Like all enthusiastic teachers, you want your students to see the connections between important science concepts so they can grasp how the world works now—and maybe even make it work better in the future. But how exactly do you help them learn and apply these core ideas?
Just as its subtitle says, this important book aims to reshape your approach to teaching and your students’ way of learning. Building on the foundation provided by
A Framework for K–12 Science Education, which informed the development of the
Next Generation Science Standards, the book’s four sections cover these broad areas:
1.
Physical science core ideas explain phenomena as diverse as why water freezes and how information can be sent around the world wirelessly.
2.
Life science core ideas explore phenomena such as why children look similar but not identical to their parents and how human behavior affects global ecosystems.
3.
Earth and space sciences core ideas focus on complex interactions in the Earth system and examine phenomena as varied as the big bang and global climate change.
4.
Engineering, technology, and applications of science core ideas highlight engineering design and how it can contribute innovative solutions to society’s problems.
Disciplinary Core Ideas can make your science lessons more coherent and memorable, regardless of what subject matter you cover and what grade you teach. Think of it as a conceptual tool kit you can use to help your students learn important and useful science now—and continue learning throughout their lives.
Table of Contents
Foreword by Helen Quinn
Acknowledgments
About the Editors
Contributors
Chapter 1: Introduction to Disciplinary Core Ideas: What They Are and Why They Are Important
by Joseph Krajcik, Ravit Golan Duncan, and Ann E. Rivet
Physical Sciences
Chapter 2: Core Idea PS1: Matter and Its Interaction
by Kristin Mayer and Joseph Krajcik
Chapter 3: Core Idea PS2: Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
by David Fortus and Jeffrey Nordine
Chapter 4: Core Idea PS3: Energy
by Jeffrey Nordine and David Fortus
Chapter 5: Core Idea PS4: Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer
by David Fortus and Joseph Krajcik
Life Sciences
Chapter 6: Core Idea LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
by Aaron Rogat, Barbara Hug, and Ravit Golan Duncan
Chapter 7: Core Idea LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
by Charles W. (Andy) Anderson and Jennifer H. Doherty
Chapter 8: Core Idea LS3: Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
by Nicole A. Shea and Ravit Golan Duncan
Chapter 9: Core Idea LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
by Cynthia Passmore, Julia Svoboda Gouvea, Candice Guy, and Chris Griesemer
Earth and Space Sciences
Chapter 10: Core Idea ESS1: Earth’s Place in the Universe
by Julia D. Plummer
Chapter 11: Core Idea ESS2: Earth’s Systems
by Ann E. Rivet
Chapter 12: Core Idea ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
by Nancy Brickhouse, J. Randy McGinnis, Nicole A. Shea, Andrea Drewes, Emily Hestness, and Wayne Breslyn
Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science
Chapter 13: Core Idea ETS1: Engineering Design
by David E. Kanter and David P. Crismond
Chapter 14: Core Idea ETS2: Links Among Engineering, Technology, Science, and Society
by Cary Sneider
Conclusion
by Ann E. Rivet, Joseph Krajcik, and Ravit Golan Duncan
Appendix: Disciplinary Core Ideas and Their Components
Image Credits
Index