Next Generation Science Standards

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are an outline of the scientific and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas of science that all students should understand and be able to use upon graduation from high school. Using a Framework created by the National Academy of Sciences, the Standards were developed through a process led by 26 state Departments of Education.

Framework Creation | Standards Development | States adopting NGSS

The Framework

The Framework has three dimensions. The 1st dimension is Scientific and Engineering Practices (SEP). These are eight practices that commonly guide how science is done, like “4. Analyzing and Interpreting Data”.  The 2nd dimension is Crosscutting Concepts (CCC). These are seven concepts that cut across the boundaries of the different scientific disciplines, like “2. Cause and Effect”. The 3rd dimension is the Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI). There are four disciplines, Physical Sciences (PS), Life Sciences (LS), Earth and Space Sciences (ESS), and Engineering, Technology, and the Applications of Science (ETS). Each discipline has 2 to 5 core ideas designated by a number, like  - PS2: Motion and stability: Forces and interactions - in the Physical Sciences or - LS3: Heredity - in the Life Sciences. Each of the core ideas has 2 to 5 components designated by a letter. For example, PS2: Motion and stability: Forces and interactions, has three components - PS2.A :Forces and Motion; PS2.B Types of Interactions; and PS2.C Stability and Instability in Physical Systems.

8 Science and Engineering Practices (SEP)	7 Crosscutting Concepts (CCC)	13 Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI)
1. Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering) 2. Developing and using models 3. Planning and carrying out investigations 4. Analyzing and interpreting data 5. Using mathematics and computational thinking 6. Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering) 7. Engaging in argument from evidence 8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information	1. Patterns 2. Cause and effect: Mechanism and explanation 4. Scale, proportion, and quantity 3. Systems and system models 5. Energy and matter: Flows, cycles, and conservation 6. Structure and function 7. Stability and change	Physical Sciences PS1: Matter and its interactions (3) PS2: Motion and stability: Forces and interactions (3) PS3: Energy (4) PS4: Waves and their applications in technologies for information transfer (3) Life Sciences LS1: From molecules to organisms: Structures and processes (4) LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, energy, and dynamics (4) LS3: Heredity: Inheritance and variation of traits (2) LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and diversity (4) Earth and Space Sciences ESS1: Earth’s place in the universe (3) ESS2: Earth’s systems (5) ESS3: Earth and human activity (4) Engineering, Technology, and the Applications of Science ETS1: Engineering design (2) ETS2: Links among engineering, technology, science, and society (2)

Table of DCI components – pdf doc

The Standards

The standards are Performance Expectations that incorporate all three of the dimensions from the framework (SEP, DCI, CCC), plus listing connections to other science and engineering ideas and Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts/Literacy (ELA) and Mathematics.

A Performance Expectation is a description of something a student can do that can be assessed, and that shows achievement in the three dimensions of a standard. It expresses the “big idea” that combines all three dimensions into an assessment, along with examples of things that could be assessed and boundaries to the assessment. One performance expectation may combine different components, different core ideas, or even different disciplines. Because they don’t map directly onto the DCIs, the standards have a number rather than a letter after the core idea.

 

The Architecture of a Standard

The Performance Expectation
Science and Engineering Practices (SEP)	Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI)	Crosscutting Concepts (CCC)
Connections to: Other science disciplines at this grade level Other DCIs for older and younger students Common Core State Standards in ELA/Literacy and Mathematics

 

 

An Example of a Standard

K-PS2-1 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
(K is for Kindergarten, PS2 is for the main DCI, 1 is the number of the standard)

Students who demonstrate understanding can: K-PS2-1. Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths or different directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object.  [Clarification Statement: Examples of pushes or pulls could include a string attached to an object being pulled, a person pushing an object, a person stopping a rolling ball, and two objects colliding and pushing on each other.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to different relative strengths or different directions, but not both at the same time. Assessment does not include non-contact pushes or pulls such as those produced by magnets.]
The performance expectation above was developed using the following elements from the NRC document A Framework for K-12 Science Education:
Science and Engineering Practice Planning and Carrying Out Investigations. Planning and carrying out investigations to answer questions or test solutions to problems in K-2 builds on prior experiences and progresses to simple investigations based on fair tests, which provide data to support explanations or design solutions- With guidance, plan and conduct an investigation in collaboration with peers. Connections to the Nature of Science Scientific Investigations Use a Variety of Methods – Scientists use different ways to study the world.	Disciplinary Core Ideas PS2.A - Forces and Motion - Pushes and pulls can have different strengths and directions. Pushing or pulling on an object can change the speed or direction of its motion and can start or stop it.  PS2.B: Types of Interactions - When objects touch or collide, they push on one another and can change motion. PS3.C: Relationship Between Energy and Forces. A bigger push or pull makes things speed up or slow down more quickly. (secondary)	Crosscutting Concepts Cause and Effect. Events have causes that generate observable patterns.
Connections to other DCIs in Kindergarten: N/A Articulation of DCIs across grade-levels: 3.PS2A; 3.PS2.B Common Core State Standards Connections: ELA/Literacy – W.K.7 – Participate in shared research and writing projects Mathematics – MP.2 – Reason abstractly and quantitatively K.MD.A.1 – Describe measurable attributes of objects, such as length or weight. Describe several measurable attributes of a single object K.MD.A.2 – Directly compare two objects with a measurable attribute in common, to see which object has “more of”/”less of” the attribute, and describe the difference.

 

 

Grade Level Standards Progressions

Not all the SEPs, CCCs, and DCIs are covered in every grade because some practices, concepts, and ideas build on other practices, concepts, and ideas. For example, in Kindergarten, all of the SEPs except #5, using  math and computational thinking, are used, because these students are just being initiated into math. For the Kindergarten CCCs, the focus is on cause and effect, patterns, systems and system models, and structure and function.  The number of DCIs in early grades are also limited. For the DCIs that are covered in every grade, the complexity and expectations of the performance standard increase with grade level. Compare Kindergarten and Middle School standards for the same DCI, PS2 Motion and Stability

• Kindergarten (K-PS2-1): Plan and conduct an investigation (SEP 3) to compare the effects (CCC 2) of different pushes and pulls on an object (DCI PS2-A).
• Middle School (MS-PS2-1): Apply Newton’s Third Law to design a solution (SEP 6) to a problem involving the motion (DCI PS2-A) of two colliding objects (CCC 3).

 

NGSS Curricula and Three-Dimensional Lesson Plans

A performance expectation is not a lesson plan or a curriculum. There may be multiple activities or lessons that would lead to students achieving the performance expectation. Kindergartners could push or pull any kind of object. Middle Schoolers could cause collisions involving all kinds of objects.  

A lesson plan that meets all three parts of a performance standards, SEP, DCI, and CCC is called a Three Dimensional or 3-D plan.

Links to reviewed plans

Besides providing curricula that meet the standards, these plans may give you a feeling for what a 3-Dimensional lesson looks like.

NGSS Chapters on Each DCI

Physical Sciences DCIs

Life Sciences DCIs

Earth and Space Sciences DCIs

Engineering, Technology and Applications of Science DCIs