2nd Grade - Gateway 1

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet expectations that they are designed to integrate the Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs), Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), and Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs) into student learning opportunities. Throughout the grade level, all learning sequences (chapters) include three dimensions and consistently integrate SEPs, CCCs, and DCIs in student learning opportunities (lessons). The materials are designed for students to actively engage in the SEPs and CCCs to deepen understanding of DCIs. Three-dimensional connections are outlined for teachers at the unit, chapter, and lesson level.

Examples of where materials are designed to integrate the three dimensions into student learning opportunities.

• In Grade 2, Unit: Plant and Animal Relationships, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.2: A Plant is a System, students gather information to gain an understanding of what plants need to live, and that plants have parts that work together to help the plant grow. Students work in pairs to gather information about how plant parts work together as a system to help the plant grow (SEP-INFO-P3, DCI-LS2.A-P1). Student partners then use this information to complete a concept-mapping activity that engages students in looking at how plant parts work together as a system to help plants grow (CCC-SYS-P2).

• In Grade 2: Unit: Plant and Animal Relationships, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.2: Planning the Seed Investigations, students investigate different ways seeds can be dispersed in a habitat. Students determine how to model two different types of seeds (SEP-MOD-P3) and then investigate the dispersal of each type of seed (DCI-LS2.A-P2) based on how the different seed structures support the function of dispersal (CCC-SF-P1).

• In Grade 2, Unit: Properties of Materials, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.4: Supporting Claims with Evidence, students investigate if two glues are the same substance and then support their claim with evidence. Students test the two mystery glues using a sticky test (SEP-INV-P1, DCI-PS1.A-P1) to see if the glued bean will stay on a card and record their observations. Students then write a claim about whether the mystery glues they observed are the same substance, citing evidence from their sticky test and by noting similarities and differences observed during the investigation (SEP-ARG-P6, CCC-PAT-P1).

• In Grade 2, Unit: Changing Landforms, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.4: Landform Change Over Time, students learn how erosion can happen over time rather than quickly. Students develop models (SEP-MOD-P3) of erosion on a mountain happening very slowly by water (DCI-ESS1.C-P1). Then, students reflect on how understanding scale (CCC-SPQ-P1) will allow them to better understand how the cliff changed.

• In Grade 2, Unit: Changing Landforms, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.2: Modeling How Landforms Erode Quickly, students learn how erosion can happen quickly in a short amount of time. Students develop two models (SEP-MOD-P3): one model uses sand to show that water erosion can happen quickly; one model uses chalk to show that water erosion can happen slowly (DCI-ESS1.C-P1, DCI-ESS2.A-P1). Students compare their results of spraying water on chalk and sand then discuss which was more stable and why they think so (CCC-SC-P1).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet expectations that they consistently support meaningful student sensemaking with the three dimensions. Each learning sequence (chapter) includes multiple lessons where students progress towards the goals of the respective chapter and unit. While the materials consistently include opportunities for students to engage in the three dimensions in each chapter, not all lessons provide opportunities for students to build and use all three dimensions for sensemaking. However, the materials do consistently provide an opportunity in at least one lesson per chapter for students to engage in using the science and engineering practices (SEPs) and the crosscutting concepts (CCCs) to meaningfully support student sensemaking with the other dimensions.

Examples where SEPs and CCCs meaningfully support student sensemaking with the other dimensions in the learning sequence.

• In Grade 2, Unit: Plant and Animal Relationships, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.2: A Plant is a System, students engage in a series of activities to help them gather information and gain an understanding of what plants need to live, and that plants have parts that work together to help the plant grow. Students work in pairs to gather information about plant growth as they make sense of how plant parts work together as a system to help the plant grow (SEP-INFO-P3, DCI-LS2.A-P1). Student partners build a deeper understanding of how a plant's parts work together as a system when the partners use the information they have gathered to complete a concept-mapping activity. The activity engages students in looking at how plant parts work together as a system to help plants grow (CCC-SYS-P2). Student sensemaking is supported across the three dimensions.

