1st Grade - Gateway 1
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Designed for NGSS
| Score | |
|---|---|
Gateway 1 - Partially Meets Expectations | 67% |
Criterion 1.1: Three-Dimensional Learning | 12 / 16 |
Criterion 1.2: Phenomena and Problems Drive Learning | 7 / 12 |
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 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.
Criterion 1.1: Three-Dimensional Learning
Materials are designed for three-dimensional learning and assessment.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 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 inconsistently 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 assessments that inconsistently address the three dimensions of the objectives.
Indicator 1a
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
Materials consistently integrate the three dimensions in student learning opportunities.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 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 1, the learning sequences consistently include learning opportunities that incorporate and integrate the three dimensions. Most learning opportunities in Grade 1 are three dimensional. In a few instances, learning opportunities are only two dimensional and miss the opportunity to integrate a crosscutting concept.
Examples of where materials are designed to integrate the three dimensions into student learning opportunities:
In Grade 1, Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles, Activity 1, Lesson 1A: Sky Watcher: On the Way to School, students work to identify patterns in the day and night time sky. Students draw and label the daytime and nighttime sky and then share their drawings with the class and explain why they chose to include the objects that they did. The teacher asks what all the daytime pictures have in common (SEP-MOD-P2). The teacher asks students when the sun comes up in the morning and goes down at night, if that is the same every day, and how they could answer these questions. The teacher helps students generate questions about patterns in the daytime and nighttime sky (SEP-AQDP-P1). The teacher reads the trade book Twilight Comes Twice, a story about the sky at dawn and dusk. Students discuss the patterns of sunrise and sunset (SEP-INFO–P1, CCC-PAT-P1). Students are introduced to The Moon Observation Log and the Day and Night Observation Log, which they fill out at home with an adult for one week and report their data to the class (SEP-DATA-P1, DCI-ESS1.A-P1).
In Grade 1, Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles, Activity 4, Lesson 4A: Stargazing, students compare a modeling exercise to direct observations and observations of a computer simulation of the night sky to explain the apparent motions of the stars and the patterns of day and night. Using the computer program Stellarium, students watch a projection of the nighttime sky at 10 p.m. from the previous night at an accelerated pace (SEP-MOD-E4, SEP-INV-P4). Students discuss the apparent motion of the stars and relate the star motion to the model they used in a previous lesson to explain the apparent motion of the sun and moon (SEP-MOD-P2, SEP-CEDS-P1, and DCI-ESS1.A-P1). Students act as stars in the sky while one student is the earth, first rotating in a circle to model day and night and then revolving around the sun to demonstrate what is visible over the course of a year. Students take turns being the earth so that they can view the apparent motion of the stars each night and throughout the year (SEP-MOD-P3, CCC-CE-P2, CCC-PAT-P1, and CCC-SC-P2).
In Grade 1, Plants and Animal Traits, Activity 2, Lesson 2B: Fiddler Crabs Use their Body Parts, students make analogies between structures and their functions of the fiddler crab as well as other organisms. Students use their observations of the fiddler crab to make analogies between the crab’s external features (DCI-LS1.A-P1) and a tool, based on its proposed function. Students share their analogies with the class and engage in science discourse (SEP-ARG-P5) about whether the tool represents the structure and function of the crab’s external features (CCC-SF-P1). Students also observe other organisms, such as a blue heron, to determine the functions of identified structures and compare that to the fiddler crab.
In Grade 1, Plant and Animal Traits, Activity 6, Lesson 6A: Making Sense of Our Observations and Data, students engage with content by reviewing their anchor chart, responding to questions they added to the anchor chart in previous lessons, and justifying their explanations with data and observations. Students review their initial observations and questions about fiddler crabs, especially their structures and functions (DCI-LS1.A-P1, CCC-SF-P1, and CCC-SYS-P1). Students use their data and observations to justify their answers and explanations (SEP-DATA-P3, SEP-ARG-P6, and SEP-ARG-P5).
In Grade 1, Waves: Light and Sound, Activity 2, Lesson 2A: The Path of Light, students engage with content through classroom observations and investigations. Students observe a flashlight shining through a box and use a string to map the path of the light (DCI-PS4.B-M2). Students predict how light will travel through a box with holes in it and then test their predictions using the flashlight and box (SEP-INV-P2, SEP-DATA-P1, SEP-DATA-E3, SEP-CEDS-P1, and CCC-CE-P1).
In Grade 1, Waves: Light and Sound, Activity 5, Lesson 5A: Good Vibrations, students engage with content through classroom observations and investigations. Students review what they learned about sound and vibrations (DCI-PS4.A-P1) in Activity 4. Students investigate what happens when a ruler is plucked against a desk and record their visual and auditory observations (SEP-INV-E4, CCC-CE-P1). Students observe sound vibrations through water and compare/contrast with their experiences of sound vibrations through air (SEP-DATA-P3, CCC-PAT-P1).
Indicator 1a.ii
Materials consistently support meaningful student sensemaking with the three dimensions.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet expectations that they consistently support meaningful student sensemaking with the three dimensions.
