2022

Kendall Hunt Certified Version of OpenSciEd

Publisher
Kendall Hunt Publishing Company
Subject
Science
Grades
6-8
Report Release
01/17/2024
Review Tool Version
v1.5
Format
Core: Comprehensive

EdReports reviews determine if a program meets, partially meets, or does not meet expectations for alignment to college and career-ready standards. This rating reflects the overall series average.

Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Meets Expectations

Materials must meet expectations for standards alignment in order to be reviewed for usability. This rating reflects the overall series average.

Usability (Gateway 3)
Meets Expectations
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Report for 6th to 8th

Alignment Summary

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations for Alignment to NGSS, Gateways 1 and 2. 

Gateway 1: Designed for NGSS meets expectations. The materials consistently incorporate three dimensions for students' use and sensemaking. Assessments, both formative and summative, consistently assess three dimensions related to the learning objectives. However, summative assessments miss the opportunity to assess multiple elements of the unit objectives. Phenomena are most commonly present at the unit level and leverage student sensemaking throughout the lessons. When present, phenomena and problems are presented as directly as possible and are connected to grade-band DCIs. The materials elicit student prior knowledge and experience related to the phenomena or problems but miss the opportunity to leverage it in subsequent instruction.

Gateway 2: Coherence & Scope meets expectations. The materials have an intentional sequence with students' tasks related to figuring out phenomena and solving problems increasing in sophistication across the series. The scope of the three dimensions in the standards is attended to across the series with a few missed opportunities to incorporate singular elements from the DCIs and one SEP. The materials are accurate and do not include significant content from outside of the grade-band appropriate DCIs.

6th to 8th
Gateway 1

Designed for NGSS

23/26
0
12
22
26
Gateway 2

Coherence & Scope

55/56
0
29
48
56
Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Meets Expectations
Gateway 3

Usability

23/26
0
16
23
26
Usability (Gateway 3)
Meets Expectations
Overview of Gateway 1

Designed for NGSS

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations for Gateway 1: Designed for NGSS; Criterion 1: Three-Dimensional Learning meets expectations and Criterion 2: Phenomena and Problems Drive Learning meets expectations. 

Criterion 1.1: Three-Dimensional Learning

14/16

Materials are designed for three-dimensional learning and assessment.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations for Criterion 1a-1c: Three-Dimensional Learning. The materials consistently incorporate three dimensions for students' use and sensemaking. Assessments, both formative and summative, consistently assess three dimensions related to the learning objectives. However, summative assessments miss the opportunity to assess multiple elements of the unit objectives.

Indicator 1A
Read

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

Indicator 1A.i
04/04

Materials consistently integrate the three dimensions in student learning opportunities.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they are designed to integrate the Science and Engineering Practices (SEP), Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI), and Crosscutting Concepts (CCC) into student learning opportunities. 

The series contains 18 units with six units per grade level. Each unit contains lesson sets. Across the series, nearly all lesson sets have the opportunity to engage in the three dimensions. Three-dimensional learning is most often within a single lesson within a lesson set. The majority of the time, the first and last lesson in a unit are not positioned for learning and use of the three dimensions; the first lesson is often an introduction to the unit, and the last lesson includes a summative assessment or transfer task.  

Examples where materials include three dimensions and integrate DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs into learning opportunities:

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.4: Plate Tectonics & Rock Cycling, Lessons 10-12, students analyze data to determine if the continents of Africa and South America could have touched in the past. Students use paper samples of the continents to place them a determined distance apart and use data to determine the scale at which they should move. (SEP-DATA-M2). The distance moved is determined by the pattern of plate movement throughout history (CCC-PAT-M3). Students recognize that although plate movement may be small annually, the plates have moved great distances over time (DCI-ESS2.BM1). 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.5, Lesson 9: How can we model the systems put into place to protect communities?, students develop a consensus model of the tsunami system. Students reflect on the subsystems from previous lessons and combine them with the tsunami chain of events to create a systems model (SEP-MOD-M5, CCC-SYS-M2) that will help detect a tsunami, warn communities, and reduce damage from a tsunami (DCI-ESS3.B-M1). 

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.1, Lesson 13: Why do different substances have different odors and how do we detect them?, students collect data during the odor lab (SEP-INV-E3) by detecting the distinct odors of four different substances. Students then read the article about how odors are detected and highlight information (SEP-INFO-M1) that helps them explain how an odor reaching the nose causes the body to perceive smell through receptors (DCI-LS1.D-M1, CCC-CE-M1).

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.6, Lesson 11: Why could burning fossil fuels create a problem for CO2 in the atmosphere?, students modify a model of Earth’s Carbon System and play a dice game to simulate the carbon system before and after human impact. Students work with partners to modify a model (SEP-MOD-M4) of Earth’s Carbon System to show how human processes (DCI-ESS3.D-M1) have changed the movement of carbon on Earth. Burning (combustion) and drilling/mining are added to student models. Students then play a kinesthetic dice game that allows them to better understand the impact of human activity on Earth’s Carbon System (CCC-SYS-M2) by showing the cycle before and after human activity.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.2, Lesson 4: How do the vibrations of the sound source compare for louder versus softer sounds?, students learn how a motion detector works and use it to graph vibrations. They use a stick apparatus to represent vibrations that can be seen. Data is gathered with the stick at rest, the stick pushed lightly, and the stick pushed a bit harder (CCC-SPQ-M1, SEP-INV-M2). The students look for patterns between the stick graphs and graphs created with a speaker creating soft sounds and loud sounds (CCC-PAT-M4, DCI-PS4.A-E2).

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.6, Lesson 7: How do traits found in a population change over a shorter amount of time?, students discuss within groups their analysis of the populations they read about with the goal of figuring out why the changes in populations have occurred (DCI-LS4.B-M1, SEP-DATA-M4). Students refine their thinking by focusing on structures that occurred with the organism over time and how that changed function (CCC-SF-M1). Students focus on what caused the changes in the organism and therefore changes to the population and how that affects the survival of the population (CCC-CE-M2).

Indicator 1A.ii
04/04

Materials consistently support meaningful student sensemaking with the three dimensions.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they consistently support meaningful student sensemaking with the three dimensions. The instructional materials consistently use science and engineering practices (SEPs) and crosscutting concepts (CCCs) to support student sensemaking with other dimensions in nearly all learning sequences. Three-dimensional learning is most often within a single lesson within a lesson set. Lesson subsets that do not support three-dimensional sensemaking most often occur in the beginning lesson set or in the last lesson set where summative assessment takes place.

Examples where materials are designed for SEPs and CCCs to meaningfully support student sensemaking with the other dimensions:

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.3, Lesson 2: What are the conditions like on days when it hails?, students analyze data from hail events to explain the formation of hail. Students analyze photos of hailstones and a map of hail frequency to look for patterns and identify questions they may have about the patterns. Students then analyze weather data (SEP-DATA-M4) from eight hailstorm sites and look for any patterns (CCC-PAT-E2) in location, scale, timing, and weather conditions during hail storms to identify what they have in common (DCI-ESS2.C-M2).

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.3, Lesson 5: What happens to the air near the ground when it is warmed up?, students use a closed bottle containing soap and water to observe what happens to the soap bubble foam when the bottle is placed in a tub of cold water and then a tub of hot water (SEP-INV-M2). Students use their observations to add information about energy transfer (CCC-EM-M4) to the model of the closed bottle system (SEP-MOD-M5) under different temperatures. Students engage in discussion about arrows of different length and their use to show the difference between the amount of energy in a liquid and a gas, representing the speed of molecules and the spacing between molecules for different temperatures (DCI-PS1.A-M3).

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.4, Lesson 12: Where did mountains that aren’t at plate boundaries today, like the Appalachians and Urals, come from?, students collect evidence from a virtual simulation (SEP-DATA-M2) demonstrating how the Appalachian and Ural Mountains were formed (CCC-SPQ-M5). Students use this information to construct an explanation (SEP-CEDS-M3) that the Appalachian and Ural Mountains were formed long ago (470 million years ago and 300 million years ago, respectively) by the same process, the collision of plates, as more recent mountain ranges such as the Himalayas, that were formed only 35-50 million years ago. Students use this evidence to explain that the Appalachians and the Urals were once growing mountain ranges, created through plate collisions (DCI-ESS2.B-M1), even though they are no longer growing.

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.4, Lesson 3: What other inputs could be sources of food molecules for the plant?, students make sense of where food molecules in plants come from (DCI-LS1.C-E2) by looking for patterns (CCC-PAT-M4) in food molecule data (SEP-INV-M4) and air molecules. This helps them determine that water and air contain the same building blocks as the food molecules in plants. They add this information to their consensus model which already includes inputs from hydroponic plant food and water. 

