Defining Practices

According to National Research Council’s Framework for K–12 Science Education, practices encompass the way science and engineering are actually done. When students engage in the practices of science, they gain a better understanding of how knowledge develops in science. Doing what scientists or engineers do can be a way to engage student interest. While the disciplines of science and engineering vary greatly, several common practices can be described across disciplines. For example, Fig 2.2 A shows a biologist on a ship surveying for dolphins and turtles, in order to avoid entangling these organisms in research nets. Fig. 2.2 B shows two research scientists inspecting an instrument that measures the composition of particles in the atmosphere. Although the scientists in Fig. 2.2 A and B are doing very different types of research, they are both engaged in making observations that are part of a scientific investigation. The emphasis of the NGSS on the multiple practices of science and engineering allows students to understand that science and engineering are not limited to one approach.

Many practices are common to both scientific inquiry and engineering design. However, there are some important differences between the practice of science and the practice of engineering. In general, scientific inquiry involves asking questions that can be answered through an investigation. These questions may or may not have an immediate practical application and are often driven by curiosity or a desire to better understand the natural world. Engineering, however, usually involves defining a problem that can be solved through the design process and seeks to meet a human need.

In Exploring Our Fluid Earth, practices are aligned with Special Features, Activities, or Question Sets. Practices are also embedded in Performance Expectations, which are aligned at the topic level.

For example, this curriculum addresses the practice Analyzing and Interpreting Data through the activity Electrolysis of Water (Fig. 2.3).