Materials are designed for SEPs and CCCs to meaningfully support student sensemaking with the other dimensions in nearly all learning sequences, or Activities. Each activity typically has between two and four Lessons, and students engage in three-dimensional sensemaking both within and across lessons in the activities. In some cases, student sensemaking is connected to a phenomenon or problem, but even in cases where a phenomenon or problem is either not present or not driving instruction, students still have opportunities to make sense of a DCI by engaging in SEPs and applying CCCs.
Examples where SEPs and CCCs meaningfully support student sensemaking with the other dimensions in the learning sequence:
In Grade 1, Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles, Activity 2, Lesson 2A: The Earth Goes Round and Round, students use a computer simulation program, informational text, and a physical modeling exercise to make sense of how the earth experiences patterns of day and night. In Lesson 2A, students identify and discuss how the sun moves across the sky each day using the Stellarium computer simulation program (DCI-ESS1.A-P1, CCC-PAT-P1). The students then use a diagram from the trade book Sun Up, Sun Down: The Story of Day and Night to inform their understanding of a teacher-led model representing how illuminated versus non-illuminated parts of the earth change in a repeatable pattern as the earth rotates while orbiting around the sun (DCI-ESS1.B-E1, SEP-INFO-P2, and CCC-PAT-P1). Next, students use observations from the model as evidence to verbally explain what causes day and night on earth (DCI-ESS1.B-E1, SEP-CEDS-P1, CCC-PAT-P1, and CCC-CE-P2), and they individually draw and label a model that shows how when one side of the earth experiences daytime the other side of the earth experiences nighttime (DCI-ESS1.B-E1, SEP-MOD-P3).
In Grade 1, Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles, Activity 4, Lesson 4A: Stargazing, students observe and make sense of the apparent motion of individual stars and constellations as they move across the night sky. Students share their observations of the moon and stars and discuss if stars appear to move across the sky in the same manner as the sun and moon, and they relate their findings to their understanding of the position of the sun and moon and motion of the earth (DCI-ESS1.B-E1, SEP-CEDS-P1, and CCC-PAT-P1). Next, students use computer simulations of the night sky to investigate if the position of the stars change throughout the course of a single night (DCI-ESS1.A-P1, SEP-INV-P4). Students then participate in a live model where they play the role of the earth, sun, and stars to demonstrate the earth’s daily rotation, the earth’s movement relative to the sun and stars, and engage in a class discussion to explain the positions of stars throughout the course of a single night and a year (DCI-ESS1.A-M1, SEP-MOD-P3, CCC-PAT-P1, CCC-CE-P2, and CCC-SC-P2).
In Grade 1, Plant and Animal Traits, Activity 1: Fiddler Crabs in the Classroom, students explore the external parts of fiddler crabs by making observations and planning and conducting an investigation with the objective of identifying the functions of fiddler crabs’ structures. Students are presented with a fiddler crab and asked to make observations of the crab’s external features (DCI-LS1.A-P1). Students create a plan (SEP-INV-P2) to observe the fiddler crab and to determine the function of the external features they identified (CCC-SF-P1).
In Grade 1, Plant and Animal Traits, Activity 6: Making Sense of Our Observations and Data, students make arguments and provide evidence related to the functions of various plant and animal structures. Students use their observations from previous activities and lessons in the unit to answer some of their initial questions including how fiddler crabs use their claws (DCI-LS1.A-P1, SEP-DATA-P3). They make a claim about how fiddler crabs use their claws and support that claim with evidence (SEP-ARG-P6, CCC-SYS-P1, and CCC-SF-P1). Students review the trade books Whose Baby Is This and Animals and Their Babies (SEP-INFO-P1). They identify and describe how adult animals use their structures to care for their babies (SEP-CEDS-P1, CCC-SYS-P1).
In Grade 1, Waves: Light and Sound, Activity 1, Lesson 1B: No Light! No Sight!, students investigate how light is blocked and the effect that light being blocked has on how visible objects are. Students use a box to perform simple tests and record what is visible in the box when it is closed and when the lid is raised slightly (DCI-PS4.B-P2, SEP-INV-P1). They change the position of the lid and an index card to allow more or less light in and describe how well they can see an object inside the box. They explain that increasing light increases visibility and discuss how they can apply that information to the problem of a tree house being too dark on the inside (SEP-CEDS-P1, CCC-CE-P1).
In Grade 1, Waves: Light and Sound, Activity 2, Lesson 2B: The Path of Light, students investigate the path of light and how light interacts with different objects. Students conduct an investigation where they map the path of light between a flashlight and different objects using a string (DCI-PS4.B-M2, SEP-INV-P2). Students use the data to provide an explanation of how light travels and illuminates objects in its path and create a model of light traveling from a lamp to an object to a person’s eyes (SEP-DATA-P1, SEP-CEDS-P1, CCC-CE-P1, and SEP-MOD-P3).