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.4, Lesson 14: Where does food come from and where does it go next?, students revise models to describe how matter moves through an ecosystem after learning more about decomposers. Students consider what happens to food when it does not get eaten, leading to the concept of decomposers. Students use the understanding of decomposers to add inputs and outputs (CCC-SYS-M2) to their food system model (SEP-MOD-M5), demonstrating the cycling of matter within an ecosystem (DCI-LS2.B-E1).

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.1: Contact Forces, Lessons 5 and 6, students use the three dimensions to make sense of forces and the effect of mass and speed on such forces. In Lesson 5, students plan and carry out an investigation (SEP-INV-M1) identifying peak forces on spring scales using carts and recognizing patterns (CCC-PAT-M3) in the data when mass or speed is changed. Students apply the information gained in this lesson to understand the relationship between total force and other variables (DCI-PS2.A-M1).

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.1, Lesson 8: Where did the energy in our launcher system come from, and after the collisions where did it go to?, Students develop a model showing how contact forces cause energy transfer. Students make sense of the data they collected in a previous lesson by asking new questions about energy transfer in the launcher system (SEP-AQDP-M1). They develop a model (SEP-MOD-M5) of the launcher system (CCC-SYS-M1) that helps explain the relationships between the parts and stored energy, energy transfers, (CCC-EM-M2, CCC-EM-M4), and contact forces (DCI-PS3.A-M2).

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.6: Natural Selection & Common Ancestry, Lessons 5 and 6, students investigate body structures in organisms and how those relate to when and where an organism lived. Students work in groups to investigate an organism. They look for variations in traits between similar organisms and sort them based on the similarities and differences of those structures (SEP-DATA-M7). Students use that information to look for patterns between structures and when and/or where they lived (CCC-PAT-M4). Students construct a sequence to show how organisms are related to each other, and which organisms are more closely related (DCI-LS4.A-M2).

Indicator 1B
04/04

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

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence for the three-dimensional learning in the instructional materials.

The materials reviewed consistently provide three-dimensional learning objectives at the lesson level which build toward the three-dimensional objectives of the larger learning sequence. The lessons consistently include three-dimensional learning objectives in the form of Lesson-Level Performance Expectations (LLPEs). Materials include formative assessment opportunities throughout lessons to reveal student understanding of three-dimensional learning objectives and each assessment targets the LLPE(s). Formative assessment tasks include progress trackers, creating and revising models, constructing explanations, answering questions, collecting data, and exit tickets. 

Many lessons provide more than one assessment opportunity. For example, if a lesson states three different LLPEs, then the lesson could contain up to three different/separate assessment tasks. Additionally, there are instances where two LLPEs are combined and addressed in a single assessment task. In these instances, students may be expected to show understanding of double the number of NGSS elements (e.g., two SEPs, two CCCs, two PEs). Each formative task includes directions for the teacher on how to use formative assessment data or how to better elicit learning from students, usually including teacher guidance of "What to look for/listen for" and "What to do" if students do not show or are struggling to show understanding. 

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

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.1, Lesson 6: Why does the music student not see the teacher?, the three-dimensional learning objective is “Develop a model that describes how the eye responds to (interacts with) different inputs of light and transmits those inputs as signals along the optic nerve to the brain, which processes the inputs into what we see.” The formative assessment task is a model. In this lesson, students create a model which measures student understanding of the objective that incorporates the three dimensions. The teacher is directed to guide discussions to check student understanding prior to students creating a model. Students create a model (SEP-MOD-M5) to accurately describe how the eye responds to light and how components of our nervous system (CCC-SYS-M2) process the information for us to see (DCI-PS4.B-M1). The materials also provide teacher guidance to support the incorporation of past lessons into their model and provide guidance on how to support students if parts are missing or incomplete.

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.3, Lesson 9: Why don’t we see clouds everywhere in the air, and what is a cloud made of?, the three-dimensional learning objective is, “Apply scientific ideas and principles to construct an explanation and represent interactions between energy and matter that lead to the condensation and crystallization of water in the atmosphere and the formation of clouds.” The formative assessment is a worksheet that guides students in constructing an explanation of what they observed to gauge their understanding of the objective. In a previous lesson, students investigated how clouds form through the process of condensation. In this lesson, students investigate a related phenomenon, frost formation. The questions guide students to construct an explanation (SEP-CEDS-M4) to explain what happens to the amount of water, what happens to the water molecules at the surface, and to the cold gel pack to create the frost (CCC-EM-M2). Students then use the information from those investigations to explain how ice crystals form in clouds (DCI-ESS2.C-M1). The materials provide the teacher with what to look for in the student explanations and what to do if students struggle with specific portions of the assessment.

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.6, Lesson 8: What happened as the skin on top of the foot healed?, the three-dimensional learning objective is, “Develop a model to predict how the interacting systems and subsystems of groups of skin cells work together to form or repair new tissues and organs.” The formative assessment task is a model. Students develop a model to predict what happens with cells at the microscopic scale for skin to heal. Students view a time-lapse video of a skin wound healing and develop a model (SEP-MOD-M5) that represents what they think happened with the cells at the site of injury. Students use what they have figured out about the different parts or structures of the body, what these structures do, and how they interact with other systems in our body (CCC- SYS-M1) (DCI-LS1.A-M3), to show what parts are involved in the process of closing the wound. The materials provide teacher guidance on what to listen to and look for during model development and discussion, as well as additional guidance for what to do if students are struggling to develop the model. 

  • In Grade 7, Unit: 7.2, Lesson 6: How can we redesign our homemade flameless heater?, the three-dimensional learning objective is, “Undertake a design project to construct and test a solution that meets specific design criteria and constraints, including the transfer of energy.” The formative assessment task in this lesson measures student understanding of the objective by having students create a design of their flameless heater using criteria and constraints while showing thermal energy transfer between molecules. Teachers instruct students to construct and label a diagram of their flameless heater design (SEP-CEDS-M7) that considers criteria and constraints and recognizes the thermal energy transfer occurring in their design (DCI-PS3.A-M3, CCC-EM-M4). The materials provide teacher guidance to support and encourage a complete model as well as provide references to past lessons to incorporate prior learning into their assessment.

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.4, Lesson 4: Are any parts that make up food molecules coming into the plant from above the surface?, the three-dimensional learning objective is, “Engage in argument from evidence by comparing and critiquing claims that plants take in (input) water through their roots and give off (output) water through their leaves.” The formative assessment is a student explanation through an open ended question. It measures student understanding of the objective by having students support a claim with evidence from data. Students analyze and interpret data (SEP-DATA-M7) in the activity portion of this lesson to determine patterns (CCC-PAT-E1) between a normally functioning digestive system and M’Kenna’s digestive system. Students use this information to update their individual progress trackers and show an understanding of what happens to food molecules as they move through the small intestine and large intestine (DCI-LS1.A-M3). The materials provide teacher guidance in the form of additional prompts and suggestions. 

