The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 3 meet expectations that students understand how the materials connect the dimensions from chapter to chapter. The materials include four units comprising four to five 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 for teachers that explains 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 between the chapters in the unit. In three out of the four units in Grade 3, the final chapter connects to one or more disciplinary core ideas (DCIs) that are the focus of the unit, but not to the question presented in the Unit Map that provides context for the unit. While there are connections between chapters within each unit, there is not a connection between each unit and other units in the recommended sequence.

Examples of student learning experiences that demonstrate connections across chapters:

• In Grade 3, Unit: Balancing Forces, the Unit Map presents the question, “How is it possible for a train to float?” Across this unit, students ask questions about what happens if variables are changed (SEP-AQDP-E1) and have multiple opportunities to use cause-and-effect relationships (CCC-CE-E1) to explain changes in the forces that move the train. In Chapter 1, students are introduced to the floating train and take the roles of engineers who seek out strategies to explain why the train floats; students investigate and explain both balanced and unbalanced forces. Students discuss patterns they notice, and ideas or questions they have based on a provided chart as they determine how different forces act on objects. Students use a simulation to create models (SEP-MOD-E4) to demonstrate how magnetic force causes the train to “float.” In Chapter 2, students plan and conduct investigations to test how non-touching forces can exert a force to create the rise and fall of the train. They also explore how these forces act on objects as they try to explain why the train floats. In Chapter 3, students explore why the train falls by investigating gravity. Chapter 4 combines all of these ideas to address the idea of balanced forces and why the train does not fall if gravity is acting upon it. Finally, in Chapter 5, students are asked to apply their understanding of when the train rises and falls as they learn how a hoverboard works.

• In Grade 3, Unit: Inheritance and Traits, the Unit Map presents the question, “What is the origin of the traits of Wolf 44—a wolf that appears to be different from the rest of its pack?” Across this unit, students have multiple opportunities to look for patterns (CCC-PAT-E1) as they sort and classify traits of organisms and build understanding of inheritance of traits (DCI-LS3.B-E1, DCI-LS3.A-E2) as they figure out what causes the different appearance in Wolf 44. In Chapter 1, students take on the role of a wildlife biologist to determine why one wolf in a pack may not look like the other wolves in the pack. Students analyze information and record data about birds, flamingoes, and wolves to recognize patterns and differences in traits. In Chapter 2, students use data cards and text to analyze differences and similarities in exhibited traits between offspring and their parents. The beginning of the chapter reminds students of their role in explaining the differences in the wolf appearances. Students again recognize patterns and that traits are often similar between offspring and parents. In Chapter 3, students analyze flamingo families to understand how traits can also be influenced by the environment. In Chapter 3, students use information gained in all chapters to address the trait differences in the wolf pack. Chapter 4 continues to discuss traits and scientific investigations but does not refer back to the traits within the specific wolf pack.

• In Grade 3, Unit: Weather and Climate, the Unit Map presents the questions, “Which island would be the best location for an orangutan reserve? How can you protect buildings from damage by weather-related natural hazards?” Across this unit, students have multiple opportunities to use patterns in weather as evidence to support an explanation or to make predictions (CCC-PAT-E2, CCC-PAT-E3) about weather in different areas (DCI-ESS2.D-E1) as they figure out the best location for an orangutan reserve. In Chapter 1, students take on the role of a meteorologist and are introduced to three similar islands that have different weather patterns. They look at temperature and precipitation data for different times on each island to begin making predictions about future weather (DCI-ESS2.D-E1). Students start to collect weather data to begin a long-range investigation of local weather patterns. In Chapter 2, students act as meteorologists and continue to collect data on their local environment using appropriate scientific tools. Students look for patterns in their data and make predictions. Students look at longer range data involving the islands and then revisit their initial island arguments and revise them to represent the new evidence. In Chapter 3, students move from examining weather to looking at climate. After looking at a year’s worth of data, students evaluate evidence about orangutans' survival needs, the patterns in weather data, and the climate for each island (DCI-ESS2.D-E2). Then, they choose the island that would be the most suitable for the orangutans in the long-term. In Chapter 4, students address the second question in the Unit Map and examine natural hazards and design a hurricane-proof structure.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 3 meet expectations that they have an intentional sequence where student tasks increase in sophistication. Materials are designed with a recommended 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 Balancing Forces, Inheritance and Traits, Environments and Survival, and Weather and Climate, in that order. Within each of these units, there is a single anchor phenomenon that is presented to the students with investigative phenomenon utilized within the individual units. The latter two units introduce a problem as well. 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.

Example of student tasks with increasing in sophistication within a unit:

• In Grade 3, Unit: Weather and Climate, students look at both short and long-range weather data to make predictions about the climate that is best-suited for the environment. Students evaluate different types of evidence (SEP-ARG-E2) and then look at how claims must be supported by evidence. Students practice organizing evidence and making a claim throughout the chapter as they learn more about the climate of each island by engaging evidence circles (SEP-ARG-E1). At the end of Chapter 3, students use the data on temperature and weather on three different islands to construct an argument (SEP-ARG-E5) about which island is best suited for the orangutan reserve.

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. In addition, in Grades 3–5, there is also one unit that emphasizes the practice of argumentation. 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, design, and argumentation units.

Examples of student tasks increasing in sophistication across grade levels:

• Investigation Units: Each grade contains a unit focused on students developing the science practices related to investigations. Grade 3 and Grade 4 show continued increasing complexity and ask students to utilize practices within clearly defined investigations and topics, but Grade 5 does not show a clear increase over the previous two grades. In Grade 3, the Inheritance and Traits unit focuses on inherited traits and specifically asks “What is the origin of the traits of Wolf 44—a wolf that appears to be different from the rest of its pack?” Investigations throughout this particular unit focus on how traits are inherited. Students are investigating the process by which animals (different ones are utilized within the unit) inherit traits that are similar to and different from other animals. They use science and engineering practices (SEPs) to ask questions (SEP-ADQP-E3), investigate the phenomenon and other related information (SEP-INV-E3), and collect data on the topic to help inform their conclusions (SEP-CEDS-E1). In Grade 4, students build on their investigation skills with the Vision and Light unit, which focuses on how animals obtain information through their senses. This unit emphasizes the practice of asking of questions; students then need to investigate and collect information to answer a question (SEP-ADQP-E1, SEP-ADQP-E3) as well as use modeling to draw conclusions (SEP-MOD-E3, SEP-MOD-E4, and SEP-DATA-E2). The practices of asking questions and conducting investigations increase in complexity compared to Grade 3. The Grade 4 unit adds the use of data to the modeling process and investigation process around the phenomenon, which is an increase in the complexity from the prior investigation unit in Grade 3. Additionally, students continue to build the practice of constructing explanations and arguing from evidence. In Grade 5, the Patterns of Earth and Sky unit informs students that, “different sections of an ancient artifact show what the sky looked like from one location and depict different stars.” The phenomenon in this unit does not fully connect chapter-to-chapter, nor is there a clear unit to unit connection with prior grades. The investigation aspects within this unit focus largely on the use of developing and using models (SEP-MOD-E3 and SEP-MOD-E4), but show no additional connections to the prior to units focused on investigations.

