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. Most lessons have multiple objectives and while each of these objectives may include one or two dimensions, the objectives are not individually three dimensional. A few lessons include three-dimensional learning objectives; these are generally the Think Like a Scientist or Think Like an Engineer lessons and a Performance Expectation is used as the lesson level objective. 

All lessons include a Wrap It Up section where students are assessed on the learning objectives; however, the questions typically only address one or two dimensions. In addition, each unit includes a Checkpoint quiz that has one-dimensional items that assess the DCI and sometimes one or two other dimensions. All of the Investigate lessons and Think Like a Scientist/Engineer lessons are group activities and students are individually assessed on a rubric used by both teacher and student; however, many of these rubrics serve as checklists rather than a reflection of students meeting the learning objectives. Overall, the materials do not provide guidance to teachers for using formative assessment data to support the instructional process. In a few instances, the Science Background section will mention misconceptions and ideas to build student understanding, however, these are not connected to a formative assessment. 

Examples of lessons that do not have three-dimensional objectives, 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, Unit 1: Physical Science, Lesson Sequence 1, Lesson: Magnetism, there are three learning objectives: “describe magnetism,” “identify substances that are attracted to a magnet,” and “explain how the property of magnetism can be tested.” These are not three-dimensional objectives. Students are assessed with three Wrap It Up questions and a digital assessment. Students answer the question, what is magnetism (DCI-PS1.A-E3), they provide an example of an item that is magnetic and identify the type of metal it most likely contains (DCI-PS1.A-E3), and they determine how the property of magnetism can be tested (DCI-PS1.A-E3, SEP-INV-E2). These questions assess the learning objectives but do not address all three dimensions. The teacher materials provide no guidance for modifying instruction if students do not meet the objectives for this lesson.

• In Grade 5, Unit 1: Physical Science, Lesson Sequence 2, Lesson: Investigate: Changing States of Water, there are two learning objectives: “determine whether matter is conserved during a change in state,” and “describe changes in the physical properties of matter that occur during changes in state.” These are not three-dimensional objectives. Students are assessed with four Wrap It Up questions, a teacher rubric, and student self-assessment rubrics. Students determine which properties of water stay the same after cooling, which properties change, and then explain the differences in the bags after Step 4 (DCI-PS1.A-E2). Students explain how their findings demonstrate the conservation of matter (DCI-PS1.A-E2). These questions assess the learning objectives but do not address all three dimensions. The teacher rubric assesses students while they conduct the investigation. There are no provided student expected responses, and the teacher materials provide no guidance for modifying instruction if students do not meet the objectives for this lesson.

• In Grade 5, Unit 2: Life Science, Lesson Sequence 2, Lesson: Cycles of Matter, there is one learning objective: “describe how matter cycles through an ecosystem and among the plants, animals, and microbes that live and die in the environment.” This is not a three-dimensional objective. Students are assessed with three Wrap It Up questions that  ask students to identify the role of decomposers in the nitrogen cycle (DCI-LS2.B-E1, CCC-SYS-E2), explain why the carbon dioxide–oxygen cycle is important to plants and animals (DCI-LS2.B-E1), and to draw a diagram with arrows to sequence organisms that are part of the nitrogen cycle (DCI-LS2.B-E1, CCC-SYS-E2). These questions assess the learning objectives but do not address all three dimensions. There are no provided student expected responses and the teacher materials provide no guidance for modifying instruction if students do not meet the objectives for this lesson.

• In Grade 5, Unit 3: Earth Science, Lesson Sequence 2, Lesson: The Ocean Affects Climate, there is one learning objective: “describe how the ocean influences climate.”  This is not a three-dimensional objective. Students are assessed with three Wrap It Up questions that ask students to define climate, explain how the Gulf Stream affects the climate of the United States (DCI-ESS2.A-E1), and explain how the ocean impacts local temperatures near the coast (DCI-ESS2.A-E1). These questions assess the learning objectives but do not address all three dimensions. The teacher materials provide no guidance for modifying instruction if students do not meet the objectives for this lesson.

• In Grade 5, Unit 4: Earth Science, Lesson Sequence 2, Lesson: Apparent Motion, there are two learning objectives: “describe how Earth, sun, and moon move in space and as a system” and “relate gravitational force to the motions of Earth, the sun, and the moon in space.” These are not three-dimensional objectives.Students are assessed with three Wrap It Up questions and a digital assessment. Students are asked to contrast real and apparent motion, explain why celestial bodies seem to change positions (DCI-ESS1.B-E1), and determine if a plane moving across the sky is real or apparent motion, and classify additional scenarios as real or apparent motion. These questions partially assess the learning objectives but do not address all three dimensions.The teacher materials provide no guidance for modifying instruction if students do not meet the objectives for this lesson.

