ScienceAcademic Excellence : Minnesota Department of Education

Science

Science

Science is the active study of nature, its structures and its processes. Science students use their senses and tools to observe, record and analyze data about the natural world. Scientifically literate young people can understand phenomena, solve problems, and produce new technologies for today's world.

The Science Standards Revision Committee is now working on draft two of the 2008 revision to the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in Science. Six town meetings were held across the state to gather feedback on the first draft, available below. More than 150 teachers, administrators and community members attended a town meeting. In-person and online feedback is being considered by the committee as it continues its work. National science experts will review the second draft when it is completed. A revision process timeline and committee meeting schedule is available below.

The 2003 K-12 Minnesota Academic Standards for Science are categorized into four areas: history and nature of science; earth and space science; physical science; and life science. The standards were fully implemented for all students in the 2006-2007 school year. The standards documents are available below in Word and PDF formats.

A curriculum and assessment alignment form is now available for Science. This form can be used by schools and online learning providers to document alignment with the standards. An example form is also available to help you get started.
Visit MN Learning Loop, developed by TIES with a grant from MDE, provides classroom resources for teachers, including a searchable database of the Minnesota Academic Standards in Science and the Minnesota Science Teachers Association Website. See Related Links.


Contact: Terry Alvarado at 651-582-8749 

*Links to third-party sites are provided as a service to Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Website visitors. See our disclaimer regarding these sites in our copyright information linked at the bottom of this page. Links will open in a new browser window.

CLEP: Quick Start for Science Students  45Kb (1/28/08)
     Guide for science students who wish to take one or more CLEP exams.
Curriculum and Assessment Alignment Form Examples  61Kb (10/9/07)
     Examples given to help schools complete the science curriculum and assessment alignment form.
Curriculum and Assessment Alignment Form for Science  254Kb (9/21/07)
     Form to assist schools in aligning curriculum and assessment to the MN K-12 Academic Standards in Science. (Note: Online providers use link at left to access the OLL alignment form.)
First Draft Revision Science Standards  121Kb (9/15/08)
     The final first draft of the science standards posted on Sept. 12 omitted wording in some standards. This oversight has been corrected in the current (Sept. 15) version.
First Draft Revision Science Standards - Frequently Asked Questions  31Kb (9/11/08)
    
Internet Resources for Science  357Kb (7/9/07)
     List of Web sites of interest to science teachers and students, organized by type of resource and/or grade level.
Minnesota Science Standards Revision Committee Members  102Kb (3/17/08)  660Kb (3/17/08)
     2008 Science Revision Committee Members by name, city and background
Science Standards  205Kb (5/24/07)  273Kb (5/24/07)
     K-12 MN Academic Standards in Science, table format (2003 version)
Science Standards Revision: Assumptions  86Kb (1/7/08)  40Kb (1/7/08)
     Assumptions the committee will use to guide their work revising the science standards. Individuals interested in serving on the committee must read and agree to these assumptions before submitting an application.
Science Standards Revision: Timeline and Meeting Schedule  70Kb (9/9/08)
     Timeline for the science standards revision process including meeting dates and public and expert review periods. (Updated September 9, 2008)
Town Meeting Schedule for Science Standards Revision  111Kb (9/10/08)  655Kb (9/10/08)
     Schedule of public meetings on the first draft revision of the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standars in Science.