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Science and Engineering Practices

Construction Explanations and Designing Solutions
Constructing explanations and designing solutions in 6–8 builds on K–5 experiences and progresses to include
constructing explanations and designing solutions supported by multiple sources of evidence consistent with scientific ideas, principles, and theories.

●Apply scientific principles to design an object, tool, process or system. (MS-ESS3-3)

Disciplinary Core Ideas

●Human activities have significantly altered the biosphere, sometimes damaging or destroying natural habitats and causing the extinction of other species. But changes to
Earth's environments can have different impacts (negative and positive) for different living things. (MS-ESS3-3)

●Typically as human populations and per-
capita consumption of natural resources increase, so do the negative impacts on Earth unless the activities and technologies involved are engineered otherwise. (MS-ESS3-3),(MS-ESS3-4)

Crosscutting Concepts

Cause and Effect
●Relationships can be classified as causal or correlational, and correlation does not necessarily imply causation.
(MS-ESS3-3)

Influence of Science, Engineering, and Technology on Society and the Natural World
The uses of technologies and any limitations on their use are driven by individual or societal needs, desires, and
values; by the findings of scientific research; and by differences in such factors as climate, natural resources,
and economic conditions. Thus technology use varies from region to region and over time. (MS-ESS3-2),(MS-ESS3-3)

Science and Engineering Practices

Asking Questions and
Defining Problems Asking questions and defining problems in grades 6–8 builds on grades K–5 experiences and progresses to specifying relationships between variables, clarify arguments and models.
●Define a design problem that can be solved through the development of an object, tool, process or system and includes multiple criteria and constraints, including
scientific knowledge that may limit possible solutions.(MS-ETS1-1)

Developing and Using Models
Modeling in 6–8 builds on K–5 experiences and progresses to developing, using, and revising models to describe, test, and predict more abstract phenomena and design systems.
●Develop a model to generate data to test ideas about designed systems, including those representing inputs and
outputs.(MS-ETS1-4)

Analyzing and Interpreting Data
Analyzing data in 6–8 builds on K–5 experiences
and progresses to extending quantitative analysis to investigations,
distinguishing between correlation and causation, and basic statistical techniques of data and error analysis.
●Analyze and interpret data to determine similarities and
differences in findings.
(MS-ETS1-3)

Engaging in Argument from Evidence
Engaging in argument f
rom evidence in 6–8 builds on K–5
experiences and progresses to constructing a convincing argument that supports or refutes claims for either explanations or solutions about the natural and designed world.
●Evaluate competing design solutions based on jointly developed and agreed-upon design criteria. (MS-ETS1-2)

Disciplinary Core Ideas

ETS1.A: Defining and Delimiting Engineering Problems
●The more precisely a design task's criteria and constraints can be defined, the more likely it is that the designed solution will be successful. Specification of constraints includes consideration of scientific principles and other relevant knowledge that are likely to limit possible solutions.
(MS-ETS1-1)

ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions
●A solution needs to be tested, and then modified on the basis of the test results, in order to improve it. (MS-ETS1-4)
●There are systematic processes for evaluating solutions with respect to how well they meet the criteria and constraints of a problem.
(MS-ETS1-2), (MS-ETS1-3)
●Sometimes parts of different solutions can be combined to create a solution that is better than any of its predecessors. (MS-ETS1-3)
●Models of all kinds are important for testing solutions. (MS-ETS1-4)

ETS1.C: Optimizing the Design Solution
●Although one design may not perform the best across all tests, identifying the characteristics of the design that performed the best
in each test can provide useful information for the redesign process—that is, some of those characteristics may be incorporated into the
new design. (MS-ETS1-3)

Crosscutting Concepts

Influence of Science,
Engineering, and Technology on Society and the Natural World
●All human activity draws on natural resources and has both short and long-term consequences, positive as well as negative, for the health of people and the natural environment. (MS-ETS1-1)
●The uses of technologies and limitations on their use are driven by individual or societal needs, desires, and values; by the findings of scientific research; and by differences in such factors as climate, natural resources, and economic conditions. (MS-ETS1-1)