Indicator 1b
Materials are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence for three-dimensional learning.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 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 do not provide the support to record individual student’s progress toward the learning goal. Nearly all of the remaining formative assessments only assess a portion of the learning objectives and 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 do not clearly incorporate tasks for the purpose of supporting the instructional process. Although sample answers and “look-fors” are provided, there are missed opportunities to provide next steps 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 elements in the learning objective, and do not provide guidance to support the instructional process:
In Grade 1, Plant and Animal Traits, Activity 1: Fiddler Crabs in the Classroom, the three-dimensional learning objective is to “Observe the external parts of the fiddler crab to determine how the traits help it to survive,” and comprises five elements of the three dimensions. The formative assessment tasks are an activity page, an observation log, and a journal entry, all in the Student Journal. Students draw and write an observation of a fiddler crab, record how they use different structures (DCI-LS1.A-P1, CCC-SF-P1), and select one structure of a fiddler crab and explain how they will observe the function of that structure (DCI-LS1.A-P1, CCC-SF-P1). There is a missed opportunity to reveal student understanding of DCI-LS1.D-P1, SEP-CEDS-P1, and SEP-CEDS-P2. 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 1, Plant and Animal Traits, Activity 3: Structure and Function of Plant Parts, the three-dimensional learning objectives are to “Make observations of plant parts to determine their function,” and “Develop analogies between the function of plant parts and tools used by humans,” and comprise 10 elements of the three dimensions. The formative assessment task is an activity page in the Student Journal. Students draw and label the plant they observed (DCI-LS1.A-P1), describe the function of the labeled parts (CCC-SF-P1), and compare each part to a human tool that shares the same function. There is a missed opportunity to reveal student understanding of multiple DCIs, two SEPs, and a CCC from the objectives. 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 1, Waves: Light and Sound, Activity 4: Sounds We Have Heard, the three-dimensional learning objective is to “Use tools and models to provide evidence that vibrating material produces sound and the sound can make nearby objects vibrate,” and comprises five elements of the three dimensions. The formative assessment task is an activity page in the Student Journal. Students draw what they observe happens to salt on a balloon before, while, and after sound is made (DCI-PS4.A-P1) and explain what they think causes the salt to move (SEP-CEDS-P1). There is a missed opportunity to reveal student understanding of SEP-CEDS-P1 and CCC-CE-P1. 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 1, Wave: Light and Sound, Activity 5: Good Vibrations, the three-dimensional learning objectives are “Relate sounds to their source of vibrations. Demonstrate evidence that sound vibrations can travel through air, water (liquid), and solid objects,” and comprise seven elements of the three dimensions. There are no formative assessments that provide evidence for learning for every student in this sequence. The formative assessments are whole group, and the materials do not provide support for collecting evidence for individual students’ learning.
Indicator 1c
Materials are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence of three-dimensional learning.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 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 student-created book. In several instances, the materials cited whole class discussions which miss the opportunity to provide teachers with information on what each individual student is able to accomplish independently. 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. Additionally, most assessments lack a rubric, sample answers, or other guidance for the teacher to interpret student responses.
Overall, the materials assess the majority of the elements in the three-dimensional learning objectives across the multiple assessments. However, several summative assessment tasks miss the opportunity to connect to the targeted three-dimensional learning objectives and assess none, or only one, of the targeted elements.
Examples where the materials provide three-dimensional learning objectives for the learning sequence, and summative tasks measure student achievement of nearly all of the targeted three-dimensional learning objectives:
In Grade 1, Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles, the three-dimensional learning objective comprises five elements. Summative assessments include a unit Post Assessment and various work products collected during instruction, primarily journal entries. In the Post-Assessment, students use drawings to predict the motion of the sun in the sky during the day, the Moon’s phases, and shadow length during the day (DCI-ESS1.A-P1, CCC-PAT-P1). Students also identify the season with the shortest and longest amount of daylight (DCI-ESS1.B-P1). Other assessments in the unit address additional elements of the learning objectives. For instance, in Activity 2, Lesson 2B, students use data collected during observations of shadows to complete a Journal Entry explaining when shadows are shortest and longest during the day and why they change (DCI-ESS1.A-P1, SEP-DATA-P3). The remaining assessments miss the opportunity to assess SEP-INV-P4.
In Grade 1, Plant and Animal Traits, the learning objective comprises ten elements. In the Post-Assessment, students answer questions about how to investigate how fiddler crabs use their claws, analyze data to explain how fiddler crabs use their large and small claws, and how they get their food (DCI-LS1.A-P1, CCC-PAT-P1, and SEP-CEDS-P1). Students also answer questions about how rabbits’ feet help them travel across snow (CCC-SF-P1) and match baby animals with adult animals (DCI-LS3.A-P1). Other assessments in the unit address additional elements of the learning objectives. In the Activity Page for Activity 2, Lesson 2B, students draw a model of a fiddler crab, label its external features, and explain how they help it survive (DCI-LS1.D-P1, CCC-SF-P1). In the Journal Page for Activity 6, Lesson 6B, students explain how a parent bird uses its beak and feathers to help its young (DCI-LS1.B-P1) and how a baby bird and its parent are similar and different (DCI-LS3.A-P1). In other assessments, students also use a text to describe the different ways birds use their feathers (SEP-INFO-P1) and develop a model of a problem that can be solved using plant or animal parts (SEP-CEDS-P2). The remaining assessments miss the opportunity to assess DCI-LS3.B-P1.
