# data[].attributes.body
https://my.nsta.org/ngss/AccessStandardsByTopic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
NSTA - National Science Teaching Association

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Topics are in tables by Grade Band, and then further broken down into columns of Life Science, Earth & Space Science, and Physical Science. The Engineering Design topic is located at the end of the respective grade band.

# data[].attributes.body
My preference it to read them at NSTA but they are also available at https://www.nextgenscience.org/ (the next gen site also has some advanced search opportunities that NSTA doesn't have)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Access the Next Generation Science Standards by Topic

The Topics are in tables by Grade Band, and then further broken down into columns of Life Science, Earth & Space Science, and Physical Science. The Engineering Design topic is located at the end of the respective grade band.
Access the standards arranged by Disciplinary Core Idea (DCI)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
NSTA - National Science Teaching Association

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Topics are in tables by Grade Band, and then further broken down into columns of Life Science, Earth & Space Science, and Physical Science. The Engineering Design topic is located at the end of the respective grade band. Access the standards arranged by Disciplinary Core Idea (DCI)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Quality Examples of Science Lessons and Units | Next Generation Science Standards

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
To identify and shine a spotlight on emerging examples of quality lessons and units designed for the NGSS, Achieve launched the EQuIP Peer Review Panel for Science (PRP). NextGenScience, the former Achieve science team, continues this work, managing reviews that use the EQuIP Rubric for Science (Ver…

# data[].attributes.body
Currently only MS units available. ES and HS starting soon.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Home - OpenSciEd

Home - OpenSciEd

Our curriculum fosters deep, engaging science learning and is the only curriculum designed for the NGSS that has had every unit rated as quality -and it's freely available to anyone.

MAKING HIGH QUALITY SCIENCE EDUCATION AVAILABLE TO ALL STUDENTS

TEACHERS TESTED & APPROVED

GROWING NETWORK OF TEACHERS

What Educators Say

"My students have begun to realize they have the power and knowledge to plan and investigate how the world works around them."

-Kym Whitney, 7th Grade Teacher

"My students are more excited about science than ever, and they're connecting what they're learning to their lives and experiences."

-Megan Euler, 7th Grade Teacher

"OpenSciEd lessons are a lifesaver. They are standards-based, easy to implement, and, best of all, my kids LOVE them!"

-Taylor Halliday, Gifted Intervention Specialist

Adopt the Curriculum.

To make the shifts in science education that today's science standards demand, we've created high quality instructional materials paired with transformative professional learning. Tied to our mission of providing high quality science learning for all students, we also have partnered with a variety of organizations that can offer additional materials and support to ensure the long-term success of your implementation. Learn more about the different paths for adopting our instructional materials.

Learn More

Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Check out the guidance for the steps to designing a coherent NGSS aligned storyline. Explore unpacking, identifying phenomena, and sequencing investigations to help students build science ideas, step by step.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What's New on the NGSS?

See what teaching and learning ideas the Tch Next Gen Science Squad (the Squadsters) have posted in their recent blogs. Check out these new videos on using the KLEWS technique and another video playlist, NGSS: From Theory to Practice.

Need a primer on the Next Generation Science Standards? Start here.

Essential Questions
No matter how familiar you are (or aren't!) with the NGSS, we've got resources for you. Click on the essential questions below to learn about specific areas of the NGSS or check out the resource libraries further down. Let's dive in and start learning!

Video Lounge: Scientific Modeling With Young Students
Enter Kaia Tomokiyo's Kindergarten class to see scientific modeling in action as part of this interactive video experience.
Check it out!

Our NGSS Tcher Leaders
Here are some of the educators who are helping to lead and shape our vision for this NGSS Deep Dive:

Tom Jenkins - Boeing Science Laureate: "Science is something that should be immersive and experiential. Don't missed out on a chance to engage, as well as inspire students."
More about Tom

Tch NextGen Science Squad: The "squadsters," as they are affectionately known, share resources, ideas, and reflections on learning about the NGSS.
More about Tch NextGen Science Squad

Video Lounge: Developing and Using Models in Science
Step inside a fifth grade classroom where students are learning about the sun's effect on climate and the seasons. Watch students engaging in NGSS practices using models, constructing explanations, and communicating information. Add your thoughts and see what your colleagues are saying.

For more interactive videos on NGSS, click here.

Our Partners
To support our community, we've curated relevant and high-quality materials from leading science and educational organizations.

Click here to see all of our partners.

Special thanks to
The Carnegie Corporation of New York for funding our work to support understanding of the NGSS.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Guide To The Next Generation Science Standards

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What's New on the NGSS? See what teaching and learning ideas the Tch Next Gen Science Squad (the Squadsters) have posted in their recent blogs. Check out these new videos on using the KLEWS technique and another video playlist, NGSS: From Theory to Practice. Need a primer on the Next Generation Science Standards?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Read the Next Generation Science Standards

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Bundling the NGSS | Next Generation Science Standards

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What is bundling? “Bundles” are groups of standards arranged together to create the endpoints for units of instruction. Bundling is just one step in a curriculum development process; many other steps are required to create instructional materials designed for the NGSS.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This story about kindergarten science instruction n is part of a series about innovative practices in the core subjects in the early grades. Read about math and social studies.

REDMOND, Ore. - Science could be considered the perfect elementary school subject. It provides real life applications for reading and math and develops critical thinking skills that help students solve problems in other subjects. Plus, it's interesting. It helps answer all those "why" questions - Why is the sun hot? Why do fish swim? Why are some people tall and other people short? - that 5- to 8-year-old children are so famous for asking.

Young children are "super curious," said Matt Krehbiel, director of science for Achieve, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students graduate from high school ready to start college or to pursue a career. "We want them to be able to harness that curiosity to help them make sense of the world around them."

But science has long been given short shrift in the first few years of school. Most elementary school teachers have little scientific background and many say they feel unprepared to teach the subject well, according to a national survey of science and mathematics education conducted by a North Carolina research firm in 2012. Just 44 percent of K-2 teachers felt they were "well prepared" to teach science, according to the survey, compared to 86 percent who felt well prepared to teach reading.

Possibly as a result, the average first- through fourth-grade student spent just 2.5 hours per week on science during the 2011-12 school year, the last for which data is available, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. And that could be why just 38 percent of fourth grade students performed at or above proficient on the latest National Assessment of Education Progress for science, which was administered in 2015.

That's a problem because careers in science, engineering and math are some of the fastest growing (and best paid) sectors of the American economy. Such jobs made up 6.2 percent of all U.S. employment in 2015, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, and that's not counting healthcare jobs, which make up another 9.1 percent. If today's grade school children aren't science literate, they'll have a much bigger hurdle to overcome when they try to enter those fields in the early 2030s.

"It was whatever we came up with ourselves. [Science] didn't have as much weight as reading, writing and math."

Jennifer Callahan, kindergarten teacher in Redmond, Oregon

But the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), first released in 2013, could be changing all that. The standards, adopted in full by 19 states and the District of Columbia (another 19 states adopted very similar new standards), are meant to help teachers focus on the importance of learning science by conducting experiments, collecting and recording information and evaluating evidence. Getting schools and teachers to begin effectively teaching to the new learning goals is a multi-year process.

"The reality of implementation is that it ends up being all over the map for a variety of reasons," Krehbiel said. "Some [states] are moving forward great guns, others not so much."

A new national science test and a new national survey, both due out in 2019, will show whether science achievement has improved and whether time spent on science has increased; in the meantime, the standards are definitely spurring some to action.

"When there are new standards, there is new attention put on what the standards are asking us to do," said Cristina Trecha, director of the Oregon Science Project, an organization that provides science education training to rural and semi-rural teachers in Oregon, which adopted the standards in 2014. "NGSS is going to give us a reason to teach science."
Related: The next generation of science education means more doing
That's been true for Redmond, Oregon, kindergarten teacher Jennifer Callahan.

"We weren't doing much at all," Callahan said. "There was a curriculum, but in the time I'd been here, there was no training. It was whatever we came up with ourselves. It didn't have as much weight as reading, writing and math."

It does now.

On a Wednesday in May, Callahan's classroom at the Redmond Early Learning Center, which houses all of the semi-rural district's 400 kindergartners, was alive with scientific discovery. Callahan's students were arrayed in a big circle rolling a ball across the rug to various classmates. After each roll, Callahan asked if it had taken a strong force or a gentle force to move the ball. Kids answered with a hand signal - one hand petting the other for gentle, a flexed bicep for strong - then explained their answer to their partner before Callahan called on a student to say what he or she thought.

Next, students matched images of scenes - a toy car being pushed up a ramp or two people tossing a ball, for example - with the correct word identifying the type of force depicted: strong or gentle. After practicing as a class, kids broke into small groups to sort more images.

At one table, four students worked together to quickly place all their image cards under the correct header.
Related: New standards get kids in California excited about science
"He didn't put that much force," said Lorenzo Glasser, 6, as he placed an image of a boy juggling a soccer ball with his knees under the word "gentle." How could Lorenzo tell the boy hadn't used much force? "It made it [the ball] go not that far," he explained.

Lorenzo's classmate, Scout Simonsen, also 6, said they were old hands at understanding forces. They'd been working on it "a long time, a few weeks," she said. She threw her hands up in the air, seeming exasperated. "It feels like 5,000 years!"

Sorting done, the class gathered back on the rug to go through the cards as a group and tell each other how they got their answers. Then it was time to continue their ongoing experiment with forces by taking out their "pinball machines" - open cardboard boxes with elastic bands stretched across, which acted as launchers for tennis balls.

"If you pull the launcher back really far, the ball can go a long distance," Heidi Variz, 6, reminded the class before they got started with the next step in the experiment. What would happen if they used a shoelace, instead of their finger, to activate the launcher?

2.5 hours per week - Average time spent on science in first through fourth grade

Reese Homann, 6, wasn't sure about this new development. She raised her hand. "I don't understand why we have to use the shoelace to make it different," she said. "That's not what was on the video."

"Good question," Callahan said. The video the class had watched before they built their pinball machines "was just the beginning," she told Reese. "But as we do new things, we learn more."

Learning more by trying new things is what Callahan loves about the NGSS-inspired science lessons she's running in her class this year. Today's lesson on force comes from Amplify Science, a curriculum developed by educators at Amplify, a curriculum vendor, and researchers at the Lawrence Hall of Science, a public science center at the University of California, Berkeley. It's one of three elementary school science curriculums Callahan is helping to pilot now that her district decided to re-commit to elementary science education.

Callahan has become a particularly fervent believer in the power of science education in her classroom. In 2016, she was accepted as a trainer for the Oregon Science Project. Along with 200 other Oregon educators, more than half of whom were elementary school teachers, Callahan spent the 2016-17 school year learning best practices for teaching kindergarten science. In the summer of 2017, she passed that training on to 19 of her Redmond colleagues who wanted to learn more about teaching science in their elementary school classrooms.

"I'm thrilled with NGSS because of all the hands-on opportunities," Callahan said. Her students also learn the value of taking risks, making mistakes and problem solving. "That higher level thinking ... I don't think we were really pushing that before."
Related: States are slow to adopt controversial science standards (published in 2013)
Getting students beyond activities like memorizing the stages of a butterfly's lifecycle or learning the parts of a plant is just what NGSS is meant to inspire. The standards list scientific concepts and practices students should understand at the end of each grade level, as well as specific ideas they should know.

