook for Springdale Environmental Science aligned to Arkansas K12 Standards and includes extra information to facilitate research and extensions
Science News for Students free articles on current science issues and events
Science Journal for Kids free scientific peer reviewed articles specifically adapted for students and teachers
Wonder of Science Assessments Collection these are the assessments available on the Wonder of Science website grouped according to Arkansas K12 Science Standards.
Deep Dive Presentation October 4, 2021
Comparison of CCRS, SEPs, and PLD this tool aligns the College and Career Readiness Standards with the Science and Engineering Practices and the Aspire Performance Level Descriptors.
Performance Level Descriptors This document was released in the ACT Aspire Technical Bulletin informing educators what was expected from students in order to perform at each level.
Types of Data Presentations Used in the Performance Level Descriptors This is the companion tool to the Comparison of CCRS, SEPs, and PLDs. This identifies how the information should be presented and assessed.