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.6, Lesson 11: Why could burning fossil fuels create a problem for CO2 in the atmosphere?, the learning objective is “Apply mathematical concepts to compare the rate of combustion and cellular respiration putting CO2 into the atmosphere to the rate for photosynthesis taking CO2 out of the atmosphere leading to an imbalance in the system.” The formative assessment task is a student explanation through an exit ticket. Students complete an exit ticket to explain what is causing a buildup of CO2 in the atmosphere. Students modify and use a carbon system model to make sense of why burning fossil fuels dincreases rates of CO2 in the atmosphere (DCI-ESS3.D-M1). Students modify their models during the Carbon Dice Game to show how different inputs and outputs (CCC-SYS-M2) can influence the rate of CO2 in the atmosphere (SEP-MATH-M4). Both of these activities build towards an exit ticket where students use the rates on their carbon system models to explain what is causing a buildup of CO2 in the atmosphere. The materials provide support in the form of guidance for the discussion after the Carbon Dice Game and guidance on what to do based on patterns in responses in the exit ticket.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.1, Lesson 5: How does changing the mass or speed of a moving object before it collides with another object affect the forces on those objects during the collision?, the three-dimensional learning objective is “Plan and carry out an investigation and identify patterns in the data collected from the investigation to provide evidence that when peak contact forces on each object during the collision are equal in strength, the strength of those forces increases when the mass or the speed of the object that was moving before the collision increases.” The formative assessment is a student explanation through an exit ticket. Students plan and carry out an investigation to test changes in the variables for collisions between carts. Students work in groups to plan and design an investigation to test a variable (SEP-INV-M1) during cart collisions. Students identify their independent variable (mass or speed) and seek to measure the dependent variable of force during the collision (DCI-PS2.A-M1). The CCC of patterns is not explicitly assessed but implied in data analysis. Students then develop a model (SEP-MOD-M5) for the cart subsystems and the contact forces during collisions (CCC-SYS-M1). Students respond to an exit ticket using data from their investigation and the subsystem models about contact forces. The materials provide possible ideas to look for in exit ticket responses as well as support for students who may have struggled with the assessment.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.4, Lesson 10: How does light interact with matter in the atmosphere?, the three-dimensional learning objective is, “Carry out an investigation to collect data as evidence of the effect of light interacting with a simulated atmosphere.” The formative assessment is a part of a table students fill out as they record data from an investigation along with questions that help them make sense of the data. Students record what happens (SEP-INV-M4) when light passes through several different simulated atmospheres (DCI-PS4.B-M1) viewed from different perspectives. Students answer questions about how the brightness and color of the light were affected and propose what is causing the changes they observed (CCC-CE-M2). The materials provide the teacher with what to look for as students carry out their investigations and possible results they recorded and answers to the questions. The teacher is also given suggestions of what to do if students need more support during the investigation and synthesizing their results.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.5,  Lesson 16: How much of trait variation in a population is controlled by genes or by the environment?, the three-dimensional learning objective is “Develop and use models to show multiple causes of variation within a trait.” The formative assessment is a worksheet. In the formative assessment, students read and highlight evidence of the impact of genes and the environment on variation in the trait of arm span. They create a model (SEP-MOD-M5) that includes the impact of genes and environment that causes (CCC-CE-M3) the trait variation observed (DCI-LS3.A-E2). Students write an explanation detailing why they selected the proportions they did for the environment and genes. The materials provide the teacher with what to look for as students create their models and what to do if students are struggling, such as adjusting the sizes of the arrows used in the model to show differences in contributions.

Indicator 1C
02/04

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

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 partially meet expectations that they are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence of the three-dimensional learning in the instructional materials.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 partially meet expectations that they are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence of the three-dimensional learning in the instructional materials. Across the series, materials consistently provide three-dimensional learning objectives for the units. Each unit has Performance Expectations (PE’s) listed at the beginning of the unit that students are building towards. Since students are building towards the unit level expectations (PEs) within and across units, the materials include Lesson-Level Performance Expectations (LLPEs) that are the focus of learning for each lesson throughout each unit. The LLPEs include three dimensions and collectively build toward the PEs for the unit. 

The summative assessments throughout the program include transfer tasks where students are asked to make sense of a new phenomenon and opportunities for students to make final models, arguments, or explanations of the phenomenon explored in the class. The summative assessments target the LLPEs and in many instances the focus of a summative assessment is on a single LLPE, missing the opportunity for the collection of elements of the PEs, as the unit objectives, to be addressed for the entire unit. The summative assessments for each unit regularly incorporate the three dimensions, but in many instances miss the opportunity to address multiple elements from the unit-level objectives (PEs). 

Examples where the objectives are three-dimensional and the summative assessment tasks partially address the three-dimensional learning objectives for the unit:

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.3: Weather, Climate, and Water Cycling, the performance expectations MS-PS1-4, MS-ESS2-4, MS-ESS2-5, and MS-ESS2-6 are present as objectives for the unit. There are three summative assessments that collectively address three dimensions with the unit, but partially address two PEs (MS-PS1-4 and MS-ESS2-4). The first assessment has students annotate a model (SEP-MOD-M5) of a hurricane to show changes in temperature, density, and the flow of energy (CCC-EM-M2). Students use the model to explain (SEP-CEDS-M4) how hurricanes collect and hold water and how condensation nuclei work (DCI-PS1.A-M6). They use another model to explain how hurricanes produce powerful winds. The CCC of cause and effect is not clearly addressed. The second assessment partially addresses one PE (MS-ESS2-5). Students watch a video about three storms then fill out a notice and wonder chart gathering evidence (SEP-INV-M4) about air mass movement, fronts, and low pressure areas producing clouds and precipitation from the maps shown in the forecasts (DCI-ESS2.C-M2.) The notice and wonder chart that students fill out does not address the CCCs of cause and effect or patterns. In the third assessment, the first question asks students where they expect to find tropical rainforests and to explain their prediction focusing on how the formation of rainfall informed their prediction (DCI-ESS2.C-M1). In the second question, students use three maps (SEP-DATA-M2) and ideas about thermal energy and energy transfer (CCC-EM-M2) to explain (SEP-CEDS-M4) which ocean has the most effect on temperature over tropical and temperate rainforests and whether the prevailing winds are moist or dry (DCI-ESS2.D-M1). In the third assessment, students again look at maps focusing on dry places on the maps (DCI-ESS2.C-M2). They add arrows to indicate prevailing winds and trees to show where rainforests are (DCI-ESS2.D-M1) and then explain why a city near the rainforest would be dry (SEP-CEDS-M4). While the summative assessments for the unit address three dimensions, they miss the opportunity to address multiple elements from two unit objectives (MS-PS1-4 and MS-ESS2-5).

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.1: Chemical Reactions & Matter, the performance expectations MS-PS1-1, MS-PS1-2, MS-PS1-5, and MS-LS1-8, are present as objectives for the unit. There are five summative assessments that collectively address three dimensions within the unit, but miss the opportunity to fully address all of the elements of the unit level objectives (PEs). The first assessment task does not address a unit level PE. Students are asked to construct an argument based on evidence (SEP-ARG-M3) from their investigation about what the types of gas released from the bath bomb might be. Students use patterns (CCC-PAT-E3) in physical and chemical properties (DCI-PS1.A-M1, DCI-PS1.B-M2) to make their predictions. The CCC addressed in this assessment is below grade level. The second assessment task partially addresses a unit-level PE (MS-PS1-2) by asking students to watch a video and make observations of different substances before and after they are mixed together. Students use these observations to create an argument supported by evidence (SEP-ARG-M3) for what causes (CCC-CE-E1) the mass of materials to change before and after a reaction occurs. The remaining questions require students to further explain the gas produced during the reaction, missing the opportunity to address multiple elements (SEP-MOD-M6, CCC-EM-M1, SEP-DATA-M7, CCC-PAT-M1). The third assessment task, partially addresses a unit-level PE. Students are asked to write an explanation (SEP-CEDS-M4) using data from the lesson’s investigations (SEP-DATA-M7). Explanations should explain whether new substances were formed during the investigation and how students know, which addresses a PE that is below grade-level (5-PS1-4) and misses the opportunity to address one element (CCC-PAT-M1). The fourth assessment task partially addresses one PE (MS-PS1-5). It asks students to use atomic structure models (SEP-MOD-M6) to explain which substance can be produced using a specific set of reactants. The fifth assessment task fully addresses two PEs (MS-PS1-1, MS-PS1-2). In the first part of the assessment, students plan and conduct an investigation to determine what substances calcium carbonate reacts with. Students use the data collected (SEP-DATA-M7, CCC-PAT-M1) to determine which substance is creating a chemical reaction at the Taj Mahal. Students then use this information to construct an explanation (SEP-CEDS-M3) to advise the Indian government about the chemical changes occurring at the Taj Mahal. Students are also asked to draw a model (SEP-MOD-M5) of various molecules to determine which combination of substances could form a different combination of substances (CCC-SPQ-M1). While the summative assessments for the unit address three dimensions, they miss the opportunity to address multiple elements from two unit objectives (MS-PS1-8, MS-PS1-5).

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.1: Contact Forces, the performance expectations MS-PS2-1, MS-PS2-2, MS-PS3-1, MS-ETS1-2, MS-ETS1-3, and MS-LS1-8 are present as objectives for the unit. There are two summative assessments that collectively address three dimensions within the unit. In the first assessment task, students engage with various baseball scenarios and provide explanations (SEP-CEDS-M5) of how force impacts the bat and ball under different circumstances (DCI-PS2.A-M1, CCC-SC-M2). Students use charts and graphs to determine the relationship between mass and speed which addresses one unit objective (MS-PS3-1). In the second assessment task, students redesign (SEP-CEDS-M6) their protective device using learning from throughout the unit which addresses one unit objective (MS-ETS1-4). Additionally, student redesigns must explain the structure and function (CCC-SF-M2) of the elements they have chosen. Students also consider stakeholder trade-offs. While the summative assessments for the unit address three dimensions, they miss the opportunity to address multiple elements from three unit objectives (MS-ETS1-2, MS-ETS1-3, MS-LS1-8).   