In Grade 1, Waves: Light and Sound, the learning objective comprises nine elements. In the Post-Assessment, students draw a model of a flashlight shining light on a bear and explain what happens when the light is moved or turned off (DCI-PS4.B-P1). Students explain what will happen to the light inside a cardboard box fort when the lid is closed (SEP-CEDS-P1), explain what materials can change the direction of light and why (DCI-PS4.B-P2), model and explain how vibrations make sound (DCI-PS4.A-P1), and design a tool to communicate from one room to another (DCI-PS4.C-P1, SEP-CEDS-P2). Other assessments in the unit address additional elements of the learning objectives. In the Journal Entry for Activity 3, Lesson 3C, students analyze data they collected to explain what time of day a shadow was longest and shortest and why (DCI-PS4.B-P2, SEP-CEDS-P1, CCC-CE-P1, and CCC-PAT-P1). The remaining assessments miss the opportunity to assess SEP-INV-P2.
Criterion 1.2: Phenomena and Problems Drive Learning
Materials leverage science phenomena and engineering problems in the context of driving learning and student performance.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 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 consistently presented to students as directly as possible. Phenomena or problems inconsistently drive learning and engage students in the three dimensions in learning opportunities. The materials neither elicit nor leverage student prior knowledge and experience related to the phenomena and problems present. The materials inconsistently incorporate phenomena or problems to drive learning and use of the three dimensions across multiple learning opportunities.
Indicator 1d
Phenomena and/or problems are connected to grade-level Disciplinary Core Ideas.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 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, design challenges, or problems. In Grade 1, each unit focuses on a single science discipline, either life science, earth and space science, and physical 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, design challenges, and a problem that are connected to grade-band DCIs:
In Grade 1, Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles, Activity 1, Lesson 1B: Sky Watchers: Tracking the Sun, the phenomenon is that the sun and moon appear to move across the sky over the course of the day. Students go outside to make and record observations of the sun and moon (if it is visible) at various points in the day. They make predictions about the future position of the sun and moon and then use their observations to determine if the sun is higher in the sky at noon or later in the afternoon. This helps students observe, describe, and predict the apparent motion of the sun (DCI-ESS1.A-P1).
In Grade 1, Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles, Activity 4, Lesson 4A: Stargazing, the phenomenon is that the stars appear to move across the night sky. Using Stellarium, a computer simulation of the night sky, the teacher simulates what happens in the night sky as time passes, and students observe how the stars appear to move. Students describe the apparent motion of the stars and relate their motion to that of the sun and moon. Students then participate in a classroom model where students become the sun, earth, and stars, and they move to help them describe and predict the apparent motion of the sun and stars (DCI-ESS1.A-P1).
In Grade 1, Plants and Animal Traits, Activity 4, Lesson 4A: Planning and Designing a Device that Solves Problems, the design challenge is to solve a problem by mimicking animal or plant structures. Students review the different functions of animal and plant structures that they learned about in previous lessons and compare the structures of plants and animals with human-made tools and devices (e.g., hammer, swim fins). They then use a variety of materials (pipe cleaners, aluminum foil, cardboard tubes, paper clips, etc.) to brainstorm how to mimic a structure from a plant or animal to solve a problem (DCI-LS1.A-P1). Finally, students come up with ideas and plan how they will construct a model of their solution in their Student Journal.
In Grade 1, Waves, Activity 5, Lesson 5A: Good Vibrations, the phenomenon is that a ruler makes a sound when plucked. Students experiment with plucking a ruler against the side of a desk. They change the length of the ruler that hangs over the edge of the desk and observe how that changes the sound produced (DCI-PS4.A-P1).
In Grade 1, Waves, Activity 6, Lesson 6A: People Use Light and Sound, the problem is that a town needs to communicate with different workers over a long distance. Students use what they know about light and sound to develop a communication system for a town’s emergency workers that sends a code clearly across a long distance using light and/or sound (DCI-PS4.C-P1).
Indicator 1e
Phenomena and/or problems are presented to students as directly as possible.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 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. Nearly all phenomena and problems 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 1, Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles, Activity 1, Lesson 1B: Sky Watchers: Tracking the Sun, the phenomenon is that the sun and moon appear to move across the sky over the course of the day. Students make direct observations of the sun (and moon if present) at three different times of the day. If the weather prevents direct observation, the teacher is directed to use the Stellarium program, a computer simulation of the night sky, to show students the phenomenon. These options provide students with a direct, shared, and common experience of the phenomenon.
In Grade 1, Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles, Activity 4, Lesson 4A: Stargazing, the phenomenon is that the stars in the night sky appear to move across the sky. Students make observations of the night sky using the Stellarium program, a computer simulation of the night sky. The direct observation of the simulation provides students with a direct, shared, and common experience of the phenomenon.
