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It is intended as a guide to the next step, which is the process of developing standards for all students. The conceptual framework presented in this report of the Committee on a Conceptual Framework for New K-12 Science Education Standards articulates the committee’s vision of the scope and nature of the education in science, engineering, and technology needed for the 21st century. In these contexts, learning science is important for everyone, even those who eventually choose careers in fields other than science or engineering. In addition, understanding science and the extraordinary insights it has produced can be meaningful and relevant on a personal level, opening new worlds to explore and offering lifelong opportunities for enriching people’s lives.
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Indeed, some knowledge of science and engineering is required to engage with the major public policy issues of today as well as to make informed everyday decisions, such as selecting among alternative medical treatments or determining how to invest public funds for water supply options. Science, engineering, and the technologies they influence permeate every aspect of modern life. Although there is little doubt that this need is genuine, a compelling case can also be made that understanding science and engineering, now more than ever, is essential for every American citizen.
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Many recent calls for improvements in K-12 science education have focused on the need for science and engineering professionals to keep the United States competitive in the international arena. Although the intrinsic beauty of science and a fascination with how the world works have driven exploration and discovery for centuries, many of the challenges that face humanity now and in the future-related, for example, to the environment, energy, and health-require social, political, and economic solutions that must be informed deeply by knowledge of the underlying science and engineering. Science and engineering-significant parts of human culture that represent some of the pinnacles of human achievement-are not only major intellectual enterprises but also can improve people’s lives in fundamental ways.
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