Earth and Space Science in the new NRC "Conceptual Framework for New Science Education Standards"

The National Academy of Sciences has begun the process of creating a new set of K-12 science education standards. At the start of 2011 the National Research Council will release its “Conceptual Framework for New Science Education Standards,” which provides a vision for creating new and improved set of guidelines for the teaching of science. The Earth & Space content was formulated by an Earth & Space Design Team, consisting of the authors of this abstract. The “Framework,” funded by the Carnegie Foundation of New York, places a greater emphasis on the practices of learning and on major cross-cutting themes that run through the four content areas: Earth and Space Science, Physical Science, Life Science, and Engineering and Technology. One aim of the framework is to inspire a set of science standards that are more fundamental, cross-connecting, and less fact-oriented. Compared to previous efforts, the Earth & Space Science component places greater emphasis on a systems approach to Earth Science, on the interrelationships between humans and Earth systems, and on the science surrounding and connected to climate change. The organization Achieve, Inc., has already begun to use this “Framework” for the creation of a set of national K-12 science education standards.