• Argumentation Units: Each grade contains a unit focused on students developing the science practices related to investigations. Grades 3–5 show continued increasing complexity and ask students to utilize practices related to argumentation. In Grade 3, students use data to make predictions about the climate and evaluate different types of evidence (SEP-ARG-E2) in the Weather and Climate unit. Students practice organizing evidence and making claims by engaging in evidence circles (SEP-ARG-E1). Students work in groups to review evidence provided by the teacher and make claims and write an argument together about the weather on three islands. These skills are built upon in Grade 4, Earth’s Features unit, when students collect evidence from a rocky outcrop to study fossils in this area and make claims about the area’s history. To explain the fossil phenomenon, students first learn that claims must be supported by evidence (SEP-ARG-E2); then, they engage in discourse about their claims and write an argument about this area’s past (SEP-ARG-E4). As students gain more evidence about the rocky desert outcrop, they refine their arguments based on new evidence about what could have caused changes in the landscape on their own (SEP-ARG-E1, SEP-ARG-E5). In Grade 5, Ecosystem Restoration unit, students examine a rainforest ecosystem and use investigations and models to collect their own data that supports their arguments (SEP-ARG-E4) about what factors could be impacting the lives of the organisms in the ecosystem that are not thriving. Students learn about the components of good argumentation and use scientific reasoning to discuss why the animals in the ecosystem are not thriving (SEP-ARG-E3). At the end of the series, students are using their arguments, that are inclusive of claims, evidence, and reasoning to justify a plan to restore the reforested rainforest (SEP-ARG-E5).

• Modeling Units: Each grade contains a unit focused on students developing the science practices related to modeling. Grades 3–5 show continued increasing complexity and ask students to utilize practices related to modeling. In Grade 3, the Balancing Forces unit introduces students to the unit phenomenon of the floating train. Students take on the role of an engineer and seek information to explain why the train floats; this requires students to explain balanced and unbalanced forces. By asking questions (SEP-ADQP-E4) across the entire unit, students explore and learn how different forces act on objects. Questions build on each other as students move throughout the unit. Students are also engaged in the use of the simulation to create models (SEP-MOD-E4). Some examples of models within the simulation have students demonstrating how a magnetic force causes the train to “float” and how balanced forces act on the train. Investigations outside of the simulation ask students to explore how gravity affects different objects pulling them towards the earth and to read about the use of a hoverboard. In addition to the use of models within these explorations, students continue to ask questions (SEP-ADQP-E4, SEP-INV-E1, SEP-INV-E3). In Grade 4, the Waves, Energy, and Information unit has students study the properties of sound waves to explain the phenomenon of sound moving through water. Students use tsunamis, stadium waves, and spring toys as models to understand wave-like motion (SEP-MOD-E4). Students use musical instruments, collision investigations, and a digital simulator (SEP-MOD-E4) to make connections between sounds and waves. By the end of the unit, students use models to manipulate waves and sounds and to make connections among waves, collisions, and sounds. Students continue to use the sound simulator to manipulate waveforms to make connections between the shape of the wave and its sound (SEP-MOD-E6). To explain the phenomena, students creating and revising a model for how sound travels under water (SEP-MOD-E2). In Grade 5, the Modeling Matter unit has students use models to understand the forces among molecules (SEP-MOD-E3) and use digital simulations to make predictions about how molecules in salad dressing will behave. Students use and create models to make predictions about scientific phenomena.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 3 meet expectations that they present disciplinary core ideas (DCIs), science and engineering practices (SEPs), and crosscutting concepts (CCCs) 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.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 3 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 Grade 3 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 the Balancing Forces unit; however, the element PS2.B-E2 is not fully addressed in the materials.

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

• PS2.A-E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Balancing Forces, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.3: Forces All Around, students engage in a reading activity in which they are asked to make observations of different forces. Students are asked to use sticky notes to determine where in the book forces occur, which helps them demonstrate that forces have strength and direction.

• PS2.A-E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Balancing Forces, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.2: Investigating Balanced Forces, students manipulate a paperclip on a string with magnets to demonstrate that two forces (gravity and magnetic) can act on a single object. Students discuss what happens when both forces are balanced and act on the paperclip showing zero net force. Students read about and collect evidence from the text and use the terminology in context.

• PS2.A-E2. In Grade 3, Unit: Balancing Forces, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.2: Reading about Gravity, students read about gravity and connect the concept to what happened to the ball that falls towards earth. Students also investigate what happens when an unbalanced force pushes on dominoes.

• PS2.A-E2. In Grade 3, Unit: Balancing Forces, Chapter 5, Lesson 5.3: Electromagnets and Predicting Patterns, students use a wooden block on a string and a bouncing ball to investigate patterns in forces. Students discuss the forces that initially act on the objects and then the pattern that happens as gravity slows the object down.

• PS2.B-E1. In Grade 3, Balancing Forces, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.3: Observing Forces in Chain Reactions, students set up their own series of reactions to show that forces are exerted when objects are in contact with each other. They also show how forces act on objects and that unequal forces can change the object’s direction or location. Students examine the relationship of forces during a chain reaction within a system.

