NBPTS AYA Science cheat sheet

Newton's second law: net force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma); weight differs from mass because weight is the gravitational force mg.

Work-energy theorem: net work equals change in kinetic energy; conservation of energy holds in closed systems, with energy transformed but not destroyed.

Ohm's law V = IR applies to ohmic conductors at constant temperature; power dissipated is P = IV = I²R = V²/R.

Ideal gas law PV = nRT links pressure, volume, moles, and absolute temperature; temperature must be in kelvin for all gas calculations.

Central dogma: DNA is transcribed to mRNA, which is translated to protein at ribosomes; mutations in codons may be silent, missense, or nonsense.

Natural selection requires heritable variation, differential reproductive success, and differential fitness tied to environment; it acts on phenotypes, not intentional change.

Plate tectonics: divergent boundaries create new crust, convergent boundaries subduct or uplift, transform boundaries slide; evidence includes seafloor spreading and paleomagnetism.

Acid-base chemistry: pH = -log[H⁺]; strong acids dissociate completely, buffers resist pH change by neutralizing added acid or base.

Crosscutting concepts (patterns, cause and effect, scale, systems, energy and matter, structure and function, stability and change) unify disciplinary core ideas across the NGSS.

A controlled experiment manipulates one independent variable while holding all other variables constant and measuring the dependent variable.

A valid hypothesis must be testable and falsifiable; predictions specify expected observations if the hypothesis is true.

Reliability refers to consistency of repeated measurements; validity refers to whether the instrument measures what it claims to measure.

Random assignment reduces selection bias in experiments; random sampling improves generalizability to a population.

Correlation does not establish causation; confounding variables and reverse causation are alternative explanations.

Measurement uncertainty includes random error (scatter) and systematic error (consistent bias); precision is not the same as accuracy.

A scientific claim is strengthened by peer review, replication, and convergence of independent lines of evidence.

Quantitative data are numerical and analyzable statistically; qualitative data describe qualities and are often coded for patterns.

Safety protocols require reviewing chemical hazards (SDS), using PPE, and knowing emergency procedures before any lab activity.

Backward design: identify desired results, determine acceptable evidence, then plan learning experiences and instruction.

Formative assessment informs ongoing instruction and feedback; summative assessment evaluates learning at the end of a unit.

A rubric defines performance criteria and proficiency levels; analytic rubrics score criteria separately, holistic rubrics give a single overall score.

3D learning in NGSS integrates disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts in each lesson.

The 5E model sequences instruction as Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate.

Alignment requires that objectives, instructional activities, and assessments all target the same learning goals and cognitive demand.

Bloom's revised taxonomy orders cognitive processes: remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create.

Item analysis uses difficulty (proportion correct) and discrimination (how well an item separates high and low scorers) to evaluate test quality.

Inquiry-based labs should require students to design procedures, collect and analyze data, and construct evidence-based explanations.

Piaget's stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational; formal operational reasoning enables abstract and hypothetical thought.

Vygotsky's zone of proximal development is the gap between what a learner can do alone and what they can do with guidance.

Scaffolding provides temporary support that is gradually removed as competence increases.

Prior knowledge strongly influences new learning; misconceptions must be surfaced and confronted rather than ignored.

Working memory is limited; chunking and sequenced instruction reduce cognitive load.

Metacognition-planning, monitoring, and evaluating one's own learning-improves transfer and self-regulation.

Adolescent brain development continues in the prefrontal cortex, affecting impulse control, planning, and risk assessment.

Spaced practice and retrieval practice produce more durable learning than massed rereading.

Culturally responsive teaching connects science content to students' lived experiences, languages, and communities.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) offers multiple means of representation, engagement, and action/expression.

Accommodations change how a student accesses content (e.g., extended time); modifications change what is taught or expected.

English learners benefit from explicit academic language instruction, visuals, sentence frames, and opportunities to use scientific discourse.

Disaggregating achievement data by subgroup reveals opportunity gaps that aggregate averages can hide.

