Iowa Core Aligned Programs for Naturalists – Iowa Conservation Education Coalition

What should you do?

In light of the updated science standards, ICEC encourages all non-formal educators to review their programs with science content to make sure your topic is geared toward the correct grade level. Please look at these documents to see the science content students are to learn at each grade level.

Build effective science programs!

If you want to increase the effective of your programs, consider incorporating all three components of the Iowa Core Science Standards. The three strands of the Next Generation Science Standards are based on research in The National Framework for Science Education.

Iowa’s new science standards are designed to help students move from learning about science to figuring out science. The Iowa standards were adopted as performance expectations. Each standard has three components – The Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI) are the content. The Crosscutting Concepts (CCC), and Science and Engineering Practices (SEP) are how we teach / learn that content. These dimensions can and should be combined in many different ways.

ICEC supported work sessions, during summer 2016, in each of the nine Area Education Agency regions in Iowa to align and redesign environmental / conservation education program to better support Iowa Core Science Standards. (See programs above.) Each work team consisted of formal and non-formal educators. Participants considered the three dimensions of the Iowa Core Science Standards and aligned the programs to grade specific standards. Click here for the Iowa Core Science Standards. ICEC members also learned about the Iowa Core Science Standards at Winter Workshops 2016 and 2017.

Steps to design fully aligned programs (Download a PDF of the steps!)

Below are the steps used during the summer 2016 work sessions to transform programs of “learning about science” to programs that helps your students “figure out science!” These steps will help you consider all three component of the Iowa Core Science Standards.

Download this Program Template.

Record the following on the template:

The grade specific science content (DCI) to be addressed. Look at the details (in black with check boxes). You may target a portion of any of the DCI. Look at each grade level science content in this Google Drive Folder.
The investigative question. What question will students be able to answer by the end of this program?
The phenomena. What pictures, videos, stories, or artifacts will you use to engage the learner?
The science and engineering practices (SEP) the students will engage in. Look at the SEPs by grade band in this Google Drive Folder. Also in this folder is a worksheet you can use to jot down specific ideas or activities that fit with your program. Not every program will use every SEP.
The crosscutting concepts (CCC) students will identify. Look at the CCCs by grand band in this Google Drive Folder. Also in this folder is a worksheet you can use to jot down specific ideas or activities that fit with your program. Not every program will use every CCC.
Your program components.
Additional resources or extension activities.