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

• PS2.B-E2. In Grade 3, Unit: Balancing Forces, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.1: Discovering Non-Touching Forces, students investigate how magnets are involved with the rising train. Students manipulate the magnets in different ways to demonstrate how the size of the force and distance of the magnet affects the outcome. Finally students explain their understanding related to how magnets interact with each other in magnetic forces. The materials do not address the electric forces component of this DCI element.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 3 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-level disciplinary core ideas (DCIs) for life sciences. Across the grade, the materials include all the associated elements of the life science DCIs. These are found in three units: Weather and Climate, Environment and Survival, and Inheritance and Traits.

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

• LS1.B-E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Inheritance and Traits, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.1: Pre Unit Assessment, students create a model and have a class discussion about the life cycle of organisms, beginning with reproduction, and how they vary among organisms.

• LS2.C.E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Environments and Survival, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.2: Environment News, students read Environment News, a book that chronicles three different environmental changes and how each change affected which traits were adaptive in a particular population of organisms. In lesson 3.3, students use the Environments and Survival Modeling Tool to create a digital model that shows their understanding of how environmental changes can cause traits that were once adaptive to become non-adaptive.

• LS2.D.E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Inheritance and Traits, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.5: Variation in a Species, students make observations of the individual wolf and the pack. Students observe that wolves travel in groups as do other animals. Students continue, throughout the unit, to see the various benefits to an animal when traveling in a pack as well as the different roles that exist within a group or pack.

• LS3.A.E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Inheritance and Traits, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.3: The Code, students read a book that explains genetic code and how traits are inherited by offspring from their parents. Students record information as they read.

• LS3.A.E2. In Grade 3, Unit: Inheritance and Traits, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.5: Making Sense of Traits, students use a digital simulation to create a graphic organizer that models offspring, parents, and their shared traits. This simulation also includes the environment that the organism may live in and how that may affect the traits. Students are able to discover that characteristics of an organism result from their interaction with their environment and that many characteristics involve both inheritance and the environment.

• LS4.A.E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Environments and Survival, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.2: Mystery Mouths, students compare mouths of different herbivores, some living and extinct. A teacher prompt and associated text inform students there are millions of extinct plants and animals that once lived on earth but are no longer found anywhere.

• LS4.A.E2. In Grade 3, Unit: Environments and Survival, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.3: Investigating Traits and Survival, students use pictures of fossils to observe the structure of fossils of organisms that lived long ago. Students get information about what scientists think the environment and the organism’s needs for survival were like when the organism was alive.

• LS3.B.E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Inheritance and Traits, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.1: Introducing Traits That Aren't Inherited, students look at data cards containing information about a flamingo family. Students observe and record differences amongst the flamingos, and then conduct research to understand that the environment also affects the traits that an organism develops.

• LS3.B.E2. In Grade 3, Unit: Inheritance and Traits, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.1: Introducing Traits That Aren't Inherited, students analyze data cards of a flamingo family. Students identify traits of the flamingo offspring that the parents do not have. Students conduct reading and research to discover that the environment also affects the traits that an organism develops.

• LS4.B.E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Environments and Survival, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.5: Making Sense of Traits and Survival, students use the Environments and Survival Modeling Tool to apply their knowledge of how different characteristics can make it easier or harder for organisms to survive in a given environment. Students engage in activities where they consolidate their understanding about how organisms’ traits affect their likelihood of survival in a given environment.

• LS4.C.E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Weather and Climate, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.4: Evaluating Island Weather Evidence, students use evidence collected about the temperature and precipitation of each island to make a claim about the island that is similar to Borneo, the orangutan’s original habitat. Students use temperature and precipitation data as evidence to decide the island that is ideal for the survival of the new orangutan reserve.

• LS4.C.E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Environments and Survival, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.1: Hummingbird Model, students use the grove-snail data to think about why snails with different traits survive differently. Using a Hummingbird Model, students investigate how beak shape can affect how well a hummingbird can gather food, and thus thrive or not. Students make comparisons among different beak structures to discover that different traits can make it easier or harder for an organism to survive in its environment. Students learn that variation in traits can affect how some organisms in a population can or cannot meet their needs for survival in a given environment.

• LS4.D.E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Weather and Climate, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.6: Evaluating Evidence About Climate, students reevaluate weather data to make claims about the long-term survival of the orangutans on each island. In this lesson, students think about weather stability as they choose an island, considering that environmental changes impact the organisms that live in specific habitats.

• LS4.D.E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Environments and Survival, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.1: The Survival Model: Changing Environments, students examine several species traits through a Survival Model game where populations live in a variety of habitats, and change in those habitats affects the organisms living there. Students make observations of different examples of environmental changes and discuss their prior knowledge about each change and how it might affect the survival of organisms with different traits.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 3 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-level disciplinary core ideas (DCIs) for earth and space sciences. Across the grade, the materials include nearly all the associated elements of the earth and space science DCIs. All of the elements are found in one unit: Weather and Climate.

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

• ESS2.D-E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Weather and Climate, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.4: Sky Notebook, students collect local temperature and precipitation data, then use data tables to track their data and mirror what they read in a companion text, Sky Notebook. They practice using the appropriate tools to collect data, then record their data with appropriate units.

• ESS2.D-E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Weather and Climate, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.5: Making Sense of Weather Data, students are presented with additional data for each of the three fictitious islands. They evaluate the evidence and make predictions about which island would have the ideal weather for an orangutan reserve.

• ESS2.D-E2. In Grade 3, Unit: Weather and Climate, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.2: Discovering Climate Through Data, students review weather data from several locations to determine patterns over many years. They use the ranges in temperature and precipitation, and the predictable patterns of stability and change in each year, to describe each locations’ climate.

• ESS3.B-E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Weather and Climate, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.2: Dangerous Weather Ahead, students make predictions about potential natural hazards in different parts of the United States based on examining maps and historical data related to weather patterns.

• ESS3.B-E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Weather and Climate, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.3: Preparing for Natural Hazards, students build a structure that could withstand the effects of a hurricane. They test it for stability through heavy rains and wind.

The instructional materials reviewed Grades 3–5 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 Grade 3, no performance expectations (PEs) are associated with physical, life, or earth and space science DCIs that also 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 3 materials:

• ETS1.A-E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Environments and Survival, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.2: Planning Designs, students learn solutions to a problem may be limited by available materials and resources (constraints), and that the success of a solution is determined by how well it meets specific criteria. Students are presented with a design challenge of developing a robot that will remove invasive species. Students are given a list of criteria that the robot must do and have the constraint of a limited amount of materials to use.

