TABLE OF CONTENTS



						Page Number


Preface	
	Philosophy					i
	Vision Statement for Framework			ii

National and State Goals of Education and Science Education
	National Education Goals			iii
     	National Goals of Science			iii
     	Goals of Science in Tennessee			iv

Introduction						v
	What Is Science?				v
     	Science Should Be a Positive Experience
		 For All Students			v
     	Emphasizing Understanding Over Content Coverage	vi
	The Science EducatorUs Role in Facilitating
		 Student Learning			vii
	Safety in the Science Classroom			viii

Significant Framework Inclusions	
     	Tennessee's Four Components 
		of Science Education			xvi
     	Tennessee's Themes				xviii

TennesseeUs Components and Themes of Science Education 
		Model					xx
Science Education Components 
		Suggested Emphasis/K-12 Model		xxi

A Framework Format Explanation				xxii
	Process of Science				1
	Unifying Concepts of Science			10
	Habits of Mind					29
	Science in Society				41
	Course Listing					50
	Advanced Placement Courses Information		51
	Appendix



PREFACE

	Consistent with the State Board of Education Rules, Regulations,
and Minimum Standards, the Tennessee Science Curriculum Framework, K-12,
was developed by a statewide committee of science educators.  A concerted
effort was made to ensure that the revised document is in alignment with
the national science education standards developed by the National
Research Council.  It is designed to serve as a foundation for developing
a comprehensive science program that includes both process and content.
This document is provided as a descriptive tool, rather than a
prescriptive device, to be used to identify concepts which all students
need to know.  Each local school system is required to implement the
Tennessee Science Curriculum Framework, K-12 beginning with the 1997-98
school year.

	Three science credits are required for graduation.  These credits
must be drawn from both the life sciences and the physical sciences.  All
science courses require a laboratory component.  Successful implementation
of the science framework requires the active participation of students as
they explore the natural world.  Content and process must merge so that
students understand scientific concepts and their applications in
technology, as well as make connections among science, technology and
society.

	The State Department of Education expects to have sufficient
computer and print copies of the framework available to each school system
to facilitate the correlation of performance objectives with the stated
concepts and content.

PHILOSOPHY

	The Tennessee Science Curriculum Framework Committee believes that
a science framework should help science educators at all levels understand
and appreciate the reforms that are needed. A framework should organize,
specify, and integrate the content, themes, processes, and attitudes of
science for all of Tennessee's public school teachers. It should provide
examples of what students should know and be able to do in science at all
levels, K-12.  The framework should provide an umbrella under which Local
Educational Agencies (LEA's) can organize and specify the components of
their science curriculum.  Moreover, it should provide direction and
guidance to districts and schools as they bring their science curriculum
in alignment with national and state curriculum reform efforts. It is
essential that the framework be descriptive and not prescriptive.  It
should be a document that is evolving and changing as new ideas and
experiences become known.

	We believe that a Tennessee Science Curriculum Framework should be
a document that assists LEA's in translating content, teaching, and
assessment standards into the science program. A framework should provide
goals and a road map for achieving those goals.  The Tennessee Science
Curriculum Framework will help to insure that Tennessee students will have
rich and meaningful science experiences that will produce a citizenry that
is scientifically literate. Curriculum guides, on the other hand are more
detailed than a framework, providing content synopses and activities for
schools, and representing the unique flavor and need of the community.
Curriculum guides may be developed at the state or local level.  Classroom
connectors require significant preparation time, due to greater curricular
specificity than that required for the curriculum guide.  However, they
provide a more complete presentation of content and a more detailed set of
instructions for activities.  Both of these emphases are desirable for a
complete development of the performance objectives, and attainment of the
desired response(s) on the assessment activities.  Classroom connectors
may be developed at the state or local level. 




VISION STATEMENT FOR FRAMEWORK

	Science is a way to explore and understand the world.  It is a
response to curiosity. Through a basic knowledge of science, people learn
about the world, its technology, its environment, and the decisions that
must be made to preserve the planet.  Science strengthens the ability to
think reactively and objectively.  A scientifically literate person makes
informed decisions and has rich and meaningful experiences in the natural
world at an early age.

