New Perspectives in Science Education

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are becoming more widely adopted across the United States. Even many states whose standards aren't directly based on the NGSS have had their standards influenced by NGSS. NGSS is based on the idea of three-dimensional learning: Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), Science & Engineering Practices (SEPs), and the Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs). The CCCs are generally given the least attention by teachers, even though they are a tool that can help teachers build curricula around storylines and a theme, and enhance students’ scientific and critical thinking.  We view the CCCs as a vital resource for teachers – both pre- and in-service – and students, because they support sensemaking of phenomenon, help link concepts together, and connect scientific and non-scientific disciplines.  When teachers and pre-service teachers frame lessons with the CCCs, this can facilitate and improve lesson design, and enhance student engagement with scientific practices (SEPs) and concepts (DCIs).  We will share suggestions and resources for making the CCCs an integral part of science teachers' planning and implementation of curricula, as well as examples of lessons developed by pre-service teachers that make CCCs visible and explicit, thus supporting phenomenon-based and three-dimensional teaching and learning. Such lessons allow students to notice and wonder about the bigger picture, and how to facilitate this approach has utility to both practitioners and researchers.