Our concern about the Next Generation Science Standards began in mid-2018 when we created a free, one-week unit for grades 6-12 called Resisting Scientific Misinformation. Working with PBS NOVA staff at WGBH, we developed four lessons, with accompanying short videos, that were tested by teachers in three schools and three after-school programs, then revised and posted online at https://tumblehomebooks.org/services/resisting-scientific-misinformation/

As we worked on the unit we realized that the NGSS ought to emphasize how to investigate questionable scientific claims, how to find accurate sources of scientific information, and knowing more about how and why scientists develop confidence in their claims.

After publishing the curriculum unit, we spent six months developing the white paper on this website. After you read the paper, we hope you will also read our blog and offer comments.

About the Authors

Andrew A. Zucker, Ed.D.

Andy taught STEM subjects at many grade levels and was director of a school computer center. He has developed award-winning instructional materials for teaching and learning mathematics. At the U.S. Department of Education, he worked on issues and legislation involving math, science, and technology. Later, as a senior research scientist and then Associate Director of SRI International’s Center for Education Policy, Andy led evaluations of state and national education programs, including an evaluation of AAAS’s Project 2061, and a national evaluation of the federal Statewide Systemic Initiatives (SSI) program to improve math and science education. He is the author of two books about the use of technology in schools, many reports about education research and evaluation projects, and dozens of articles published in journals aimed variously at teachers, researchers, and policymakers. He received an A.B. from Harvard College, an M.A. from Stanford, and his doctorate in science education is from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Pendred Noyce, M.D.

Penny is a doctor, educator, writer, and executive director of Tumblehome Books. She is the author of 13 books of fiction and nonfiction for young people, most related to science. Trained in internal medicine, Penny practiced at a community health center for several years. For 25 years, she helped lead the Noyce Foundation, established in honor of her father, Robert Noyce, co-inventor of the integrated circuit and co-founder of Intel. The foundation focused on improving science education nationwide, with a focus on afterschool science. From 1993-2002, Penny helped lead a statewide math and science improvement effort called PALMS in the state of Massachusetts. She has served on the boards of numerous non-profits, including most recently the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, the Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy, TERC, the Libra Foundation of Maine, the Concord Consortium, and the Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications. For five years, she served on the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, and she is a past member of the AAAS Public Outreach Committee. Penny’s undergraduate degree in biochemistry comes from Harvard and she earned her medical degree at Stanford.