Compiled by state leaders, the National Research Council, the National Science Teacher Association and others, the standards were warmly received by many educators when they were first released. Not everyone loved them though. Critics complained the standards overemphasize skills while relegating factual scientific knowledge to secondary importance. And some conservatives decried the standards' references to climate change and evolution as so much political maneuvering.

But Achieve's Krehbiel, formerly a high school science teacher in Kansas, believes the standards can make a positive difference for students.

"It's all about kids being able to explain the world around them and being thoughtful about scientific information," Krehbiel said. "If you teach in this way, kids will show an increased likelihood to pursue a career in science, see science as relevant to their lives and show an increased interest in science."

Oregon educators are hoping that proves true here. The state, which ranked dead last for time spent on science in elementary school in 2009, is aggressively trying to get better. The Oregon Science Project was initially funded by a grant from the federal government and will continue with funding from the state and from professional development fees charged to districts. The state also published a science and math education strategic plan in 2016. Among other goals, the plan calls for increasing the time spent on science in elementary school to above the national average.

Trecha, of the Oregon Science Project, said the state's focus is beginning to make a difference, though she acknowledges there's still a long way to go. When speaking with teachers from all over the state, Trecha said, she heard that some elementary schools don't have science as part of their weekly schedule and many districts don't have an up-to-date science curriculum, although having one is required by state law.

"We've asked [elementary students] to make things sink or float, but we haven't asked them to make sense of it or explain it," Trecha said. She said children should be asked to draw diagrams of floating objects, think about invisible forces like buoyancy, or wrestle with tricky concepts like density to deepen their understanding of why some objects sink and others float.

It's also important to do a better job reaching all students, Trecha said. Black and Latino students and students from low-income homes tend to perform less well on the national fourth grade science assessment. That pattern holds true in Oregon. Just 14 percent of Latino students, 10 percent of American Indian/Alaska native students and 23 percent of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, an indicator of low family income, scored at or above proficient in science in 2015. (Not enough black Oregonians took the test to accurately measure the group's performance.) In contrast, 37 percent of Oregon's entire fourth grade population scored at or above proficient. These disparate outcomes persist through middle and high school, where girls also start to perform less well than their male peers.

38 percent - Percentage of American fourth graders performing at or above proficient in science on 2015 National Assessment of Educational progress

Against that backdrop, improving science instruction in districts like Redmond, where 74 percent of K-3 students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch and 18 percent are Latino, is especially important, Trecha would argue.

Back in Callahan's classroom, Malachi Ballinger, 6, and Alyssa Akre, 6, are tugging on shoelaces now attached to their rubber band launchers and observing how the tennis balls react to the forces they are now exerting on them.

"When we used our fingers [the ball] went off the edge," Alyssa said. That's not happening with the shoelace tied to the launcher, so, she concluded, the force is "kind of less now."

Next, it was time to take notes on their experiment. The notes are important, Malachi said as he carefully drew a diagram of his pinball machine, "because that helps us know stuff - know how forces move." Besides, he added, taking notes is what scientists do "so they can remember."

"[Scientists] always say what happens," Alyssa chimed in.

"They say 'because' a lot," added Kyah Higgins, 5.

So, that's what scientists do, but what do they look like?

Laughing, Alyssa said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world: "They look like us!"

This story about the Next Generation Science Standards was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the Hechinger newsletter.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Will new standards improve elementary science education?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This story about kindergarten science instruction n is part of a series about innovative practices in the core subjects in the early grades. Read about math and social studies. REDMOND, Ore. - Science could be considered the perfect elementary school subject.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Phenomena | Next Generation Science Standards

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In addition, the three minute video interview below with Brian Reiser introduces phenomena and their connection to the NGSS and three-dimensional learning:

# data[].attributes.headline
Videos for all of the SEP's, DCI's and CCC's

# data[].attributes.subject
Videos for all of the SEP's, DCI's and CCC's

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Wonder of Science website aggregates the work of Paul Andersen around the NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A Quick Example of An Anchor Phenomenon and Supporting Lesson Level Phenomenon

Anchor - What can we see in the sky?

To start a unit on the Earth and stars, we asked students to create a sky observation journal in their science notebooks - what do you see in the sky during the day and night?

Choose a day for students to share their journal entries with each other and the whole class. We may recognize that we see the sun during the day, and clouds and the moon and planes in the sky. At night, we see some of the same things but we also see man-made lights, the moon and the stars. Student questions can sound like - Where does the sun go? What causes the PATTERNS we notice in the sun and moon rising and setting? Why can we see the moon during the day? Why can we see the moon at night? Where do the stars go during the day? Why does the sun look so big? How can we explain the SCALE differences in the objects in the sky?

We may recognize some student questions focus on the sky at night and some during the day. Let's focus on thinking about the night sky.

When students recorded their observations, their journal also included a prompt to include other times they have looked at the night sky but in a different place - maybe when they visited a family member or when they went on a trip.

The night sky can look differently everywhere, even at the same exact spot depending on the night. To have a common experience we can share our observations and questions, and might even seek out some larger scale and representative views of the night sky to share with the students.

We would hope students would ask things like - Why do we see stars at night? Where is the sun? How close are the stars? Why do some stars look bigger? Why are some different colors? Why are some stars brighter?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Is An Anchoring Phenomenon? - Phenomena for NGSS

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We have probably heard these terms - anchor phenomenon and lesson level phenomenon - and wondered, how we can tell them apart? To make the best use of instructional materials and planning to use phenomenon in the science classroom, the distinction is important to consider.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A group to discuss and share resources to support implementing the Framework and NGSS in K-12 classrooms. Post questions about NGSS, and share pointers to helpful PD, resources, curriculum...

# data[].attributes.body
Elementary Units

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Three-dimensional science standards based on A Framework for K-12 Science Education raise several questions about how to monitor student progress toward those learning goals. The Task Annotation Project in Science (TAPS) was launched to provide an answer to the questions "what does it look like to ask students to demonstrate progress toward three-dimensional standards?" and "what are the most important features of high-quality science tasks?" By asking a diverse set of experts to identify concrete features of three-dimensional assessment tasks across multiple domains of science across the K-12 spectrum, this project was designed to 1) collaboratively provide concrete, annotated examples of different kinds of three-dimensional assessments, highlighting features of high-quality science assessments and opportunities for improvement, and 2) surface lessons learned from looking across grades, domains, and task purposes.

This suite of resources includes annotated examples of assessment tasks for elementary, middle, and high school as well as a series of short resources that highlight the major takeaways across the whole project. These include:

Project-wide takeaways for educators, administrators, policy-makers, and assessment developers.

The "must-have" features of all three-dimensional science assessments.

Features of equitable science assessments.

Features of high-quality scenarios that drive three-dimensional assessments.

A practical definition of sense-making and its critical role in distinguishing three-dimensional assessments from more traditional science assessments.

Lessons-learned about how to assess science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts.

Implications for science assessment systems, including large-scale assessments, and recommendations for decision-makers involved in assessment design.

Tasks by Grade Band:
Click the links below to explore the set of task annotations in each grade band:

Acknowledgements:
The Task Annotation Project in Science would not have been possible without the thought leaders, evaluators, and reviewers who contributed to this work. This diverse set of researchers, developers, partners, educators, and decision-makers lent their time and expertise to conceptualize the project, evaluate the assessments, and identify lessons learned and further questions from this process.

Achieve also thanks Chevron and the Hewlett Foundation for their generous support of this work.
Tools and Resources
Takeaways:
This resource describes key takeaways from the Task Annotation Project in Science for educators, administrators, decision-makers, and developers.

Non-negotiables:
Science assessment tasks designed for the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and similar three-dimensional standards can-and should-come in all different forms. With so many different purposes and uses of assessments, it has been tricky to identify what really sets a three-dimensional assessment apart from a traditional assessment.

The Task Annotation Project in Science (TAPS) surfaced some features that routinely distinguish NGSS tasks from science tasks that are not designed for the NGSS. This resource describes the "must-haves" of any NGSS assessment.

Equity:
How can assessments be more equitable, and do assessments-classroom-based and external-have a role in promoting equitable approaches to science teaching and learning? By examining a wide range of tasks for how diverse learners can demonstrate progress, the Task Annotation Project in Science (TAPS) surfaced key ways science assessments can help make sure all students are supported in meeting their science learning goals.

Phenomena:
Are phenomena a "nice-to-have" engagement hook, or a "must have" feature of three-dimensional science assessments?  The Task Annotation Project in Science surfaced the significance of phenomena in science assessments, and what features define high-quality phenomena for assessments. This resource provides educators and assessment developers with recommendations for phenomena that can support all students and reveal students' ability to sense-make using the three dimensions.

Sense-making:
Three-dimensional tasks require students to make sense of phenomena and problems using science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts. This resource describes the lessons-learned about how tasks elicit sense-making.

Science and Engineering Practices:
This resource describes how science and engineering practices (SEPs) can be used in science assessments and tasks. This resource identifies common misconceptions around the use of SEPs in assessments, while also providing effective and meaningful ways assessment tasks can elicit evidence of students' engagement in SEPs.

Crosscutting Concepts:
This resource describes how assessment tasks frequently include crosscutting concepts (CCCs), and discusses which approaches are most effective for providing evidence of students' understanding and ability to use the CCCs.

Systems:
This guide describes the implications of the Task Annotation Project in Science for decision-makers and assessment systems, including both classroom-based and external (e.g., district- and state-wide tests and systems). The guidance document includes recommendations for decision-makers and developers involved in science assessment development efforts.

Methodology:
This describes the approach used for the Task Annotation Project in Science.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Three-dimensional science standards based on A Framework for K-12 Science Education raise several questions about how to monitor student progress toward those learning goals. The Task Annotation Project in Science (TAPS) was launched to provide an answer to the questions "what does it look like to ask students to demonstrate progress toward three-dimensional standards?"

# data[].attributes.headline
Integrating Science Practices Into Assessment Tasks

# data[].attributes.subject
Integrating Science Practices Into Assessment Tasks

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Select lab experiments, readings, discussions, lectures, and other learning activities based on what students should learn and explicitly link them together in the unit. One example architecture for designing integrated instructional units is the BSCS 5E model, explained in Translating the NGSS for Classroom Instruction.

Integrated Instructional Sequence: BSCS 5E Model

Work Backward

To create lessons for your classroom that build on the Next Generation Science Standards, start from the end and work backward. We suggest beginning the process by selecting a particular performance expectation (or two) from the standards and designing a series of lessons and activities that bridge that expectation with the knowledge and skills students will already have in place at the beginning of instruction. (Ultimately, a unit of instruction would cover at least portions of several different performance expectations, but as you first begin working toward implementation, focus on just one or two.)

First, identify a performance expectation. Then read through it to find the competencies that will demonstrate how well students learned the related concepts and practices, and design assessments that give students an opportunity to demonstrate those competencies. Then you can begin to design activities to teach students the concepts and practices in the three dimensions.

Selecting the Three Dimensions

The performance expectations are designed to describe what students should be able to do when instruction is complete. They're not meant as learning objectives, and shouldn't be treated as instructional strategies. Instead, use them as goals to guide the activities and lessons that you select, giving students learning experiences that will give them confidence in demonstrating the expectations once it comes time for assessment.

Look at the disciplinary core ideas that correspond with a given performance expectation. Brainstorm some phenomena (objects or events that scientists study in the world around them) related to the core ideas for students to investigate. The phenomena should be interesting to students, and explaining the phenomena should require an understanding of the targeted core ideas.