Examples of lessons that have three-dimensional objectives, 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, Unit 1: Physical Science, Lesson Sequence 1, Lesson: Think Like a Scientist: Develop a Model, there is one learning objective, “develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen.” This is a three-dimensional learning objective. Students are assessed with three Wrap It Up questions, a teacher rubric, and student self-assessment rubric. The Wrap It Up questions ask students to explain what a model is (SEP-MOD-E4), identify the components of a model, and to identify the type of matter that their model represents (DCI-PS1.A-E1).  While these three questions connect to the objective but focus on describing the group project. The rubric consists of five statements related to how students conduct the investigation. These assessments partially assess the learning objectives but do not address all three dimensions. The teacher materials provide no guidance for modifying instruction if students do not meet the objectives for this lesson. 

• In Grade 5, Unit 4: Earth Science, Lesson Sequence 2, Lesson: Investigate: Apparent Brightness, there is one learning objective, “use data from the investigation to support an argument that differences in the apparent brightness of the sun compared to other stars is due to their relative distances from Earth.”  This is a three-dimensional learning objective. Students are assessed with three Wrap It Up questions, a teacher rubric, and a student self-assessment rubric. Students describe the brightness of model stars in the investigation, explain which star could represent the Sun (DCI-ESS1.A-E1), and support an argument about why stars the same size may be different brightnesses (DCI-ESS1.A-E1, SEP-ARG-E4). The teacher rubric assesses students on various components of the investigation, including how well they identify the given claim, how well they create a model of apparent brightness, and how well they show apparent brightness in their model (SEP-MOD-E3, DCI-ESS1.A-E1). The objectives are met though they are not 3D. These assessments partially assess the learning objectives but do not address all three dimensions. The teacher materials provide no guidance for modifying instruction if students do not meet the objectives for this lesson.

• In Grade 5, Unit 4: Earth Science, Lesson Sequence 2, Lesson: Investigate: Moon Phases, there is one learning objective, “collect and analyze data to identify sequences and predict patterns of change in the observable appearance of the moon over time.” This is a three-dimensional learning objective. Students are assessed with three Wrap It Up questions, a teacher rubric, and a student self-assessment rubric. Students identify the direction of the moon around Earth (DCI-ESS1.B-E1), predict moon phases based on their observations (DCI-ESS1.B-E1), and contrast their model with the real system (SEP-MOD-E1). The teacher rubric assesses students on various components of the investigation, including how well they identify the direction of the moon’s movement, how well they create their model, and how well they use the model to make predictions (DCI-ESS1.B-E1). These assessments partially assess the learning objectives but do not address all three dimensions.The teacher materials provide no guidance for modifying instruction if students do not meet the objectives for this lesson.

Examples of lessons that have three-dimensional objectives, the formative assessment task(s) assess student knowledge of all (three) dimensions in the learning objective, but do not provide guidance to support the instructional process.

• In Grade 5,  Unit 2: Life Science,  Lesson Sequence 2, Lesson: Think Like A Scientist: Compare and Contrast, there is one learning objective: “use food chains as models to compare the pathway of energy from the sun through the organisms in two different environments.” This is a three-dimensional learning objective. Students are assessed with two Wrap It Up questions, a teacher rubric, and a student self-assessment rubric. The Wrap It Up questions ask students to interpret diagrams to identify the original source of energy for both food chains (DCI-PS3.D-E2) and to compare how the producers and consumers in the pond are similar to and different from those in the rainforest (DCI-PS3.D-E2, CCC-EM-E2). The teacher rubric consists of four statements related to the investigation and assess whether students identify a food chain as a model describing energy flow throughout a system; compare a pond food chain to a rainforest food chain, identifying how they were alike. (DCI-PS3.D-E2, CCC-EM-E2);  contrast a pond food chain to a rainforest food chain, identifying how they were different (DCI-PS3.D-E2); and use the model to describe the relationship between energy from the sun and energy animals get from the food they eat (SEP-MOD-P2, DCI-PS3.D-E2, CCC-EM-E2). While each assessment question is not three-dimensional, collectively they assess the three-dimensional objective. The teacher materials provide no guidance for modifying instruction if students do not meet the objectives for this lesson. 

• In Grade 5, Unit 2: Life Science, Lesson Sequence 2, Lesson: Think Like A Scientist: Develop A Model, there is one learning objective, “develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.” This is a three-dimensional learning objective. Students are assessed with four Wrap It Up questions, a teacher rubric, and a student self-assessment rubric. The teacher rubric consists of five statements that assess whether students develop a model of a chosen ecosystem that identifies the living and nonliving things in the ecosystem (SEP-MOD-E6);  the model explains the relationship among organisms by demonstrating the movement of matter within the ecosystem; the model explains the role of producers, consumers, decomposers, and nonliving elements of the ecosystem in this process (DCI-LS2.A-E1, CCC-SYS-E2, SEP-MOD-E6); whether students use the model to explain either the carbon dioxide-oxygen cycle or the nitrogen cycle in the chosen ecosystem (SEP-MOD-E6, DCI-2.B-E1); whether students use the model to explain how the living and nonliving things unique to the chosen ecosystem transfer matter through interactions (CCC-EM-E2, DCI-LS2.A-E1, SEP-MOD-E6)’ and whether students use the model to explain how changes to part of the ecosystem can change the ecosystem. (SEP-MOD-E6, CCC-SYS-E2). These assessments are three dimensional and assess the learning objective. The teacher materials provide no guidance for modifying instruction if students do not meet the objectives for this lesson. 

