The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet expectations that students understand how the materials connect the dimensions from chapter to chapter. The materials include three units comprising four to six chapters per unit. The Science Program Guide provides a recommended scope and sequence. The Unit Overview and Unit Map sections of the teacher materials provide information and support for teachers explaining how the chapters within a unit connect to each other. The Lesson Overview section of the teacher materials provides information and support by explaining how the lessons within a chapter connect to each other. The first lesson of the unit (following the Pre-Unit Assessment) provides prompts that give context and goals for the entire unit. The first lesson of each subsequent chapter in the unit usually connects prior learning among the chapters in the unit. While there are connections among chapters within each unit, explicit connections among the units are not provided.

Examples of student learning experiences that demonstrate connections across chapters:

• In Kindergarten, Unit 1: Needs of Plants and Animals, all of the chapters connect to the disciplinary core idea (DCI) about what plants and animals need to live (DCI-LS1.C-P1) and is the focus of learning throughout the unit. Students learn about the needs of plants and animals to explain that monarch caterpillars no longer live in Mariposa Grove because there are no longer milkweed plants present. Chapter 1 introduces students to the problem that monarch caterpillars no longer live in Mariposa Grove after a field was changed into a garden. Students explore the needs of animals (DCI-LS1.C-P1) to find out why the caterpillars are gone. In Chapter 2, students explore what plants need to grow and determine that milkweed plant need water to grow (DCI-LS1.C-P1). In Chapter 3, students add to their understanding of what plants need to live; they learn that plants also need light (DCI-LS1.C-P1). In Chapter 4, students connect what they know about what plants need to live and what monarch caterpillars eat (DCI-LS1.C-P1), to solve the problem of why there are no more monarch caterpillars in the area.

• In Kindergarten, Unit 2: Pushes and Pulls, all of the chapters connect to understanding the forces needed to design a pinball machine. Across this unit, students learn disciplinary core ideas related to force and motion (DCI-PS2.A-P1, DCI-PS2.A-P2, and DCI-PS2.B-P1) and have multiple opportunities to gather evidence about the causes of motion (CCC-CE-P1). In Chapter 1, students conduct an investigation (SEP-INV-P1) that allows them to see the effects of pushes and pulls on a pinball. This chapter introduces the concept of forces acting on an object and is used as the foundation for subsequent chapters on the cause-and-effect of an object’s motion. In Chapter 2, students conduct an investigation that compares the effects of pushes and pulls on the distance an object moves,. Then, they use that information to determine how the strength of force exerted on the pinball is related to how far the ball moves in their box model. In Chapter 3, students investigate how a the direction of force exerted on an object is related to the direction of the object's movement. Students use that information to apply forces that make a pinball in their Box Model move to the left and to the right. In Chapter 4, students investigate how a moving object can change direction when another object exerts a force on it. Students use that information to make a pinball in their Box Model change directions when it comes in contact with a flipper or bumper.

• In Kindergarten, Unit 3: Sunlight and Weather, Chapters 2-4 build understanding of how the sun’s light causes earth’s surface to heat up throughout the day. Across the unit, students have multiple opportunities to understand that events have causes that produce patterns (CCC-CE-P2). They learn how the sun warms earth’s surface and figure out the reason why there are temperature differences between two playgrounds throughout the day (DCI-ESS2.D-P1, DCI-PS3.B-P1). In Chapter 1, students are introduced to weather and how to observe and record different types of weather. Students are then introduced to the phenomenon of two schools in the same area experiencing temperature differences on their respective playgrounds. In Chapter 2, students use a warming lamp to model the sun’s light shining on the surface to investigate how light from the sun warms earth's surface. In Chapter 3, students use their lamp models to determine how surface exposure to the sun’s light over time causes the surface to increase in temperature. In Chapter 4, students complete their lamp model investigations by looking at how different surface-colors (dark or light) are affected differently by the sun’s light.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet expectations that they have an intentional sequence where student tasks increase in sophistication. Materials are designed with an intentional or suggested sequence and student tasks related to explaining phenomena and/or solving problems increase in sophistication within each unit and across the grade band.

Within the grade, the recommended sequence of units is Needs of Plants and Animals, Pushes and Pulls, and Sunlight and Weather, in that order. Within each of these units, there is a single anchor phenomenon or topic that is presented to students, and learning builds across the unit as students gather information to figure it out. Although the units are provided in a recommended order, there is no specific increase of rigor as these units are presented. Approaches to the assessment of the different dimensions are also consistent and similar throughout each unit. However, the learning tasks within the unit increase in sophistication as students work towards explaining phenomena or solving problems.

Examples of student tasks increasing in sophistication within a unit:

• In Kindergarten, Unit 1: Needs of Plants and Animals, students begin to learn how to investigate a phenomenon by being told about a problem in a community and figuring out why the problem exists and how to solve it. In Chapter 1, students investigate an animal’s needs in relation to its habitat and what it eats. They begin to observe how different animals eat different things and how an animal’s habitat needs to provide its food. In Chapter 2, students investigate what plants need to live and grow. They learn that plants need water to grow by observing what happens to a garlic root, radish plant, and milkweed plant when they do and don’t get water. In Chapter 3, students investigate how light plays an important role in plant-growth. They observe and compare plants that get light to plants that do not get light and conclude that plants need light to grow.

• In Kindergarten, Unit 2: Pushes and Pulls, students investigate a teacher-led question in an attempt to design a solution to a problem. In Chapter 1, students learn about the design process by learning about the problem and beginning to design a solution. The students watch a video of a pinball machine and are asked to design their own pinball machine as a whole class. Students investigate how an object begins to move, which leads them to create their first Box Model. The Box Model will be used throughout the unit to try out their new ideas. By the end of this chapter, the students have created a launcher for their class pinball machine. In Chapter 2, students begin to address two design goals for the class pinball machine. By the end of this chapter, the students will have redesigned their launcher from Chapter 1. Students investigate the strength of a force exerted on an object and relate it to the distance an object travels when that force is applied. In Chapter 3, students use the design process to figure out how to move an object in the direction they want it to move. Students investigate by using their understanding of how the direction of a force exerted on a ball can result in the ball moving to the left or to the right to move the ball to a designated target. In Chapter 4, students use the design process to understand that an object can change direction if it interacts with a second object. Students try their ideas out on their Box Models before adding flippers and bumpers to their class pinball machine. In Chapter 5, students redesign their Box Models to ensure that they are capable of doing all of the things that they want the ball to do. Students go through an iterative design process to make improvements to their class pinball machine.

