Planning A Science Unit Plan For this course, you will prepare a weeklong science unit plan. Each assignment will scaffold to create the benchmark. Each we
Planning A Science Unit Plan For this course, you will prepare a weeklong science unit plan. Each assignment will scaffold to create the benchmark. Each week, for each assignment, you will be completing a portion of the science unit plan.
The unit plan will be aligned to state content standards, in the areas of science and health (fitness, body, physical activity, emotional, and/or motor skills), along with a minimum of two of the following content disciplines:
Scientific Method
Physical Science
Life Science
Earth and Space
Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science
Part 1: Title, Rationale, Standards, Learning Objectives, Vocabulary
The planning process, which includes defining the structure and selecting a theme that encompasses multiple areas of science in one unit, is the first step in preparing a unit plan.
When planning your unit plan, identify which concepts in science can overlap from one lesson to another. You could have more than one standard from different areas of science in each lesson.
Select a K-8 grade level and use the “Science Unit Plan” template to guide you through the necessary steps and components.
For this assignment, complete the following components in the “Science Unit Plan” template:
Lesson Title, Brief Summary, and Rationale: Summarize and provide a rationale as to how each lesson can overlap multiple areas of science in one lesson and the scope/intent of the lesson.
State-Specific Standards: List the specific grade-level standards that teach and assess science content areas.
Learning Objectives: Write learning objectives specific to your state standards and the lesson.
Vocabulary: Include the appropriate academic language and vocabulary that is appropriate to each lesson.
The details of the “Science Unit Plan” will continue to be fully developed and revised throughout the duration of the course, culminating in a complete unit plan due in Topic 5.
Part 2: Reflection
In 250-500 words, summarize and reflect on the process of beginning your unit plan and including multiple content areas of science in one lesson. What do you consider the most important key components of your unit plan so far? How can this process be used in your future professional practice? W i s c o n s i n D e p a r t m e n t o f P u b l i c I n s t r u c t i o n
WISCONSIN STANDARDS FOR
Science
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
WISCONSIN STANDARDS FOR
Science
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Carolyn Stanford Taylor, State Superintendent
Madison, Wisconsin
Wisconsin Standards for Science ii
This publication is available from:
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
125 South Webster Street
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 266-8960
http://dpi.wi.gov/science
November 2017 Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, creed, age, national origin,
ancestry, pregnancy, marital status or parental status, sexual orientation, or ability and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts of America
and other designated youth groups.
Wisconsin Standards for Science iii
Table of Contents
Foreword …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. v
Acknowledgements ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. vi
Section I: Wisconsin’s Approach to Academic Standards ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1
Purpose of the Document …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2
What Are Academic Standards?………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3
Relating the Academic Standards to All Students ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4
Ensuring a Process for Student Success …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5
Section II: Wisconsin Standards for Science ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 7
What is Science Education? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 8
Science Education in Wisconsin ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 8
Standards Structure ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 10
Section III: Standards ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 18
Crosscutting Concepts ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 19
Science and Engineering Practices …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 26
Disciplinary Core Idea: Life Science …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 49
Disciplinary Core Idea: Physical Science …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 63
Disciplinary Core Idea: Earth and Space Science …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 78
Disciplinary Core Idea: Engineering, Technology, and the Application of Science (ETS) …………………………………………. 89
Section IV: Disciplinary Literacy: Literacy for Learning in Science ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 103
What is Disciplinary Literacy? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 104
Why is Disciplinary Literacy Important? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 104
Wisconsin Foundations for Disciplinary Literacy ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 106
What Research and Resources Are Available?…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 117
Wisconsin Standards for Science iv
Foreword
On November 13, 2017, I formally adopted the Wisconsin Standards for Science. This revised set of
academic standards provides a foundational framework that identifies what students should know and
be able to do in science.
The adoption of the Wisconsin Standards for Science was part of a concerted effort led by Wisconsin
educators and stakeholders who shared their expertise in science and teaching from kindergarten
through higher education. The public and legislature provided feedback for the writing committee to
consider as part of Wisconsin’s Academic Standards review and revision process.
Science is an essential part of a comprehensive PK-12 education for all students. The knowledge, techniques, and citizenry skills
gained through science education in Wisconsin schools support the overall goal of helping all students become college and
career ready. Scientific literacy is a critical element of being able to make sense of the world around us, including the abundant
information shared in our ever-changing world.
