Science for All Americans
Areas of Concentration:
 Biology
 Physical Science
(Physics & Chemistry)
 Mathematics
 Technology
 Earth & Space
Science
SFAA Orientation
“What are the 3 – 5 most
ESSENTIAL concepts in my
discipline?”
TASK:
• Brainstorm
• Reach Consensus
• Record on chart paper
Science for All Americans
Science for All Americans
Chapters for assigned reading:
 Biology:
Chapters 5 & 6
 Physical Science: Ch 4 & 8
 Mathematics: Chapters 2 & 9
 Technology: Chapters 3 & 8
 Earth & Space Science: Ch. 4 &
8
 All – Choose any TWO of these:
Chapters 1, 10, 11, 12, 13
Science for All Americans
SFAA Orientation
1. Who are the authors? Who really wrote it?
2. What content areas are included?
3. Why was it written?
4. What is significant about the date?
(Project 2061)
5. What is in the book? What is not in the
book?
6. Were the “important concepts” you listed in
class similar to what you found in the SFAA
chapters?
Science for All Americans
1. Who are the authors? Who really wrote it?
The authors of record are F. James Rutherford and
Andrew Ahlgren; they were responsible for the
final writing and editing. However, the text of
the document was generated by a many
hundreds of contributors, including scientists,
mathematicians, teachers, engineers,
philosophers, and historians, as well as
consultants and review panels.
2. What content areas are included?
AAAS Project 2061 suggests a broad definition of
scientific literacy, which encompasses
knowledge of the natural sciences but also
mathematical science, technology and all the
social sciences (economics, history, sociology,
etc.) (SFAA also contains many examples of
visual art and poetry.)
Science for All Americans
3. Why was it written?
The ultimate goal is to help
transform the nation’s school system
so that all students become well
educated in science, mathematics,
and technology. In order for schools
to teach science more effectively,
scientific literacy had to be defined.
4. What is significant about the
date? (Project 2061)
The hope is that today’s children will
have achieved scientific literacy by
the time Halley’s Comet next
returns, in the year 2061.
Science for All Americans
5. What is in the book?
What is NOT in the book?
SFAA is a report that describes what
all students should know, understand,
and be able to do as a result of their
school experience. It is a ‘hypothesis’
about the nature of knowledge and
understanding possessed by a
scientifically literate person. SFAA is
not a curriculum document or a
textbook. It does not recommend
what should be taught at any particular
grade level. (For that information, see
Benchmarks for Science Literacy.)
Using the Benchmarks
 Format Example: 7F, K-2, #2, p. 172
 Study the Grade 1 – 2 curriculum
materials from Scholastic, Inc. Skim
both the Student Activity sheets and the
Teachers’ Guide.
 Make a list of all Benchmarks which
are in any way related to the topics in the
curriculum. (Use the format above.)
 List all related Benchmarks at any
grade level.
Content Match Questions
Questions that m ay help you to decide whether
there is a good content match:
 Does the activity address the actual substance of
the benchmark o r is there only a topic match Πor a
word matc h?
 Does the activity reflect the level of
sophistication of the benchmark or does the activity
target a benchmark at an earlier or later grade
level?
 Does the activity address the entire benchmark
or only a part of the benchmark? (Identify
ΤpartialΥ)
 Consider only the lesson as written in the student
activity materials or in the TeachersΥ Guide ΠNOT
how you might improve the lesson if you taught it.
 The bottom line: If students are engaged in this
lesson, is it likely they will gain the understanding
necessary to meet the benchmark?
Benchmarks
for Science Literacy
 Read the research on Water
Cycle, p. 336 in Benchmarks
 Discuss this research at your
table (if given time)
 Skim other areas of research in
Chapter 15. (VERY useful for
developing a Work Sample, by the
way)
Oregon Benchmarks
Benchmarks related to Water Cycle lesson
Grade 3:
Identify examples of change over time.
Identify daily and seasonal weather changes.
Describe objects according to their physical
properties.
Ask questions about objects, organisms and events
based on observations.
Plan and conduct a simple investigation.
Use data collected from investigation to explain
results.
Compare objects, drawings and constructions to
the real things they represent.
Grade 8:
Explain the water cycle and its relationship to
weather and climate.
The Need for
Curriculum Alignment
 Intended Curriculum
- the district ‘Scope and Sequence’
or Curriculum Framework
 Implemented Curriculum
- what the teachers actually teach
 Achieved Curriculum
- what the students actually learn
If students are being assessed on what the
district or the teacher intended, but not on
what they actually learned, the situation is
unfair – and students will score poorly.
The need for Curriculum Alignment is
clear.
Project 2061
Note: In these activities it has become apparent
that the lessons on the Water Cycle
(Scholastic) are not age-appropriate and are
not aligned with national science standards.
However – it is often appropriate to introduce
an idea at an age when the students are not
yet ready for it conceptually but can gain
from it experientially. For example, you
might have a Cartesian Diver (2-L bottle with
eye dropper) sitting around a K or 1st grade
classroom so that students have experience
with the apparatus, even though they are not
yet ready to understand volume/pressure
relationships and density (and they certainly
shouldn’t be assessed on these concepts). But
having familiarity with the device may help
develop their curiosity, and can provide a
foundation of experiences on which to build
the understanding later on.
Conclusion:
Instructional
Conclusion: Instructional
Analysis
Analysis Procedures
Procedures
Reflections:
 What did you learn about the
Benchmarks?
(Both AAAS and Oregon Benchmarks)
 Why were you asked to look at all
grade level benchmarks for a 1st Grade
lesson?
 What did you learn about your own
science knowledge while analyzing
lessons?
 What did you learn about pedagogy –
the science of instruction?
 Considering today’s session on
Alignment, what will you be able to
use in your district, building and/or
classroom?
Project 2061
Project 2061
Note: The title Science for all
Americans includes the
assumption that all means:
• 90% of Americans will know
• 90% of the concepts in the text.
To read full-text on-line (both SFAA
and Benchmarks), go to the
Publications page at either of the
following:
www.project.2061.org/publications/sfa
a/default.htm
www.aaas.org
Project 2061
To purchase either of the texts
from me directly (at a 40%
discount), please write a check
to me in the following amounts:
SFAA
Benchmarks
$10.50
$18.00