Once you have identified some useful phenomena, think about how students will investigate those phenomena. What will they do in each lesson? Incorporate science and engineering practices. Will students formulate scientific questions to investigate? Will they plan and/or carry out an investigation? Analyze data? Construct explanations or develop models? Engage in arguments or communicate information? For each lesson, select the practice(s) that will be the key to the lesson. This may be the same practice(s) listed in the performance expectation or entirely different practice(s).

Now think about the crosscutting concepts. Which of the seven is most central to the phenomena students will investigate? Patterns? Cause and effect? Systems? Just as you did with the practices, choose the crosscutting concept that is most relevant, and don't worry if it is or is not the same as the one used with the performance expectation.

Writing a Learning Performance

Once you have selected the three dimensions that your lesson will focus on, weave them together into a single statement describing the objective of the lesson. This statement, called a learning performance, has the same structure as a performance expectation. But unlike a performance expectation, a learning performance is focused on just one step in the instructional sequence.

Ask the Right Questions

Each step in the instructional sequences you design should integrate the three dimensions ( practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts) into a single learning performance. As you write your learning performances, you may want to focus on these questions:

What are some commonly held student ideas (both troublesome and helpful) about this topic? How could instruction build on them?

What prior concepts do students need to learn to understand the core ideas? What level of abstraction is expected of them?

What representations or media help students make sense of core ideas?

What practices could students engage in to explore phenomena and/or representations of this concept?

Are there crosscutting concepts that could support learning the core idea?

What connections to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) could be emphasized as students engage in the instructional sequence?

Additional Resources on Planning Lessons

How do the crosscutting concepts in the foundation box support understanding of the associated disciplinary core idea?

Will the crosscutting concepts assist or support in learning the disciplinary core idea or will the process work in reverse? Namely, as the understanding of the disciplinary core ideas develops, will it aid in understanding the broader crosscutting concept?

Performance Expectations

Other Steps in the Process

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Select lab experiments, readings, discussions, lectures, and other learning activities based on what students should learn and explicitly link them together in the unit. One example architecture for designing integrated instructional units is the BSCS 5E model, explained in Translating the NGSS for Classroom Instruction.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Developing NGSS-aligned assessments and curricula for the next generation of K-12 students

# data[].attributes.headline
Instructional Leadership for Science Practices

# data[].attributes.subject
Instructional Leadership for Science Practices

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Instructional Leadership for Science Practices

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The recent release of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) offers a new challenge and opportunity for science. Science practices are the social interactions, tools and language that scientist use as they construct, evaluate and communicate scientific knowledge. The effective integration of science practices into classrooms can better support a wide range of students, including those typically underrepresented in science, to develop greater scientific literacy.

Effective integration of science practices in classrooms requires instructional leadership to support that change. Instructional leaders can include a variety of different individuals including, but not limited to, school principals, district leaders, coaches and lead teachers. The ILSP team is developing tools to support instructional leaders in the science practices.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Instructional Leadership for Science Practices

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This website includes resources to support the successful integration of the 8 Science Practices in NGSS into K-8 classrooms. This includes descriptions of the 8 practices, case studies, and tools such as a continuum for the eight practices.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Ask 20 teachers what scientific inquiry is and it's possible you'll receive 20 different answers. From a series of proscribed steps to a lab-based free-for-all, conceptions have shifted over time. In the National Research Council's (NRC) 1996 National Science Education Standards (NSES), inquiry held a prominent position as its own content area, but the term rarely comes up in its 2012 Framework for K-12 Science Education (Framework). A report by the Midwest Comprehensive Center and myself (image above) details how notions of inquiry have changed in recent history, particularly as seen within the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). A further section of the report that won't be described here analyzes how the science standards of upper Midwest states describe inquiry.

In preparing this report, we reviewed articles about science inquiry from both current and historical perspectives, analyzed national science standards and related documents, and interviewed national science education experts.

Historical beginnings

In the early 20th century, John Dewey proposed a list of five steps scientists use in their work, intending to emphasize their reflective work practices, but educators instead interpreted those ideas as the five linear steps to doing science. Pedagogy and curricula through the 20th century showed the increasing popularity of labs with proscribed procedures and the idea of a set "scientific method."

Standards era shift

In 1993, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Benchmarks of Science Literacy clearly pushed on this idea of a set method and discussed inquiry as a "habit of mind." The 1996 NSES attempted to further clarify notions of inquiry with the five big ideas of inquiry in its own section of the content standards. With a follow-up report, Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards (2000), the NRC stated that, "Students do not come to understand inquiry simply by learning words such as 'hypothesis' and 'inference' or by memorizing procedures such as 'the steps of the scientific method.'". In the NSES, inquiry instead described the way scientists study the world and build explanations based on evidence.

Teachers nevertheless continued to use the scientific method as a convenient way to organize scientific investigations and what it means to think like a scientist, and instructional materials supported this approach. Textbooks today continue to include separate chapters on a scientific method. According to Dr. Joe Krajcik, a member of the NGSS writing team, "While well intentioned, when the National Science [Education] Standards assigned inquiry to its own separate content area, it meant that inquiry remained separate from other science learning." And, thus, got its own chapter in the textbook! Therefore, as noted by Dr. Melissa Braaten, a professor at the University of Colorado-Boulder, "In schools, inquiry had come to mean one narrow image of doing formulaic, defined experiments. Teachers would refer to it as 'the scientific method' like it was a titled thing."

Framework and the NGSS

The writers of the Framework and consequent NGSS aimed to clarify ideas of scientific practice, moving away from varying ideas of "inquiry." As emphasized by Dr. Helen Quinn, a researcher with the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center and chair of the NRC Framework committee, "While it is what we do-we inquire-scientists do not use the term inquiry."

To summarize, in this report we emphasize four big ideas from the Framework and NGSS that take the place of some traditional conceptions of inquiry:

1) Inquiry is a means for constructing scientific understanding; it's not a content area

Students should be involved in asking questions and investigating natural phenomena in the world around them. Instead of learning steps of a scientific method, they're doing science.

2) Inquiry is a fluid set of practices that scientists use

As Dr. Krajcik notes, "Having the eight practices doesn't mean that you start with a question, then move on to the next practice... There is no linearity implied. The practices are tied together and any one of them could lead to another." Further, when working with the practices or discussing their use as a class, they shouldn't be numbered.

3) Inquiry involves three-dimensional learning

The science and engineering practices are the means to gain scientific knowledge while investigating phenomena with a lens of the crosscutting concepts. Or, in other words from Matt Krehbiel, assistant director of science at Achieve, Inc., inquiry is "woven into science learning throughout the year, where practices are exercised and integrated with learning of the crosscutting concepts and disciplinary core ideas."

4) Inquiry is independent from science pedagogy

Inquiry-based teaching is essential, but it's not the only appropriate type of instruction. Varying instructional practices based on student learning needs make sense.

Final thoughts

I'm certainly not suggesting that you shouldn't do inquiry-based lessons; however, I would suggest that you rip out the chapter of your textbook on the scientific method and consider ways to structure labs beyond hypothesis testing. There are as many ways to "do science" as there are scientists, so allow the practices to infuse your instruction where they naturally and logically fit rather than in any prescribed way.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ask 20 teachers what scientific inquiry is and it's possible you'll receive 20 different answers. From a series of proscribed steps to a lab-based free-for-all, conceptions have shifted over time. In the National Research Council's (NRC) 1996 National Science Education Standards (NSES), inquiry held a prominent position as its own content area, but the term rarely comes up in its 2012 Framework for K-12 Science Education (Framework).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This site is a curated collection of science phenomena for the NGSS, along with phenomenon based learning resources and help for how to use phenomenon to drive student questions in the classroom centered around 3 dimensional teaching and learning.

# data[].attributes.body
Stanford offers short courses on assessment that are very good. Deep dives into standards!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Stanford NGSS Assessment Project (SNAP), funded by S.D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, focuses on ways that high-quality performance assessments can facilitate meaningful implementation of the standards. This project was founded by Ray Pecheone, Executive Director of SCALE, Helen Quinn, Professor Emerita, Physics and Astrophysics, and Jonathan Osborne, Professor Emeritus, Kamalachari Professor Of Science Education.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Prompts for Integrating Crosscutting Concepts Into Assessment and Instruction : StemTeachingTools

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The new vision for science education features a three dimensional view of learning that involves: science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas. Many educators already incorporate crosscutting concepts into their teaching, but may still be looking for ways to amplify these concepts or to make them more explicit for their students, including in their classroom assessments.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Practice Brief 18 -- Topics: Implementation Assessment

How teachers can develop formative assessments that fit a three-dimensional view of science learning

Teachers should be using formative assessments as they implement instruction for 3D learning. There is a pressing need to develop 3D formative assessments.

District Staff & PD Providers need models of what 3D formative assessments look like and design criteria to modify or adapt existing formative assessments.

School Leaders should support teachers in collaborative spaces to experiment with 3D formative assessments.

What Is The Issue?

The new vision for K-12 science education and corresponding Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) promotes a three-dimensional view of learning in which students learn and apply disciplinary core ideas (DCIs) and cross-cutting concepts (CCCs) as they engage in science and engineering practices (SEPs). But what do 3D formative assessments look like? What are the different types of 3D formative assessment that could be used in classrooms? Educators should work with their peers to develop and refine formative assessments that fit with the 3D model of learning.

Authors:

BY ERIN FURTAK, MARIAN PASQUALE & RACHEL AAZZERAH - JANUARY 2016

Reflection Questions

Where in your instruction might it be helpful to gauge students' progress toward intermediate learning targets?

Anticipate student responses to formative assessments before using them. What feedback can you develop to move students forward in their learning?

How can different formative assessments-whole-class conversations, written activities, and student work-give you a coherent picture of what students know and can do?

Things to Consider

Effective implementation of the NGSS can't be done with summative assessment alone. It requires different forms of ongoing classroom formative assessment.

3D assessments will require multiple components that work together to provide a coherent picture of student understanding of DCIs, CCCs, and SEPs. Responses to these components will provide multiple sources of evidence to guide a teacher in making inferences about what students know and are able to do, and also point toward next steps in instruction.

3D formative assessments can be informal and embedded in teachers' daily practice, or formal written assessments that are specifically developed to surface student engagement in 3D learning. A formative assessment can be as simple as posing a question to a student or listening to a group working on an investigation.

Formative assessments should engage students in the full range of science and engineering practices. This focuses assessment on making sense of phenomena and not factual recall. Assessments should focus on making sense of compelling phenomena. Some items should focus on multiple practices (from science, ELA, math).

Space should be provided for teachers to engage in collaborative design, enactment, and refinement of formative assessments. This can lead to improved student learning, coordinated classroom practice, and higher-quality formative assessments. Using preexisting lists of criteria and scaffolds for teacher assessment design can help make these learning community spaces more productive.

"It is critical that assessments help students internalize standards, become better able to reflect on and evaluate their own work & be motivated and capable of revising and improving it, as well as seeking out additional resources... to answer emerging questions."

- Next Generation Assessment

Attending to Equity

Formative assessment can narrow achievement gaps by generating info that can guide instruction for all students.

Formative assessments can be designed to be accessible to culturally and linguistically diverse students in ways summative assessments cannot-to allow students to respond in a variety of ways (e.g., in their native language or with the support of other students).

Effective formative assessments can be situated in compelling, everyday-relevant contexts that are more accessible.

Recommended Actions You Can Take

ALSO SEE STEM TEACHING TOOLS

STEM Teaching Tools content copyright 2014-22 UW Institute for Science + Math Education. All rights reserved.
This site is primarily funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through Award #1920249 (previously through Awards #1238253 and #1854059). Opinions expressed are not those of any funding agency.