• ETS1.B-E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Environments and Survival, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.2: Planning Designs, students learn that it is important to research a problem before beginning to design a solution, and that testing a solution involves investigating how well the design performs. Students use books and videos to research how a giraffe’s neck allows it to successfully get food and how the shape of the giraffe’s teeth allow it to grind-up its food. Students test their solutions to determine how well the teeth on their design performs.

• ETS1.B.E2. In Grade 3, Unit: Weather and Climate, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.3: Preparing for Natural Hazards, students learn the importance of testing designs to identify failure points, then use those tests to determine where to improve their design. Students build a hurricane-proof structure to meet a set of criteria, then perform a series of tests to determine if their structures meet that criteria. Students come back together and discuss the features of each of their designs that were effective and ineffective each performance test.

• ETS1.B-E3. In Grade 3, Unit: Environments and Survival, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.2: Planning Designs and Lesson 4.3: Making and Testing Designs, students learn that communicating with peers about proposed solutions is an important part of the design process, and shared ideas can lead to improved designs. Students communicate their design ideas before constructing their robot. In Lesson 4.3, students share their results of their tests on their design and then use the shared ideas from the class to improve their design.

In Grade 4, two PEs are associated with physical, life, or earth and space science DCIs that also connect to an ETS DCI. The materials include opportunities for students to engage with these ETS elements in this grade.

Examples of the Grade 4 grade-level ETS DCI elements present in the materials:

• ETS1.A-E1. In Grade 4, Unit: Energy Conversions, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.3: Exploring Systems, students learn that solutions to a problem may be limited by available materials and resources (constraints) and that the success of a solution is determined by how well it meets specific criteria. Students build a simple electrical system model that is powered by a solar panel using materials that are provided to them in a bag.

• ETS1.C-E1. In Grade 4, Unit: Energy Conversions, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.4: System Improvements, students learn that testing different designs can help them determine which solves the problem. Students share data from their design tests with their classmates. Students use a listening strategy to provide input on the designs. After this, students receive a memo from the mayor asking them to consider two potential designs and recommend one.

In Grade 5, no PEs associated with physical, life, or earth and space science DCIs 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 5 materials:

• ETS1.A-E1. In Grade 5, Unit: The Earth System, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.7: Design Freshwater Collection Systems, students learn that solutions to a problem may be limited by available materials and resources (constraints) and that the success of a solution is determined by how well it meets specific criteria. Students are challenged to design a system that will provide fresh water from salt water. They discuss constraints that engineers would face with this design and then are presented with constraints on the materials they can use. Students also determine that providing fresh water would be the indication of success.

• ETS1.B-E1. In Grade 5, Unit: Modeling Matter, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.1: Investigating Dissolving: Why do some salad dressings have sediments and others do not?, students begin to design a salad dressing that must have particles dissolve. Past lessons contribute to the research that must be done before designing a solution. Testing is also done to see how the dressing performs with various ingredients.

• ETS1.B-E2. In Grade 5, Unit: The Earth System, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.4: Iterating on Freshwater Collection Systems, students discuss how testing their designs can identify failure points and this information can be used to determine what aspects of the design needs to be improved. Students measure how much freshwater their initial systems collect. Students then identify where their design failed and record which aspects of their design did not work and which aspects succeeded. Students improve their design based on the test results. This includes an explanation of why they think these successes and failures occurred.

• ETS1.B-E3. In Grade 5, Unit: The Earth System, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.4: Iterating on Freshwater Collection Systems, students learn that communicating with peers about proposed solutions is an important part of the design process, and that shared ideas can lead to improved designs. After completing their design of a freshwater collection system, students participate in an Engineer’s Jigsaw routine to see other groups’ designs and discuss their successes and failures. Students gather information from the jigsaw routine about how they can redesign their own systems. They discuss these plans in their groups and then improve their design.

The Grades 3–5 band includes three DCI 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 3–5 grade-band ETS DCI elements present in the materials:

• ETS1.A-E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Weather and Climate, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.3: Preparing for Natural Hazards, students learn that solutions to a problem may be limited by available materials and resources (constraints) and that the success of a solution is determined by how well it meets specific criteria. Students are tasked to design a structure that would be protective against the damage caused by a hurricane. Students are given a specific amount of tape, craft sticks, straws, scissors, and a single index card to build a structure to meet a set of criteria. Their structure must hold a penny above water, stay upright through wind and rain, be stable, and fit in a given container.

• ETS1.B-E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Environments and Survival, Chapter 4, lesson 4.2: Planning Designs, students learn that it is important to research a problem before beginning to design a solution and that testing a solution involves investigating how well the design performs. Students use books and videos to research how a giraffe’s neck allows it to successfully get food and how the shape of the giraffe’s teeth allow it to grind-up its food. Students test their solutions to determine how well the teeth on their design performs.

• ETS1.B-E2. In Grade 5, Unit: The Earth System, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.4: Iterating on Freshwater Collection Systems, students discuss how testing their designs can identify failure points and this information can be used to determine what aspects of the design needs to be improved. Students measure how much freshwater their initial systems collect. Students then identify where their design failed and record which aspects of their design did not work and which aspects succeeded. Students improve their design based on the test results. This includes an explanation of why they think these successes and failures occurred.

• ETS1.B-E3. In Grade 5, Unit: The Earth System, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.4: Iterating on Freshwater Collection Systems, students learn that communicating with peers about proposed solutions is an important part of the design process, and that shared ideas can lead to improved designs. After completing their design of a freshwater collection system, students participate in an Engineer’s Jigsaw routine to see other groups’ designs and discuss their successes and failures. Students gather information from the jigsaw routine about how they can redesign their own systems. They discuss these plans in their groups and then improve their design.

• ETS1.C-E1. In Grade 4, Unit: Energy Conversions, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.4: System Improvements, students learn that testing different designs can help them determine which solves the problem. Students share data from their design tests with their classmates. Students utilize a listening strategy to provide input on the designs. After this, students receive a memo from the mayor asking them to consider two potential designs and recommend one.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 3 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-level science and engineering practices (SEPs) and associated elements. Across the grade level, the units fully incorporate all the grade-band elements associated with the performance expectations (PEs) for Grade 3.

