CPPS Science EALRs

WA Science EALRs

Essential Academic Learning Requirements

The 2009 version of the Washington State K-12 Science Standards strengthens the foundations of the previous document and incorporates the latest findings of educational research. The earlier document was based on three Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs). In the new standards, EALRs 1, 2, and 3 describe crosscutting concepts and abilities that characterize the nature and practice of science and technology, while EALR 4 describes what all students should know and be able to do in the domains of Life, Physical, and Earth and Space Science.

EALR 1 Systems thinking makes it possible to analyze and understand complex phenomena. Systems concepts begin with the idea of the part-to-whole relationship in the earliest grades, adding the ideas of systems analysis in middle school and emergent properties, unanticipated consequences, and feedback loops in high school.

EALR 2 Inquiry is the bedrock of science and refers to the activities of students in which they develop knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas, as well as an understanding of how the natural world works. Students ask and answer questions that facilitate growth in their understanding of the natural world. Inquiry includes the idea that an investigation refers to a variety of methods that can be used to answer a scientifically oriented question, including: systematic observations, field studies, models and simulations, open-ended explorations, and controlled experiments.

EALR 3 Application includes the ability to use the process of technological design to solve real-world problems, to understand the relationship between science and technology and their influence on society, and to become aware of the wide variety of careers in scientific and technical fields. These abilities are needed for people to apply what they learn in school to meet challenges in their own lives, to understand and help solve societal problems involving science and technology, and contribute to the prosperity of their community, state, and nation.

EALR 4 The Domains of Science focus on nine Big Ideas in the domains of Physical Science, Life Science, and Earth and Space Science that all students should fully understand before they graduate from high school so that they can participate and prosper as citizens in modern society.

Organization of the Standards

The 2009 Washington State K-12 Science Standards differs from the previous standards document with respect to the grade bands and organization of the sciences.

Grade Bands

It is essential for middle school students to have three full years of science to meet the middle school standards, to stimulate their interests in science, and to prepare them for a series of rigorous high school courses. The middle school grade band remains as a single three-year span for students in grades 6-8. A three-year grade band at the middle school level provides flexibility for school leaders to integrate the science program with other elements of the school curriculum.

The Science Standards Revision Team determined that the previous elementary grade bands were too broad because children develop rapidly in their cognitive abilities from kindergarten to 5th grade. Consequently, rather than two elementary grade bands, the new standards are presented in three grade bands at the elementary level, each spanning just two years. There is significant research to support two-year rather than three-year grade bands at the elementary level.iv

Big Ideas of Science

Another difference between these standards and the previous version is that content in the science disciplines is organized by nine Big Ideas in the major domains of science-three in Life Science, three in Earth and Space Science, and three in Physical Science. Each "Big Idea" is a single important concept that begins in the early grades, and builds toward an adult-level understanding.

The strategy of using Big Ideas to organize science standards arose in response to research showing that U.S. students lagged behind students in many other countries, at least in part because school curricula include far too many topics. According to the results of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), "Our curricula, textbooks, and teaching all are 'a mile wide and an inch deep."v

A solution to this problem that has gained support from science education researchers in recent years is to organize science standards by a small number of "Big Ideas," which are essential for all people in modern society to understand. vi Organizing K-12 concepts and abilities by Big Ideas offers a way to decide what is and is not important for students to study, and provides a coherent vision of what students should know and be able to do that builds throughout a coherent K-12 science program.

In summary, the content of the Washington State K-12 Science Standards is organized according to twelve Big Ideas of Science: nine in the domains of Life, Physical, and Earth and Space Science, and three that cut across and unite all of the science domains: Systems, Inquiry, and Application.

Crosscutting Concepts and Abilities

Science is an active process that involves thinking in systems, asking and answering questions through investigations, and applying science and technology to solve real-world problems. As illustrated in the chart below, these crosscutting concepts and abilities increase in complexity, depth, and range as students mature from one grade band to the next.