• In Kindergarten, Unit 3: Sunlight and Weather, students are introduced to modeling as a means for scientists to study real-world phenomena and to make predictions about future real-world events. In Chapter 2, students read from a reference book about models to build background knowledge of why scientists use models. They then work together to build a model that compares how the presence or absence of light affects the surface upon which the light is projected. The teacher uses the results of the investigation to lead a class conversation to help students make comparisons between the data collected and how it represents a model of the sun’s energy. In Chapter 3, the teacher leads a discussion as students provide suggestions about how they can use the lamp model to represent the sun’s light shining on earth’s surface for different lengths of time. Students then, guided by the class discussion, work together to investigate how surface temperature varies depending on the amount of time it is exposed to the sun’s light. In Chapter 4, the teacher leads a discussion about how to revise their lamp model to investigate surface temperature differences between light- and dark-colored surfaces. The students participate in a class discussion as the teacher assists them in planning their investigation. Students connect their findings from the model to a variety of surfaces they encounter in real-world contexts and to the playgrounds.

In each K–5 grade level, there is one unit that emphasizes the practice of investigation, one that emphasizes the practice of modeling, and one that emphasizes the engineering practice of design. As students progress through the series, the materials connect learning of the three dimensions across the entire grade band. The way students engage with and use the three dimensions also increases in sophistication across the investigation, modeling, and engineering-design units.

• Investigation Units: Each grade contains a unit focused on students developing the science practices related to investigations. The K–2 grade band shows increasing complexity as students begin with simple classroom investigations and add in technology, maps, and thinking about system interactions. In Kindergarten, the Needs of Plants and Animals unit has students investigate what plants and animals need to live as they figure out why monarch caterpillars no longer live in Mariposa Grove. They conduct a series of investigations to determine the effects of light and water on plant growth. In Grade 1, the Spinning Earth unit focuses on students investigating patterns in the sky and why the sky looks different at the same time in different places. Student investigations increase in sophistication as they collect observational data, and also make observations using live webcams to learn about what the sky looks like at different times and in different places across the globe. In Grade 2, the Plant and Animal Relationships unit focuses on understanding why chalta trees aren’t growing in a specific location. Student investigations increase in sophistication as they interpret visual data from the study site and connect information from multiple investigations to explain how different components in the ecosystem impact the growth of the trees.

• Engineering Design Units: Each grade contains a unit focused on students developing the science practices and DCIs related to engineering design. The K–2 grade band shows increasing complexity as students begin with simple, guided designs that increase in sophistication with the type of design and level of testing required. In Kindergarten, the Pushes and Pulls unit focuses on understanding the forces needed to design a pinball machine. Students conduct guided investigations then apply their learning to a design of a pinball machine. Each investigation guides students to designing the next component (launcher, bumper, flipper) of their pinball machine. In Grade 1, the Light and Sound unit focuses on understanding aspects of light and sound to be able to design a puppet-show scene. Student investigations guide students to designing the next component of their puppet show (lighting the stage, making shadow scenery, and adding sound), but students have more choice and flexibility in their designs than they did in the Kindergarten unit. Students also begin to understand the importance of testing and selecting different materials for their designs. In Grade 2, the Properties of Materials unit focuses on designing a new glue. Students understand properties of materials as they develop and test a new sticky glue for their school. As students work on their designs, they test properties of different materials and determine whether those materials combine to form a glue that meets criteria for stickiness and strength. Students have opportunities to make revisions to their recipe following testing.

• Modeling Units: Each grade contains a unit focused on students developing the SEPs related to developing and using models. The K–2 grade band shows increasing complexity as students begin with a simple model that they use to collect data, then develop their own physical models, and then use multiple models to explain a phenomenon. In Kindergarten, the Sunlight and Weather unit focuses on using a lamp model to simulate how sunlight can heat earth’s surfaces throughout the day. Students then use information from their models to figure out what causes the temperature differences between the two playgrounds throughout the day. In Grade 1, the Animal and Plant Defenses unit focuses on how animals defend themselves in their environment. Students learn about physical structures of sea turtles and other animals that are used as protection. Students then create a model of a specific animal defense mechanism to demonstrate understanding of how an animal protects itself. In Grade 2, the Changing Landforms unit focuses on how water and wind shape earth. Students use multiple models to explain various components of why a cliff near a recreation center eroded. Students use models to simulate how rocks hitting each other can break off small pieces and form sand. Students use models with chalk to investigate how water can change a landform by causing pieces of rock to break off. Students use a digital modeling tool to create their own maps of landforms. Students make a model and then erode the model to show how many small changes can add up to a bigger change. Students use this information to explain how the recreation center’s cliff eroded without the director noticing. Students use multiple erosion models to provide evidence that supports the idea that wind and water can quickly erode landforms made of loose materials.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet expectations that they present disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts in a way that is scientifically accurate. Across the grade, the teacher materials, student materials, and assessments accurately represent the three dimensions and are free from scientific inaccuracies in each of the three units.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet expectations that they do not inappropriately include scientific content and ideas outside of the grade-level disciplinary core ideas (DCIs). Across the grade, the materials consistently incorporate student learning opportunities to learn and use DCIs appropriate to the grade.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-level disciplinary core ideas (DCIs) for physical sciences. Across the grade, the materials include all of the associated elements of the physical science DCIs. These are found in two of the three units for this grade: Pushes and Pulls and Sunlight and Weather.

Examples of grade-level physical science DCI elements present in the materials:

• PS2.A-P1: In Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.5: Applying Strength and Direction, students discuss the strength and direction of force needed to hit the target in the class pinball machine. The class adds another target and discusses the strength and direction of force needed to hit the new target. Then, students share ideas about how pushes and pulls have different strengths and directions to explain how they got the ball to hit the two targets.

• PS2.A-P2: In Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.2: Strong and Gentle Forces, students move a ball on the floor and observe the distances that the ball moves relative to the amount of force applied. In preparation for the Home Investigation, students test then share their observations on what could cause the ball to speed up or slow down, relating that to the push or pull on the object.

• PS2.B-P1: In Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.2: Forces Change an Object’s Direction, students discuss a reading where a foosball player hit the ball, causing the ball to change direction. Students then practice moving a ball so that it bounces off something and note that when the ball interacts with another object, the ball’s motion changes.

• PS3.B-P1: In Kindergarten, Unit: Sunlight and Weather, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.1: Modeling Warming of Different Surfaces and Lesson 4.2: Reflecting on Warming of Different Surfaces, students investigate the temperature differences among different colored surfaces to explain why two playgrounds warm differently throughout the day. Investigating what happens to the temperature of different colored surfaces over time helps students determine that sunlight causes the playground surfaces to warm.

• PS3.C-P1: In Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.5: Applying Strength and Direction, students predict and test how to make the tennis ball hit a target. In the Going Further section of the lesson, students determine that increasing the strength of pushes or pulls will make the ball speed up or slow down more quickly.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-level disciplinary core ideas (DCIs) for life sciences. In Kindergarten, there is only one life science DCI connected to the grade-level performance expectations (PEs). That DCI and associated element is found in one of the three units for this grade: Exploring Animal Needs. This DCI is taught across multiple lessons, with each lesson addressing a different aspect of the DCI.