In Grade 1, Plant and Animal Traits, Activity 1, Lesson 1A: Raising Questions about the Fiddler Crab, the phenomenon is that fiddler crabs have specialized features and some have one claw that is larger than the other. Students are presented with the phenomenon by observing fiddler crabs in a habitat in their classroom. The first hand experience of observing fiddler crabs provides students with a direct, shared, and common experience of the phenomenon.
In Grade 1, Plant and Animal Traits, Activity 4, Lesson 4A: Planning and Designing a Device that Solves a Problem, the design challenge is to solve a problem by mimicking animal or plant structures. Students are presented with the design challenge by observing a variety of animals in YouTube videos and still images, and discussing the functions of their structures. This provides students with context to have a shared and direct understanding of the design challenge.
In Grade 1, Waves, Activity 5, Lesson 5B: Good Vibrations, the design challenge is to create an instrument that vibrates. Students listen to a bass track that causes windows to vibrate. Then, they are told they will become sound engineers and use a variety of materials to design and present a sound-making device. The first hand experience of listening to a sound and the context given provides students with a direct, shared, and common understanding of the problem.
In Grade 1, Waves, Activity 3, Lesson 3A: Nothing Sticks Like a Shadow, the phenomenon is that a rabbit can see his shadow at some times and not at others. The teacher reads the students the trade book Nothing Sticks Like a Shadow about a rabbit whose ever-changing shadow follows him around all day and into the night. The rabbit spends the whole day unsuccessfully trying to lose its shadow. Through the close reading strategies and evaluation of the pictures, students see that the rabbit’s shadow changes size and direction throughout the day and even appears at night when the full moon rises. The book provides students with a direct, shared, and common experience of the phenomenon.
Indicator 1f
Phenomena and/or problems drive individual lessons or activities using key elements of all three dimensions.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 partially meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems drive individual lessons or activities using key elements of all three dimensions.
The materials are broken out into three units: Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles, Plants and Animal Traits, and Waves: Light and Sound. Each unit focuses on a different content area: life science, physical science, and earth and space science. Each unit is broken into five to six Activities, then each Activity is further broken down into two to five lessons.
The materials provide multiple lessons that use phenomena or design challenges to drive student learning and engage with all three dimensions. When a phenomenon or problem drives the lesson, students consistently engage with the three dimensions as they develop explanations or solutions. In instances where there is a phenomenon present but does drive learning, the phenomenon is only addressed at the beginning and, sometimes, the end of the lesson, there is a missed opportunity for activities in the lesson to be 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.
Phenomena and design challenges are presented in several ways. There are unit-level 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 1, Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles, Activity 4, Lesson 4A: Stargazing, the phenomenon driving learning is that stars appear to move across the night sky. Using Stellarium, a digital model of the night sky, students observe the movement of stars across the night sky in an accelerated time frame (DCI-ESS1.A-P1, SEP-MOD-P3). Students use what they learn from the model to explain the phenomenon (SEP-CEDS-P1, CCC-PAT-P1). Students participate in a class model of the earth orbiting the sun where the students play the role of the earth and the stars and simulate their movements throughout the night (SEP-MOD-P2), and discuss how this movement affects the view of the stars in the night sky over the course of a year (CCC-SC-P2).
In Grade 1, Plants and Animal Traits, Activity 1, Lesson 1B: Planning for Fiddler Crab Observations, the phenomenon driving learning is that fiddler crabs have specialized features and some have one claw that is larger than the other. In this lesson, students continue their investigation of the different structures and behaviors of the fiddler crabs from the previous day (SEP-INV-P2) and share their initial drawings of the fiddler crab with the class (SEP-DATA-P2). With the teacher’s help, they fill in their Fiddler Crab Observation Log which includes a picture, a description of what the crab was doing, questions they have that can be answered by the investigation, and predictions about the the crabs’ structures and their function based on their observations (SEP-DATA-P1, SEP-AQDP-P2, CCC-SF-P1, and DCI-LS1.A-P1).
In Grade 1, Plants and Animal Traits, Activity 4, Lesson 4A: Planning and Designing a Device that Solves a Problem, the design challenge driving learning is to solve a problem by mimicking animal or plant structures. As a class, the students review the structures in fiddler crabs and herons, and their functions, and the structure and function of feathers and how they are used to help animals survive (DCI-LS1.A-P1, CCC-SF-P1). Using a turtle shell as an example, the class discusses the function of the shell and how people mimicked its form and function to make helmets. Students then brainstorm a list of human problems that could be solved using some of the structures of plants and animals. In small groups, students define a problem that can be solved by a tool that is inspired by an animal or plant structure (SEP-AQDP-P3). They draw and label their ideas, using the materials that are available for the class (SEP-CEDS-P2, DCI-ETS1.B-P1).