Across the grade, students are provided opportunities to engage with the SEPs multiple times and in multiple contexts. Students repeatedly engage with grade-band elements of SEPs multiple times across the units; students have multiple opportunities to ask questions, conduct investigations, use models, analyze data, and obtain information from text or other media to support explanations they construct about phenomena.

Examples of SEP elements associated with grade-level performance expectations present in the materials:

• AQDP-E3. In Grade 3, Unit: Balancing Forces, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.1: Discovering Non-Touching Forces, students ask questions about what causes the train to rise and how magnets are part of the train moving. Students then investigate the questions they had as they manipulate the magnets in different ways.

• AQDP-E5. In Grade 3, Unit: Environments and Survival, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.2: Planning Designs, students define the design problem of building a robot that will remove an invasive plant species from a tree. Students develop a system, in the form of a robot, to solve their design problem. Students work within the criteria of an effective removal and the constraints of materials available for their system.

• MOD-E4. In Grade 3, Unit: Inheritance and Traits, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.5: Making Sense of Traits, students use a digital simulation to develop a model to describe the traits of parents and their offspring and the influence on the environment.

• INV-E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Inheritance and Traits, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.3: Investigating What Determines Traits, students design an experiment using celery to determine how pieces of celery got their color. Students must discuss and decide on which variables are controlled. Students then conduct their investigation and collect data.

• INV-E3. In Grade 3, Unit: Environments and Survival, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.3: Making and Testing Designs, students make and test their first test-versions of the neck design, share their designs and test results with another pair, and then revise their test-versions based on new ideas. Students are reminded of the procedure for neck-testing, take turns testing their giraffe-inspired necks, and record test data in their notebooks. Students share their designs and test results with another pair, and then record their new data about their designs. Students make a second test-version of the robot necks and test them.

• DATA-E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Environments and Survival, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.3: Investigating Traits and Survival, students examine grove snail data from populations across Europe and observe that there is variation in the grove snails' trait for shell strength. Students sort snail cards into groups and record data in a table located in their notebooks. Students discuss recorded data to answer questions. By classifying snails according to different traits, students discover that snails with yellow shells have weaker shells than the snails with banded shells. Students consider how the variation in the grove snail’s trait for shell strength could affect their survival in the coastal Wales environment, as well as in a contrasting environment.

• DATA-E2. In Grade 3, Unit: Weather and Climate, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.6: Evaluating Evidence about Climate, students analyze and interpret data organized in charts and graphs to evaluate the evidence and make a claim about the climate on the three fictitious islands. Students use this data as evidence to write a claim.

• CEDS-E2. In Grade 3, Unit: Weather and Climate, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.2: Dangerous Weather Ahead, students use evidence from a text, Dangerous Weather Ahead, from a digital simulation, Weather and Climate Practice Tool, and from weather maps to construct an explanation about why natural disasters happen in some areas and not in others.

• ARG-E4. In Grade 3, Unit: Inheritance and Traits, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.3: Investigating What Determines Traits, students construct a scientific explanation that describes why the wolf does not hunt like the Bison Valley hunting pack. Students use guidelines that describe the components of a scientific explanation. Students use data compiled in their notebooks to construct their explanation.

• ARG-E6. In Grade 3, Unit: Environments and Survival, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.5: Presenting Design Arguments, students learn that they will participate in a Biomimicry Engineering Conference in which they will present design arguments for how their RoboGrazer designs meet the criteria. Students prepare their arguments by reviewing their test data and describing how their designs meet each of the criteria. Then, the engineering conference begins, students present their designs and design arguments and listen to others present.

• INFO-E4. In Grade 3, Unit: Inheritance and Traits, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.7: Explaining Variation, students use data cards and two books to record information about a fictitious wolf pack. Students record evidence of similarities and differences in traits amongst the organisms.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 3–5 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-level science and engineering practices (SEPs) and associated elements. Across the grade band, the units fully incorporate all the SEPs and elements associated with the performance expectations (PEs) within the 3–5 grade band.

Across the grade band, students are provided opportunities to engage with the SEPs multiple times and in multiple contexts. Students repeatedly engage with grade-band elements of SEPs multiple times across the units; students have multiple opportunities to conduct investigations, develop and use models, analyze data, and obtain information from text or other media to support explanations they construct about phenomena. Many SEP elements were met multiple times across the units and grade levels.

Examples of SEP elements associated with performance expectations within the 3–5 grade band present in the materials:

• AQDP-E3. In Grade 3, Unit: Balancing Forces, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.1: Discovering Non-Touching Forces, students ask questions about what causes the train to rise and how magnets are part of the train moving. Students then investigate the questions they had as they manipulate the magnets in different ways.

• AQDP-E5. In Grade 3, Unit: Environments and Survival, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.2: Planning Designs, students define the design problem of building a robot that will remove an invasive plant species from a tree. Students develop a system, in the form of a robot, to solve their design problem. Students work within the criteria of an effective removal and the constraints of materials available for their system.

• MOD-E3. In Grade 4, Unit: Earth’s Features, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.4: Modeling Erosion: Speed, students use the stream table model to construct their ideas about erosion and continue to investigate the question, “What affects the amount of rock that water can erode?” Students discuss how they could use the Erosion Model to test how the speed of water affects erosion.

• MOD-E4. In Grade 5, Unit: Modeling Matter, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.5: Models of Emulsifiers, students use a digital simulation and knowledge from this unit to create a nanoscale drawing that highlights the behavior of molecules in solutions. Students are able to predict how molecules will behave even though we are not able to see them.

• MOD-E6. In Grade 4, Unit: Waves, Energy, and Information, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.3: How Sounds Can Differ, students use a digital simulation model where they manipulate wave patterns to show that changes in wavelength and amplitude affect a sound’s volume and pitch.

• INV-E1. In Grade 5, Unit: Earth’s Systems, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.7: Designing Freshwater Collection Systems, students are introduced to a hands-on design challenge: to design and build freshwater collection systems that will get freshwater from saltwater and then collect the freshwater for people to use. Students control variables by using the same amount of hot, colored salt water. Students all have the same amount of time. The measurement technique of the resulting fresh water is identical. Students do two trials, the second one after revisions of their devices. Students reflect on what they have learned so far to help them design their systems, identifying evaporation and condensation as processes that can distill freshwater from saltwater.

