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Examples of performance tasks for each performance expectation for each grade level.

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The performance assessments linked below were created by Paul Andersen and other science teachers implementing the NGSS. Many of these are first drafts and most of them have not been used with students. Electronic versions are available for all 194 performance expectations in the NGSS (K-12).

Our goal is to eventually have exemplar versions with rubrics and sample student work. Want to help us with this project? Contact me here. Thanks . -Paul

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Draft Assessments - The Wonder of Science

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The performance assessments linked below were created by Paul Andersen and other science teachers implementing the NGSS. Many of these are first drafts and most of them have not been used with students. Electronic versions are available for all 194 performance expectations in the NGSS (K-12).

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Ambitious Science Teaching Scaffolding Tools

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Ambitious Science Teaching Scaffolding Tools

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Tons of examples of scaffolds that can be practiced in the classroom.

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Scaffolds for writing and talking are supports for communicating in science-specific ways that may seem unnatural for students. We mean for example that writing causal explanations, talking in small groups about how evidence can be used to back up a claim, or critiquing the ideas of one's peers in a whole class setting, are not the kinds of communication that students engage in outside of school. Tools can help-these take the form of sentence frames, guides for how to help ELL students practice final explanations, norms for whole class discussion that are developed by students, roles that students can take up in small group activity, and others. We provide a small sample of the types of scaffolding that are used during ambitious teaching.
Scaffolds for talk Norms for whole class conversations
Classrooms should have norms for civil discussions that are developed-with help from your students-from the first day of school, that are explicitly modeled by the teacher (i.e. the teacher "names" the norm as she/he uses it) and reinforced on a regular basis. Here are some samples of these norms-there are many possibilities:

Anyone can ask questions if they don't understand an idea that is being talked about

We (students and teacher) can critique ideas of others, but personal attacks are out of bounds

Don't talk over your classmates

The teacher will give "think time" before asking for students' ideas

In small group work, everyone will contribute to the conversations

It is helpful to re-visit these norms periodically, asking your students: "How did we do today in our discussion? What do we need to work on?"
Sentence starters to sustain productive whole class conversations
Some students don't participate because they are so unfamiliar with critiquing the ideas of others or adding onto a peer's comments. They don't know how to publicly disagree and some students even feel uncomfortable agreeing with others in class.

For these reasons some of our teachers have developed, with students, a list of sentence starters (structures for student talk) to help them accomplish what seems unnatural. The tool we show is just one of a set of 4 posters that a teacher made, with her students, on the first day of class. This one shows "How do I respectfully disagree with a classmate?" There are three others, including agreeing and adding to another person's ideas, asking a probing question (often asking for evidence) or asking a peer for clarification of an idea or claim.
Role cards for small group interaction
To foster group participation, it is helpful to assign roles to students. Roles should not be simply about managerial duties, such as the note-taker, the supply-getter, the procedure-reader. Roles should be about different students taking responsibility for different parts of the science talk that moves everyone's thinking forward. Here are some examples of roles for intellectual work. We list more here than you would assign to a group of students, and you might combine these roles in some cases. What we show below is not "the list" but some suggestions based on our experience in classrooms. To the right is one of the kinds of cards that we place on tables to help students know what to ask their peers.

Big ideas person. The BI person pulls the group (occasionally) back to the scientific purpose of the activity (often a group will get too wrapped up in the rote execution of the directions).

Asks "How does X (something we are studying, reading, investigating, observing, etc.) relate to the anchoring event?"

Asks: "How does X change the way we're thinking about the anchoring event?"

Asks: "What is the big idea we are trying to understand? Why are we [watching ice melt]?"

Clarifier. This is a role of monitoring everyone's comprehension about one or two key science terms.

Asks: "Do we know what the word ____ refers to?"

Asks: "Can we put it into our own terms?"

Questioner. This person asks probing questions during the activity. These folks listen for questions posed by other group members and then re-voice the questions to make sure that the whole group takes a moment to hear and entertain questions from everyone. This is not a role that students find easy, so it helps to provide them with question stems such as :

Asks: "What does it mean that ____?"

Asks: "How do we know that_____?"

Paraphrases what other have said: "So, what I think you are saying is... Is that right?"

Asks: "What would happen if we changed ____?"

Asks: "What's your evidence?"

Skeptic. This person tries to strengthen the group's work by probing for weaknesses in the developing explanation or model.

Says: "Here's an alternative explanation-is this just as good as the one we have now?"

Asks: "Does it always work this way (the explanation)?"

Asks: "How does our idea match up with what we've just learned?"

Progress monitor. This person ask others to periodically take the measure of the group's progress.

Asks: "What can we say we've accomplished so far?"