In Grade 1, Waves: Light and Sound, Activity 3, Lesson 3A: Nothing Sticks Like a Shadow, the phenomenon driving learning is that a rabbit can see his shadow at some times and not at others. Students read the trade book Nothing Sticks like a Shadow (SEP-INFO-P1). Students engage in a conversation and discuss what causes a shadow (CCC-CE-P2) based on their knowledge from the book. Students then use a set of word sort cards–each has a word on it related to the phenomenon (like day, sunset, shadow, morning, etc.)–and explore how the words on the cards help explain how shadows are made (DCI-PS4.B-P2).
Examples where phenomena or problems do not drive student learning:
In Grade 1, Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles, Activity 1, Lesson 1C: Keeping a Record of the Position of the Sun, the phenomenon that the sun and moon appear to move across the sky over the course of the day does not drive learning. Instead, the disciplinary core idea that seasonal changes affect sunrise and sunset (DCI-ESS1.B) is the focus of learning. In this lesson, students review data from a previous learning opportunity about the amount of darkness and sunlight present throughout the year. Using this data, the students develop a question that can be investigated about how the timing of sunrises and sunsets changes. The teacher then reads the trade book Sun Up, Sun Down and leads a class discussion about the sun rising and sun setting.
In Grade 1, Plants and Animal Traits, Activity 3, Lesson 3A: What About Plants?, the phenomenon that potted plants stay in the soil when pulled does not drive learning. Instead, the focus of learning is the concept that plants have structures that serve different functions. Students begin by observing that a potted plant stays in place when it is pulled on. They then make observations of a plant and record its various parts, the function they think it serves, and how the structure and function are related. Students make a labeled model of their plant and discuss their observations and ideas. Students do not return to the phenomenon to explain it.
In Grade 1, Waves: Light and Sound, Activity 3, Lesson 3B: What Can We Learn from a Shadow?, a phenomenon or problem does not drive learning in this lesson. Instead, the lesson focuses on the disciplinary core idea that certain materials block all light and create a shadow (DCI-PS4.B-P2).Students work collaboratively to investigate how light passes through materials and may or may not create a shadow. Students share the results of their investigations with the class and develop a class definition on how shadows are made.
Indicator 1g
Materials are designed to include both phenomena and problems.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 are designed to include both phenomena and problems. The materials contain multiple phenomena, problems, and design challenges throughout the grade.
The materials are broken out into three units: Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles, Plants and Animal Traits, and Waves: Light and Sound. Each unit focuses on a different content area: life science, physical science, and earth and space science. Each unit is broken into five to six 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 and occasionally show up in lessons toward the end of an activity.
Examples of design challenges in the materials:
In Grade 1, Plants and Animal Traits, Activity 4, Lesson 4A: Planning and Designing a Device that Solves a Problem, the design challenge is to solve a problem by mimicking animal or plant structures. Students discuss the function of certain animal parts/structures after reviewing a card set. Using their observations, students focus on a certain structure that could solve a problem. In their Student Journal, students draw and label their plans for solving the problem based on observational data collected in the lesson.
In Grade 1, Waves: Light and Sound, Activity 5, Lesson 5B: Good Vibrations, the design challenge is to create an instrument that vibrates. Students create an instrument or a sound maker using the materials provided by the teacher. Students draw and label a model of their solution, indicating what is vibrating to make the sound.
In Grade 1, Waves: Light and Sound, Activity 6, Lesson 6A: People Use Light and Sound, the design challenge is to develop a code to alert workers of an emergency. As a class, students develop a list of possible sound and light codes that could be used to communicate with different emergency workers in the community. Each group focuses on creating one light and/or sound signal to develop for their workers. To complete the challenge, the class gathers in an open area and the teacher produces each groups’ signal, one at a time. The group members gather by the teacher as soon as they recognize their signal.
Examples of phenomena in the materials:
In Grade 1, Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles, Activity 1, Lesson 1B: Sky Watchers: Tracking the Sun, the phenomenon is that the sun and moon appear to move across the sky over the course of the day. Students observe and track the path of the sun (and moon if visible) over the course of the day. Students answer a question in their Student Journal about if the sun is higher in the sky at noon or later in the afternoon and explain why they think this.
In Grade 1, Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles, Activity 4, Lesson 4A: A Look at the Stars, the phenomenon is that the stars in the night sky appear to move across the sky. Using the Stellarium online simulation program, students observe the night sky. The teacher speeds up the time to show the apparent motion of the stars across the night sky. Students participate in a classroom model that simulates this motion. Using the models they develop, students explain how the rotation of the earth causes the stars to appear to move from east to west across the sky.
In Grade 1, Plants and Animal Traits, Activity 2, Lesson 2C: What about Other Animals?, the phenomenon is a blue heron catches and eats a fish. Students watch a video of a blue heron eating a fish and engage in a whole class discussion about how the heron’s structures impact their function.
In Grade 1, Plants and Animal Traits, Activity 3, Lesson 3A: What About Plants?, the phenomenon is that potted plants stay in the soil when pulled. Students are presented with two potted plants and asked to observe how difficult it is to remove the plant from the soil in comparison to pulling a pencil from the soil. Students then observe plants in the schoolyard and draw models of the plants, identifying their parts. Using their observations, students engage in a class discussion about the structure/function of plant parts.
