Crosscutting Concepts

The Next Generation Science Standards are built upon the belief that there are BIG concepts that cut across the boundaries that separate the various disciplines of science. These are the Crosscutting Concepts. These concepts provide students with the intellectual abilities to connect ideas from Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Earth and Space Science. These concepts unify the various branches of science because they are applied to each branch in very similar ways. Activities that align with the NGSS are activities that can be found at the intersection of a core idea unique to a specific discipline, a crosscutting concept that is common to all disciplines, and the application of science and engineering practices. The Crosscutting Concepts are described below and activities that align with each concept are identified.