How can U. S. students receive a high-quality science education if states' standards are stuck in the 90's? Since that time and with better understanding of how students learn science and technology, education and science experts launched an all-out effort to revise science standards. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are a collaborative state-led process. The new K-12 science standards are rich in content and practice and are based on the Framework for K-12 Science Education developed by the National Research Council. NGSS was completed in 2013. The hope is that implementation of NGSS will better prepare high school grads for the rigors of college science majors and careers in science and technology.
Last Friday, HAREC hosted Next Generation Science in the Garden Educator Workshop. John Fisher, Life Lab Director of Programs at UC Santa Cruz led the workshop using activities from the award-winning Life Lab Science curriculum. Twenty five elementary school teachers and garden educators spent the day on the farm learning how to lead engaging, hands-on science lessons in their school garden that link to NGSS.
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John Fisher, Life Lab Director of Programs at UC Santa Cruz engaged educators with simple hands-on activities.
Making healthy fruit and veggie smoothies can be used to teach mathematics and computational thinking
A bed of growing winter squash transforms into a experiment bed for analyzing and interpreting data
Worm composting bin used for the science and engineering practice of asking questions and defining problems
Using simple tools to dissect flowers help students learn the structures and understand pollination
Magnifying glass to view plant structures
Learning how to finding seeds.