The knowledge and skills described provide a framework with actionable indicators for science classroom experiences. The key
goal of the standards is for students make sense of phenomena and solve problems using scientific content understanding,
practices, and ways of thinking. Teaching content for the purpose of “covering” a set range of topics is not the intent of these
standards; instead, as research suggests, students should be learning scientific ideas through deeply exploring scientific
phenomena and solving culturally relevant, local problems.
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction will continue to build on this work to support implementation of the standards
with resources for the field. I am excited to share the Wisconsin Standards for Science, which aim to build science skills,
knowledge, ways of thinking, and engagement opportunities for all Wisconsin students.
Tony Evers, PhD
State Superintendent
Wisconsin Standards for Science v
Acknowledgements
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) wishes to acknowledge the ongoing work, commitment, and various
contributions of individuals to revise our state’s academic standards for science. Thank you to the State Superintendent’s
Standards Review Council for their work and guidance through the standards process. A special thanks to the Science Writing
Committee for taking on this important project that will shape the classrooms of today and tomorrow. Thanks to the many staff
members across the division and other teams at DPI who have contributed their time and talent to this project. Finally, a special
thanks to Wisconsin educators, businesspeople, parents, and citizens who provided comment and feedback to drafts of these
standards.
Wisconsin Standards for Science Writing Team
Co-Chairs: Eric Brunsell, Associate Professor, UW–Oshkosh; Chief Operations Officer, WI Society of Science Teachers
Christine Pratt, Coordinator of Science, Kenosha Unified SD
DPI Liaison: Kevin J. B. Anderson, Science Education Consultant, Teaching and Learning
Sarah Adumat
Oshkosh Area SD
David Bergerson
WI Rapids Public Schools
Tony Borden
Lakeland Union HS
Juan Botella
Monona Grove HS
Kathy Cady
Winneconne HS
Faith Fitzpatrick
USGS Water Sciences
Becca Franzen
UW-Stevens Point
Jay Garvey Shah
Sun Prairie SD
Adam Keeton
Eau Claire Area SD
Ryan King
Waunakee Area SD
Annie Kotenberg
Oshkosh Corporation
Mike LeDocq
Western Technical College
Karen Mesmer
Independent Consultant
Emily Miller
UW–Madison
Kevin Niemi
UW–Madison and WSST
Dennis Rohr
Seymour SD and WESTA
Rochelle Sandrin
Milwaukee Public Schools
Kaleb Santy
Pulaski SD
Patti Schaefer
Madison Metropolitan SD
Hope Schultz
Promega
Robert Shannon
Edgewood HS
Jennifer Wilfrid
WCER and WIDA
Wisconsin Standards for Science vi
Department of Public Instruction, Academic Standards
• John W. Johnson, Director, Literacy and Mathematics, and Director for Academic Standards
• Meri Annin, Lead Visual Communications Designer
• Marci Glaus, Strategic Communications Consultant
• David McHugh, Strategic Planning and Professional Learning Consultant
Department of Public Instruction Leaders
• Sheila Briggs, Assistant State Superintendent, Division of Academic Excellence
• Emilie Amundson, Chief of Staff, Office of the State Superintendent
• Scott Jones, Special Assistant, Office of the State Superintendent
Section I
Wisconsin’s Approach to Academic Standards
Wisconsin Standards for Science 2
Purpose of the Document
The purpose of this guide is to improve science education for students and for communities. The Wisconsin Department of Public
Instruction (DPI) has developed standards to assist Wisconsin educators and stakeholders in understanding, developing, and
implementing science course offerings and curriculum in school districts across Wisconsin.
This publication provides a vision for student success and follows The Guiding Principles for Teaching and Learning (2011). In brief,
the principles are:
1. Every student has the right to learn.
2. Instruction must be rigorous and relevant.
3. Purposeful assessment drives instruction and affects learning.
4. Learning is a collaborative responsibility.
5. Students bring strengths and experiences to learning.
6. Responsive environments engage learners.
Program leaders will find the guide valuable for making decisions about:
• Program structure and integration
• Curriculum redesign
• Staffing and staff development
• Scheduling and student grouping
• Facility organization
• Learning spaces and materials development
• Resource allocation and accountability
• Collaborative work with other units of the school, district, and community
Wisconsin Standards for Science 3
What Are the Academic Standards?