	If students are to construct meaning from experience, they must be
provided with the time and the opportunity to experience the natural
world.  These experiences help to develop the skills of reading, writing
and numeration as the child makes observations, collects data, orders and
classifies objects, manipulates variables, and communicates findings
(orally and in writing) to others.

	Science is the cornerstone of early achievement.  Using the
natural curiosity of a child as the building block, the skills of reading,
writing, and numeration are enhanced.

	Science is a capstone for living.  Ethical decisions are often
decided by an understanding of scientific principles involved.

	Science is a way of knowing.  The practice of science builds on
experiences and is an important way new knowledge is discovered.  Science
is a way of thinking. It is constantly questioning, seeking alternative
solutions, looking for a better way.  Science is a way of doing.  It is
experimenting, finding and evaluating new ideas, new solutions.  Doing
science is a life-long adventure that positively affects all people in
their daily lives and careers.  As students do science they see the
relationship between science and other areas of human understanding.
Science instruction is relevant and recognizes the different ways and
settings in which people learn.  Science enhances curiosity, excitement,
adventure, wonder, and joy.

	There are certain underlying principles supporting the framework
vision for science education in Tennessee.  These have emerged from
several major scientific, educational, and business groups, as well as
government agencies, on ways to improve science teaching and learning.
They include:

The content of the science curriculum must be composed of
significant and accurate science concepts and reflect thoughtful
coordination across science domains and with other curricular areas.

All students should have the opportunity to learn science and
should be taught in ways that encourage and build upon their natural
curiosity and other abilities.

Students learn more readily and remember things longer when they
can connect new experiences with their natural and cultural environment.

Young people build critical thinking skills and scientific habits
of mind when they are allowed to become scientists - rather than simply
studying science.

Students gain coherent understanding of major science concepts
when they revisit these concepts with increasing sophistication at various
cognition levels.

Not all science learning takes place in the schools.  Experiences
with the natural and cultural environment greatly enhance scientific
literacy.

Excellence in science requires a safe and adequate physical
environment and grows from a commitment shared by students, parents,
teachers, administrators, and the community.




NATIONAL AND STATE GOALS
OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE EDUCATION


NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS

The National Education Goals codify into law eight goals and their
objectives.  The goals state that, by the year 2000:

all children in America will be ready to learn;

the high school graduation rate will increase to at least 90
percent;

American students will leave grades 4, 8, and 12 having
demonstrated competency over challenging subject matter including English,
math, science, arts, foreign languages, history and geography, civics and
government, and economics;

the NationUs teaching force will have access to programs for the
continued improvement of their professional skills and the opportunity to
acquire the knowledge and skills needed to instruct and prepare all
American students for the next century;

U. S. students will be first in the world in math and science
achievement;

every American will be literate and will possess the knowledge and
skills necessary to compete in a global economy;

every school in America will be free of drugs, alcohol, and
violence and will offer a disciplined environment conducive to learning;

every school will promote partnerships that will increase parental
involvement and participation in promoting the social, emotional, and
academic growth of children.


NATIONAL GOALS OF SCIENCE

	The goals for school science that underlie the National Science
Education Standards as produced in the 1994 draft are designed to educate
students who are able to:

use scientific principles and processes appropriately in making
personal decisions;

experience the richness and excitement of knowing about and
understanding the natural world;

increase their economic productivity; and

engage intelligently in public discourse and debate about matters
of scientific and technological concern.

	Achieving these primary goals of science education also should
result in students who are aware of careers in science, technology, and
the health professions.
	
	Achieving these goals is possible when all citizens are
scientifically literate.  The standards for content define what the
scientifically literate person should understand and be able to do after
13 years of schooling.


	The standards for assessment, teaching, program, and system
describe the conditions necessary to achieve the goal of scientific
literacy for all students, including opportunities for 
students to learn and for teachers to teach.  Implementation of the
standards calls for schools to be centers for inquiry and for an
educational system that supports such schools and teachers.

