In a world filled with the products of scientific inquiry, scientific literacy has become a necessity for everyone. Everyone needs to use scientific information to make choices that arise every day. Everyone needs to be able to engage intelligently in public discourse and debate about important issues that involve science and technology. And everyone deserves to share in the excitement and personal fulfillment that can come from understanding and learning about the natural [and designed] world.
National Science Education Standards
The core purpose of the NEISD science program is to develop the abilities, knowledge, and understanding of scientific concepts and processes and habits of mind that are required for personal decision-making, participation in civic and cultural affairs, and economic productivity.
- Investigation and inquiry.
- Careful observation and thoughtful analysis.
- Balance between openness to new ideas and skepticism.
- Collaboration and communication.
- Awareness of the need for evidence.
- Sensitivity to and appreciation of the natural world.
- Understanding of the benefits and limitations of science.
All NEISD students engage in:
To ensure that all students have some appreciation and wonder of science; possess sufficient knowledge of science to engage in public conversation on scientific issues; are careful consumers of scientific information related to their everyday lives; and have the skills to enter careers of their choice.
The NEISD Science Program:
- Is intended for all students
- Engages students actively
- Is not viewed only as an academic activity but as a way of understanding the world in which we live
- Fosters curiosity and guides students in channeling their curiosity in productive ways
- Reflects the collaborative nature of scientific work
- Concentrates on the collection and use of evidence
- Promotes an understanding of what science is, what science is not, what science can and cannot do, and how science contributes to culture