• INV-E3. In Grade 3, Unit: Environment and Survival, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.3: Making and Testing Designs, students make and test their first test-versions of the neck design, share their designs and test results with another pair, and then revise their test-versions based on new ideas. Students are reminded of the procedure for neck-testing, take turns testing their giraffe-inspired necks, and record test data in their notebooks. Students share their designs and test results with another pair, and then record their new data about their designs. Students make a second test-version of the robot necks and test them.

• DATA-E1. In Grade 5, Unit: Earth’s Systems, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.2: Making Sense of Where Raindrops Form, students begin by predicting which areas of the atmosphere in a simulated landscape will have the most condensation. They use The Earth System Simulation to collect data on where and at what temperatures water vapor condenses in the atmosphere. They then graph their data set in The Earth System Data Tool to look for patterns, concluding that more condensation occurs high in the atmosphere because it is colder there.

• DATA-E2. In Grade 4, Unit: Earth’s Features, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.2: Exploring Rock Formation and Environment, students collect data about rock samples, read about the rock types they’ve observed, and use the simulation to consider the question, “How do rocks provide information about what an environment was like in the past?” Students observe two rock samples⁠—conglomerate and sandstone⁠—and record their observations about how sedimentary rocks differ. Students share preliminary ideas about where the rocks may have formed.

• DATA-E4. In Grade 3, Unit: Environments and Survival, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.3: Making and Testing Designs, students test their initial design for the RoboGrazer. Students measure and record the length of the robot neck and test how many leaves are touched within 30 seconds. Students share their data with classmates, analyzing which designs best met the criteria. Students then use that information to refine their designs.

• MATH-E3. In Grade 3, Unit: Weather and Climate, Chapter 1, Lessons 1.2 and 1.3, students learn that data needs to be accurately recorded to recognize and predict patterns. Students perform a short experiment to determine the most effective way to measure rain data and collect temperature data. While students record and graph quantities to address scientific questions related to volume and temperature, they don’t specifically use quantities related to area, weight, or time.

• MATH-E3. In Grade 5, Unit: Earth’s Systems, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.2: Making Sense of Where Raindrops Form, students use The Earth System Simulation to collect data on where and at what temperatures water vapor condenses in the atmosphere. They record and graph temperature, atmosphere height, and number of molecules for various landscapes to show that water vapor condenses at colder, higher elevations. Students then use the information from different condensation patterns on the different landscapes to future out why more water vapor gets cold over the west side of the island. While students record and graph quantities to address scientific questions, they don’t specifically use quantities related to area, volume, weight, or time.

• CEDS-E2. In Grade 3, Unit: Weather and Climate, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.2: Dangerous Weather Ahead, students use evidence from a text, Dangerous Weather Ahead, from a digital simulation, Weather and Climate Practice Tool, and from weather maps to construct an explanation about why natural disasters happen in some areas and not in others.

• CEDS-E3. In Grade 4, Unit: Energy Conversions, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.1: Investigating Energy Sources, students gather evidence and information to explain why the hospital lights and devices continue to work during a blackout. In this activity, students are examining evidence and asking questions about why the hospital still has electricity.

• CEDS-E5. In Grade 4, Unit: Energy Conversions, Chapter 4, students construct circuits and make them fail. Another group analyzes the failed circuit to determine what is the failure point and provides solutions for fixing the circuit. Students then apply this understanding to the blackout problem in Ergstown and compare multiple solutions for minimizing the town’s blackouts.

• ARG-E4. In Grade 5, Unit: Modeling Matter, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.2: Investigating Dissolving, students use evidence from a digital simulation along with observations from a lab on dissolving to support the argument that molecules exist and are moving, but are too small to see. This data also supports the argument that molecules have charges and specific arrangements that influence the solubility of substances.

• ARG-E6. In Grade 3, Unit: Environments and Survival, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.5: Presenting Design Arguments, students learn that they will participate in a Biomimicry Engineering Conference in which they will present design arguments for how their RoboGrazer designs meet the criteria. Students prepare their arguments by reviewing their test data and describing how their designs meet each of the criteria. Then the engineering conference begins, and students present their designs and design arguments and listen to others present.

• INFO-E4. In Grade 5, Unit: Ecosystem Restoration, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.3: Matter Makes it All Up, students use information from a digital simulation model and the text, Matter Makes it All Up, to describe how animals use food to grow.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 3-5 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-level crosscutting concepts (CCCs) and associated elements. Across the grade band, the units incorporate all of the elements associated with the performance expectations within the 3-5 grade band.

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 conduct investigations or use a model to observe or test cause and effect relationships (SEP-MOD-E6), such as when they observe that mixing two substances can cause a new substance to form (DCI-PS1.B-E1). Students have multiple opportunities to use tests to gather evidence to support or refute ideas; however, opportunities to explicitly discuss this idea (CCC-CE-E1) are limited. 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 performance expectations within the 3-5 grade band present in the materials:

• PAT-E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Weather and Climate, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.2: Discovering Climate Through Data, students analyze monthly weather data organized in graphs from three different places over the course of three years. Students analyze yearly patterns and recognize that the repetitive patterns represent the climate for that area.

• PAT-E2. In Grade 3, Unit: Inheritance and Traits, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.3: Investigating Sparrow Offspring, students use the knowledge of inheritance patterns obtained throughout the unit to make predictions of the sparrow offspring that will result from designated parents.

• PAT-E3. In Grade 4, Unit: Earth’s Features, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.4: Sedimentary Rock Formation, students investigate rock samples and patterns of rock formation in the simulation to learn about how sedimentary rock forms. Students use a simulation to investigate the patterns of sedimentary rock formation. Students observe rocks forming in the simulation and record their observations about how this process happens. In doing so, students begin to make sense of the patterns that water and sediment have in a rock formation. Finally, students reflect on the information they gathered from the simulation by making a prediction of how the rock samples they observed at the beginning of the lesson may have formed.

• CE-E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Balancing Forces, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.1: Exploring Forces in a Chain Reaction, students watch a video about chain reactions, develop their own set of chain reactions, and explain how different forces caused each reaction. Throughout the series of reactions, students are demonstrating the relationships of the components in the series of interactions in a system. Teacher prompts focus students on what caused each object to start moving and the effect of the movement, additionally, they help students understand that scientists use cause and effect relationships to test and explain change or relationships.

