Cereal City Science
Downloadable Resources
Publisher Response
2022

Cereal City Science

Publisher
Battle Creek Area Mathematics and Science Center
Subject
Science
Grades
K-5
Report Release
06/04/2024
Review Tool Version
v1.5
Format
Core: Comprehensive

EdReports reviews determine if a program meets, partially meets, or does not meet expectations for alignment to college and career-ready standards. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Partially Meets Expectations

Materials must meet expectations for standards alignment in order to be reviewed for usability. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Usability (Gateway 3)
NE = Not Eligible. Product did not meet the threshold for review.
Not Eligible
Downloadable Resources
Publisher Response
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Showing:
5th Grade

About This Report

Report for 5th Grade

Alignment Summary

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet expectations for Alignment to NGSS, Gateways 1 and 2. Gateway 1: Designed for NGSS; Criterion 1: Three-Dimensional Learning partially meets expectations. The materials include three-dimensional learning opportunities and opportunities for student sensemaking with the three dimensions. The summative assessments inconsistently measure the three dimensions for their respective objectives, and the formative assessments rarely measure the three dimensions of their respective objectives to support learning. Criterion 2: Phenomena and Problems Drive Learning partially meets expectations. Phenomena and problems are present, are connected to DCIs, and are presented to students as directly as possible. The materials consistently elicit but inconsistently leverage student prior knowledge and experience related to the phenomena and problems present. Phenomena and problems inconsistently drive learning and use of the three dimensions at both learning opportunity level and rarely at the learning sequence level.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet expectations for Gateway 2: Coherence and Scope. The materials inconsistently connect units and chapters in a manner that is apparent to students, but student tasks increase in sophistication within and across units. The materials represent the three dimensions across the series accurately, but include some scientific content not appropriate to the grade level. Further, the materials include all DCI components and all elements for life science and engineering, technology, and applications of science,  but not physical science or earth and space science. The materials include all of the SEPs at the grade level and all of the SEPs across the grade band. The materials include all grade-band crosscutting concepts and provide repeated opportunities for students to use CCCs across the grade band. The materials include NGSS connections to Nature of Science and Engineering elements associated with the SEPs and/or CCCs.

5th Grade
Gateway 1

Designed for NGSS
16/28
0
14
24
28
Gateway 2

Coherence & Scope
28/34
0
16
30
34
Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Partially Meets Expectations
Gateway 3

Usability
Usability (Gateway 3)
Not Rated
Gateway 1
Gateway 2
Gateway 3
Viewing:
Gateway 1
Overview of Gateway 1

Designed for NGSS

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet expectations for Gateway 1: Designed for NGSS; Criterion 1: Three-Dimensional Learning partially meets expectation and Criterion 2: Phenomena and Problems Drive Learning partially meets expectations.

Gateway 1
v1.5
Gateway 1

Designed for NGSS
16/28
0
14
24
28
Criterion 1.1: Three-Dimensional Learning
10/16
Criterion 1.2: Phenomena and Problems Drive Learning
06/12
Partially Meets Expectations

Criterion 1.1: Three-Dimensional Learning
10/16

Materials are designed for three-dimensional learning and assessment.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet expectations for Criterion 1a-1c: Three-Dimensional Learning. The materials consistently include integration of the three dimensions in at least one learning opportunity per learning sequence and nearly all learning sequences are meaningfully designed for student opportunity to engage in sensemaking with the three dimensions. The materials consistently provide three-dimensional learning objectives at the chapter level that build towards the performance expectations for the larger unit, but rarely formatively assess to reveal student knowledge and use of the three dimensions to support the targeted three-dimensional learning objectives. The units also include three-dimensional objectives and include corresponding summative assessments that inconsistently address the three dimensions of the objectives.

Indicator 1A
Read

Materials are designed to integrate the Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs), Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), and Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs) into student learning.

Indicator 1A.i
04/04

Materials consistently integrate the three dimensions in student learning opportunities.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 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 Grade 5, the learning sequences consistently include learning opportunities that incorporate and integrate the three dimensions. All of the learning sequences in the life science unit and most of the learning sequences in the earth and space science and physical science units are three dimensional. Most of the two-dimensional learning opportunities lacked a crosscutting concept, but there were a few learning opportunities that lacked a disciplinary core idea and one lesson did not have any science and engineering practices.

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

  • In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 1, Lesson 1C: Earth is Made up of Four Systems: Geosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere, and Biosphere, students identify components of the atmosphere, geosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere and explain how each system interacts with another. Students make observations of pictures on the Earth Systems Card set (SEP-INFO-E4), talk about the different components within each system, and discuss how the components and pictures might be connected (DCI-ESS2.A-E1). Students use index cards and the card set to develop a model that explains the connectivity between the pictures (SEP-MOD-E4). Students then relate a cup of soil, cup of air, cup of water, and cup with a plant/plant part to the elements on the card set. During a Science Talk, students discuss limitations in using the cards and cups as models of interactions between the systems (SEP-MOD-E1). Students collectively share ideas about earth's systems and how they interact and explain, in writing, how two systems interact (CCC-SYS-E2). 

  • In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 7, Lesson 7B: Graphing and Modeling the Uneven Lighting and Heating of Earth, students determine that the tilt of the earth is responsible for differences in daylight, temperature, and seasons at different locations on earth. Students graph and analyze data found on the Daylight Hours and Temperature Chart handout (SEP-DATA-E1), looking for patterns in the data that might cause the difference in the length of daylight (CCC-PAT-E3). Students discuss excerpts from the trade book Arctic Lights, Arctic Nights about the earth tilting toward the sun during a summer solstice and away from the sun on a winter solstice, then graph daylight and temperature data from Florida and Michigan and look for patterns as they move south from Fairbanks, Alaska to Key West, Florida (DCI-ESS1.B-E1). Students use a flashlight, meter stick, clamp, and thermometer to co-create a model that shows the relationship between the tilt of the earth and the uneven lighting and heating of the earth (SEP-MOD-E6). Students discuss the cause and effect relationship between light and temperature (CCC-CE-E1) and use temperature data from the class investigation as evidence to support the claim that the tilt of the earth is responsible for differences in daylight hours, temperature, and seasons at different locations on earth (DCI-ESS1.B-M2). 

  • In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Activity 2, Lesson 2C: What are Balanced Ecosystems?, students read informational text and engage with an online simulator to model the flow of energy in an ecosystem. Students read and discuss the trade book How Ecosystems Work to gather information about ecosystems and how they use energy (DCI-LS2.A-E1). Next, students use the online simulation, Ecology Lab, from the Annenberg Foundation to explore balance in an ecosystem by adding producers, herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores and determining who eats whom. They run the simulator several times and collect data in the table provided by the program (SEP-MOD-E6, SEP-DATA-E2, SEP-DATA-E1, and CCC-CE-E1). The class discusses how adding decomposers would affect the different populations. Students draw a model of energy flow in an ecosystem that includes producers, consumers, and decomposers, using arrows to show the flow of energy (SEP-MOD-E4, CCC-EM-E3, CCC-SYS-E2, and DCI-LS2.B-M1). They explain the flow of energy from one organism to another using the trade books they read in this unit (SEP-INFO-E4, SEP-CEDS-E1). 

  • In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Activity 1, Lesson 1D: Food Webs, students read and create models of different food webs. The teacher continues reading the story Birdbrain Amos (provided by the publisher) which introduces baby birds and elephants to the African ecosystem (SEP-INFO-E1, DCI-LS2.A-E1). Students update their African lakes and river ecosystem model to include the new organisms. Working in groups, students use the Food Web Card Set to create a food web (SEP-MOD-E4). They share and compare their models with other groups (SEP-MOD-P2). Students read the trade book What are Food Chains and Webs? and summarize the information in their Student Journal (SEP-INFO-E1). Through a class discussion, the teacher emphasizes the role decomposers and scavengers play in balancing an ecosystem and how energy flows through a food web. The class builds a consensus model that explains how each plant and animal is connected in the ecosystem that is home to the hippo. They use arrows to show the flow of matter and energy through the system (DCI-LS2.B-M1, CCC-EM-E3, and CCC-SYS-E2). In their Student Journal, students draw and label a model to explain what they think would happen if there was a drought in Africa and the hippos had very little grass to eat (SEP-CEDS-E1). 

  • In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 4, Lesson 4A: Gases, students make observations of how a peppermint extract evaporates and becomes a gas that fills the room. Students read and re-read several texts to obtain scientific understanding and cite evidence to support class reasoning to explain how solids, liquids, and gases change (DCI-PS1.A-P1, SEP-INFO-E1). As part of their justification, students draw and label a model of how they think the odor of peppermint dispersed throughout the room (SEP-MOD-E4). Students discuss how their models represent a system, how the parts that make up their models interact, and how without that interaction the peppermint odor would not spread (CCC-SYS-E2). Students go on to review one another's explanations and provide justifications for their explanations (SEP-ARG-E4). To end the lesson, students generate questions about how they might investigate the smells of the peppermint odor and relate that to the skunk smell from earlier in the unit (SEP-AQDP-P2). 

  • In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 4, Lesson 4D: Evidence that Gases Have Volume or Take Up Space, students work to develop a model to demonstrate how air has mass and takes up space. Students observe a demonstration where two bottles are side by side, one without a stopper that allows water to enter, the other with a stopper that allows a very small amount of water in and keeps the rest of the water out. After observing the demonstration, students draw a model to explain what they think is going on in the bottle as it is filled with water (with and without a stopper). The model is supposed to show an explanation for what the students are unable to see (SEP-MOD-M6). Students use their models and discussion points to explain how the bottle demonstration provides evidence that air is made up of tiny particles that are too small to be seen (DCI-PS1.A-E1, SEP-CEDS-M4, CCC-EM-E1). The teacher continues to prompt students to discuss components of the system (CCC-SYS-E2) and how they work together. Students go back and update the model they made in Lesson 4B with the air going into the ball based on their new understanding of air being made of particles. They do this again later in the lesson with their models of the skunk odor (SEP-MOD-E2).

Indicator 1A.ii
04/04

Materials consistently support meaningful student sensemaking with the three dimensions.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 meet expectations that they consistently support meaningful student sensemaking with the three dimensions.

The learning sequences (Activities) in the materials consistently provide students with the opportunity to engage in three-dimensional sensemaking. If students are working with a larger topic or complex phenomenon or problem, sensemaking may occur over the course of a series of lessons. In other cases, students use all three dimensions in a single lesson to make sense of a concept or phenomenon. In some cases sensemaking opportunities are connected to phenomena or problems, but students also engage in sensemaking connected to a topic or concept that is not connected to phenomena or problems. Student sensemaking also typically takes place in the context of an investigation where students collect and analyze data to explain or develop an understanding of DCIs.

