Brittany Basile EDEL 441 September 27, 2012

CRITIQUE OF NEVADA STATE STANDARDS

At first glance, the Nevada State Standards appear to be very organized, clear, and concise whereas, the National standards appear to be more vague and and unorganized. After noticing this, I read the section on organization (p. 15) in the National Standards which stated: The standards are organized into seven chapters. The next chapter (chapter 2) lays out a set of overarching principles that underlie the vision of scientific literacy for all students. These principles, as well as definitions for key terms, provide the conceptual basis for the standards. This statement I feel best explained the main difference in the Nevada State Standards and the National standards; The National Standards are more vague and the Nevada State Standards are more specific and detailed. Overall, I feel the State Standards are more well rounded and complete.

I plan to teach 2nd grade so I chose the K-2 physical science standards to look at more closely. I thought the unifying concepts (Matter, Forces and Motion, and Energy) were explained well and gave a good insight as to what the students will be learning about. The Nevada Standards (K2) talk about how students understand that matter has observable properties, students understand that position and motion of objects can be described, and students know heat, light, and sound can be produced. These are all great skills for students to start with before they move on to more difficult physics concepts. Understanding matter is an important lesson to learn in the early grades because in my experiences, matter is incorporated in so much of science.

Brittany Basile EDEL 441 September 27, 2012

One of the things I found interesting was that the National Standards listed (properties of objects and materials), (position and motion of objects), (light, heat, electricity and magnetism) as standards for grades K-4 where the Nevada Standards had them listed for grades 3-5. I would change it so that the National Standards are broken down to better suit age/grade level of the students. The Nevada Standards that are listed for students in grades K-2 I feel are more appropriate for their age level. The National Standards are all broken down into K-4, 5-8 and 9-12 and I just dont feel like the standards given can cover such a wide range of grade levels.

The National standards touched on Personal and Social Perspectives. At first I couldnt really see the connection of this to science but after reading through the standards, it made sense. I think this should be added to the Nevada standards. Students should understand the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and they should learn this starting at an early age. I also thought the standard about changes in environments is important for students to understand. I didnt notice weather or other related topics in either the Nevada or National standards. I think this is such and interesting and engaging topic and definitely think should be added to both standards. I remember learning about the different types of cloud formations and how to make a water bottle tornado in Elementary school. Not only were these activities fun for me but I still remember the differences in Stratus, Cirrus and Cumulonimbus clouds thanks to those lessons.

In closing, I thought both the National standards and Nevada standards contained crucial Science related information. The Nevada standards were more specific which I really liked but the

Brittany Basile EDEL 441 September 27, 2012

National standards had some things that the Nevada standards didnt and vice versa. As far as physics is concerned, the Nevada standards take the cake. The standards for physics were just far more detailed.

3) Critique of Nevada State Standards (10 points, Due September 27, hard copy) Write a critique of the Nevada State Standards for K-8 physical science teaching. Review the physical science standards for a single grade level that you hope to teach. Your critique must be based on your experience in education and knowledge gained from class. Pay close attention to the scope and sequence of the State Standards. Compare the standards to your own knowledge of, and experience in learning about, physical science topics. Are the State Standards complete and well-rounded? Should material be added or removed? How do the State Standards compare to the national standards in physical science? Use specific examples from the state standards and the national science standards in your writing. This critique should be at least two pages in length. Links to the national standards (a pdf file), Nevada state standards, and CCSD power standards are provided in the Web Links section of WebCampus.