Bellefonte Area Middle School

Course Description:

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) have raised the bar in science education. The new standards aim to move the focus of instruction away from memorization and toward active engagement. In its optimal implementation, an NGSS curriculum should teach students to think like scientists and engineers, curriculum should teach students to think like scientists and engineers, grapple with core scientific principles, and support deep learning of concepts that cut across domains. The NGSS calls for deep linkages between the three dimensions of Crosscutting Concepts, Disciplinary Core Ideas, and Science and Engineering Practices. To do this effectively, students need to gather evidence from a variety of sources, make sense of that evidence, and construct strong scientific arguments about real-world phenomena. Amplify Science is a K–8 science curriculum that blends hands-on investigations, literacy-rich activities, and interactive digital tools to empower students to think, read, write, and argue like real scientists and engineers.As a parent, encourage your child to discuss daily science activities and homework assignments. Science will become exciting and alive for every student willing to accept the experience of working with others as a team of scientists. I want students to leave class this year with a sense of how the world works and relates to the study of science, problem solving using the Scientific Method or Scientific Inquiry, and the Earth/Universe around them. We will be incorporating Claims, Evidence, Reasoning, throughout our investigations this year!