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

  • In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 2, Lesson 2A: What’s in the Atmosphere?, students investigate the composition and balance of components in the atmosphere. Students make initial predictions about what is in the atmosphere and then use a digital simulation to model increasing and decreasing the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere (SEP-MOD-E6). Students then look at the composition of gases in the atmosphere, read and research about some of the gases (SEP-INFO-E1), and discuss and answer questions about the possible effects of changes to the balance of gases in the atmosphere (DCI-ESS2.A-E1, CCC-SYS-E2, and CCC-CE-E1).

  • In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in the Ecosystem, Activity 2: Interdependence within an Ecosystem, students explain the flow of energy in an ecosystem. Students observe a balanced bottle ecosystem model, think about a variable they could change in the system, and develop a plan for an ecosystem in a bottle that has both terrestrial and aquatic parts that form a balanced food web (SEP-INV-E1). Students read information about aquatic organisms to help them develop their plan (SEP-INFO-E4), sketch the bottle ecosystem and their plan (SEP-MOD-E5), and list what the model ecosystem will need so that all of the organisms will survive (CCC-SYS-E2). Students then build and observe their ecosystem models to collect data (SEP-DATA-E1, SEP-INV-E1). Students read a non-fiction text to gather information about ecosystems and how they use energy (DCI-LS2.A-E1), use a digital simulation to explore the balance between producers, herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores (SEP-MOD-E6, SEP-DATA-E2, SEP-DATA-E1, and CCC-CE-E1), and draw a model of energy flow in an ecosystem (DCI-LS2.B-M1, SEP-MOD-E4, CCC-EM-E3, and CCC-SYS-E2). 

  • In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in the Ecosystem, Activity 3, Lessons 3A and 3B, students explore plants and how their internal and external structures help them survive and grow. Students read a text and collect information about the ways that various plants survive(SEP-INFO-E1). Students discuss and generate questions about plant structures and survival needs they can answer with an investigation (DCI-LS1.A-E1, SEP-AQDP-P1). Students then investigate and make observations of the structures of various native plants (SEP-INV-P4, SEP-DATA-E1). After the observations, students discuss how each part contributes to the survival of the plant, including getting water, nutrients, and sunlight. They write their ideas on a class chart and in their Student Journal and discuss their ideas with the class (DCI-LS1.A-E1, SEP-CEDS-P1, and CCC-SF-P1).

  • In Grade 5, Structures and Properties of Matter, Activity 2: Matter and Its Properties, students observe and record the physical properties of different items and develop a definition of matter. Students make and record observations about the physical properties of several items (DCI-PS1.A-P1, SEP-DATA-E1), discuss patterns that they observe (CCC-PAT-E1), and use their observations to begin to make sense of how they might use the patterns to sort or classify the items. Students observe and compare the properties of solids and liquids (DCI-PS1.A-P1) and discuss and develop claims based on evidence from their observations about the definition of matter (SEP-ARG-P6). 

  • In Grade 5, Structures and Properties of Matter, Activity 6: Conservation of Matter, students conduct investigations to find out that matter is conserved even when it seems to disappear. Students observe Kool-Aid being mixed and make a model of their initial explanation of what made the solids seem to disappear (DCI-PS1.A-E1, SEP-MOD-E4). They use their model to help them explain what happens when substances are mixed with water and then seem to disappear (DCI-PS1.A-E2, DCI-PS1.B-E2). In small groups, students plan and conduct an investigation to help them answer the question of what happens to solid matter that seems to disappear when it is mixed with water (SEP-INV-P2). Students record data to make a claim about what happens to sugar mixed with water (SEP-DATA-E2, SEP-CEDS-E2) and ask questions about what happens when different materials are mixed in water and what other liquids they can investigate (SEP-AQDP-P2). Students investigate their questions by measuring the mass of sugar, water, and a sugar water mixture (SEP-INV-E3) and then explain that the sugar remains in the mixture and has been broken down to something too small to see (DCI-PS1.A-E1, DCI-PS1.A-E2, and CCC-EM-E2).

Indicator 1B
00/04

Materials are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence for three-dimensional learning.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 do not meet expectations that they are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence for the three-dimensional learning in the instructional materials.

The materials consistently provide three-dimensional learning objectives at the lesson level that build toward the three-dimensional objectives of the unit. The Unit At A Glance names the learning objective and cites which elements of the three dimensions are part of the learning goals for each learning sequence. 

The materials use the work that students do during a lesson, such as an activity page from the Student Journal, as a formative assessment. While each unit includes a table that identifies the unit’s assessments, it is often difficult to distinguish which are formative and which are summative. The materials also frequently cite whole-group discussions or charts as formative assessments, but miss the opportunity to provide the support to record individual student’s progress toward the learning goal. Across the remaining formative assessments only a portion of the learning objectives are assessed and the materials miss the opportunity to assess multiple elements of the three dimensions present in the learning objectives. Additionally, a number of learning sequences do not include formative assessments that provide the opportunity to collect evidence for learning on individual students. 

Learning sequences miss the opportunity to clearly incorporate tasks for the purpose of supporting the instructional process. Although sample answers and “look-fors” are provided, there are no next steps provided for teachers to assist students who are not showing comprehension of the assessed elements.

Examples of lessons with a three-dimensional objective where the formative assessment task(s) do not assess student knowledge of all (three) dimensions in the learning objective, and do not provide guidance to support the instructional process:

  • In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 5: The Biosphere, the three-dimensional learning objective is “Develop models to support the claim that earth’s systems interact and are dependent on each other”, and comprises nine elements of the three dimensions. The formative assessment for this activity includes an activity page. Students make observations of the components in the biosphere of their schoolyard and make connections between the biosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere. Students are assessed on making a concept map that shows how a component in the biosphere is related to the geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere (DCI-ESS2.A-E1, CCC-SYS-E2). There is a missed opportunity to assess two DCIs, any of the SEPs, and two of the CCCs of the learning objective. The Student Journal Answer Key includes guidance on what to look for and sample student responses, but does not provide additional guidance and support for teachers to adjust instruction.

  • In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 7: Earth and Beyond, the three-dimensional learning objective is ”Collect and graph data to show patterns that demonstrate how we get day and night, the different positions of the sun and moon in the sky, and different lengths and positions of shadows throughout the day,” and comprises seven elements of the three dimensions. The formative assessment for this activity includes a journal entry. Students respond to text about the length of a day in Alaska throughout the year and provide an explanation using the tilt of the earth to explain changes in the seasons, the length of day, and temperatures throughout the year (DCI-ESS1.B-E1, SEP-INFO-E4). There is a missed opportunity to reveal student knowledge and use of a DCI, three SEPs, and the CCC from the learning objective. The Student Journal Answer Key includes guidance on what to look for and sample student responses, but does not provide additional guidance and support for teachers to adjust instruction.

  • In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in Ecosystems, Activity 3: More about Plants, the three-dimensional learning objective is “Obtain information from scientists and through observations about plants and how they get their food,” and comprises five elements of the three dimensions. The formative assessment for this activity is an activity page. Students record information collected from a text and an assigned section of the article Staying Alive by Gary Miller. Students record the main idea and supporting details from a section of the article about plant parts and how they help a plant survive (DCI-LS1.A-E1). There is a missed opportunity to reveal student knowledge of DCI-PS3.D-E2, SEP-MOD-E4, CCC-EM-E2, and CCC-EM-E3. The Student Journal Answer Key includes guidance on what to look for and sample student responses, but does not provide additional guidance and support for teachers to adjust instruction.

  • In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Activity 4: Investigating What Plants Use for Food, the two-dimensional learning objective is, ”Plan and carry out investigations to determine what plants use for food,” and comprises five elements of the three dimensions. The formative assessments include an activity page and model of lakes and rivers. Students answer a series of questions to describe where they think plants get their food (DCI-LS1.C-E2) and use evidence from a text to support their response (SEP-ARG-E4).Students also revise a model from a previous lesson to include new information about where plants get their food from (DCI-LS1.C-E2). There is a missed opportunity to reveal student understanding of DCI-PS3.D-E2, DCI-LS1.C-E1, and SEP-ARG-E6. The Student Journal Answer Key includes guidance on what to look for and sample student responses, but does not provide additional guidance and support for teachers to adjust instruction.

  • In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 5: A Liquid to a Gas, the three-dimensional learning objective is, “Conduct investigations to find out the behavior of the particles that make up matter during phase change,” and comprises nine elements of the three dimensions. There are no formative assessments included in this sequence.

Indicator 1C
02/04

Materials are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence of three-dimensional learning.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet expectations that they are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence of the three-dimensional learning in the instructional materials.

Materials consistently provide three-dimensional learning objectives for each unit and include a table that provides the elements of the three dimensions that constitute the learning objectives for the unit. Each unit includes a post-assessment with five to six questions on the unit content. Additional summative assessments are taken from student work produced during individual lessons. These are typically student responses in their journals, but also include additional activities, such as a product prototype. In several instances, the materials cite whole class discussions or group activities as summative assessments, but those miss the opportunity for individual students to demonstrate their understanding of the three dimensions . While each unit includes a table that identifies the summative assessments, it is often difficult to distinguish what is an instructional activity, what is an assessment, and which assessments are formative vs. summative. 

Overall, the assessment system does not assess several of the elements associated with the learning goals. Additionally, many summative assessment tasks miss the opportunity to connect to the targeted three-dimensional learning objectives and do not assess any of the targeted objectives.

Examples where the materials provide three-dimensional learning objectives for the learning sequence, but summative tasks do not measure student achievement of all of the targeted three-dimensional learning objectives:

  • In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, the three-dimensional learning objective comprises 16 elements. Assessments include a unit Summative Assessment and various work products collected during instruction, primarily journal entries. The summative assessment includes ten questions and is administered at the end of the unit. Students model the interaction between earth’s systems (e.g., biosphere, atmosphere) (DCI-ESS2.A-E1, SEP-MOD-E3, and CCC-SYS-E2), graph and analyze data about waste and propose a plan to reduce the waste (DCI-ESS3.C-E1, SEP-MATH-E3, and SEP-DATA-E1), analyze data on the distribution of fresh and saltwater (DCI-ESS2.C-E1), and model why shadows change length during the day (DCI-ESS1.B-E1, SEP-ARG-E4, and CCC-CE-E1). In Lesson 6C, students collect information from texts to plan for reducing humans’ effect on the environment (SEP-INFO-E4). The remaining assessments miss the opportunity to assess DCI-ESS1.A-E1, DCI-PS2.B-E3, CCC-SPQ-E2, and CCC-PAT-E1.

