Science & Engineering Practices:
8. Obtaining, Evaluating & Communicating Information
Any education in science and engineering needs to develop students’ ability to read and produce domain-specific text. As such, every science or engineering lesson is in part a language lesson, particularly reading and producing the genres of texts that are intrinsic to science and engineering.
(NRC Framework, 2012, p. 76) Being able to read, interpret,and produce scientific and technical text are fundamental practices of science and engineering, as is the ability to communicate clearly and persuasively. Being a critical consumer of information about science and engineering requires the ability to read or view reports of scientific or technological advances or applications (whether found in the press, the Internet, or in a town meeting)and to recognize the salient ideas, identify sources of error and methodological flaws, distinguish observations from inferences, arguments from explanations,and claims from evidence. Scientists and engineers employ multiple sources to obtain information used to evaluate the merit and validity of claims, methods, and designs. Communicating information, evidence,and ideas can be done in multiple ways: using tables, diagrams, graphs, models, interactive displays, and equations as well as orally, in writing, and through extended discussions. |
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information in 3–5 builds on previous experiences and progresses to evaluating the merit and accuracy of ideas and methods.
- Read and comprehend grade-appropriate complex texts and/or other reliable media to summarize and obtain scientific and technical ideas and describe how they are supported by evidence. - Compare and/or combine across complex texts and/or other reliable media to support the engagement in other scientific and/or engineering practices. - Combine information in written text with that contained in corresponding tables, diagrams, and/or charts to support the engagement in other scientific and/or engineering practices. - Obtain and combine information from books and/or other reliable media to explain phenomena or solutions to a design problem. - Communicate scientific and/or technical information orally and/or in written formats, including various forms of media as well as tables, diagrams, and charts. |