Asks: "What do we still need to know/do to accomplish this task?"

Asks: "What can we now add to our explanation that we didn't have before?"

When you stop by a table to listen in on a group, you should expect this person to be able to communicate the ideas of the group members AND attribute ideas to particular people (giving credit where it is due).
"Talk to your partner" routines
Sometimes a tool can be more like a routine a teacher enacts to help students interact. The "A-B partner" routine is one of these. We found in many classrooms that when students were asked to talk in pairs before offering comments in whole class discussion, that most students were not really listening to their partners. Or they viewed their partner's talk as just something to politely sit through until it was their turn to talk. This is where "A-B partners" came in. We asked students in pairs to talk about something substantive, like a hypothesis, or some evidence or an everyday experience that related to the science ideas being taught.

After the pairs talk, the teacher asks a student in the class to express the ideas that their partner had expressed. The difference in this routine from just "turn and talks." In addition, the teacher presses the student to say more than a cursory few words about their partner's idea. We found that this compels students to actively listen to one another and to ask follow up questions of their partners in order to understand their viewpoints. This works particularly well with English Language Learners.
Scaffolds for writing Drafting evidence-based claims
The tool we show below is to support students' writing of evidence-based explanations. This is core to the science practice of argumentation. The tool is accompanied by a routine. The tool is used near the end of a unit where the students have been studying a complex puzzling event (the anchoring event for the unit). They have also done several investigations that have provided data that can support various parts of the final explanation for the anchoring event.

Students work in small groups when using this tool. In the left hand column of the tool, the groups negotiate a claim about a part (just a part) of the full explanation for the event. They then cite evidence from one of the activities they'd done that applies to this claim. In the bottom cell they state the reasoning that links the evidence to the claim. You can see in the cells that there is a designated space to write and there are sentence frames, both of which help students.

But this is not the end of the work. The claim-evidence-reasoning is only the first step. Next the students give their sheet to another group. This group's goal is to look at the argument and try to give feedback so that it strengthens the clarity and credibility. The group giving feedback has drafted their own argument of course, but they may be attempting to explain and provide evidence for a very different part of the anchoring event. In this way, the second group is learning a bit about how the first group is constructing evidence-based arguments for a different aspect of the phenomenon.

Finally, the second group meets with a member of the first group and explains their comments. The first group then takes those comments into consideration and revises their argument.
Upper elementary example of scaffolded writing
The tool below has a number of scaffolds built into it that support young learners in constructing explanations with evidence. At the top there are clear instructions that are explicit about what should be written-this is more than "explain the skateboarder's jump." Below is a checklist of ideas that need to be included (this is more than a vocabulary list!), there are sentence frames below that, and at the bottom there is a rubric that challenges students to achieve a "why" level explanation. These are only a few examples of tools that can support writing, there are many others.

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Tools | Scaffolding for writing & talking science | AST

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Scaffolds for writing and talking are supports for communicating in science-specific ways that may seem unnatural for students. We mean for example that writing causal explanations, talking in small groups about how evidence can be used to back up a claim, or critiquing the ideas of one's peers in a whole class setting, are not the kinds of communication that students engage in outside of school.

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Google sheet with tons of books related to the standards being taught. contains summary of book and the standard it addresses

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Google drive folder full of informational PDFs centered around energy

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A great book full of engaging STEM lessons for grades K-2

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A great book filled with STEM lessons for grades 3-4

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Information detailing CER.

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Graphic organizer for CER

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CER_GraphicOrganizer with transition words for writing

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Lesson plan for energy ball based on circuits.

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Human Circuits - Energy Ball - Building Circuits

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Science Snacks are interactive and practical activities designed for teachers and students to explore natural phenomena both at school and home. These activities use simple and affordable materials, come with step-by-step instructions and visuals, offer clear explanations, and can be customized to fit different subjects, grade levels, and educational settings.

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Video detailing KLEWS Chart and how it has implemented in an elementary classroom

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KLEWS article detailing what it is and its benefits and how it can be useful

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Outline of a lesson that can be done centered around pennies based on the concept of energy

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Article describing in detail what is the 5E approach to science instruction.

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Video describing 5E approach to teaching science.

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Science Notebooking - How I Use My Science Notebook | California Academy of Sciences

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Science Notebooking - How I Use My Science Notebook | California Academy of Sciences

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Shows how science notebooks have been used in the classroom.

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Science Notebooking - How I Use My Science Notebook  | California Academy of Sciences

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Presentation on sense-making notebooks and their usefulness

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Sense-Making Notebooks in Your Elementary Classroom

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Presentation of science lesson that can be done on sound for 1st grade.

