State Standards

New Jersey: by Julie Ogden, Educator

Julie Ogden, who has taught science at Woodcliff Lake Middle School in Woodcliff Lake for more than 10 years, reviewed Selene and provided the following synopsis of how Selene meets New Jersey’s state standards.

Selene promotes an understanding of New Jersey Core Curriculum Standard 5.4 Earth Systems Science, which states that all students will understand that Earth operates as a set of complex, dynamic, and interconnected systems and is part of the all-encompassing system of the universe.

The focus of the program is on strand A - Objects in the Universe: Our universe has been expanding and evolving for 13.7 billion years under the influence of gravitational and nuclear forces. As gravity governs its expansion, organizational patterns, and the movement of celestial bodies, nuclear forces within stars govern its evolution through the processes of stellar birth and death. These same processes governed the formation of our solar system 4.6 billion years ago.

Selene will enable students to master 5.4.12.A.2 - Collect, analyze, and critique evidence that supports the theory that Earth and the rest of the solar system formed from a nebular cloud of dust and gas 4.6 billion years ago.

This understanding is influential to also developing an understanding of Strand B. History of Earth: From the time that Earth formed, it has been evolving as a result of geologic, biological, physical, and chemical processes.

This understanding is gained through use of three strands of 5.1 Science Practices (all students will understand that science is both a body of knowledge and an evidence-based, model-building enterprise that continually extends, refines, and revises knowledge):

Strand A - Understand Scientific Explanations: Students understand core concepts and principles of science and use measurement and observation tools to assist in categorizing, representing, and interpreting the natural and designed world.
Strand B - Generate Scientific Evidence Through Active Investigations: Students master the conceptual, mathematical, physical, and computational tools that need to be applied when constructing and evaluating claims.
Strand C - Reflect on Scientific Knowledge: Scientific knowledge builds on itself over time.

In addition, the interactive game aspect of Selene will encompass many of the standards that will be introduced in the new generation standards as New Jersey moves to national standards in science encompassing technology.