Developmentally Appropriate Standards: A Recommendation to Kellogg F.I.E.l.D School

This paper analyzes current research and standards in science education, developmental capabilities for critical thinking, and non-traditional education settings. The purpose of this work is to create appropriately sequenced standards bundles for a supplementary science program called the Kellogg F.I.E.L.D program in Palmer, Alaska. To build these 3-dimensional standards bundles, I compared, aligned, and synthesized the existing F.I.E.L.D program standards with the Alaska State Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and current research in best practices in pedagogy. The pedagogies reflected in standards bundles are Place-based pedagogy, Constructivism, Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, and Framework for K-12 Science Education and Learning. The project’s product is a set of grade-level, 3-dimensional standard bundles with suggestions for unit content.