Standards, Benchmarks, and Science Literacy Documents

National Standards and Benchmarks

Here is a list of national standards and benchmarks for K-12 students that cover science, mathematics, geography, and technology education. If you are aware of other national standards that would be relevant to the NESTA community, please submit your suggestions here.

• National Science Education Standards - National Academy of Sciences, 1995
• Project 2061 Benchmarks for Science Literacy - American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1993
• Principles and Standards for School Mathematics - National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
• National Geography Education Standards - The National Council of Geographic Education
• National Educational Technology Standards - International Society for Technology in Education, 2007

State Science Standards

Each state has its own standards or benchmarks for K-12 science education. The links below take you to all of these state documents.

Science Literacy Documents

The following is a list of science literacy documents, including information about general science literacy as well as specific literacy topics such as climate change, oceans, and Earth system science. If you are aware of other science literacy documents that would be relevant to the NESTA community, please submit your suggestions here.

• Atlas of Science Literacy: Mapping K-12 Science Learning -

  Atlas of Science Literacy is a two-volume collection of conceptual strand maps—and commentary on those maps—that show how students' understanding of the ideas and skills that lead to literacy in science, mathematics, and technology might develop from kindergarten through 12th grade.

• Blueprint for Change: Report from the National Conference on the Revolution in Earth and Space Science Education - June 21-24, 2001, Snowmass, Colorado. (PDF, 4.6 MB)
• Campaign for Environmental Literacy Homepage
• Children's misconceptions about weather: A review of the literature - Understanding misconceptions is crucial to fostering science literacy.  This literature review was presented by Laura Henriques in a paper at the annual meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching, New Orleans, LA, April 29, 2000.
• Climate Literacy: Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts - This guide reflects the current efforts in defining climate literacy.
• Communicating and Learning About Global Climate Change - An Abbreviated Guide for Teaching Climate Change, from Project 2061 at AAAS (PDF 33 MB)
• Earth's Climate System Paradigm - One page document from AMS (October, 2007)
• Environmental Literacy at Michigan State University Homepage
• Environmental Literacy Council Homepage
• Framework for Earth System Education - Seven Understandings developed by Ohio State University and the University of Northern Colorado
• Guidelines for Sustainability Literacy: The Intricacies of Living in an Interactive World - From By members of the Critical Issues Committee, Geological Society of America, E-an Zen and Allison R. (Pete) Palmer (1999, from BASIN.org)
• Ocean Literacy - The Essential Principles of Ocean Sciences K-12 - Published by National Geographic Society in 2005, this framework was the produce of a two-week online workshop hosted by the College of Exploration in October 2004 and involved NOAA, the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE) and the national marine Educators Association.
• Revolutionizing Earth System Science Education for the 21st Century - Report and Recommendations from a 50-State Analysis of Earth Science Education conducted by TERC for NOAA, Posted June 11, 2007. (PDF, 1.1 MB)
• Science for All Americans: Education for a Changing Future - A set of recommendations from Project 2061 on what understandings and ways of thinking are essential for all citizens in a world shaped by science and technology.
• Teaching About Global Climate Change -

  NSTA Reports--P. John Whitsett, NSTA President- September 10, 2007

• Toward Carbon Literacy - Online brochure from U.K. consulting company Carbon Sense

Other documents

The following is a list of other documents associated with standards and frameworks, submitted by NESTA members.