Examples of the grade-level life science DCI element present in the materials:

• LS1.C-P1: In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.4: Exploring Animal Needs, students observe picture cards and discuss what the animal is eating in each picture. This is to help them understand that some animals need plants for food and this feeding relationship is how they are connected in the natural world.

• LS1.C-P1: In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.7: Water for Milkweed, students learn that plants need water to survive. Students investigate the reason that some plants grew better than others and determine that one plant did not grow because it did not receive enough water to support its life.

• LS1.C-P1: In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.1: Planning a Light Investigation, students learn that plants need light to live and grow. Students investigate that plants that get water can still grow differently because they need things other than just water. Stunts observe two sunflower plants, one that was put under light and the other without any light. Students compare the two plants to determine that light is important for a plant's growth and survival.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-level disciplinary core ideas (DCIs) for earth and space sciences. Across the grade, the materials include all of the associated elements of the earth and space science DCIs; however, one element is only partially met. These are found in two of the three units for this grade: Needs of Plants and Animals and Sunlight and Weather

Examples of the grade-level earth and space science DCI elements present in the materials:

• ESS2.D-P1: In Kindergarten, Unit: Sunlight and Weather, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.1: What is the Weather Like Today?, students use the book What is the Weather Like Today? to learn about different types of weather conditions (sunny, cloudy, rainy, snowy, and windy). Students learn that people can measure these conditions and use their measurements to make predictions.

• ESS3.A-P1: In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.1: Investigating Monarchs, students use the book Investigating Monarchs to learn about the life cycle and migration patterns of monarch butterflies. Students learn about the different needs of the monarch butterflies, and about how the butterflies migrate to different places depending on their needs. In a subsequent part of this unit, students design a garden to restore the butterfly’s habitat, which was destroyed when humans planted a garden in a field where the monarchs used to live.

• ESS3.B-P1: In Kindergarten, Unit: Sunlight and Weather, Chapter 5, Lesson 5.1: Tornado! Predicting Severe Weather, students listen to the teacher read the book Tornado! Predicting Severe Weather. The book describes how a weather scientist works with tools to predict severe weather, which saved a school full of kids.

• ESS3.C-P1: In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.3: Reflecting on Needs of Living Things, students learn how humans impact their surroundings but they can make changes that reduce their impact on plants and animals. These changes can allow both humans and animals to get what they need to survive. Students learn that humans planted a garden in a field and the monarch butterflies disappeared. Students solve the problem by designing a garden that will allow both humans to get the vegetables they need and let the monarch caterpillars get what they need to survive.

Examples of the grade-level earth and space science DCI elements partially present in the materials:

• ESS2.E-P1: In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.5: Observing Garlic Roots, the teacher reads the book A Plant in the Desert. The book presents information about how a tortoise digs a hole, so it can catch water and drink from the pool. In Chapter 3, Lesson 3.4: Above and Below, the teacher reads the book, Above and Below that provides information that animals dig holes to stay safe or to find food. This element is only partially addressed; the materials only address animals and do not address how plants can change their environments.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades K–2 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-band and grade-level disciplinary core ideas (DCIs) for engineering, technology and applications of science (ETS) and all associated elements. In Kindergarten, three performance expectations (PEs) are associated with a physical, life, or earth and space science DCI that also connect to an ETS DCI. The ETS elements within these kindergarten PEs are present in the materials.

Examples of the Kindergarten grade-level ETS DCI elements present in the materials:

• ETS1.A-P1: In Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.1: Pre-Unit Assessment, students are introduced to their role as engineers. During a teacher-led discussion, students are shown the What Engineers Do chart to learn that engineers find out about problems and then go through a series of processes to design a solution. Throughout this unit, students then work to solve the problem of designing a pinball machine.

• ETS1.A-P2: In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.7: Water for Milkweed, students learn that asking questions and gathering information are important parts of solving problems. Students determine that the milkweed plants don’t grow in the black pot because they don’t get enough water, but they do grow in the white pot because they have water. Students use this to understand that water for the milkweed plants will be important in their garden design.

• ETS1.B-P1: In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.3: Reflecting on Needs of Living Things, students make their garden plan by gluing images of the plants to the location of their garden. This helps students communicate their design solutions to other people without needing to actually construct the garden.

In Grade 1, no PEs associated with a physical, life, or earth and space science DCI connect to an ETS DCI. However, the materials do include opportunities for students to engage with ETS elements in this grade.

Examples of ETS DCI elements present in the Grade 1 materials:

• ETS1.A-P1: In Grade 1, Unit: Light and Sound, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.6: Explaining the Puppet-Show Scene, students learn that people can create new approaches or solve problems through engineering. Students are asked to solve a problem from a fictitious play company that would allow them to carry fewer materials when putting on a puppet show.

• ETS1.C-P1: In Grade 1, Unit: Light and Sound, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.5: Testing and Revising our Solutions, students learn that it is useful to compare and test designs to find the best solution to their problem. They work with partners to test their design solutions that show a bright, medium-bright, and dark area for the designed scene of the puppet show. They test to see if their stencils make the appropriate “brightness” in the scene and revise as needed.

In Grade 2, there are two PEs associated with a physical, life, or earth and space science DCI that also connect to an ETS DCI. The ETS elements within these Grade 2 PEs are present in the materials.

Examples of the Grade 2 grade-level ETS DCI elements present in the materials:

• ETS1.B-P1: In Grade 2, Unit: Animal and Plant Defenses, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.8: Defending the Food Supply, students learn that models can be an effective way to communicate design solutions to other people. Students then make a physical model of their design to defend a food bag in an aquarium.

• ETS1.C-P1: In Grade 2, Unit: Properties of Materials, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.9: Making Our First Glue, students learn that it is useful to compare and test designs to find the best solution to their problem. Students test whether their glue can pass the sticky-glue test to determine whether they need to revise their glue recipe.

The K–2 grade band includes three ETS PEs that are designed to be taught at any point across the grade band. These PEs include five elements. The materials provide opportunities to engage with ETS DCIs and their elements in all three grades within this band.

Examples of the K–2 grade-band ETS DCI elements present in the materials:

• ETS1.A-P1: In Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.1: Pre-Unit Assessment, students are introduced to their role as engineers. During a teacher-led discussion, students are shown the What Engineers Do chart to learn that engineers find out about problems and then go through a series of processes to design a solution. Throughout this unit, students then work to solve the problem of designing a pinball machine.

