Science Standard



Science Standard

Introduction

This paper focuses on the strengths and weakness of various standards for a grade 3 student. Children are born investigators, studying, thinking, and building internal models of the world around them. Science is an extension of this natural curiosity to systematic investigation of the material world and the development of a body of knowledge and practices. Science education is not just a process of acquiring a body of static knowledge. It also includes developing the ability to use tools, ranging from microscopes and rulers to computers and test tubes, and the ability to build and explain models, make predictions, and conduct scientific inquiry. Just as reading, writing, and mathematics involve the performance of complex practices, so does science (Levitan, 1933).

State Standards for Science: Grades 3

Third grade students keep records of observations without making alterations. They add and subtract whole numbers mentally, on paper, and with a calculator. They observe, construct, and measure objects using ordinary hand tools (Brooks & Byles. 2000). Third graders observe things with many parts and describe the ways in which the parts influence or interact with one another. They represent objects in the real world with geometric figures, number sequences, graphs, diagrams, maps, and stories. They explain how the representations do not match their real world counterparts. Third graders know that safety is a fundamental concern in all experimental science. They adhere to safety rules and guidelines.The state standards are the basis upon which we assess how well students have learned English Language Arts and Mathematics by the end of Grade 3, and English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies by the end of Grade 6 and Grade 9 (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, 2011). These standards reflect the essential learning that all Alberta students are expected to achieve. Provincial standards are useful, therefore, for assessing grades 3, 6, and 9 students in all types of school programs public, private, and home education.

By comparing actual results with provincial standards, decisions can be made about whether achievement is, in fact, "good enough." A solid science education program begins by clearly establishing what well-educated youngsters such as the students in grade 3 class, need to learn about this multi-faceted domain of human knowledge (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, 2011). Here, the first crucial step is setting clear academic standards for the schools standards that not only articulate the critical science content students need to learn, but that also properly sequence and prioritize that content. In the light of such standards, teachers at each grade level can clearly see where they should focus their time and attention to ensure that their pupils are on track toward college- and career readiness (Koba, 2011). That doesn't mean it will happen, of course. As we at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute have repeatedly noted, standards alone cannot drive outstanding achievement. But they are a necessary starting point. They are the score for conductors, musicians, instrument makers, and more. They are the foundation upon which rigorous curricula and ...