  • In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, the three-dimensional learning objective comprises 11 elements. Assessments include a unit Summative Assessment and various work products collected during instruction, primarily journal entries. The summative assessment includes 14 questions and is administered at the end of the unit. Students model and answer questions about organisms and energy transfer in ecosystems (DCI-LS1.C-E1, DCI-LS2.A-E1, DCI-PS3.D-E2, SEP-MOD-E4, CCC-SYS-E2, and CCC-EM-E3). Students model how matter moves through ecosystems (DCI-LS2.B-E1) and use evidence to explain the effect of non-native species on an environment (SEP-ARG-E4). The remaining assessments miss the opportunity to assess SEP-ARG-E6 and CCC-EM-E2. 

  • In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, the three-dimensional learning objective comprises ten elements. Assessments include a unit Summative Assessment and various work products collected during instruction, primarily journal entries. The summative assessment includes 14 questions and is administered at the end of the unit. Students answer questions about the conservation of mass when objects are broken into pieces (DCI-PS1.B-E2), model the particles in ice cream (DCI-PS1.A-E1, SEP-MOD-E4, and CCC-SPQ-E1), and explain that air takes up space and is made of particles (DCI-PS1.A-E1). In Lesson 6A, students conduct an investigation to determine what happens to salt and sugar after they dissolve and explain that the mass remains the same (DCI-PS1.A-E2, SEP-INV-E1, SEP-INV-E3, and SEP-MATH-E3). Across the remaining assessments, there is a missed opportunity to assess DCI-PS1.A-E3, DCI-PS1.B-E1, and CCC-SPQ-E2.

Criterion 1.1: Three-Dimensional Learning
10/16
Indicator 1A
Read
Indicator 1A.i
04/04
Indicator 1A.ii
04/04
Indicator 1B
00/04
Indicator 1C
02/04

Criterion 1.2: Phenomena and Problems Drive Learning
06/12

Materials leverage science phenomena and engineering problems in the context of driving learning and student performance.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet expectations for Criterion 1d-1i: Phenomena and Problems Drive Learning. The materials include numerous phenomena and problems throughout the grade. Of those phenomena and problems, they consistently connect to grade-level appropriate DCIs and are presented to students as directly as possible. Phenomena and problems inconsistently drive learning and engage students in the three dimensions in learning sequences. The materials consistently elicit but inconsistently leverage student prior knowledge and experience related to the phenomena and problems present. The materials rarely incorporate phenomena or problems to drive learning and use of the three dimensions across multiple learning opportunities.

Indicator 1D
02/02

Phenomena and/or problems are connected to grade-level Disciplinary Core Ideas.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems are connected to grade-level Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs).

Throughout the materials, students are provided with opportunities to build an understanding of grade-level DCIs through activity- and lesson-level phenomena and problems. Each unit focuses on a single science discipline, either life, physical, or earth and space science. Phenomena and problems in each unit typically require the use of at least one DCI from the unit’s focus area.

Examples of phenomena and design challenges that are connected to grade-band DCIs:

  • In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 6, Lesson 6C: Develop and Implement a Plan to Protect Earth’s Resources and Environment, the design challenge is to create a plan to reduce students' own negative impact on the environment. Students engage in a class discussion about environmental and resource problems in their area and what they think a 5th grader can do to reduce negative impacts (DCI-ESS3.C-E1). Individually, and then as a class, students create a chart with the actions that they take every day, like flushing the toilet and brushing their teeth, as well as the resources each action uses or impacts. Then, in small groups, students are challenged to create a plan to reduce their effect on earth’s land, water, air, and living organisms in the classroom, school, and community.

  • In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 7, Lesson 7E: Stargazing, the phenomenon is that stars in the night sky change position during the course of the year. Students observe projections of the night sky at the same time every month for a year, using the Stellarium simulation program on a computer, and make a claim about the position of stars in the night sky using patterns in the data from their observations (DCI-ESS1.B-E1). 

  • In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Activity 2, Lesson 2A: Planning and Developing a Model Ecosystem, the design challenge is to create a model ecosystem to determine how plants and animals interact with one another. Students design and build a closed bottle ecosystem that includes aquatic and terrestrial habitat as well as producers, consumers, and decomposers (DCI LS2.A-E1).

  • In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Activity 4, Lesson 4A: If Not Soil, Then What?, the phenomenon is that a tree that grew for five years gained 164 pounds in a pot that only lost two ounces of soil. Students read and discuss a short article in their Student Journal about Jean van Helmont’s experiment with the tree and his conclusion that water is food for plants. Students discuss and revise models to show that plants get what they need for growth chiefly from air and water (DCI-LS1.C-E2).

  • In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 4, Lesson 4D: Evidence that Gases Have Volume or Take up Space, the phenomenon is that water flows through a funnel into a bottle but water does not flow through a funnel with a stopper into a bottle. Students create a model, that includes both visible and invisible matter, that explains how the water is able to flow into the bottle without the stopper but does not flow into the bottle with the stopper. Students provide an explanation of how this demonstration provides evidence that the air is made up of tiny particles that are too small to be seen (DCI-PS1.A-E1).

  • In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 7, Lesson 7A: Ice Cream and Phase Change, the phenomenon is that when salt and ice surround a mixture of milk, sugar, and vanilla, the mixture turns into ice cream. Students engage in an activity where they make ice cream in the classroom and make observations about the phase change. They measure and weigh all the contents in the plastic bags before and after the change to show that the amount of matter is conserved when it changes form (DCI-PS1.A-E2).

Indicator 1E
02/02

Phenomena and/or problems are presented to students as directly as possible.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems are presented to students as directly as possible.

Materials consistently present phenomena and problems to students as directly as possible. Of the 20 phenomena and problems, nearly all are presented directly to students either through a teacher demonstration, watching a video, or reading a trade book. The majority of videos are from YouTube. Sometimes the materials provide a link to a specific video, while in other cases the materials only provide suggested search keywords. None of the videos are hosted by the publisher. 

Examples of phenomena and problems that are presented as directly as possible:

  • In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 2, Lesson 2A: What’s in the Atmosphere?, the phenomenon is that changing the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere affects living things. The phenomenon is presented with the use of an interactive website that models what happens when oxygen in the air is increased and/or decreased. The interactive model provides a direct, common, and shared experience of the phenomenon.

  • In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 7, Lesson 7E: Stargazing, the phenomenon is that stars in the night sky change position during the course of a year. The phenomenon is presented through a simulation of the night sky changing over the course of a year. Students observe a series of images, taken monthly, that show the same spot in the night sky and the changes in the position of the stars. The simulation provides a direct, common, and shared experience of the phenomenon.

  • In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Activity 1, Lesson 1A: What is that Bird Doing on the Back of the Hippo?, the phenomenon is that oxpecker birds sit on the backs of hippopotami and pick at the hippos’ ears and faces. Students watch a non-narrated video of oxpecker birds sitting on hippos’ backs and pecking at the hippos’ faces and ears. The video provides a direct, common, and shared experience of the phenomenon.

  • In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Activity 5, Lesson 5A: Something’s Changed in the Neighborhood, the phenomenon is that after flooding events, a large number of fish in the Mara River die. Students watch a YouTube video that shows fish dying after a rainstorm and then the large amount of waste that hippos add to the river. Then, students generate ideas about how the hippo might be responsible for dead fish. The video provides a direct, common, and shared experience of the phenomenon.

  • In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 5, Lesson 5A: The Puddle is Missing, the phenomenon is that a rain puddle disappears from late morning to late afternoon. The phenomenon is presented to the students through a short story about two children who play in a rain puddle all morning but find it has disappeared when they come out to play that afternoon. The story provides a direct, common, and shared experience of the phenomenon.

  • In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 7, Lesson 7B: Keep the Frozen Treats Cold, the design challenge is to develop a container that keeps frozen treats from melting in a car. Students discuss what they observed about ice cream melting from a previous lesson. The  teacher then introduces a design challenge by reading a scenario from the Teacher Guide in which popsicles and ice cream bars melt en route to the soccer field, prompting students to design a solution to keep the ice cream from melting. First-hand observation, reading, and discussion provide a direct, common, and shared experience of the phenomenon and understanding of the design challenge.

Indicator 1F
01/02

Phenomena and/or problems drive individual lessons or activities using key elements of all three dimensions.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems drive individual lessons or activities using key elements of all three dimensions.

The materials provide multiple lessons that use phenomena or design challenges to drive student learning and engage with all three dimensions. The majority of lessons, however, are not driven by a phenomenon or problem. In instances where there is a phenomenon present but does not drive learning, the phenomenon is only addressed at the beginning and, sometimes, the end of the lesson, and the activities in the lesson are not directly connected to explaining the phenomenon or solving the problem. When a phenomenon or design challenge does not drive learning or is not present, the lessons are typically driven by a science concept or disciplinary core idea, and a few are driven by an activity. When a phenomenon or problem drives the lesson, students consistently engage with the three dimensions as they develop explanations or solutions. 

Phenomena and design challenges are presented in several ways. There are anchoring problems and design challenges that span multiple activities and lessons within a unit, there are activity level phenomena and design challenges that span a few lessons within an activity, and there are phenomena that are present at only the lesson level.

Examples where phenomena or problems drive student learning and engage students with all three dimensions:

  • In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 4, Lesson 4A: Gases, the phenomenon driving instruction is that the smell of peppermint is detected at different times as it moves across the room. After discussing their initial explanations about the phenomenon and its causes (CCC-CE-E1), students read a text to gather information about solids, liquids, and gasses and how they change (DCI-PS1.A-P1, SEP-INFO-E1). Students work together to make a model of the smell dispersing through the room and support it with an argument (SEP-MOD-E4, SEP-ARG-E4).

  • In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 2, Lesson 2B: What Makes the Wind?, the phenomenon driving instruction is that air moves in a closed aquarium. Students share their initial explanations of the phenomenon and then conduct an investigation to collect data on the effects of placing a partially inflated balloon on a flask at cold, hot, and room temperatures (SEP-INV-E3, SEP-DATA-E1). They create a model of what they think is happening to the air inside the balloon and flask at all three temperatures (SEP-MOD-E4, SEP-MOD-M6). Students process their data as a class, developing the idea that air particles expand when heated and contract when cooled (DCI-PS1.A-E1, SEP-DATA-E2). They revisit the aquarium, noting the ice in one area and the heat lamp and sand in another, revise their explanations, and connect the model to the idea that unequal heating of the earth’s surface can lead to winds in the atmosphere (DCI-ESS2.A-P1, CCC-SYS-E2). 