	Students could not achieve the standards in most of todayUs
schools.  Schools that implement the standards will have students learning
science by actively engaging in inquiries of interest and importance to
them.  Such students will establish a knowledge base for understanding
science.  Teachers will be empowered to make decisions about what students
learn and how they learn it and about how resources are allocated.
Teachers and students together will be members of a community focused on
learning science and nurtured by a supportive education system.



GOALS OF SCIENCE
IN TENNESSEE

Science education is closely related to the goals of education set forth
by the State Board of Education.  The Rules, Regulations, and Minimum
Standards require that a continuous program in science be provided for
every child.  Goals of Science in Tennessee will enable students to:

demonstrate the processes of science by posing questions and
investigating phenomena through language, methods and instruments of
science;

acquire scientific knowledge by applying concepts, theories,
principles and laws from life science, physical science, earth/space
science, and environmental science;

demonstrate ways of thinking and acting inherent in the practice
of science and exhibit an awareness of the historical and cultural
contributions to the enterprise of science; and
	
demonstrate positive attitudes toward science in solving problems
and making personal decisions about issues affecting the individual,
society and the environment.






INTRODUCTION

	This framework is designed to help science educators at all levels
understand and appreciate a new dynamic in science learning.  Its
significance lies in the fact it requires actively engaging students in
learning about the natural and technological world in which they live.
The framework provides an opportunity for innovative approaches to science
education.  Innovation is especially important in a field that is
constantly adapting to new advances in  basic knowledge in such areas  as
medicine, engineering and technology.  To be prepared for the twenty-first
century, students must be able to apply the principles and practices of
science.  For all students to achieve scientific literacy, it is critical
that schools:

provide quality instruction and promote integration in the four
basic scientific fields of study:  life science, physical science,
earth/space science, and environmental science;

present science in connection with its application in technology
and its implication for society;

present science in connection with studentsU own experiences and
interests using hands-on approaches that are integral to the instructional
process;

provide students with opportunities to reflect on historical and
cultural perspectives and to develop the important ideas of science
through inquiry and investigation; 

provide students with fewer content topics taught to higher
cognition levels;

teach students to reason logically and evaluate critically the
results and conclusions of scientific investigations.


WHAT IS SCIENCE?
	
	Science is the component of the school curriculum in which student
inquiry and discovery can develop and flourish.  Science instruction
encourages questioning, examining, probing, and exploring;  it allows
students to cultivate personal strategies for  learning.  Science is,
above all, a problem-solving activity that seeks answers to questions by
collecting and analyzing data offering explanations of naturally occurring
events.  The knowledge that results from scientific problem solving is
most useful when it is organized into concepts, generalizations, and
unifying principles, which lead to further investigations of objects and
events in the environment.  Science is practiced in the context of human
culture, and therefore, dynamic interactions occur among science,
technology, and society.  Four components of science education - process
of science, unifying concepts of science, habits of mind, and science in
society - are critically important to instruction in science.

SCIENCE SHOULD BE A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE
 FOR ALL STUDENTS

	In order to function in an information age, all students must have
an understanding of scientific ways of thinking and science knowledge.
Learning science helps develop critical thinking skills and gives practice
in the use of evidence in decision making.  All citizens use a basic
understanding of science and technology to make good decisions about
various social issues that affect their lives.  Therefore, the most
significant goal of science education is to improve the quality of life of
the nationUs children so that they will be well rounded, clear-thinking,
scientifically literate citizens.  As this goal is accomplished the best
foundation for producing scientists will be laid, and the production of
scientists is clearly seen as a need in our society.



EMPHASIZING UNDERSTANDING OVER
CONTENT COVERAGE

	 Recent research in science teaching and learning provides clear
evidence that most students are memorizing facts rather than becoming
scientifically literate.  There is now a large body of research-based
knowledge compiled over a long period of time that supports the belief
that the Rfacts onlyS approach to science teaching when compared to the
Rhands-onS and upper cognition level approaches is practically and
developmentally inappropriate.  Validation of this position can be shown
by a review of numerous studies done a minimum of ten years ago that
compared the hands-on approach to the traditional  textbook approach
(Shymansky, Kyle, and Alport, 1982).  The particular hands-on programs
studied were the Elementary Science Study (ESS), Science Curriculum
Improvement Study (SCIS), and the Science A Process Approach (SAPA).  A
review of these studies will indicate a likeness to the intent of the
Tennessee Science Curriculum Framework, K-12.

