Book excerpt: The purposes of this guide are to demonstrate how to apply the National Science Education Standards to the real world of the middle school classroom and to serve as a tool for collaboration among principals, state and local administrators, parents, and school board members. Different sections focus on science teaching standards, professional development standards, assessment standards, content standards, program standards, and system standards. The unifying concepts and processes discussed in the content standards include science as inquiry, physical science, life science, earth and space science, science and technology, science in personal and social perspectives, and the history and nature of science. The appendices contain an account of the relevant history of the National Science Education Standards, the actual National Science Education Standards, and ideas about the design of middle school science facilities. (DDR)