An overview of the Science & Engineering Practices and how they help students in learning and applying knowledge.
What Are The Science & Engineering Practices (SEPs) of the NGSS?
The Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) of the NGSS provide a framework for students to explore, investigate, and explain phenomena in their world. This framework encourages students to ask questions, develop models, analyze data, make evidence-based arguments, and understand the impact of science and technology on society. SEPs include:
Asking questions: Students will be encouraged to ask questions about their environment and the phenomena they observe. This can lead to further exploration of potential explanations for observations or allow for deeper investigations into unknown topics.
Developing Models: Students are asked to build models that explain their observations or offer possible solutions to problems. Students must apply existing scientific knowledge and experiment with different approaches while constructing their own models.
Analyzing Data: By collecting data from experiments or observations, students learn how to read data sets and interpret results. They also learn how to use this information as evidence when making claims or drawing conclusions.
Constructing Arguments: Evidence-based arguments help students reach valid conclusions by examining multiple sources of information and weighing the pros and cons of a given situation. This allows them to develop critical thinking skills that can be used in real-world contexts.
Understanding the Impact of Science & Technology: Finally, the NGSS encourages students to understand the implications of science and technology in our lives. Through this understanding, students learn how science is used in everyday life as well as its potential ethical implications—making them more informed citizens who can make more informed decisions about their futures.
Where to Find the Science & Engineering Practices (SEP) in the Propello Platform?
The Propello curriculum indicates the applicable SEPs in the Teacher's Guide of every chapter in the platform. The brief video below will walk you through where to find them and how to apply them to the activities in a given topic within Propello.
In Summary
The SEP are a valuable tool for students when it comes to applying and practicing collaboration, problem-solving, troubleshooting and creating solutions. To learn more about how Propello can help teachers incorporate these practices in classroom practice, feel free to reach out to a member of our crew via our support page.