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.5: Genetics, the performance expectations MS-LS1-5, MS-LS3-1, MS-LS3-2, MS-LS4-5, MS-LS1-2, and MS-LS1-4 are present as objectives for the unit. There are two summative assessments. In the first assessment, students read information about a geneticist and different goldfish he bred using a checklist to gather information (SEP-INFO-M1). Students then create pedigrees for each mating pair (DCI-LS1.B-M1) in the paper including the genotype and phenotypes. They write or draw a model that explains (SEP-MOD-M5) how some of the goldfish phenotypes are influenced by their genotypes including cause and effect relationships (CCC-CE-M2). Students answer another set of questions about breeding speckled goldfish. They explain which goldfish they would breed, supporting their answer with probability calculations or Punnett squares (SEP-MATH-M4). Students also use words/drawing to show how an offspring's genotype results from parents’ chromosomes (DCI-LS3.B-M1). In the second summative assessment, students take part in a class discussion about information they are provided about coastal redwoods (SEP-INFO-M1). They use the information to explain (SEP-CEDS-M3) how environmental factors and genetic factors could affect (CCC-CE-M3) the height of redwoods and then why they think they actually do or do not influence height (DCI-LS1.B-M4). They then develop a model (SEP-MOD-M5) to explain how genetic and environmental factors could affect the height variation seen in the data. Additionally, students explain (SEP-CEDS-M3) how redwoods reproduce (DCI-LS1.B-M1) that could cause the patterns seen in the data. While the summative assessments for the unit address three dimensions, they miss the opportunity to address multiple elements from the four unit objectives (MS-LS3-1, MS-LS4-1, MS-LS1-2, MS-LS1-4).

Example where the objectives are three-dimensional and the summative assessment task addresses the three-dimensional learning objectives for the unit:

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.2: Chemical Reactions & Energy, the performance expectations MS-PS1-6, MS-ETS1-1, MS-ETS1-3, and MS-ETS1-4 are present as objectives for the unit. There are two summative assessments that collectively assess three dimensions within the unit. The first assessment task fully addresses multiple performance expectations (MS-PS1-6, MS-ETS1-1, MS-ETS1-3, MS-ETS1-4). In this assessment task, students first submit revised design solutions (SEP-CEDS-M7) that must show understanding of the flow of energy (CCC-EM-M4) through their device as thermal energy is released as a result of a chemical reaction. Plans must also address how criteria and constraints were addressed (MS-ETS1-1) and the ideas of others were combined (MS-ETS1-3) into student designs to enhance design performance (MS-ETS1-4). The second assessment task partially addresses the unit objectives for this lesson. Students are asked to apply understanding of the design process, chemical reactions and energy transfer to a new scenario about incubating sea turtle eggs. Students are given a scenario for safely transporting incubating sea turtle eggs. They must develop an argument based on evidence for which solution best meets the criteria and constraints (SEP-ARG-M4) of the scenario. Students are then asked to create a model showing the energy transfer (CCC-EM-M4) that will take place in their chosen solution. Students identify elements of a chemical reaction and whether it releases or absorbs heat, which addresses parts of PE-MS-PS1-6. Additionally, a provided rubric breaks down criteria that includes MS-ETS1-1, MS-ETS1-3, and MS-ETS1-4. The summative assessments for this unit collectively address three dimensions and all elements of the unit objectives (MS-PS1-6, MS-ETS1-1, MS-ETS1-3, MS-ETS1-4).

Criterion 1.2: Phenomena and Problems Drive Learning

09/10

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

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations for Criterion 1d-1i: Phenomena and Problems Drive Learning. Phenomena are most commonly present at the unit level and leverage student sensemaking throughout the lessons. When present, phenomena and problems are presented as directly as possible and are connected to DCIs. The materials elicit student prior knowledge and experience related to the phenomena or problems but miss the opportunity to leverage it in subsequent instruction.

Indicator 1D
02/02

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

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems are connected to grade-band Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs). The phenomena throughout the instructional materials are consistently aligned with the DCIs. Phenomena are presented at the beginning of the unit alongside the lesson objectives, with instructional guidance for assessment throughout. Across the series, students engage in making sense of phenomena and solving problems building and using their understanding of the associated DCIs. 

Examples of problems and phenomena that connect to elements of grade-band appropriate DCIs in life, physical, or earth and space science:

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.1: Light & Matter, the phenomenon is that a piece of material looks like a mirror from one side and a window from the other side. Throughout the unit, students investigate using box models, readings, videos, and data collected with light sensors to develop a model and explanation for how light interacts with an object's materials (DCI-PS4.B-M1). Students use the idea that light travels in straight lines to model the one-way mirror (DCI-PS4.B-M2).

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 8: How does a cup’s surface affect how light warms up a liquid inside the cup?, the phenomenon is that water warms up differently in cups with various surfaces when light shines on the cups, and it warms up in a completely dark condition too. Students investigate and collect evidence that light can be absorbed by, and transfer energy to, an object (DCI-PS4.B-M1). Students shine light on cups with walls made of different materials and colors and measure the amount of incoming, reflected, and transmitted light. Students place some cups in a completely dark condition. Students determine that the water in all the cups warms up, but it warms up more in the cups where light is present.

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.3: Weather & Climate, the phenomenon is that hailstorms from different locations across the country occur at different times of the year. Students develop models to explain what causes this kind of precipitation event to occur (DCI-PS1.A-M4, DCI-ESS2.C-M1). Students consider the changes that happen over time where the hail falls (DCI-ESS2.C-M1), changes that occur to matter in the air at the particle level (DCI-PS1.A-M4), and how energy transfers into and out of the system (DCI-PS4.B-M1). Students use their models to explain vertical growth of clouds and why some storms produce large hail and others do not (DCI-PS1.A-M6, DCI-ESS2.C-M2).

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.3: Weather & Climate, Lessons 14-17, the phenomenon is that large scale precipitation events occurred on January 19, 2019. Students investigate how what happens in the air in one part of the country can be used to make predictions about what is going to happen in another part of the country at another point in time (DCI-ESS2.D-M2). Students analyze weather patterns and factors causing weather. Students note that water is continuously moving across earth as precipitation and condensation (DCI-ESS2.C-M1) and that the movement of water affects weather patterns (DCI-ESS2.C-M2). 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.5: Natural Hazards, Lessons 5-10, the problem is how to reduce damage caused by a tsunami by mitigating the effects of the wave. Throughout these lessons, students design a method to reduce tsunami damage by creating precise criteria and constraints (DCI-ETS1.A-M1) and making sure their solutions meet the criteria and constraints (DCI-ETS1.B-M2). Students use and apply information from the beginning of the unit regarding sending signals (DCI-PS4.C-M1) and mapping to understand the probability of hazards to safeguard for future events (DCI-ESS3.B-M1).

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.6: Cells & Systems, the phenomenon is that a middle school student injured his foot and could not walk, however over the next four months his foot healed. Throughout this unit, students investigate and develop models of an injury and how the body heals. Students consult investigations and articles to discover that the body is made of cells (DCI-LS1.A-M1) and that the cells contain organelles which perform certain functions (DCI-LS1.A-M2). Students examine various parts related to the injury and discover that multiple body systems with multiple cell types work together to heal an injury (DCI-LS1.A-M3).

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.1: Chemical Reactions, the phenomenon is that gas is released when a bath bomb is dropped into water. Students observe the gas that is formed when a bath bomb reacts with water and conduct various investigations to determine how the gas is formed (DCI-PS1.B-M1). Students investigate closed systems and the conservation of mass when they work to determine if the gas is a new substance or made from materials that were already in the system (DCI-PS1.B-M2).

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.1, Lesson 13: Why do different substances have different odors and how do we detect them?, the phenomenon is that different substances smell differently and can be identified by their unique odor. Students smell different bath bombs and find they have different odors. Using what the odors remind them of, students analyze different molecular structures and mixtures (DCI-PS1.A-M1) and read information to add to their knowledge that different odors have different structures and atoms. 

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.3: Metabolic Reactions, the phenomenon is that a student is exhibiting symptoms that show her body is not functioning properly. Students investigate different parts of the digestive system and compare a healthy one versus a digestive system not functioning properly (DCI-LS1.A-M3). Students collect information about the chemical reactions (DCI-PS1.B-M1) occurring within the digestive system to assess where the issues are arising.

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.5: Ecosystem Dynamics, the phenomenon is that data shows an increase in palm trees while orangutan populations have decreased. Students make observations about changes in orangutan populations and the amount of land used to grow palm trees. Students investigate the ingredients in many different products with a focus on candy and the impact palm oil use has on the increase in palm farms (DCI-LS2.A-M1). Students run simulations and analyze graphs to find what impact changes to the environment have on orangutan populations (DCI-LS2.A-M3, DCI-LS2.C-M1). Using the information they gather throughout the lessons, students build and refine a model that explains the relationship between palm oil use and changes in orangutan populations.

