The Middle School Science Curriculum Frameworks (MSSCF) aligns city and state science standards with grades 5-8. It is not a syllabus or scope and sequence, but rather a set of clearly defined objectives that students should master by the end of each grade. Teachers should use the Core Objectives to plan instructional units using all the available resources. The science process skills are embedded into the Core Objectives.

Highlights to 3rd Edition:

• Annotated Objectives. We have added notes to help teachers access students' prior knowledge and to guide teachers in determining appropriate levels of understanding.

• Appendices. We have added appendices to elaborate on project requirements and inquiry standards.

• Manageable objectives. By emphasizing developmentally appropriate topics, the Frameworks represents a volume of content in each grade that can be taught with sufficient depth.

• Project requirements. We have established criteria for student projects in each grade that align with NY State Learning and NY City Performance Standards. By instituting a project requirement in each grade, we are also preparing our students for the NYC 8th grade exit project.

The MSSCF is designed to assist science teachers with instructional planning:

• MST Standards: Key Ideas are broad, unifying, general statements of what students need to know about science in each specific grade level.

• NYC Science Performance Standards describe how students can demonstrate what they know and understand.

• Performance Indicators are statements of what students should be able to do/perform at the end of a unit as evidence that they understand the key ideas.

• Core Objectives present major understandings that give specific detail to the concepts underlying each key idea. The Core Objectives include projects that students will complete to demonstrate understanding of science inquiry process skills.

• Annotations are designed to help teachers access students' prior knowledge by indicating pertinent content that students learned in earlier grades.

• Teacher Resources listed in the MSSCF reflect resources that are currently available for teachers to help students achieve the Core Objectives. New York City Resources are a list of suggested educational field trips for your class. Internet Resources are sites that contain content and/or activities that may help teachers in their instructional planning.

 

MSSCF Contents

[Introduction] [Matrix] [Guide] [Our Vision]
[Grade 5] [Grade 6] [Grade 7] [Grade 8] [Projects] [Presentations]
[Rubrics & Design Diagrams] [Standards]