In Grade 1, Waves: Light and Sound, Activity 4, Lesson 4C: Sounds We Have Heard, the phenomenon is that a tuning fork makes ripples and splashes in the water. Students investigate the phenomenon using tuning forks, water, and pie tins. Students make a model that shows how the ripples and splashes of water are due to the vibrations of the tuning fork, which are transferred to the water.
In Grade 1, Waves: Light and Sound, Activity 5, Lesson 5A: Good Vibrations, the phenomenon is that a vibrating ruler makes a sound. Students experiment with plucking a plastic ruler and changing the length of the ruler that hangs over the side of a table. Students explain in a class discussion that the more the ruler sticks out, the lower the pitch of the sound produced. They also observe the speed of the ruler’s vibrations and how it affects the pitch.
Indicator 1h
Materials intentionally leverage students’ prior knowledge and experiences related to phenomena or problems.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 do not meet expectations that they intentionally leverage students’ prior knowledge and experiences related to phenomena or problems.
Students’ prior knowledge and experiences are rarely elicited across the grade and are only elicited and leveraged once.
Lessons that do not elicit students’ prior knowledge and experiences often provide opportunities for teachers to elicit knowledge and experience from a previous lesson or ask about a science topic, but not the phenomenon or problem that was presented. The materials also often provide students opportunities to use their background knowledge or experience to develop initial explanations or make predictions but miss the opportunity to 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 not elicited and leveraged:
In Grade 1, Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles, Activity 1, Lesson 1B: Sky Watchers: Tracking the Sun, the phenomenon is that the sun and moon appear to move across the sky over the course of the day. Students are asked to remember where the sun was in the sky when they arrived at school that day and to compare it to the current position of the sun. There is a missed opportunity to elicit students’ prior knowledge and experience about the movement of the sun, resulting in an inability to leverage what students bring to the learning opportunity.
In Grade 1, Plant and Animal Traits, Activity 4, Lesson 4A: Planning and Designing a Device that Solves a Problem, the design challenge is to solve a problem by mimicking animal or plant structures. The teacher asks students questions about what they learned about fiddler crabs, herons, and feathers from previous lessons. However, there is a missed opportunity to elicit and leverage students' prior knowledge and experiences from outside of the unit in this lesson.
In Grade 1, Waves: Light and Sound, Activity 3, Lesson 3A: Nothing Sticks Like a Shadow, the phenomenon is that a rabbit can see his shadow at some times and not at others. Students read the trade book Nothing Sticks like a Shadow about a rabbit that tries to lose its shadow. After a class discussion about the story, students work in small groups using the Word Sort Card Set to discuss how they can use the words on the cards to explain how a shadow is made. They then draw a model in their Student Journal, incorporating the vocabulary, to explain why the rabbit doesn’t see his shadow. There is a missed opportunity to elicit or leverage students' prior knowledge and experience in this lesson.
In Grade 1, Waves: Light and Sound, Activity 4, Lesson 4A: Sounds We Have Heard, the phenomenon is that salt is moving on a drum when a sound is played nearby. Students observe a demonstration of the phenomenon and draw a model explaining what they observed. Students then engage in a read-aloud and listening walk to discuss different types of sounds. There is a missed opportunity to elicit or leverage students' prior knowledge and experience in this lesson.
In Grade 1, Plants and Animal Traits, Activity 3, Lesson 3A: What about Plants?, the phenomenon is that potted plants stay in their soil when pulled. The teacher elicits students' prior knowledge by asking them to provide examples of plant structures and how these structures could be used to come up with ideas to design tools and solve problems. While this lesson elicits prior knowledge from students, it is connected to the topic of plant structures and there is a missed opportunity to elicit and leverage students’ experience or knowledge of the phenomenon.
Indicator 1i
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 1 partially 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 1, phenomena or problems drive learning across multiple lessons, engage students in all three dimensions, and provide multimodal opportunities for students to develop, evaluate, and revise their thinking, but not consistently. In several cases, phenomena or problems are present across multiple sequences and students encounter the same phenomenon or problem at various times during the unit. In some of these learning sequences, student learning is driven by explaining, solving, or making sense of the phenomenon or problem. However this happens inconsistently. In some instances, learning sequences are connected to a phenomenon or problem, but there is a missed opportunity to use the phenomenon or problem to drive learning. Instead, the phenomenon or problem is used as an introduction, but student learning is guided by a science concept or activity, not explaining, solving, or making sense of the phenomenon or problem across the lessons. In other cases, the phenomenon or problem only drives learning in individual lessons and there are missed opportunities to use the phenomenon or problem to drive student learning across the sequence as a whole.
When a phenomenon or problem does drive learning across a sequence, students consistently engage in all three dimensions as they work with the phenomenon or problem. Additionally, students typically have multiple opportunities to share and revise their thinking through drawing, writing, whole group discussion, and partner discussion.