• In Grade 2, Unit: Plants and Animals Relationships: Chapter 4, Lesson 4.2: Planning the Seed Investigations and Lesson 4.3: Conducting the Seed Investigations, students engage in a series of activities where they use appropriate seed models to conduct investigations of different ways in which seeds can be dispersed in a habitat. Students use investigations on seed dispersal to make sense of the structure and function of seeds and their ability to travel in the wind. In Lesson 4.2, students work together as a class to determine how to model two different types of seeds and then to investigate the dispersal of each through the wind (DCI-LS2.A-P2). Lesson 4.2 applies student understanding of the structure and function (CCC-SF-P1) of different seed types to develop models for the investigation in lesson 4.3. The class uses a model to investigate how many seeds with and without propellers move in the wind (SEP-MOD-P3). Students record and compare the data collected (SEP-DATA-P1) in the two investigations to learn that both propellers and fluffy parts help seeds get dispersed to new places away from the plant that made the seeds. Students write a final scientific explanation about what they have learned about how the seeds from sal trees and red silk trees get dispersed (SEP-CEDS-P1).

• In Grade 2, Unit: Properties of Materials, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.1: Can You Change It Back?, students engage in a learning sequence to investigate different materials, their structures, and functions. Students prepare to test their first glue and how sticky it is. Students prepare a prediction of how their glue will perform before testing its stickiness. All students shake their index cards with their glue and beans for three shakes. Then students record their results (DCI-EST1.C-P1). Students partner-read Can You Change It Back?, a book about matter changing. They are to stop and make predictions before finding out if a change to a material can be undone (DCI-PS1.B-P1, DCI-PS1.A-P1, and SEP-INFO-P1). Then they come back together as a class to discuss the properties of different materials in different states (i.e., the properties of fresh leaves vs. frozen leaves) (CCC-SC-P1).

• In Grade 2, Unit: Properties of Materials, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.3: Evaluating Strength Test Evidence, students engage in a learning sequence to evaluate their glue strength. Students observe the dried ingredients that they placed on an index card with their glue. Then, students make a prediction based on their observations about how many washers their glue could hold. Students then test the strength with a paperclip-glued card and add washers until the paperclip falls off (SEP-INV-P4). They do this with all the cards to collect as much evidence as possible. Then, students graph the results based on different glue mixtures and their strengths (DCI-PS1.A-P2) to see which mixture created the strongest glue (CCC-CE-P1).

• In Grade 2, Unit: Properties of Materials, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.1: Evaluating Second Glues and Revising Recipes, students engage in a learning sequence to test their glue's strength and evaluate their findings. Students refer back to a chart they examined in a text prior to this lesson. They look at the chart and how it organizes different properties of a hair gel substance. This helps support students’ sense-making as they are to use a chart in their notebooks to evaluate their glue in a similar format. Students test the strength and stickiness of their glue and record their findings in the chart (SEP-DATA-P1, DCI-PS1.A-P2). Partners compare their glue findings based on the design-goal properties (SEP-DATA-P5, CCC-SF-P1).

• In Grade 2, Unit: Changing Landforms, Chapter 1: How did the edge of the cliff get to be so close to the flagpole?, students engage in a learning sequence to explain how the edge of the cliff got closer to the flagpole. To answer this question, students must first figure out how to tell if something changed when they aren’t able to observe it changing. In Lesson 1.3, a teacher-prompt introduces students to the idea that some things stay the same while other things change. Students look at characteristics of different types of sand (color, shape, and size). In Lesson 1.4, students read Gary’s Sand Journal to learn that sand with round edges has crashed in waves longer than sand with sharper edges, and small changes over a long time have caused the edges to wear down and get less sharp. In Lesson 1.5, students observe sand samples (SEP-INV-P4) and use what they learned about sand characteristics to explain what changes happened to the rock to make the different sand samples. Students determine the rock changed shape and size over a long period of time (DCI-ESS1.C-P1) as it turned into sand, even though they couldn’t actually observe the changes to the rock happening (CCC-SC-P1).