Stereotype threat can depress performance when students perceive a negative group stereotype about their ability.

Equitable group work assigns interdependent roles and holds each student accountable for both process and product.

Underrepresented groups in STEM include students of color, students with disabilities, girls in physical science, and first-generation college students.

Scientific literacy includes understanding core ideas, evaluating evidence, and applying science to personal and civic decisions.

Socio-scientific issues (e.g., climate policy, gene editing, vaccine mandates) involve science plus values, economics, and ethics.

The nature of science: knowledge is empirical, tentative, and self-correcting; theories explain, laws describe, and both are supported by evidence.

Peer review and replication are quality controls; anecdote and testimony are weaker evidence than controlled studies.

Risk communication distinguishes hazard (potential for harm) from risk (probability and severity of harm).

Ethical research requires informed consent, confidentiality, and Institutional Review Board (IRB) oversight for human subjects.

Media literacy in science involves checking source credibility, distinguishing correlation from causation, and identifying funding conflicts.

Engineering design constraints include cost, safety, and environmental impact, not just technical feasibility.

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) use shared data, common assessments, and collaborative inquiry to improve instruction.

Lesson study cycles involve planning a research lesson, observing it, and revising based on evidence.

Mentoring supports beginning teachers through observation, feedback, and modeling of effective practice.

Distributed leadership shares responsibility across teacher leaders, departments, and administrators rather than resting on one person.

Common assessments enable cross-classroom comparison and calibration of grading standards.

Effective science departments manage inventory, safety training, and equipment budgets collaboratively.

Family and community partnerships improve student engagement and should be planned, not incidental.

Advocacy for science education includes communicating resource needs to administrators and the public with data.

Reflective practice uses systematic self-observation and evidence (student work, video, peer feedback) to revise instruction.

Action research cycles are plan, act, observe, reflect, then repeat with adjustments.

A professional growth plan sets specific, measurable goals tied to student outcomes and evidence of practice.

Video analysis of teaching reveals patterns in questioning, wait time, and discourse that are hard to notice in real time.

Feedback is most useful when specific, timely, and focused on observable behaviors rather than personality.

Teacher evaluation frameworks (e.g., Danielson) describe domains such as planning, instruction, and professional responsibility.

Continuing professional development should be sustained, content-focused, and collaborative rather than one-day workshops.

Keeping a reflective journal with dated entries supports evidence-based growth over time.

Work is force times displacement in the direction of force; if displacement is perpendicular to force, work is zero.

Momentum is conserved in closed systems without external net force; impulse equals change in momentum (FΔt = Δp).

Cell theory: all organisms are made of cells, cells are the basic unit of life, and cells arise from preexisting cells.

Photosynthesis converts light energy to chemical energy in glucose; cellular respiration releases that energy as ATP.

Genetic inheritance follows Mendelian ratios for single traits; independent assortment applies to genes on different chromosomes.

The rock cycle links igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks through melting, weathering, and heat/pressure.

Density equals mass divided by volume; buoyancy depends on displaced fluid weight (Archimedes' principle).

In chemical reactions, mass is conserved; balancing equations ensures equal numbers of each atom on both sides.

Scientific models are simplified representations used to explain and predict; models are revised as evidence accumulates.

A hypothesis is a testable explanation; a prediction is a specific expected outcome derived from it.

Independent variable is manipulated; dependent variable is measured; controlled variables are held constant.

A control group provides a baseline for comparison and should differ only in the treatment being tested.

Data tables should label variables and units; graphs should match type to data (bar for categories, line for trends).

Sample size affects statistical power; small samples increase uncertainty and reduce generalizability.

Bias can arise from sampling, measurement, or reporting; blinding reduces observer and participant bias.

Scientific explanations should cite evidence from data and connect it to established scientific principles.

Replication by independent researchers strengthens confidence in findings; single studies are provisional.

Lab safety includes reading SDS, using PPE, and following disposal procedures for chemicals and biological materials.

Learning objectives should use observable verbs (analyze, design, explain) rather than vague verbs (know, understand).