  • In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 3, Lesson 3D: When The Water Hits The Ground, the problem driving instruction is to build a model of a new housing development on a hillside that can withstand heavy rains. After viewing a report on a mudslide, students discuss and develop a model to explain a cause and effect relationship of the heavy rain and mudslide (SEP-MOD-E4, CCC-CE-C1, CCC-SYS-E2). Students use information about erosion from a text (SEP-INFO-E4) to develop a model of a new housing development on a hillside and use this model to predict what might happen to the house and land during a heavy rainfall and make recommendations to the developer (SEP-CEDS-E4). Students build, test , make adjustments to, and retest their models to prevent water erosion on the hillside (DCI-ESS3.B-E1, DCI-ETS1.C-E1).

Examples where phenomena or problems do not drive student learning:

  • In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 4, Lesson 4B: Beneath the Surface of Earth, a phenomenon or problem does not drive learning. Instead, the concept that earth is made up of different layers is the focus of instruction. Students discuss why earth is called both “The Planet Rock” and “The Blue Marble,” as well as what they think lies beneath the surface of the earth. Students read the trade book Planet Earth/Inside Out and write the book’s main idea and supporting details in their Student Journal to determine the different layers of the earth. Students do additional research using the internet and add their findings to the class information chart during a class discussion. The teacher models the layers of the earth using an apple and the class discusses the limitations of this model. They discuss how the geosphere interacts with the atmosphere and hydrosphere. In their Student Journal, students choose which nickname–Planet Rock or Blue Marble–is the best description of earth, providing evidence and reasoning to support their claim. 

  • In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 3, Lesson 3B: Water Use, a phenomenon or problem does not drive learning. Instead, an activity to determine how much water students use in the classroom in a day is the focus of instruction. Students engage in a discussion about how much water is available on earth for plants and animals. Students estimate the amount of water they use and then discuss strategies to use a one gallon milk jug to collect and measure the amount of water used to wash their hands and collaboratively plan and carry out an investigation. During a science talk, students discuss data discrepancies and use their data to support an explanation of the amount of water used to wash their hands. Students then keep track of how water is used in the classroom and at home. Students figure out how much water they use each day and compare this to the volume of water an average person in the U.S. uses per day. Students then write how understanding the limited amount of water available for living things helps them to make sense of the need to conserve and protect water.

  • In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Activity 3, Lesson 3B: Becoming a Botanist, a phenomenon or problem is not driving instruction. Instead, the disciplinary core idea that plants have internal and external structures that serve various functions in growth and survival is the focus of instruction. Students engage in an investigation to gather plants from the schoolyard and record observations of the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and seeds. After the observations, students discuss how each part contributes to the survival of the plant. The teacher highlights observations and comments that support student understanding of the role each structure plays in helping the plant get water, nutrients, and sunlight. The teacher discusses seed and seed dispersal.

  • In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 6, Lesson 6C: What is the Effect of Temperature on Dissolving, the phenomenon that when solid Kool-Aid is mixed with water, the solid particles seem to disappear does not drive learning. Instead, an activity about Jello and temperature is the focus of the learning. Students predict how temperature will affect the solubility of Jello and plan to test how different temperatures of water affect how long it takes for Jello to dissolve. Students identify what makes a fair test and how to control variables. As they run their investigation, students time how long it takes to dissolve Jello in cold and warm water and chart and graph their data. They compare their test results with the class and discuss any discrepancies. Once they have completed their tests, students, with the help of the teacher, act out the particle motion of water and sugar molecules as they are mixed into a solution, then they discuss the limitations of the model. Students are asked to construct a claim based on evidence to explain how the temperature of the water affects how fast the Jello dissolves.

Indicator 1G
Read

Materials are designed to include both phenomena and problems.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 are designed to include both phenomena and problems. There are numerous unique phenomena and design challenges found in Grade 5.

The materials are broken out into three units: Earth and Space Systems, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Structure and Properties of Matter. Each unit focuses on a different content area: life science, physical science, earth and space science, and engineering. Each unit is broken into five to eight Activities, then each Activity is further broken down into two to five Lessons. 

Throughout the materials, phenomena are introduced at the lesson level, and are most commonly found in the first or second lesson of an activity. Most drive instruction across multiple learning opportunities, but a few only drive instruction in one. 

Examples of design challenges in the materials:

  • In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 6, Lesson 6C: Develop and Implement a Plan to Preserve and Protect Earth’s Resources and Environment, the design challenge is to create a plan to reduce students’ own negative impact on the environment. Students model interactions of different earth systems (biosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere) using yarn. They apply what they learned to how humans impact earth’s systems, and develop a plan to reduce that impact.

  • In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Activity 2, Lesson 2A: Planning and Developing a Model Ecosystem, the design challenge is to design and conduct an experiment to determine how plants and animals in a bottle aquarium interact with one another. Students review what they know about ecosystems from observations they made of a classroom aquatic habitat set up at the beginning of the unit. They then observe a teacher-created ecosystem in a bottle and begin to generate a list of plants, animals, and nonliving things they may find in their schoolyard and select ecosystem components from the materials provided by the teacher. The class generates a list of plants, animals, and nonliving things they might find in their schoolyard and select ecosystem components from the materials provided by the teacher. They then devise an investigation to observe and gather evidence to find out how these plants and animals interact with each other. Students complete their plans and share their thoughts with other students. Teachers check plans for understanding that each living organism placed in the model ecosystem will need to be able to get food, air, and water and have sufficient space to survive.

  • In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 6, Lesson 6D: Engineering-Designing a Solar Still, the design challenge is to design a solar still to separate salt from water to get fresh water. Students work in groups to use what they know about evaporation to plan and build a solar still. Students develop models that explain how the solar sill separates salt from the water. Models include a zoomed-in area that shows what is happening to the particles inside the solar still and water separate from the salt. 

Examples of phenomena in the materials:

  • In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 2, Lesson 2B: What Makes the Wind?, the phenomenon is that air moves in a closed aquarium. Students observe a teacher's demonstration of a convection model. They investigate the effect of warm and cold water baths on a partially inflated balloon. They record observations of clouds and create models of how clouds form. 

  • In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 7, Lesson 7E: Stargazing, the phenomenon is that stars in the night sky change position during the course of a year. Students read the trade book Arctic Lights, Arctic Nights. They observe a model to demonstrate the angle of sunlight as it strikes the surface of the earth. They act out rotation, revolution, and tilt. They analyze and use data about day and night, seasons, the changing shape and position of shadows, and changes in the night sky. They observe models of the night sky and detect patterns of star locations over the course of a year. 

  • In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Activity 4, Lesson 4A: If Not Soil, Then What?, the phenomenon is that a tree that grew for five years gained 164.25 pounds in a pot that only lost two ounces of soil. Students read about Van Helmont's experiment and through a series of teacher-guided questions, students discuss Van Helmont's conclusion that trees get their food from water. In Lesson 3C, students create a preliminary model to explain/illustrate what plants use for food. At the end of Lesson 4A, students return to their models and revise them based on any new ideas/information collected through reading and discussing the article about Van Helmont’s experiment. Revisions are expected to include that plants need air and water to grow.

  • In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Activity 5, Lesson 5A: Something’s Changed in the Neighborhood, the phenomenon is that hippopotamus manure causes a fish kill in the Mara River. Students watch a video that illustrates that after hippopotami excrete a great deal of waste in the Mara River, fish die. After reviewing previous lessons, videos, and a trade book, students discuss how the hippo waste affects the water quality enough to kill the fish. Students explain how living and nonliving things interact in an ecosystem to maintain system balance. They do this through a role-play activity that they create, direct, and perform for the class. 

  • In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 5, Lesson 5A: The Puddle is Missing, the phenomenon is that a rain puddle disappears from late morning to late afternoon. Students observe water changing from liquid to gas using a heat source and non-heat source and water vapor cooling and becoming a liquid. The teacher leads a discussion about phase changes, particle movement, evaporation, and condensation. Students design and present a solution that prevents the evaporation of a puddle and design an investigation to find out if a heat source is necessary for evaporation. 

  • In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 6, Lesson 6A: Where’s the Salt? Where’s the Sugar?, the phenomenon is that when solid Kool-Aid is mixed with water the solid particles seem to disappear. Students observe a teacher's demonstration of solid Kool-Aid mixing with water. Students plan and carry out an investigation to find out what happens to solids when they seem to disappear when mixed with water. Students write an explanation to describe that sugar/salt crystals are no longer visible because the visible crystals have broken down into particles too small to see; they have dissolved. 

Indicator 1H
01/02

Materials intentionally leverage students’ prior knowledge and experiences related to phenomena or problems.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet expectations that they intentionally leverage students’ prior knowledge and experiences related to phenomena or problems.

Across the grade, the materials consistently elicit students’ prior knowledge and experiences by engaging students in a discussion in which the teacher asks them about their prior knowledge and experiences related to phenomena and problems. However, there are limited instances where prior knowledge and experiences are leveraged in instruction.

Lessons that do not elicit students’ prior knowledge and experiences often provide opportunities for teachers to elicit knowledge and experience from a previous lesson but not students’ previous knowledge or experience outside of the classroom. The materials also ask about a science topic, but not the phenomenon/problem that was presented. While students may use their background knowledge or experience to develop initial explanations or predictions about phenomena, problems, or science topics, in some cases the materials do not explicitly ask students to think about their prior experiences related to the phenomena and problems. 

Examples where students’ prior knowledge and experiences of problems and/or phenomena are elicited and leveraged:

  • In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 6, Lesson 6C: Develop and Implement a Plan to Preserve and Protect Earth’s Resources and Environment, the design challenge is to create a plan to reduce students' own negative impact on the environment. As a class, students discuss what they know about environmental and resource problems in the community that they live in, focusing on problems related to water conservation, urban development, and land, water, and air pollution. Students are also asked to share their feelings about human impacts on earth’s systems and if there are steps that a fifth grader can take to help reduce their impact on the environment. The materials leverage students' experiences by using them to inform a plan to reduce students’ own effects on earth’s systems. 

  • In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 6, Lesson 6D: Engineering–Designing a Solar Still, the design challenge is to design a solar still to separate salt from water to get fresh water. Students work in small groups to brainstorm what they know about evaporation and come up with a plan to separate saltwater into salt and water. The materials leverage students’ prior knowledge and experience of evaporation to develop a plan and solve the design challenge. 

Examples where students’ prior knowledge and experiences of problems and/or phenomena are elicited but not leveraged:

  • In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 1, Lesson 1A: Who Made This Mess?, the phenomenon is that people leave a lot of waste on the ground, including plastic, which can end up in the ocean. As a class, students make a list of the plastic items they have used and thrown away in the past few days. They also share if they have been on a trip or hike where there has been litter along the way. Although later in the unit students develop a personal plan to reduce their effects on the environment, there is a missed opportunity for students to return to the initial ideas about plastic waste that were elicited in this lesson. 

