Students will apply the knowledge and thinking skills of mathematics, science, and technology to address real-life problems and make informed decisions.

Connections

The knowledge and skills of mathematics, science, and technology are used together to make informed decisions and solve problems, especially those relating to issues of science/ technology/ society, consumer decision making, design, and inquiry into phenomena.

Elementary

• analyze science/technology/ society problems and issues that affect their home, school, or community, and carry out a remedial course of action

• make informed consumer decisions by applying knowledge about the attributes of particular products and making cost/benefit tradeoffs to arrive at an optimal choice

• design solutions to problems involving a familiar and real context, investigate related science concepts to inform the solution, and use mathematics to model, quantify, measure, and compute

• observe phenomena and evaluate them scientifically and mathematically by conducting a fair test of the effect of variables and using mathematical knowledge and technological tools to collect, analyze, and present data and conclusions.

Intermediate

• analyze science/technology/ society problems and issues at the local level and plan and carry out a remedial course of action

• make informed consumer decisions by seeking answers to appropriate questions about products, services, and systems; determining the cost/benefit and risk/benefit tradeoffs; and applying this knowledge to a potential purchase

• design solutions to real-world problems of general social interest related to home, school, or community using scientific experimentation to inform the solution and applying mathematical concepts and reasoning to assist in developing a solution

• describe and explain phenomena by designing and conducting investigations involving systematic observation- , accurate measurements, and the identification and control of variables; by inquiring into relevant mathematical ideas; and by using mathematical and technological tools and procedures to assist in the investigation

Commencement

• analyze science/technology/society problems and issues on a community, national, or global scale and plan and carry out a remedial course of action

• analyze and quantify consumer product data, understand environmental and economic impacts, develop a method for judging the value and efficacy of competing products, and discuss cost/benefit and risk/benefit tradeoffs made in arriving at the optimal choice

• design solutions to real-world problems on a community, national, or global scale using a technological design process that integrates scientific investigation and rigorous mathematical analysis of the problem and of the solution

• explain and evaluate phenomena mathematically and scientifically by formulating a testable hypothesis, demonstrating the logical connections between the scientific concepts guiding the hypothesis and the design of an experiment, applying and inquiring into the mathematical ideas relating to investigation of phenomena, and using (and if needed, designing) technological tools and procedures to assist in the investigation and in the communication of results