In April 2013, the Next Generation Science Standards
(NGSS) were released.1 They build on the (now almost 20-
year-old) AAAS Benchmarks for Science Literacy,2 and
National Science Education Standards,3 in that they provide
guidance about what all students should know and be able to
do with that scientific knowledge. The NGSS are designed to
bring insights from newer research on how students learn
science4 into curricular design and delivery, and to provide a
standards structure that emphasizes a deeper understanding of
a smaller, yet more central number of core concepts. In a world
where facts are just a click away, it is the context of the
knowledge and the ability to use it that will become ever more
important.