  • In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Activity 4, Lesson 4A: If not Soil, Then What?, the phenomenon is that a tree that grew for five years gained 164 pounds in a pot that only lost 2 ounces of soil. Students discuss initial explanations and are asked what they know about plants getting water. While this activity elicits prior knowledge from students, it misses the opportunity to support the teacher in leveraging what students bring to the learning opportunity. 

  • In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 1, Lesson 1A: A Skunk in the Neighborhood, the phenomenon is that a skunk smell is strong in some parts of town and faint or not present at all in other parts of town. Students are asked if they have ever had an experience with a skunk, and they share their experiences and ideas about skunks’ odors. The materials miss an opportunity to leverage those experiences as students make sense of the phenomenon.

  • In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 4, Lesson 4A: Gases, the phenomenon is that the smell of peppermint is detected at different times as it moves across the room. As a class, students discuss their experiences with an odor filling a room. Then, students develop a model and continuously return to the peppermint smell, but never return to or connect with their prior experiences. While this lesson elicits prior experience from students, it misses the opportunity to support the teacher in leveraging what students bring to the lesson.

Examples where students’ prior knowledge and experiences of problems and/or phenomena are not elicited nor leveraged:

  • In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 7, Lesson 7E: Stargazing, the phenomenon is that stars in the night sky change position during the course of a year. Students use the Stellarium program to simulate how the night sky changes over the course of a year and are asked to make a claim using patterns in data. There is a missed opportunity to both elicit and leverage students’ prior knowledge and experience from outside the classroom.

  • In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Activity 2, Lesson 2A: Planning and Developing a Model Ecosystem, the design challenge is to create a model ecosystem to determine how plants and animals interact with one another. Students are asked to recall what they learned about ecosystems in a previous lesson and then discuss what living and nonliving components are necessary to make a model of a healthy ecosystem and if it is possible to build a model that has both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. There is a missed opportunity to both elicit and leverage students’ prior knowledge and experience from outside the classroom.

  • In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 4, Lesson 4D: Evidence that Gases Have Volume or Take up Space, the phenomenon is that water flows through a funnel into a bottle but water does not flow through a funnel with a stopper into a bottle. Students observe the phenomenon and then discuss concepts related to the demonstration. There is a missed opportunity to both elicit and leverage students’ prior knowledge and experience from outside the classroom.

Indicator 1I
00/04

Materials embed phenomena or problems across multiple lessons for students to use and build knowledge of all three dimensions.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 do not meet expectations that they embed phenomena or problems across multiple lessons for students to use and build knowledge of all three dimensions.

In the instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5, there are few learning sequences (Activities) across the grade that use phenomena or design challenges to engage students in all three dimensions and provide multimodal opportunities for students to develop, evaluate, and revise their thinking. Instead, student learning is typically guided by a science concept or activity. When a phenomenon or problem is present in a sequence it is often used as an introduction to the topic or activity in the sequence and there is a missed opportunity for students to explain, solve, or make sense of the phenomenon or problem across the lessons. In other cases, the phenomenon or problem only drives learning in individual lessons but there is a missed opportunity to use the phenomenon or problem to drive learning across  sequence as a whole.

Examples where phenomena or problems do not drive students’ learning across multiple lessons:

  • In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 2: The Atmosphere, a phenomenon or problem does not drive learning. Instead, the concept that the atmosphere has various components such as oxygen, gases, and water vapor, and wind guides learning. Students use an interactive simulation to observe the effects of changes in atmospheric oxygen, read about gases in the atmosphere, and discuss the importance of the balance of gases to life on earth. Students observe a model of wind using air and smoke in an aquarium, and model the effects of heating and cooling on airflow. Students learn about the convection model, how the geosphere and hydrosphere interact with air to generate wind, and use a model to relate changes in pressure to changes in temperature and cloud formation.

  • In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 5: The Biosphere, a phenomenon or problem does not drive learning. Instead, the science concept that components of the biosphere are dependent on non-living components of the geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere guides learning across the sequence. Students use observations of photographs and their schoolyard habitat to identify components of the biosphere and make a concept map to describe their interactions with the atmosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere. Students discuss the interactions, create a model of how these systems interact, and write an explanation of how changing components of one system might cause changes in another system.

  • In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Activity 3: More about Plants, a phenomenon or problem does not drive learning. Instead, the disciplinary core idea that plants and animals have both internal and external structures that serve various functions in growth, survival, behavior, and reproduction guides learning across two lessons. Students read an article about plant structures and survival to collect information and ask questions. Students observe the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and seeds of different native plants and reach a consensus to describe the function of each of the structures and how they help with survival or reproduction.

  • In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 3: Measuring Matter, a phenomenon or problem does not drive learning. Instead, the learning is guided by activities that measure mass in various ways. Students measure the weight and volume of a variety of materials and develop a model to explain how both solids and liquids have mass and volume. Students use displacement to measure irregularly shaped items and develop a question around whether a gas has mass and volume.

Criterion 1.2: Phenomena and Problems Drive Learning
06/12
Indicator 1D
02/02
Indicator 1E
02/02
Indicator 1F
01/02
Indicator 1G
Read
Indicator 1H
01/02
Indicator 1I
00/04
Overview of Gateway 2

Coherence & Scope

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet expectations for Gateway 2: Coherence & Scope; Criterion 1: Coherence and Full Scope of the Three Dimensions meets expectations.

Gateway 2
v1.5
Gateway 2

Coherence & Scope
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Criterion 2.1: Coherence and Full Scope of the Three Dimensions
28/34
Partially Meets Expectations

Criterion 2.1: Coherence and Full Scope of the Three Dimensions
28/34

Materials are coherent in design, scientifically accurate, and support grade-band endpoints of all three dimensions.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet expectations for the Criterion 2a-2g: Coherence and Full Scope of the Three Dimensions. The materials inconsistently support students in understanding connections between units. The materials, and corresponding suggested sequence, reveal student tasks related to explaining phenomena or solving problems that increase in sophistication within each unit and across units. The materials represent the three dimensions accurately but include some scientific content not appropriate to the grade level. Further, the materials include all DCI components and all elements for life science and engineering, technology, and applications of science, but not physical science or earth and space science. The materials include all of the SEPs at the grade level and all of the SEPs across the grade band. The materials include all grade-band crosscutting concepts and provide repeated opportunities for students to use CCCs across the grade band. The materials include NGSS connections to Nature of Science and Engineering elements associated with the SEPs and/or CCCs.

Indicator 2A
Read

Materials are designed for students to build and connect their knowledge and use of the three dimensions across the series.

Indicator 2A.i
01/02

Students understand how the materials connect the dimensions from unit to unit.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet expectations that students understand how the materials connect the dimensions from unit to unit.

The Grade 5 materials are made of three units that are each made up of a series of lesson sequences called Activities. Each Activity is typically made up of two to four individual learning opportunities called Lessons. The materials consistently demonstrate how the dimensions connect between Lessons in the same Activity, and often connect content between different Activities. The materials make a single connection between dimensions across Units.

The materials most frequently make connections between disciplinary core ideas (DCIs) across Lessons and Activities. These sequences often address the same, or closely related, topics and the connections between the DCIs of the Lessons in an Activity are often clear. These connections do not make it clear that there are connections between the three dimensions at a larger scale. The connections for the science and engineering practices (SEPs) and crosscutting concepts (CCCs) are less frequently made explicit to students. 

The materials include a Teacher Background Information section at the beginning of eac Unit, Activity, and Lesson. This includes scientific information to support the teacher’s understanding of the concepts and how they are connected, teaching practices, and common misconceptions. While this section may include information that helps the teacher understand the connections between DCIs from different lessons or units, it misses the opportunity to support teachers in making those connections explicit to students. 

Examples of student learning experiences that demonstrate connections across a unit:

  • In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 2, Lesson 2B: What Makes the Wind?, students discuss wind as a component of the atmosphere. The materials direct teachers who have already taught the Structure and Properties of Matter unit to have students, “Make connections to their investigations into the heating and cooling of matter, with a focus on gases.”

Indicator 2A.ii
02/02

Materials have an intentional sequence where student tasks increase in sophistication.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 3-5 meet expectations that they have an intentional sequence where student tasks increase in sophistication. Materials are designed with an intentional or suggested sequence and student tasks related to explaining phenomena and/or solving problems increase in sophistication within each unit and across the grade band.

Across the 3-5 grade-band, the materials have a recommended sequence with three units divided by physical, life, and earth and space science assigned to each grade level. Within grade levels, the units can be sequenced in any order.

Materials increase in sophistication across the grade band as students engage with phenomena and problems. As students progress through the grade band, student expectations as they engage in activities connected to phenomena and problems increase. Supports for students are also gradually released, and by Grade 5, they are doing more work independently or with fewer aids. Because the order of units within a grade level is not suggested, there is not a general increase in sophistication within a single grade. However, there are instances where student expectations increase within a single unit.

Examples of student tasks increasing in sophistication across the grade band:

  • The materials increase in sophistication as students work with data connected to phenomena and problems. By the time students reach Grade 5, the teacher provides less scaffolding and more work is done independently by students. For example, in Grade 3, Weather, Climate, and Natural Hazards, Activity 2, Lesson 2B: Variations in Air Temperature, students collect data on weather conditions using a pre-made table. The teacher then guides a discussion with scaffolded prompts to help students make sense of the data comparing the temperature at various points in the day. In Grade 4, Energy and Waves, Activity 2, Lesson 2C: Energy of Motion – Bounce, students now play a part in designing a chart to collect data on bouncing balls from various heights. The class has a discussion about the data, but the teacher provides less support and only asks for “patterns in the data” rather than asking specific questions about the data. In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 6, Lesson 6C: What is the Effect of Temperature on Dissolving?, students collect data on the effect of water temperature on how quickly Kool-Aid dissolves. Now, students create their own charts without support from the materials. In Lesson 1B: Mapping the Odor in the Neighborhood, from the same unit, students analyze data more independently. Instead of starting with a class discussion of their data on odor traveling through a neighborhood, students first work in small groups to evaluate the data on their own.

  • The materials increase in sophistication as students build and use arguments related to phenomena and problems. By Grade 5, students make a greater number of arguments and receive less support from the teacher to construct those arguments. For example, in Grade 3, Life Cycles and Survival, Activity 1, Lesson 1C: Communicating Like Frogs, students share devices they made to communicate using sounds. As students share their ideas, they use sentence stems from an anchor chart, such as “What do you mean by … ?”, to help them respectfully disagree, ask clarifying questions, add to ideas, and otherwise engage in argumentation discourse. In Grade 4, Processes that Shape the Earth, Activity 1, Lesson 1B: Weathering and Erosion Detectives, the teacher provides less support as students engage in argumentation. As a whole class, students share and discuss their claims about examples of weathering and erosion they found on the schoolyard. The teacher provides general prompts such as, “What evidence do you have that makes you think that?” giving students fewer and less specific prompts than in Grade 3. In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 5, Lesson 5A: The Puddle is Missing, students construct arguments for why a puddle of water disappeared over the course of the day. Students develop a model and then share them with a small group. The teacher provides little support beyond “Encourag[ing] a free exchange of ideas and changes based on the ideas of their peers.”

