California NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards)

California has a solid commitment to standards-based education through its adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards. , and I’ve designed my science lesson resources to uphold those standards.

The State Board of Education adopted CA NGSS in September of 2013.

California science standards are broken down by grade level for grades K–8, Grades K–5 cover earth, life, and physical sciences each year. Grade 6 focuses on earth science, Grade 7 focuses on life science and Grade 8 focuses on physical science.

Within the NGSS, there are three distinct and equally important dimensions to learning science. These three dimensions are combined to form each standard, and each dimension works with the other two to help students build a cohesive understanding of science over time. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are based on the Framework K–12 Science Education that the National Research Council created. 

Three Dimensions of NGSS

The three dimensions of NGSS are the Science and Engineering Practices, the Crosscutting Concepts, and the Disciplinary Core Ideas.

Three-Dimensional Learning

1. Science and Engineering Practices- what scientists and students do in science

The science and Engineering Practices describe what scientists do to investigate phenomena and what engineers do to design solutions to problems. Students use the science and engineering practices to practice their skills of inquiry as they explore the natural world. Students engage in practices to build, deepen and apply their knowledge of disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts. 

Although engineering design is similar to scientific inquiry, there are significant differences. For example, scientific inquiry involves the formulation of a question that can be answered through investigation, while engineering design involves the formulation of a problem that can be solved through design. Strengthening the engineering aspects of the Next Generation Science Standards will clarify for students the relevance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (the four STEM fields) to everyday life.

The eight science and engineering practices are:

• Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
• Developing and using models
• Planning and carrying out investigations
• Analyzing and interpreting data
• Using math and computational thinking
• Constructing an explanation (for science) and designing a solution (for engineering)
• Engaging in an argument stemming from evidence
• Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

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2. Crosscutting Concepts

Crosscutting Concepts help students explore connections across the four domains of science, including Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science, and Engineering Design. Crosscutting concepts have application across all domains of science. As such, they are a way of linking the different domains of science.

The crosscutting concepts give the students a lens that shows them how to think about the problem at hand. The crosscutting concepts also let the teacher know what types of questions to ask. There are 7 crosscutting concepts that the National Research Council has outlined, which appear in the Next Generation Science Standards. They are:

• Patterns
• Cause and effect
• Scale, proportion, and quantity
• Systems and system models
• Energy and matter: Flows, cycles, and conservation
• Structure and function
• Stability and change

3. Disciplinary Core Ideas

The Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) are the key ideas in science that students must learn at each level. They build on one another at each grade level. There are disciplinary core ideas in each domain of science: Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science, and Engineering.

• Have broad importance across multiple  sciences or engineering disciplines or be a key organizing concept of a single discipline; 
• Provide a key tool for understanding or investigating more complex ideas and solving problems;
• Relate to the interests and life experiences of students or be connected to societal or personal concerns that require scientific or technological knowledge;
• Be teachable and learnable over multiple grades at increasing levels of depth and sophistication.

TeachingScience Lessons, Units, Assessments, and Bundles

California NGSS FAQ

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