Work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Others may adapt with attribution. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Opinions expressed are not those of any funding agency.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How teachers can develop formative assessments that fit a three-dimensional view of science learning : StemTeachingTools (en-US)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Practice Brief 18 -- Topics: Implementation Assessment Teachers should be using formative assessments as they implement instruction for 3D learning. There is a pressing need to develop 3D formative assessments. District Staff & PD Providers need models of what 3D formative assessments look like and design criteria to modify or adapt existing formative assessments.

# data[].attributes.body
https://learn.concord.org/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Many of the Concord Consortium's educational STEM resources are part of collections created by our various research projects. Each collection has specific learning goals within the context of a larger subject area.

# data[].attributes.body
These are getting pricey but there are some free ones.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Hi there. We're ExploreLearning!

We're an education technology company creating seriously fun solutions for the most critical challenges in K-12 STEM learning.

What's this serious fun business all about? Tell me more...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We're an education technology company creating seriously fun solutions for the most critical challenges in K-12 STEM learning.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By converting our sims to HTML5, we make them seamlessly available across platforms and devices. Whether you have laptops, iPads, chromebooks, or BYOD, your favorite PhET sims are always right at your fingertips.Become part of our mission today, and transform the learning experiences of students everywhere!

# data[].attributes.body
I have not tried these.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Labster | Virtual Labs for Universities and High Schools

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Labster empowers educators to reimagine their science courses with immersive online simulations. Request a demo to discover how Labster engages students, trains lab skills, and accelerates learning.

# data[].attributes.body
There are groups for all the released units.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Data Nuggets | Bringing authentic research and data into K-16 classrooms

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Free activities that bring real scientific data into the classroom, guiding students through the process of science while building their quantitative abilities.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In April 2013, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) were released for consideration by state education agencies. led the development of the NGSS in partnership with the National Research Council , the National Science Teaching Association , and the American Association for the Advancement of Science . States began adopting NGSS as early as 2013, and today over 40 states use all or part of the standards.

NGSS identifies three dimensions of science education that are essential for all K-12 students:

Science and Engineering Practices (SEP)

Crosscutting Concepts (CCC)

Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI)

This 3-dimensional approach is the first of Five Innovations for teachers provided by NGSS.

---
5 Innovations of NGSS
The official NGSS Fact Sheet describes its Five Innovations:

1. Three-Dimensional Learning

2. All three dimensions build coherent learning progressions

3. Students engage with phenomena and design solutions

4. Engineering and the Nature of Science is integrated into science

5. Science is connected to math and literacy

Read more about each of these innovations here: NGSS Fact Sheet

---
Phenomena and 3-D Learning
Phenomena and engineering design problems serve as the problem space or meaningful pursuits that students engage in. Importantly, they serve as an anchor around which the lesson or unit is organized. This focus encourages students to explore, find answers, and engage in sensemaking instead of being told the information they will need to know for later studies.

This provides students with a meaningful bridge into three-dimensional learning.

Three-dimensional (3-D) learning is defined as students engaging in science and engineering practices to use crosscutting concepts and disciplinary core ideas to explain phenomena or solve problems. 1 The three dimensions of NGSS instruction are:

Science and Engineering Practices (SEP)

The SEP describe behaviors that scientists engage in as they investigate and build models or theories about the natural world, along with a key set of engineering practices that engineers use as they design and build models or systems.

Crosscutting Concepts (CCC)

Crosscutting Concepts have application across all domains of science. They link the different areas of science. These CCC provide interrelated knowledge from various scientific fields. Understanding these concepts provides a coherent view of the world through the lens of science.

Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI)

Disciplinary Core Ideas focus the K-12 science curriculum, instruction, and assessments on the essential aspects of science. Among other criteria, core ideas have broad importance across science or engineering or represent a key organizing concept of a single discipline.

More details about 3-D learning can be found on the official NGSS site.

---
NGSS Storylines
Story has the power to capture students' attention and memory. NGSS Storylines begin with a phenomenon presented by the instructor. Students are then encouraged to ask 'how' and 'why' questions related to the phenomenon.

Once students begin to wonder about how and why the phenomenon works the way it does, they can create models or engage in practices like argumentation and explanation to show their present understanding. As the unit progresses, students may revisit these models, arguments, or explanations to revise or add new information. Learning experiences can help answer student questions and cause more questions to arise.

It is important to allow students to develop their own models instead of making a copy of a model or being given an argument or explanation prepared by their teachers or the curriculum. Otherwise, they are just posterizing.

It is also important to understand the difference between anchoring and investigative phenomena. Anchoring phenomena are used to anchor student learning and are revisited throughout the learning sequence. It provides access to all students by creating a common shared experience that all students can use in sensemaking. Investigative phenomena are smaller pieces that students figure out in order to explain the anchoring phenomenon.

---
All Standards, All Students
The Next Generation Science Standards are designed to support all students. Every student should have agency and the opportunity to maintain achievement in science.

NGSS encourages students to become scientists and engineers, in the sense that they gain key abilities as science explainers and problem solvers. The standards seek to provide instruction that is meaningful for all learners and engages them through culturally and socially relevant experiences.

---
States that have adopted NGSS in its entirety or with modifications: Further Reading
NGSS Appendices (additional information on SEP, CCC, DCI, All Standards, All Students, & more)
Anchor vs. Investigative Phenomena Conceptual Framework for New Science Education Standards State Adoptions of Science Standards References
Krajcik, J. (2015). Three-dimensional instruction: Using a new type of teaching in the science classroom. Science and Children , (3): 6-8.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In April 2013, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) were released for consideration by state education agencies. led the development of the NGSS in partnership with the National Research Council , the National Science Teaching Association , and the American Association for the Advancement of Science .

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In this activity, students further explore the short film Popped Secret: The Mysterious Origin of Corn, by working through the mathematical concepts behind George Beadle's claim that teosinte is the wild ancestor of maize.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Empowering Educators. Inspiring Students. Real science, real stories, and real data to engage students in exploring the living world.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Simulations | SimBucket Science Simulations | PBS LearningMedia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
SimBucket has created a large number of original HTML5 physics, chemistry, and biology simulations. This curated group contains some of the most popular simulations from www.simbucket.com.

# data[].attributes.body
To access the interactive labs, navigate to a topic page and in the "filter by" box, select "explore." If visiting multiple topics, page needs to be refreshed for filter to work correctly.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The official website for NOVA. NOVA is the most-watched prime time science series on American television, reaching an average of five million viewers weekly.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Add a Material to MERLOT Create Materials with Content Builder Create a Course ePortfolio

# data[].attributes.body
I haven't used these but I listened to a podcast and they sound amazing.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A free online platform for science education from Harvard University

# data[].attributes.body
So many ideas for implementing instructional shifts in your classroom. Not just for Middle School; can be adapted for ES and HS.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Teacher Handbook

While the OpenSciEd units are designed to provide teachers who are new to three-dimensional learning with enough support to implement the units successfully, this provides overviews of features of the OpenSciEd Teacher Handbook OpenSciEd units and open educational resources on the website that are likely to be new to many teachers. Each chapter focuses on a different feature.

The Handbook is not designed to be read from front to back. We envision that teachers will read some chapters as an introduction to the OpenSciEd approach as they begin to plan for instruction, and will choose to read others on an as-needed basis as they go through the planning process. Most important, the Handbook is designed to be a resource that teachers can refer back to at any time.

Teacher Tools & Resources

The Teacher Tools & Resources document provides a collection of all the tools and resources embedded in the OpenSciEd units that could be utilized in other units or with other instructional materials.

The intention of this resource is to provide educators with ideas and resources to modify units or provide additional scaffolds for their students.

This document is organized into clusters of resources but you will see that many resources overlap with other areas. For example, a tool or template under might also include ideas for supporting the cross-cutting concepts. We offer this tool as a Section A. Resources and Tools to Support the Science and Engineering Practices PDF or as a Google Document.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Open Educational Resources Websites - OpenSciEd Teacher Handbook

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
While the OpenSciEd units are designed to provide teachers who are new to three-dimensional learning with enough support to implement the units successfully, this provides overviews of features of the OpenSciEd Teacher Handbook OpenSciEd units and open educational resources on the website that are likely to be new to many teachers.

# data[].attributes.body
Must read.

# data[].attributes.body
Great intro to Engineering

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Engineering For Good | PBS LearningMedia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Engineering for Good is a three-week, project-based learning unit for middle school science classrooms focused on developing solutions for negative impacts of plastics on the environment.In this NGSS-aligned unit, students use the engineering design process to define a problem, brainstorm solutions, develop prototypes and iterate on their designs.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The engineering design process encompasses a mindset that emphasizes open-ended problem solving and encourages students to learn from failure. Experiencing the engineering design process nurtures students' abilities to create innovative solutions to challenges in any subject!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
#EngineerGirlShow

This video series highlights amazing women in engineering to inspire the next generation. This series was produced by George Retelas with his digital art students at SAE Institute. Here are just a few...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The EngineerGirl website is designed to bring national attention to the exciting opportunities that engineering represents for girls and women.

# data[].attributes.body
Love this TED Talk. If we had more time...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Inspiring the next generation of female engineers | Debbie Sterling | TEDxPSU

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
From urban centers to remote corners of Earth, the depths of the oceans to space, humanity has always sought to transcend barriers, overcome challenges, and create opportunities that improve life in our part of the universe. In the last century alone, many GREAT ENGINEERING ACHIEVEMENTS became so commonplace that we now take them mostly for granted. Technology allows an abundant supply of food and safe drinking water for much of the world. We rely on electricity for many of our daily activities. We can travel the globe with relative ease, and bring goods and services wherever they are needed. Growing computer and communications technologies are opening up vast stores of knowledge and entertainment. As remarkable as these engineering achievements are, certainly just as many more great challenges and opportunities remain to be realized. While some seem clear, many others are indistinct and many more surely lie beyond most of our imaginations.
With input from people around the world, an international group of leading technological thinkers were asked to identify the Grand Challenges for Engineering in the 21st century. Their 14 game-changing goals for improving life on the planet, announced in 2008, are outlined here. The committee suggested these Grand Challenges fall into four cross-cutting themes: Sustainability, Health, Security, and Joy of Living.
For the report's full Introduction CLICK HERE.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Grand Challenges - 14 Grand Challenges for Engineering

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
From urban centers to remote corners of Earth, the depths of the oceans to space, humanity has always sought to transcend barriers, overcome challenges, and create opportunities that improve life in our part of the universe. In the last century alone, many GREAT ENGINEERING ACHIEVEMENTS became so commonplace that we now take them mostly for granted.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Tools for

Ambitious
Science
Teaching

Companion Book available now on Harvard Ed Press

Pressing for evidence- based explanations

Planning for engagement with important science ideas

Supporting on-going changes in thinking

Eliciting students' ideas

What is Ambitious Science Teaching?

Great teaching can be learned. This web site provides a vision of ambitious science instruction for elementary, middle school and high school classrooms. Ambitious teaching deliberately aims to support students of all backgrounds to deeply understand science ideas, participate in the activities of the discipline, and solve authentic problems.

We feature 4 core sets of teaching practices that support these goals. These core sets make up the Ambitious Science Teaching Framework. The framework has been based on classroom research from the past 30 years-research that has asked, "What kinds of talk, tasks, and tools do students need in order to fully engage in meaningful forms of science learning?"

