Approximately 50% preschool children in Texas attend early childhood programs.  Considering the NSTA position statement, what implications does this have for our Pre-K through second grade classrooms in Lancaster ISD?  What steps have you taken or will you take to scaffold science exploration in your classroom? 

Post your comments to the padlet linked below.

Before moving forward, let's review the structure of science content in Texas.

• Many states follow the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), the science equivalent to Common Core math and english content.  Texas not an NGSS state.  This means we do not follow the Next Generation Science Standards (although it is beneficial to familiarize).   Texas maintains our state standards, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills.  This is important becasue many online resources reference NGSS but are applicable to our TEKS content as well. 

• K-12 Science content in Texas is organized into Process Standards and 4 Reporting Categories. 

• The Process Standards (Science Investigation and Reasoning Skills) include student expectations for safety, observations, tools, investigation skills, etc.  The skills should not be taught in isolation.  Instead they are spiraled into content instruction throughout the year.

• The Reporting Categories include (1) Matter and Energy, (2) Force, Motion, and Energy, (3) Earth and Space, (4) Organism and Environments.

• The Matter and Energy Reporting Category details foundational knowledge and skills aligned with high school Chemistry.  This includes concepts about classifying solids, and liquids, properities and observations of objects, and changes in materials caused by heating, cooling, cutting, folding, sanding etc.

• The Force, Motion, and Energy Reporting Category details foundational knowldged and skills aligned with high school Physics.  This includes concepts of light and sound, movement (rolling, sliding, gliding), magnetism, and relative locations (above, below, behind, etc).

• The Earth and Space Reporting Catogory details foundational knowledge and skills aligned with high school Environmental Science.  This includes concepts of weather, rocks, natural resources, the water cycle, and the solar system.

• The Organisms and Environments Reporting Category details foundational knowledge and skills aligned with high school Biology.  This includes concepts about the basic needs and behaviors of plants and animals, environmental factos including temperature and precipitation, and life cycles of plants and animals.