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.6: Earth’s Resources & Human Impact, Lessons 13-18, the design challenge is for students to develop a plan to lower their carbon footprint within the community. Students use what they have learned about the amount of carbon dioxide emissions caused by the burning of fossil fuels, imbalances in the carbon cycle, and the amount of reduction in carbon dioxide emissions needed to determine how best to reduce their carbon footprint (DCI-ESS3.C-M2).

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.1: Contact Forces, Lessons 11-14, the design challenge is to create a case that will protect a valuable object when dropped. Students investigate the energy transfer that takes place when two objects collide with each other (DCI-PS3.C-M1) and conduct a series of investigations to better understand the relationship between the mass of an object and the speed during a collision (DCI-PS2.A-M1, DCI-PS2.A-M2, DCI-PS2.A-M3, and DCI-PS3.A-M1). Students use information gained in these investigations as they create and revise the protective device. Students determine criteria and constraints for designing a device that protects something (DCI-ETS1.A-M1), create initial design ideas and then review these ideas based on new ideas discovered through further investigation. Students discuss various design ideas and materials to determine the best way to meet the criteria, constraints, and needs of stakeholders (DCI-ETS1.B-M2).

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.2: Sound Waves, Lessons 2-6, the phenomenon is that striking or hitting a musical instrument will produce vibrations (sound). Students investigate what causes vibration when an object makes sounds and learn about wave amplitude, frequency and length (DCI-PS4.A-M1).

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.3, Lesson 4: How can a magnet move another object without touching it?, the phenomenon is that as a bar and disc magnet are brought together a force is felt. Students observe iron filings and a bar magnet to develop an understanding of a magnetic field. Students investigate a compass and make a comparison to iron filings and magnets to test if magnetic fields have a direction (DCI-PS2.B-M3).

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.5, Lesson 8: Why are living things different from one another?, the  phenomenon is that offspring of cattle don’t always look like their parents. Students investigate several family trees that trace the inheritance of the myostatin gene and notice patterns in the proportion of offspring with different genotypes and patterns that are dependent on the genotypes of the parents. Students connect these ideas to what they learned previously about how alleles recombine in different ways and then are passed to offspring via sex cells (DCI-LS3.B-M1). Students consider the original source of the myostatin allele as a mutation (DCI-LS3.A-M1).

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.6: Natural Selection & Common Ancestry, the phenomenon is that a penguin fossil has similarities to and differences from penguins that are alive today. Students investigate the connections between ancient and modern organisms. Students hear about a fossil of an ancient penguin in a podcast from the researchers who found and identified the fossil. Students question and develop initial explanations for how penguins living today could be connected to this fossil of a much larger penguin from long ago (DCI-LS4.A-M2). Students explain what happened to all of the ancient penguins and determine the origin of different types of modern penguins (DCI-LS4.B-M1, DCI-LS4.C-M1).

Indicator 1E
02/02

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

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems are presented to students as directly as possible. Across the series, the majority of phenomena and problems are presented as directly as possible. Students experience the phenomena through teacher demonstrations, hands-on experiences, videos, and images. Generally, when it is not possible for students to have first-hand experiences, videos and images are used. 

Examples of phenomena and/or problems being presented to students as directly as possible:

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.2: Thermal Energy, the phenomenon is that a double-walled plastic cup looks similar to a regular plastic cup but can keep a drink warmer than a regular cup. The phenomenon is presented to students through a first-hand experience in the classroom with two different cups. One is a regular cup, and one is designed to maintain the temperature of the drink longer. Students are able to make observations and discuss what they are observing about the phenomenon. The materials allow students to engage with the phenomenon through first-hand experience.  

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 4: How does a lid affect what happens to the liquid in the cup?, the phenomenon is that two cups with liquid, one with a lid and the other without a lid, change in total mass by different amounts over time. The phenomenon is presented to students in the classroom as they design and conduct an investigation that measures the change in mass in cups with a lid and without. Students view this phenomenon by participating in an investigation, taking measurements, and recording results. The materials allow students to engage with the phenomenon through first-hand experience. 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 5: Where does the water on the outside of the cold cup system come from?, the phenomenon is that water droplets form on the outside of a closed cup system that contains cold water. The phenomenon is presented to students in the classroom as they design and conduct an investigation to support or refute the claim that water on the outside of the cup is coming from inside the cup. The materials allow students to engage with the phenomenon through first-hand experience.

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.3: Weather, Climate & Water Cycling, Lessons 4 and 5, the  phenomenon is that on a school campus, there is a difference in air temperatures near the surface of the Earth versus higher in the air. Students analyze data from previous lessons showing changes in temperature. Students see images of an outside environment as they consider how to collect data from their school campus. The materials allow students to reveal this phenomenon as an outcome of an investigation and data analysis at their school campus.

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.6: Cells & Systems, Lessons 8 and 9, the phenomenon is that a skin wound caused by an accident heals. The phenomenon is presented to students as a time-lapse video of a skin wound healing, as students cannot observe a skin wound healing in real-time.

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.6, Lesson 14: How can shifting our perceptions of ability and disability allow us to be more thoughtful about how we make our environments more accessible?, the problem is to determine ways to make students’ school or classroom more accessible for people with visible and/or invisible disabilities. The problem is presented to students as they read, hear, and watch videos about five people with disabilities. 

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.1, Lesson 13: Why do different substances have different odors and how do we detect them?, the phenomenon is that different substances smell differently and can be identified by their unique odor. The phenomenon is presented to students through a first-hand experience as they smell different substances to determine what substance emits the odor. 

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.3: Metabolic Reactions, the phenomenon is that a student is exhibiting symptoms that show her body is not functioning properly. The phenomenon is presented to students as a story about a sick girl complaining of stomach pains. Students read a doctor’s transcript of a patient interview describing the symptoms of her illness, as it is not practical to interview a patient themselves.

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.3, Lesson 5: Why do large food molecules, like some complex carbohydrates, seem to disappear in the digestive system?, the phenomenon is that as a cracker is chewed, the flavor changes from bland to sweet. Students chew a cracker and note the changes in taste. The materials allow students to engage with the phenomenon through first-hand experience.

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.6: Earth’s Resources and Human Impact: Droughts and Floods, the phenomenon is that floods and droughts are increasing alongside a pattern of rising temperatures. Students watch two videos, one is in an area experiencing drought and the other in an area experiencing flooding, as they cannot experience both flood and drought first-hand.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.2, Lesson 11: How does sound make matter around us move?, the phenomenon is that salt on plastic wrap stretched across a bowl moves when a drum is hit. Students view a classroom demonstration of salt moving along plastic wrap when a drum is struck. The materials allow students to engage with the phenomenon through first-hand experience.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.4: Earth in Space, Lessons 1-5, the phenomenon is that twice a year, the city grid of Manhattan aligns with the setting of the sun. The phenomenon is presented to students in a video that shows Mahattanhenge taking place in New York City, as many students cannot experience it in person.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.4, Lesson 6: Why do we see the shape of the moon change?, the phenomenon is that the appearance of the moon changes over time. The phenomenon is presented to students in a homework assignment that asks them to make direct observations of the moon in the sky, as well as through a series of pictures showing the various appearances of the moon. Students are able to observe the moon in their own sky and view additional images that show the shapes of the moon throughout the lunar cycle.  The materials allow students to engage with the phenomenon through first-hand experience

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.4: Earth in Space, Lessons 7 and 8, the phenomenon is that sometimes the moon's position can block the view of the sun. The phenomenon is presented to students using a video of a solar eclipse since a solar eclipse is a rare event that cannot be readily observed.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.5: Genetics, Lessons 14 and 15, the phenomenon is that after being cut into pieces, each piece of a planaria can survive.The phenomenon is presented to students in a series of images that show the variation between living things (size of strawberries, color of flamingo feathers, arm span in humans, color of wheat kernels, color of apples, color of planaria) and a video that shows how one planaria can be cut into several pieces and regenerate into multiple fully-functioning new planaria.

Indicator 1F
02/02

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

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems drive individual lessons or activities using key elements of all three dimensions. Students work toward figuring out phenomena or solving problems in the majority of lessons in Grade 6, and approximately half of the lessons in Grades 7 and 8. Across Grades 6-8, the lessons contribute deeply in sensemaking of the larger unit level phenomena, when present. 