• In Grade 5, Unit 3: Earth Science, Lesson Sequence 1, Lesson: Investigate: Interactions of Earth’s Systems, there is one learning objective: “model the interactions of Earth’s major systems.” This is a three-dimensional learning objective. Students are assessed with three Wrap It Up questions, a teacher rubric, and student self-assessment rubric. Students explain how their models demonstrate each system (DCI-ESS2.A-E1), how the plants interacted with the hydrosphere (CCC-SYS-E1), and use their model to identify that condensation and evaporation may occur. The teacher rubric assesses students on various components of the investigation, including how well they build a model to show Earth’s systems, how well they interact, how the parts affect the function of the systems, and the limitations of the model (DCI-ESS2.A-E1, CCC-SYS-E1; SEP-MOD-E1). These assessments collectively assess all three dimensions and the learning objectives. The teacher materials provide no guidance for modifying instruction if students do not meet the objectives for this lesson

• In Grade 5, Unit 4: Earth Science, Lesson Sequence 1, Lesson: Investigate: Gravity, there is one learning objective: “gather data to support an argument that the gravitational force exerted by Earth on objects is directed down.”  This is a three-dimensional learning objective. Students are assessed with two Wrap It Up questions, a teacher rubric, and a student self-assessment rubric. Students are asked to use evidence from their investigation to support an argument that the force of Earth’s gravity on an object is directed down (DCI-PS2.B-E1, SEP-ARG-E4, and CCC-CE-E1). The teacher rubric assesses students on various components of the investigation, including how well they identify the claim that gravity pulls objects to earth, make predictions, follow the experiment, and construct an argument (SEP-ARG-E4). These assessments collectively assess all three dimensions and the learning objectives. The teacher materials provide no guidance for modifying instruction if students do not meet the objectives for this lesson.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 do not meet expectations that they are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence of the three-dimensional learning in the instructional materials. Each unit consists of two or three lesson sequences that include bundles of performance expectations (PEs) as the objectives for each; therefore, all units had three-dimensional learning objectives. 

In some multiple choice questions, students use an image or diagram to respond to questions, but no questions within the Unit Test or ExamView bank were three dimensional. The SEPs and CCCs were not typically assessed. Other question types include fill-in-the-blank and matching questions; however, these also assessed only the targeted DCIs and often focused on vocabulary. Constructed response questions provide limited opportunities to assess two dimensions within the objectives. However, because teachers have the flexibility of selecting the items, not all students may answer the same questions.

The Unit Performance Task provides opportunities to assess student understanding and use of SEP and/or CCC elements; however, typically only one SEP and/or CCC per unit is assessed, missing opportunities to assess each element within the unit objectives. In addition, the unit assessments do not fully assess the ETS performance expectations.

Examples of units that have three-dimensional objectives; the summative assessment tasks do not assess student knowledge of all (three) dimensions in the learning objectives..

• In Grade 5, Unit 1: Physical Science, the three-dimensional objectives include five performance expectations: 5-PS1-1, 5-PS1-2, 5-PS1-3, 5-PS1-4, and 3-5 ETS 1-2. The objectives are partially assessed by the two summative assessments in the unit, a Performance Task and a Unit Test. In Part I of the Performance Task, students observe a rock then use a key to determine the type of rock. In Part 2, students create their own key using objects in their classroom. There are missed opportunities in this assessment for students to explain why different properties can be used to identify a material. The Unit Test includes12 questions: eight multiple choice questions, three constructed response questions, and one question where students create a graph. Most of the items are one dimensional and assess the DCIs only. For example, in Questions 4 and 5, students answer questions about the mass of water and mass of ice, and the mass is conserved during state changes (DCI-PS1.B-E2). Questions 6-8 assess understanding of electrical conductors; however, this is not a targeted DCI in the learning objectives. One question assesses a crosscutting concept element; in Question 11, students use evidence to explain that mixing two substances causes a chemical change that results in a new substance (CCC-CE-E1). Multiple CCC, DCI, and SEP elements within the unit objectives are not assessed, and the ETS PE is not assessed by the summative assessments. 

