National Science Education Standards

Alignment of OL Principles to NSES

This page was created in 2005 and refers to the U.S. National Science Standards that existed at that time.  In 2013 The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) were published. The alignment between the NGSS and Ocean Literacy is published here.

The chart below shows how the Ocean Literacy Principles address the  National Science Education Standards (NSES) Content Standards. Download the chart as a spreadsheet.

Elementary
Middle
High
All

The eight NSES content standards and standard subcategories run vertically along the left column. The grade bands are identified by color. The appropriate fundamental concepts are listed in the right column. Placing your cursor over the label for a fundamental concept (e.g., 1a, 7e) will display the text for that fundamental concept. Clicking on that label will open a page with that fundamental concept in the context of its essential principle and all its associated fundamental concepts. There are also links on that page to related conceptual flow diagrams for the scope and sequence for that principle.

 

NSES Elements

Ocean Literacy Fundamental Concepts

UNIFYING CONCEPTS AND PROCESSES
1. Systems, Order and Organization 1a,1b,1c,1d,1e,1f,1g,1h,3a,3b,3c,3d,3e,3f,3g,4a,4b,6a,6b,6c,6d,6e,6f,6g
2. Evidence,Models, and Explanation 3a,3b,3c,3d,3e,3f,3g,4a,4b,7a,7b,7c,7d,7e,7f
3. Change, Constancy, and Measurement 1a,1b,1c,1d,1e,1f,1g,1h,2a,2b,2c,2d,2e,3a,3b,3c,3d,3e,3f,3g,4a,4b,5a,5b,5c,5d,5e,5f,5g,5h,5i,6a,6b,6c,6d,6e,6f,6g
4. Evolution and Equilibrium 1a,1b,1c,1d,1e,1f,1g,1h,2a,2b,2c,2d,2e,3a,3b,3c,3d,3e,3f,3g,4a,4b,5a,5b,5c, 5d, 5e,5f,5g,5h,5i
5. Form and Function 1a,1b,1c,1d,1e,1f,1g,1h,4a,4b,5a,5b,5c,5d,5e,5f,5g,5h,5i
EARTH AND SPACE
6. Properties of Earth Materials 1a,1d,1e,2a,2d,4a,5e,5f,6b,7c
7. Objects in the Sky 1d,3a,3b
8. Changes in Earth and Sky 1b,1c,1d,1e,1f,1g,2a,2b,2c,2d,2e,3a,3b,3c,3d,3f,3g,6a,6f,7d,7e
9. Structure of the Earth System 1a,1b,1c,1d,1e,1f,1g,1h,2a,2b,2c,2d,2e,3a,3b,3c,3d,3f,3g,4a,5b,6a,7a,7b,7e
10. Earth’s History 1b,1c,1d,1f,1g,2a,2b,2c,2d,2e,3c,3f,3g,4a,4b,5c,5e,5f,6a,7e
11. Earth in the Solar System 1c,1d,1f,3a,3b,3d,3f
12. Energy in the Earth System 1a,1b,1c,1d,3a,3b,3c,3e,3f,3g,7b,7d,7e
13. Origin and Evolution of the Earth System 1a,1b,1c,1d,1f,2a,2b,2c,2e,3a,3b,3c,3d,3e,3f,3g,4a,4b,7b,7d,7e,7f
14. Origin and Evolution of the Universe
15. Geochemical Cycles 1a,1c,1e,1f,1h,2a,3a,3e,3f,,4a,7d,7e
LIFE SCIENCE
16. Characteristics of Organisms 1a,1f,1g,3a,3c,3d,3f,3g,4a,4b,5a,5c,5d,5f,5h,6a,7a
17. Life Cycles of Organisms 5b,5d,5i
18. Organisms and Environments 1a,1c,1d,1g,2a,2e,3b,3c,3e,3f,3g,4a,4b,5a,5b,5d,5e,5f,5g,5h,5i,6e,6g,7b,7c
19. Structure and Function in Living Systems 5a,5b
20. Reproduction and Heredity 5b,5c,5d
21. Regulation and Behavior
22. Populations and Ecosystems 1a,1c,1d,1h,3c,3d,3e,5b,5d,5e,5f,5g,5h,5i,6a,6b,6e,7c