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Short videos on different science concepts/content mostly 3-5 grade

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Welcome to Crash Course Kids! This bi-weekly show from the producers of Crash Course is all about gradeschool science. We’ll look at Earth, Habitats, Space, Chemical Reactions, Engineering, and much much more with host Sabrina Cruz. So, join us every Tuesday and Thursday for new uploads. This series is beginning with 5th grade science, so we’ll be delving into Earth Science, Physical Science, Biology, Geography, Engineering, and Astronomy. Have a look at our playlists on each subject!

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Similar to CrashCourse but instead 1-3 grade level

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science scienceforkids education scishow "hank green" kids elementary ngss cartoon animation puppet biology chemistry physics engineering stem steam

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From the team behind the YouTube series SciShow comes SciShow Kids! Join Jessi, Squeaks the Robot Lab Rat, and all their friends at the Fort as they conduct experiments, research new questions, and talk with experts to learn about the science-filled world around us.

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The Wonder of Science was created to support the next generation of science teachers. The website has resources developed by Paul Andersen and other science teachers implementing the Next Generation Science Standards*.

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The Wonder of Science was created to support the next generation of science teachers. All of the resources are licensed under Creative Commons licensing.

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Ambitious Science Teaching Elementary Series: What the Youngest of Learners Can Do

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Ambitious Science Teaching Elementary Series: What the Youngest of Learners Can Do

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Similar to above but more focused on the younger students in a school.

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In our elementary series we have three sets of video for you. Can 5, 6, and 7-year olds engage in scientific practices? With the right support they can do amazing things.
K-2 Modeling Series
These provide a glimpse inside kindergarten and 1st/2nd-grade classrooms that are developing scientific models to make sense of and more deeply explain a real-world phenomenon over time. The kindergartners in Ms. Tomokiyo's class at Southern Heights Elementary School in Seattle, Washington, are seeking to understand how a puddle on the grass appears and disappears over the course of a day.

The overview video describes scientific modeling in elementary classrooms and how to support the revision of students' ideas over time.

In the first strategy video, we see students using share-outs and discussion spotlights to learn from each other. As you watch, think about how share-outs of models can be more than "show and tell."

The second strategy video shows students engaging in an interactive read-aloud. As you watch, think about how you can use informational texts to support scientific sense-making. Pay special attention to how students critique science ideas and representations from the books.
K-2 Argumentation Series
In our next series, we share key principles and strategies for engaging K-2 students in the practice of scientific argumentation with explanatory models. We join a second-grade scientific community in the midst of exploring a real-life question: What caused the town of Moncton to flood? As they pursue answers to this question, you'll see that students are not making arguments about isolated observations (e.g., which kind of soil water flows through fastest), but rather arguments that connect to their explanatory models of the phenomenon (the flooding of Moncton). We call this "model-based CER (Claims, Evidence, and Reasoning)," where argumentation occurs in service of developing models of phenomena and supporting deeper, more interconnected science learning.

The overview video shares key principles and strategies for engaging K-2 students in the practice of scientific argumentation with explanatory models.

The first strategy video features how to support students in weighing different forms of evidence (from personal experience, experiments, readings) and using agree-disagree T-charts as a way to support scientific argumentation over the course of a unit of instruction, as a way to validate students' initial and ongoing ideas.

The second strategy video shows how to integrate sentence-stems in a way that supports argumentation and the development of scientific models, supporting deeper and more interconnected science learning.
Foothold Practices
Our third series we call "foothold" practices for elementary teachers. Footholds refer to beginning routines that teachers use with students, to introduce them to ambitious work (both the teacher and the students). These routines boost participation by students and expand the rigor of the work they can do together, while being manageable for the teacher who is attempting new practices. Teachers then become comfortable with these ways of supporting intellectual work and create variations on these practices, often creating innovations that can get spread throughout the AST Community. Footholds lead to the use of other AST routines that extend the power of these initial practices.

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In our elementary series we have three sets of video for you. Can 5, 6, and 7-year olds engage in scientific practices? With the right support they can do amazing things. K-2 Modeling Series These provide a glimpse inside kindergarten and 1st/2nd-grade classrooms that are developing scientific models to make sense of and more deeply explain a real-world phenomenon over time.

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Chart of what 5E pedagogy looks like in practice

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PBS Show clips and episodes centered around learning about different animals

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🦈🦇Wild Kratts | Watch FULL EPISODES on PBS KIDS and the PBS KIDS VIDEO APP! 🦅🐆

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Play games and watch FULL EPISODES of Wild Kratts videos at http://pbskids.org/wildkratts. Join the adventures of Chris and Martin Kratt as they encounter in...

