Introduction to Indianas Academic Standards for Science 2010

Indianas Academic Standards for Science were last revised in 2000. This new document,
Indianas Academic Standards for Science 2010, reflects the ever-changing science content
and the underlying premise that science education should be an inquiry-based, hands-on
experience. These standards were adopted by the Indiana State Board of Education in April,
2010, and will be implemented in the 2011-12 school year.
Indianas Academic Standards for Science 2010 reflect a few significant changes that are
worth noting. Primarily, there are fewer standards and each grade level focuses on the big
ideas for each of these sub-disciplines: physical science; earth science; life science; and
science, technology and engineering. The overarching organization of the standards has also
changed; they are divided into two sections: Process Standards and Content Standards, which
are described in greater detail below.

Process Standards
The Process Standards are the processes and skills that students are expected to learn and
be able to do within the context of the science content. The separation of the Process
Standards from the Content Standards is intentional; in doing so we want to make explicit the
idea that what students are doing while they are learning science is extremely important. The
Process Standards reflect the way in which students are learning and doing science and are
designed to work in tandem with the science content, resulting in robust instructional practice.
The Process Standards are organized in the following grade bands: K-2, 3-5, 6-8. Within each
grade band, the Process Standards address a particular topic or topics. Kindergarten
introduces The Nature of Science, while grades 1 through 5, reflect two parts: The Nature of
Science and The Design Process. In grades 6 through 8, Reading for Literacy in Science and
Writing for Literacy in Science have been added to emphasize these processes in science. For
high school, the Process Standards include Reading and Writing for Literacy in Science as well
as The Nature of Science.
As noted in the previous paragraph, grades 6 through 8 and high school content courses will
include Reading and Writing for Literacy in Science. It is important to note that these Process
Standards emerged with the adoption of the Common Core State Standards in the area of
Reading and Writing for Literacy in Science. The Literacy Standards establish that instruction
in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language is a shared responsibility. The Literacy
Standards are predicated on teachers in the content areas using their unique disciplinary
expertise to help students meet the particular challenges of reading, writing, speaking,
listening, and language in their respective fields. It is important to note that the literacy
standards are meant to complement rather than supplant content standards in the disciplines.
Part of the motivation behind the disciplinary approach to literacy promulgated by the Literacy
Standards is extensive research establishing the need for college- and career-ready students
Indianas Academic Standards for Science-2010

to be proficient in reading complex informational text independently in a variety of content

areas. Most of the required reading in college and workforce training programs is informational
in structure and challenging in content. Postsecondary education programs typically provide
students with both a higher volume of such reading than is generally required in K-12 schools
and comparatively little scaffolding.
The Literacy Standards make clear that significant reading of informational texts should also
take place outside ELA classrooms in order for students to be ready for college and careers.
Future assessments will apply the sum of all the reading students do in a grade, not just their
reading in the ELA context. The Literacy Standards demand that a great deal of reading
should occur in all disciplines.
The Literacy Standards also cultivate the development of three mutually reinforcing writing
capacities: writing to persuade, to explain, and to convey real or imagined experience.
College and career readiness requires that writing focus significantly on writing to argue and to
inform or explain.
The Literacy Standards use grade level bands to present the standards. Teachers teaching at
the beginning of the grade band may need to provide scaffolding for students to be successful,
where teachers teaching at the end of the grade band should expect students to demonstrate
the standards independently.

Content Standards
In grades 1 through 8, the Content Standards are organized in four distinct areas: 1) physical
science; 2) earth science; 3) life science; and 4) science, technology and engineering.
Kindergarten has only the first three areas: physical, earth and life science. In each of these
areas there is at least one core standard, which serves as the big idea at that grade level for
that content area. For the high school science courses, the content standards are organized
around the core ideas in each particular course, which are represented by the core standard.
The core standard is not meant to stand alone or be used as an individual standard, but
instead is meant to help teachers organize their instruction around the big ideas in that
content area and for grades K-8, at that particular grade level. Beneath each core standard
are indicators which serve as the more detailed expectations within each of the content areas.
Finally, in the development of these revised science standards, careful attention was paid to
how ideas are articulated across the grade levels so that content and skills that students will
need to succeed in a particular sub-discipline are introduced in an appropriate manner in the
early elementary grades and then progressed as students move towards high school.

Indianas Academic Standards for Science-2010

Grade 8
Students in eighth grade study atoms, elements, compounds and molecules; and the
relationship between atomic structure and chemical properties. They study the water cycle
and the role of the suns energy in driving this process. Students investigate how genetic
information is transmitted from parents to offspring. Students study the physical properties of
natural and engineered materials. Within this study students employ the key principles of the
nature of science and the design process.