If you are a member of a group of science educators committed to the improvement of teaching, the vision, practices, and tools here will furnish a common language for you about teaching. You will be able to identify "what we will get better at" and how to get started.

Become Part of a Community That Shares a Common Vision of Excellence in Teaching.

Because ambitious science teaching focuses on doing four things really well in the classroom (the core practices), members of our community can speak a common language about how to continually improve instruction and support student learning. We can frame problems together and work towards solutions with help from each other. The expertise of our community comes from our members (teachers, instructional coaches, teacher educators) as well as from extensive empirical classroom research. On this site you can explore how other professionals are using core practices and the tools that go with them.

Explore New Tools That Support Student Learning

This site provides a constantly evolving set of tools to help improve student participation and learning. Some of these tools will help you plan for student engagement with "big" science ideas. Some will help students reason publicly with each other about science ideas. Others will help students engage in scientific modeling, explanation and argument with evidence. Still others will scaffold science-specific writing and talk. We have unique sets of tools for teachers, instructional coaches, and teacher educators.

But here's what is really important about our tools-they belong to the community, meaning that they need to be continually tested under different classroom conditions in order to be improved and diversified.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Pressing for evidence- based explanations Planning for engagement with important science ideas Supporting on-going changes in thinking Eliciting students' ideas Great teaching can be learned.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If a teacher could only focus on one instructional change during the transition to the Next Generation Science Standards, our suggestion is this: redefine how students are asked to learn vocabulary.

In the past, teachers have used vocabulary to frontload instruction, thus driving the instruction for the unit. Frontloading of instruction involves teaching students the meaning of words, providing them with opportunities to see those words in action and then use the words in context. Unfortunately, this is not the way that scientists work to solve problems. As explained by Joanne K. Olson in The Science Representation Continuum " Scientists do not begin with vocabulary words and try to figure out where to apply them in nature. Instead, they begin with a puzzling phenomenon that they attempt to explain. Terminology is developed when the scientist has a need for those terms, and that occurs when the scientist must try to convey the idea of phenomenon efficiently to others."

Olson goes on to explain that students learn and retain the information best when presented in a manner that moves students from a concrete representation to a more abstract representation and then back again. When vocabulary is based in text it falls under "abstract" on the continuum. By first utilizing concrete experiences and investigation, students have the opportunity to construct their own understanding of the word and make sense of an abstract science concept.
What does it look like when students are discovering vocabulary?
Instruction begins with a concrete representation of the concept and moves to the abstract representation. This allows students to construct knowledge about the phenomena, the concepts, and the related vocabulary words. This provides students with the language they need to communicate and discuss their findings with others. Through this process, student "earn the word" through inquiry-based activities that are centered around the phenomena.
The Traditional Approach
As we consider standard MS-LS1-6 (Iowa 7th grade) "Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence fro the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms" or HS-LS1-5 "Use a model to illustrate how photosynthesis transforms light energy into stored chemical energy" let's look at some of the definitions that, traditionally, we might have started with.

Chloroplast - a small organelle that contains chlorophyll and other pigments found in plants that carry out photosynthesis.

Chlorophyll - a green pigment, present in all green plants, responsible for the absorption of light to provide energy for photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis - the process in which green plants use energy from the sun to transform water, carbon dioxide, and minerals into oxygen and organic compounds.

A student could easily "learn" these definitions and even get all of them correct on a summative assessment but still not really know how the process of photosynthesis works, why it is relevant nor understand why it would be important to know this process.
Vocabulary "redefined"
Now, let's consider those same standards but in a manner that moves them from a concrete representation to an abstract representation. Students are presented with the phenomena of leaves changing color and falling in the autumn. Questions generated from this phenomena likely would include: where do the colors of leaves come from? Why do they change? How do they change? How does the tree survive over the winter with no leaves? What impact does trees losing leaves have on our environment?

Students then begin to develop their testable claims and investigate to p rovide evidence to answer some of the above questions. Students could investigate photosynthesis through inquiry based activities such as measuring bubbles coming off of elodea as described in this lab. Students could also investigate the pigment that is in the leaf of a deciduous tree such as described in this leaf chromatography activity. Students could also watch videos such as the one by NASA Goddard in which carbon dioxide release and absorption is made visible over the course of a year. Finally, students could analyze data sets regarding carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over time such as this one to the right:

In addition to other activities that could occur during the learning, during these activities students would need to communicate and discuss with each other. Thus creating a need for the vocabulary (again, they have "earned the word"). Along with additional investigations, and a class discussion and sharing of information, students would truly develop an understanding of photosynthesis (including the meaning of the words above) and the role it plays in under the Energy and Matter crosscutting concept. The progression of the understanding started with the concrete representations and moved the students into the abstract representations through planning of the sequence of activities.

While at times overwhelming, the transition to the Next Generation Science Standards are just as much about the way we teach science as they are what science we teach. The time has come to "redefine vocabulary" and allow the instruction to drive the words and not the other way around.

Help students "earn their words" and develop a deep understanding of vocabulary!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Redefining vocabulary in science instruction - Central Rivers AEA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If a teacher could only focus on one instructional change during the transition to the Next Generation Science Standards, our suggestion is this: redefine how students are asked to learn vocabulary. In the past, teachers have used vocabulary to frontload instruction, thus driving the instruction for the unit.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Practice Brief 30 -- Topics:Assessment Equity Practices
Integrating Science Practices Into Assessment Tasks

The new vision for science education articulated in the Next Generation Science Standards guides students toward a "three dimensional" understanding of science-one that integrates disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and real-world practices from science and engineering.

With this new three-dimensional model for learning, students will need new assessments to demonstrate their knowledge and competencies, ones that integrate multiple strands of student abilities. Developing assessments that combine these multiple strands presents new challenges for educators, from developing informal classroom formative assessments to those creating high-stakes state-level testing.

This detailed and flexible tool suggests activity formats to help teachers create three-dimensional assessments based on real-world science and engineering practices.

In response to this felt need being expressed among educators, researchers at the Research + Practice Collaboratory has developed a series of "task format" tables, which suggest different possible templates for student activities that integrate real-world science and engineering practices with disciplinary core ideas. This tool also combines two of the Research + Practice Collaboratory's major focuses: formative assessment and engaging learners in STEM practices.

This tool offers between four and eight possible task formats for each of the science and engineering practices listed in the Next Generation Science Standards. It can be a great way for educators to brainstorm new activities or to adapt their existing lesson plans to this new three-dimensional vision.
PDF download

Authors:

KATIE VAN HORNE, WILLIAM R. PENUEL, AND PHILIP BELL | VERSION 2.0 | MARCH 2016 | UPDATED FEBRUARY 2018

ALSO SEE STEM TEACHING TOOLS

STEM Teaching Tools content copyright 2014-22 UW Institute for Science + Math Education. All rights reserved.
This site is primarily funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through Award #1920249 (previously through Awards #1238253 and #1854059). Opinions expressed are not those of any funding agency.

Work is licensed under aCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Others may adapt with attribution. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Opinions expressed are not those of any funding agency.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Integrating Science Practices Into Assessment Tasks : StemTeachingTools (en-US)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Practice Brief 30 -- Topics:Assessment Equity Practices The new vision for science education articulated in the Next Generation Science Standards guides students toward a "three dimensional" understanding of science-one that integrates disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and real-world practices from science and engineering.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
On this webpage, you find what we call AST Unit Starter Bundles. As the name suggests, these materials should give you ideas for your own unit. Colleagues of yours wrote these unit starters up for you, so you can benefit from their thinking, expertise, and creativity, and thus get a head-start on yo…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Engineering Practices in the Next Generation Science Standards

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The NSTA Next Generation Science Standards Hub offers information, resources, news, professional learning opportunities, and expert advice in understanding and implementing the Next Generation Science Standards - NGSS

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Scientific phenomena are occurrences in the natural and human-made world that can be observed and cause one to wonder and ask questions.

Phenomena-based instruction is a primary feature of the NGSS classroom. A three-dimensional learning approach requires students to use the Science and Engineering Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Disciplinary Core Ideas in concert to explore, investigate, and explain how and why phenomena occur. The complexity of a student explanation should be appropriate to the learning progression at the grade span.

Phenomena do not have to be phenomenal. Often simple events, when looking at them through a scientific eye, can elicit curiosity and questions in students and adults. Such wonderment is the beginning of engagement in which answers to questions are sought.

When choosing useful phenomenon for classroom use, the scale or size of phenomena is important. Determining the grain size of a phenomenon involves considering the length of instructional time required to teach it, the depth of student explanation possible, and the complexity of the phenomenon itself. In the same way a jigsaw puzzle can be broken down into individual pieces, larger phenomena can be broken down into smaller phenomena. By having students observe and explain smaller related phenomena first, they can then be challenged to explain the larger and more complicated phenomenon.

We call the larger phenomena anchoring phenomena and the smaller phenomena investigative phenomena which are defined below.

Anchoring Phenomena

Anchoring phenomena are the focus of an instructional unit and connect student learning across multiple weeks of instruction. They often require significant or in depth understanding of several science ideas as well as multiple lines of evidence and reasoning to adequately explain. Because of their size or scale, students may only be able to explain particular aspects of an anchoring phenomena.

Investigative Phenomena

Investigative phenomena are used in instructional sequences (across several lessons) to provide students personal experience with observable events where an evidence based explanation can be constructed. They often require understanding or use of a fewer number of connected science ideas to explain. By explaining investigative phenomena, students begin to explain aspects of an anchoring phenomena.

Criteria for Selecting Useful Phenomena

Use the following guiding questions and criteria to help determine if a phenomenon under consideration is useful or not:

Can students observe and/or investigate the phenomenon either through firsthand experiences (e.g., directly in a classroom, lab, or outdoor environment) or through someone else's experiences (e.g., through video presentations, demonstrations, or analyzing patterns in data)?

Do students have to understand and use Core Ideas, Science and Engineering Practices, and Crosscutting Concepts to explain how and why the phenomenon occurs?

By making sense of the phenomenon, are students building understanding toward grade-level performance expectations?

Would student explanations of the phenomenon be grade-level appropriate?

Is the phenomenon relevant to real-world issues or the student's local environment?

Will students find making sense of the phenomenon interesting and important?

Does the potential student learning related to the phenomenon justify the financial costs and classroom time that will be used?

This tool is an adaptation of the following resources:

Contributors:
Kirk Brown, Teryl Burditt, Karen Cerwin, Jim Clark, Chelsea Cochrane, Kathy DiRanna, Nikki DiRanna, Michael Goodbody, Jill Grace, Wendy Hagan, Crystal Howe, Jennifer McCluan, Dawn O'Connor, Cheryl Peach, Christie Pearce, Maria C. Simani, John Spiegel, Jo Topps

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Scientific phenomena are occurrences in the natural and human-made world that can be observed and cause one to wonder and ask questions. Phenomena-based instruction is a primary feature of the NGSS classroom. A three-dimensional learning approach requires students to use the Science and Engineering Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Disciplinary Core Ideas in concert to explore, investigate, and explain how and why phenomena occur.