  • The materials increase in sophistication as students work with information related to phenomena and problems. By the time students reach Grade 5, they are working with a greater number of resources to collect information from and receive less support from the teacher to collect and share information. For example, in Grade 3, Weather, Climate, and Natural Hazards, Activity 5, Lesson 5B: Clouds–Making Sense of our Data, students explore the role of clouds in the weather. The teacher leads a whole-class read aloud and periodically pauses to ask scripted prompts that support students to collect information they need to answer questions about clouds and weather. In Grade 4, Structure, Function, and Information Processing, Activity 5, Lesson 5C: Animal Defenses, students collect information about animal defense mechanisms. Now, students read in small groups rather than as a whole class. Students are also responsible for taking notes on their own, but they are given a chart to fill out that helps them determine important information. In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 6, Lesson 6C: Develop and Implement A Plan To Preserve and Protect Earth’s Resources and Environment, students develop plans to reduce human impact on the environment. Students are given a variety of texts to use as they develop their plans. They are given little direct support and must now incorporate multiple texts into their work.

Indicator 2B
02/02

Materials present Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs), and Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs) in a way that is scientifically accurate.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 5 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 grades, the teacher materials, student materials, and assessments accurately represent the three dimensions and are free from scientific inaccuracies.

Indicator 2C
01/02

Materials do not inappropriately include scientific content and ideas outside of the grade-level Disciplinary Core Ideas.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet expectations that they do not inappropriately include scientific content and ideas outside of the grade-level disciplinary core ideas (DCIs).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 do not include non-scientific content presented as science ideas or below-grade content without meaningful connection to grade-level DCIs. However, the materials contain a few instances of DCIs above the grade that are inappropriately included without supports for extending the grade-level learning.

Examples of above grade-level DCIs without meaningful connection to or support for grade-level DCIs:

  • In Grade 5, Structures and Properties of Matter, Activity 4, students create several models of how peppermint oil particles move as they diffuse throughout the classroom as part of the assessment. The answer key indicates that students' answers should explain particle movement and distribution when it changes from a liquid to a gas as thermal energy is added. This goes beyond the expectations of DCI-PS1.A-E1, and approaches DCI-PS1.A-M4 and DCI-PS1.A-M6, which expect students to model and explain the difference in particle motion between liquids and gasses and how that is affected by temperature or pressure.

  • In Grade 5, Structures and Properties of Matter, Activity 7, Lesson 7A: Ice Cream and Phase Change, students are asked to construct a model as part of an assessment to explain how a liquid milk mixture in a baggie turns to solid ice cream. The answer key indicates that the models should show that the particles in the liquid are more spread apart than the particles in the solid ice cream, which matches DCI-PS1.A-M4.

Indicator 2D
Read

Materials incorporate all grade-level Disciplinary Core Ideas.

Indicator 2D.i
00/02

Physical Sciences

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 do not meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-level disciplinary core ideas for physical sciences. Materials do not incorporate all grade-level components of the physical science disciplinary core ideas (DCIs). Two grade-level components, PS2.B: Types of interactions and PS3.D: Energy in chemical processes and everyday life, are not present in the materials.

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

  • PS1.A-E1. In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 4, Lesson 4C: Gases, the teacher introduces the idea that matter is made up of particles that are too small to see. Students engage in a role-play that simulates what happens to a water particle during a phase change from a solid, to a liquid, to a gas and simulates condensation and freezing. Students discuss how this model shows that the number of particles stays the same during a phase change. Students apply new information and create before, during, and after models of what would happen to liquid peppermint in a petri dish, and the surrounding air, when thermal energy is added to the system.

  • PS1.A-E2. In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 6, Lesson 6A: Where’s the Salt? Where’s the Sugar?, students plan an investigation to find out what happens to Kool-Aid that seems to disappear when mixed with water. Students measure the weight and volume of sugar, water, and sugar and water combined. Students use their data as evidence to support the claim that sugar is still present in the water once it dissolves because the weight of water and sugar before mixing is the same as the weight of the water and sugar after mixing.

  • PS1.A-E3. In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 8, Lesson 8A: Heat, Electricity and Magnetism, students plan an investigation to test and measure the properties of magnetism and conductivity of electricity and heat.

  • PS1.B-E1. In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 5, Lesson 5C: Washing the Dog!, students figure out why a chemical solution to remove skunk odor from a dog cannot be bottled and sold. They observe a demonstration where hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and liquid dish soap are mixed in a bottle. Students observe that the flexible bottle bulges as it fills with gas and fizzes when the cap is removed. Students develop models to explain the reaction in the bottle and discuss that the particles that make up the materials are rearranged and cause a new material to form.

  • PS1.B-E2. In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 7, Lesson 7A: Ice Cream and Phase Change, students use liquid milk to make ice cream. Students measure the mass before and after the phase change, discuss the phase change, and use their data as evidence that the total weight of a substance does not change during phase changes.

Examples of grade-level physical science DCI elements not present in the materials:

  • PS2.B-E3. The gravitational force of Earth acting on an object near Earth's surface pulls that object toward the planet's center.

  • PS3.D-E2. The energy released [from] food was once energy from the Sun that was captured by plants in the chemical process that forms plant matter (from air and water).

Indicator 2D.ii
02/02

Life Sciences

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-level disciplinary core ideas for life sciences.

Materials incorporate all grade-level components and associated elements of the life science disciplinary core ideas (DCIs). 

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

  • LS1.C-E2. In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Activity 4, Lesson 4C: Carrying out our Investigation, students develop and conduct an investigation to determine what plants use for food.

  • LS2.A-E1. In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Activity 5, Lesson 5C: There’s Something New in the Neighborhood, students read an informational text titled Did you know to develop an understanding of how rats in Hawaii have affected ecosystems. Students from different reading groups present information and as a group discuss the presentations and changes that occurred in food webs caused by changes to the assorted environments. Students recall which group(s) observed/read about an organism that was introduced to the ecosystem and determine what happened to the food chain or food web within that ecosystem after that new species was introduced.

  • LS2.B-E1. In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Activity 5, Lesson 2C: What are Balanced Systems?, students gather information about ecosystems using the trade book How Ecosystems Work and develop an understanding of the interdependency among organisms through the use of interactive models on the computer. They determine as a class who eats what and how many of each organism would balance the ecosystem for 100 days.

  • LS2.C-E1. In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Activity 5, Lesson 5B: Introducing Change to the Ecoplayers, students carry out an ecosystem role play where a change (a weather event, pollutant, or other change) to an ecosystem is introduced. Students are asked to identify the part of the food web that would be interrupted or the animals that would be affected by the changes that are introduced to the ecosystem in their role-play activity.

Indicator 2D.iii
00/02

Earth and Space Sciences

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 do not meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-level disciplinary core ideas for earth and space sciences.

Materials do not incorporate all grade-level components of the earth and space science DCIs. One grade-level component, ESS1.A: The universe and its stars, is not present in the materials.

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

  • ESS2.A-E1. In Grade 5, Earth and Space System, Activities 1, Lesson 1C: Earth Is Made up of Four Systems: Geosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere, and Biosphere, students create a model that shows the earth’s major spheres and how they interact. Over the next five Lessons in this unit, students explore each of the different spheres and how they interact with each other to affect earth’s surface materials and influence weather patterns.

  • ESS2.C-E1. In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 3, Lesson 3A: A Cool Drink of Water, the teacher demonstrates how much water on earth is found in different locations. The model demonstrates that most water is found in the ocean, and the distribution of the earth’s freshwater in glaciers, ice caps, groundwater, surface water, and the atmosphere.

  • ESS3.C-E1. In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 6, Lesson 6B: Revisiting Environmental Programs with New Information, students engage in a whole class discussion centered on the question: How does human activity affect the land, water, air, and living organisms on Earth? Students consider the impact from agriculture, industry, urban development, transportation, and everyday living. Students read about environmental groups and their causes and discuss how the environmental group they read about might solve its targeted problem.

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

  • ESS1.B-E1. In Grade 5, Earth and Space System Activity 7: Earth and Beyond, students read Arctic Lights/Arctic Nights and discuss initial ideas about the tilt of the earth and how we get seasons, changes in length of day, and changes in temperature throughout the year. Students use a flashlight model to demonstrate the effect of the earth’s tilt on its axis, and discuss how it accounts for differences in daylight hours, temperature, and seasons at different locations on earth. Students role play the rotation and revolution of earth around the sun and discuss what causes the sun to appear to move across the sky, what causes day and night, and what makes a year. Students also use a digital simulation to observe monthly changes in the position of the stars over the course of a year. The materials miss the opportunity to address the orbit of the moon around earth.

Grade-level earth and space science DCIs not present in the materials:

  • ESS1.A-E1. The Sun is a star that appears larger and brighter than other stars because it is closer. Stars range greatly in their distance from Earth.

Indicator 2D.iv
02/02

Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science

The instructional materials reviewed for 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, Weather, Climate, and Natural Hazards, Activity 4, Lesson 4B: Blowing in the Wind, students design and build a device that will measure the speed of wind and indicate the direction the wind is coming from. Students are given time limits and review materials available for building a wind instrument (constraints) as well as a Wind Product Descriptor, which outlines two criteria for the design. Students test their ideas, analyze the performance of the instrument, and make improvements based on trials. 

  • ETS1.B-E3. In Grade 3, Forces and Interactions, Activity 1, Lesson 1B: Testing Motion: Toy Vehicle, students work in teams to brainstorm ideas that will help solve the problem of using a battery operated vehicle to move cookies from one room to another. Students test their ideas and then share their work with other groups, making adjustments to designs based on their conversations. 

  • ETS1.B-E2. In Grade 3, Forces and Interactions, Activity 2, Lesson 2C: Using What We Know about Motion, students develop a prototype of a vehicle that will travel a given distance carrying a load. Students test their design, collect data on the tests, and use the data to improve the 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, Energy and Waves, Activity 4, Lesson 4A: Building on Energy, students are presented with the challenge of building a Rube Goldberg device that will send a signal or demonstrate the energy is transferred but not used up. Each task presents a problem and criteria required to solve the problem. Students agree upon constraints for completing the challenge and begin work to develop a plan. 