Some twenty studies were analyzed with regard to academic achievement.
The authors concluded:
	Contrary to a popular notion that hands-on, activity-based science
	curricula lacked a potent academic content base, we found that students
	using ... programs actually 
	outscored students in the more traditional classrooms - by as much as 34
	percentile points.

Attitude toward the hands-on approach with its higher cognition level
focus was investigated through the analysis of 21 studies.  The findings
were:

	The studies approached the question of attitude in three ways: (1)
	attitude toward the new course, (2) attitude toward science, and (3)
	attitude toward self.  In each of these categories, student attitudes were
	more positive toward the new programs than the traditional ones, with
	differences ranging from 3 to 20 percentile points.

Process skills development was also analyzed in the review.  The results
of the investigation were:

	The new elementary science curriculum placed great emphasis on the
	development of process skills, including observing, inferring,
	interpreting data, hypothesizing, and graphing.  We analyzed the results
	of 13 studies that focused on process skill development in new curricula
	versus traditional classrooms.  In the three elementary science curricula
	we studied, new curricula students score at least 18 percentile points
	higher than traditional class students on measures of process development.

In summary the authors reported: 

	Our quantitative synthesis of the research clearly shows that students in
	those programs achieved more, liked science more, and improved their
	skills more than did students in traditional, textbook-based classrooms.
	The report for the hands-on curricula is impressive.

In another study (Bredderman, 1985), supported by the National Science
Foundation, the effects of the same three programs on student outcomes
were assessed by quantitatively combining the results of 57 reported
evaluations of the programs.  Only evaluations in which controls were used
were included.  In summary:

	It appears that the programs designed to encourage the use of laboratory
	science, starting in the elementary school years, do in fact result in
	improved student performance in a number of valued curricular areas.

Based on the available  research evidence, it also appears that the use of
inquiry programs increases the amount of student-laboratory activity and
decreases the amount of teacher talk in the classrooms, as intended
(Bredderman, 1984).

Although the research quoted refers to Rhands-on scienceS programs
prepared for elementary school age students, there are a number of similar
programs for secondary school students.  Among these are Physical Science
Study Committee (PSSC), Project Physics, CHEM Study, and Biological
Science Curriculum Study (BSCS).  There is every reason to believe that a
similar research result would be found for secondary school students like
the one found for elementary school students.  Students of all ages ask a
great many questions.  Thus, most students need to engage in activities
requiring Rhigher order thinking,S in order to find answers for those
questions.


References
Bredderman, Ted.  RLaboratory Programs for Elementary Science: A
Meta-Analysis of Effects on Learning.S  Science Education, 1985,
69,577-591.
Shymansky, James A., Kyle, William C. and Alport, Jennifer M.  RHow
Effective were the Hands-on Programs of Yesterday?S   Science and
Children, 1982, 20, 14-15.



THE SCIENCE EDUCATOR'S ROLE IN FACILITATING
 STUDENT LEARNING

	The role of the science educator is that of a facilitator of
learning rather than that of a primary dispenser of knowledge.
Information should be presented in the context of a rich learning
environment, in which the student is an active participant.  Rather than
telling the students what they are to learn, an environment should be
created in which the student can be active in acquiring knowledge through
the process of experimentation and discourse.  The science educator is to
engage students in problem solving by asking probing questions, promoting
inquiry, guiding discussion, and creating situations and scenarios that
beg for exploration and explanation.
  
	Facilitating science learning also requires the science educator
to have a working knowledge of resources, which may include curricular
materials, technology, community members, professional colleagues, and
institutional resources such as museums, science centers, or nature
centers.  For science educators to be successful, support must be made
available both within the school and from the broader professional
community.   Educators must have opportunities to exchange ideas and
experiences with colleagues, to reflect on their teaching, to read
research, and to contribute as part of a research team.



Safety in the Science Classroom

Discussion omitted to save space

Reference List


Below are listed a number of references which might assist you in
attending to laboratory safety issues in your classroom and with your
students.  The references are categorized into three basic categories:
(a) safety manuals, (b) chemical storage, hazards, and disposal, and (c)
specific safety issues.