Process Standards
The Nature of Science
Students gain scientific knowledge by observing the natural and constructed world, performing
and evaluating investigations, and communicating their findings. These principles should
guide student work and be integrated into the curriculum along with the content standards on a
daily basis.
Make predictions and develop testable questions based on research and prior
knowledge.
Plan and carry out investigationoften over a period of several class lessonsas a
class, in small groups or independently.
Collect quantitative data with appropriate tools or technologies and use appropriate
units to label numerical data.
Incorporate variables that can be changed, measured or controlled.
Use the principles of accuracy and precision when making measurements.
Test predictions with multiple trials
Keep accurate records in a notebook during investigations.
Analyze data, using appropriate mathematical manipulation as required, and use it to
identify patterns. Make inferences based on these patterns.
Evaluate possible causes for differing results (i.e., valid data).
Compare the results of an experiment with the prediction.
Communicate findings through oral and written reports by using graphs, charts maps
and models.

The Design Process

As citizens of the constructed world, students will participate in the design process. Students
will learn to use materials and tools safely and employ the basic principles of the engineering
design process in order to find solutions to problems.
Identify a need or problem to be solved.
Brainstorm potential solutions.
Throughout the entire design process, document the design with drawings (including
labels) in a portfolio or notebook so that the process can be replicated.
Select a solution to the need or problem.
Indianas Academic Standards for Science-2010

Select the most appropriate materials to develop a solution that will meet the need.
Create the solution through a prototype.
Test and evaluate how well the solution meets the goal.
Evaluate and test the design.
Present evidence using mathematical representations like graphs and data tables.
Communicate the solution (including evidence) using mathematical representations
(e.g., graphs, data tables), drawings or prototypes.
Redesign to improve the solution based on how well the solution meets the need.

Reading and Writing Standards for Literacy in Science

The Reading and Writing Standards for Literacy in Science are presented in grade-level
bands. Students at the beginning of a grade-band continuum will require a blend of scaffolding
and direct, explicit instruction. By the end of the grade-band continuum, students should
demonstrate proficiency of the literacy standards independently.
The grades 6-8 standards below define what students should understand and be able to do by
end of 8th grade. These are to serve as a complement to the specific content demands of the
science standards and be taught as skills that allow students to communicate and comprehend
the science content.
Reading for Literacy in Science
Students need to develop the skills that allow them to read complex informational
science texts with independence and confidence. Students need to build an
appreciation of the norms and conventions of reading in science, an understanding of
domain-specific words and phrases, an attention to precise details, the capacity to
evaluate detailed arguments, synthesize complex information and follow detailed
descriptions and procedures. Students need to be able to gain knowledge from
challenging texts that make use of elaborate diagrams and data to convey information
and illustrate concepts.
Key Ideas and Details
6-8.RS.1
6-8.RS.2

6-8.RS.3

Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science texts.

Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an
accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or
opinions.
Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out
experiments or taking measurements.

Craft and Structure

6-8.RS.4

Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domainspecific words and phrases a they are used in a specific scientific
context relevant to grades 6-8 texts and topics.
Indianas Academic Standards for Science-2010

6-8.RS.5

6-8.RS.6

Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including

how the major sections contribute to the whole and to an
understanding of the topic.
Analyze the authors purpose in providing an explanation,
describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

6-8.RS.7

6-8.RS.8

Integrate quantitative information expressed in words in a text with

a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart,
diagram, model, graph, or table).
Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research
findings and speculation in a text.

Writing for Literacy in Science

Students need to be able use writing as a key means to defend and assert claims,
showing what they know about a subject and conveying what they have experienced,
imagined, thought, and felt. They must be adept at gathering information, evaluating
sources, and citing material accurately, reporting findings from their research and
analysis of sources in clear manner.
Text Types and Purposes
6-8.WS.1
Write arguments to focus on discipline-specific content.
a.
Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue, acknowledge and
distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims,
and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
b.
Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant,
accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an
understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.
c.
Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and
clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims,
reasons, and evidence.
d.
Establish and maintain a formal style.
e.
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from
and supports the argument presented.
6-8.WS.2
Write informative/explanatory texts, including scientific
procedures/experiments.
a.
Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow;
organize ideas, concepts and information into broader
categories as appropriate to achieving purpose; include
formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables),
and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
b.
Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts,
definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information
and examples.
Indianas Academic Standards for Science-2010

c.

Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion

and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
d.
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to
inform about or explain the topic.
e.
Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone.
f.
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from
and supports the explanation or information presented.
6-8.WS.3 Note: Students narrative skills continue to grow in these grades. The
Standards require that students be able to incorporate narrative elements
effectively into arguments and informative/explanatory texts. In science, students
must be able to write precise enough descriptions of the step-by-step procedures
they use in their investigations that others can replicate them and (possibly)
reach the same results.
Production and Distribution of Writing
6-8.WS.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience.
6-8.WS.5
With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop
and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose
and audience have been addressed.
6-8.WS.6
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish
writing and present the relationships between information and ideas
clearly and efficiently.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
6-8.WS.7
Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a
self-generated question), drawing on several sources and
generating additional related, focused questions that allow for
multiple avenues of exploration.
6-8.WS.8
Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources,
using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy
of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions
of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format
for citation.
6-8.WS.9
Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
Range of Writing
6-8.WS.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two)
for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
6-8.RS.9
Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments,
simulations, video or multimedia sources with that gained from
reading a text on the same topic.
Indianas Academic Standards for Science-2010

