Table Of ContentH MA K S
LITE RACY
R CIE CE
A ' I ' A - • j j M f. T '' I <, I
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P no J E c T 2 o 6 I uhool-dis/ttraimarsljl i rI11t1 11c1o1n1futrr n1u9e8,9 .
1 8
Chapter THE NA T U R E 0 F S C IE N C E J Ch11pter THE DESIGNED WORLD 181
A THE SCIENTIFIC WORLD VIEW 5 A AGRICULTURE 183
8 SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY 9 D MATERIALS AND MANUFACTURING 187
2 c THE SCIENCE ENTERPRISE 14 c ECNOEMRMGUYN SIoCuARTcIOENs AND UsE 192
196
Chapter TH E NA TU R E 0 F MATH E MA T IC S 23 D
INFORMATION PROCESSING 200
PATTERNS AND RELATIONSHIPS 25 E
AB MATHEMATICS, Sc1ENCE AND TECHNOLOGY JO 9 F HEALTH TECHNOLOGY 204
THE MATHEMATICAL WORLD
3 C MATHEMATICAL INQUIRY ]4 Chapter NUMBERS 210 209
Chapter T HE N AT U RE 0 F TE C HN 0 L 0 G Y 41 A SYMBOLIC
TECHNOLOGY ANO SCIENCE 43 8 RELATIONSHIPS 215
Chapter 4 T H EAc8 P HDITS EYHSUS ESIE GUSI N NCI NAIAV NTED RLE SC SEHYS SNE T6OE1TLM OTSG YI 4N 85J G 59 Chapter 10 HIScDET 0RSU HRENAACIPSECEORSNT A IANL2IGN2 2T PY2 E312 R26S PECTIVES 237
A DISPLACING THE EARTH FROM THE
THE EARTH 66 A
8 CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE 239
PROCESSES THAT SHAPE THE EARTH 71
c UNITING THE HEAVENS AND EARTH 242
STRUCTURE OF MATTER 75 8
D RELATING MATTER ENERGY
ENERGY TRANSFORMATIONS 81 c &.
E AND TIME&. SPACE
MOTION 87 244
GF FORCES OF NATURE 93 D EXTENDING TIME 246
5 E MOVING THE CONTINENTS 247
Chapter T H E L IV I N G E NV I R 0 N M E N T 99 F UNDERSTANDING FIRE 249
A DIVERSITY OF LIFE JOI G SPLITTING THE ATOM 252
8 HEREDITY 106 H EXPLAINING THE DIVERSITY OF LIFE 254
c CELLS 110 D1scovERING GERMS 256
D INTERDEPENDENCE OF LIFE 115 H HARNESSING POWER 258
l l
E FLOW OF MATTER AND ENERGY 118 Chapter COMMON THEMES
EVOLUTION OF LIFE 122
6 F A SYSTEMS 262
Chapter T H E H U M AN 0 R G AN I S M 8 MODELS 267 A
A HUMAN IDENTITY 128 C CONSTANCY AND CH NGE 27r
8 HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 131 D SCALE 276
c BASIC FUNCTIONS 135 Chapter 12 HABITS OF MIND
7 FED PMLEHEAYNRSTINCAIALNL GH HE1EA3AL9 LTTHH 14147 3 AB VCMAAOLMNUPIEPUSTU ALAATNTIDIOON AN A TANTNDIDT E UODSBTESISEM RAV2T8AI4TO INO N 28289 2
c
Chapter HUMAN SOCIETY 151 D COMMUNICATION SKILLS 295
A CULTURAL EFFECTS ON BEHAVIOR 15J E CRITICAL-RESPONSE SKILLS 298
B GROUP BEHAVIOR 157 \
c SocJAL CHANGE 161
D SOCIAL TRADE-OFFS 164
E POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC SYSTEMS 167
F SOCIAL CONFLICT 171
GLOBAL INTERDEPENDENCE 175
G
Pr
oject 2061 has been worlcing since 1985 to produce set of
a
tools that will help reform education in science, mathematics,
and technology-including both the design of local curriculum
and the educational system in which curriculum unfolds. Each
tool derives from the earlier ones and is meant to be used with
them in planning reform. Sciencef or All Americans and Benchmarks
far Science Literacy are available now. Other Project 2061 tools
shown in the diagram are in preparation.