• CE-E1. In Grade 4, Unit: Earth’s Features, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.2: Exploring Rock Formation and Environment, students observe two samples of sedimentary rock to see what information they give about the environment in which they formed and discuss what caused the different properties of each sample to determine if they were formed in the same way. Students use the cause-and-effect relationship to explain change. SYS-E2. In Grade 3, Unit: Environment and Survival, students examine population data for two snail species where one is thriving and one is not. After reflecting on survival in snails and other organisms in particular environments, students describe the snail’s environment in terms of the different components and their interactions as they examine snail population data across different environments and with various predators. Students think about the causes of these differences and predict what would happen if another organism was introduced to the system.

• SPQ-E1. In Grade 5, Unit 2: Modeling Matter, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.5: Making Sense of Solubility, students read information about molecules to understand that they exist at a small scale then use a simulation that models varying degrees of solubility to evaluate explanations of two solutions and discuss what is happening at the molecular level.

• SPQ-E1. In Grade 5, Unit: Patterns in the Night Sky, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.4: Distances to the Stars, students investigate why stars look so small. Students use the simulation to investigate the distance from earth to the sun and to other stars. Students use the data that was collected to create a scale model of the earth, sun, and four other stars as they build understanding that natural systems can be immensely large.

• SPQ-E1. In Grade 4, Unit: Earth’s Features, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.4: students use the Earth’s Features Sim to explore how various processes on earth can occur over very long time periods.

• SPQ-E2. In Grade 3, Unit: Weather and Climate, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.2: Future Weather on Three Islands, students perform a short experiment to determine the most effective way to measure rain data. As they measure rainfall and compare varying data with other groups, they learn that standard units are vital when communicating measurements.

• SYS-E2. In Grade 4, Unit: Environment and Survival, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.2: Investigating Needs for Survival, students consider what organisms need to survive; they complete the Investigating Needs for Survival activity and investigate an organism with particular needs. Students read about four different environments (systems) and consider whether their organism can meet its needs in each of the four systems. Students start to think about the relationship between an organism and the system it is a part of.

• SYS-E2. In Grade 5, Unit: The Earth System, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.1: Investigating the Movement of Water Vapor, students examine how the shape of the land and movement of water vapor within the atmosphere affects rainfall. Students consider the island’s shape, landscape, direction of wind, and compare that to other islands using the online simulation and then use the simulation program to model what factors affect how water vapor moves in the air. Students describe each component of this system and how they interact to produce the patterns of rainfall.

• EM-E2. In Grade 5, Unit: Ecosystem Restoration, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.5: Modeling How Animals Use Plant Matter, students use a simulation and a text about alligators to understand how animals grow from food at a molecular level. In the simulation, students track the volume of matter eaten to see that the matter that animals consume help the animals grow or becomes waste. Students begin to understand how matter moves within an ecosystem.

• EM-E3. In Grade 4, Unit: Waves, Energy, and Information, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.4: Exploring Sound Waves, students are introduced to energy moving through the water as they examine the wave patterns caused by tsunamis. They learn that the water (the matter) hardly moves as energy is transferred but rather as the energy wave moves through, water moves perpendicularly, not with the wave. The students then look at how the energy from the waves causes damage as it approaches land. The waves impact land and energy is transferred to objects as the wave moves over them, causing additional energy transfer, sound, and damage. They model this by simulating a sports stadium wave and “pass” energy to one another.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 3–5 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-E1. In Grade 4, Unit: Vision and Light, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.2: Crow Scientist, students read a text describing the investigations of a wildlife biologist. Students read about the scientist asking questions about crow behavior and then determining how to investigate the questions.

• VOM-E2. In Grade 5, Unit: Ecosystem Restoration, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.3: Differences in Soil, students read about an ecologist in A Walk in the Woods, and how that scientist uses various methods to collect data about soil composition and health. Students then use the ecologist's data to make claims about soil health.

• BEE-E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Weather and Climate, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.2: Seeing the World Through Numbers, students read about organizing data to better make sense of it. In the text, Seeing the World Through Numbers, students read about a boy and his friends and how they compare temperature patterns from around the world. They then discuss how the patterns can help people make predictions about weather.

• BEE-E2. In Grade 4, Unit: Waves, Energy, and Information, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.4: Seeing Sound, students read the text, Seeing Sound, and discover the different ways that scientists use tools to visualize sounds to make sense of the world. Students discuss how tools and technologies are important for helping these professionals accurately see sound.

• OTR-E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Inheritance and Traits, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.1: Scorpion Scientist, students read a book called, Scorpion Scientist. The text describes a scientist gathering evidence that can be used to identify new species of scorpions. The scientist asks questions and performs investigations to seek answers on how to classify the new species and if that classification will result in changes to classification of current identified scorpions.

• ENP-E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Balancing Forces, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.2: Discussing Gravity Acting Between Two Objects, students use a reading strategy related to setting a purpose for reading and complete a Gravity Anticipatory Chart to record their understanding and questions about gravity. Within the Reader, Handbook of Forces, students read about gravity and how it is a force that acts on objects without touching. Students read about how objects such as the earth exert a force called gravity that pulls you towards it.

• ENP-E2. In Grade 5, Unit: Modeling Matter, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.2: Science You Can’t See, students read text describing how science and scientists can describe the ocean floor, atomic structure, and other natural events we can not see.

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

• WOK-E1. In Grade 3, Unit: Inheritance and Traits, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.1: Scorpion Scientist, students read a text that describes how a scientist asks questions and investigates to answer their questions. The text also describes answers leading to more questions to gain new knowledge.

• HE-E2. In Grade 4, Unit: Vision and Light, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.2: Crow Scientist, students read a text where a wildlife biologist describes the team he works with to conduct investigations.

• HE-E3. In Grade 5, Unit: Modeling Matter, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.7: Break It Down, students read text describing how scientists separate mixtures to provide water and save lives.

• HE-E4. In Grade 3, Unit: Environment and Survival, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.1: Pre Unit Assessment, students read the book, Biomimicry, which is about scientists who study organisms to get ideas for solutions to design problems. The teacher leads discussion about how engineers design solutions to problems and that they use their imaginations to get design ideas from observing organisms’ traits.

