Iowa Core Reflection

 

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As I was reading the Iowa Core Standards for Science, there were a few words that kept jumping off the page to me - investigate and apply knowledge.  These words allow me to see that Iowa has embraced the importance of explorative learning in science, and believe in pushing students to the high end of Bloom's Taxonomy.  For each major content area, the students aren't just to be able to understand the concepts, they also need to be able to apply them to investigations and new discoveries of knowledge. By mandating that students "plan and conduct scientific investigations" and "use evidence to develop reasonable explanations", Iowa is creating students who can analyze and synthesize material and think critically. 
For me, the content of the science curriculum is secondary to the application of skills and concepts that students gain from participating.  The other language that spoke to me in the Iowa Core was "Instruction should be engaging and relevant and strong connections must be made to students' lives." I think this is essential to creating a meaningful learning experience which benefits the students in the long run.  Students are far less likely to remember something that wasn't relevent to their lives.  Students are likely unaware of how important science is to their very existence, and may not make that important connection on their own if they are just given the "knowledge" with no application or analysis.