| Pennsylvania's Academic Standards for Science and Technology | |
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| This material is quoted directly
from pages 1-4 of the Introduction to Academic Standards for Science
and Technology, Pennsylvania Department of Education 22 Pa. Code,
Ch. 4, Appendix B (# 006- 273) Final Form Ð Annex A July 12, 2001. Download a pdf version the document at Academic Standards for Science and Technology. | |
This document describes what students should know and be able to do in the following eight areas. It lends clarity to the understanding of science and technology. It identifies systems of technology, and the components of science. | |
| The Standards | |
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| 3.1. Unifying Themes | Unifying themes of science and technology provide big ideas that integrate with significant concepts. There are only a few fundamental concepts and processes that form the framework upon which science and technology knowledges are organized - motion and forces, energy, structure of matter, change over time and machines. These themes create the context through which the content of the disciplines can be taught and are emphasized in each standard. |
| 3. 2. Inquiry and Design | The nature of science and technology is characterized by applying process knowledge that enables students to become independent learners. These skills include observing, classifying, inferring, predicting, measuring, computing, estimating, communicating, using space/ time relationships, defining operationally, raising questions, formulating hypotheses, testing and experimenting, designing controlled experiments, recognizing variables, manipulating variables, interpreting data, formulating models, designing models, and producing solutions. Everyone can use them to solve real- life problems. These process skills are developed across the grade levels and differ in the degree of sophistication, quantitative nature and application to the content. |
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| 3.3. Biological Sciences | Biology concerns living things, their appearance, different types of life, the scope of their similarities and differences, where they live and how they live. Living things are made of the same components as all other matter, involve the same kinds of transformations of energy and move using the same basic kinds of forces as described in chemistry and physics standards. Through the study of the diversity of life, students learn to understand how life has changed over a long period of time. This great variety of life forms continues to change even today as genetic instructions within cells are passed from generation to generation, yet the amazing integrity of most species remain. |
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| 3.4. Physical Science | Physics and chemistry involve the study of objects and their properties. Students examine Chemistry and Physics changes to materials during mixing, freezing, heating and dissolving and then learn how to observe and measure results. In chemistry students study the relationship between matter, atomic structure and its activity. Laboratory investigations of the properties of substances and their changes through a range of chemical interactions provide a basis for students to understand atomic theory and a variety of reaction types and their applications in business, agriculture and medicine. Physics deepens the understanding of the structure and properties of materials and includes atoms, waves, light, electricity, magnetism and the role of energy, forces and motion. |
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| 3. 5. Earth Sciences | The dynamics of earth science include the studies of forces of nature that build the earth and wear down the earth. The understanding of these concepts uses principles from physical sciences, geography and mathematics |
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| 3.6. Technology Education | Technology education is the use of accumulated knowledge to process resources to meet human needs and improve the quality of life. Students develop the ability to select and correctly use materials, tools, techniques and processes to answer questions, understand explanations and solve problems encountered in real life situations. These overriding themes require students to design, create, use, evaluate and modify systems of Biotechnologies, Information Technologies, and Physical Technologies. |
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| 3.7. Technological Devices | Students use tools to observe, measure, move and make things. New technological tools and techniques make it possible to enact far- reaching changes in our world. Technology enhances the students¹ abilities to identify problems and determine solutions. Computers play an integral role in every day life by extending our abilities to collect, analyze and communicate information and ideas. |
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| Scientific knowledge and societal needs often create a demand for new technology. Conversely, Human Endeavors new technology advances scientific knowledge. Both influence society through the impact of their products and processes.. | ||
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| Clarifying Science and
Technology
What Is Technology Education? | |
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| It is the means by which we teach technology. Technology is a body of knowledge separate from but related to the sciences, with specific content, curriculum and specific certification requirements. Technology is the application of tools, materials, processes and systems by humans to solve problems and provide benefits to humankind. We use technology in an attempt to improve our environment. These improvements may relate to survival needs (e. g., food, shelter, defense) or they may relate
to human aspirations (e. g., knowledge, art, control). They can include unexpected benefits, unexpected costs and unexpected risks. Technology education involves a broad spectrum of knowledge and activities. Effective technology education combines knowledge of content, process and skills to provide students with a holistic approach to learning. Technology education offers unique opportunities to apply numerous academic concepts through practical, hands- on applications. Instructional technology, on the otherhand, deals specifically with use of computers and different software to solve problems and communicate effectively. [italics added] Knowledge of content, process and skills should be used together to effectively engage students and promote a complete understanding of the sciences, related technologies and their interrelationship. The relationship between science and technology is one where science builds principles or theories and technology provides the practical application of those principles or theories. Knowledge of content, process and skills in technology involves learning processes that include these components:
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| Technology Systems | ||
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| Technology education can be divided into three main systems that include biotechnological, informational, and physical technologies: | ||
| Biotechnological Systems | Informational Systems | Physical Systems |
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| What Is Science? | |
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| Any study of science includes the search for understanding the natural world and facts, principles, theories and natural phenomena and events. Acquiring scientific knowledge involves constructing hypotheses using observation and knowledge in the content area in order to formulate useful questions that provoke scientific inquiry. As a result of repeated, rigorous testing over time and applying multiple perspectives to a problem, consistent information emerges. A theory describes this verifiable event or phenomena. Theories are powerful elements in science and are used to predict other events. As theories lose their ability to predict, they are modified, expanded or generalized or incorporated into a broader theory. Knowledge of what science is incorporates carefully developed and integrated components:
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