New Jersey Department of Education

Grades K-5 Model Curriculum Framework

The 2023 edition of the New Jersey Department of Education’s (NJDOE) Model Science Curriculum Framework for Grades K–5 builds on the success of the first edition. The NJDOE’s goal for this edition is to ensure that educators have an evidence-based structure to work with when developing local curriculum.

The curriculum framework illustrates how students in kindergarten through grade 5 can have multiple opportunities to engage with disciplinary core ideas (DCIs), science and engineering practices (SEPs), and crosscutting concepts (CCCs) targeted in the performance expectations, with scaffolding fading over the course of the year of instruction.

Children are curious. Whether wondering where the water goes when it rains or asking how a toy car works, their questions and enthusiasm can set the stage for learning almost from infancy. This curiosity has sparked a major rethinking of how and when children are introduced to science and engineering in school. Educators now realize that the years from preschool through the elementary grades offer the opportunity for children to be better prepared for these subjects in middle school and high school, giving them access to possible careers in science and engineering. Helping children to understand science and to solve real-world engineering and design problems will support them in being informed decisionmakers about issues that matter in their lives and allow them to experience the wonders of the natural and designed worlds (NASEM, 2021).

The following links provide access to important resources about the development and use of the Model Science Curriculum Framework for Grades K-5.

The resources provided on this webpage are for informational purposes only. All resources must meet the New Jersey Department of Education’s (NJDOE) accessibility guidelines. Currently, the Department aims to conform to Level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1). However, the NJDOE does not guarantee that linked external sites conform to Level AA of the WCAG 2.1. Neither the NJDOE nor its officers, employees or agents specifically endorse, recommend or favor these resources or the organizations that created them. Please note that the NJDOE has not reviewed or approved the materials related to the programs.

Page Last Updated: 11/06/2024

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