Safety Manuals

Accrocco, J. O., & Cinquanti, M. (1990).  Right to know:  Pocket
guide for laboratory employees.  Schenectady, N. Y.:  Genium Publishing
Corporation

American Chemical Society. (1990).  Safety in academic chemistry
laboratories (5th ed.).  Washington, D.C.:  Author.

American Chemical Society. (1993).  Safety in the elementary (K-6)
science classroom.  Washington, D.C.:  Author

Flinn Scientific, Inc. (1995)  Flinn Chemical Catalog Reference
Manual.  Batavia, IL:  Author

Fredericks, A. D. & Cheesebrough, D. L. (1993)  Science for all
children:  Elementary school methods.  New York:  Harper Collins College
Publishers, Inc.

Gerlovich, J. A., Gerard, T. F., Downs, G. E., Joslin, P. H., &
Flinn, L. C., Jr. (1988).  School Science Safety:  Elementary.  Batavia,
IL:  Flinn Scientific Incorporated.

Gerlovich, J. A., Gerard, T. F., Shriver, B., Downs & Flinn, L.
C., Jr. (1988).  School Science Safety:  Secondary.  Batavia, IL:  Flinn
Scientific Incorporated.

Gerlovich, Jack A. (1981).  Better science through safety (1st
ed.).  Ames, Iowa:  Iowa State University Press.

Kaufman, J.A.  Laboratory Safety Guidelines.   Milton, MA:  Curry
College.

Kucera, T. J. (Ed.).  (1993).  Teaching chemistry to students with
disabilities (3rd ed.). Washington, D.C.:  American Chemical Society.

Lab Safety Supply, Inc. (1995).  Lab Safety Supply Catalog.
Janesville, WI:  Author.

Steere, N. V. (Ed.). (1971).  Handbook of laboratory safety.
Cleveland, OH: CRC Press.

Chemical Storage, Hazards, and Disposal

American Chemical Society. (1994).  Laboratory waste management:
A guide book.  Washington, D.C.:  Author.

Bretherick, L. (1985).  Handbook of reactive chemical hazards (3rd
ed.).  Stoneham, MA:  Butterworths.

Consumer Product Safety Commission.  (1984).  School science
laboratories.  A guide to some hazardous substances.  Washington, D.C.:
Author.

Lewis, R. J. (1983).  Hazardous chemical desk reference (3rd ed.).
New York:  VanNorstrand-Rinehold.
xiv
Mackison, F. W. et al. (Eds.).  (1985). NOISH/OSHA pocket guide to
chemical hazards.  (Technical Publication No.: 78-210).  Cincinnati, OH:
NOISH Division of Technical Services.

National Fire Protection Association.  (1975).  Fire protection
guide on hazardous materials.  Boston, MA:  Author.

National Research Council.(1981).  Prudent practices for handling
hazardous chemicals in laboratories. Washington, D. C.:  National Academy
Press.

National Research Council. (1981).  Prudent practices for disposal
of chemicals from laboratories. Washington, D. C.:  National Academy
Press.

Wahl, G. H. (1992, Oct.).  Reduction of hazardous waste from high
school chemistry laboratories.  Raleigh, N. C.:  Department of Chemistry,
North Carolina State University.

Windholz, M., Ed.. (1983).  The Merck index:  An encyclopedia of
chemicals and drugs  (10th ed.).  Rahway, N. J.:  Merck and Co.

Science Safety Issues
Flinn Scientific.  (1987).  Flinn Fax:  Poison/toxic
chemical, Safety in the school laboratory.  Batavia, IL:  Author.

Flinn Scientific1.  (1986).  Flinn Fax:  Fire Extinguishers,
Safety in the school laboratory.  Batavia, IL:  Author.

Flinn Scientific1.  (1987).  Flinn Fax:  Science department
ventilation, Safety in the school laboratory.  Batavia, IL:  Author.

	National Association of Biology Teachers Policy Statements:  NABT
guidelines for the use of live animals; The responsible use of animals in
biology classrooms, including alternatives to dissection; NABTUs Policy on
the responsible use of animals in biology classrooms:  A clarification;
Role of laboratory and field instruction in biology education.  Reston,
VA:  National Association of Biology Teachers.