• In Grade 5, Unit 2: Physical Science, the three-dimensional objectives include four performance expectations: 5-LS1-1, 5-PS3-1, 5-LS2-1, 3–5-ETS1-1. The objectives are partially assessed by the two summative assessments in the unit, a Performance Task and a Unit Test. In the Performance Task, students design a video game that shows the impact of an invasive species on an ecosystem. The rubric assesses students on all three dimensions of 5-LS2-1 by asking students to describe characteristics of an invasive species, draw a model of an ecosystem, predict changes in the ecosystem based on the impact of the invasive species, show the flow of energy in the ecosystem, propose a solution to control the invasive species, and show the relationship between a decrease in the invasive species and other producers and consumers in the ecosystem and energy flow (SEP-MOD-E4, DCI-LS2.A-E1, CCC-SYS-E2). The Unit Test includes 14 items: nine multiple choice questions and five constructed response questions. These questions assess the DCIs for the learning objectives. Multiple CCC and SEP elements within the unit objectives are not assessed and the ETS PE is not assessed by the summative assessments. 

• In Grade 5, Unit 3: Earth Science, the three-dimensional objectives include three performance expectations: 5-ESS2-1, 5-ESS2-2, 5-ESS3-1. The objectives are partially assessed by the two summative assessments in the unit, a Performance Task and a Unit Test. In the Performance Task, students select an item from the trash and research how it is made and used. Students draw  how the process of making, using, or recycling the material affects an earth system. Students describe and label their drawing and answer questions about their drawing. Students are assessed on eight criteria: 1) Students select an object that is usually discarded or recycled, and use reliable, valid sources to research how the object is made and used (SEP-INFO-E4). 2) Students draw a model that shows how making, using, or recycling the chosen object affects an earth system (DCI-ESS3.C-E1, CCC-CE-E1).  3) Students include captions, labels, and other descriptive elements in their drawings. 4) Students identify the effect illustrated in the drawing as positive or negative (DCI-ESS3.C-E1).  5) Students research upcycling ideas for the object (SEP-INFO-E4). 6) Students upcycle the object and describe the results. 7) Students evaluate the upcycled object and make suggestions for improvements.  8) Students revise their drawings to show how the upcycled object lessened the negative effect or increased the positive effect on the earth system (DCI-ESS3.C-E1, CCC-CE-E1) The Unit Test includes 15 items: nine multiple choice questions and six constructed response questions. Most of the items are one dimensional and assess the DCIs. Question 5, students answer, “Which systems interact to cause monsoons? (DCI-ESS2.A-E1). There is a missed opportunity for students to demonstrate understanding of the crosscutting concept of systems. Multiple CCC, DCI, and SEP elements within the unit objectives are not assessed. 

• In Grade 5, Unit 4: Earth Science, the three-dimensional objectives include four performance expectations: 5-PS 2-1, 5-ESS 1-1, 5 ESS 1-2, and 3-5-ETS1-3. The objectives are partially assessed by the two summative assessments in the unit, a Performance Task and a Unit Test. In the Performance Task, students read a passage about two sisters arguing if the sun is the biggest star (since it is the brightest) (DCI-ESS1.A-E1). Students identify the correct sister and what she is trying to prove, what evidence she would need to support her claim, and how she would research her claim. Students then gather data about stars to show their sizes and distance from earth. Students use their data to support the argument that the sun is not the biggest star despite its brightness (SEP-ARG-E4). The Unit Test includes 15 items: 11 multiple choice questions and four constructed response questions, one of which has students draw a diagram. All of the items meet only the DCIs or SEPs. In Question 1, students view pictures of two different moon phases and identify why they look different (DCI-ESS1.B-E1). In Question 4, students identify why the Northern and Southern hemispheres have opposite seasons (DCI-ESS1.B-E1). In Question 6, students identify that if the Earth and Sun were farther away they would not have the same gravitational attraction (DCI-PS2.B-E1). In Question 14, students explain how a student should set up a model to show the relationship between the sun’s energy and earth’s seasons (DCI-ESS1.B-E1, SEP-MOD-E3). Multiple CCC, DCI, and SEP elements within the unit objectives are not assessed.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 do not meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems are presented to students as directly as possible. The one phenomenon is presented as directly as possible. None of the problems are presented in the most direct way possible; these are often presented through videos or pictures, even when opportunities for direct experiences are possible after safety and materials consideration. The materials provide suggestions on the use of videos to introduce problems to students; however not all videos are linked in the materials and therefore cannot be evaluated.

Example of the phenomenon presented to students as directly as possible:

• In Grade 5, Unit 4: Earth Science, Lesson Sequence 2, Lesson: Investigate: Sunlight and Shadows, the phenomena is that shadows change shape with the movement of light. The phenomena is presented through a teacher-led demonstration of  creating shadows with flashlights in a dark room. The phenomenon is presented to students as directly as possible as all students have a first-hand experience and common entry point of observing the shadows created from the flashlight. 

