The Next Generation Science Standards: A Comparison with the Michigan 3-5 Grade
Level Content Expectations
Grades 3-5 Overview
Introduction
The NGSS present a new vision for science teaching and learning – one in which students are actively involved in
applying science knowledge. They were written to articulate the vision of the Framework for K-12 Science Education
(NRC, 2011). The NGSS are structured as performance expectations that incorporate three dimensions – science
and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas, and cross cutting concepts – with explicit connections across
grades and disciplines. They include connections to the grade level ELA/literacy and mathematics standards,
helping educators integrate these content standards in their science lessons and lending real-world applicability to
mathematics and literacy topics. In addition to the purposeful application of content knowledge through the
science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts, the NGSS Performance Expectations (PEs) embed
engineering design (ED) principles, and make connections to engineering, technology and applications of science
(ETS) and to the nature of science (NOS). Three of the twelve 3-5 topics incorporate engineering design
components in at least one PE; half of the 3-5 topics address the crosscutting concept ; half of the 3-5 topics
address the ETS crosscutting concept.
When implemented as intended, the NGSS will help educators bring coherence and focus to curriculum and
instruction. Transitioning to the NGSS will require an understanding of the conceptual focus of the NGSS,
including the depth of knowledge, application of knowledge, and the progression of knowledge and skill built from
K-12. Transitioning will require an understanding of three-dimensional learning.
Since each NGSS PE incorporates all three dimensions, if implemented with fidelity, then at the end of Grade 5,
students will have:
 a strong content knowledge base on which to build in Grades 6-8;
 a great deal of experience using the eight science and engineering practices;
met the 3-5 grade band progression targets for each dimension (See matrix charts in NGSS
Appendices E, F, G, H, I and J, links available at http://nextgenscience.org/next-generationscience-standards)
MI NGSS Analysis Tool
Comparison of Michigan GLCE with NGSS: 3-5 Overview
5-1-14 DRAFT S Codere Kelly
The Next Generation Science Standards: A Comparison with the Michigan 3-5 Grade
Level Content Expectations
Purpose of This Document
The purpose of this document is to provide an overview of general 3-5 topic shifts as well as specific grade level
content shifts that would occur if the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) were adopted. A comparison of
Michigan Standards and NGSS based on topics and content alone does not highlight the NGSS dimensions
(disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts) nor does it suggest
pedagogical or assessment implications of NGSS adoption.
This overview provides an entry point for educators to consider the major areas of focus called for in the NGSS.
Organization of the Next Generation Science Standards
The chart below compares the structure of Michigan’s current standards with the structure of the NGSS.
Michigan Standards – GLCE
Strand/ Discipline (Science
Processes, Physical Science, Life
Science, Earth Science)
NGSS *
Strand/Discipline (Physical Science, Life
Science, Earth and Space Science,
Engineering Design)
Standard
Content Statement
Standard Title (Topic)
Comment
MI GLCE/HSCE address Inquiry,
Reflection, and Social Implications in a
separate strand (Science Processes),
not as integral components of each
Performance Expectation.
NGSS Content Statements are included
in the Foundations Boxes.
Content (Performance)
Expectation
Performance Expectation (with links to
components of the three dimensions that
make up the PEs listed in the Foundations
Boxes)
- Science and Engineering Practices
- Disciplinary Core Ideas
- Crosscutting Concepts
NGSS Topics http://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/ngss/files/NGSS%20Combined%20Topics%2011.8.13.pdf
MI NGSS Analysis Tool
Comparison of Michigan GLCE with NGSS: 3-5 Overview
5-1-14 DRAFT S Codere Kelly
The Next Generation Science Standards: A Comparison with the Michigan 3-5 Grade
Level Content Expectations
Grade 3 – Grade 5 Overview
Discipline
Michigan GLCE
3-5 Standards (Content Statements)
Physical Science (PS)
3.FM Force and Motion (Gravity; Force; Speed)
3.EN Energy (Forms of Energy; Light Properties;
Grade 3
Sound)
3.PM Properties of Matter
(Conductive and Reflective Properties)
4. EN Energy (Forms of Energy; Energy and