# data[].attributes.headline
Blog: Using NGSS Phenomena to Engage Students

# data[].attributes.subject
Blog: Using NGSS Phenomena to Engage Students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In our recent Spark with TJ McKenna, Staff Scientist for the Connecticut Science Center and Charles H. Barrows STEM Academy, he discusses how phenomena-driven instruction motivates students to be the scientists we know they naturally are. TJ was one of those kids who asked a ton of questions, and he wanted to spend his life figuring stuff out. Today, he spends a lot of his time working directly with students, as well as doing PD events for the NGSX project, and running a show called Science Sunday, where he tries his best to be the "anti-Bill Nye." Follow him on Twitter at @tjscience and check out his site on NGSS Phenomena!
Phenomena are observable events in nature (or our lives) that connect to multiple NGSS disciplinary core ideas, such as Finnish Snow Trees or the behavior of bees . Throughout a unit, students work towards explaining the science concepts the phenomenon in their own words. Regardless of the grade or subject we teach, the same phenomenon can be used across K-12 with a different focus for each level.

Anchoring vs. Lesson-level

There are two types of phenomena: anchoring phenomena and lesson-level phenomena. An anchoring phenomenon requires an entire unit for students to be able to explain the science behind it, whereas smaller, lesson-level phenomena help students figure out smaller pieces of the larger picture. For example, this unit on HS-LS4 Natural Selection and Evolution uses MRSA infections as the anchoring phenomenon. Within this larger unit, a lesson-level phenomenon on Galápagos Finches ulitmately helps students understand the the underlying mechanism behind the emergence of MRSA.

Content vs. Knowledge

The key to choosing the right anchoring phenomenon lies in the idea that y ou can Google content, but you can't Google knowledge. A classic example of this difference is the shower-curtain effect . Why do vinyl curtains stick to you? Sure, students can Google it and find a series of possible explanations on Wikipedia, but can they argue why which explanation is more "right" and why? In order for phenomena to be academically productive, students have to be able to apply science knowledge to reach a deeper understanding of the questions behind the phenomenon.

How does phenomena change the science classroom?

Students lead the learning

As TJ says, we need to be the "anti-Bill Nye." Instead of giving our students answers, we need to give them . With true "sense-making" at the forefront of class, students are truly engaging in science. Phenomena-driven instruction leads to richer engagement with the material because it motivates our students to actively "figure out" rather than passively "learn about" core ideas in science.

Phenomena gets personal

Choosing the right phenomena for our students helps empower those who don't normally identify as successful science students. When a phenomenon sparks enough student curiosity to carry a unit, it's because the phenomenon is relevant to them: it taps into their interest and their identity. Read NGSS for All Students to learn strategies to reach all your diverse learners. Below are some example of how using relevant phenomena from current events that students were inherently interested in lead to authentic student engagement with the material.

EBOLA VS. EGG DROP (HS-PS2): TJ worked with a high school science teacher who struggled to get his students invested in learning physics. Instead of doing the traditional egg drop to address the concept of forces and interactions, they capitalized on students' interest in the Ebola outbreak in Liberia. Students addressed the problem of having to deliver medical supplies safely to the ground for people affected by the outbreak. In the end, students were more engaged and drove the investigation themselves, asking, "How do we slow down the drop? How do we package the materials? What is a good testable representative of fragile goods?"

ZIKA VS. BIRD BEAKS (MS-LS4): TJ and a biology teacher recently scrapped the usual natural selection lab on bird beaks. Instead, they had students create models that described whether or not Zika demonstrated natural selection. They eventually discussed bird beaks as an example, but students drove the conversation there as an example to support their arguments.

What does phenomena-driven instruction look like?

Walking through it as a student

Before we introduce any phenomenon to our students, we have to take the time to explore it ourselves. What questions does it make us ask? What science knowledge, the core ideas (DCIs) and crosscutting concepts (CCCs), are demonstrated? Is there an NGSS performance expectation we're hitting? How long will it take for my student to reach an understanding of the DCIs and CCCs behind the phenomenon? If we answer these questions and have a general guide to where our students might take us during their discovery, we'll be able to set out them up to have productive conversations at their level.

Discussing ALL answers, even the "wrong" ones

After introducing our students to the anchoring phenomenon and hearing their explanations, we then need to put all the answers on the table for discussion... even the wrong ones. Our next step is to let the science do the convincing, not us. As long as our students are engaged in science practices and as long as we're supporting them with Talk Moves during discussions, our students will get to where we want them to be. Check out NSTA press publication Becoming A Responsive Science Teacher for skills to help become an adaptable and flexible teacher who sees wrong answers as a starting point to developing more knowledge and insight.

Letting vocabulary come later

It's important that students' explorations necessitate learning. Students can reason their way through phenomena without having the vocabulary. We should only move forward with unit-specific vocabulary once our students agree that what we've been talking about necessitates that new vocabulary word.

Next Steps?

Check out TJ's website on NGSS phenomena!

If you want to ensure you've chosen a good anchor phenomenon, the Research + Practice Collaboratory has a checklist!

The NGSX Project offers professional development opportunities around the NGSS!

Ambitious Science Teaching provides resources for NGSS-aligned science teaching!

Matt Damon in the movie adaptation of Andy Weir's The Martian.

Watch the full Webinar below!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Spark with TJ McKenna: Using NGSS Phenomena to Engage Students - Atlas

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In our recent Spark with TJ McKenna, Staff Scientist for the Connecticut Science Center and Charles H. Barrows STEM Academy, he discusses how phenomena-driven instruction motivates students to be the scientists we know they naturally are. TJ was one of those kids who asked a ton of questions, and he wanted to spend his life figuring stuff out.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This live binder is intended to assist teachers and administrators in their implementation process of the NGSS into their international school.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Daily Dos are sensemaking tasks teachers and parents can use to engage their students in authentic, relevant science learning.

Students actively try to figure out how the world works (science) or how to design solutions to problems (engineering) using the science and engineering practices. Engaging in these practices requires that students be part of a learning community, of classmates or family, to be able to share and evaluate ideas, give and receive critique, and reach consensus.

Check out how to connect these lessons to support students' in developing the targeted science ideas

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Daily Dos are sensemaking tasks teachers and parents can use to engage their students in authentic, relevant science learning. Students actively try to figure out how the world works (science) or how to design solutions to problems (engineering) using the science and engineering practices.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The following resources either provide direction or are embedded in the OpenSciEd instructional materials and professional learning materials. They are shared here to provide an example of the design and features of OpenSciEd.

# data[].attributes.body
https://sadlerscience.com/five-ways-to-help-your-students-create-better-models/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When I started teaching to meet the intent of the NGSS, my students struggled with creating models. Over time, I have learned how to help my students make better models. Here are five ways to improve your student's NGSS models.

How can I help my students make better NGSS Models?

There are several ways that you can help students make better models. Below, there are five simple strategies that are easy to implement in your class.

1. Ask students to focus on the seen and unseen in their models.

Students are likely to create models based on what they see. However, there is more happening within a system or during an event. Things like energy, small particles, and forces can't always be seen, but we know that they exist because of observations that we make.

Encourage your students to include these components in their model. One way you can do this is by asking students to include what they might see through a microscope or with a telescope.

By doing so, you bring in the Crosscutting Concept of Scale, Proportion, and Quantity.

2. Allow time for revision.

When students create their initial model, I don't provide them with many guidelines. It's important that students get their initial ideas down without being restricted by a list of requirements.

However, when students are revising their models, I provide more instructions. When possible, we decide on these requirements as a class.

It is so important that you slow down and find time for revisions. When given the time, students will begin to make higher-level connections. Revisions also allow you to include other practices and make connections to the Crosscutting Concepts.

List components of the system as model-must-haves.

Before the students revise their models, we discuss the Crosscutting Concept of Systems and System models. As a group, we list components of the system. These components become models-must-haves.

A model-must-have is a simple list of things that should be included in a model. This list should only have the most basic components and shouldn't include vocabulary terms.

For example, if third-grade students are creating a model to demonstrate their understanding of forces when a soccer ball is kicked, the model should include the person kicking the ball, the ball itself, and perhaps the direction of the force.

Agree on shared symbols.

This is where common symbols come in handy. Models are more clear if there are some symbols that are used each time an item shows up in a model.

For example, if students are adding forces to their model, you might decide as a class that students will use an arrow to show forces. If students are showing particles in their model, it might be useful to decide that small circles will be used in the model to represent particles.

3. Provide scaffolding for the models.

Simple graphic organizers can be a great way to help students create better models. Graphic organizers provide students with clear expectations about what is expected from a model. Also, they make it easier to provide feedback or grade models.

This and several other graphic organizers are available on my Teachers Pay Teachers Store in my Scaffolds for Modeling Resource for grades 3-5. Click here to check out this resource. Middle school resources are available here.

4. Provide time and scaffolds for discussions about student models.

Allowing students time to engage in peer review has so many benefits to everyone in your classroom. Students can increase their understanding of a concept by discussing it with their peers. And, if students can provide meaningful feedback to each other, it gives you more time to spend working with students who are really struggling with concepts.

However, the ability to provide thoughtful feedback and engage in high-level discussions isn't a skill that comes naturally to students. Providing students with scaffolds like sentence frames, as seen in the example above, will support them in their conversations. Using graphic organizers that help students to compare their models is also incredibly valuable.

What tools do you use to help students make better models in your classroom?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Four Ways to Help Your Students Make Better NGSS Models *

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When I started teaching to meet the intent of the NGSS, my students struggled with creating models. Over time, I have learned how to help my students make better models. Here are five ways to improve your student's NGSS models. There are several ways that you can help students make better models.

# data[].attributes.body
https://ngss.sdcoe.net/Portals/ngssnew/SEP_Eng_icons_print.pdf

# data[].attributes.body
https://stemteachingtools.org/brief/46

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Practice Brief 46 -- Topics: Implementation Instruction

How to define meaningful daily learning objectives for science investigations

Teachers should have the authority to design instruction by involving students in developing daily objectives.

District Staff & PD Providers should help teachers learn how to define and sequence 3D learning performances across the units they teach that culminate in students understanding performance expectation bundles.

School Leaders should learn how to see and support science instruction that engages students in making sense of phenomena and should consider how daily learning objectives might be different in a 3D instruction classroom.

What Is The Issue?

Many schools require teachers to post the day's learning target, objective, or standard on the board. However, displaying the target concept to be learned-the disciplinary core idea that is the focus of instruction-"gives away" what students should actually be figuring out as they make sense of phenomena by engaging in the science and engineering practices. Many teachers face a dilemma when they try to meet their administrator's requirements. It is important for teachers and administrators to come to consensus around developing and using objectives that are consistent with 3D learning.

Authors:

WILLIAM R. PENUEL, MICHAEL NOVAK, TARA MCGILL, KATIE VAN HORNE & BRIAN J. REISER | MARCH 2017

Reflection Questions

Teachers: What shifts might be needed in your teaching for you to develop learning objectives focused on student questions?

Building Administrators: How can you support student-driven learning goals and investigation while learning about classroom learning objectives?

District Leaders: How do your district's frameworks for observing teachers support or interfere with 3D science teaching and learning?

Things to Consider

Conceptual understanding takes time and effort. It takes multiple lessons for students to understand an educational standard-i.e., a 3D performance expectation (PE) from the NRC Framework. Students should not be expected to master a PE in a single lesson. A lesson-level 3D learning performance is a more appropriate focus.

Don't short-circuit deep learning. PEs describe the science concepts students are learning, so posting it "gives away" the thing to be explained, possibly reducing student motivation to learn and their ability to explain with any depth what and how they know. Students should be able to say what they are trying to figure out in their own words-and come to use formal science terminology once they have gotten a feeling for it after multiple investigations.