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All Grade Levels

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Nat Geo Kids makes it fun to explore the world with weird, wild, and wacky videos featuring awesome animals like sharks, tigers and lions, cool science, funny pets, and more! Come back every week for new videos! Fuel kids’ curiosity with magazines designed to inspire and empower children ages 3 an…

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Short (<10 mins) videos about different science topics

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"science for kids" "science for children"

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Give yourself a round of applause because you all deserve it for making this place a happening place for kids. We want to send out a special thanks to all of those awesome parents, teachers & kids who watch, comment, subscribe to us.

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Demos of activities you can do at home

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Mega Wow FULL EPISODES | Science, STEM, DIY | PBS KIDS

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PBS KIDS Mega Wow is a new hands-on STEM series for kids from PBS Digital Studios and PBS KIDS. On PBS KIDS Mega Wow, we aim to share a love of science throu...

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Graphic Organizers for Informational Text

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Graphic Organizers for Informational Text

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Simple graphic organizers to support students as they are reading informational texts.

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Help your students classify ideas and communicate more effectively with these free graphic organizer templates, available for download. They can be used to structure writing projects and help in problem solving, decision making, studying, planning research, and brainstorming.

Printable Graphic Organizers

Select a blank graphic organizer from the following categories depending on your curriculum needs.

Sequence of Events

Main Topic and Key Details

Compare/Contrast

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Free Downloadable Graphic Organizer Templates

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Use these free graphic organizer templates to help your students communicate more effectively by classifying ideas, structuring writing projects, and more.

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Graphic Organizers for each SEP and CCC - great for scaffolding

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Graphic Organizers - Practices

(Spanish Versions Below)

Asking Questions - Google Draw or PDF
Developing and Using Models - Google Draw or PDF
Planning and Carrying Out Investigations - Google Draw or PDF
Analyzing & Interpreting Data - Google Draw or PDF
Using Mathematics & Computational Thinking - Google Draw or PDF
Constructing Explanations - Google Draw or PDF
Engaging in Argument from Evidence - Google Draw or PDF

Graphic Organizers - Concepts

Cause and Effect - Google Draw or PDF
Cause and Effect (version 2) - Google Draw or PDFPatterns - Google Draw or PDF
Systems and System Models - Google Draw or PDF
Structure and Function - Google Draw or PDF
Structure and Environment - Google Draw or PDF
Energy and Matter - Google Draw or PDF
Scale, Proportion, and Quantity - Google Draw or PDF
Stability and Change - Google Draw or PDF

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Graphics and Tools - The Wonder of Science

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(Spanish Versions Below) Asking Questions - Google Draw or PDF Developing and Using Models - Google Draw or PDF Planning and Carrying Out Investigations - Google Draw or PDF Analyzing & Interpreting Data - Google Draw or PDF Using Mathematics & Computational Thinking - Google Draw or PDF Constructing Explanations

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Sentence Starters for creating explanations from C-E in elementary

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PDF of examples of how students can talk like scientists

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Examples of how to improve your teaching so that all students are aware of what is being taught without the barrier of language profficiency.

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Grades 3-8: Online/Print options for assessment tasks (free but requires sign up to access)

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Welcome to the Next Generation Science Assessment (NGSA) task portal.

Elementary Grades (3-5) Assessment Tasks Middle Grades (6-8) Assessment Tasks

Here you will find a set of tasks produced by the NGSA Collaborative, which consists of researchers and technology developers at the University of Illinois at Chicago, WestEd, Michigan State University, and the Concord Consortium. Researchers from UChicago STEM Education partnered on the development of the elementary tasks. For more details about our work visit the main project website: nextgenscienceassessment.org

You can preview assessment tasks without an account, but signing up has many benefits. With a teacher account you can create classes, assign specific tasks, and get collated reports of student work. A detailed user manual for the portal can be found here. District, state, and other researchers are welcome to sign up as well.

Create classes, assign tasks, and more

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Welcome to the Next Generation Science Assessment (NGSA) task portal. Elementary Grades (3-5) Assessment Tasks Middle Grades (6-8) Assessment Tasks Here you will find a set of tasks produced by the NGSA Collaborative, which consists of researchers and technology developers at the University of Illinois at Chicago, WestEd, Michigan State University, and the Concord Consortium.

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GReat formative examples for elementary science

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Smarter Tools for Teachers. Discover classroom resources you can use today. Educator-created lessons, activities, strategies, and professional development to help tailor instruction and boost learning.

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K-12 NGSS Performance Task Examples

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Jump to TDSciN Task Library. Take a tour of the TDSciN Task Library About the Network In early 2019, NextGenScience launched the Tennessee District Science Network (TDSciN), a group of six districts in Tennessee working collaboratively to improve their science programs and move towards the vision of

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Visuals of SEPs and CCCs