Cross-cutting	EALR 1 Systems	EALR 2 Inquiry	EALR 3 Application
The Big Ideas of Science	..is a way of thinking that makes it possible to analyze and understand complex phenomena.	..is a process of asking and answering questions about the natural world that forms the bedrock of science.	..is about the interaction between science and technology, and how both can help solve real-world problems.
Grades 9-12	Predictability and Feedback	Conducting Analyses and Thinking Logically	Science, Technology, and Society
	Create realistic models with feedback loops, and recognize that all models are limited in their predictive power.	Expand and refine skills and abilities of inquiry to gain a deeper understanding of natural phenomena.	Transfer and apply abilities in science and technological design to develop solutions to societal issues.
Grades 6-8	Inputs, Outputs, Boundaries & Flows	Questioning and Investigating	Science, Technology, and Problem Solving
	Look at a complex situation and see how it can be analyzed as a system with boundaries, inputs, outputs, and flows.	Investigate an answerable question through valid experimental techniques. Conclusions are based on evidence and are repeatable.	Work with other members of a team to apply the full process of technological design and relevant science concepts to solving a problem.
Grades 4-5	Complex Systems	Planning *Investigations*	Different Technologies
	Analyze a system in terms of subsystems functions as well as inputs and outputs.	Plan different kinds of investigations, including field studies, systematic observations, models, and controlled experiments.	Define technologies and the technological design process to understand the use of technology in different cultures and career fields.
Grades 2-3	Role of Each Part in a System	*Conducting Investigations*	Solving Problems
	See how parts of objects, plants, and animals are connected and work together.	Carry out investigations by using instruments, observing, recording, and drawing evidence-based conclusions.	Develop a solution to a problem by using a simplified technological design process. Investigate the use of tools.
Grades K-1	Part-Whole Relationships	Making Observations	Tools and Materials
	Identify parts of living and non-living systems.	Answer questions by explaining observations of the natural world.	Use simple tools and materials to solve problems in creative ways.

Big Ideas in EALR 4: The Domains of Science

The following tables summarize the nine big ideas in the science domains. Under each big idea are notes about how the learning in each of the grade level spans contributes to the development of the big idea as children advance through the grade levels. While these brief notes do not capture all of the concepts and abilities that students are expected to acquire, they do show how what students learn in any given year related to what they learned before and to what they will be expected to learn at the next grade band.vii

Science Domain	EALR 4 Physical Science
The Big Ideas of Science	Force and Motion concerns the forces and motions that occur in our physical universe. At the highest level, students apply Newton's Laws of Motion and Gravity to explain phenomena such as the fall of a leaf and the motions of planet Earth in space.	Matter: Properties and Change concerns the fundamental nature of matter, including the atomic-molecular theory that explains macroscopic properties of materials and makes it possible to predict the outcomes of chemical and nuclear reactions.	Energy: Transfer, Transformation and Conservation concerns energy as it changes forms and moves from one place to another. Energy is never created or destroyed. These concepts are useful in explaining phenomena in all domains.

Grades 9-11	Newton's Laws	Chemical Reactions	Transformation and Conservation of Energy
	Multiple forces affect an objects motion in predictable ways. These affects are explained by Newton's Laws.	Atomic structure accounts for atoms ability to combine to produce compounds. These changes maybe physical, chemical or nuclear.	Energy can take many forms and be transferred and transformed. Within a closed system the total energy is conserved.

Grades 6-8	Balanced and Unbalanced Forces	Atoms and Molecules	Interactions of Energy and Matter
	Objects in motion are affected by balanced and unbalanced forces. Speed and direction of motion change due to these forces.	Substances have unique properties based on their atomic structure. As atoms combine in a closed system their mass is conserved.	Energy and matter interact resulting in energy transfers and transformations. There are multiple forms of energy.
Grades 4-5	Measurement of Force and Motion	States of Matter	Heat, Light, Sound, and Electricity
	Forces and motions can be measured.	A single kind of matter can exist as a solid, liquid, or gas. Matter is conserved.	Heat, light, sound, and electrical energy can be transferred.
Grades 2-3	Force Makes Things Move	Properties of Materials	Forms of Energy
	Forces on objects make them move. Changes in forces will cause changes in the motion.	The properties of an object depend on its shape and on the material it is made from.	Energy comes in different forms.
Grades K-1	Push-Pull and Position	Liquids and Solids
	Forces are pushes and pulls. Motion is a change in position.	Different kinds of materials display different properties.