Constructive alignment matches objectives, activities, and assessments at the same cognitive level.

Performance assessments require students to apply knowledge to authentic tasks and are scored with rubrics.

Formative checks (exit tickets, whiteboards, questioning) provide real-time evidence to adjust instruction.

Feedback should be specific, actionable, and timely to improve learning.

Differentiation adjusts content, process, or product based on readiness, interest, or learning profile.

Assessment validity concerns whether a test measures the intended construct; reliability concerns consistency of scores.

Test blueprints map items to objectives and cognitive levels to ensure balanced coverage.

NGSS performance expectations combine practices, core ideas, and crosscutting concepts and should guide assessment design.

Constructivism holds that learners build knowledge by connecting new information to prior knowledge.

Misconceptions are persistent, intuitive ideas (e.g., heavier objects fall faster) that require targeted instruction to change.

Cognitive load theory distinguishes intrinsic load (task complexity) from extraneous load (poorly designed instruction).

Scaffolding fades as learners gain competence, transferring responsibility to the student.

Motivation increases when students perceive relevance, competence, and autonomy (self-determination theory).

Adolescents develop increasing capacity for abstract reasoning but benefit from concrete anchors and models.

Peer collaboration supports learning through explanation, argumentation, and negotiation of meaning.

Growth mindset research emphasizes that effort and strategy use influence learning, though effects vary by context.

Equity means providing what each student needs to succeed, not treating all students identically.

UDL principles: multiple means of representation, engagement, and action/expression.

Culturally relevant pedagogy uses students' cultural knowledge as a resource for learning science.

Accommodations (e.g., extended time, read-aloud) do not alter learning expectations; modifications do.

Language supports for multilingual learners include visuals, glossaries, sentence frames, and structured discourse.

Disaggregated data can reveal gaps in access to advanced courses, lab experiences, or qualified teachers.

Inclusive lab design considers physical accessibility, safety for all learners, and varied communication modes.

Stereotype threat and belonging concerns can affect participation; inclusive climates reduce these barriers.

Representation in curriculum (scientists from diverse backgrounds) supports identity and engagement.

Socio-scientific issues require weighing scientific evidence alongside ethical, economic, and cultural values.

Nature of science: scientific knowledge is empirical, tentative, and socially negotiated; theories are well-supported explanations.

Correlation versus causation is a central media-literacy skill for evaluating science claims.

Peer review and replication are safeguards against error and bias; anecdote is weak evidence.

Hazard is the potential for harm; risk combines probability and severity and depends on exposure.

Ethical research with human subjects requires informed consent, confidentiality, and IRB review.

Engineering solutions are constrained by cost, safety, sustainability, and social acceptability.

Science communication should match audience, acknowledge uncertainty, and avoid overclaiming.

PLCs focus on shared goals: what students should learn, how to know they learned it, and how to respond when they haven't.

Lesson study is a collaborative cycle of planning, observing, and revising a research lesson.

Common assessments and calibration protocols align grading and reveal instructional gaps.

Mentoring and induction programs support new teachers and reduce attrition.

Teacher leadership can be formal (department chair) or informal (curriculum innovator, peer coach).

Data teams analyze student work and assessment results to plan instructional adjustments.

Safety leadership includes maintaining equipment, training staff, and documenting chemical inventories.

Family engagement strategies include accessible communication, translated materials, and invitations to science events.

Reflection should be evidence-based, using student work, observation notes, video, or assessment data.

Action research follows plan-act-observe-reflect cycles to improve practice.

SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) structure professional growth plans.

Video analysis helps identify patterns in questioning, wait time, and student discourse.

Effective feedback is specific, timely, and focused on observable practice.

Sustained, collaborative professional development is more effective than isolated one-day workshops.

Reflective journals and portfolios document growth and support evaluation conversations.

Seeking peer observation and coaching builds a culture of continuous improvement.

Newton's laws describe inertia, F = ma, and action-reaction pairs.

Energy is conserved but transforms between kinetic, potential, thermal, and chemical forms.

