ngss_book

25 / 28

25 Physics and 21st Century Science Standards: The Role of Physics in the NGSS
Resources for Implementing the NGSS
Historical Overview of the Development of the NGSS
The following documents from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) spearheaded the Project 2061 initiative to improve science literacy for
all by providing broad descriptive and unifying themes of natural, mathematical, and social sciences, goals for student achievement, and atlases that displayed the deep
interconnectedness of the sciences.
• Science for All Americans (AAAS & Rutherford, Science for all Americans, 1991)
• Benchmarks for Science Literacy (AAAS, 1994)
• Atlas of Science Literacy, Vols. 1 & 2 (AAAS, 2001)
The National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies took inspiration from some of the above documents to formalize the first set of National Science Education
Standards (NSES), with guidelines for how to teach science inquiry. Although the NSES were used as a guiding document for many states, most states still retained their own
standards. The Framework for K-12 Science Education was an attempt to more closely describe the practices of inquiry, while more explicitly mapping the interconnections between
the sciences.
• National Science Education Standards (National Academies, 1996)
• Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards (National Academies, 2000)
• A Framework for K-12 Science Education (National Academies, 2012)
General Resources
To facilitate the implementation of the NGSS in classrooms, the National Academies continue to support the publication of a variety of guides, such as those below:
• Developing Assessments for the Next Generation Science Standards (National Academies, 2014)
• Literacy for Science: Exploring the Intersection of the Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core for ELA Standards - a Workshop Summary (National Academies,
2014)
• A Guide to Implementing the Next Generation Science Standards (National Academies, 2015)
Physics Education Resources
AAPT’s ComPADRE supports implementation of the NGSS through the creation of curated collections of resources aligned with NGSS. Visit to learn
more.
AAPT’s Role in the NGSS
The AAPT aims to support all teachers of physics, regardless of adoption of the NGSS. The AAPT works to make curricular and instructional resources available to its members and
to the general public through online sharing as well as through face-to-face professional gatherings, including annual conferences, workshops, and institutes.
Please visit to learn more.