• ETS1.A-P2: In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.7: Water for Milkweed, students learn that asking questions and gathering information are important parts of solving problems. Students determine that the milkweed plants don’t grow in the black pot because they don’t get enough water, but they do grow in the white pot because they have water. Students use this to understand that water for the milkweed plants will be important in their garden design.

• ETS1.A-P3: In Grade 2, Unit: Properties of Materials, Chapter 3: What ingredients can be used to make a glue that is sticky and strong?, students gain a better understanding of the problem to inform their glue designs. Throughout the chapter, students gather information about properties of glue to help inform their design process.

• ETS1.B-P1: In Grade 2, Unit: Animal and Plant Defenses, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.8: Defending the Food Supply, students learn that models can be an effective way to communicate design solutions to other people. Students then make a physical model of their design to defend a food bag in an aquarium.

• ETS1.C-P1: In Grade 1, Unit: Light and Sound, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.5: Testing and Revising our Solutions, students learn that it is useful to compare and test designs to find the best solution to their problem. They work with partners to test their design solutions that show a bright, medium-bright, and dark area for the designed scene of the puppet show. They test to see if their stencils result in the appropriate “brightness” in the scene and revise as needed.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-level science and engineering practices (SEPs) and associated elements. The materials include all of the SEP elements associated with the performance expectations (PEs) for the grade level. These are found across all three units for this grade.

Examples of SEPs and elements associated with the grade-level performance expectations that are present in the materials:

• AQDP-P1: In Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.1: Identifying New Design Goals, students watch the pinball video. After making observations from the video, the teacher is prompted to inform students that engineers ask questions, some of which come from their observations. The teacher models how to ask a question about the pinball video. Students are then prompted to ask their own questions based on their observations of the pinball machine design in the video.

• AQDP-P1: In Kindergarten, Unit: Sunlight and Weather, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.4: Weather and the Playgrounds, after examining a weather graph and calendar, the teacher models how to ask a question about observations from the data. Students are then prompted to ask their own questions that would provide more information on the weather differences at the two playgrounds.

• MOD-P3: In Kindergarten, Unit: Sunlight and Weather, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.1: Modeling Warming of Different Surfaces, students use a colored-surfaces model to determine the relative temperature (range from very cold to very hot) of playground surfaces. Students use these models to determine that some surfaces get warmer than others when sunlight shines on them.

• INV-P1: In Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, Chapter 3: How Do We Make A Pinball Move To A Certain Place?, students conduct an investigation with peers. Students investigate the direction a ball will go when they push on it. Groups of three students sit in a circle and roll the ball to each other, paying attention to where they are targeting to roll the ball.

• INV-P4: In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.6: Explaining Why There Are No Caterpillars, students collect data that can be used to make comparisons. Students read the Handbook of Plants to find out that monarch caterpillars eat milkweed plants. Then students compare pictures of the Mariposa Grove Community Garden to the field that was there previously, comparing the different plants they see. Students determine that because there is no milkweed in the garden, the caterpillars cannot live there because they only eat milkweed.

• DATA-P3: In Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.3: Force Happens Between Two Objects, students use observations to describe relationships between two objects. Students observe what happens to objects when they interact (e.g.,a car pushing a block or a string pulling on a tube). Students look at the relationship between the two objects to describe how a force exerted on one object affects the other object.

• DATA-P5: In Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, Chapter 5, Lesson 5.2: Testing and Improving Our Box Models, students test their pinball machine design and analyze whether it works as intended. They identify any changes that they need to make to improve its function.

• CEDS-P2: In Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, students use materials throughout the unit to design and build a Box Model to solve the problem of making a pinball machine that can launch a ball and make the ball change directions once in motion.

• ARG-P6: In Kindergarten, Unit: Sunlight and Weather, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.4: Applying Sunlight Warming Earth’s Surface, students construct an argument with evidence to support a claim about why they think a playground location is warmer or cooler during part of the day.

• INFO-P1: In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 3: Why do the milkweed plants that get water grow differently?, students read texts and observe images of different plants to determine that plants need light to grow.

• INFO-P4: In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 2: Why do two milkweed seeds become plants, but the others did not?, students write and draw in a mini-book to communicate information about what milkweed plants need to grow.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades K–2 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-level science and engineering practices (SEPs) and associated elements across the grade band. The materials include all of the SEP elements associated with the performance expectations (PEs) for the grade band. Elements of the SEPs are found across all three grades within this grade band. Materials include few elements of the SEPs from above or below the grade band without connecting to the grade-band appropriate SEP.

Examples of SEP elements associated with the grade-band performance expectations that are present in the materials:

• AQDP-P1: In Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.1: Identifying New Design Goals, students watch the pinball video. After making observations from the video, the teacher is prompted to inform students that engineers ask questions, some of which come from their observations. The teacher models how to ask a question about the pinball video. Students are then prompted to ask their own questions based on their observations of the pinball machine design in the video.

• AQDP-P1: In Kindergarten, Unit: Sunlight and Weather, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.4: Weather and the Playgrounds, after examining a weather graph and calendar, the teacher models how to ask a question about observations from the data. Students are then prompted to ask their own questions that would provide more information on the weather differences at the two playgrounds.

• MOD-P3: In Kindergarten, Unit: Sunlight and Weather, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.1: Modeling Warming of Different Surfaces, students use a colored-surfaces model to determine the relative temperature (range from very cold to very hot) of the playground surfaces. Students use these models to determine that some surfaces get warmer than others when sunlight shines on them.

• MOD-P4: In Grade 1, Unit: Animal and Plant Defenses, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.4: Modeling Shells and Armor, students observe a video of a turtle and an alligator to gather evidence about shells and armor as defenses against being eaten. The class gathers additional information about how shells and armor function to defend living things by revisiting sections of Tortoise Parts and the reference book. Then, students work together to develop a simple physical model that shows how living things use their shells or armor to defend themselves from being eaten.

• INV-P1: In Kindergarten, Unit: Light and Sound, Chapter 3: How Do We Make A Pinball Move To A Certain Place?, students conduct an investigation with peers. Students investigate the direction a ball will go when they push on it. Groups of three students sit in a circle and roll the ball to each other, paying attention to where they are targeting to roll the ball.

• INV-P2: In Grade 2, Unit: Properties of Materials, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.9: Making Our First Glue, students plan and conduct an investigation collaboratively to determine if their recipe for their glue will pass the sticky-glue test.

• INV-P3: In Grade 1, Unit: Spinning Earth, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.2: After Sunset, students look at firsthand and secondhand ways to observe the sky at daytime and at nighttime, then discuss how scientists need to use more than one way to collect information. Students make direct observations of the sky during the school day and use pictures to understand what the sky looks like at night.