SIGNIFICANT FRAMEWORK INCLUSIONS

	The Tennessee Science Curriculum Framework, K-12 is an attempt to
change the way the Tennessee community of learners thinks about science.
The community of learners includes students, families, educators,
governmental organizations, businesses, industries, political leaders and
all participants in society.  The framework promotes learning science by
doing science.  It is a thoughtful response to a variety of reforms,
beginning with the Tennessee landmark Education Improvement Act (EIA) of
1992.  This document has also incorporated ideas from the National Science
Education Standards Project,  American  Association  for Advancement  of
ScienceUs (AAAS) Project 2061, and National Science Teachers AssociationUs
(NSTA) Scope Sequence and Coordination Project, as well as other state and
national curriculum reform initiatives.  The standards outlined in this
framework can be used by Tennessee educators to make the decisions
necessary for effective science programs at the elementary, middle and
secondary levels.
  
	  The framework is organized around four components:  Process of
Science, Unifying Concepts of Science, Habits of Mind, and Science in
Society.  These four components are the foundation of the K-12 science
curriculum in Tennessee.  In each component, the generalized standards are
written to accommodate a variety of instructional strategies and
resources, yet they are pointed at specific concepts and skills that
students should know and be able to do.  Local curricula should be
developed from this framework beginning with the preparation of
performance objectives that describe precisely what intended outcomes
related to the benchmark have been selected as educational focal points.
 
	  The intent of the document is to increase studentsU
understanding of essential scientific concepts by promoting activities
that engage students in doing science, using available technological
tools, and rationally thinking about the natural world.  To this end, the
Tennessee Science Curriculum Framework, K-12 gives directions for an
innovative approach to science education.   It provides a philosophical
foundation and a curricular framework from which educators may construct
comprehensive science education programs for elementary, middle, and high
schools.

	  This framework is a document developed by science teachers for
science teachers.  Therefore, this document is dedicated to the science
teachers of the State of Tennessee.



TENNESSEE'S FOUR COMPONENTS OF SCIENCE EDUCATION

1.  Process of  Science

	The processes of science enable students to pose questions and
investigate phenomena through the language, methods, and instruments of
science.  Common science process themes include observing, questioning,
collecting data, analyzing, explaining, and communicating.  The process of
science follows no single pathway but involves imagination, inventiveness,
experimentation and logic, and evidence to support results.  Once a
question is posed, the search for answers follows a purposeful sequence of
experimentation, data collection, analysis, and evaluation of conclusions,
perhaps leading to new questions.

	Technology provides tools and techniques that improve studentsU
skills in measuring, calculating, recording, analyzing, modeling, and
communicating.  Hands-on explorations provide students with opportunities
to use materials in new and concrete situations, to analyze results for
greater understanding, to synthesize new ideas with what has been
previously learned, and to evaluate how this new knowledge will be of
practical use in their lives.  Students may work in teams and share
findings with others, but each individual should  contribute to the group.

2.  Unifying Concepts

	Students acquire scientific knowledge by applying concepts,
theories, principles and laws from life/environmental, physical and
earth/space sciences.  Any field of knowledge is more than an accumulation
of isolated facts and ideas.  In science, particularly, recurrent themes
and concepts occur as our knowledge and understanding of the phenomena
encountered in the natural world increase.  Unifying themes connecting the
science disciplines are scale and model, form and function, organization,
interactions, change, and conservation.  These themes provide the
framework into which one can fit new discoveries and insights, thus making
a complex field of knowledge more comprehensible and meaningful.
Utilizing these themes to organize instruction in science will ultimately
provide students with a more coherent and integrated understanding of the
world in which they live.  This organization is especially important as
scientific knowledge continues to increase at an exponential rate. 