Wisconsin Academic Standards specify what students should know and be able to do in the classroom. They serve as goals for
teaching and learning. Setting high standards enables students, parents, educators, and citizens to know what students should
have learned at a given point in time. In Wisconsin, all state standards serve as a model. Locally elected school boards adopt
academic standards in each subject area to best serve their local communities. We must ensure that all children have equal
access to high-quality education programs. Clear statements about what students must know and be able to do are essential in
making sure our schools offer opportunities to get the knowledge and skills necessary for success beyond the classroom.
Adopting these standards is voluntary. Districts may use the academic standards as guides for developing local grade-by-grade
level curriculum. Implementing standards may require some school districts to upgrade school and district curriculums. This may
result in changes in instructional methods and materials, local assessments, and professional development opportunities for the
teaching and administrative staff.
What Is the Difference Between Academic Standards and Curriculum?
Standards are statements about what students should know and be able to do, what they might be asked to do to give evidence
of learning, and how well they should be expected to know or do it. Curriculum is the program devised by local school districts
used to prepare students to meet standards. It consists of activities and lessons at each grade level, instructional materials, and
various instructional techniques. In short, standards define what is to be learned at certain points in time, and from a broad
perspective, what performances will be accepted as evidence that the learning has occurred. Curriculum specifies the details of
the day-to-day schooling at the local level.
Developing the Academic Standards
DPI has a transparent and comprehensive process for reviewing and revising academic standards. The process begins with a
notice of intent to review an academic area with a public comment period. The State Superintendent’s Standards Review Council
examines those comments and may recommend revision or development of standards in that academic area. The state
superintendent authorizes whether or not to pursue a revision or development process. Following this, a state writing
committee is formed to work on those standards for all grade levels. That draft is then made available for open review to get
feedback from the public, key stakeholders, educators, and the Legislature with further review by the State Superintendent’s
Standards Review Council. The state superintendent then determines adoption of the standards.
Wisconsin Standards for Science 4
Aligning for Student Success
To build and sustain schools that support every student in achieving success, educators must work together with families,
community members, and business partners to connect the most promising practices to the most meaningful contexts. The
release of the Wisconsin Standards for Science provides a set of important academic standards for school districts to implement.
This is connected to a larger vision of every child graduating college, career, and community ready. The graphic below illustrates
the relationship between academic standards and other critical principles and efforts that function together to educate every
child to graduate future ready. Here, the vision and set of Guiding Principles form the foundation for building a supportive
process for teaching and learning rigorous and relevant content. The following sections articulate this integrated approach to
increasing student success in Wisconsin schools and communities.
Relating the Academic Standards to All Students
Grade-level standards should allow ALL students to engage, access, and be assessed in ways that fit their strengths, needs, and
interests. This applies to the achievement of students with IEPs (individualized education plans), English learners, and gifted and
talented pupils, consistent with all other students. Academic standards serve as the foundation for individualized programming
decisions for all students.
Academic standards serve as a valuable basis for establishing concrete, meaningful goals as part of each student’s developmental
progress and demonstration of proficiency. Students with IEPs must be provided specially designed instruction that meets their
individual needs. It is expected that each individual student with an IEP will require unique services and supports matched to
their strengths and needs in order to close achievement gaps in grade-level standards. Alternate standards are only available for
students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.
Gifted and talented students may achieve well beyond the academic standards and move into advanced grade levels or into
advanced coursework.
Our Vision: Every Child a Graduate, College and Career Ready
We are committed to ensuring every child graduates from high school academically prepared and socially and emotionally
competent. A successful Wisconsin student is proficient in academic content and can apply their knowledge through skills such
as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. The successful student will also possess critical habits such as
perseverance, responsibility, adaptability, and leadership. This vision for every child as a college, career, and community ready
graduate guides our beliefs and approaches to education in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Standards for Science 5
Guided by Principles
All educational initiatives are guided and impacted by important and often unstated attitudes or principles for teaching and
learning. The Guiding Principles for Teaching and Learning (2011) emerge from research and provide the touchstone for practices
that truly affect the vision of Every Child a Graduate Prepared for College and Career. When made transparent, these principles
inform what happens in the classroom, direct the implementation and evaluation of programs, and most importantly, remind us
of our own beliefs and expectations for students.
