National Science Education Standards
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 |