• INV-P4: In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.6: Explaining Why There Are No Caterpillars, students collect data that can be used to make comparisons. Students read the Handbook of Plants to find out that monarch caterpillars eat milkweed plants. Then, students compare pictures of the Mariposa Community Garden to the field that was there previously, comparing the different plants they see. Students determine that there is no milkweed in the garden and the caterpillars cannot live in the garden because they only eat milkweed.

• DATA-P3: In Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.3: Force Happens Between Two Objects, students use observations to describe relationships between two objects. Students make observations of what happens to objects when they interact (e.g., a car pushing a block, or using a string to pull a tube). Students look at the relationship between the two objects to describe how force on one object acts on the other object.

• DATA-P5: In Grade 2, Unit: Properties of Materials, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.1: Evaluating Second Glues and Revising Recipes, students test the strength and stickiness of their glue and analyze their findings to determine if their glue meets the design-goal properties.

• CEDS-P1: In Grade 1, Unit: Spinning Earth, Chapter 1: Why did the sky look different to Sai than to his grandma?, students make and record observations of the daytime sky to collect evidence to support an account for why the sky looks different to Sai than it does to his grandma.

• CEDS-P2: In Grade 1, Unit: Light and Sound, Chapter 4: How do we design a sound source to go with a puppet show scene?, students use different materials to design a device that can use vibrations to make sound for their puppet-show scene.

• CEDS-P3: In Grade 2, Unit: Properties of Materials, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.2: Making Final Glues, students share successful design ideas with their classmates and compare and evaluate each-other's glue designs based on the data collected. Students use that information to revise and create their final glue designs.

• ARG-P6: In Grade 2, Unit: Properties of Materials, Lesson 2.2: Exploring Heating and Cooling, students construct an argument about whether heating a cornstarch mixture produces the same substance or a different substance. Students list the properties of the substance before and after it was heated; then, they make a claim about whether or not the substance turns into something new and provide evidence to support their claim.

• INFO-P1: In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 3: Why do the milkweed plants that get water grow differently?, students read texts and view images of different plants to obtain information that plants need light to grow.

• INFO-P3: Grade 2, Unit: Plant and Animal Relationships, Chapter 1: Why aren’t new chalta trees growing in the Bengal Tiger Reserve?, students read and learn about habitats and types of seeds from different plants to determine that the trees need adequate sunlight and water, and depend on animals for pollination.

• INFO-P4: In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 2: Why do two milkweed seeds become plants, but the others did not?, students write and draw in a mini-book to communicate information about what milkweed plants need to grow.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades K-2 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-level crosscutting concepts (CCCs) and associated elements across the grade band. The materials include all of the CCC elements associated with the performance expectations for the grade band. Elements of the CCCs are found across all three grades within this grade band. Materials include few elements of the CCCs from above the grade band without connecting to the grade-band appropriate CCC.

Across the grade band, students have multiple opportunities to engage with the grade-level CCCs that are implicitly connected to SEPs or DCIs as they build toward grade-level performance expectations. For example, students have frequent opportunities to use observations to describe patterns in the natural world to answer scientific questions (SEP-DATA-P3) but have limited opportunities to explicitly discuss the importance of using patterns as evidence to describe phenomena (CCC-PAT-P1). When the materials provide opportunities to make the crosscutting concepts explicit for students, this is generally through sentence frames to help students use targeted CCCs, or through teacher prompts that provide explicit connections and guide student discussions about how scientists and engineers use different CCCs to answer scientific questions or solve engineering problems.

Examples of CCC elements associated with the grade-band performance expectations that are present in the materials:

• PAT-P1: In Grade 1, Unit: Spinning Earth, Chapter 1: Why did the sky look different to Sai than to his grandma?, students learn that, “A pattern is something we observe to be similar over and over again. Scientists look for patterns to help them understand and explain what they observe.” Students then read the Patterns of Earth and Space big book. Patterns in the natural and human-designed world can be observed, used to describe phenomena, and used as evidence. Students make observations of the daytime sky and begin to identify patterns from their observations.

• PAT-P1: In Grade 2, Unit: Changing Landforms, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.4: Gary’s Sand Journal, students discuss the pattern that Gary recorded by making observations of sand. Students learn that patterns in sand grains (size, color, and shape) can be used as evidence of the types of materials it is made of, the size waves that moved it, and the age of the sand.

• CE-P1: In Kindergarten, Unit: Sunlight and Weather, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.2: Discussing Warming Over Time, students use data from their Warming Model to support or refute ideas about why one playground was warmer than the other. Students use their data showing about the time of day, the amount of sunlight, and the temperature to conclude that the difference in the amount of sunlight caused one playground to be warmer than the others.

• CE-P1: In Grade 1, Unit: Light and Sound, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.4: Planning and Making Our Stencils, students learn that tests can be designed to gather evidence about causes. Students make diagrams of their proposed solutions for stencils that will project a puppet-show scene that enables all, some, or no light to pass through. Students explain why the difference in material causes some stencils to make the area darker than others.

• CE-P1: In Grade 2, Unit: Plant and Animal Relationships, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.6: Investigating Seed Needs, students learn that tests can be used to gather evidence to support a claim about what causes something to happen. Students use a test to determine that limited plant growth is caused by not giving the seeds enough water or by not giving the plants enough sunlight. Simple tests can be designed to gather evidence to support or refute student ideas about causes.

• CE-P2: In Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.2: Strong and Gentle Forces, students move a ball on the floor, using both strong and gentle forces and observing the distances that the ball moved relative to the amount of force applied. Students discuss how the amount of force used to push the ball results in the observable patterns that stronger pushes cause the ball to move a longer distance and gentle pushes cause the ball to move a shorter distance.

• CE-P2: In Grade 2, Unit: Changing Landforms, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.2: Investigating Differences in Scale, students use a physical model of a mountain and create maps before and after the mountain erodes. Students use their model to help them understand that certain events create repeatable patterns, such as water causing erosion.

• SYS-P2: In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.3: Growing Toward the Light, students learn that systems have parts that work together and a plant is a system because it has different parts (roots, stems, leaves) that help it live and grow.

• EM-P1: In Grade 2, Unit: Properties of Materials, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.1: Can You Change It Back?, students review text and images in the book Can You Change it Back? showing popsicle sticks arranged in different configurations. The teacher leads a class discussion to elicit the idea that small objects can be combined into larger objects and rearranged to create different objects. This idea is revisited in Chapter 4, Lesson 4.2 when students take apart four popsicle sticks they glued together to rearrange them into a picture frame.

• SF-P1: In Grade 1, Unit: Animal and Plant Defenses, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.3: Introducing Modeling, students read Spikes, Spines, and Shells: A Handbook of Defenses, then create physical models of structures that animals and plants use to defend themselves from being eaten. Students explain how the shape of the structures are related to their function of protecting the organism.