3.  Habits of Mind

	Students must be able to demonstrate ways of thinking and acting
inherent in the practice of science and to exhibit an awareness of the
historical and cultural contributions to the enterprise of science.
Habits of mind include historical and cultural perspectives, assumptions,
estimations and computations, scientific methods, an understanding of
science and technology, and an appreciation of creative enterprises.
Science is a creative process that attempts to discover and understand.
Science questions all things and opens itself to continual scrutiny and
modification.  Science is carried out according to informed rules and
assumptions.  The rules and assumptions have developed over centuries from
the experiences of those who have attempted to understand the natural
world.  However, as scientific knowledge grows, students should be
prepared to alter their points of view.  In this way, science is a never
ending process of discovery, interpretation, and evaluation.


4.  Science in Society

	The student should be able to develop positive attitudes toward
science in solving problems and making personal decisions about issues
affecting the individual, the society and the environment.  Attitudes,
personal needs, career goals, societal needs, economics, and politics all
contribute to the role of science in society.  Over the last several
decades, the rate of scientific knowledge acquisition has increased
dramatically.  Fields such as medicine, space science, particle physics,
and organic chemistry continue to produce information faster than it can
be processed by any individual or group.  The demand for science to
investigate and technology to solve many of the worldUs problems has
served to further accelerate this growth of knowledge.
 	
	The achievements of science and technology influence society,
which either supports or limits the progress of science and technology.
Therefore, the science curriculum should be structured to develop
awareness of the interactions of science, technology, and society.

	To meet these challenges presented by society, it is necessary for
the science curriculum of our schools to address the attitudes, processes,
tools, knowledge, and societal implications of science.  This
comprehensive approach to science education requires that learners receive
essential readiness skills needed to become scientifically literate.  Such
skills go beyond learning, they give individuals a foundation for making
sound decisions, understanding recent scientific advances and their
implications, preparing to enter the job market, and developing a feeling
of control over their lives.



TENNESSEE'S THEMES
	
	Themes should be a major emphasis of the science curriculum.  The
themes of science are large ideas that connect and integrate the
traditional science disciplines and incorporate other subjects, such as
technology, mathematics, and social studies.  Themes presented in this
framework can be used as a vehicle to present an interdisciplinary view of
science.  

PROCESS OF SCIENCE
GOAL:	To enable students to demonstrate the process of science by posing
questions and investigating phenomena through language, methods and
instruments of science.

THEME:  1.1 OBSERVING - The senses are used to develop an awareness of
an event or object and the properties thereof.

THEME:  1.2 QUESTIONING - The development of an inquisitive mind and
the effective use of questioning techniques furthers the acquisition of
information.

THEME:  1.3 COLLECTING DATA  - The acquiring, recording, arranging and
storing of information must be performed in a complete, accurate, concise,
and user friendly manner.

THEME:  1.4 ANALYZING - Data should be examined to find patterns and
relationships that may suggest cause and effect or support inferences and
hypotheses.

THEME:  1.5  EXPLAINING - Phenomena and related information are made
understandable through discussion that culminates in a higher level of
learning.

THEME:  1.6  COMMUNICATING - An essential aspect of science is the act
of accurately and effectively conveying oral, written, graphic or 
electronic information from the preparer to the user.



UNIFYING CONCEPTS OF SCIENCE
GOAL:	To enable students to acquire scientific knowledge by applying
concepts, theories, principles and laws from life/environmental, physical
and earth/space science.

THEME:  2.1 SCALE AND MODEL - The development of models provides a
conceptual bridge between the concrete and the abstract, while the use of
scales allows for a comparison of differences in magnitude between the
model and the desired form.
	
THEME:  2.2 FORM AND FUNCTION - Form may determine the function of a
material or a system, and function may alter form.
	
THEME:  2.3 ORGANIZATION - Everything is organized as related systems
within systems.

THEME:  2.4  INTERACTIONS -  At all levels of living and non-living
systems, matter and energy act and react to determine the nature of our
environment.		
	
THEME:  2.5  CHANGE - Interactions within and among systems may result
in changes in the properties, position, movement, form, or function of
systems.

THEME:  2.6  CONSERVATION - In any natural process the form may change
but nothing is lost.



HABITS OF MIND
GOALS:	To enable students to demonstrate ways of thinking and acting
inherent in the practice of science; and to exhibit an awareness of the
historical and cultural contributions to the enterprise of science.