Science Domains	EALR 4 Earth and Space Science
The Big Ideas of Science	Earth and Space is the longest and most comprehensive story that can be told, beginning with the birth of the universe and our home solar system, to the dynamic Earth-Sun-Moon system that set the stage for the wide diversity of life.	Earth Systems, Structures, and Processes includes the big picture of Earth as an interacting and dynamic system, including weather, and climate, the oceans, and the long-term movement of crustal plates that build up mountains and cause earthquakes, tsunami, and volcanoes.	Earth History has been uncovered by observing processes that take place today, and projecting those processes back in time. These remnants, especially fossils, provide essential clues to understanding the evolution of our planet.
Grades 9-11	Evolution of the Universe	Energy in Earth Systems	Evolution of the Earth
	Physical principles apply to the origins and development of the Earth and the Universe.	Energy from the Sun drives our weather system and climate, while energy from Earth's interior drives the rock cycle and crustal plates.	Evidence provided by natural radioactive material has made it possible to determine the age of different structures and of Earth as a planet.

Science Domains	EALR 4 Earth and Space Science
The Big Ideas of Science	Earth and Space is the longest and most comprehensive story that can be told, beginning with the birth of the universe and our home solar system, to the dynamic Earth-Sun-Moon system that set the stage for the wide diversity of life.	Earth Systems, Structures, and Processes includes the big picture of Earth as an interacting and dynamic system, including weather, and climate, the oceans, and the long-term movement of crustal plates that build up mountains and cause earthquakes, tsunami, and volcanoes.	Earth History has been uncovered by observing processes that take place today, and projecting those processes back in time. These remnants, especially fossils, provide essential clues to understanding the evolution of our planet.

Grades 6-8		The Solar System	Cycles in Earth Systems	Evidence of Change
	Our Solar System is held together by gravity. Moon phases and eclipses are explained.		Earth is an interacting system of solids, liquids, and gases. Important Earth processes include the water cycle and the rock cycle.	Layers of rocks and different types of fossils provide clues to how conditions on Earth have changed over time.
Grades 4-5		Earth in Space	Formation of Earth Materials	Focus on Fossils
	Earth is spherical in shape. It spins on its axis and orbits the Sun.		Earth materials are formed by various natural processes and can be used in different ways.	Fossils provide evidence that environments of the past were quite different from what we observe today.
Grades 2-3		The Sun's Daily Motion	Water and Weather	Water and Weather
		The Sun and Moon have patterns of movement that can be inferred by observing and recording shadows cast by the Sun.	Water is essential in Earth systems. This is seen by observing and recording changes in weather patterns and Earth formations.
Grades K-1		Observing the Sun and Moon	Properties and Change
		The Sun and the Moon have patterns of movement that can be observed and recorded.	Earth materials have various properties.

Science Domains	EALR 4 Life Science
The Big Ideas of Science	Structure & Function of Living Systems includes the way living things are organized and carry on life processes, from the components of a single cell to complex multicellular organisms such as humans.	Ecosystems are defined as all of the plant and animal populations and nonliving resources in a given area. The relationships between organisms within an ecosystem make it possible to predict the consequences of change and provide insights into the sustainable use of natural resources. .	Biological Evolution is the essential framework for understanding how organisms change over time, from the first single-celled bacteria on the young Earth to the amazing diversity of species that populate our planet today. Evidence and reasoning are essential to recognize the patterns and scale of past changes.
Grades 9-11	Processes Within Cells	Maintenance and Stability of Populations	Mechanisms of Evolution
	Cells contain the mechanisms for life functions, reproduction, and inheritance.	A variety of factors can affect the ability of an ecosystem to maintain current population levels.	The underlying mechanisms of evolution include genetic variability, population growth, resource supply, and environment.
Science Domains	EALR 4 Life Science
The Big Ideas of Science	Structure & Function of Living Systems includes the way living things are organized and carry on life processes, from the components of a single cell to complex multicellular organisms such as humans.	Ecosystems are defined as all of the plant and animal populations and nonliving resources in a given area. The relationships between organisms within an ecosystem make it possible to predict the consequences of change and provide insights into the sustainable use of natural resources.	Biological Evolution is the essential framework for understanding how organisms change over time, from the first single-celled bacteria on the young Earth to the amazing diversity of species that populate our planet today. Evidence and reasoning are essential to recognize the patterns and scale of past changes.