• SF-P1: In Grade 2, Unit: Plant and Animal Relationships, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.3: Conducting the Seed Investigations, students model different ways that seeds move with and without propellers to determine which type of seed moves with the wind. They use this test to identify how the shape of seed structures are related to their function.

• SC-P2: In Grade 2, Unit: Changing Landforms, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.2: Investigating Differences in Scale, students use a physical model of a mountain and create maps before and after the mountain erodes. Students use their model to show how a lot of very small changes can result in a big change or may change slowly or rapidly.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades K–2 meet expectations that they incorporate NGSS connections to the nature of science (NOS) and engineering. The NOS and engineering elements are represented and attended multiple times throughout the grade-band units. They are used in correlation with the content and not used as isolated lessons. The NOS and Engineering elements are used in a variety of fashions throughout the units including videos, readings, and class discussions. Although most of the elements are present in the lessons, they are not explicitly called out in the instructional material.

Examples of grade-band connections to NOS elements associated with SEPs present in the materials:

• VOM-P2: In Kindergarten, Unit: Sunlight and Weather, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.2: Learning More About Models, students read about how scientists use different models as ways to study the world in the Handbook of Models big book. Students discuss how scientists use models before starting an investigation of their own that uses a model.

• BEE-P1: In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.2: Comparing Living and Nonliving Things, students classify objects shown on cards as living or nonliving. A teacher prompt informs students that scientists look for patterns, such as comparing how things are the same or different; students learn that is one way that scientists figure things out about the world.

• ENP-P1: In Grade 2, Unit: Changing Landforms, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.1: Diagramming Landform Changes, students learn how scientists use diagrams and models to communicate ideas and information. Students learn what makes a diagram different from a regular picture. Students then create a diagram to show what they think happened to the cliff below the recreation center.

Examples of grade-band connections to NOS elements associated with CCCs present in the materials:

• AOC-P1: In Grade 1, Unit: Spinning Earth, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.2: Adding Sunset Data to the Sky Mural, students make a sky mural to document their observations of the sun’s position in the sky. A class discussion focuses on understanding that the patterns are observations that can be made over and over again. The sky mural helps students see the pattern that the sun sun is in about the same position at the same time of each day.

• AQAW-P1: In Grade 1, Unit: Properties of Materials, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.7, Activity 3: Reading: Jelly Bean Engineer, students read about jelly-bean engineers who make different recipes for jelly beans and then test the jelly beans for texture and flavor. During a class discussion, the teacher is prompted to point out that scientists study the natural world, including plants and animals, and that engineers study the material world, including solving problems that involve substances like jelly beans.

Examples of grade-band connections to ENG elements associated with CCCs present in the materials:

• INFLU-P1: In Grade 2, Unit: Properties of Materials, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.2: What If Rain Boots Were Made of Paper?, students read the book, What If Rain Boots Were Made of Paper?, to introduce the idea that different materials have different properties, and it is important for engineers to use their knowledge of the properties of the materials (natural or engineered) they choose when they design things.

The materials reviewed for Amplify Science Kindergarten meet expectations for providing teacher guidance with useful annotations and suggestions for how to enact the student materials and ancillary materials, with specific attention to engaging students in figuring out phenomena and solving problems. Materials provide comprehensive guidance that will assist the teachers in presenting the student and ancillary materials. Examples from all units include:

• The Teacher Guide, Unit Overview introduces a real-world problem, which serves as the anchor phenomenon, and its relevance to our lives. It also gives an overview of how students will build knowledge in order to solve a new problem.

• The Teacher Guide, The Progress Build explains how knowledge about the phenomenon deepens as the students progress through the unit, specifically noting bolded statements.

• The Teacher Guide, Getting Ready to Teach specifically details what the teacher needs to do to prepare Before You Present the Lesson, While You Present the Lesson, and After You Present the Lessons.

• All Chapters, Lessons, Digital Resources, Classroom Slide|Powerpoint and the Google Slides suggest teacher talk and teacher actions.

• All Chapters, Lessons, Lesson Brief, Activity, Instructional Guide, Step-by-Step provides the instructional strategy and precise teacher talk and teacher action. 

• All Chapters, Lessons, Lesson Brief, Activity, Instructional Guide, Teacher Support provides background information about the three dimensions of the Next Generation Science Standards featured in the activity as well as the Rationale behind the teacher action and instructional suggestions. 

• The Teacher Guide, Unit Overview, Printable Resources, Coherence Flowcharts provide teachers with a graphic organizer for each chapter in the unit “that helps students see the connections between the phenomena and questions that drive students’ experiences, the evidence they gather, the ideas they figure out, and the new questions that those ideas generate.”

• All lessons, Overview, Lesson at a Glance briefly describe student activities and suggested time allocation for each activity. 

The instructional guides for each lesson from Kindergarten include suggestions about instructional strategies and guidance for presenting the content, which often includes identifying, with limited room for more targeted approaches to addressing student naive conceptions. Examples from all units include:

• The Teacher Guide, Progress Build Section(s) provide prior knowledge (preconceptions) that students may bring to the lesson, foundational knowledge needed for student understanding and growth throughout the lesson, and progress build levels describing conceptual growth that students are expected to experience throughout the unit.

• The Teacher Guide, Eliciting and Leveraging Student’s Prior Knowledge, Personal Experiences, and Cultural Backgrounds, supports teachers by introducing the phenomenon and consistently eliciting students' initial ideas related to the phenomenon. Also, this resource provides support for teachers to document ideas throughout the units on a class chart for ongoing reference and to help students add, revise, and reflect on their ideas. 

With regard to addressing how to support students in figuring out phenomena and/or solving problems, the materials support the teacher in seeing connections between the phenomena and questioning, but miss the opportunity to clearly articulate/illustrate how the students’ understanding of the phenomenon deepens throughout. Evidence of connections between phenomena and questioning includes:

• The Teacher Guide, Unit Overview, Printable Resources, Coherence Flowcharts provide teachers with a graphic organizer for each chapter in the unit “that helps students see the connections between the phenomena and questions that drive students’ experiences, the evidence they gather, the ideas they figure out, and the new questions that those ideas generate.” 

• Within each Activity, there is also an Instructional Guide with step-by-step guidance that is present for teachers to support their understanding of which Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) are the focus and how to support students in using them as students figure out the phenomena or solve the problems. 

All units conclude by asking students to apply the knowledge acquired throughout the unit to a new problem. Teachers are provided support via the PowerPoint slides and include suggested teacher talk to frame how engineers solve problems, in context with the ideas students learned and also teacher action to help students consider and discuss solutions.

The materials reviewed for Amplify Science Kindergarten meet expectations for containing adult-level explanations and examples of the more complex grade-level concepts and concepts beyond the current course so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject. The materials include support for teachers to develop their own understanding of grade-level concepts and content knowledge beyond the scope of the current course. 