• In Grade 2, Unit: Changing Landforms, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.2: Modeling How Landforms Erode Quickly, students engage in a learning sequence where they learn how erosion can happen quickly in a short amount of time. Students make sense of the core idea that materials can erode quickly by water (DCI-ESS1.C-P1, DCI-ESS2.A-P1) as they answer teacher-posed questions, “Which was more stable, the sand or the chalk? Why do you think so?” (CCC-SC-P1). They use models (SEP-MOD-P3) they created as evidence to support their discussion on stability as it pertains to the quick erosion.

The materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet expectations that they are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence for the three-dimensional learning in the instructional materials. The materials consistently provide learning objectives in the form of 3-D Statements for each Lesson, Chapter, and Unit. Lesson 3-D Statements build to support Chapter 3-D Statements, and the Chapter 3-D Statements build toward Unit 3-D Statements. In addition to the Chapter 3-D Statements, there are Chapter Targeted 3-D Learning Objectives that specify the focal elements of each dimension for the chapter, often using strikethroughs to indicate aspects not intended to be addressed. The Lessons contain individual assessments that often target a subset of the SEPs and/or CCCs included in a Chapter 3-D Statement, but over the course of the Chapter, assessments are consistently designed to reveal student knowledge and use of the three dimensions in support of the Chapter Targeted 3-D Learning Objectives.

In addition to listing intended standards alignment, in the Teacher Guide of all Units,  Teacher References, Assessment System, the Formative and Summative Assessment Opportunities section lists the DCI, SEP, and the CCC addressed in each lesson assessment and includes strikethroughs of the portion of the standard that is not assessed in the unit.  Assessments throughout the Grade 2 materials reviewed for Amplify mostly address the learning objectives. 

Lessons, Chapters, and Units consistently incorporate tasks for the purpose of supporting the instructional process. Opportunities are provided through the use of two assessment types in each chapter: On-the-Fly Assessments and Critical JuncturesRubrics that accompany the assessments are consistent in format and methodology. Suggestions to teachers for following-up with students are limited to “point to it” and a provision of correct responses.  Suggestions for multi-modal reteaching or ongoing re-visiting of the practices, crosscutting concepts or disciplinary core ideas while continuing instruction are not provided. 

Examples of lessons with a three-dimensional objective where the formative assessment task(s) assess student knowledge of all (three) dimensions in the learning objective, and provide guidance to support the instructional process:

• In Grade 2 Unit, Properties of Materials, Chapter 3, What Ingredients can be used to make a glue that is sticky and strong?, the three-dimensional objectives are present as the Chapter Targeted 3-D Learning Objectives, representing four elements of the three dimensions. For On-the-Fly Assessment 12 and 13, students write arguments about which mixture of ingredients will create a glue with the desired properties (SEP-ARG-P6). In Lesson 3.2, students are presented with an OTFA that assesses their understanding of mixtures that may have a combination of the properties of their ingredients. Students talk with their partners and predict which combination of ingredients will make their glue strong and explain which ingredients would make the glue stronger (DCI-PS1.A-P2, CCC-CE-P1). Further, in Critical Juncture 13 [DCI-PS1.A-P2], students reflect on what they learned about designing mixtures, are posed with a problem, and asked to explain which properties they want toothpaste to have and list the ingredients and explain why they choose them. Students investigate cause and effect as they mix assorted substances to see how they interact (DCI-PS1.A-P2, CCC-CE-P1).  The combination of these assessments are designed to reveal student knowledge and use of the three dimensions to support the learning objectives.

