NGSS Standards adopted in 2013

The Next Generation Science Standards, or NGSS, advocate less memorizing and more sense-making, draw connections to the Common Core, base practice in research, and apply knowledge in context.

NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards) is a set of science education standards developed to improve K-12 science education in the United States. The NGSS is based on the Framework for K-12 Science Education developed by the National Research Council. The NGSS is focused on developing scientific literacy and preparing students for careers in STEM fields.

It is organized around three dimensions, which are the Science and Engineering Practices (SEP), Crosscutting Concepts (CCC), and Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI). The NGSS is designed to be student-centered and to promote active learning and inquiry-based approaches to science education, as well as emphasizing the importance of integrating science, engineering, and technology in K-12 education, and promoting the use of data and evidence-based reasoning in scientific investigations.

Grades
  • Grade K
  • Grade 1
  • Grade 2
  • Grade 3
  • Grade 4
  • Grade 5
  • Middle School
  • High School

Grade K
  1. K-LS1-1 : Plant and Animal Needs
  2. K-ESS2-2:Environmental Change
  3. K-ESS3-1:Environmental Relationships
  4. K-ESS3-3: Environmental Solutions (Free Lesson)
  5. K-ESS2-1:Weather Patterns
  6. K-ESS3-2:Forecasting Severe Weather
  7. K-PS2-1:Pushes and Pulls
  8. K-PS2-2:Pushes and Pulls 
  9. K-PS3-1:Sunlight Warms the Earth
  10. K-PS3-2:Shade structure Design
  11. K-2-ETS1-1:What is Engineering?
  12. K-2-ETS1-2:What is Engineering?
  13. K-2-ETS1-3:What is Engineering?

Grade 1
  1. 1-LS1-1:Biomimicry Design Solution
  2. 1-LS1-2:Behavior - Parents and Offspring
  3. 1-LS3-1: Plant and Animal Structures - Parents and Offspring(Free Lesson)
  4. 1-ESS1-1:Sun, Moon, and Star Patterns
  5. 1-ESS1-2:Seasonal Sunlight
  6. 1-PS4-1:Sound and Vibrating Materials
  7. 1-PS4-3:Light and Materials
  8. 1-PS4-2:Illumination and Darkness
  9. 1-PS4-4:Communication Device Design
  10. K-2-ETS1-1:What is Engineering?
  11. K-2-ETS1-2:What is Engineering?
  12. K-2-ETS1-3:What is Engineering?

Grade 2
  1. 2-LS2-1:Environmental Plant Needs
  2. 2-LS2-2:Seed Dispersal and Pollination
  3. 2-LS4-1:Habitats and Biodiversity
  4. 2-ESS1-1:Earth Events - Slow and Quick
  5. 2-ESS2-1:Erosion Design Solution
  6. 2-ESS2-2:Mapping Land and Water
  7. 2-ESS2-3:Water on Earth
  8. 2-PS1-1:Material Properties
  9. 2-PS1-2:Materials Testing
  10. 2-PS1-3:Objects and Pieces
  11. 2-PS1-4:Reversible and Irreversible Changes
  12. K-2-ETS1-1:What is Engineering?
  13. K-2-ETS1-2:What is Engineering?
  14. K-2-ETS1-3:What is Engineering?

Grade 3
  1. 3-LS1-1: Plant and Animal Life Cycles                                                           
  2. 3-LS2-1: Animal Groups                                                                             
  3. 3-LS3-1: Inheritance and Variation of Traits                                               
  4. 3-LS3-2: Environmental Influence on Traits                                         
  5. 3-LS4-1: Fossil Evidence of Past Environments
  6. 3-LS4-2: Variation, Survival, and Reproduction
  7. 3-LS4-3: Habitats and Organism Survival
  8. 3-LS3-1: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
  9.  3-LS3-2: Environmental Influence on Traits                                                                                              
  10. 3-LS4-2: Variation, Survival, and Reproduction
  11. 3-LS4-3: Habitats and Organism Survival                                                                                                                                    
  12. 3-LS4-4: Environmental Change Solution
  13. 3-LS4-4: Environmental Change Solutions
  14. 3-LS1-1: Plant and Animal Life Cycles                                             3-LS2-1: Animal Groups  
  15. 3-LS4-4: Environmental Change Solution                                                  
  16. 3-LS4-1: Fossil Evidence of Past Environments
  17. 3-LS1-1: Plant and Animal Life Cycles    
  18. K-2-ETS1-1:What is Engineering?
  19. K-2-ETS1-2:What is Engineering?
  20. K-2-ETS1-3:What is Engineering?                                         