Temperature; Electrical Circuits)
4.PM Properties of Matter
Grade 4
(Physical Properties; States of Matter; Magnets;
Conductive and Reflective Properties)
4.CM Changes in Matter (Changes in State)
Grade
Grade 5
5.FM Force and Motion
(Force Interactions, Force, Speed)
Life Science (LS)
Next Generation Science Standards
3-5 Topics / Standards (DCI)
3.FI Forces and Interactions*
(Forces – Strength, Direction; Motion; Types of Interactions)
4.E Energy* (Definition of Energy; Speed – Energy
Relationship; Conservation of Energy; Energy Transfer)
4.W Waves*(Wave Properties (Patterns of Motion,
Amplitude, Wavelength); Information Technologies and
Instrumentation)
5.SPM Structure and Properties of Matter
(Particle Nature of Matter; Physical Properties; States of
Matter; Conservation of Matter)
Grade 3
3.OL Organization of Living Things
(Structures and Functions; Classification)
3.EV Evolution (Environmental Adaptation)
3.IRE Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems:
Environmental Impacts on Organisms (Ecosystem Dynamics,
Functioning, Resilience; Social Interactions and Group
Behavior; Fossil Evidence; Adaptation; Survival; Changed
Environment Effects)
3.IVT Inheritance and Variation of Traits: Life Cycles and
Traits (Reproduction, Life Cycles, Inheritance of Traits,
Variation of Traits)
Grade 4
4.OL Organization of Living Things (Life Requirements)
4.EV Evolution (Survival)
4.EC Ecosystems
(Interactions; Changed Environment Effects)
4.SFIP Structure, Function and Information Processing
(Structure, Function, Growth, Observable Characteristics)
Grade 5
5.OL Organization of Living Things (Animal Systems)
5.HE Heredity (Inherited and Acquired Traits)
5.EV Evolution (Species Adaptation and Survival;
Relationships Among Organisms)
5.MEOE Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems
(Food Energy; Organization of Matter; Energy Flow in
Organisms; Matter and Energy Cycles)
Earth and Space Science (ESS)
3.ES Earth Systems
(Natural Resources; Human Impact)
Grade 3
3.SE Solid Earth (Earth Materials; Surface Changes;
Using Earth Materials)
4.ST Earth in Space and Time
Grade 4
(Characteristics of Objects in the Sky; Patterns of
Objects in the Sky; Fossils)
Grade 5
5.ES Earth Systems (Seasons)
5.EST Earth in Space and Time
(Solar System; Solar System Motion)
Engineering Design (ED)
3-5
Not addressed
MI NGSS Analysis Tool
3.WC Weather and Climate (Weather Conditions, Climate,
Seasons, Impact of Natural Hazards)
4.ES Earth’s Systems: Processes that Shape the Earth
(History of Earth – Fossils, Rock Formation; Weathering,
Erosion; Earth Features; Impact on Humans)
5.ES Earth’s Systems (Earth Systems Interactions; Role of
Water in Earth Systems; Human Impact – Protecting
Resources and Environment)
5.SS Space Systems: Stars and the Solar System (Gravity;
Universe and Its Starts; Solar System; Solar System Motion)
3-5 Engineering Design (Problems and Solutions; Designing
and Comparing Solutions)
*Indicates topics include Engineering, Technology, and
Applications of Science (ETS) connections
Comparison of Michigan GLCE with NGSS: 3-5 Overview
5-1-14 DRAFT S Codere Kelly
The Next Generation Science Standards: A Comparison with the Michigan 3-5 Grade
Level Content Expectations
Examples of Similar Content and Shifting Focus
In both current standards and NGSS, students in Grade 4 will study “Energy.” The GLCE call for the identification,
description, and demonstration of forms of energy. The NGSS call for observations and explanations of the
relationship between the speed of an object and its energy, energy transfer from place to place, and for students to
apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another. NGSS
connect the topic of energy to other contexts by focusing on several crosscutting concepts. The level of required
knowledge-in-use is much higher in NGSS. The NGSS do not begin the discussion of magnetic fields until middle
school.
Michigan GLCE
Next Generation Science Standards
(NGSS)
Grade 4 Standard – 4.EN Energy
(Forms of Energy; Energy and Temperature;
Electrical Circuits)
Content Statement
P.EN.E.1 Forms of Energy - Heat, electricity, light,
and sound are forms of energy.
Performance Expectation
P.EN.04.12 Identify heat and electricity as forms of
energy.
4.E Energy* (Definition of Energy; Speed – Energy
Relationship; Conservation of Energy; Energy
Transfer)
Performance Expectation
4-PS3-1. Use evidence to construct an explanation
relating the speed of an object to the energy of that
object.
4-PS3-2. Make observations to provide evidence
that energy can be transferred from place to place
by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.