• In Grade 2 Unit, Changing Landforms, Chapter 3, How did the recreation center’s cliff erode without the director noticing?, the three-dimensional objectives are present as the Chapter Targeted 3-D Learning Objectives, representing six elements of the three dimensions. In Activity 2, students respond to questions in their notebooks, using the ideas they modeled in the Changing Landforms Modeling Tool. The models that students develop in the Changing Landforms Modeling Tool target scales of change over a short and a long time. In On-the-Fly Assessment (OTFA) 7, the teacher listens to students brainstorm objects of study at different scales as an opportunity to informally assess their early understanding of the crosscutting concept scale (CCC-SPQ-P1). In Lesson 3.3, OTFA 8 also addresses scale and matter as students demonstrate understanding by describing that erosion breaks off small pieces of rock from landforms, but this is not visible at the scale of the entire landform (CCC-SPQ-P1 and CCC-EM-P1. In Activity 2, students respond to questions in their notebooks, using the ideas they modeled in the Changing Landforms Modeling Tool. The purpose of this Critical Juncture is to gauge students’ understanding that small changes add up to a big change over a long period of time. And as students continue through the Critical Juncture, they are asked to demonstrate knowledge of erosion over time due to water using their models (DCI-ESS1.C-P1, DCI-ESS2.A-P1, SEP-MOD-P3, CCC-SC-P2). The combination of these assessments are designed to reveal student knowledge and use of the three dimensions to support the learning objectives.

• In Grade 2 Unit, Plant and Animal Relationships, Chapter 4, How are other seeds in the reserve able to get to places where they can grow?, the three-dimensional objectives are present as the Chapter Targeted 3-D Learning Objectives, representing six elements of the three dimensions. In Chapter 4, students investigate how other seeds in the Bengal Tiger Reserve are able to get to places where they can grow. In On-the-Fly Assessment (OTFA) 12, students read a book to gather information and begin to plan an investigation based upon the information gathered (SEP-INFO-P3). A performance rubric is provided with Lesson 4.3 as students carry out their investigations and develop explanations based on their results regarding how far seeds with and without fluffy parts will move in the wind (DCI-LS2.A-P1, DCI-LS2.A2, SEP-LS2.P2, SYS-P1).  In OTFA 13, students complete collaborative reflections of their investigation strategies and OTFA 14 is a performance task focused around student ability to perform consistent measurements during testing (SEP-INV-P2).  The combination of these assessments are designed to reveal student knowledge and use of the three dimensions to support the learning objectives.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet expectations that they are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence of three-dimensional learning in the instructional materials. Materials consistently provide three-dimensional learning objectives for each unit in the form of Unit Targeted 3-D Learning Objectives; these typically consist of one or more disciplinary core ideas (DCIs), science and engineering practices (SEPs), and crosscutting concepts (CCCs). These objectives include a subset of the DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs identified within the Chapter Level Targeted 3-D Learning Objectives. Consistently, these Unit-level objectives indicate the specific elements targeted for each DCI, SEP, or CCC and in some instances strike though portions of elements that are not targeted. 

Each unit provides summative assessments in the form of End of Unit (EOU) assessments and rubrics. Additionally, one unit (Sunlight and Weather) in this grade contains an Investigation Assessment. The combination of summative assessments for each unit consistently measure student learning of the three dimensions highlighted in the unit-level 3-D Statements.

The materials provide additional resources that also connect grade-level performance expectations (PEs) to specific units. The PEs are connected to the unit in the unit-level document. This alignment document indicates where formative and summative assessments are intended to occur in each chapter and includes targets for assessment that are beyond the scope of the specific unit, including assessments in other units in the grade and in other units across the grade band. In many instances, dimensions of the PEs connected to a specific unit are not assessed in that unit. For example, the 3-D Assessment Objectives document indicates that seven PEs are connected to the Grade 2 Properties of Materials unit. Summative assessments for this unit are not designed to assess all three dimensions in any of the PEs associated with this unit. These seven PEs collectively include six SEPs, five DCIss, and four CCCs. One of the SEPs, one of the CCCs, and one of the five DCIss are cross-referenced to summative assessment opportunities in this unit. Element-level specification is not provided.