Examples of lessons that are driven by phenomena or problems using elements of all three dimensions:

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.1: Light & Matter, the phenomenon is that a piece of material looks like a mirror from one side and a window from the other side. In Lesson 2, students make observations of a box model and develop questions that can be investigated to determine what they can see from both sides of the model (DCI-PS4.B-M1) when the amount of light on either side of the box is changed (CCC-SC-M2). Students modify their models (SEP-MOD-M5) to show what happens when the light switches rooms. Throughout the lesson, students investigate how changing the amount of light in the rooms impacts whether the material acts like a mirror or a window.

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.2: Thermal Energy, Lessons 15-18, the design challenge is to create an inexpensive cup that prevents liquids from warming or cooling too quickly. In Lesson 16, students apply the models they created in the previous lesson to design a solution to keep a drink cold for as long as possible. Students share their initial designs explaining the design features and how they work to slow energy transfer (DCI-PS3.A-M3). Students review the criteria and constraints (DCI-ETS1.A-M1, SEP-CEDS-M7) and then work to design, build, and test a cup system selecting features they want to incorporate to slow energy transfer (CCC-SF-M2). They evaluate their design for how it worked, whether it met the criteria and constraints, and what did not work (SEP-INV-M2). Students use peer feedback to improve their designs (SEP-CEDS-M8). 

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.2: Chemical Reactions & Energy, the design challenge is to design a homemade flameless heater. In Lesson 3, students conduct a chemical reaction investigation (SEP-INV-M2) to collect temperature change data that can be applied to their own flameless heating systems. Students use this data to create a model (SEP-MOD-M4) to show what happens to specific particles before and after the chemical reaction occurs (DCI-PS1.B-M1). Students create diagrams that focus on the energy transfers that take place during the chemical reactions (CCC-EM-M4).

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.6: Earth’s Systems & Human Impacts, the phenomenon is that floods and droughts are increasing alongside a pattern of rising temperatures. In Lesson 2, students create an earth’s water system model (SEP-MOD-M5) including where water can be located and processes that move water from one area to another. Students analyze data over many years from several different cities (CCC-PAT-M4, SEP-DATA-M2) looking for long-term and short-term changes. Students add information about trends of precipitation and temperature to their water system model and look for similarities and differences between cities (DCI-ESS3.A-M1).

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.1, Lesson 11: What Can We Design to Better Protect Objects in a Collision?, the design challenge is to design a case that will protect a valuable object when dropped. Students review data about how well cell phone cases protect cell phones and create a list of criteria and constraints. Students name other objects that need protection during a collision and some initial ideas to protect them from damage (DCI-PS2.A-M1). Students choose an item to protect, develop criteria and constraints (DCI-ETS1.A-M1, SEP-AQDP-M8), and draft initial designs (SEP-CEDS-M6). Students receive feedback on their designs and make improvements. Students develop questions they have about the materials, design, structure, and function of protection devices (CCC-SF-M2), which they discuss to help focus the investigation (SEP-AQDP-M4).

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.4: Earth in Space, Lessons 7 and 8, the phenomenon is that sometimes the moon's position can block a student's view of the sun. Students create an initial model to explain why solar eclipses (DCI-ESS1.A-M1) occur (SEP-MOD-M5).Then, students create a physical model (SEP-MOD-M7) of the Earth-Sun-Moon system (CCC-SYS-M2) to determine the circumstances under which a solar eclipse occurs.

Indicator 1G
Read

Materials are designed to include appropriate proportions of phenomena vs. problems based on the grade-band performance expectations.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 are designed for students to solve problems in 2% (5/268) of the lessons/activities. Across the series, 11% (2/18) of the units have a unit-level problem or design challenge. These challenges are usually found in the middle or toward the end of the unit and require students to use the knowledge gained from previous lessons. One is found in Grade 6, and one in Grade 7. In addition, lesson-level problems or design challenges are found within the unit. Two lesson-level problems are in Grade 6, two in Grade 7, and one in Grade 8.

The series contains 18 units across the 6-8 grade band, with 6 units per grade level. Each unit is divided into lesson sets and lessons. 

Examples of problems and design challenges in the series:

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.2: Thermal Energy, Lessons 15-18, the design challenge is to create an inexpensive cup that prevents liquids from warming or cooling too quickly. Students design, build, test, and modify a cup to minimize heat transfer to the liquid in a cup. Students learn how energy is transferred in liquids based on temperature, light, and materials. Students create a model describing the features of their cup. Students carry out an investigation to gather data about the change in the mass of water in a cup with a lid and a cup without a lid. 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.5: Natural Hazards, the problem is to reduce damage caused by a tsunami by mitigating the effects of the wave. Students evaluate communication case studies. The class co-constructs a model of systems necessary to put into place a communication plan for communities during tsunamis. Students then use learning from throughout the unit to design their own hazard communication plan. Students create a tsunami communication system consensus model to explain how to better protect people and property from a tsunami. 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.6, Lesson 1: What happened in the student’s foot so they could walk again?, the problem is to determine ways to make students’ school or classroom more accessible for people with visible and/or invisible disabilities. In Lesson 1, students complete sensory tasks and brainstorm different ways people communicate and look at images of adaptive technologies. Later, in Lesson 14, students are asked to determine ways to make their school or classroom more accessible for people with disabilities. Students brainstorm ideas about how to adapt their school and/or classrooms to make them more accessible. 

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.2: Chemical Reactions & Energy, the design challenge is to design a homemade flameless heater. Students watch a video of someone eating a MRE (meals ready to eat) and explore an actual MRE. Students define the problem with MREs and flameless heaters and design an initial engineering solution. Students build and test their optimal designs and then prepare instructions for another team to test their design. Students build other teams’ designs and test them.

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.5, Lesson 6: If palm oil is not going away, how can we design palm farms to support orangutans and farmers?, the problem is to design a palm farm that will support both farmers and orangutans. Using a simulation, students complete a task to think about how they can redesign the way land is used in Indonesia to support orangutans and people at the same time. They test, redesign, and retest their solutions.

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.6: Earth’s Resources & Human Impact, Lessons 13-18, the design challenge is for students to develop a plan to lower their carbon footprint within the community. Students begin to consider solutions that can lower carbon emissions on a large scale. Students design criteria, prioritize a community problem and develop a plan to mitigate the carbon imbalance that leads to rising temperatures.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.1: Contact Forces, Lessons 11-14, the design challenge is to design a case that will protect a valuable object when dropped. Students identify an object of their choice to design a case that will protect it in a collision. Students give feedback to other designs and investigate various materials to determine how the structure of various materials might affect their function in protecting objects. Students develop models to represent how the structures of materials compare in a force reduction. Students write a proposal for their designs based on their stakeholder feedback. 

Across the series, 61% (11/18) of the units have a unit-level phenomenon that impacts multiple lessons. Some of these phenomena are positioned at the beginning of the unit and others are introduced towards the middle of the unit. At times, lesson sets within a unit can have a new or related phenomenon that serves to support the unit phenomenon. Throughout the materials, 8% (21/268) of the lessons/lesson sets focus specifically on explaining a lesson-level/lesson set-level phenomenon, while most of the other lessons/lesson sets are typically focused on supporting the explanation of a unit-level phenomenon. Students use the new knowledge from these lesson sets to build their understanding of the unit-level phenomenon. There are lessons/activities that support the lesson sets which may have an occasional phenomenon that is explained separately from the lesson set and/or unit-level phenomenon.

Examples of phenomena in the series:

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.1: Light & Matter, the phenomenon is that a piece of material looks like a mirror from one side and a window from the other side. After using flashlights to investigate a box model with the one-way mirror, students discuss their observations of the difference in light on either side of an object or material that can cause us to see different things when looking at the same object. Students construct an explanation for the one-way mirror. 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.2: Thermal Energy, the phenomenon is that a double-walled plastic cup looks similar to a regular plastic cup but can keep a drink warmer than a regular cup. Students create and revise various models to demonstrate their understanding of numerous concepts that explain the phenomenon: how matter enters and exits the cup through evaporation, temperature as the average kinetic energy of a group, transfer of energy from light to kinetic energy, and thermal energy. Students create a model that shows the best features to minimize and maximize heat transfer.

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 4: How does a lid affect what happens to the liquid in the cup?, the phenomenon is that two cups with liquid, one with a lid and the other without a lid, change total mass by different amounts over time. Students carry out an investigation to gather data about the change in the mass of water in a cup with a lid and one without a lid. Students watch time-lapse videos of water levels and use manipulatives to show how the particles in the cup without a lid behave. Students develop a model to show an understanding of what is happening to the water that explains why the mass of the cup system decreases over time. 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 5: Where does the water on the outside of the cold cup system come from?, the phenomenon is that water droplets form on the outside of a closed cup system that contains cold water. Students construct an argument to refute the claim that water droplets on the outside of the cup come from inside the cup system. Students analyze the data and use their observations to show their understanding of condensation.