Grade 4
  1. 4-LS1-1: Internal and External Structures
  2. 4-LS1-2: Sensation, Processing, and Response 
  3. 4-PS3-1: Motion Energy-
  4. 4-PS3-2: Energy Transfer-
  5. 4-PS3-3: Energy in Collisions-
  6. 4-PS3-4: Energy Conversion Device-
  7. 4-PS4-1: Wave Model-
  8. 4-PS4-2: Light and Vision-
  9. 4-PS4-3: Information Transfer Solution-
  10. 4-ESS1-1: Evidence from Rock Layers                                                 
  11. 4-ESS2-1: Weathering and Erosion       
  12. 4-ESS2-2: Mapping Earth's Features
  13. 4-ESS3-1: Renewable and Non-renewable energy
  14. 4-ESS3-2: Natural Hazard Design Solution
  15. 3-5-ETS1-1: Renewable vs. Nonrenewable Resources
  16. 3-5-ETS1-2: Renewable vs. Nonrenewable Resources
  17. 3-5-ETS1-3: Renewable vs. Nonrenewable Resources

Grade 5
  1. 5-LS1-1: Plant Requirements - Air and Water 
  2. 5-LS2-1: Environmental Matter Cycling              
  3. 5-ESS1-1: Stellar Brightness and Distance                         
  4. 5-ESS1-2: Daily and Seasonal Sky Changes                          
  5. 5-ESS2-1: Earth Sphere Interactions                   
  6. 5-ESS2-2: Water Availability and Distribution 
  7. 5-ESS3-1: Protecting Earth's Resources and Environment
  8. 5-PS1-1: Particle Model of Matter                                
  9. 5-PS1-2: Conservation of Matter                                  
  10. 5-PS1-3: Material Properties                                        
  11. 5-PS1-4: Mixing Substances                                            
  12. 5-PS2-1: Earth's Gravitational Force                               
  13. 5-PS3-1: Food Energy from the Sun
  14. 3-5-ETS1-1: Renewable vs. Nonrenewable Resources
  15. 3-5-ETS1-2: Renewable vs. Nonrenewable Resources
  16. 3-5-ETS1-3: Renewable vs. Nonrenewable Resources

MS Earth Science
  1. MS-ESS1-1: Earth-Sun-Moon System
  2. MS-ESS1-2: Gravity and Motions in Space
  3. MS-ESS1-3: Scale Properties in the Solar System
  4. MS-ESS1-4: Geologic Time Scale
  5. MS-ESS2-1: Cycling of Earth's Materials
  6. MS-ESS2-2: Geoscience Processes at Varying Scales
  7. MS-ESS2-3: Evidence of Plate Tectonics
  8. MS-ESS2-4: Cycling of Water Through Earth's Systems
  9. MS-ESS2-5: Interacting Air Masses and Weather
  10. MS-ESS2-6: Atmospheric and Oceanic Circulation
  11. MS-ESS3-1: Uneven Distribution of Earth's Resources
  12. MS-ESS3-2: Natural Hazards
  13. MS-ESS3-3: Human Impact on the Environment
  14. MS-ESS3-4: Human Consumption of Natural Resources
  15. MS-ESS3-5: Causes of Global Warming

MS Physical Science
  1. MS-PS1-1: Atomic Composition Model
  2. MS-PS1-2: Chemical Properties and Reactions
  3. MS-PS1-3: Synthetic Materials
  4. MS-PS1-4: Thermal Energy and Particle Motion
  5. MS-PS1-5: Conservation of Atoms in Reactions
  6. MS-PS1-6: Thermal Energy Design Project
  7. MS-PS2-1: Collision Design Solution
  8. MS-PS2-2: Forces, Mass and the Motion of an Object
  9. MS-PS2-3: Electric and Magnetic Forces
  10. MS-PS2-4: Gravitational Interactions
  11. MS-PS2-5: Electric, Magnetic, and Gravitational Fields
  12. MS-PS3-1: Kinetic Energy of an Object
  13. MS-PS3-2: Potential Energy of the System
  14. MS-PS3-3: Thermal Energy Transfer Solution
  15. MS-PS3-4: Thermal Energy Transfer
  16. MS-PS3-5: Energy Transfer to or from an Object
  17. MS-PS4-1: Wave Properties
  18. MS-PS4-2: Wave Reflection, Absorption, and Transmission
  19. MS-PS4-3: Digitized Wave Signals