Examples of problems not presented to students as directly as possible:

• In Grade 5, Unit 1: Physical Science,  Lesson Sequence 1, Lesson: STEM Engineering Project: Design a Lunchbox, the challenge is to design a lunch box that must keep one bottle of water cold, keep a second bottle of water warm, and hold both bottles firmly in place. The challenge is presented to students through a picture of a thermogram of a house that has a pattern of heat loss and an image of a hiker on a snowy day with a hot beverage. The image does not show steam rising from the cup.  The reading explains that the liquid is hot. 

• In Grade 5, Unit 2: Life Science, Lesson Sequence 2, Lesson: STEM Engineering Project: Design Aquaponics, the problem is to design an aquaponics system to help provide food for a community. The problem is presented to students through a review of a prior lessons’ ecosystem pond model, a video of a snail eating algae, and a photo and text about aquaponics. While students read about the problem, they only see an incomplete image of an aquaponics system.

• In Grade 5, Unit 4: Earth Science, Lesson Sequence 1, Lesson: STEM Space Station Project, the challenge is to design, build, test a toy roller coaster that can work on earth.  Then modify it to work in space. The challenge is presented to students through a video explaining NASA’s International Toys in Space program and includes images of what certain toys look like in zero gravity. While the video provides a practical way for students to view toys in space, the challenge is not presented as directly as possible because students only read about an amusement park which does not provide a direct common experience.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 do not meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems drive individual lessons or activities using key elements of all three dimensions.

Across the grade, phenomena and problems are presented in four of the 95 lessons. In two lessons, a problem or phenomena drives the learning and students utilize all three dimensions to solve the problem. In one lesson, a problem drives the learning of the lesson, but students engage in one or two dimensions as they make sense of the phenomenon or solve the problem. The remaining three problems are addressed within the lesson, but do not drive the learning of the lesson.

In the remaining 91 lessons, questions related to science concepts or topics are often the focus of the learning instead of a driving phenomenon or problem. Additionally, students typically only engage in one or two dimensions within each lesson. Lessons focus on having students explain the concept or idea, build vocabulary, and/or answer a topical question.

Examples of lessons that did not use phenomena and/or problems to drive student learning:

• In Grade 5, Unit 1: Physical Science, Lesson Sequence 2, Lesson: Heating, students do not engage with a lesson-level phenomenon or problem. Instead, the focus of the learning is on the question, “How can matter such as water change when heated?” as students build understanding about melting and boiling point of matter. Students watch a video of liquid nitrogen being poured onto a room temperature surface. They reflect on examples of heating they have seen, preview text, and discuss what they think is happening in the images as they complete the anticipation guide. Throughout the lesson, students define key terms from the text and learn that when water boils, the amount of water is conserved as it transfers from one state of matter to another (DCI-PS1.A-E2). They learn about the three scales for measurement for temperature (CCC-SPQ-E2). 

• In Grade 5, Unit 1: Physical Science, Lesson Sequence 2, Lesson: Investigate Chemical Reactions, students do not engage with a lesson-level phenomenon or problem. Instead, the focus of the learning is on the topic of chemical change. Students see an antacid dropped in water and are asked what is happening. They then repeat the experiments themselves in a guided experiment and explain how they knew a new substance formed (DCI-PS1.B-E1). They discuss potential errors in the experiment and how it could have impacted the results and repeat the experiment to confirm results (SEP-INV-E2). They explain how their findings supported the law of conservation of matter and work in partner pairs to determine cause and effect relationships evident from the investigation (CCC-CE-E1). 

• In Grade 5, Unit 2: Life Science, Lesson Sequence 2, Lesson: Tallgrass Prairie Ecosystem, students do not engage with lesson-level phenomenon or problems. Instead, the focus of the learning is on the topic of ecosystems. Students explain that organisms can survive only in environments in which their particular needs are met. Students read text and answer questions about the importance of living and nonliving things in an ecosystem. They watch an animation and learn the components of ecosystems, how ecosystems are classified, and roles organisms play in ecosystems. Students answer questions about how the needs of organisms that live in a tallgrass prairie environment are met and how organisms only survive where their needs are met (DCI-LS2.B-E1). Students explain the relationships and interactions between living and nonliving things in a tallgrass prairie ecosystem (CCC-SYS-E2). 

• In Grade 5, Unit 3: Earth Science, Lesson Sequence 1, Lesson: Earth’s Major Systems, students do not engage with lesson-level phenomenon or problems. Instead, the focus of the learning is on the question, “What are Earth’s major systems and how do they interact?”  Students are shown a rock, a filled balloon, a cup of water, and a houseplant and are asked which of Earth’s systems each one represents. They preview the reading and read with the focus of asking what are Earth’s major systems and how they interact (DCI-ESS2.A-E1). They describe how various systems interact. Students engage in a jigsaw where they identify various aspects of one of Earth’s systems, focusing on some of the specific pieces of it (CCC-SYS-E2). 

