National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

Nanotechnology and the National Science Education Standards

This article will be updated soon to include the newly adopted Common Core.  The basic concept remains the same, however.  There are many places where nanotechnology activities naturally fit within the existing curriculum.

Inclusion of nanotechnology in the science curriculum will foster interdisciplinary explorations of science in K-12 curriculum. Nanotechnology uses science on the nanoscale, which occurs at the scale of atoms and molecules. Because nanotechnology is an emerging interdisciplinary field, it can be included in physical science, chemistry, physics, biology, environmental sciences, and engineering. Nanotechnology provides connections between and among the sciences that will help students to develop an understanding of the relationships between disciplines. Many teachers have questioned where this field fits into national and local science standards and how something that occurs at the atomic and molecular level can actually be addressed in the K-12 science curriculum. In general, nanotechnology “fits” into current science curriculum because it relies on numerous science concepts and processes which are part of the National Science Education Standards. Summarized below is where nanoscale science can be addressed in the National Science Standards:

Science Content Standards K-4: At this level, students may not be able to understand the concepts of atoms and molecules, but they are developing the foundation for more advanced understanding of science in middle and high school. Important foundations to be addressed at this level include addressing the following standards:

• Science as Inquiry including ability to do and understand scientific inquiry
• Physical Science including properties of objects and materials, position and motion of objects and light, heat and electricity
• Life Science including organisms and environments.
• Science and Technology including distinguishing between natural and man-made object, ability of technological design, and understanding about science and technology.
• Science in Personal and Social Perspectives including changes in environments and science and technology in local challenges.
• History and Nature of Science including science as a human endeavor

Science Content Standards 5-8: At this level, students begin to understand science concepts at a higher level and are capable to performing experiments/seeking information to understand these concepts. While middle-level students are still not ready to understand the world of atoms and molecules, they do develop a knowledge about the characteristics of materials which is an important component in understanding nanoscale science. Curriculum materials can include information on nanotechnology that will address the following standards:

• Science as Inquiry including ability to do and understand scientific inquiry
• Physical Science including properties and changes of properties in matter and light as well as transfer of energy
• Life Science including structure and function in living systems, regulation and behavior, and ecosystems
• Science and Technology including ability of technological design and understanding about science and technology
• Science in Personal and Social Perspectives including populations, resources, and environments, risks and benefits, and science and technology in society
• History and Nature of Science including science as a human endeavor, nature of science, and history of science

Science Content Standards 9-12: At this level, students develop a rich knowledge base about the physical and life sciences. They expand upon the knowledge learned in earlier grades to understand the microscopic structures of materials and substances. Chemical interactions, the chemical basis of life, and cell structure and function all become part of the curriculum. Nanotechnology can be included in a variety of high school curricular because of its interdisciplinary nature and its relationship with the basic science concepts taught in grades 9-12.

• Science as Inquiry including the abilities to do and understanding about scientific inquiry
• Physical Science including structure of atoms, structures and properties of matter, chemical reactions, properties of light, conservation of energy and increase in disorder, and interactions of energy and matter.
• Life Science including the cell, matter, energy, and organization of living systems, behavior of organisms, and molecular basis of heredity.
• Science and Technology including ability of technological design and understanding about science and technology
• Science in Personal and Social Perspectives including natural resources, environmental quality, natural and human-induced hazards and science and technology in local, national, and global challenges.
• History and Nature of Science including science as a human endeavor, nature of scientific knowledge, and historical perspectives.