4-PS3-3. Ask questions and predict outcomes about
the changes in energy that occur when objects
collide.
DCI Components
PS3.A: Definitions of Energy
 The faster a given object is moving, the more
energy it possesses. (4-PS3-1)
PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer
 Energy is present whenever there are moving
objects, sound, light, or heat. When objects
collide, energy can be transferred from one
object to another, thereby changing their motion.
In such collisions, some energy is typically also
transferred to the surrounding air; as a result, the
air gets heated and sound is produced.
(4-PS3-2), (4-PS3-3).
 Light also transfers energy from place to place. (4PS3-2)
 Energy can also be transferred from place to
place by electric currents, which can then be used
locally to produce motion, sound, heat, or light.
The currents may have been produced to begin
with by transforming the energy of motion into
electrical energy. (4-PS3-2),(4-PS3-4)
PS3.C: Relationship Between Energy and Forces
 When objects collide, the contact forces transfer
energy so as to change the objects’ motions. (4PS3- 3)
PS3.D: Energy in Chemical Processes and Everyday
Life
The expression “produce energy” typically refers to
the conversion of stored energy into a desired form
for practical use. (4-PS3-4)
Content Statement
P.EN.E.4 Energy and Temperature – Increasing the
temperature of any substance requires the
addition of energy.
Performance Expectations
P.EN.04.41 Demonstrate how temperature can be
increased in a substance by adding energy.
P.EN.04.42 Describe heat as the energy produced
when substances burn, certain kinds of materials
rub against each other, and when electricity flows
through wire.
P.EN.04.43 Describe how heat is produced
through electricity, rubbing, and burning.
MI NGSS Analysis Tool
Comparison of Michigan GLCE with NGSS: 3-5 Overview
Comparison
The GLCE ask students to
identify and describe
forms of energy, while
the NGSS focus on the
definition of energy,
conservation of energy,
and energy transfer.
5-1-14 DRAFT S Codere Kelly
The Next Generation Science Standards: A Comparison with the Michigan 3-5 Grade
Level Content Expectations
Michigan GLCE
Next Generation Science Standards
(NGSS)
Comparison
Content Statement
P.EN.E.5 Electrical Circuits – Electrical circuits
transfer electrical energy and produce magnetic
fields.
Performance Expectations
P.EN.04.51 Demonstrate how electrical energy is
transferred and changed through the use of a
simple circuit.
P.EN.04.52 Demonstrate magnetic effects in a
simple electric circuit.
Performance Expectation
4-PS3-4. Apply scientific ideas to design, text, and
refine a device that converts energy from one form
to another.
Clarification Statement -- Examples of devices could
include electric circuits that convert electrical
energy into motion energy of a vehicle, light, or
sound; and, a passive solar heater that converts
light into heat. Examples of constraints could
include the materials, cost, or time to design the
device
ETS1.A: Defining Engineering Problems
Possible solutions to a problem are limited by
available materials and resources (constraints). The
success of a designed solution is determined by
considering the desired features of a solution
(criteria). Different proposals for solutions can be
compared on the basis of how well each one meets
the specified criteria for success or how well each
takes the constraints into account. (secondary to 4PS3-4)
Assessment Boundary –
Devices should be
limited to those that
convert motion energy
to electric energy or use
stored energy to cause
motion or produce light
or sound.
Performance Expectation
4-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information to
describe that energy and fuels are derived from
natural resources and their uses affect the
environment.
ESS3.A: Natural Resources
 Energy and fuels that humans use are derived
from natural sources, and their use affects the
environment in multiple ways. Some resources
are renewable over time, and others are not. (4ESS3-1)
NGSS do not call for
assessment of student
knowledge of electrical
circuits. Rather, electrical
circuits can be used as
one example of the
conversion of energy
from one form to
another.
GLCE do not include
engineering design or
require that students
evaluate design
solutions.
NGSS connect the topic
of energy to other
contexts by focusing on
several crosscutting
concepts:
 Energy and Matter
 Cause and Effect
 Interdependence of
Science, Engineering,
and Technology
 Influence of
Engineering,
Technology, and
Science on Society and
the Natural World
 Science as a Human
Endeavor
A logical first step for transitioning to NGSS is for teachers to get to know the NGSS and understand the call for
three-dimensional learning and application (knowledge-in-use), then to begin to implement the NGSS practices in
their current instructional plans.
MI NGSS Analysis Tool
Comparison of Michigan GLCE with NGSS: 3-5 Overview
5-1-14 DRAFT S Codere Kelly