Support for teacher understanding is present across all units. The Teacher Guide section, Science Background provides adult-level science background related to the unit. This section contains expository explanations of scientific background for the three dimensions of NGSS pertaining to the unit, with grade-level appropriate student background as well as common preconceptions by both students and adults. The Teacher Guide explicitly states that the information is meant to guide the teacher in teaching the correct content, but is not meant as student-facing material.

Also in the Teacher Guide, Planning For the Unit, Digital Resource Tab, Unit Map, there is an outline of the expected student practices for each Chapter. It presents a Chapter guiding question with an explanation for the teacher regarding how the students will develop understanding through lesson activities. 

The Teacher Guide, Science Background provides detailed adult-level science background regarding each unit’s science content along with a description of the extent to which this content is to be shared with students. The Science Background section includes cited references to inform teachers of the pedagogical research-based approaches to support grade-level content delivery as it is presented in the materials. In the Connections to Future Learning section of the Science Background, there is support for teacher content knowledge beyond scope of the current course. For example, in Grade K, Unit: Sunlight and Weather, Planning for the Unit, Science Background, Connections to Future Learning, there are detailed paragraphs on how this content connects to learning to come in 3rd grade as well as middle school. It provides adult level explanations about climate such as "The most widely used names for climates come from the Köppen climate classification system, which identifies five broad categories of climate based on average temperature and precipitation: tropical, dry, mild mid-latitude (or temperate), cold mid-latitude (or continental), and polar."

The materials reviewed for Amplify Kindergarten meet expectations for including standards correlation information, including connections to college- and career-ready ELA and mathematics standards and that explain the role of the standards in the context of the overall series. The materials contain NGSS correlation information in multiple locations. All grades contain examples in the Teacher Guide:

• Planning for the Unit and Standards at a Glance include a listing of the NGSS Performance Expectations (PEs), Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs), DIsciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), and Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs) addressed in the Unit. 

• Teacher References, 3-D Statements outline three-dimensional statements for the unit level, the chapter level, and the lesson level of each unit for all grades.  

• Lesson Guide, Overview, and Standards sections provide a listing of the NGSS PEs, SEPs, and CCCs that are addressed in the lesson. The Lesson Progression at the beginning of each unit shows how each NGSS standard connects to and builds upon the previous grade level.  

The materials also include an explanation for the role of the NGSS standards in the context of the overall series. The Teacher Guide, Teacher Reference, Standards and Goals lists the PEs, SEPs, DCIs and CCCs that are covered in the unit. This section also provides an explanation of the core ideas across the K-8 grade span of the materials in a subsection titled “Trajectory of Core Ideas.”

The materials also provide lists of corollary Common Core ELA and mathematics standards. The Teacher’s Guide, Planning for the Unit, Standards at a Glance  and Standards and Goals (under Teacher References) all list the corollary Common Core ELA (CCSS-ELA) and Common Core Math (CCSS-Math) standards addressed in each unit. Lesson Guide, Lesson Brief, and Standards include a list of the CCSS-ELA and CCSS-Math addressed in each lesson. The materials offer suggested connections with ELA and/or Math and consistently provide specific explanations regarding how the standards are aligned with the context of the lesson and/or series. For example, in Grade K, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Teacher References, Standards and Goals there are detailed bullet points for each identified CCSS-ELA and CCSS-Math standard. These bullet points  explain how and where students are engaging with these standards. For example in ELA, "CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.4: With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text. Students have the opportunity to ask and answer questions about unknown words in texts as they read to gather information about what plants need to live and grow. For example, in Lesson 2.1 students participate in a Read-Aloud of the reference book, Handbook of Plants, for the purpose of asking and answering questions to identify words that name the different parts of plants, such as root, leaf, and stem." An example for math is, "CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.4a: When counting objects, say the number names in the standard order, pairing each object with one and only one number name and each number name with one and only one object. Students have the opportunity to count objects and say the number names that represent the number of objects as they learn about how plants grow. For example, in Lesson 2.2, students count and say the number of leaves on plants at different points in their growth cycle." 

The materials for Kindergarten meet expectations for providing explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identification of the research-based strategies. Information about the instructional approaches is present throughout each grade, units, and lessons. In each Unit Overview, Teacher References, and Standards and Goals section, the materials explain an instructional approach that incorporates the strategies of Do, Talk, Read, Write, and Visualize in coordination with the NGSS crosscutting concepts (CCCs) and the disciplinary core ideas (DCIs) associated with the specific unit of instruction. These strategies and others are further explained in each Lesson in more explicit detail. Examples at the Kindergarten level include:

• Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, Teacher Guide, Lesson Guides, Lesson 1.1, Activity 3, students are actively engaged in building their language repertoire. Learning the language of science is an important goal for this unit. This vocabulary routine is designed to provide a multimodal introduction to key unit vocabulary that students will encounter and use throughout the unit. This routine includes an opportunity for students to hear, see, and say the word and connect the word to a student-friendly definition. This routine provides a consistent way to introduce and practice new words as students encounter focal vocabulary throughout the unit.

• Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Lesson 1.4, Activity 3, Hands-On Investigation, Teacher Support indicates that the goal in “Doing” this activity is to highlight the crosscutting concept of systems/system models and that “[it is] not necessary to use the words systems or system models with students this young. The goal is for them to start to see and build models in their minds of the connection between different parts of a system…Consider having the class help you draw a model of the connections.”

The materials provide some explanation for the research-based strategies that are used in the design of the program. While the Program Guide, Science Program Guide, Designed for the NGSS, and Program Development sections explain the Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize pedagogical approach that drives Amplify Science, there is a missed opportunity to incorporate explicit citations or references in the teacher materials. Instead, the references for “Research Behind the Program'' exist on a website outside of the teacher materials.

The materials for Kindergarten meet expectations for providing a comprehensive list of supplies needed to support instructional activities. In the Teacher’s Guide, Unit Overview, Planning for the Unit, Materials and Preparation section for each unit, a thorough list of the materials needed over the course of each chapter and lesson is present. Every list includes the quantity needed to support a class of 36 students, a description of each item, and which lessons the item(s) will be used for. It also contains a comprehensive list of materials that need to be provided by the teacher or school, the quantity needed, item description, and the lessons requiring these materials.

In addition to the unit overview, each Lesson Brief contains a lesson-level Materials and Preparation section outlining the materials needed for the class, groups of students and/or individual students and preparations needed before the start of each lesson. 