• In Grade 5, Unit 3: Earth Science, Lesson Sequence 1, Lesson: Protecting Land, Air, and Water, students do not engage with lesson-level phenomenon or problems. Instead, the focus of the learning is on the question, “What is the importance of conserving Earth’s resources and what are some conservation methods?” as students explain and describe the importance of conserving Earth’s resources and analyze products to determine which are least harmful to the Earth. Students preview the text and then read with a focus on conservation methods and why conservation is important. They define conservation and identify methods of conservation (DCI-ESS2.C-E1). In the Science in a Snap, students collect, review, and discuss recycling codes on various materials. They identify a local issue of concern for them and explain how it impacts an Earth system and a conservation method they can undertake (CCC-SYS-E2). 

• In Grade 5, Unit 3: Earth Science, Lesson Sequence 3, Lesson: STEM Research Project: Energize, students do not engage with a lesson-level phenomenon or problem. Instead, the focus of the learning is on the topics of wind and solar energy. Students see an image of a solar farm and theorize why it has so many panels. They discuss where good places for wind farms might be (DCI-ESS2.C-E1). Students research a wind and solar energy product: explain how it works, where and how it is manufactured, its costs, the benefits and drawbacks, and provide two interesting facts about it. They obtain and combine resources to communicate their scientific information (SEP-INFO-E5). Students are encouraged to link their knowledge of systems and system models and think about how their products relate (CCC-SYS-E2). Throughout the lesson students use all three dimensions to engage in the research project. 

Example where a problem drives individual lessons, but does not use all three dimensions:

• In Grade 5, Unit 1: Physical Science, Lesson Sequence 1, Lesson: STEM Engineering Project: Design a Lunchbox, the challenge is to design a lunch box that must keep one bottle of water cold, one bottle warm, and holds both bottles in place. Students read about examples of thermograms, including a house with heat loss and a hiker on a snowy day with a beverage. They identify the problem, criteria, and constraints (DCI-ETS1.A-E1). Students choose from selected materials to insulate the water bottles and design a fair test (SEP-ADP-E5). Students test their solutions and record the results in a graph and table (SEP-DATA-E1). Then present their solutions to determine which design best meets the criteria and respond to several questions, including the scale of measurement used in the challenge (CCC-SPQ-E2; SEP-INV-E2). Students do not engage in a life, earth, or physical science DCI or associated element as they complete this challenge. 

Examples of phenomena and problems that drive student learning at the lesson or activity level using the three dimensions:

• In Grade 5, Unit 2: Life Science, Lesson Sequence 2, Lesson: STEM Engineering Project: Design an Aquaponics System, the problem is to design an aquaponics system to help provide food for a community. Students read text, define aquaponics, and use their understanding of ecosystems and their interactions to build an aquaponics system (DCI-LS2.A-E1, DCI-LS2.B-E1). Throughout the lesson sequence students are guided through the design cycle and discuss  improvements to their aquaponics system and create a poster to show how water and nutrients flow through their system (SEP-MOD-E4, CCC-SYS-E2). Creating the poster helps students understand that matter cycles between the air and soil and among plants, animals, and microbes as these organisms live and die. 

• In Grade 5, Unit 4: Earth Science, Lesson Sequence 2, Lesson: Investigate Sunlight and Shadows, the phenomenon is that shadows change shape with the movement of light. Students observe that shadows change as the flashlight moves, create and record data on pencil’s shadow at different times of the day, and determine how angle of the sun affects shadows and predict shadow length (SEP-MOD-E4, DCI-ESS1.B-E1). Students use their data table to graph the shadow lengths and describe the patterns they observed to predict what tomorrow’s shadows might look like (SEP-DATA-E1, CCC-PAT-E2).

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. While some phenomena and problems in the grade drive learning of individual lessons or activities, they do not drive learning across multiple lessons in a lesson sequence or across the unit. 

None of the nine lesson sequences have problems or phenomena that drive learning across multiple lessons. All of the nine lesson sequences engage students with all three dimensions. None of the nine lesson sequences have opportunities for students to develop, evaluate, and revise their thinking as they figure out phenomena and define/solve problems. The four units in grade 5 do not have an anchoring phenomena but are instead set up by topical strands such as Physical, Life, and Earth science. 