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 8: How does a cup’s surface affect how light warms up a liquid inside a cup?, the phenomenon is that water warms up differently in cups with various surfaces when light shines on the cups, and it warms up in a completely dark condition too. Students investigate the interaction between the cup surface and light warming up the cold water inside the cups: students shine a light on cups with walls of different materials and colors and measure the amount of incoming, reflected, and transmitted light. Students also place some cups in completely dark conditions. Students observe from their data that temperature can fluctuate differently based on how the material of the cup interacts with light.

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 10: What is the difference between a hot and a cold liquid?, the phenomenon is that the red color from a peppermint candy spreads more/less in different temperatures of water. Students observe a video of a peppermint candy dissolving and then conduct an investigation using food coloring and different temperatures of water. Students read about early experiments with particle motion and create a model to show what happens at the particle level. Students explain the phenomena through directed class discussion and creating a model of particles at various temperatures.

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.3: Weather, Climate, & Water Cycling, the phenomenon is that hailstorms from different locations across the country occur at different times of the year. Students observe videos of hailstorms and develop a model to show initial ideas about what happened before, during, and after the precipitation events. Students participate in a series of activities that analyze and interpret data about locations and times of similar weather events, use weather balloon data to determine particle motion at various altitudes, and review videos of cloud formation to determine hail-forming conditions, simulating a thunderstorm. Students create a final model to represent why some storms produce hail.

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.3: Weather, Climate & Water Cycling, Lessons 4 and 5, the phenomenon is that on a school campus, there is a difference in air temperatures near the surface of the Earth versus higher in the air. Students conduct an investigation to collect data about the temperatures of different types of surfaces (blacktop, mulch, dirt, grass, and sidewalk) and determine the effect of sunlight on temperature. Students develop a consensus model to explain why the air near the ground is warmer than the air higher up.

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.3: Weather, Climate & Water Cycling, Lessons 14-17, the phenomenon is that large scale precipitation events occurred on January 19, 2019. Students watch a brief video showing predicted weather over the weekend and the actual cloud cover over the United States just before the forecast was made. Students develop an informational model to show initial ideas about what was happening at the time of the forecast, 24 hours later, and 40 hours later. Students construct an explanation of the phenomenon. 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.4: Plate Tectonics & Rock Cycling, the phenomenon is that Mt. Everest is getting taller and moving yearly to the northeast. Students look at other mountains around the world, notice similarities, and differences, and analyze GPS data to record observations of plate movement worldwide. Students develop an initial model and revise it throughout the unit. Students view a video modeling the interactions between oceanic and continental plates. Students construct a scientific explanation for the formation of the two mountain ranges by making a claim that is supported by evidence from their data.

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.6: Cells & Systems, the phenomenon is that a middle school student injured his foot and could not walk, however over the next four months his foot healed. Students see images of an injury and read a doctor’s note. Students create and compare initial models of an injured and healing foot. Students build an understanding of the structures and functions of the foot and apply what they know about interacting systems to explain how the healing took place for the student who hurt his foot. 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.6: Cells & Systems, Lessons 8 and 9, the phenomenon is that a skin wound caused by an accident heals. Students watch a time-lapse video of a wound healing after a bike crash and make observations. Students have a consensus discussion to determine what happens to fill in a gap caused by an injury. Students create a model of how cells replicate to explain how the injury heals.

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.1: Chemical Reactions & Matter, the phenomenon is that gas is released when a bath bomb is dropped into water. Students analyze data about the bath bomb to determine what is happening to the matter before, during, and after dropping it into water. Students revisit their initial models and revise their explanations of what substances could have been produced in the chemical reaction and why the mass of the matter in the system will not change.

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.1, Lesson 13: Why do different substances have different odors and how do we detect them?, the phenomenon is that different substances smell differently and can be identified by their unique odor. Students conduct an odor lab using different substances. Students record observations, compare molecular models of different substances, and read a passage on odor detection. Students write an explanation for what an odor is and how it is detected. 

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.2: Chemical Reactions & Energy, Lessons 1 and 2, the phenomenon is that a flameless heater and hand warmers increase in temperature without a flame. Students observe a demonstration of a flameless heater. The class develops a model to explain how the flameless heater works and determine that chemical reactions cause warming without flames.

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.3: Metabolic Reactions, the phenomenon is that a student is exhibiting symptoms that show her body is not functioning properly. Students share their data, claims, and explanations about what might be happening in M’Kenna’s digestive system. Students use the models to explain whether a chemical reaction could be happening in other parts of the digestive system. Students use this information to connect their ideas back to M’Kenna. Students create a group consensus model to show how a healthy digestive system works and how M’Kenna’s is functioning differently.

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.3, Lesson 5: Why do large food molecules, like some complex carbohydrates, seem to disappear in the digestive system?, the phenomenon is that as a cracker is chewed, the flavor changes from bland to sweet as a chemical reaction takes place in the mouth. Students make predictions and observations about what happens when eating a cracker and read an article about complex carbohydrates. Students plan and investigate whether complex carbohydrates can have a chemical reaction with saliva. Students construct an explanation to explain why complex carbohydrates decrease, while glucose increases.

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.5: Ecosystem Dynamics, the phenomenon is that data shows an increase in palm trees while orangutan populations have decreased. Students learn that palm oil is a desired resource as it is in candy and palm trees are found in tropical rainforests in Indonesia. After developing a systems model to show the impact of planting palms on the populations of other animals, students revise their initial rainforest system model. Students participate in a discussion to build understanding and make new predictions about what would happen if orangutans went extinct. Students create a summary chart to show the key causes and effects of changing plants in an ecosystem.

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.6: Earth’s Resources & Human Impact, the phenomenon is that floods and droughts are increasing alongside a pattern of rising temperatures. Students develop an initial model and come to a consensus to explain how rising temperatures impact floods and droughts. After developing a cause and effect diagram to make sense of the human impact of fossil fuel consumption on water resources, students construct arguments to explain the chain of events whereby climate change impacts water resources. Students determine that temperatures are increasing where areas experience drought or flooding. 

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.2: Sound Waves, the phenomenon is that the windows move in a building when a truck parked nearby plays loud music. Students gather data on how objects vibrate when making different sounds to characterize how vibrating objects’ motion is tied to the loudness and pitch of the sounds they make. Students use models and simulations to explain how sound travels through matter at the particle level. Students revise the model to explain why the window near the parking lot moved when the truck speaker was blasting music.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.2: Sound Waves, Lessons 2-6, the phenomenon is that striking or hitting a musical instrument will produce vibrations. Students record observations as they explore sound sources, analyze their data, and discuss observed patterns. The class constructs a consensus model which students use to explain how instruments and other objects move when they make a sound.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.2, Lesson 11: How does sound make matter around us move?, the phenomenon is that salt on plastic wrap stretched across a bowl moves when a drum is hit. Students develop a model to explain why the salt jumps and summarize the key ideas that explain how sound can make something move. 

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.3, Lesson 4: What can we figure out about the invisible space around a magnet?, the phenomenon is that as a bar and disc magnet are brought together, a force is felt. Students investigate a compass and make a comparison with iron filings and magnets to test if magnetic fields have a direction. Students draw a model showing the forces around a permanent magnet. 

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.4: Earth in Space, Lessons 1-5, the phenomenon is that twice a year, the city grid of Manhattan aligns with the setting of the sun. Students view a picture and/or video of the event. They make an initial model and brainstorm additional patterns they have noticed in the sky. Students develop a second model to explain a sky pattern.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.4, Lesson 6: Why do we see the shape of the Moon change?, the phenomenon is that the appearance of the moon changes over time. Students physically model phases of the moon and use a simulation to investigate the positions of objects in the Earth-Sun-Moon system that create the phases of the moon in the night sky. Students develop an initial model and a class version of the moon phases chart.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.4: Earth in Space, Lessons 7 and 8, the phenomenon is that sometimes the moon's position can block students' view of the sun. Students watch a video and use their physical models created in past lessons to create the Earth-Sun-Moon system during a solar eclipse. Students adjust their physical and written models to explain that precise angles and locations of all components of the system must exist in order for an eclipse to occur.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.4: Earth in Space, Lessons 9-12, the phenomenon is that the moon changes from white to red during a lunar eclipse. Students investigate how light interacts with matter in the atmosphere, how the shape of a water droplet or ice crystal causes sunlight to form a rainbow, and why the moon changes color during a lunar eclipse. Students will co-construct a model of the Earth-Sun-Moon system. Students construct a consensus model that shows an understanding of why the moon appears to change color during a lunar eclipse.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.5: Genetics, Lessons 1-7, the phenomenon is that there are organisms that have “extra-big” muscles compared to organisms of the same species with typical muscles. Students observe photos of various animals that have differences in their sizes of muscles. Students make an initial model explaining why some animals have larger muscles than others of the same species. Students build an understanding of what muscles look like, are made of, and how they work. Students use their model to predict siblings' phenotype and create an explanation for what causes the heavily muscled phenotype in an organism other than cattle.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.5, Lesson 8: Why don’t offspring always look like their parents or their siblings?, the phenomenon is that offspring of cattle do not always look like their parents. Students calculate genotype proportions and notice patterns. Students participate in a random egg and sperm investigation to better understand the probabilities of certain outcomes and how to calculate expected outcomes. At the end of the lesson, students complete an exit ticket using a Punnett Square about probability and how siblings get their traits.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.5: Genetics, Lessons 14 and 15, the phenomenon is that after being cut into pieces, each piece of a planaria can survive. Students work in small groups to research asexual reproduction in planaria. Students discuss how genetic information from asexual reproduction of an offspring compares to the parent. Students co-construct explanations about color variation in related examples. 