Electric circuits: series adds resistance, parallel divides current; V = IR governs each component.

The ideal gas law PV = nRT requires absolute temperature and consistent units.

DNA transcription and translation produce proteins; mutations alter sequence and may affect function.

Natural selection requires heritable variation and differential reproductive success.

Plate tectonics explains earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain building at plate boundaries.

pH = -log[H⁺]; buffers resist pH change by neutralizing added acid or base.

Crosscutting concepts unify core ideas across disciplines and support transfer.

Experiments manipulate one independent variable and measure a dependent variable while controlling others.

Hypotheses must be testable and falsifiable; predictions state expected outcomes.

Reliability is consistency of measurement; validity is measuring the intended construct.

Random assignment reduces bias in experiments; random sampling improves generalizability.

Correlation does not imply causation; confounders and reverse causation are alternatives.

Random error scatters measurements; systematic error biases them consistently.

Replication and peer review strengthen scientific claims.

Quantitative data are numerical; qualitative data describe qualities and are coded for patterns.

Safety requires hazard review, PPE, and knowledge of emergency procedures.

Backward design: desired results, acceptable evidence, then learning experiences.

Formative assessment informs instruction; summative assessment evaluates learning at a unit's end.

Rubrics define criteria and proficiency levels; analytic rubrics score criteria separately.

NGSS 3D learning integrates core ideas, practices, and crosscutting concepts.

The 5E model sequences instruction as Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate.

Alignment requires objectives, activities, and assessments to target the same goals.

Bloom's revised taxonomy orders remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create.

Item difficulty and discrimination indices help evaluate test quality.

Inquiry labs require students to design procedures, analyze data, and construct explanations.

Piaget's formal operational stage enables abstract and hypothetical reasoning.

Vygotsky's ZPD is the gap between independent and guided performance.

Scaffolding is temporary support that fades as competence grows.

Prior knowledge and misconceptions shape new learning and must be surfaced.

Working memory limits require chunking and reduced extraneous load.

Metacognition-planning, monitoring, evaluating-supports transfer.

Adolescent prefrontal development affects planning and risk assessment.

Spaced and retrieval practice produce durable learning.

Culturally responsive teaching connects science to students' experiences and communities.

UDL offers multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression.

Accommodations change access; modifications change expectations.

Multilingual learners benefit from visuals, sentence frames, and structured discourse.

Disaggregated data reveal opportunity gaps hidden by averages.

Stereotype threat can depress performance under negative group stereotypes.

Equitable group work uses interdependent roles and individual accountability.

Underrepresented groups in STEM include students of color, students with disabilities, and first-generation students.

Scientific literacy includes core ideas, evidence evaluation, and civic application.

Socio-scientific issues combine science with values, economics, and ethics.

Nature of science: knowledge is empirical, tentative, and self-correcting.

Peer review and replication are quality controls; anecdote is weaker evidence.

Hazard is potential for harm; risk combines probability and severity.

Ethical research requires informed consent, confidentiality, and IRB oversight.

Media literacy involves checking credibility and distinguishing correlation from causation.

Engineering constraints include cost, safety, and environmental impact.

PLCs use shared data, common assessments, and collaborative inquiry.

Lesson study cycles plan, observe, and revise a research lesson.

Mentoring supports beginning teachers through observation and feedback.

Distributed leadership shares responsibility across teacher leaders and administrators.

Common assessments calibrate grading and enable cross-classroom comparison.

Science departments collaboratively manage safety, inventory, and budgets.

Family and community partnerships should be planned and sustained.

Advocacy communicates resource needs with data.

Reflective practice uses evidence such as student work, video, and peer feedback.

Action research cycles plan, act, observe, reflect, and repeat.

Professional growth plans set specific, measurable goals tied to student outcomes.

Video analysis reveals patterns in questioning and discourse.

Feedback is most useful when specific, timely, and behavior-focused.

Teacher evaluation frameworks describe domains such as planning and instruction.

Sustained, collaborative professional development outperforms one-day workshops.

Reflective journals with dated entries document growth over time.