Investigations should help students construct understanding. The NRC Framework vision is about students seeing that science and engineering practices are ways that can help them make sense of and change the world. Students should be deciding together what they need to investigate each day, based on what they've already figured out and what they need to learn to explain or design. They shouldn't know the outcome of an investigation ahead of time.

All three dimensions of any PE are in service of answering questions (in science) or designing solutions (in engineering) related to natural phenomena, so students' should generate questions to investigate or define problems to solve as part of any learning objective.

Attending to Equity

Schools that have been historically underresourced or that serve populations facing the most barriers to equitable education may face more pressure and direct supervision/evaluation of teaching practices. It is crucial to provide all students with meaningful instruction and maintain high educational goals.

All students should be able to understand why they are doing what they are doing in class. Students should help define learning objectives-where the class is headed as part of an unfolding investigation. You can build an objective for the next day by eliciting student responses about what they figured out and what they need to figure out next at the end of class. Aim to include many student voices in this process, rather than letting the most vocal students consistently set the agenda.

Recommended Actions You Can Take

Invite your administrator to visit at a time when students are developing a consensus model of a phenomenon through classroom discussion. They'll see students engaging in evidence-based argumentation and sophisticated understandings being articulated.

Co-construct the daily objective with students at the beginning of class to post on the board, as an answer to the question: What do we need to figure out today to help us answer our driving question/solve our design challenge? It should ideally be a question (e.g., "Today we are trying to figure out: Why don't antibiotics work like they used to?"), but it could also be a piece of a model needed to explain a phenomenon or a step needed to develop a engineering solution.

Prepare a one-pager to hand to a visiting administrator or colleague. It could be: (a) a short explanation/model from your unit storyline showing how an explanation of the phenomenon will help students master the PEs, (b) the culminating product that students will produce in the unit, (c) research supporting an equitable 3D instruction approach, or (d) a 3D learning performance for the lesson.

ALSO SEE STEM TEACHING TOOLS

STEM Teaching Tools content copyright 2014-22 UW Institute for Science + Math Education. All rights reserved.
This site is primarily funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through Award #1920249 (previously through Awards #1238253 and #1854059). Opinions expressed are not those of any funding agency.

Work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Others may adapt with attribution. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Opinions expressed are not those of any funding agency.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to define meaningful daily learning objectives for science investigations : StemTeachingTools (en-US)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Practice Brief 46 -- Topics: Implementation Instruction Teachers should have the authority to design instruction by involving students in developing daily objectives. District Staff & PD Providers should help teachers learn how to define and sequence 3D learning performances across the units they teach that culminate in students understanding performance expectation bundles.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.nextgenstorylines.org/s/Full-size-images-of-the-Five-Routines-for-posters.zip

# data[].attributes.body
https://ngss.sdcoe.net/Portals/ngssnew/CCC_Eng_icons_print.pdf

# data[].attributes.body
https://ngss.sdcoe.net/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Welcome to the SDCOE Science Resource Center

The San Diego County Office of Education Science Resource Center has been developed to guide educators as they implement the California Next Generation Science Standards (CA NGSS). This website contains information about the three dimensions of the standards, searchable versions of the CA NGSS Performance Expectations, descriptions of the various K-12 course models for CA NGSS, a framework for planning and monitoring quality science programs, and other tools to support professional learning in science.

Provide Feedback on CA NGSS in Spanish

The documents below are draft versions of the CA NGSS in Spanish and may contain errors in spelling, grammer, and/or phrasing. They are provided to gather public feedback. Please complete the CA NGSS in Spanish Feedback Form to help make this resource as accurate as possible.

To aid in the review and feedback process, the performance expectations documents are organized by Disciplinary Core Idea. They are not in final form or organization.

Classroom Posters for the SEPs and CCCs Available
Use the Science Icon Posters order form to purchase a set of these posters for your classroom or school.

Updates and revisions to the SDCOE Resource Center have been funded partially through the Standards Implementation Project and made possible by a collaboration between CCSESA, the California Department of Education, the State Board of Education, and the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation.

contact us

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Home - San Diego County Office of Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Home - SDCOE serves our county's most vulnerable students and supports school leaders, teachers, and students across the county.

# data[].attributes.body
https://thewonderofscience.com/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Wonder of Science was created to support the next generation of science teachers. All of the resources are licensed under Creative Commons licensing.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.nsta.org/best-stem-books-k-12

# data[].attributes.headline
Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K – 12 from NSTA: 

# data[].attributes.subject
Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K – 12 from NSTA: 

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.nsta.org/ostb-2021

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We invite you to explore this year's list of Outstanding Science Trade Books, which builds upon our 48-year history. In the award-winning books below, you'll find not only traditional science content but also elements of engineering and design. We hope you'll enjoy exploring science through this collection of outstanding children's books.

Winning Titles

Mary Holland

Arbordale Publishing

Take a home tour of selected bugs, birds, and mammals. Beautiful, full-page photos complement descriptions, materials, and uses of animals' homes. A Spanish edition is available

(Also in Spanish, Las casas de los animales, by Mary Holland and Javier Camacho Miranda)

Roseanne Montillo

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

This book is a fascinating read through the lives of the women at the forefront of nuclear science. Driven by passion and determination, these women overcame formidable obstacles while making invaluable contributions to the production of the first atomic bomb.

Jules Howard, illustrated by Chervelle Fryer

Candlewick Press / Big Picture Press

Dive into this book to discover how the structure of an animal's bones can tell us much about what it eats, how it moves, where it lives, and where it came from.

Nicola Davies, illustrated by Emily Sutton

Candlewick Press

This book introduces readers to DNA in a clear, engaging manner, beginning with plants and animals, then connecting to humans.

Chris Gall, illustrated by Chris Gall

Macmillan Children's Publishing Group / Roaring Brook Press

Describing the engineering it took to put the Boeing 747 in the skies, Jumbo details the design process and how this incredible machine became "Queen of the Skies."

Ana Pêgo, Isabel Minhós Martins, illustrated by Bernardo P. Carvalho

Greystone Books Ltd. / Greystone Kids

Biologist Ana Pêgo collected, named, and cataloged a terrible new species: Plasticus maritimus, also known as the plastic waste that is destroying the world's oceans.

Linda Elovitz Marshall, illustrated by Lisa Anchin

Alfred A. Knopf BFYR an imprint of Random House Children's Books

The Polio Pioneer is an inspiring story of Dr. Jonas Salk and how his hard work and dedication to the field of medicine helped discover a vaccine for polio.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We invite you to explore this year's list of Outstanding Science Trade Books, which builds upon our 48-year history. In the award-winning books below, you'll find not only traditional science content but also elements of engineering and design. We hope you'll enjoy exploring science through this collection of outstanding children's books.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.hohschools.org/cms/lib/NY01913703/Centricity/Domain/378/Reading%20Science%20Texts.pdf

# data[].attributes.headline
Wisconsin Department of public instruction disciplinary literacy resources hub 

# data[].attributes.subject
Wisconsin Department of public instruction disciplinary literacy resources hub 

# data[].attributes.body
https://dpi.wi.gov/science/disciplinary-literacy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Disciplinary Literacy in Science

Scientists and other STEM professionals have unique ways of accessing and communicating information. Students generally do not gain those skills in an English course. They benefit from explicit instruction by someone who understands scientific practices in order to link language skills to this complex content. For example, having students read a text and identify main points and key vocabulary is not disciplinary literacy; disciplinary literacy in science focuses on the unique ways that scientists interact with texts.

During 2015, a group of science and literacy educators from across Wisconsin came together to curate and create teacher resources to support work with disciplinary literacy in science. The group included: Sid Larson, CESA 2; Thersea Burzynski, CESA 10; Emily Miller, UW-Madison; Melina Lozano, MMSD; Rochelle Sandrin, MPS; and Karen Nesbit, Franklin SD. Our first products are linked below. We will post further resources as they're completed and welcome your feedback.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Scientists and other STEM professionals have unique ways of accessing and communicating information. Students generally do not gain those skills in an English course. They benefit from explicit instruction by someone who understands scientific practices in order to link language skills to this complex content.

# data[].attributes.headline
Lexile.com - Determine the lexile complexity of your text

# data[].attributes.subject
Lexile.com - Determine the lexile complexity of your text

# data[].attributes.body
https://lexile.com/educators/tools-to-support-reading-at-school/tools-to-determine-a-books-complexity/the-lexile-analyzer/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Determine the Reading Level of a Text - Lexile

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Lexile Analyzer® in the Lexile® & Quantile® Hub allows educators to paste or type in text to receive a Lexile range and...

# data[].attributes.headline
Article - Social and Emotional Learning Within Science Education

# data[].attributes.subject
Article - Social and Emotional Learning Within Science Education

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.wested.org/wested-insights/social-and-emotional-learning-within-science-education/#:~:text=Science%20classrooms%20are%20ideal%20venues,guide%20the%20thinking%20of%20science.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Insights & Impact

Social and Emotional Learning Within Science Education
Written by Jennifer Folsom, Lead Learning Architect for the Making Sense of SCIENCE project at WestEd.
Social-emotional well-being is an essential part of learning and life. Likewise, social and emotional learning (SEL) is an essential part of growing up and schooling. The stresses of the COVID pandemic have intensified the needs of our youth in these areas. Across the country, teachers are struggling to engage their students as we all navigate a novel post-pandemic landscape.

With the national drumbeat of accelerating learning, some districts have not deeply focused their energies on the social and emotional well-being of their students, teachers, administrators, and support staff. Of the districts that are truly prioritizing this area, some are falling victim to a common pitfall - attempting to address the issue with an add-on social-emotional learning curriculum, for example, an extra 20-30 minutes of activities that are separate from the authentic work of school. Often, these SEL interventions get skipped or feel so unconnected from "real life" that it doesn't have the intended impact.

Science classrooms are ideal venues for students to engage in embedded social-emotional learning that is authentically essential to the tasks at hand. Today's science classrooms are about integrating science knowledge with the practices and crosscutting concepts that guide the thinking of science. Next generation science classrooms are filled with small groups of students investigating phenomena and problems, looking for patterns, and piecing together evidence. We see groups designing prototypes and making sense of the data and observations they collected. Students challenge each other's processes and debate their results. Sometimes their work proves their ideas correct, and other times they are left to struggle with the reality that initial intuitions aren't always accurate. They build off each other's questions, data sets, successes, failures, and half-baked ideas. Throughout all of this, teachers help students negotiate group dynamics so teams can collaboratively design experiments and have productive discussions.

Science classrooms like these are doing more than just getting students to learn science content, do the work of science, and look at the world through the conceptual lens scientists use. They are also home to authentic social and emotional learning led by teachers who recognize that learning collaboratively is a social and emotional pursuit. When a science teacher asks students to talk about what strengths each is going to bring to a small group charged with designing an experiment and how they will work as a team - that's embedded social-emotional learning that promotes self-awareness and relationship skills. When a science teacher has pairs of students talk through their first attempts at using a new piece of technology - that's embedded social-emotional learning that promotes social awareness. When a teacher guides a whole class discussion to generate the values and norms that will help them forge a culture of collaboration - that's embedded social-emotional learning that promotes responsible decision-making.

By making these efforts transparent to students and by encouraging them to be metacognitive about their own social and emotional needs, science teachers are helping students build an awareness of the social and emotional demands of life. Not only can they help improve students' social-emotional well-being and deepen their SEL, but they can improve their ability to be productive in a collaborative science classroom and beyond.

How might you authentically include social and emotional learning and well-being in your classroom, work with colleagues, school community, and personal life?

