Preparing for the Next Generation Science Standards—Asking Questions and Defining Problems

Target grades: Primarily focused on grades 6-12, but applicable to K-12
Date: Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Time: 6:30-8:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Note: The formal program will now begin at 6:30. Training for new users will start at 6:15.
Presenter: Brian Reiser

Next Generation Science Standards, expected out next year, are based on The Framework for K-12 Science Education released in 2011 by the National Research Council (NRC). The Framework describes the major practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas that all students should be familiar with by the end of high school. Starting September 11 and continuing through December NSTA is presenting eight web seminars on the practices described in the Framework. This web seminar will focus on Asking Questions and Defining Problems. Register today!

The Framework notes that “A basic practice of the scientist is formulating empirically answerable questions about phenomena, establishing what is already known, and determining what questions have yet to be satisfactorily answered.” and that “Engineers ask questions to define the engineering problem, determine criteria for a successful solution, and identify constraints.

In this web seminar, teachers will learn more about:

• the key elements of asking questions and defining problems;
• how asking questions and defining problems is part of a set of practices that work together;
• how asking questions and defining problems can be used in combination with disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts to form performance expectations; and
• what asking questions and defining problems really looks like in the classroom.