Here is an example of what someone might see when they click on one of the Big Ideas at the top of the Abacus model.
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THE UNIVERSE consists of all known space, time, matter, and energy. It began with a "Big Bang" billions of years ago, and resulted in all of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems we see today, including our own Solar System, and our home planet, Earth.
Grades 11-12 Evolution of the Universe: Modern instruments and ancient rocks provide evidence of the origin of our Solar System, our galaxy, and the universe as a whole.
Grades 9-10 Stars and Galaxies. The Sun is one of billions of stars in our Milky Way Galaxy, which is just one of billions of galaxies. Nuclear reactions within stars produce tremendous amounts of energy and form new elements.
Grades 6-8 The Solar System: Our Solar System consists of myriad bodies held together by gravity. Moon phases and eclipses provide a means of visualizing these bodies and their movements.
Grades 4-5 Earth in Space: Earth is spherical in shape. It spins on its axis and orbits the Sun.
Grades 2-3 Daily Motion: The Sun and Moon appear to have regular cycles of movement.
Grades K-1 Observing the Sun and Moon: The Sun is visible during the day, and the Moon can be seen during the day or night.
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Example of a Big Idea. Each Big Idea is broken down into clusters of concepts and abilities, called “science units.” By reading an overview of the Big Idea, as shown above, a teacher can see where the science unit that he or she is about to teach fits into the overall structure of a student’s science education. When teaching a science unit it will be important to see if the students can demonstrate understanding of important ideas introduced during earlier grades, and to find out their current thinking about the ideas that will be presented in the new unit. The depth of understanding that students need to attain will also be clearly articulated, as will connections to other concepts such as gravity, scale, and the important role of stars in producing all chemical elements heavier than helium.
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Major Concepts and Sub-Concepts
Each unit includes a major concept, which in turn is broken down into sub-concepts. When students complete the unit they should be able to demonstrate their understanding of each of the sub-concepts as well as the major concept. For example, below is an illustration of what someone might see if they click on the "Grade 4-5 Earth in Space" unit.
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Example of a science unit. Research studies find that below fourth grade it is difficult for students to understand the full implications of the spherical Earth concept. Upper elementary is an excellent time for students to learn about Earth’s spherical shape, and how it moves in relation to the Sun. Arrows in the chart show how concepts support each other and the core concept of the unit.
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Crosscutting concepts and abilities connect different science units, and illustrate the ways in which science is distinct from other ways of knowing about the world. The example above suggests ideas for relating crosscutting concepts and abilities to the core concept of a 4th or 5th grade unit on Earth in Space. Not all of these ideas would necessarily be included in one instructional unit.
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Crosscutting concepts and abilities should not be taught in isolation, but rather they should be taught in ways that enrich, enliven, and deepen understanding of the concepts in the science domains. For example, engaging students in discussing their ideas for how the spherical Earth concept can explain the alternation of day and night enhances their inquiry skills while it deepens their knowledge of the spherical Earth concept. Presenting an accurate history of how the spherical Earth concept eventually replaced the flat Earth model helps students understand that scientific ideas change over time, and that evidence, argument, and imagination all play critical roles in the evolution of scientific ideas. Habits of mind, such as scientific honesty and skepticism can be emphasized in any science unit, as well as the ways that scientific concepts and abilities can be brought to bear on important practical problems.
It is not necessary, or perhaps even wise, to relate every crosscutting concept and ability to every science unit. Instead, when planning a grade-by-grade science program for a school, district, or state, it will be important to look at other science units to be taught the same year, and to determine which crosscutting concepts and abilities would be most effective in tying together the different units, so that students can see the connections and understand the deeper qualities that makes science—science.