MS Life Science
  1. MS-LS1-1: Cell Theory
  2. MS-LS1-2: Cell Parts and Function
  3. MS-LS1-3: Interacting Body Systems
  4. MS-LS1-4: Animal Behaviors and Plant Structures - Reproductive Success
  5. MS-LS1-5: Environmental and Genetic Growth Factors
  6. MS-LS1-6: Photosynthesis - Matter Cycling and Energy Flow
  7. MS-LS1-7: Food and Chemical Reactions
  8. MS-LS1-8: Information Processing
  9. MS-LS2-1: Effects of Resource Availability
  10. MS-LS2-2: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
  11. MS-LS2-3: Matter Cycling and Energy Flow in Ecosystems
  12. MS-LS2-4: Ecosystem Interactions and Dynamics
  13. MS-LS2-5: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Solutions
  14. MS-LS3-1: Mutations - Harmful, Beneficial or Neutral
  15. MS-LS3-2: Asexual and Sexual Reproduction
  16. MS-LS4-1: Fossil Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity
  17. MS-LS4-2: Anatomical Evidence of Evolutionary Relationships
  18. MS-LS4-3: Embryological Evidence of Common Ancestry
  19. MS-LS4-4: Natural Selection
  20. MS-LS4-5: Artificial Selection
  21. MS-LS4-6: Adaptation of Populations over Time

MS Engineering and Technology
  • MS-ETS1-1.Engineering Design
  • MS-ETS1-2.Engineering Design
  • MS-ETS1-3.Engineering Design
  • MS-ETS1-4.Engineering Design

HS Life Science
  1. HS-LS1-1: Genes, Proteins, and Tissues
  2. HS-LS1-2: Interacting Body Systems
  3. HS-LS1-3: Feedback Mechanisms and Homeostasis
  4. HS-LS1-4: Cellular Division and Differentiation
  5. HS-LS1-5: Photosynthesis and Energy Transformation
  6. HS-LS1-6: Formation of Carbon-Based Molecules
  7. HS-LS1-7: Cellular Respiration and Energy Transfer
  8. HS-LS2-1: Carrying Capacity of Ecosystems
  9. HS-LS2-2: Biodiversity and Populations in Ecosystems
  10. HS-LS2-3: Aerobic and Anaerobic Cycling of Matter
  11. HS-LS2-4: Biomass and Trophic Levels
  12. HS-LS2-5: Cycling of Carbon in Ecosystems
  13. HS-LS2-6: Ecosystem
  14. Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience
  15. HS-LS2-7: Human Impact Reduction Solution
  16. HS-LS2-8: Social Interactions and Group Behavior
  17. HS-LS3-1: Chromosomal Inheritance
  18. HS-LS3-2: Inheritable Genetic Variation
  19. HS-LS3-3: Variation and Distribution of Traits
  20. HS-LS4-1: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity
  21. HS-LS4-2: Four Factors of Natural Selection
  22. HS-LS4-3: Adaptation of Populations
  23. HS-LS4-4: Natural Selection Leads to Adaptation
  24. HS-LS4-5: Environmental Change - Speciation and Extinction
  25. HS-LS4-6: Human Impact on Biodiversity Solution

HS Earth Science
  1. HS-ESS1-1: Nuclear Fusion and the Sun's Energy
  2. HS-ESS1-2: The Big Bang Theory
  3. HS-ESS1-3: Stellar Nucleosynthesis
  4. HS-ESS1-4: Orbital Motions
  5. HS-ESS1-5: Evidence of Plate Tectonics
  6. HS-ESS1-6: Evidence of the Earth's History
  7. HS-ESS2-1: The Creation of Landforms
  8. HS-ESS2-2: Feedback in Earth's Systems
  9. HS-ESS2-3: Cycling of Matter in the Earth's Interior
  10. HS-ESS2-4: Energy Variation and Climate Change
  11. HS-ESS2-5: Interactions of the Hydrologic and Rock Cycles
  12. HS-ESS2-6: Carbon Cycling in Earth's Systems
  13. HS-ESS2-7: Coevolution of Life and Earth's Systems
  14. HS-ESS3-1: Global Impacts on Human Activity
  15. HS-ESS3-2: Cost-Benefit Ratio Design Solutions
  16. HS-ESS3-3: Biodiversity, Natural Resources, and Human Sustainability
  17. HS-ESS3-4: Reducing Human Impact Design Solutions
  18. HS-ESS3-5: Climate Change and Future Impacts
  19. HS-ESS3-6: Human Impacts on Earth Systems

