Students in Long Branch middle school continue to develop understanding of four core ideas in the physical
sciences. The middle school performance expectations in the Physical Sciences build on the K – 5
ideas and capabilities to allow learners to explain phenomena central to the physical sciences but
also to the life sciences and earth and space science. The performance expectations in physical
science blend the core ideas with scientific and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts to
support students in developing useable knowledge to explain real world phenomena in the
physical, biological, and earth and space sciences. In the physical sciences, performance
expectations at the middle school level focus on students developing understanding of several
scientific practices. These include developing and using models, planning and conducting
investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, using mathematical and computational thinking,
and constructing explanations; and to use these practices to demonstrate understanding of the
core ideas. Students are also expected to demonstrate understanding of several of engineering
practices including design and evaluation.
