National Standards for School Science Education

Grades 5-8

• NS.5-8.1 SCIENCE AS INQUIRY
• NS.5-8.2 PHYSICAL SCIENCE
• NS.5-8.3 LIFE SCIENCE
• NS.5-8.5 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
• NS.5-8.6 PERSONAL AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES

Grades 9-12

• NS.9-12.1 SCIENCE AS INQUIRY
• NS.9-12.2 PHYSICAL SCIENCE
• NS.9-12.3 LIFE SCIENCE
• NS.9-12.5 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
• NS.9-12.6 PERSONAL AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES

NS.5-8.1 SCIENCE AS INQUIRY

As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop:

• Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
• Understandings about scientific inquiry

NS.5-8.2 PHYSICAL SCIENCE

As a result of their activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop an understanding of:

• Properties and changes of properties in matter
• Motions and forces
• Transfer of energy

NS.5-8.3 LIFE SCIENCE

As a result of their activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop understanding of:

• Structure and function in living systems
• Reproduction and heredity
• Regulation and behavior
• Populations and ecosystem
• Diversity and adaptations of organisms

NS.5-8.5 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop:

• Abilities of technological design
• Understandings about science and technology

NS.5-8.6 PERSONAL AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES

As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop understanding of:

• Personal health
• Populations, resources, and environments
• Natural hazards
• Risks and benefits
• Science and technology in society

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Grades 9-12

NS.9-12.1 SCIENCE AS INQUIRY

As a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop:

• Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
• Understandings about scientific inquiry

NS.9-12.2 PHYSICAL SCIENCE

As a result of their activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop an understanding of:

• Structure of atoms
• Structure and properties of matter
• Chemical reactions
• Motions and forces
• Conservation of energy and increase in disorder
• Interactions of energy and matter

NS.9-12.3 LIFE SCIENCE

As a result of their activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop understanding of:

• The cell
• Molecular basis of heredity
• Biological evolution
• Interdependence of organisms
• Matter, energy, and organization in living systems
• Behavior of organisms

NS.9-12.5 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

As a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop:

• Abilities of technological design
• Understandings about science and technology

NS.9-12.6 PERSONAL AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES

As a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop understanding of:

• Personal and community health
• Population growth
• Natural resources
• Environmental quality
• Natural and human-induced hazards
• Science and technology in local, national, and global challenges