3. Curriculum Alignments: Common Core State Standards Initiative, Individual State Standards, National Associations and Professional Organizations
As our team developed the new 3.0 website and the curriculum CCK STEM Expeditions (Lesson Plans), close alignment with state and national standards within the STEM disciplines was the objective. The new national Core Curriculum State Standards initiative and individual state standards in mathematics and English were consulted, as well as individual state standards in science and social studies. We realize that some concepts taught in the classroom vary from state to state. Therefore, we have developed our CCK STEM Expeditions in leveled grade bands of K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. We believe this is a great resource –along with the website which offers educators the opportunity to customize the difficulty of material for individual students, meeting their immediate needs and growing with them.
Many national associations – if not all – have now argued for the importance of integration of technology, as well as 21st Century Skills such as problem solving and critical thinking, into the teaching of core content disciplines. Clever Crazes consulted with guidelines of those organizations in the development of content for the website. These include:
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- American Association of Physics Association
- Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education
- Association for sTEm Teacher Education
- Cable in the Classroom
- Council for Economic Education
- Games in Education
- International Reading Association
- International Society for Technology in Education
- International Technology and Engineering Educators Organizations
- National Association for the Education of Young Children
- National Association for Sports and Physical Education
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- National Council for History Education
- National Council for the Social Studies
- National Council of Teachers of English
- National Council for Teachers of Mathematics
- National Education Association
- National Middle School Association
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association
- National Science Teachers Associations
- North American Association for Environmental Education
- US Geological Survey Education