THEME:  3.1 HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE - The knowledge and
processes of science have evolved over time as an approximation of truth
within cultural contexts.
	
THEME:  3.2 ASSUMPTIONS - The recognition and criticism of the
validity of an argument through presentation of data and differentiation
between fact and assumption in the preparation of an explanation for a
natural phenomenon are vital parts of the scientific process.
	
THEME:  3.3  ESTIMATION AND COMPUTATION -  Scientists judge the level
of precision needed to approximate a reasonable response and perform
calculations with or without the aid of mechanical devices.
	
THEME:  3.4 METHODS -  A variety of techniques is used by scientists
to classify and solve problems.

THEME:  3.5 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - Science and technology are
separate but interdependent entities.

THEME:  3.6 CREATIVE ENTERPRISE -  Creativity contributes to the
processes of science through ideas and inventions.


SCIENCE IN SOCIETY

GOAL:	To enable students to demonstrate positive attitudes
toward science in solving problems and making personal decisions about
issues affecting the individual, society and the environment.

THEME:  4.1 ATTITUDES - The progress of science and the attitudes
of society influence one another.

THEME:  4.2 PERSONAL NEEDS - The application of science may be used
to change the quality of life for the individual.

THEME:  4.3 CAREER GOALS - The development of scientific skills may
lead to a rewarding career and productive contributions to society.

THEME:  4.4  SOCIETAL NEEDS -  Science establishes the basis for
applying technology to needs within a society.

THEME:  4.5 ECONOMICS - Scientific knowledge should provide a
premise for understanding the economic value of applied technology as it
relates to society.

THEME:  4.6 POLITICS - Basic scientific concepts should be
available to
all individuals enabling each to make logical decisions for himself or
herself and others.


	




A FRAMEWORK FORMAT EXPLANATION

	The learning process proposed by the Tennessee Science Curriculum
Framework, K-12 is one that depicts a narrowing of the community of
learnerUs concentration as the educational focus moves from the Goal to
the Benchmark, by way of the Theme and Standard.  The intent of the lowest
level of the process, the Benchmark, is to provide a point of reference
toward which instruction can be aimed and finally to provide a target
whose degree of attainment can be measured by ordinary assessment
activities.  In practice, one or more performance objectives that relate
directly to the Benchmark must be teacher constructed for inclusion in the
lesson plan.  Each performance objective written by the teacher identifies
a segment of content related to the Benchmark that is to be taught and
also provides the root for an assessment activity.
	The importance of the selection of the performance objectives is
significant in todayUs world because of the value placed on scores such as
those obtained from the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program test.
More often than in the past, standardized tests are based on questions
that address the upper levels of cognition.  In the case of BloomUs
Taxonomy of Education Objectives, the upper levels of cognition would be
the Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation levels
rather than the Knowledge level.  Care should be taken in designing the
performance objectives in the classroom to address the various higher
levels of cognition.  This instructional strategy prepares the individual
learner with a science background that is most likely to improve the
studentUs quality of life, while at the same time better preparing the
student to be more competitive on standardized tests.

	Definitions that will help the science educator understand the
educational thrust of the Tennessee Science Curriculum Framework, K-12
are:

Goal
A goal is the identification of the general direction toward which the
community of learners will direct their education efforts.

Theme
A theme is a statement which identifies a topic to be given special
investigative consideration by the community of learners.

Standard
A standard is a segment of information drawn from the theme that the
community of learners perceives to have recognized and lasting value.

Benchmark
A Benchmark is an instructional point of reference or target whose degree
of attainment can be measured by analysis of the success and/or lack of
success in meeting the related performance objectives.

Performance Objective
A performance objective is a statement that describes precisely what
outcome related to the benchmark has been selected as an educational focal
point.  In general, performance objectives begin with "The learner will be
able to" and conclude with an outcome that is measurable by completion of
an assessment activity.  Performance objectives should be organized in
ascending order of cognition level, thus determining the order of content
presentation.

Assessment Activity
An assessment activity is a test item or a more complex problematic
situation where the student is required to demonstrate the ability to
reach a specified outcome that allows for judgment of the studentUs effort
as to accuracy and/or value.