Ensuring a Process for Student Success
For Wisconsin schools and districts, implementing the Framework for
Equitable Multi-Level Systems of Supports (2017) means providing equitable
services, practices, and resources to every learner based upon
responsiveness to effective instruction and intervention. In this system,
high-quality instruction, strategic use of data, and collaboration interact
within a continuum of supports to facilitate learner success. Schools provide
varying types of supports with differing levels of intensity to proactively
and responsibly adjust to the needs of the whole child. These include the
knowledge, skills, and habits learners need for success beyond high school,
including developmental, academic, behavioral, social, and emotional skills.
Connecting to Content: Wisconsin Academic Standards
Within this vision for increased student success, rigorous, internationally
benchmarked academic standards provide the content for high-quality
curriculum and instruction and for a strategic assessment system aligned to those standards. With the adoption of the standards,
Wisconsin has the tools to design curriculum, instruction, and assessments to maximize student learning. The standards
articulate what we teach so that educators can focus on how instruction can best meet the needs of each student. When
implemented within an equitable multi-level system of support, the standards can help to ensure that every child will graduate
college and career ready.
Wisconsin Standards for Science 6
References
The Guiding Principles for Teaching and Learning. 2011. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Retrieved from
https://dpi.wi.gov/standards/guiding-principles.
Framework for Equitable Multi-Level Systems of Supports. 2017. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
Retrieved from https://dpi.wi.gov/rti.
Section II
Wisconsin Standards for Science
What is Science Education?
Wisconsin defines science as an academic discipline encompassing the study of the natural world. Our science standards also
include engineering applications, where science understanding informs problem solving and design thinking within the human-
built world. Engineering ideas encompass the interactions of science, technology, and society. The standards outlined here
provide an important foundation to prepare students for post-secondary education, careers, and community involvement.
Science Education in Wisconsin
Science drives job growth and innovation throughout the economy and society. Demand for healthcare and other science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) based careers exceed other occupation categories, and this growth is
projected to continue. The need for science education integrated with design thinking is increasing because all students will need
some foundational knowledge in science and engineering to be future-ready problem solvers, regardless of their occupational
path. Being competent citizens in a world of abundant information (and misinformation) requires strong scientific thinking skills.
At the elementary level, science content and concepts can be integrated throughout the curriculum, but these standards require
that students also have opportunities to engage in rigorous scientific investigation and argumentation from evidence. Teachers
can effectively use science concepts and practices in instruction to develop foundational skills for secondary science. Research
suggests that significant aspects of a scientific or STEM identity are formed by the end of the elementary years, making effective
instruction through these grade levels critical (Archer, et al., 2010).
Wisconsin’s Vision for Science
The Wisconsin vision for science learning is shaped by Wisconsin practitioners and experts, and is informed by work at the
national level and in other states. The overarching goal for science is to work together to create a scientifically literate populace.
Wisconsin’s vision for K-12 science learning states that:
“[By] the end of 12th grade, all students have some appreciation of the beauty and wonder of science; possess sufficient
knowledge of science and engineering to engage in public discussions on related issues; are careful consumers of
scientific and technological information related to their everyday lives; are able to continue to learn about science
outside school; and have the skills to enter careers of their choice, including (but not limited to) careers in science,
Wisconsin Standards for Science 9
engineering, and technology” (National Research Council, 2012).
Wisconsin’s Approach to Academic Standards for Science
With the release of the Wisconsin Standards for Science, Wisconsin science teachers have access to the foundational knowledge
and skills needed to educate students for college, career, and community readiness. Vetted by industry and education
professionals, these academic standards guide Wisconsin schools, teachers, and community partners toward development and
continuous improvement of world-class science courses.
Our standards are built from the National Research Council’s (NRC’s) Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next
Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States, 2013). A group of national experts across science disciplines and engineering,
along with science and engineering educators, developed this framework and released it in 2012. Another group of experts,
including representatives of 26 states, took that framework and developed the NGSS. Further information about this process
can be found on the Next Generation Science Standards website. Several groups of Wisconsin educators provided feedback on
multiple drafts of these standards. Based on survey data, by 2016, at least 80 percent of districts across Wisconsin had adopted
the NGSS as their science standards or were using them to inform instruction in some way.
