Science Support
Welcome to Colorado Science
The Colorado Department of Education recognizes the importance of high quality science education for the 21st century. High quality science instruction gives students a foundation in how the natural world works and the thinking skills needed to ask questions, analyze evidence, and draw logical conclusions.
This site will provide a hub for science information and resources to support the academic achievement of all Colorado students.
Support for science will focus on:
- Development of internationally benchmarked standards
- Provide direct communication to educators in the field
- Support for Aligning curriculum to standards
- Identifying model curricula and practices around the state
- Disseminating best practices in instruction
Recent research on science instruction identifies the key elements to increase the likelihood of students mastering science content and skills:
- Teachers with extensive science content knowledge and experience in doing science
- Activation and uncovering of students prior knowledge
- Organizing facts in the context of big ideas and application
- Active engagement of students in class
- balance explicit teacher-directed science instruction and teacher-guided student inquiry
- Use of formative assessments for continual monitoring of students
- Explicit science instruction every grade P – 12