Science Instructional Practices

Explore how Powerful Science Instructional Practices engage students in gathering, analyzing and reasoning with data, designing studies and experiments, learning and using the language of science and engineering, cultivating strong literacy and math skills, and much more.

Our quick-reference rubric presents examples of teacher and student behaviors and learning artifacts found in classrooms that embrace these eight practices:

  • Making sense of natural and human-designed phenomena
     
  • Developing questions to plan and carry out investigations, design solutions and/or obtain information
     
  • Gathering data and information to use in developing evidence
     
  • Reasoning how the evidence supports an explanation for the causes of phenomena
     
  • Engaging in academic discourse
     
  • Presenting evidence of learning
     
  • Communicating reasoning through an individual three-dimensional performance
     
  • Applying science learning beyond the classroom to make sense of natural and/or human-designed phenomena

A separate model document illustrates how teachers can use the Powerful Science Instructional Practices to engage students in science learning.

New science standards were adopted in 2018. We are currently in a crosswalk year for 2021-2022. Look for how your student explore science concepts with inquiry, investigation and a mindset of discovery. 

Explore our new standards on the VDOE Website.