In 2017, Wisconsin educators, higher education experts, and industry professionals gathered to create the Wisconsin Standards
for Science (WSS), heavily using these national documents. Notably, while some wording changes were made here and there for
clarity, the core aspects of the WSS and the NGSS are the same. Districts can choose to solely use the NGSS in place of the WSS
and expect that students will be well-prepared for the Wisconsin Forward Exam.
Like the NGSS, the Wisconsin Standards for Science include three main dimensions:
• Crosscutting Concepts — big ideas of science that provide lenses for viewing phenomena and understanding problems in
the world around us, and which apply across all areas of science and engineering;
• Science and Engineering Practices — the skills required for the work done in science; and
• Disciplinary Core Ideas — content understanding across the disciplines of life science, physical science, earth and space
science, and engineering.
Critically, these three dimensions are not meant to be taught in isolation. The standards are formed as instruction and learning
integrate them into “three-dimensional learning” that requires students to use all three to make sense of phenomena and solve
relevant problems.
Wisconsin Standards for Science 10
The Wisconsin Standards for Science may be taught through a variety of classes and experiences. Each district, school, and
program area should determine the means by which students meet these standards. The Forward Exam at grades 4 and 8, ACT
Aspire at grades 9 and 10, and the ACT + Writing at grade 11 all provide useful large-scale information about learning related to
these standards. Classroom and school or department-level assessments connected to these standards are other important
aspects of the strategic assessment system that should be in place to fully gauge students’ science learning and support
individual students.
Standards Structure
All new Wisconsin standards are formatted from a common template to support educators in reading and interpreting them. The
specific discipline is stated at the top of each template. In the case of the science standards, there are three sections
(dimensions): crosscutting concept standards, science and engineering practice standards, and disciplinary core ideas (science
and engineering content). The three sections are color coded. Crosscutting concept standards are in green. Science and
engineering practice standards are in blue. Content standards are in orange. Every series of lessons should integrate these three
dimensions; they should not be taught or assessed in isolation.
Structure, Development, and Language of the Science Content Standards
The science content standards are further divided into disciplinary core ideas in life science (LS); physical science (PS); earth and
space science (ESS); and engineering, technology, and science applications (ETS). The figure below shows a sample standard from
the life science content area:
The code, “Standard SCI.LS1” is translated as follows: Science.Life Science Content Area Standard 1 — which pertains to the
content area of structures and processes.
The standards statements for content (disciplinary core ideas), practices, and crosscutting concepts are based on the
foundational phrase, “Students use science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and an understanding of content to
make sense of phenomena and solve problems.” Depending on the standard, the specific crosscutting concept, practice, or
Wisconsin Standards for Science 11
content topic will appear in bold. In this case, the content of “structures and processes (on a scale from molecules to organisms),”
is italicized as it is the focus of the following section (LS1).
These standards statements emphasize students should be engaging in three-dimensional science learning from kindergarten
through grade 12, meaning they learn the content by engaging in the scientific and engineering practices while using the
perspectives of the crosscutting concepts to think like scientists.
Each content standard statement is further divided into learning priorities and performance indicators. In the figure below, the
code SCI.LS1.A refers to learning priority A of life science standard statement 1. Each standard statement has from 1-5 learning
priorities, which are subareas of the overarching content, practice, or crosscutting concept on the page. The performance
indicators provide a learning progression from grade band to grade band for each learning priority. Notably, these disciplinary
core ideas statements only become “performance indicators” when placed in the context of the standards statement at the top
of each page: “Students use science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and an understanding of [insert content] to
make sense of phenomena and solve problems.” Each performance indicator is associated with a suggested grade level within the
elementary school grade bands; the code for the performance indicator notes the appropriate grade level at the end. For
example, SCI.LS1.A.1 refers to the developmentally appropriate understanding of structure and function for the K-2 grade band,
and it is suggested that
this content be learned in
grade 1. These grade
levels are recommended
to support consistency
across the state, state
standardized assessment
preparation, and student
transfers between
districts. With local
control, districts can
assign performance
indicators to elementary
grade levels that best fit
their needs.
Wisconsin Standards for Science 12
Performance indicators for the middle school and high school grade bands are …
