Education Standards

When used with well designed, age-appropriate activities, the information available to students here can help engage students in science as inquiry. We at CMEX understand the importance of linking educational resources to education standards and are working on matching the information contained to science content standards. Standards address more than content. Our goal is to make CMEX a resource that is also aligned with science teaching and assessment standards, and the Benchmarks for Science Education. For example, concept maps created with the software provided by CMEX may be used as a tool to assess student knowledge about Mars or another topic. CMEX information is intended to take advantage of the power of technology such as computers and the internet in the classroom or an informal education setting, and has strong links to technology standards through the use of these tools and the information provided on technology used or proposed for the exploration of Mars.

National Education Standard and Benchmarks

• National Science Education Standards from the National Academy of Sciences. Designed to help of the nations students achieve the goal of science literacy, these standards are for science teaching, professional development, science content, science education programs, and science education systems. "The Standards rest on the premise that science is an active process. Learning science is something that students do, not something that is done to them. "Hands-on" activities, while essential, are not enough. Students must have "minds-on" experiences as well."


• National Educational Technology Standards is an ongoing initiative of the International Society for Technology in Education and a consortium of partners and co-sponsors. Teachers can use these standards and profiles as guidelines for planning technology-based activities in which students achieve success in learning, communication, and life skills.


• Benchmarks for Science Literacy "Benchmarks specifies how students progress toward science literacy, recommending what they should know and be able to do by the time they reach certain grade levels." This publication can aid teachers in deciding if concepts presented in various concept maps, science essays, and other resources are appropriate for the grade level of their students.

• Principles and Standards for School Mathematics from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Although these standards are not specifically mapped to much of the provided content, all science is related via mathematics. Certain portions, such as the Mars Calendar do have a stronger mathematics component and can be used to satisfy classroom requirements based on the Mathematics Standards.