Examples of phenomena that drive students’ learning and use the three dimensions across multiple lessons:
In Grade 1, Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles, Lessons 1B, 1C, 2A, 2B, and 5A, the phenomenon that the sun and moon appear to move across the sky over the course of the day drives learning. Across multiple lessons, students develop an explanation for how the relationship between the earth and sun cause the night and day cycle. Students begin by observing the sun several times during the day to observe its movement (DCI-ESS1.A-P1, SEP-INV-P6). They use these observations to identify the pattern of the sun’s movement (SEP-DATA-P1, CCC-PAT-P1). Students then read the trade books Twilight Comes Twice and Sun Up, Sun Down: The Story of Day and Night and use what they learned and observed to begin to explain how the motion of the sun causes day and night (DCI-ESS1.A-P1, SEP-INFO-P3, SEP-ARG-P5, and CCC-CE-P2). Next, students model the movement of the sun and earth in an online simulation and class model (SEP-MOD-P2, CCC-PAT-P1) and refine their arguments about the explanation of the day/night cycle (DCI-ESS1.A-P1, SEP-ARG-P6, SEP-CEDS-P1, and CCC-CE-P2). Students also investigate the length of shadows over the course of the day and connect this learning to what they know about the motion of the sun (SEP-CEDS-P1, SEP-ARG-P5, and CCC-CE-P2). In the final lesson of the unit, students review their data from the unit (DCI-ESS1.A-P1, DCI-ESS1.B-P1, SEP-DATA-P3, and CCC-PAT-P1) and finalize their explanation of the movement of the sun (SEP-CEDS-P1, CCC-CE-P2).
In Grade 1, Plants and Animal Traits, Activity 4: Solving Problems with Plant and Animal Structure, the design challenge to solve a problem by mimicking animal or plant structures drives learning. Working in teams, students define a problem that could be solved using a tool inspired by a plant or animal structure (SEP-AQDP-P3, DCI-LS1.A-P1). They draw and label their plan for solving the problem (SEP-CEDS-P2, DCI-ETS1.B-P1). Students then draw and build a model of their solution (SEP-MOD-P4) and present it to the rest of the class. Students discuss their tools and that animals and plants have structures that serve a specific function and how humans mimic or adapt those structures to help them solve human problems (CCC-SF-P1). Over the course of these two lessons, students are given opportunities to develop, evaluate, and revise their thinking about how to solve this design challenge.
In Grade 1, Waves: Light and Sound, Activity 1: No Light, No Sight, the design challenge to allow light into a treehouse drives learning. Students are presented with the design challenge in the first lesson by reading a story in their Student Journal, Light in the Tree House, to introduce the topic that light reflects differently on various objects (DCI-PS4.B-P1). Students engage in an activity, in which they shine a flashlight on different objects (SEP-INV-P1) to determine the amount of light that passes through the object. Students adjust the amount of light to determine how the amount of light on an object is related to how the object is illuminated (CCC-CE-P1). As students engage in the design challenge, they develop their ideas through content driven activities that can be applied to their solution. Students are able to evaluate their work by testing their solutions and receiving peer feedback.
Examples where phenomena or problems do not drive students’ learning across multiple lessons:
In Grade 1, Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles, Activity 4: A Look at the Stars, the phenomenon that the stars appear to move across the night sky does not drive learning across the sequence. Instead, the phenomenon only drives learning in a single lesson in the sequence. Students are introduced to the movement of stars using a simulation and observe the stars moving across the sky at an accelerated pace. Then, students participate in a model of the sun, earth, and stars to demonstrate why stars appear to move over the course of one night and over the course of a year. In the second lesson, students use Stellarium, but this time they look for groups of stars that appear to make a pattern. The teacher introduces constellations as the name of some of these groups. Students read a story in the Student Journal about the constellation Orion. Students then create their own constellation and tell a story about their invented constellation.
In Grade 1, Plants and Animal Traits, Activity 5: Plants and Animals and Their Young, a phenomenon or problem does not drive learning. Instead, the lesson focuses on the concept that animals have unique and diverse life cycles. The teacher reads the class the trade book Whose Baby Is This? to show students how some young animals look similar to their parents but others look very different. They also discuss how many animal parents care for their offspring after it is born. Then, students engage in an activity where they match a picture of a baby animal to its parent. Through a class discussion, they discover that some animals have unique life cycles that cause them to look different than their parents at birth. Students then look at four diagrams explaining the diverse life cycles of plants, insects, amphibians, and animals that do not go through metamorphosis. Students choose an animal and write a story about its life cycle.
In Grade 1, Waves: Light and Sound, Activity 3: What Can We Learn from a Shadow?, a problem or phenomenon does not drive learning. Instead, learning is guided by the concept of what causes shadows and how they can change. First, students read and discuss a story about shadows following a variety of animal characters. Next, they explore how to change the shape and length of shadows. Students then observe shadows outside at various points in the day and explain why they changed. Finally, students make a plan to use transparent, translucent, opaque, and reflective materials to solve the previously introduced problem of a tree house not getting enough light.