Examples where the materials provide three-dimensional learning objectives for the learning sequence and the summative tasks measure student achievement of the targeted three-dimensional learning objectives:

• In Grade 2, Unit 3: Changing Landforms, the unit-level objective is framed by the statement, “Students use models to investigate how wind and water cause changes to landforms (cause and effect). They figure out that erosion causes small changes to landforms, which add up to big changes over long periods of time and that landforms made of loose materials can erode much more quickly (scale, proportion, and quantity; stability and change). Throughout the unit, students create diagram models and write explanations to show their developing understanding.” This statement is followed by specific elements of DCIs, SEPs, and/or CCCs that are specifically targeted. Summative assessments include EOU assessments and rubrics; collectively, they are three-dimensional and consistently assess the targeted elements of the Unit objective(s).

  • The End-of-Unit-Assessment is divided into two parts. Part 1: Chapter 3: Students reveal the knowledge they gained or core concepts from the unit as well as learning growth when given the chance to form a written explanation for how erosion can occur slowly over time. Students specifically address how a recreation center cliff eroded and no one noticed due to how slowly the erosion occurred. Students also complete a diagram to demonstrate the concept of erosion that also serves as a summative assessment in this unit. Part 2: Chapter 4: Students create a written explanation for how erosion can occur quickly and much more rapidly than studied in the previous chapter, including an explanation of how part of the cliff eroded. Rubrics are provided for each part and the products students create. In Part 1, students write scientific explanations about how a big change happened without anyone noticing (DCI-ESS1.C-P1, DCI-ESS2.A-P1) and create diagrams showing what the cliff will look like in one year and in one million years, students support their answer using the evidence and data they collected. Students demonstrate understanding of how little changes to a landform add up to a big change over time. Explanations and diagrams (SEP-INFO-P4) should include water breaking off pieces of the cliff (landform) a little bit at a time, as well as the pieces being small relative to the cliff (CCC-SPQ-E1). In Part 2, students complete a diagram and caption about how the nearby cliff could erode quickly (DCI-ESS1.C-P1, DCI-ESS2.A-P1, and CCC-SPQ-E1), using evidence they collected, and then create a new diagram. Students write a scientific explanation about why the nearby cliff eroded over night (SEP-INFO-P4).

  • Three rubrics are provided: Rubric 1 assesses students’ application of the SEP Constructing Explanations; Rubric 2 assesses students’ understanding of DCIs associated with this 3-D Statement; Rubric 3 assesses students’ understanding and application of the CCC scale, proportion, and quantity.

• In Grade 2, Unit 1: Plant and Animal Relationships, the unit-level objective is framed by the statement, “As plant scientists, students use and create models to investigate and then plan and carry out investigations to explain why new chalta trees are not growing in a section of a broadleaf forest in India (systems and systems models; scale, proportion, and quantity). They figure out how the parts of a habitat system interact generally and about seed dispersal mechanisms specifically (systems and systems models, structure, and function).” This statement is followed by specific elements of DCIs, SEPs, and/or CCCs that are specifically targeted. Summative assessments include EOU assessments and rubrics; collectively, they are three-dimensional and consistently assess the targeted elements of the Unit objective(s). 

  • In the EOU Assessment, students complete diagrams related to seed dispersal then answer questions to explain their thinking. Students use a diagram to explain their ideas based on some reading about the habitat, they draw and label to complete the diagram, and then answer questions (SEP-INFO-P4, SEP-CEDS-P1). Their responses should include an explanation involving roots, leaves, water and sunlight, as well as birds (or other animals) dropping seeds (DCI-LS2.A-P1, DCI-LS2.A-P2). Students are not assessed on their understanding of the targeted CCC of systems and system models.

  • Three rubrics are provided. Rubric 1 assesses the targeted SEPs within this unit, students use diagrams as models to support their explanation for why some seeds grew and others did not, and to recognize patterns related to night and day. Rubric 2 assesses student understanding related to plants and their structures and functions, and to how different organisms in an ecosystem interact. Rubric 3 assesses the CCC systems and system models.

• In Grade 2, Unit 2: Properties of Materials, the unit-level objective is framed by the statement, “Students investigate and then analyze and interpret data to determine different properties of materials (patterns, cause and effect). This informs the design of a glue mixture with a combination of desired properties that make it best suited for classroom use.” This statement is followed by specific elements of DCIs, SEPs, and/or CCCs that are specifically targeted. Summative assessments include EOU assessments and rubrics; collectively, they are three-dimensional and consistently assess the targeted elements of the Unit objective(s).  

