MICHIGAN
TEST OBJECTIVES
FIELD 616: SCIENCE
Constructing New Scientific Knowledge
Reflecting on Scientific Knowledge
Using Knowledge of Life Science
Using Knowledge of Physical Science
Using Knowledge of Earth and Space Science
CONSTRUCTING NEW SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE
Identify and apply procedures for gathering, organizing, interpreting, evaluating, and
communicating data.
Includes identifying appropriate questions to ask in a given scientific context; systematically
observing phenomena; gathering information from a variety of sources; organizing data gathered
through observation and experimentation; communicating and interpreting data presented in a
variety of formats (e.g., graphs, flow charts, tables, step-bystep directions, maps, reports); making
predictions and drawing conclusions based on data; and evaluating, reporting, and applying simple
descriptive statistics to data.
Identify and apply principles and procedures of research and experimental design.
Includes developing solutions to problems through carefully planned experimentation; identifying
procedures and considerations in setting up and conducting experiments; applying sampling
techniques; using control and experimental groups to test hypotheses; and recognizing variables
being held constant, those being manipulated, and those responding.
Apply knowledge of methods and equipment used in measurement to solve problems.
Includes applying procedures for selecting and using simple measurement devices (e.g., rulers,
balance scales, thermometers); recognizing advantages and disadvantages of measurement
devices; and solving problems involving measurement.
Identify and apply the safe and proper use of tools, equipment, and materials (including chemicals
and living organisms) related to classroom and other science investigations.
Includes practices and requirements related to the safe use and storage of tools, equipment, and
materials; procedures for preventing accidents in the science laboratory; procedures for dealing
with accidents and injuries in the science laboratory; and proper practices and requirements related
to the use and care of living organisms.
REFLECTING ON SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE
Analyze the historical development of major scientific ideas.
Includes the historical development and significance of key scientific ideas from societies and
individuals of different periods and cultures.
Recognize and describe interrelationships among the life, physical, and earth sciences and among
science, mathematics, and technology.
Includes recognizing key themes and concepts that link the science disciplines (e.g., themes such
as classification, change over time, cause and effect; concepts such as energy, molecule,
conservation) and that connect science, mathematics, and technology; and recognizing how
common themes of science, mathematics, and technology (e.g., feedback, systems and
subsystems, scale) apply in given real-world contexts.
Analyze the nature of scientific thought and inquiry.
Includes the reliance of scientific investigation on empirical data, verifiable evidence, reasoning,
and logical arguments; the importance of avoiding bias; and the evaluation of scientific claims and
arguments.
Recognize and describe relationships among scientific discoveries, technological developments, and
society.
Includes the differences between science and technology; cultural and social contexts of science;
the advantages and risks of scientific and technological changes; the impact of science and
technology on society; ethical considerations related to science and technology; the impact of
society on science and technology; the application of scientific principles and the results of
scientific discoveries in consumer decision making; general types and sources of pollution; the
effects of pollution and conservation on the environment; and career opportunities and avocations
in science and technology.
USING KNOWLEDGE OF LIFE SCIENCE
Recognize and describe basic concepts of cell biology.
Includes the components and principles of cell theory; basic cell structures and their functions;
comparisons between animal cells and plant cells; and cell specialization and the relationship
between a cell’s structure and its function.
Analyze the characteristics and life processes of living organisms.
Includes differences between living organisms and nonliving things; growth of multicellular
organisms by cell growth and reproduction; processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration;
homeostatic and metabolic processes; levels of biological organization (cells, tissues, organs,
systems); interactions within and between levels; and the functions of parts of given plants and
animals, including humans.
Explain basic principles and theories related to the inheritance of characteristics.
Includes how characteristics are passed on from generation to generation, including the influence
of environmental factors on the inheritance of characteristics; and the structures and functions of
genes and chromosomes.
Explain basic principles and theories related to the way species change through time.
Includes theories and processes associated with the origin and evolution of life; scientific evidence
for these theories and processes; methods used to investigate the theory of evolution; the roles of
variation, adaptation, and natural selection in the relationships among animal groups, including
humans.