  • ETS1.B-E1. In Grade 4, Energy and Waves, Activity 6, Lesson 6B: Designing a Device to Melt Butter, students develop a plan to create a device that will melt butter, present their plans to their peers, review their plans, revise them based on new knowledge, and determine how their device will work. Students are given time to develop, test, revise, and present their devices to the rest of the class.

  • ETS1.C-E1. In Grade 4, Energy and Waves, Activity 7, Lesson 7B: Electrical Switch, students design an electrical switch that can turn a light bulb on and off. Students are given a chance to develop and test their models, and to share their models with their peers. After the teams present their designs to the class they explain their greatest challenges, compare their different models, and are given time to revise their models based upon feedback, and a review of which classroom models best meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

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, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 6, Lesson 6D: Engineering-Designing a Solar Still, students are given the scenario that they are on a small island in the middle of the ocean with no water. They must design and construct a solar still to separate the salt from ocean water, using only the provided materials. Students plan, test, redesign, and test a second solution. Students share and compare their solar stills, giving and receiving feedback.

  • ETS1.B-E3. In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 3, Lesson 3D: When the Water Hits the Ground, students are given the design challenge to prevent erosion from water on a hillside. In small groups, students discuss how they will develop their plan before they begin to build their model. After building, testing, making adjustments to their design, and updating their model, students present their models to the class and either recommend building a housing development on the hillside or not. 

  • ETS1.C-E1. In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 3, Lesson 3D: When the Water Hits the Ground, students are given the design challenge to prevent erosion due to water on a hillside. Working as a group, students discuss how they will develop their plan before they begin to build their model. Students build and test their model. They make adjustments to the model to prevent erosion, selecting the best solution. They make a recommendation to the builders of a housing development as to whether they should proceed with a project to build on a hillside, or not continue building on the hillside. 

Indicator 2E
Read

Materials incorporate all grade-level Science and Engineering Practices.

Indicator 2E.i
04/04

Materials incorporate grade-level appropriate SEPs within each grade.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-level science and engineering practices and associated elements.

Materials incorporate all grade-level science and engineering practices (SEPs) and associated elements within the grade level. Students are provided with multiple opportunities in which to engage with a variety of SEPs.

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

  • MOD-E3. In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Activity 5, Lesson 5A: Something’s Changed in the Neighborhood, students plan and act in a skit that models the roles organisms play in an ecosystem, the interdependent relationships among plants and animals, and the importance of abiotic things in an ecosystem. 

  • MOD-E4. In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Activity 3, Lesson 3C: What Do Plants Do for Food?, students create a model that explains how they think plants get their food for growth.

  • INV-E1. In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 6, Lesson 6C: What is the Effect of Temperature on Dissolving?, students collaboratively plan and conduct an investigation to determine how water temperature affects the dissolving of a solute. Students run multiple trials, only changing the temperature of the water. 

  • INV-E3. In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 3, Lesson 3B: Water Use, students measure and record the amount of water used to wash their hands and use this data as evidence when explaining how much water is used for handwashing for a certain length of time.

  • DATA-E1. In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 2, Lesson 2B: What Makes the Wind, students follow directions for an investigation of air movement that is presented in their Student Journal. Students make a chart to organize their data and look for trends. 

  • MATH-E3. In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 3, Lesson 3B: Measuring Matter–Volume, students develop strategies and use tools to measure the weight and volume of solids and liquids.

  • ARG-E4. In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Activity 5, Lesson 5B: Introducing Change to the Eco-Players, students construct an argument about what will happen to the ecosystems in the Upper and Lower Peninsula in Michigan if there was an increase in the cougar population that feed on the deer that live there.

  • INFO-E4. In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Activity 1, Lesson 1B: Animal Partnerships, students gather information about the interaction between an oxpecker (tick bird) and a hippopotamus from a video, Animal Partnerships, and a trade book, Birdbrain Amos to explain their relationship.

Indicator 2E.ii
04/04

Materials incorporate all SEPs across the grade band

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 3-5 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-level science and engineering practices and associated elements across the grade band.

Materials incorporate all SEPs and associated elements within the grade band and provide repeated opportunities for students to use grade-band appropriate SEPs across various contexts throughout the band.

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

  • AQDP-E3. In Grade 3, Forces and Interactions, Activity 2, Lesson 2A: Investigating Motion, after investigating the speed of an electric car, students ask a question about how changing a variable in the investigation could change the speed of the car. They plan their own investigation and make a prediction about what they might find based on what they already know about the motion of the car.

  • AQDP-E5. In Grade 3, Forces and Interactions, Activity 6, Lesson 6D: Magnetic Forces Solve a Problem, after completing a design challenge with a fire truck and learning about non-contact forces (static electricity and magnetism), students are given another design challenge: to solve a problem using magnetism. Students define the problem they will solve using magnets (or some other non-contact force) and draw and write how they will solve the problem. They are shown a list of materials they can use but are told they can also use materials from home.

  • MOD-E3. In Grade 4, Processes that Shape Earth, Activity 5, Lesson 5A: Reduce the Impact of Natural Hazards, students draw a model of a proposed solution to reduce the impact of a natural hazard.

  • MOD-E4. In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Activity 3, Lesson 3C: What Do Plants Do for Food?, students create a model that explains how they think plants get their food for growth.

  • MOD-E6. In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 2, Lesson 2A: What’s in the Atmosphere?, students use a computer simulation to test the effects of changing the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere.

  • INV-E1. In Grade 3, Forces and Interactions, Activity 2, Lesson 2A: Investigating Motion, students collaboratively plan and conduct a second investigation to change the motion of an electric toy car by changing only one variable. They make observations and record data to provide evidence for how they changed the motion of an electric car.

  • INV-E3. In Grade 4, Structure, Function, and Information Processing, Activity 1, Lesson 1B: No Light! No Sight!, using a cardboard light box, students make observations and record their data to answer the question of how much light is needed to see a plastic toy in a dark box.

  • DATA-E1. In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 2, Lesson 2B: What Makes the Wind?, students follow directions for an investigation of air movement that is presented in their Student Journal. Students make a chart to organize their data and look for trends. 

  • DATA-E2. In Grade 4, Energy and Waves, Activity 2, Lesson 2B: The Energy of Motion, students investigate how changing the release height of a ball on a ramp affects how far the ball will roll. Students change the starting height twice and conduct four trials for each height. Students analyze and interpret their data to write a claim based on evidence and reasoning that summarizes what they found. 

  • DATA-E4. In Grade 3, Forces and Interactions, Activity 2, Lesson 2C: Using What We Know about Motion, students make a toy fire truck that will carry a load, they use data collected during testing to modify and improve their design.

  • MATH-E3. In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 3, Lesson 3B: Measuring Matter–Volume, students develop strategies and use tools to measure the weight and volume of solids and liquids.

  • CEDS-E2. In Grade 3, Forces and Interactions, Activity 4, Lesson 4D: Friction–Making Sense of Data, students write a conclusion, based on evidence, to explain how friction impacts the amount of force needed to move an object.

  • CEDS-E3. In Grade 4, Energy and Waves, Activity 7, Lesson 7A: Electricity, students use batteries, wires, and bulbs to create a circuit that will light the bulb. After generating their explanation, students describe the evidence they observed that “shows how energy can move from place to place in an electrical current.”

  • CEDS-E5. In Grade 4, Processes that Shape the Earth, Activity 7, Lesson 7C: Oil Spill, students develop a solution to cleaning up an oil spill. Students design solutions, share them across small groups, compare designs, adjust, and test the solutions. 

  • ARG-E4. In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Activity 5, Lesson 5B: Introducing Change to the Eco-Players, students construct an argument about what will happen to the ecosystems in the Upper and Lower Peninsula in Michigan if there was an increase in the cougar population that feed on the deer that live there.

  • ARG-E6. In Grade 3, Forces and Interactions, Activity 6, Lesson 6D: Magnetic Forces Solve a Problem, students identify and use magnetism, or another non-contact force, to devise a solution to a problem such as making a homemade car change direction and travel from one room to another, or another problem of their choosing. Students identify the balanced and unbalanced forces that solved the problem, describe adjustments they made, and identify the easiest and most challenging parts of completing the task.

  • INFO-E4. In Grade 4, Structure, Function and Information Processing, Activity 4, Lesson 4C: Research and Data Entry, students collect information from books and websites about a plant or animal found in the schoolyard to explain how different animal structures aid in survival of the animals.

Indicator 2F
08/08

Materials incorporate all grade-band Crosscutting Concepts.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 3-5 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-level crosscutting concepts and associated elements across the grade band. The materials include all of the CCC elements associated with the performance expectations for the grade band. Elements of the CCCs are found across all three grades within this grade band. Materials include few elements of the CCCs from above the grade band without connecting to the grade-band appropriate CCC. Across the grade band, students have multiple opportunities to engage with the grade-level CCCs that are implicitly connected to SEPs or DCIs as they build toward grade-level performance expectations. There are fewer opportunities for students to explicitly discuss the CCCs. For example, students have frequent opportunities to use observations to describe patterns in the natural world to answer scientific questions (SEP-DATA-E3) but have limited opportunities to explicitly discuss the importance of using patterns as evidence to describe phenomena (CCC-PAT-E3). 

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

  • CE-E1. In Grade 3, Weather, Climate, and Natural Hazards, Activity 2, Lesson 2B: Variations in Air Temperature, students investigate the relationship between time of day and air temperature by making a class model using lamps at three different angles (to simulate morning, noon, and late afternoon) and thermometers. Students measure the temperatures three times for each angle and compare the results. Students then draw a model in their Student Journal based on the classroom model that explains why the temperature of the air changes throughout the day.

  • EM-E2. In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 6, Lesson 6A: Where’s the Salt? Where’s the Sugar?, students plan and carry out an investigation where they measure the weight of water and sugar before and after mixing to demonstrate that even though the sugar seems to disappear, the weight shows that it is still present in the solution.

  • EM-E3. In Grade 4, Energy and Waves, Activity 8, Lesson 8C: Energy All Around, students develop a model to explain the energy transfer occurring in a number of first-hand observations including a row of dominoes falling, a ball rolling down a ramp, and a flashlight with batteries.

  • PAT-E1. In Grade 3, Life Cycles and Survival in an Ecosystem, Activity 3, Lesson 3D: Sharing and Comparing Our Life Cycle Research, students share the information they found when researching a plant or animal’s life cycle. They compare the life cycle of the organism they researched to that of a frog and to the organisms other students researched, looking for similarities and differences in the phases the organisms go through and the length of time it takes for the organisms to develop.

  • PAT-E2. In Grade 4, Processes That Shape the Earth, Activity 4, Lesson 4B: Making Sense of Our Earthquake Mapping, students use data about the location of earthquakes to predict what will happen next in areas that are most affected by earthquakes versus areas that have few or no earthquakes.

