http://freerice.com/#/english-vocabulary/2443
Do we need it? You decide.
Science and engineering work together ultimately to make sense of science practice. The four parts of sense-making that we will see again and again are the following.
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What are we trying to figure out?
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How will we figure this out?
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How can we keep track of ideas?
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How does it all fit together?
Asking questions to clarify ideas. This principle is what science is all about for students at the elementary school level and even later at the upper levels. A practice of science is to ask and to refine questions that lead to explanations. This is how we learn about the natural world. This is the beginning of a successful and organic experience as a scientist, which we all are, at some level.
As students learn about science and engineering, they explore what is called the Next Generation Science Standards, or NGSS. One of the things they work on is called, Condensed Practices. Condensed Practices build on each level from kindergarten through 12th grade. They begin with asking questions and defining problems to building on experiences and finally designing testable models, tools, and simulations that address these problems. The end game will be for students to take into consideration all they have learned using their scientific knowledge and solve the challenges using their own solutions. Students will put to use the solutions that they develop by applying a process, a system, a tool, or an object. As they advance through grade levels, they build on their previous experiences through trial and error.
The goal is to build conceptual understanding to make sense of the world. We ultimately want students to develop explanations and solutions. We want critical thinkers and problem solvers. We need critical thinkers and problems solvers.