Examples of a lesson sequence where student learning is not driven by a phenomenon or problem across multiple lessons, but the materials engage students with all three dimensions: 

• In Grade 5 Unit 1:Physical Science,  Lesson Sequence 1, a phenomenon or problem does not drive student learning across multiple lessons. Instead, the focus of the learning is on the topic of properties of matter. Throughout the lesson sequence, students learn about the phases of matter and properties of matter. In the first two lessons in the lesson sequence, students learn that matter is made of particles and the states of matter (DCI-PS1.A-E1). In the next two lessons students perform a demonstration and make observations to answer the question: “How can you detect materials that have dissolved in water? (DCI-PS1.A-E1). Students then develop a model to represent that matter is made of particles (DCI-PS1.A-E1, SEP-MOD-P3) and identify other things, besides particles, that are too small to see (CCC-SPQ-E1, DCI-PS1.A-E3). In the seventh and eighth lesson in the lesson sequence, students learn about hardness, test, and determine a material’s hardness, record data, and draw conclusions on the hardness of minerals from softest to hardest (SEP-INV-P4, DCI-PS1.A-E3, and CCC-SPQ-P1). Students learn about the property of magnetism and electrical conductivity, conduct an investigation to test which materials conduct electricity, and use their observations to identify which materials are insulators or conductors (DCI-PS1.A-E3). Students learn about thermal conductivity and the terms solution and solubility as they predict, test and observe what happens to different materials dropped in water (DCI-PS1.A-E3, SEP-DATA-P4). 

• In Grade 5,  Unit 1: Physical Science,  Lesson Sequence 2,  a phenomenon or problem does not drive student learning across multiple lessons. Instead, the focus of the learning is on the topic of conservation of matter. Throughout the lesson sequence, students learn about physical changes of matter, including mixtures and substances, and then about chemical changes and reactions. In the first two lessons in the lesson sequence, students dive further into heat and cooling to change states (DCI-PS1.A-E2). In the third lesson, students engage with an engineering project related to thermal insulation as they design a lunchbox meant to keep the physical states of matter constant and make changes based on peer feedback (SEP-AQDP-E5, SEP-INV-E1, SEP-DATA-E1, SEP-CEDS-E5, and CCC-SPQ-E2). In the fourth through sixth lessons in the lesson sequence, students perform various investigations to show matter is conserved in physical changes (DCI-PS1.A-E2, SEP-MATH-E3, CCC-SPQ-E2, SEP-INV-E1, and SEP-DATA-E1). In the seventh through tenth lessons in the lesson sequence,  students learn about chemical changes, conduct investigations with chemical reactions to confirm the total mass has not changed, plan and conduct an investigation to identify the white powder, and use the information to identify the unknown materials (DCI-PS1.B-E2, SEP-CEDS-E2, CCC-CE-E1, SEP-INV-E1, SEP-DATA-E1, SEP-ARG-E4, and DCI-PS1.A-E3). 

• In Grade 5, Unit 2: Life Science, Lesson Sequence 1, a phenomenon or problem does not drive student learning across multiple lessons. Instead, the focus of the learning is on the topic of plants' needs in terms of matter and energy. Throughout this lesson sequence, students extend their learning on what plants need to survive and grow. In the first three lessons, students identify what plants need to grow, how photosynthesis works, and explain that plants get the materials they need for growth from air and water (DCI-LS1.C-E2, CCC-EM-E2). In Think Like An Engineer, students learn about the hydroponic system as a solution for growing crops in areas that do not have good soil (DCI-LS1.C-E2). In Think Like A Scientist, students collect evidence from previous lessons and investigations about the materials that plants need to grow, compare their evidence, and construct an argument about where plants get the material they need to grow (DCI-LS1.C-E2, SEP-ARG-E4). Lastly, students discuss the connection between energy, food, and growth (DCI-LS1.C-E1). 

• In Grade 5, Unit 2: Life Science Lesson Sequence 2, a phenomenon or problem does not drive student learning across multiple lessons. Instead, the focus of the learning is on the topics of ecosystems, food webs, chains, and cycles of matter. In Think Like a Scientist, students compare and contrast a pond food chain with a rainforest food chain to discover and discuss that the pathway of energy begins with the sun energy is transferred in different forms within a food chain (SEP-MOD-E4, DCI-PS3.D-E2, DCI-LS1.C-E1, CCC-EM-E3). In Desert Food Web, students learn about food webs, complete a virtual lab to identify and determine relationships between producers and consumers and describe energy transfer in different trophic levels (DCI-LS2.A-E, CCC-SYS-E2). In Decomposers, students learn about the types of decomposers and the role of decomposers in the cycles of matter and discuss how decomposers interact with other organisms in an ecosystem (DCI-LS2.B-E1, CCC-SYS-E2). In Cycles of Matter, students draw a cartoon explaining how animals obtain and release matter into the environment and  answer questions related to the carbon dioxide-oxygen cycle and the nitrogen cycle (DCI-LS2.B-E1). In the second Think Like A Scientist lesson, students create either a model of the carbon dioxide-oxygen cycle or the nitrogen cycle using the organisms in an ecosystem and  demonstrate how matter moves throughout the entire system by showing the relationship between the nonliving characteristics of the ecosystem as well as the interactions between plants, animals, and decomposers (SEP-MOD-E4, DCI-LS2.B-E.1, and CCC-SYS-E2). In the STEM Engineering Project, students use their understanding of ecosystems and their interactions to build an aquaponics system, create a poster to show how water and nutrients move through their system, and use data to improve their designs (DCI-LS2.A-E1, DCI-LS2.B-E1, SEP-MOD-E4, and CCC-SYS-E2).