23. Diversity and Adaptations of Organisms 2b,2e,3f,3g,4b,5a,5b,5c,5d,5f,5g,5h,5i
24. Interdependence of Organisms 1c,1h,2c,3e,3f,3g,4a,5b,5d,5e,5g,5i,6e,6g,7c,7e
25. Behavior of Organisms 5d
26. Matter, Energy and Organization in Living Systems 1a,1c,1d,1f,1h,3b,3e,3f,3g,5e,5f,5g,5h,5i
27. Biological Evolution 1a,1h,4b,5a,5b,5c,5d,5f,5g,5h,5i,7a
28. Molecular Basis of Heredity
29. The Cell 3e,4a,5b
PHYSICAL SCIENCE
30. Properties of Objects and Materials 1b,1d,1e,1f,2a,2d,3d
31. Position and Motion of Objects 1c,1d,2c,2d
32. Light, Heat, Electricity and Magnetism
33. Properties and Changes of Properties in Matter 1c,1e,1f
34. Motions and Forces 1b,1c,1g,2b,2d,3g
35. Transfer of Energy 1a,1c,1d,1e,2e,3a,3b,3c,3e,3f,3g,4a,5b,5d,5f,5g
36. Structure of Atoms
37. Structure and Properties of Matter 1e,1f,3e
38. Chemical Reactions 5g
39. Motions and Forces 1c,1e,2e
40. Conservation in Energy and Increase in Disorder 1d,1f,3b,3c,3f,3g
41. Interactions of Energy and Matter 1b,1c,1d,1e,2c,2d,2e
HISTORY AND NATURE OF SCIENCE
42. Science as Human Endeavor K-12 6b,6c,6d,6g,7a,7b,7c,7d,7e,7f
43. Nature of Scientific Knowledge 5-12 3c,3f,6c,7a,7b,7d,7e,7f
44. History of Science 2e,6c,7c,7f
45. Historical Perspectives 2e,5g,7c,7f
PERSONAL AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES
46. Personal Health K-8 3b,3f,4a,6a,6b,6c,6f,7b,7c
47. Characteristics and Changes in Populations 6d
48. Types of Resources 1h,3d,4a,6a,6b,6c,6e,6g,7b,7c
49. Changes in Environments 1d,1g,1h,2c,2d,3c,3f,3g,6d,6e,6f,6g,7b,7c,7f
50. Science and Technology in Local Challenges 2e,3c,5g,6e,6g,7d,7e,7f
51. Populations, Resources and Environments 1h,6b,6e,7c
52. Natural Hazards 1b,1d,2c,2d,2e,3a,3b,3c,3f,6d,6e,6f,7c,7e
53. Risks and Benefits 6e,6f,6g,7b,7d,7e,
54. Science and Technology in Society 3a,3c,6b,6e,6g,7a,7b,7c,7d,7e,7f
55. Personal and Community Health 3c,6b,6e,6f,6g
56. Population Growth 1h,6b,6d,6e,7c
57. Natural Resources 1h,6a,6b,6c,6d,6e,7b,7c
58. Environmental Quality 1f,1g,1h,3a,3b,4a,5e,5h,6a,6b,6e,6g,7b,7c,7f
59. Natural and Human-Induced Hazards 1d,2c,2d,2e,3a,3c,3f,6b,6e,6f,7a,7b,7c
60. Science and Technology in Local, National and Global Challenges 1d,2c,2d,2e,3c,3f,6b,6e,6f,6g,7a,7b,7c,7d,7e,7f
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
61. Abilities to Distinguish Between Natural Objects and Objects Made by Humans 6e
62. Abilities of Technological Design K-12 7a,7d,7e
63. Understanding About Science & TechnologyK-12 7a,7b,7c,7d,7e,7f
64. Abilities of Technological Design K-12 7a,7d,7e
65. Understanding About Science & TechnologyK-12 7a,7b,7c,7d,7e,7f
66. Abilities of Technological Design K-12 7a,7d,7e
67. Understanding About Science & TechnologyK-12 7a,7b,7c,7d,7e,7f
SCIENCE AS INQUIRY
68. Abilities Necessary to Do Scientific Inquiry K-12 6c,7a,7b,7d,7f
69. Understanding About Scientific Inquiry K-12 1a,1b,1c,1d,1e,1f,1g,1h,2a,2b,2c,2d,2e,3a,3b,3c,3d,3e,3f,3g,4a,4b,5a,5b,5c,5d,5e,5f,5g,5h,5i,6a,6b,6c,6d,6e,6f,6g,7a,7b,7c,7d,7e,7f