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

• INTER-E3. In Grade 5, Unit: Earth’s Systems, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.4: Iterating on Freshwater Collection Systems, students discuss how the engineers in the book revised their designs for pumps using the same process that the students use to improve their freshwater reclamation models.

• INTER-E4. In Grade 5, Unit: Earth’s Systems, Chapter 2: Why does more rain form over West Ferris than East Ferris?, students read text and discuss how engineers use the design process to plan, make, and test water treatment systems.

• INFLU-E1. In Grade 4, Unit: Energy Conversions, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.1: Pre Unit Assessment, students discuss what happens when the power goes out in Ergstown and within the discussion, the teacher helps students make connections to the ideas that an engineers’ work is determined by people’s want and needs, and that people’s lives and interactions are influenced by the technologies that engineers develop.

• INFLU-E3. In Grade 4, Unit: Waves, Energy and Information, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.3: Communicating with Codes!, after discussing the various ways that humans communicate with one another, students create a communication plan and use codes to communicate with one another. Students recognize that, although humans can be far apart, they can still communicate and interact across long distances by using new technology.

The materials reviewed for Amplify Science Grade 3 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 Grade 3 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 Grades 3 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 3, Unit: Balancing Forces, Planning for the Unit, Science Background, Connections to Future Learning, there are detailed paragraphs on how this content connects to learning in both middle school and high school. The teacher is provided with information on how this unit connects to the study of Newton's Laws of Motion in Middle school and to the concept of momentum in high school. The connection to other 3rd grade topics is described as well, this unit describes "non-touching" forces and in the future students will learn about other non-touch forces - electric, magnetic, and gravitational forces.

The materials reviewed for Amplify Grade 3 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 3, Unit: Inheritance and Traits, Teacher References, Standards and Goals there is detailed information that describes the connections to common core English Language Arts and the Math standards. For ELA, it states, “CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. Students have the opportunity to write explanatory texts as they examine how Wolf 44 got its traits. For example, in Lesson 1.7, the class engages in shared writing to explain why wolves are different from one another even though they are all the same species. In Lesson 2.6, the class works together to generate a topic sentence about why Wolf 44’s color is similar to one pack but different from another, and then students complete their written explanations independently. In Lesson 3.6, students write a final explanation to answer the question, What makes Wolf 44 medium size?” Also, for math it states, “CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP1: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. Throughout this unit, students have multiple opportunities to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them as they look for patterns in data and return to the data to draw new conclusions.”

The materials for Grade 3 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 Grade 3 level  include:

• In Grade 3, Unit: Environments and Survival, Lesson 1.2, Activity 2, Hands-On Investigating Needs for Survival, primarily demonstrates “Do” although students also write and talk. In pairs, students work to determine if an organism will survive in an environment by reading what the organism needs to survive and what the environment provides.

• In Grade 3, Unit: Environments and Survival, Lesson 1.3, Activity 2, Reading Partner Reading, demonstrates “Read” by supporting teachers on how to help students make inferences.

• In Grade 3, Unit: Environments and Survival, Lesson 1.5, Activity 3, Writing Shared Writing of a Scientific Explanation demonstrates “Write” by helping students provide evidence for explanations. 

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 Grade 3 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 in which lessons the item(s) will be used. 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 Grade 3 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:

• Grade 3, Unit: Balancing Forces, Lesson 2.2, Activity 1 provides this safety note, “Handling steel wool with bare skin can cause metal splinters. Make sure students leave the steel wool inside the plastic bag as they test it with the magnet. You may want to place each piece of steel wool inside its own smaller plastic bag for extra protection. Caution students not to touch their face or eyes as they conduct the investigation.”   

The assessment materials for Grade 3 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 Grade 3 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 Grade 3 Unit, under Printable Resources, there is a document titled 3-D Assessment Objectives This document contains the 3-D Statements 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 Amplify Grade 3 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 include:

• 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, Grade 3, Unit: Environment and Survival, Lesson 3.4, Lesson Overview, Digital Resources, Assessment Guide, End-of-Unit Assessment Part 1 provides three rubrics for scoring and guiding teachers in interpreting student responses. Rubric 1 focuses on student performance when constructing explanations and obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information. Rubric 2 focuses on assessing student understanding of the science concepts within the unit. Rubric 3 focuses on assessing student understanding of the crosscutting concept presented throughout the unit. 

• Further, the Assessment Guide for the End-of-Unit Assessment rubrics include suggestions for Follow-Up. For example, in Grade 3, Unit: Environments and Survival, End-Of-Unit Assessment Guide found in the Digital Resources there is guidance for teachers on following up for students demonstrating the need for additional support. For example, if students have not incorporated the ideas from the Unit, the guidance includes 4 suggestions for teachers to support the students, such as reviewing an article from the unit, or reminding them how engineers observe living organisms.

• The Embedded Formative Assessments, The Critical Juncture, and On-the-Fly Assessments, provide guidance on what to look for and how to tailor instruction if students do not demonstrate understanding. For example, Grade 3, Unit: Inheritance and Traits, Unit Overview, Teacher References, Embedded Formative Assessments, Lesson 1.7, Activity 1 Tailor Instruction states, “If students do not demonstrate understanding that organisms have traits and that traits can vary within a species, have students read the first three paragraphs on page 4 of Handbook of Traits. Referring to the last sentence in the second paragraph that compares a tomato plant to a giraffe, ask students to turn to the specific pages in the book to describe the traits they observe in both the tomato plant and the giraffe (pages 40–41 and 16–17, respectively). Then, ask students to read page 17, which focuses on variations in the giraffe species. Have students connect these ideas of traits and variation back to the context of the wolves.” 

• In each Unit, Unit Overview, Teacher References, the Embedded Formative Assessments detail the targeted learning objectives and how students will demonstrate the targeted standards under the heading Look Fors as well as the next steps teachers should take when students do not demonstrate understanding under the heading Now What? For example, Grade 3, Unit: Environment and Survival, Unit Overview, Teacher References, Embedded Formative Assessments states, “Students who are struggling to make inferences from the text might need more support with this way of thinking by using a more familiar context. You can provide an example of a tree without leaves and ask students to make an inference about what season it is.”

The materials for Grade 3 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 assess the DCIs CCCs, and SEPs. 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. 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. There are rubrics that provide questions to develop understanding of students’ ability to demonstrate each dimension. The rubrics provide partial scores for partial student answers.