  • In the EOU Assessment, students construct an argument to show why the school should use the glue they designed. Students reply to the principal in a letter that presents their design goals, tells about their glue mixture, and explains how their glue meets their design goals. The letter also includes their design goals, ingredients and properties table, why they chose their ingredients, properties of their final glue (DCI-PS1.A-P2), and evidence to support how their glue meets the design goals (SEP-ARG-P6). Students are not assessed on their understanding of the CCC cause and effect.

  • Three rubrics are provided. Rubric 1 assesses the SEPs of constructing a design and constructing arguments. To support their argument, students use data from their investigations and from the design process for determining how to make their glue. Rubric 2 partially assesses student understanding of the targeted DCIs related to properties of materials. While students discuss the specific properties of their glue as evidence to support their argument, the questions do not fully assess understanding of the targeted DCIs for this unit. Rubric 3 assesses the CCC cause and effect.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems are connected to grade-level disciplinary core ideas (DCIs). Within the grade, the materials provide opportunities for students to build an understanding of grade-level DCIs through unit-level or chapter-level phenomena or problems. In many cases, multiple lesson investigations work together to connect to a single phenomenon and/or problem to develop an understanding of corresponding DCIs. Across the series, students engage in a variety of disciplines including life science, earth and space science, and physical science while developing a deeper understanding of the engineering design cycle as they apply DCIs to the design problem. Within this grade, students work on developing their understanding of the phenomenon or problem across multiple lessons and chapters.

Examples of phenomena and problems that connect to grade-band DCIs present in the materials:

• In Grade 2, Unit: Properties of Materials, students engage with a design problem to create a better glue for their school. Students design the glue and revise their designs across three chapters in the unit. Students develop and test their glue using the sticky test. Students learn more about properties of materials (DCI-PS1.A-P2) and set up their glue’s strength test. Students then test the glue to determine if the glue aligns with their design goals. Students revise their glue recipe to better meet their design goals. Students test the glue against the four properties they decided the glue should have. Students then evaluate their glue and make changes based on how it performed in the different property areas.

• In Grade 2, Unit: Changing Landforms, Chapter 1: How did the edge of the cliff get so close to the flagpole?, the phenomenon is that the cliff where Oceanside Recreation Center is situated appears to be receding. Students model how sand is formed when rock is exposed to forces that can break it down. Then students use this evidence to create a written explanation that the cliff at Oceanside has changed slowly over time (DCI-ESS1.C-P1) because it is made of rock and rocks change shape over time.

• In Grade 2, Unit: Changing Landforms, Chapter 4: Could the recreation center’s cliff erode quickly?, the phenomenon is that a cliff eroded overnight. Students read Handbook of Land and Water to learn that landforms with cracks and landforms made of loose materials can erode quickly (DCI-ESS1.C-P1) from the effects of wind and water (DCI-ESS2.A-P1). Students use this information to write scientific explanations about why the nearby cliff eroded overnight.

Example of a phenomenon that does not connect to a grade-level DCIs in the materials:

• In Grade 2, Unit: Plant and Animal Relationships, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.3: Conducting the Seed Investigations, the phenomenon is that seeds from three different types of trees in the Bengal Tiger Reserve can reach new places where they can grow. Students test different shapes of seeds to see if they can travel a specified distance. This includes both propeller seeds and fluffy seeds. Students use evidence from their investigations to explain that some trees have seeds that animals do not disperse; the external parts on these seeds allow the wind to move the seeds to areas they are able to grow (DCI-LS1.A-P1). This DCI is not connected to Grade 2 performance expectations (PE), rather it is connected to a Grade 1 PE.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems are presented to students as directly as possible. Across the grade level, lessons present phenomena and problems to students as directly as possible. In multiple instances, students are initially presented the phenomenon or problem through pictures and videos that are accompanied by a scenario.