The materials for Kindergarten meet expectations for embedding clear science safety guidelines for teachers and students across the instructional materials. In the Unit Overview, Printable Resources section, an Investigation Notebook is provided for student use. Each Investigation Notebook contains a section titled, “Safety Guidelines for Science Investigations.” It is important to note that teachers should always locate and adhere to local policies and regulations related to science safety in the classroom. In each Unit Overview, Materials and Preparation, Materials at a Glance section, there is a reminder: “Note: Check and follow your district’s safety regulations pertaining to the use of proper equipment and procedures for students participating in hands-on science activities.”  

Additional safety notes are located in the teacher print or digital materials within lessons which have specific safety notes for the teacher to communicate to students.

One example of an additional safety note includes:

• Kindergarten, Unit: Sunlight and Weather, Lesson Brief 2.1, Materials/Prep section provides this safety note, “Caution students not to touch the bulbs or the lamps in Activity 4. They may be dangerously hot to the touch.”

The assessment materials for Kindergarten are comprehensively designed and aligned within the Units. It is clear for teachers where the assessments are, the type of assessments that are provided, and to what standard(s) each assessment opportunity is intended to be aligned. For instance, in the Kindergarten Teacher’s Guides, any Unit, Teacher References, Assessment System, each assessment opportunity throughout the Unit is listed in a chart in relation to the Lesson, type of assessment, and NGSS standard intended to be assessed. In addition, in the Teacher Guide for every Kindergarten Unit, under Printable Resources, there is a document titled 3-D Assessment Objectives, this document contains the 3-D Statement and accompanying objectives, their pertinence in the Unit, and the type of assessment aligned to that objective. “Each table includes the Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs), and Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs) included in that Performance Expectation and specifies the location of assessments associated with these three dimensions.”

The materials provide information detailing how assessments build toward the standards for the grade level or band. In the Teacher Guide of each Unit, Teacher Reference, Assessment System, Monitoring Progress section, there is a discussion of Critical Juncture Assessments with an outline of each Critical Juncture concept and assessment in each Unit. The Critical Juncture assessments provide the teacher with specific three-dimensional statements to assess before moving forward in the Lessons. Lessons that provide Critical Junctures or On-the-Fly Assessments also provide an Assessment Guide or a Hands-On Flextension Lesson Guide in the Lesson Brief,  Overview, Digital Resources section which states the DCI, SEP, and CCC.

In addition to listing intended standards alignment in the Teacher Guide of all Units, Teacher References, Assessment System, and the Formative and Summative Assessment Opportunities sections list the DCI, SEP, and the CCC addressed in each assessment. These also include strikethroughs of the portion of the standard that is not assessed in the Unit. While strikethroughs indicate which portion of the standard is not being assessed, there is a missed opportunity to state how the assessments contribute to building toward the end of grade-level performance expectations.

The materials for Kindergarten meet expectations for providing an assessment system with multiple opportunities throughout the grade, course, and/or series to determine students' learning, sufficient guidance for teachers to help them interpret student performance, and suggestions for following-up with students. 

Examples of the assessment system that provide support for interpreting student performance and/or for following up with students:

• In each Unit, the Assessment Guide for the End-of-Unit Assessment provides three rubrics, one each for the DCI, SEP, and CCC, as well as questions to support teachers in determining students’ initial understanding of the standards identified for each assessment. For example, in Kindergarten, Unit: Sunlight and Weather, Lesson 5.6, Digital Resources, Assessment Guide: Assessing Students’ End-of-Unit Explanations About the Temperatures of the Playgrounds: provides rubrics that give teachers questions to use to guide their grading of student assessments.  The guidance does not tell teachers how to assign a grade, but tells them to use their discretion.  “If you would like to score students’ explanations for grading purposes, we recommend using a 5-point scale (0-4). An explanation that provides an accurate and sufficient response to each question listed in the rubric should score a 4.  An explanation that does not provide an accurate response to any questions should score a 0.  For explanations that provide accurate responses to some, but not all questions, assign scores from 1 to 3 at your discretion.  For guidance on what could be considered an accurate explanation for each question, see the Possible Accurate Student Responses table on pages 4-5” (pg. 2 of guide).  The guide gives possible accurate student responses.   

• Further, the Assessment Guide for the End-of-Unit Assessment rubrics include suggestions for Follow-Up. For example, in Grade K, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, Chapter 6, Lesson 6.3, Activity 1, Assessment Guide there is a chart at the end of the document titled Suggestions for Follow-Up. In this chart there are detailed suggestions for the teacher with "specific suggestions for follow-up with students who need additional support based on the results of the assessment." There are suggestions for DCIs, CCCs, and SEPs. A CCC - Cause and Effect suggestion is "If students did not describe an appropriate example of cause and effect from the class pinball machine or explicitly identify the cause and effect: Use the pictures on pages 14–15 of Talking About Forces to prompt students to think about causes and effects. Ask, “The hammer pounded the nail, and the nail moved down into the wood. What caused the nail to move? What effect did the hammer have?” [The hammer caused the nail to move. The nail moved because of the hammer.] Connect back to the End-of-Unit Assessment. Ask, “What caused the pinball to move in different ways?” [Responses will vary: When the ball was hit with a gentle force it moved a short distance. When the ball was hit with a strong force it moved a longer distance. The launcher applied a force in different directions. The bumper applied a force that made it change directions.]"

• The Embedded Formative Assessments, The Critical Juncture and On-the-Fly Assessments, provide guidance on what to look for among students who do not demonstrate understanding. For instance, in Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, Teacher Guide, Teacher References, Embedded Formative Assessments, Lesson 4.3, Activity 2, Critical Juncture Assessment 4: Students’ Understanding of Redirection as Caused By Forces, Assess understanding: “Students’ marking forces in their diagrams is an opportunity for you to assess their understanding that when a moving object changes direction, it is because a moving or still object exerted a force on it.”

The materials for Kindergarten meet expectations for providing assessment opportunities for students to demonstrate the full intent of grade-level standards and elements across the series. The assessment system consistently incorporates the three dimensions. The assessment system also provides a variety of assessment types, but constructed response is the predominant modality. The Pre-Assessment, On-the-Fly, Critical Juncture, and End-of-unit assessments require written responses. They consistently assess a DCI, CCC, and SEP. There is a missed opportunity for students to demonstrate all of the SEPs, but there is a consistent focus on the practices of constructing explanations, argumentation, and modeling. Both versions (A and B) of the summative assessment ask students to provide written explanations. Version B provides students with sentence starters. Overall, the assessments in Kindergarten rely heavily on oral communication skills. Examples of assessments in this grade can be found in the reports for Indicators 1b and 1c.

In addition to summative assessments, Conversation Rubrics found throughout the resources offer prompts, look fors, and/or suggestions for how to evaluate students, but most focus on a singular dimension. In Kindergarten, there are rubrics that provide questions to develop understanding of the students’ ability to demonstrate each dimension. These rubrics provide scores for complete student answers.