Analyze characteristics of populations, communities, ecosystems, and biomes.
Includes biotic and abiotic factors that affect populations, communities, ecosystems, and biomes;
strategies used by organisms to obtain basic requirements for life (e.g., food, shelter, oxygen,
water); interrelationships among organisms, including humans, in ecosystems; energy transfers in
food webs and food chains; the process of ecological succession; responses of ecosystems to
change; and factors regulating population sizes within ecosystems.
USING KNOWLEDGE OF PHYSICAL SCIENCE
Analyze and describe the structure and nature of matter.
Includes describing matter in terms of its atomic and molecular structure; describing the structural
parts of an atom; using models of atomic structure to explain chemical behavior; relating atomic
structure to the structure and organization of the periodic table; and interpreting chemical symbols,
formulas, and expressions.
Describe the nature of chemical changes in matter.
Includes describing common chemical changes in terms of properties of reactants and products;
types of chemical bonds, their characteristics, and their effects on the characteristics of matter; and
factors that affect rates of reaction.
Describe the nature of physical changes in matter.
Includes states of matter and their characteristics; properties of common materials; physical
properties and changes; changes of state and related changes in energy; the concept of mass; the
principle of conservation of mass; and types and properties of mixtures and solutions.
Apply knowledge of the kinetic molecular model to explain observable phenomena.
Includes using the kinetic molecular theory to explain the states of matter, including the
interrelationships among pressure, temperature, and volume in matter; and the relationship of the
kinetic theory to the behavior of solids, liquids, and gases.
Explain the basic concepts of force, work, power, and motion as applied in real world contexts.
Includes types and characteristics of force, work, and power; simple motion of an object as
described using the concepts of speed, velocity, acceleration, inertia, and momentum; and the
concept, types, and characteristics of simple machines and their use.
Describe energy and the forms that it can take.
Includes forms of energy (e.g., mechanical, light, thermal, electrical, nuclear); energy transfer and
conversion; energy conservation; and the relationship between kinetic and potential energy.
Analyze the characteristics and behavior of waves, sound, and light.
Includes types and characteristics of waves and oscillations; terms associated with waves, sound,
and light (e.g., pitch, amplitude, loudness); wave interactions; the properties and behavior of
sound and light waves in various media; phenomena related to light and the behavior of light in
various situations (e.g., refraction, shadows, dispersion); and characteristics and properties of the
color spectrum.
Describe electricity, magnets, and electromagnetism.
Includes the properties and formation of static electricity; the interpretation of electric circuit
diagrams; characteristics of magnets and magnetic fields; the principles of electromagnetism; and
characteristics of electron flow and simple electrical circuits.
USING KNOWLEDGE OF EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE
Apply knowledge of geologic history and processes to the changing earth.
Includes theories of the origin of the earth; methods of determining the age of the earth and its
features; processes of structural change in the earth’s crust; the theory of plate tectonics; the
effects of catastrophic phenomena on the earth and its inhabitants; important topographical
features of the earth and their characteristics; types and characteristics of maps and map
projections commonly used in science; the structure and composition of the earth and its layers;
characteristics and methods of formation of rocks, minerals, and soils; and the rock cycle.
Describe the characteristics and properties of the hydrosphere.
Includes using the water cycle to explain the movement and renewal of ground water and of water
in oceans, rivers, lakes, and watersheds.
Analyze the earth’s atmosphere, weather, and climate.
Includes the structure and characteristics of the atmosphere; the processes and causes of
atmospheric convection; air pressure and the movement of air in the atmosphere; cloud formation
and precipitation; equipment and techniques used to monitor the weather; the interpretation of
meteorological information; and techniques used to predict the weather and climatic change.
Analyze the components of the solar system and universe and their interactions.
Includes the planets and their characteristics; interactions and movements of the earth, moon, and
sun (e.g., seasonal changes, moon phases, eclipses); and theories of the origin and evolution of the
universe.