SCIENCE
FOk ALL A�u:a1cANS
RE S O U R C E S
BENCHMARKS
FOk Sc1Y.NCE LITERACY CURRICULUM BLOCKS
CURRICULUMMO DELS
D ESIG NS
FOil SCIENCE LITERACY INSTRUCTION
AssESSMENT
RESEARCH
BLUEPRINTS CONSULTANTS
F O R RE F O R M
FEDERAL/STATE
UNIVERSITY
COMMUNITY
J
Bus NESS
I
CURRICULUM DESIG N
E D U C A T I O N SY S T E M \
B E N c H M A R K s
SCIE NCE LITE R AC Y
F 0 R
PROJECT 2061
AMERICAN Assoc1ATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF Sc1ENCE
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
NEW YORK OXFORD
r993
OXFORD UNJVERSITY PRESS
Ox FORD EW YORK TORONTO
DELHI BOMBAY CALCUTTA MADRAS
KARACHI
KUALA LuMPUR SINGAPORE HoNG KoNG TOKYO
DAR ES SALAAM CAPE TowN
NAIROBI
MELBOURNE AUCKLAND MADRID
AND ASSOCIATED COMPANIES IN
BERLIN IBADAN
Copyright© 1993 by American Association for the Advancement of Science
First published in 1993 by Oxford University Press, Inc.,
200 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016
First issued as an Oxford University Press paperback, 1993
Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of Oxford University Press, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Benchmarks for science literacy.
p. cm.
"Project 2061, American Association for the Advancement of Science."
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-19-508986-3
1. Science- tudy and reaching-United States. 2. Mathematics-Study and teaching-United States.
3. Engineering-Study and teaching-United States. I. Project 2061 (American Association for the Advancement of Science)
Ql 83.3.AlB46 1993
507' .1'273-dc20
93-39107
246897531
Printed United Stares of America
in the
acid-free paper
on
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE
VII
ABOUT BENCHMARKS XI
BENCHMARKS
1 THE NATURE OF SCIENCE J
2 THE NATURE 0 F MATHEMATICS 1J
3 THE NATURE 0 F TECHNOLOGY ./I
4 THE PHYSICAL SETTING 59
5 THE LI v ING ENVIRONMENT 99
6 THE HUMAN ORGANISM 127
7 HUMAN Soc1ETY 151
8 THE DESIGNED WORLD 181
9 THE MATHEMATICAL WORLD 109
10 HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES
11 COMMON THEMES
12 H A 8 I T s 0 F MI N D
BACKROUND
13 T H E 0 RI G I N 0 F BE N C HM A RK S )DJ
14 ISSUES AND LANGUAGE
JI!
15 T H E RE s E A R cH BA s E J17
16 B E y 0 ND BE Nc H MARK s J79
PARTICIPANTS
INDEX
PROJECT 2061 FU N DERS
CARNEGIE CORPORATION OF NEW YORK
Jo1·1N D. AND CATHERINE T. MACARTHUR FouNoATION
ANDREW W. MELLON FOUNDATION
RoBERT N. NoycE FouNDATION
THE PEW CHARITABLE TRUSTS
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
CALIFORNIA STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF EouCATION
TEXAS EouCATION AGENCY
W1sc0Ns1N DEPARTMENT OF PueL1c INSTRUCTION
TheA mericaAns sociatfiootrnh eA dvancemeonfSt c ience
wishetsoe xpreistsgs r atittuodt ehe m ajofru ndelriss taebdo vaen d
tot hem anyo thebru sinesses, schooanld i dnidsitvriidcwuthasol,c s o ntributed
toP roje2c06t1 andt hew orkl eaditnogt hirse port.
Theo piniofnisn,d incgosn,c lusions.
andr ecommendations eixnpB renechsmsaerksdfa r Science Literacy
aret hosoef P roje2c06t1 andd on otn eceasr ilrye flect
thev iewosf t hesoer ganizations.