Grades 6-8	From Cells to Organisms	Flow of Energy Through Ecosystems	Inheritance, Variation and Adaptation
	Cell type and organization provide living systems structure and function.	Energy flows through ecosystems from a primary source through all living organisms.	Multiple lines of evidence support biological evolution. These include genetics, reproduction, adaptation and speciation.
Grades 4-5	Structures and Behaviors	Food Webs	Heredity and Adaptation
	Plants and animals have different structures that meet their needs and respond to the environment.	Changes in ecosystems affect the populations that can be supported in a food web.	Ecosystems change. Organisms that can adapt to these changes will survive and reproduce in higher numbers.
Grades 2-3	Life Cycles	Changes in Ecosystems	Variation of Inherited Characteristics
	Plants and animals have life cycles.	Changes in ecosystems affect living populations and the non-living elements of a defined area.	Plants and animals vary from one another and their parents. These differences serve as the basis for natural selection.
Grades K-1	Plant and Animal Parts	Habitats	Classifying Plants and Animals
	Plants and animals meet their needs in different ways.	Habitats are places that meet the daily needs of plants and animals.	Both plants and animals have different characteristics that can be used to classify them.

Footnotes
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The period between kindergarten and 5th grade is marked by rapid growth in children's abilities to learn new concepts and skills. Although all children do not mature at the same rate, most groups of 5th-graders can begin to learn more complex ideas and abilities than second-graders, who in turn can handle more complex content than kindergartners. That is why we have divided the elementary levels into three grade bands rather than two. Researchers have taken different approaches to explaining how and why cognitive development occurs rapidly during the elementary years. One explanation is that working memory (the number of pieces of information that a child can handle at the same time) expands rapidly during the elementary years, determining the complexity of tasks that a child can successfully undertake. Also important is the domain-specific knowledge that students acquire through in-school and informal learning experiences, as well as general thinking and problem-solving abilities (Flavell, 2002, Chapters 1, 4, and 7). A recent summary of research on children's learning in science in grades K-8 conducted by the National Research Council states, "What children are capable of at a particular age is the result of a complex interplay among maturation, experience, and instruction. What is developmentally appropriate is not a simple function of age or grade, but rather is largely contingent on their prior opportunities to learn" (Duschl et. al., 2007, page 2). Therefore, the Washington State K-12 Science Standards has made it as clear as possible what "opportunity to learn" means for each grade span, with respect to concepts within the domains of science and the broadly transferable capabilities of systems thinking, inquiry, and application.

Flavell, J.H. (2002). Cognitive development, 4th edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Duschl, R.A., Schweingruber, H.A., and Shouse, A.W., Editors (2007).
Taking science to school: Learning and teaching science in grades K-8. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

v Schmidt, W., McKnight, C., and Raizen, S. (1997). A splintered vision: An investigation of
U.S. science and mathematics education, executive summary, U.S. National Research
Center for the Third International Mathematics and Science Study, Michigan State
University. Available on the web at: ustimss.msu.edu/splintrd.pdf.

vi Michaels, S., Shouse, A.W., and Schweingruber, H.A. (2008). Chapter four:
Organizing science education around core concepts, in Ready, Set, Science!: Putting
research to work in K-8 science classrooms. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.

vii The Science Standards Revision Team based their decisions about the most appropriate
grade levels for introducing concepts on available research syntheses. The Atlas for
Science Literacy, Volumes 1 and 2 (Project 2061, 2001, 2007) were very helpful,
as were other sources such as learning progression reviews (Smith, et. al., 2006).

Project 2061, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS 2001, 2007).
Atlas for science literacy, volumes 1 and 2. Washington, DC: AAAS and the National
Science Teachers Association, co-publishers.

Smith, C.L., Wiser, M., Anderson, C.W., Krajcik, J. (2006). Implications of research on
children’s learning for standards and assessment: A proposed learning progression for
matter and the atomic molecular theory. Measurement: Interdisciplinary Research and
Perspectives, 14, 1-98.

Entire WA Science Standards document at:
http://www.k12.wa.us/CurriculumInstruct/Science/pubdocs/WAScienceStandardsFINAL.pdf