Science and STEM Education Flashcards

Which instructional approach aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) by having students engage in science practices to understand core ideas?

Answer: Three-Dimensional Learning: practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas

NGSS Three-Dimensional Learning integrates science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas to develop deep scientific understanding.

A second-grade class is observing and sorting rocks by properties. Which science practice are students primarily engaging in?

Answer: Analyzing and interpreting data

Sorting rocks by observable properties and analyzing their similarities and differences is a form of analyzing and interpreting data from direct observation.

Which crosscutting concept in NGSS helps students understand that matter is made of parts that can be studied individually but function together as a system?

Answer: Systems and System Models

The Systems and System Models crosscutting concept helps students understand how parts interact and function together as a whole, applicable across all science disciplines.

A teacher introduces a science lesson with a discrepant event — something surprising that contradicts students' expectations. What is the purpose of this strategy?

Answer: To create cognitive dissonance that motivates inquiry

Discrepant events create productive cognitive dissonance by challenging students' prior conceptions, which motivates curiosity and drives inquiry-based investigation.

Which life science concept is most appropriate for introducing in kindergarten according to NGSS?

Answer: Needs of plants and animals for survival

Kindergarten NGSS life science standards focus on the basic needs of plants and animals (K-LS1-1), which is concrete and observable for young learners.

What is the key difference between an observation and an inference in science?

Answer: Observations are what you directly perceive; inferences are conclusions drawn from evidence

An observation is directly perceived through the senses (or instruments), while an inference is a logical conclusion drawn from observations and prior knowledge.