Core and Component Ideas in the Physical Sciences

Core Idea PS1: Matter and its Interactions

PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter
PS1.B: Chemical Reactions
PS1.C: Nuclear Processes

Core Idea PS2: Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

PS2.A: Forces and Motion
PS2.B: Types of Interactions
PS2.C: Stability and Instability in Physical Systems

Core Idea PS3: Energy

PS3.A: Definitions of Energy
PS3.B: Conservation Of Energy and Energy Transfer
PS3.C: Relationship between Energy and Forces
PS3.D: Energy in Chemical Processes and Everyday Life

Core Idea PS4: Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer

PS4.A: Wave Properties
PS4.B: Electromagnetic Radiation
PS4.C: Information Technologies and Instrumentation.
 

Core and Component Ideas in the Life Sciences

Core Idea LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

LS1.A: Structure and Function
LS1.B: Growth and Development of Organisms
LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms
LS1.D: Information Processing

Core Idea LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
LS2.B: Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems
LS2.C: Ecosystems Dynamics, Functioning, And Resilience
LS2.D: Social Interactions and Group Behavior

Core Idea LS3: Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

LS3.A: Inheritance of Traits
LS3.B: Variation of Traits

Core Idea LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity
LS4.B: Natural Selection
LS4.C: Adaptation
LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans

Core and Component Ideas in Earth and Space Sciences

Core Idea ESS1: Earth’s Place in the Universe

ESS1.A: The Universe and Its Stars
ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System
ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth

Core Idea ESS2: Earth’s Systems

ESS2.A: Earth Materials and Systems
ESS2.B: Plate Tectonics and Large-Scale System Interactions
ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes
ESS2.D: Weather and Climate
ESS2.E: Biocenology

Core Idea ESS3: Earth and Human Activity

ESS3.A: Natural Resources
ESS3.B: Natural Hazards
ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems
ESS3.D: Global Climate Change

Definitions of Technology, Engineering, and Applications of Science

Technology Is Any Modification Of The Natural World Made To Fulfill Human Needs Or Desires.
Engineering Is A Systematic and Often Iterative Approach to Designing Objects, Processes, And
Systems to Meet Human Needs and Wants.

An Application of Science Is Any Use of Scientific Knowledge for a Specific Purpose, Whether
To Do More Science; To Design a Product, Process, or Medical Treatment; To Develop a New
Technology; Or To Predict The Impacts Of Human Actions.
 

Core and Component Ideas in Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science

Core Idea ETS1: Engineering Design

ETS1.A: Defining and Delimiting an Engineering Problem
ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions
ETS1.C: Optimizing the Design Solution

Core Idea ETS2: Links among Engineering, Technology, Science, and Society

ETS2.A: Interdependence of Science, Engineering, and Technology
ETS2.B: Influence of Engineering, Technology and Science on Society and the Natural World

Seven Crosscutting Concepts of the Framework

    •    Patterns
    •    Cause and Effect: Mechanism And Explanation
    •    Scale, Proportion, and Quantity
    •    Systems and System Models
    •    Energy and Matter: Flows, Cycles, and Conservation
    •    Structure and Function
    •    Stability and Change

Science and Engineering Practices

    •    Asking Questions and Defining Problems
    •    Developing and Using Models
    •    Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
    •    Analyzing and Interpreting Data
    •    Using Mathematics, Information and Computer Technology, and Computational Thinking
    •    Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
    •    Engaging in Argument from Evidence
    •    Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information