• In Grade 5, Unit 3:Earth Science, Lesson Sequence 1, a phenomenon or problem does not drive student learning across multiple lessons. Instead, the focus of the learning is on the topic of the four earth systems. Students read about each of earth’s systems, describing each system and how they interact (DCI-ESS2.A-E1, CCC-SYS-E2). Students build a terrarium, observe their terrarium, collect data and  answer questions about how systems interact (SEP-MOD-P3, DCI-ESS2.A-E1,  CCC-CE-E1). 

• In Grade 5, Unit 3: Earth Science, Lesson Sequence 2,  a phenomenon or problem does not drive student learning across multiple lessons. Instead, the focus of the learning is on the topic of the hydrosphere. Throughout the lesson sequence, students focus on the interactions between the hydrosphere and the geosphere. Students read about and make inferences about ocean ecosystems, how organisms interact, and discuss how the hydrosphere can impact other systems through processes like erosion (DCI-ESS2.A-E, CCC-CE-E2). Students learn the effects of weather and climate in the US and how systems interact with each other and develop an explanatory model to describe an interaction between two of earth’s spheres (SEP-MOD-E3, CCC-SYS-E2, DCI-ESS2.A-E1).

• In Grade 5, Unit 3: Earth Science, Lesson Sequence 3, a phenomenon or problem does not drive student learning across multiple lessons. Instead, the focus of the learning is on the topic of human impact on the environment. Throughout the lesson sequence, students learn how human activities impact earth's systems as they classify natural resources as renewable or non-renewable,  describe how humans impact the land, and explain how agriculture impacts the land  (DCI-ESS3.C-E1). Students learn how pollution impacts the biosphere, types of pollution  and the effects of pollution on the earth’s systems (CCC-SYS-E2). Students describe human activities connected with water, air, and space and how the activities impact natural resources, select a resource to research, obtain and combine information and communicate scientific knowledge (DCI-ESS2.C-E1, SEP-INFO-E5).  Students link their knowledge of systems and system models as they discuss the impact of their resources on other systems (CCC-SYS-E2).

• In Grade 5 Unit 4: Earth Science, Lesson Sequence 2, a phenomenon or problem does not drive student learning across multiple lessons. Instead, the focus of the learning is the topic of the brightness of the sun and other stars. In the second sequence of lessons, students observe patterns of daily changes in length and direction of shadows, day and night, and the seasonal appearance of some stars in the night sky. In Our Star - The Sun, students complete an activity to understand the size of an object appears to differ when it is viewed from different distances (DCI-ESS1.A-E1). In Investigate: Apparent Brightness, students make predictions about the apparent brightness of penlights for each distance, conduct an investigation and use their evidence to support an argument that the brightness of stars depends on their distances from earth (DCI-ESS1.A-E.1, SEP-ARG-E4). In Investigate: Sunlight and Shadows, students observe how the changing angle between the sun and their location on earth’s surface affects shadows caused by sunlight and discuss the patterns of shadows they observed throughout the day (DCI-ESS1.B-E.1, CCC-PAT-E1). In Investigate: Graph Hours of Daylight, students plot data on a graph to reveal patterns of the average number of daylight hours in Chicago, Illinois, during a year (DCI-ESS1.B-E.1, SEP-DATA-E1). In Think Like a Scientist, students create a graphical display that shows the changing position of their selected constellation in the night sky for three seasons and use their displays to describe the pattern of the appearance of stars in the sky (DCI-ESS1.B-E1, SEP-DATA-E1, CCC-PAT-E1). In Investigate: Moon Phases, students record observations on the phases of the moon, analyze their data and use patterns to explain how the moon’s observable appearance changes over time (DCI-ESS1.B-E.1, CCC-PAT-P1).  

• In Grade 5, Unit 4: Earth Science, Lesson Sequence 1, a phenomenon or problem does not drive student learning across multiple lessons. Instead, the focus of the learning is on the topic of gravitational force. In Gravity on Earth, students learn about gravity and the concept of “down” as they view a video on gravitational force and learn how the force of earth’s gravity affects objects on or near it (DCI-PS2.B-E3). In Investigate:Gravity, students discuss the cause and effect relationships of gravity and falling objects and explain that all objects in the investigation fell “down”  (CCC-CE-E1, SEP-ARG-E4). In the STEM: Engineering Project, students design a toy roller coaster that can work on earth and in microgravity and use evidence from their design to argue how their designs would work in microgravity (SEP-ARG-E4, CCC-CE-E1).