  • PAT-E3. In Grade 3, Forces and Interactions, Activity 4, Lesson 4D: Friction-Making Sense of Data, after conducting an investigation to determine the amount of force required to move a block of wood across different surfaces such as wood, sandpaper, rubber band, and wax paper, students create a bar graph using class data that shows the number of washers needed to overcome the force of friction. Students discuss the emerging patterns about the amount of force needed to move a block over different surfaces. Students use this evidence to write a conclusion to the investigation.

  • SPQ-E1. In Grade 4, Processes that Shape the Earth, Activity 1, Lesson 1B: Weathering and Erosion Detectives, students compare changes due to weathering and erosion that occurred in their schoolyard with other examples including rock formations, a riverbed, and glaciers. Students discuss the speed of the different changes and whether they happened quickly or slowly.

  • SPQ-E2. In Grade 5, Earth and Space Systems, Activity 3, Lesson 3B: My Rock Tells a Story, students evaluate how much water is used in a variety of day to day activities. Students measure the water used in gallons and compare the unit to a standard one-gallon jug of water.

  • SYS-E2. In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Activity 2, Lesson 2C: What are Balanced Systems?, students identify the components of a closed model ecosystem in a bottle, describe the role of producers, consumers, and decomposers in larger ecosystems, and explain how each part of the system interacts.

Indicator 2G
02/02

Materials incorporate NGSS Connections to Nature of Science and Engineering.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 3-5 meet expectations that they incorporate NGSS connections to nature of science and engineering.

Materials incorporate grade-band NGSS Connections to the Nature of Science and Engineering within individual lessons or activities across the series. Elements from all three of the following categories are included in the materials for the grade band:

  • grade-band Nature of Science elements associated with SEPs

  • grade-band Nature of Science elements associated with CCCs

  • grade-band Engineering elements associated with CCCs

Although students engage in all three categories across the grade band, most of these are found  in the physical science units. 

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

  • NOS-BEE-E2. In Grade 4, Energy and Waves, Activity 5, Lesson 5B: Burning, students investigate heat transfer by measuring the temperature of water held over a candle. The teacher explains to students that using a thermometer helps scientists be more accurate when determining the temperature of a substance.

  • NOS-VOM-E2. In Grade 5, Structure and Properties of Matter, Activity 1, Lesson 1A: A Skunk in the Neighborhood, students make an initial model of how a skunk’s odor traveled through a neighborhood. The teacher explains that models are one of the tools that scientists use to make thinking and ideas public and visible.

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

  • NOS-AOC-E1. In Grade 3, LIfe Cycles and Survival in an Ecosystem, Activity 6, Lesson 6A: Finding Out About Fossils, students share their observations of fossils and discuss the questions paleontologists ask to piece together earth’s history. The teacher explains to students that when paleontologists and geologists study fossils and rocks, they assume that the physical laws on earth are constant over time. This applies to forces like gravity, the laws of motion, and the needs of living things.

  • NOS-AOC-E1. In Grade 4, Energy and Waves, Activity 5, Lesson 5B: Burning, during a discussion about thermometers, the teacher explains that thermometers help scientists be more accurate when determining the temperature of a substance. Scientists established a standard using physical changes that occur at the same temperature each time. 

  • NOS-HE-E2. In Grade 4, Structure, Function, and Informational Processing, Activity 4, Lesson 4B: Schoolyard Observations, after the teacher introduces an overview of the Project Noah Website, the teacher tells the class they are going to work in pairs and become naturalists or citizen scientists to plan an investigation into the variety of plants and animals that live in the schoolyard.

  • NOS-HE-E2. In Grade 5, Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem, Activity 4, Lesson 4C: Carrying Out Our Investigations, during a science talk, students share their plans to investigate what plants use for food. The teacher discusses how scientists share information and collaborate and explains that the class is like a community of scientists carrying out different investigations and, at the conclusion, students share their results and findings.

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

  • ENG-INTER-E3. In Grade 3, Forces and Interactions, Activity 6, Lesson 6D: Magnetic Forces Solve a Problem, after many investigations exploring how forces affect the motion of different objects, students are told that they are going to become engineers and solve a problem about motion using non-contact forces such as magnetism or electricity. Students can choose to continue with the original design challenge of moving an electric toy car from one place to another without touching it, or they can solve a different problem using magnets or static electricity.

  • ENG-INTER-E4. In Grade 4, Energy and Waves, Activity 7, Lesson 7B: Electrical Switch, after investigating electrical circuits, students are told that they are going to use what they learned about electrical circuits and become engineers to design a switch that will turn a light bulb on and off without needing to unscrew the bulb.

Criterion 2.1: Coherence and Full Scope of the Three Dimensions
28/34
Indicator 2A
Read
Indicator 2A.i
01/02
Indicator 2A.ii
02/02
Indicator 2B
02/02
Indicator 2C
01/02
Indicator 2D
Read
Indicator 2D.i
00/02
Indicator 2D.ii
02/02
Indicator 2D.iii
00/02
Indicator 2D.iv
02/02
Indicator 2E
Read
Indicator 2E.i
04/04
Indicator 2E.ii
04/04
Indicator 2F
08/08
Indicator 2G
02/02
Overview of Gateway 3

Usability

Gateway 3
v1.5
Gateway 3

Usability
NE = Not Eligible. Product did not meet the threshold for review.
NE
0
16
23
26
Criterion 3.1: Teacher Supports
NE = Not Eligible. Product did not meet the threshold for review.
NE
Criterion 3.2: Assessment
NE = Not Eligible. Product did not meet the threshold for review.
NE
Criterion 3.3: Student Supports
NE = Not Eligible. Product did not meet the threshold for review.
NE
Criterion 3.4: Intentional Design
NE = Not Eligible. Product did not meet the threshold for review.
NE
Not Rated

Criterion 3.1: Teacher Supports

NE = Not Eligible. Product did not meet the threshold for review.
NE

The program includes opportunities for teachers to effectively plan and utilize materials with integrity and to further develop their own understanding of the content.

Indicator 3A
00/02

Materials provide 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.

Indicator 3B
00/02

Materials contain adult-level explanations and examples of the more complex grade/course-level concepts and concepts beyond the current course so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject.

Indicator 3C
00/02

Materials include standards correlation information, including connections to college- and career-ready ELA and mathematics standards, that explains the role of the standards in the context of the overall series.

Indicator 3D
Read

Materials provide strategies for informing all stakeholders, including students, parents, or caregivers about the program and suggestions for how they can help support student progress and achievement.

Indicator 3E
00/02

Materials provide explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identification of the research-based strategies.

Indicator 3F
00/01

Materials provide a comprehensive list of supplies needed to support instructional activities.

Indicator 3G
00/01

Materials provide clear science safety guidelines for teachers and students across the instructional materials.

Indicator 3H
Read

Materials designated for each grade are feasible and flexible for one school year.

Criterion 3.1: Teacher Supports
NE = Not Eligible. Product did not meet the threshold for review.
NE
Indicator 3A
00/02
Indicator 3B
00/02
Indicator 3C
00/02
Indicator 3D
Read
Indicator 3E
00/02
Indicator 3F
00/01
Indicator 3G
00/01
Indicator 3H
Read

Criterion 3.2: Assessment

NE = Not Eligible. Product did not meet the threshold for review.
NE

The program includes a system of assessments identifying how materials provide tools, guidance, and support for teachers to collect, interpret, and act on data about student progress towards the standards.

Indicator 3I
00/02

Assessment information is included in the materials to indicate which standards are assessed.

Indicator 3J
00/04

Assessment system provides multiple opportunities throughout the grade, course, and/or series to determine students' learning and sufficient guidance to teachers for interpreting student performance and suggestions for follow-up.

Indicator 3K
00/04

Assessments include opportunities for students to demonstrate the full intent of grade-level/grade-band standards and elements across the series.

Indicator 3L
Read

Assessments offer accommodations that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills without changing the content of the assessment.

Criterion 3.2: Assessment
NE = Not Eligible. Product did not meet the threshold for review.
NE
Indicator 3I
00/02
Indicator 3J
00/04
Indicator 3K
00/04
Indicator 3L
Read

Criterion 3.3: Student Supports

NE = Not Eligible. Product did not meet the threshold for review.
NE

The program includes materials designed for each student’s regular and active participation in grade-level/grade-band/series content.

Indicator 3M
00/02

Materials provide strategies and supports for students in special populations to support their regular and active participation in learning grade-level/grade-band science and engineering.

Indicator 3N
00/02

Materials provide extensions and/or opportunities for students to engage in learning grade-level/grade-band science and engineering at greater depth.

Indicator 3O
Read

Materials provide varied approaches to learning tasks over time and variety in how students are expected to demonstrate their learning with opportunities for for students to monitor their learning.

Indicator 3P
Read

Materials provide opportunities for teachers to use a variety of grouping strategies.

Indicator 3Q
00/02

Materials provide strategies and supports for students who read, write, and/or speak in a language other than English to regularly participate in learning grade-level/grade-band science and engineering.

Indicator 3R
Read

Materials provide a balance of images or information about people, representing various demographic and physical characteristics.

Indicator 3S
Read

Materials provide guidance to encourage teachers to draw upon student home language to facilitate learning.

Indicator 3T
Read

Materials provide guidance to encourage teachers to draw upon student cultural and social backgrounds to facilitate learning.

Indicator 3U
Read

Materials provide supports for different reading levels to ensure accessibility for students.

Indicator 3V
Read

This is not an assessed indicator in Science.

Criterion 3.3: Student Supports
NE = Not Eligible. Product did not meet the threshold for review.
NE
Indicator 3M
00/02
Indicator 3N
00/02
Indicator 3O
Read
Indicator 3P
Read
Indicator 3Q
00/02
Indicator 3R
Read
Indicator 3S
Read
Indicator 3T
Read
Indicator 3U
Read
Indicator 3V
Read

Criterion 3.4: Intentional Design

NE = Not Eligible. Product did not meet the threshold for review.
NE

The program includes a visual design that is engaging and references or integrates digital technology (when applicable) with guidance for teachers.

Indicator 3W
Read

Materials integrate interactive tools and/or dynamic software in ways that support student engagement in the three dimensions, when applicable.

Indicator 3X
Read

Materials include or reference digital technology that provides opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other, when applicable.

Indicator 3Y
Read

The visual design (whether in print or digital) supports students in engaging thoughtfully with the subject, and is neither distracting nor chaotic.

Indicator 3Z
Read

Materials provide teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning, when applicable.

Criterion 3.4: Intentional Design
NE = Not Eligible. Product did not meet the threshold for review.
NE
Indicator 3W
Read
Indicator 3X
Read
Indicator 3Y
Read
Indicator 3Z
Read
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