Examples of phenomena and problems presented as directly as possible:

• In Grade 2, Unit: Plant and Animal Relationships, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.3: Conducting the Seed Investigations, the phenomenon is that seeds from three different types of trees in the Bengal Tiger Reserve can reach new places where they can grow. The phenomenon is introduced with students being told that animals do not move seeds from some trees, accompanied by photographs of the trees and seeds. This is the most direct way to introduce students to what the trees and seeds look like, since visiting the reserve would not be practical.

• In Grade 2, Unit: Changing Landforms, Chapter 1: How did the edge of the cliff get so close to the flagpole?, the phenomenon is that the cliff where Oceanside Recreation Center is situated appears to be receding. The phenomenon is introduced through a picture showing the recreation center on a cliff and a flagpole near the edge of the cliff. An additional illustration is provided that shows the flagpole two meters away from the edge a long time ago, and another illustration that shows the flagpole currently one meter away from the edge. The photograph and illustration are a direct way to provide students context to engage with this phenomenon.

• In Grade 2, Unit: Changing Landforms, Chapter 4: Could the recreation center’s cliff erode quickly?, the phenomenon is that a cliff eroded overnight. Students are introduced to their next investigations which is to discover what caused a nearby cliff to erode quickly. This phenomenon is introduced with a photograph of a nearby cliff that eroded quickly and a picture of the recreation center’s cliff that has eroded slowly. The two pictures allow students to make comparisons between the composition of each cliff. This is presented as directly as possible, since it wouldn’t be practical for students to see a cliff erode in real time.

Examples of a problem not presented as directly as possible:

• In Grade 2, Unit: Properties of Materials, students engage with a design problem to create a better glue for their school. The students are introduced to the problem through a letter from the principal explaining that the teachers have expressed concern with some of the school supplies. This has led the principal to ask the second graders in the school to take on the challenge of designing a new glue for the school. This is not the most direct way for the problem to be presented.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet expectations that they embed phenomena or problems across multiple lessons for students to use and build knowledge of all three dimensions.

The instructional materials provide numerous chapters that use phenomena or problems to drive student learning and to engage with all three dimensions across multiple lessons across the grade. Each chapter of the unit consists of multiple lessons. The phenomenon or problem does not drive learning of all lessons within the chapters. Instead, many lessons are driven by a science topic or concept that builds background knowledge that can then be applied to the phenomenon or problem. All three units contain multiple chapters where one or more of the lessons within the chapter are driven by the phenomenon or problem. The materials provide multimodal opportunities for students to develop, evaluate, and revise their thinking as students figure out phenomena or solve problems. Students have frequent opportunities to engage in small group and whole group discussions, utilize digital models and data, as well as revise explanations.

Examples of units where a phenomenon or problem drives student learning across multiple lessons in the unit and students engage with the three dimensions across the unit: 

• In Grade 2, Unit: Changing Landforms, the phenomenon that a cliff where Cliffside Recreation Center is situated appears to be receding drives learning across multiple lessons. Students engage with all three dimensions across multiple lessons and students are provided with multimodal opportunities to develop, evaluate, and revise their thinking as they make sense of the phenomenon. This phenomenon is introduced in Chapter 1 and then students investigate how a flagpole at a nearby cliff is closer to the edge than it used to be. In Chapter 2, students engage in a series of lessons to understand how the cliff below the recreation center changed as landforms eroded. Students use a chalk model (SEP-MOD-P3) to investigate how landforms can change then read about and discuss how water can change a landform, relating this to the cliff at the recreation center. Students erode their chalk models with water and then compare it to pumice rock rubbing against another piece of pumice and how it crumbles. In Chapter 3, students figure out why the cliff was able to erode without the director noticing. Students conduct investigations to determine that erosion often produces very small changes, so it takes a long time to notice these changes (CCC-SC-P2, DCI-ESS1.C-P1). In Chapter 4, students determine why the nearby cliff eroded quickly and investigate how water can erode a landform quickly. Students first read a book about how landforms can erode quickly then use water to erode a chalk model and a sand model, comparing which eroded more quickly and relating that to geographic time scales. In Lesson 4.2: Modeling How Landforms Erode Quickly, students use a mound of sand and blow on it with a straw, to model how the wind can quickly change the shape of the land. Students then create a digital model to better understand how erosion can happen quickly in order to explain why the nearby cliff eroded quickly. Students develop an understanding of how landforms can erode quickly (SEP-CEDS-P1,CCC-SC-P2, DCI-ESS2.A-P1). 