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

6-8.RS.10 By the end of grade 8 read and comprehend science texts in the
grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Content Standards

Standard 1: Physical Science

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Core Standard
Describe how atomic structures determine chemical properties and how atoms and molecules
interact.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8.1.1 Explain that all matter is composed of particular arrangements of atoms and that there
are approximately one hundred types of atoms (i.e., elements).
8.1.2 Understand that elements are organized on the periodic table based on atomic number.
8.1.3 Explain how the arrangement of atoms and molecules determines chemical properties
of substances.
8.1.4 Describe the structure of atoms and relate the arrangement of electrons to how atoms
interact with other atoms.
8.1.5 Explain that atoms join together to form molecules and compounds and illustrate with
diagrams the relationship between atoms and compounds and between atoms and
molecules.
8.1.6 Explain that elements and compounds have characteristic properties such as density,
boiling points and melting points that remain unchanged regardless of sample size.
8.1.7 Explain that chemical changes occur when substances react and form one or more
different products, whose physical and chemical properties are different from those of
the reactants.
8.1.8 Demonstrate that in a chemical change the total numbers of each kind of atom in the
product are the same as in the reactants and that the total mass of the reacting system
is conserved.

Indianas Academic Standards for Science-2010

Standard 2: Earth and Space Systems

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Core Standard
Explain how the suns energy heats the air, land and water and drives the processes that result
in wind, ocean currents and the water cycle. (8.2.1, 8.2.2, 8.2.3, 8.2.4, 8.2.5)
Core Standard
Describe how human activities have changed the land, water, and atmosphere. (8.2.6, 8.2.7)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8.2.1 Recognize and demonstrate how the suns energy drives convection in the atmosphere
and in bodies of water, which results in ocean currents and weather patterns.
8.2.2 Describe and model how water moves through the earths crust, atmosphere and
oceans in a cyclic way as a liquid vapor and solid.
8.2.3 Describe the characteristics of ocean currents and identify their effects on weather
patterns.
8.2.4 Describe the physical and chemical composition of the atmosphere at different
elevations.
8.2.5 Describe the conditions that cause Indiana weather and weather-related events such as
tornadoes, lake effect snow, blizzards, thunderstorms and flooding.
8.2.6 Identify, explain and discuss some effects human activities (e.g., air, soil, light, noise
and water pollution) have on the biosphere.
8.2.7 Recognize that some of Earths resources are finite and describe how recycling,
reducing consumption and the development of alternatives can reduce the rate of their
depletion.
8.2.8 Explain that human activities, beginning with the earliest herding and agricultural
activities, have drastically changed the environment and have affected the capacity of
the environment to support native species. Explain current efforts to reduce and
eliminate these impacts and encourage sustainability.

Indianas Academic Standards for Science-2010

Standard 3: Life Science

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Core Standard
Understand the predictability of characteristics being passed from parents to offspring. (8.3.1,
8.3.2, 8.3.3, 8.3.4, 8.3.5, 8.3.6, 8.3.7)
Core Standard
Explain how a particular environment selects for traits that increase the likelihood of survival
and reproduction by individuals bearing those traits. (8.3.8, 8.3.9, 8.3.10)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8.3.1 Explain that reproduction is essential for the continuation of every species and is the
mechanism by which all organisms transmit genetic information.
8.3.2 Compare and contrast the transmission of genetic information in sexual and asexual
reproduction.
8.3.3 Explain that genetic information is transmitted from parents to offspring mostly by
chromosomes.
8.3.4 Understand the relationship between deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), genes and
chromosomes.
8.3.5 Identify and describe the difference between inherited traits and the physical and
behavioral traits that are acquired or learned.
8.3.6 Observe anatomical structures of a variety of organisms and describe their similarities
and differences. Use the data collected to organize the organisms into groups and
predict their relatedness.
8.3.7 Recognize and explain that small genetic differences between parents and offspring can
accumulate in successive generations so that descendants may be different from their
ancestors.
8.3.8 Examine traits of individuals within a population of organisms that may give them an
advantage in survival and reproduction in given environments or when the environments
change.
8.3.9 Describe the effect of environmental changes on populations of organisms when their
adaptive characteristics put them at a disadvantage for survival. Describe how
extinction of a species can ultimately result from a disadvantage.
8.3.10 Recognize and describe how new varieties of organisms have come about from
selective breeding.

Indianas Academic Standards for Science-2010

Standard 4
Science, Technology and Engineering
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Core Standard
Identify the appropriate materials to be used to solve a problem based on their specific
properties and characteristics.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8.4.1 Understand how the strength of attractive forces among particles in a material helps to
explain many physical properties of the material, such as why different materials exist
as gases, liquids or solids at a given temperature.
8.4.2 Rank the strength of attractions among the particles of room-temperature materials.
8.4.3 Investigate the properties (i.e., mechanical, chemical, electrical, thermal, magnetic and
optical) of natural and engineered materials.

Indianas Academic Standards for Science-2010