HS Physical Science
  1. HS-PS1-1: Valence Electrons and Properties of Elements
  2. HS-PS1-2: Simple Chemical Reactions
  3. HS-PS1-3: Electrical Forces and Bulk Scale Structure
  4. HS-PS1-4: Total Bond Energy Change in Chemical Reactions
  5. HS-PS1-5: Collision Theory and Rates of Reaction
  6. HS-PS1-6: Increased Products Design Solution
  7. HS-PS1-7: Conservation of Atoms in Chemical Reactions
  8. HS-PS1-8: Fission, Fusion, and Radioactive Decay
  9. HS-PS2-1: Newton's Second Law of Motion
  10. HS-PS2-2: Conservation of Momentum
  11. HS-PS2-3: Reducing Force in Collisions Device
  12. HS-PS2-4: Gravitational and Electrostatic Forces Between Objects
  13. HS-PS2-5: Electric Current and Magnetic Fields
  14. HS-PS2-6: Molecular-Level Structure of Designed Materials
  15. HS-PS3-1: Energy Change in Components of a System
  16. HS-PS3-2: Macroscopic Energy Due to Particle Position and Motion
  17. HS-PS3-3: Energy Conversion Device Design
  18. HS-PS3-4: The Second Law of Thermodynamics
  19. HS-PS3-5: Energy Change Due to Interacting Fields
  20. HS-PS4-1: Wave Properties in Various Media
  21. HS-PS4-2: Digital Transmission and Storage of Information
  22. HS-PS4-3: Wave-Particle Duality of Electromagnetic Radiation
  23. HS-PS4-4: Absorption of Electromagnetic Radiation
  24. HS-PS4-5: Waves and Information Technology

HS-Engineering and Technology

  • HS-ETS1-1:Engineering Design
  • HS-ETS1-2.Engineering Design
  • HS-ETS1-3.Engineering Design
  • HS-ETS1-4.Engineering Design

EVIDENCE STATEMENT

An evidence statement is a detailed description of what students should know and be able to do in order to demonstrate mastery of a particular performance expectation, as defined by the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Evidence statements outline the specific criteria for success and the types of assessments that could be used to measure student understanding and proficiency.

Each performance expectation in the NGSS is accompanied by a set of evidence statements that describe the key ideas, concepts, and skills that students should develop in order to meet the expectations. Evidence statements are designed to guide the development of assessments that align with the NGSS and to provide teachers with a clear understanding of what students need to learn in order to be successful.

Assessments based on evidence statements might include tasks such as experiments, investigations, modeling activities, or written responses to open-ended questions. These assessments are designed to provide teachers with information about how well students understand the concepts and skills outlined in the performance expectations, and to guide instruction and curriculum development.

Overall, evidence statements play an important role in helping to ensure that students are prepared to succeed in college and careers by providing clear learning targets and standards for science education.

DCI

DCI stands for Disciplinary Core Ideas. These are the key ideas in each scientific discipline that have broad importance within and across multiple science or engineering fields. In the NGSS, there are four domains of DCIs:

  1. Physical Science
  2. Life Science
  3. Earth and Space Science
  4.  Engineering.

SEP

SEP stands for Science and Engineering Practices. These are the skills and abilities that scientists and engineers use to investigate and solve problems. There are eight SEPs in the NGSS:

  1. Asking Questions and Defining Problems
  2. Developing and Using Models
  3. Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
  4. Analyzing and Interpreting Data
  5. Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking
  6. Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
  7. Engaging in Argument from Evidence
  8. Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information.

PHENOMENA

Phenomena refers to observable events or occurrences that can be studied scientifically. In the NGSS, phenomena are used as a way to engage students in science and engineering practices and to provide context for learning DCIs and CCCs. Phenomena can range from

  1. everyday occurrences
  2. changes in the weather
  3. behavior of subatomic particles.

CCC

These are ideas that span across all science and engineering fields, and are used to help students understand the connections between different areas of science. There are seven CCCs in the NGSS:

  1. Patterns
  2. Cause and Effect
  3. Scale Proportion and Quantity
  4. Systems and System Models
  5. Energy and Matter
  6. Structure and Function
  7. Stability and Change

*Next Generation Science Standards is a registered trademark of Achieve. Neither Achieve nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.  Visit the official NGSS website.