Making Sense of SCIENCE (MSS) is founded on the belief that high-quality professional development for teachers is critical to the success of teachers and students alike. This belief, shaped by years of research and development, informs the Making Sense of SCIENCE approach to teacher learning.
Learn more about Making Sense of SCIENCE at WestEd.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Social and Emotional Learning Within Science Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Written by Jennifer Folsom, Lead Learning Architect for the Making Sense of SCIENCE project at WestEd. Social-emotional well-being is an essential part of learning and life. Likewise, social and emotional learning (SEL) is an essential part of growing up and schooling. The stresses of the COVID pandemic have intensified the needs of our youth in these areas.

# data[].attributes.headline
Social and Emotional Learning in Science Class

# data[].attributes.subject
Social and Emotional Learning in Science Class

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.edutopia.org/article/social-and-emotional-learning-science-class

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Social and Emotional Learning

The engineering design process offers a chance for students to develop skills like collaboration and cooperation.

© shutterstock / Daisy Daisy

You assign a group activity in your science classroom and within minutes, this scene unfolds: In each group of four students, two are talking to each other and semi-engaging in the task, one is entirely disengaged and is instead bending and reshaping a paperclip, and one is hurriedly completing the activity all alone, half-heartedly asking her peers to pass her the materials she needs. Sound familiar?

In science lessons, engineering activities can provide a great opportunity for students to collaborate and grow social and emotional skills in low-stakes, high-engagement environments. The creative, problem-solving nature of engineering encourages students to work together, try new ideas, and learn from their mistakes.

Preparation and Planning

Developing lesson plans for engineering activities to enhance social and emotional learning (SEL) requires first anticipating the abilities and needs of students, especially those who may not be on the same social or academic level as their peers.

Create or adapt roles to suit individual students' abilities-this builds confidence and reduces the potential for peer resentment of a student who does not excel academically. This does not, however, mean that any one student always receives the lowest level job. Students who are reading below grade level may have access to an adapted passage or may use an app to have the text read aloud.

The goal is to anticipate what may hinder student participation and create opportunities to keep students engaged. Group work can lead to social isolation if a student is perceived to be not equally contributing, so offering opportunities for everyone to participate is important.

The engineering task you assign should require student interdependency. For example, establish the guideline that only one student is in charge of certain necessary materials, or that all students must complete a task for the goal to be met.

Create coaching questions that students can answer during the activity. Ask open-ended questions requiring reflection, to allow students to appreciate the social and emotional skills they're using in real time. Possible questions include:

What did you notice when...?

How did [SEL skill] contribute to your success with...?

How could [student]'s idea be incorporated?

You can prepare students for the social expectations by sharing examples of what successful collaboration looks and sounds like. Include some counterexamples to demonstrate the type of interaction you hope to avoid. Don't be afraid to emphasize that collaboration will not always be easy and that we may not always like our teammates. This is real-world practice. Being open and transparent about science and SEL goals will show students you value their achievements in both areas.

During the Activity

As students progress through the activity, they should use the engineering design process, which guides students to test their ideas and then iterate solutions. Students can share a common road map, reference the process, and share a common vocabulary for discussion.

As you monitor student activity, be prepared for some social misunderstandings or students being left out, but do not solve these problems for your students. Instead, jump in with some coaching questions and support students through their struggles. Ask questions of students who seem less involved, so they can safely share their ideas in front of the group and be welcomed into the activity again.

In a recent lesson in my classroom, a young man who showed the most initial excitement was sitting solemnly at his group's table. Instead of giving directives, I approached the group with questions-task-based at first, then reflective of the SEL components. When the team heard the young man answer some of the task-based questions, they voluntarily identified that they hadn't been inclusive enough of his ideas. Had my approach been focused only on compliance, I would have demanded that he get to work without offering a path to resolve the SEL challenges of the team.

Pace the activity to allow for some social adjustments and communication. If we rush the process or solve the social dilemmas for our students, we rob them of an important opportunity for growth.

Reflect: What Went Right?

While reflection is incredibly important, it's often the easiest step to omit. Save some time after the activity's cleanup for a larger group conversation. Start simply by asking, "What went right?" Students can reflect on what they appreciated about the process and recognize the collaboration skills of their peers.

Deeper reflection topics include asking students to consider what strategies they used to communicate, how they solved any problems that emerged, and what they learned about each other or the process. Some teachers use a rubric for students to self-rate their SEL skills at different points in the year. Others allow teammates to give positive and constructive feedback to one another at the end of a project or lesson. Engaging students in evaluation helps them gain a deeper understanding of SEL skills and the nuances of their applications.

Solving social and emotional challenges shares many of the same steps as the engineering process: Students try an approach, evaluate how it works, adjust, and try again.

On the surface, social and emotional learning may not seem like an obvious fit for a science classroom, but scientists rarely work alone and need to use social and emotional skills when they propose a project for funding or share their results. Embedding SEL into an engineering activity can enhance your students' success.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Social and Emotional Learning in Science Class

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Social and Emotional Learning The engineering design process offers a chance for students to develop skills like collaboration and cooperation.

# data[].attributes.headline
5 Ways to Use Social and Emotional Learning in the Science Classroom

# data[].attributes.subject
5 Ways to Use Social and Emotional Learning in the Science Classroom

# data[].attributes.body
https://twigeducation.com/blog/5-ways-to-use-social-and-emotional-learning/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The skills we want to help young students develop don't just include those directly connected to the subjects being taught. The Next Generation Science Standards give guidance on how students should investigate matter, forces, and living things, of course, but they also emphasize skills like working in teams, collaboration, and engaging in argument from evidence. These skills are important parts of students' social and emotional learning (SEL), but why is SEL so important and what makes it ideal for bringing into science lessons?

Science lessons provide great opportunities to give students investigative problems they must work together to solve. The engineering design process is a perfect opportunity to encourage students to team up, develop and test ideas, appreciate each other's creativity, and talk about their successes and failures.

As students work in teams, they're learning to communicate, to respect the ideas of others, and to understand why everybody's role is important. These are essential aspects not only of classroom collaboration, but also of being part of society. Good teamwork improves students' social skills. It makes them more self-confident. It even reduces bullying. And it helps children to go on to become successful adults.

That's why we made teamwork a fundamental component of Twig Science. It's there in all of our story-driven investigation modules, and we also created special 3-D Team Challenge mini-modules totally focused on teambuilding and how scientists and engineers work in teams. In doing so, we came up with some useful ideas for increasing the SEL value of lessons that we thought we'd share with you-you'll find all of these in the Twig Science Team Challenges and investigations, but they could be adapted for any lesson.

Here are our favorite five ideas:

1. Student-agreed Science Expectations - Children hate being told what to do when they don't understand why they've got to do it.

It's a good idea to get students discussing the factors that create a productive learning environment. Guide them to come up with their own ideas for how investigations should be carried out in an environment that encourages collaboration and respect. Children hate being told what to do when they don't understand why they've got to do it-but if they are included in creating the rules, they respect and learn from them. Twig Science mini-modules include sections where students brainstorm "Science Expectations." They think about what good teamwork involves and how it could work better, and they produce a Science Expectations poster to display in the classroom throughout the year. Examples of Science Expectations could include "We respect each other," "We let everyone share their ideas," "We encourage each other," or "Everyone helps to clean up."

2. Team-building exercises - Prepare students for just about every situation they'll ever encounter in their professional and personal lives!

Before getting students to embark on in-depth, full-length engineering investigations, it can be helpful to have them take part in shorter, low-stakes team-building exercises. In the Twig Science mini-modules, we suggest various icebreaker activities, storytelling games, and classroom discussions. These get students engaging in civil discourse, deliberating, debating, building consensus, compromising, communicating effectively, and giving presentations. These are incredibly valuable skills that not only prepare students for the longform storyline investigations that make up the main Twig Science modules-they prepare them for just about every situation they'll ever encounter in their professional and personal lives!

3. Reflection points - Students review and discuss their work as a form of self-assessment.

Involving students every step of the way in thinking about what they're doing, why they're doing it, and how they could do it better helps to embed the skills that they are developing. We made sure to put frequent reflection points in Twig Science to give students a chance to discuss how teams are working together and whether everyone is getting their chance to take part. The important thing about reflection is that it's a form of self-assessment. You're not grading the students, and there are no correct or incorrect responses. The purpose of the discussion is for students to think about the investigation processes and to share and reflect on different ideas. What have they enjoyed? What was easy and what was challenging? How do their experiences in their teams connect to experiences outside the classroom?

4. Real-world connections - Get students acting out behaviors that they'll be able to use again and again throughout their lives.

A big part of Twig Science collaborative investigations is how they connect to the way real-life scientists and engineers work in teams. Giving students this real-world connection adds meaning and purpose to what they're doing. As they take on the roles of scientists and engineers, they're acting out behaviors that they'll be able to use again and again throughout their lives. They'll understand that scientists, too, have team roles. They listen to each other. They're respectful when they disagree. They build on each other's ideas. Students will associate these attitudes with success as they act them out and become used to recognizing them in the world around them.

5. Language routines - Communication is a fundamental component of teamwork.

How students use language is an important indicator of their levels of understanding and respect. Communication is a fundamental component of teamwork, which involves a careful balance of being able to express ideas and opinions and also listen to those of others. It's directly connected to our social and emotional development, because language is our primary method of expressing what we feel about ourselves and each other and describing what we agree and disagree about. Twig Science includes a number of repeated language routines (e.g. Turn and Talk, Collect and Display) that structure the way students use language in investigations. They're encouraged to use the words they feel comfortable using-without the need for formal "perfection"-while given the support to connect these to scientific vocabulary when they're ready. The language routines support English Learners-and other students who lack confidence-to take part fully in discussions. Communicating in an inclusive, encouraging, understanding environment leads to confidence, and confident communication increases students' ability to work well as team members in the classroom and as successful and respectful citizens.

We hope you find these ideas useful-we'd love to hear what you think!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Ways to Use Social and Emotional Learning in the Science Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The skills we want to help young students develop don't just include those directly connected to the subjects being taught. The Next Generation Science Standards give guidance on how students should investigate matter, forces, and living things, of course, but they also emphasize skills like working in teams, collaboration, and engaging in argument from evidence....

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.sciencefriday.com/videos-science-friday/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Watch our short documentaries about science and technology.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
science "deep look" pbs kqed "web series" macro environment physics chemistry biology education lab planet nature "up close" climate "climate change" ocean facts creepy mystery amazing 4k discovery cool questions "4k video" "time lapse" learning "science education" "science videos" hummingbird slugs "sea otter" seahorses scorpion "nature videos" "4k nature" "wildlife video" "science video series" "cool biology videos"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
DEEP LOOK is a science video series that explores big science by going very, very small, from KQED and PBS Digital Studios. We use macro photography and micr...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Gav and Dan take on the world in Slow Motion!
Definitely in the top 10 of slow motion based Youtube channels!
If you can, watch our videos at the highest possible resolution on your device for some offensively crisp slow motion footage. For business enquiries, use the link below. All emails are re…

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.ck12.org/student/

# data[].attributes.body
Paul Anderson's Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Wonder of Science was created to support the next generation of science teachers. All of the resources are licensed under Creative Commons licensing.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
New Visions Science Curriculum - New Visions Science Curriculum

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
New Visions for Public Schools provides educators free Open Educational Resources for high school science in Living Environment and Earth Science.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Kognity - Digital Curriculum and Online Learning Platform

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kognity is an online teaching and learning platform with interactive content for IB DP, Cambridge IGCSE and High School Science students.