6 - 8 Science
Many states have adopted new standards based on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) because they understand that a robust science education in elementary school will pave the way for increased opportunities in high school, college and future careers. The NGSS enable teachers to offer all students interactive science instruction that promotes analysis and interpretation of data, critical thinking, problem solving, and connections across science disciplines—with a high set of expectations for achievement in grades 6-8 (information from nextgenscience.org)
How will students learn science in the classroom?
Each year, students should be able to demonstrate greater capacity for connecting knowledge across, and between, the physical sciences, life sciences, earth and space sciences, and engineering design. During grades 6-8, your child will begin to form deeper connections between concepts and skills previously learned in grades K–5, such as such as collecting evidence and drawing conclusions, understanding relationships between objects, and critical thinking that leads to designing effective solutions for problems. (information from nextgenscience.org)
Upon completion of grades 6 - 8, your child should have a deeper understanding of:
- Physical and chemical interactions that affect the world around us;
- Factors that affect organism survival and reproduction;
- Factors that influence the Earth and our solar system; and
- How to optimize design solutions.