School Administrative District #4

Unity of purpose

K-12 SCIENCE PROGRAM

Summer, 1998

Revised: Summer, 2000

Curriculum Team:

Elementary Schools:

Abbie Fowler, Cambridge, Guilford Primary, McKusick, Wellington

Mark Arthers

Wendy Lindberg

Darlene Patten

Trisha Moulton

Piscataquis Community Middle School

Peggy Cleaves

Paul Draper

Rochelle Titcomb

Piscataquis Community High School

John Chase

Bill Thompson

Mike Witick

School Administrative District #4

Unity of purpose

CORE CURRICULUM: CONTENT-AREA PHILOSOPHY

Department: Science

SCIENCE PHILOSOPHY, K-12

The impact of science and its technological applications in every phase of human life demands that students be exposed early and continually to the ideas and processes of the scientific world. Science instruction in S.A.D. #4 is designed to provide experiences that develop skills in the following areas: (1) inquiry and problem solving; (2) scientific reasoning; (3) communication; (4) implications of science and technology; (5) earth-and-space science; (6) biology; (7) chemistry; and (8) physics. In addition, several modified programs exist at the high school for students seeking to pursue biology, chemistry, or physics in a more intense, more lab-and-research-oriented manner before pursuing health-science-related careers. Science instruction also serves to stimulate curiosity and provide experiences which allow students to achieve a satisfying understanding of themselves and their world. Such understanding is developmental and continues to grow at an individual rate through life.

As facilitators of learning, teachers of science consider processes and skills to be the core of the science program and gradually increase the emphasis placed on content as students move through the grades. Because students learn best when they can visualize the whole of what they are to learn through a progression from firsthand experiences to abstract ideas, they are required to be involved in hands-on, real-life activities in individual and group settings as an essential component of the science curriculum. In this context, it is important that students be taught how to learn, not merely what to learn. In addition, teachers of science incorporate language arts and mathematics skills within the science curriculum and encourage the integration of other curricula wherever feasible.

To understand the world in which they live, students must become discoverers and problem solvers. This approach reinforces the scientific method and strengthens the ability to generalize. When concepts are learned through scientific investigation and reasoning, they are more clearly understood and retained longer. Science education, therefore, should provide experiences that develop observation skills, open-mindedness, critical thinking, the withholding of judgment until the facts are known, and a willingness to change an idea when new evidence is discovered. Students should consider their discoveries as the basis for future study of their world and should be encouraged to develop responsibility for the wise application of scientific concepts to control, to protect, and to live within their environment.

In a balanced approach to instruction, not all assessment will be based on the idea of producing error-free work. While in some cases, assessment will be based on the quality of a product, in others it will also be based on the student's involvement in the process. As a student moves through the grades, therefore, both product and process will be integral parts of the assessment of his/her overall learning.

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School Administrative District #4

Unity of purpose

CORE CURRICULUM: CONTENT STANDARDS

Department: Science

1. INQUIRY AND PROBLEM SOLVING

Students will apply inquiry and problem-solving approaches in science and technology. Scientific inquiry, problem solving, and the technological method provide insight into and comprehension of the world. A variety of tools, including emerging technologies, assist the inquiry processes; and models are used to aid understanding.

2. SCIENTIFIC REASONING

Students will learn to formulate and justify ideas and to make informed decisions. Scientific reasoning involves framing and supporting arguments, recognizing patterns and relationships, identifying bias and stereotypes, brainstorming alternative explanations and solutions, judging accuracy, analyzing situations, and revising studies to improve their validity.

3. COMMUNICATION

Students will communicate effectively in the applications of science and technology. Clear and accurate communication employs appropriate symbols and terminology, models, and a variety of media and presentation styles. Communication includes constructing knowledge through reflection, evaluation, refocusing, and critically analyzing information from a variety of sources. Both individuals and groups must learn to communicate effectively.

4. IMPLICATIONS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Students will understand the historical, social, economic, environmental, and ethical implications of science and technology. Scientific and technological breakthroughs are influenced by prevailing beliefs and conditions which in turn are impacted by new ideas and inventions. By assessing the impacts of technological activity on the environment, one can develop his/her own sense of global stewardship.

5. EARTH-AND-SPACE SCIENCE

Earth-and-space science is the study of the Earth, its history, changes, and place in the universe. Students will gain knowledge about (1) the Earth and processes that change it and (2) the universe and how humans have learned about it and the principles upon which it operates.

6. BIOLOGY

The study of biology is the study of life, including how life forms, develops, reproduces, obtains energy, and responds to the environment. Students are expected to understand that cells are the basic units of life and to be conversant with magnifying devices, cell structure and function, body systems, causes of disease, and the body's defense against disease. The functions performed by organelles (specialized structures found in cells) within individual cells are also carried out by the organ system in multi-cellular organisms. Students are expected to understand that there are similarities within the diversity of all living things. Modern classification systems are based on comparisons of the structure, function, life cycles, and behavior of organisms. Students are expected to understand the basis for all life and the fact that all living things change over time. Fossils show past life, extinct species, and environmental changes over time. Organisms change and new species may arise because of genetically coded adaptations. Students are expected to understand concepts of energy as they relate to the study of living things. Energy takes many forms which can exert forces and do work. The conversion of energy from one form to another offers useful applications and sometimes presents problems. Students are expected to understand how living things depend on one another and on non-living aspects of the environment. Balance in ecosystems is based on an intricate web of relationships among populations of living organisms, as well as non-living factors such as water and temperature. Changes in specific populations or conditions affect other parts of the ecosystem. Individual systems continually change in response to human and other factors.

7. CHEMISTRY

The study of chemistry is the study of matter; its structure, properties, and composition; and the processes of change. Matter is made of atoms, each with its characteristic properties, which can combine to form all substances in the universe. The state and properties of matter may differ when it experiences chemical, physical, and nuclear changes. Students are expected to understand the structure of matter and the changes it can undergo.

8. PHYSICS

The study of physics is the study of the basic physical laws that can be applied to all the sciences. Students are expected to understand the motion of objects and the manner in which forces can change that motion. All objects are in motion, at least at an atomic/subatomic level. By understanding how forces (e.g., gravity, friction, and magnetism) act on objects, students can predict the effects of those forces on the motion of an object. Students are expected to understand concepts of energy. Energy takes many forms which can exert forces and do work. The conversion of energy from one form to another offers useful applications and sometimes presents problems.