• In Grade 2, Unit: Properties of Material, students receive a letter from their principal asking them to design a new glue for the school. This design challenge drives learning across multiple lessons. Students engage with all three dimensions across multiple lessons, and students are provided with multimodal opportunities to develop, evaluate, and revise their thinking as they design their glue. In Chapter 1, students investigate two mystery glues and conduct stickiness tests to determine if they are the same glue. Students then plan, make, and test their own glue recipes. In Chapter 2, students observe a glue ingredient before and after heating, perform sticky tests on the two substances (SEP-INV-P5), then discuss how the properties have changed and if those changes result in a stickier glue (CCC-CE-P1). In Chapter 3, students are provided multiple opportunities to evaluate, reflect, and revise their recipes in order to improve their final designs. Students add strength as a design goal and continue to test their glue recipes (SEP-INV-P5). After investigations are complete, students analyze and evaluate their data (SEP-DATA-P5) to determine what changes should be made based on the glue ingredients’ effectiveness (CCC-CE-P1, DCI-PS1.A-P1, DCI-PS1.A-P2). 

• In Grade 2, Unit: Plant and Animal Relationships, the phenomenon that no new chalta trees are growing in the Bengal Tiger Reserve drives learning across multiple lessons. While the phenomenon does drive learning across the unit, students often engage with it at the beginning and end of each chapter, applying what they learned to explain the phenomenon. Students engage with all three dimensions across multiple lessons and students are provided with multimodal opportunities to develop, evaluate, and revise their thinking as they make sense of the phenomenon. Across the chapters, students answer questions related to the unit-level phenomenon that are additive in their explanation of the unit-level phenomenon. In Chapter 1, students read about habitats (DCI-LS4.D-P1, SEP-INFO-P3) and compare a sample site of a habitat at their school to what they can observe from the Bengal reserve (SEP DATA-P3, CCC-SC-P2), counting the number of trees throughout a ten year period. Students then plant seeds and investigate (SEP-INV-E3) water and sunlight needs (DCI-LS2.A-P1, DCI-LS2.A-P2) and how that impacts the growth of plants. They look at data comparing the number of fruits on two chalta trees twenty years apart and determine that chalta trees are not producing less seeds (SEP-DATA-P3). At the end of the chapter, students use the information they have learned to write a scientific explanation to answer the chapter question. In Chapter 2, students read texts, conduct investigations, utilize digital models and use their bodies to model plant parts and how new plants grow and how they get sunlight and water (DCI-LS2.A-P1). Students use data about weather from the Bengal Tiger Reserve and determine that there has not been a change in the amount of sunlight or rain in the habitat (SEP-DATA-P3). At the end of the chapter, students use the information they have learned to write a scientific explanation to answer the chapter question (SEP-CEDS-P1, CCC-SF-P1, DCI-LS2.A-P1). In Chapter 3, students read about different parts of the habitat (SEP-INFO-P3). They engage with a model (SEP-MOD-P3) that demonstrates hiding seeds and another model which demonstrates seed dispersal (DCI-LS2.A-P2) showing how plants and animals depend on one another (DCI-ESS2.B-P1, CCC-SYS-E1). Students analyze data about the number of chalta seeds in the droppings of different animals and the number of elephants in the Reserve over time to determine that elephants help disperse chalta seeds (SEP-DATA-P3). At the end of the chapter, students use the information they have learned to write a scientific explanation to answer the chapter question (SEP-CEDS-E1, SEP-CEDS-E2).