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.6: Natural Selection & Common Ancestry, the phenomenon is that a penguin fossil has similarities to and differences from penguins that are alive today. Students question how penguins today can be related to a fossil that is much larger than the modern penguins. Students develop a model for natural selection and use it to explain the patterns between body structures and behaviors of ancient organisms and organisms that are alive today. Students explain the changes in traits of penguins over time and compare the populations to discover common ancestors in some species.

Indicator 1H
01/02

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

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 partially meet expectations that they intentionally leverage students’ prior knowledge and experiences related to phenomena or problems. 

Students are often asked to make connections to the phenomena from their previous experiences both outside and inside the classroom. These connections are often made via large or small group conversations where a teacher may or may not be able to specifically learn about each individual’s knowledge and/or experiences. Students are provided time to ask questions about the phenomena in all of the units using their Driving Questions Board as well as regularly elicit their experiences and prior knowledge with Related Phenomena, through the Anchoring Phenomena Routine in many instances. Throughout each unit, students consistently return to the Driving Question board to determine if their questions are being answered and what they still need to know. Additionally, there are multiple instances when students return to the Related Phenomena list to add to it or refine it. While the materials provide opportunities to elicit prior knowledge and experience, the materials miss the opportunity for consistently leveraging knowledge and experiences of students as they move to subsequent lessons or activities to figure out the phenomena or solve problems.

However, there are some instances where leveraging does occur and in the majority of these instances it is through an optional alternate/extension activity, if time permits, with guidance for the teacher. There are also a few instances where time and support for the teacher are available, as the activities are embedded in the required portions of the program that all students will experience. Many of these instances involve the use of the Related Phenomena list, but it is inconsistent in how that list comes back into play after its creation, often as an optional alternate/extension activity. 

There are also opportunities for students to engage in home learning and community projects, where students can take their learning and extend or apply it outside of the classroom. The home learning more often has direct reference to the use of the Related Phenomena list that is elicited towards the beginning of the units; the community projects often suggest that the teacher use the related phenomena list however provide limited guidance to leverage it in the project.

Examples where materials elicit students’ prior knowledge and experience related to phenomena or problems, but miss opportunities to leverage that knowledge and experience: 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.1: Light & Matter, the phenomenon is that a piece of material looks like a mirror from one side and a window from the other side. Students’ prior knowledge and experience is elicited when they brainstorm phenomena related to the one-way mirror after viewing the two-way mirror and a box model. The materials miss the opportunity to support the teacher in leveraging students' prior knowledge and experiences throughout subsequent instruction and/or student activities.

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.5: Ecosystem Dynamics & Biodiversity, the phenomenon is that data show an increase in palm trees while orangutan populations have decreased. Students’ prior knowledge and experience is elicited when students are asked to think of additional examples of the effect that changing one living thing has on other living organisms in an ecosystem.The materials miss the opportunity to support the teacher in leveraging students' prior knowledge and experiences throughout subsequent instruction and/or student activities.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.2, Lesson 2: How can a sound make something move?, the phenomenon is that striking or hitting a musical instrument will produce vibrations (sound). Students’ prior knowledge and experience is elicited when students are asked if all objects, even those that aren’t musical instruments, vibrate when they make sounds. The materials miss the opportunity to support the teacher in leveraging students' prior knowledge and experiences throughout subsequent instruction and/or student activities.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.4: Earth in Space, Lessons 8-12, the phenomenon is that the moon changes from white to red during a lunar eclipse. Students’ prior knowledge and experience is elicited when students are asked to share other times they have seen the sun or moon change color. Students are then directed on discovering how these color changes take place. The materials miss the opportunity to support the teacher in leveraging students' prior knowledge and experiences throughout subsequent instruction and/or student activities.

Example where materials elicit and leverage students’ prior knowledge and experience related to phenomena or problems and time and support are provided for the teacher:

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.2: Thermal Energy, the design challenge is for students to create an inexpensive cup that prevents liquids from warming or cooling too quickly. Students ask and answer questions about design features that influence the ability to keep something hot or cold. They also create a list of related phenomena. In Lesson 14, after practicing explanations, students individually reflect on the related phenomena and prior learning, choose one related phenomenon to explain, provide feedback to each other as they build their explanations, and add the explanation to their notebook as they revise their cup system models that will support their final product.

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.4: Plate Tectonics & Rock Cycling, the phenomenon is that Mt. Everest is getting taller and moving yearly to the northeast. After being introduced to the phenomenon and looking at various other mountains, students answer questions about when they have seen changes to the surface of the land or landforms. Students create a list of related phenomena and possible causes and relate the list back to how mountains change. After creating their list, students brainstorm investigation ideas. Students use their prior knowledge and experience to connect related phenomena, determine causes, and consider ways to investigate as they make sense of the phenomenon.

Indicator 1I
02/02

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

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they embed phenomena or problems across multiple lessons for students to use and build knowledge of all three dimensions. Unit-level phenomena create storylines that drive student sensemaking across the majority of units. A Driving Question Board based on the unit-level phenomenon is built by students in Lesson 1. This board is revisited and updated throughout a unit as students discover answers to their initial questions and develop new questions based on current observations and new learning. Students discover the answer to these questions as they explore lessons built around the storyline the phenomenon creates. The units consistently have unit-level phenomena and/or problems that drive across multiple lessons where students use and build all three dimensions throughout. Throughout the lessons, students consistently revise models and explore systems within those models, in order to make sense of the phenomena. At the end of each unit, a more focused reflection of the Driving Question Board takes place as students identify the questions they were able to answer throughout the unit.

Examples where phenomena drive student learning across multiple lessons and engage students with all three dimensions:

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.2: Thermal Energy, the phenomenon is that a double-walled plastic cup looks similar to a regular plastic cup but can keep a drink warmer than a regular cup. Throughout the unit, students investigate and describe thermal energy transfer as the reasoning behind drinks cooling down (DCI-PS3.A-M3) and that material can affect thermal energy transfer (DCI-PS3.A-M4, CCC-EM-M4). Students discuss the independent, dependent, and controls necessary (SEP-INV-M2), model the cup system, and share evidence gathered regarding temperature change in the system (SEP-MOD-M4, CCC-SYS-M2, DCI-PS3.B-M3, DCI-PS3.A-M3). Students investigate how energy transfers into a cup, how particles move in a hot and cold liquid and in a gas (DCI-PS3.A-M1, DCI-PS3.A-M3), and the impact collisions have on the motion of particles (DCI-PS3.A-M1, DCI-PS3.A-M3) in order to understand particle movement and create models of the movement (SEP-INV-M2, SEP-MOD-M6). Students revise their model of the cup system showing the energy flow (CCC-EM-M4) from the outside air through the cup wall and into the liquid on the inside (CCC-SYS-M2, SEP-CEDS-M2).

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.3 Weather, Climate & Water Cycling, the phenomenon is that hailstorms from different locations across the country occur at different times of the year. Students plan and carry out multiple investigations to figure out what causes the air above different ground surfaces to be warmer than the air higher in the atmosphere (SEP-INV-M1). Students measure the temperature of the air at different ground surfaces, the air temperature above those surfaces (SEP-DATA-M4), and the amount of sunlight reaching and reflecting off those surfaces (DCI-PS4.B-M1, CCC-EM-M4).

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.6: Cells & Systems, the phenomenon is that a middle school student injured his foot and could not walk, however over the next four months, his foot healed. Throughout this unit, students investigate (SEP-INV-M2) and develop models (SEP-MOD-M2) of an injury and how the body heals. Students review recovery reports and collect evidence related to the initial injury and recovery over time (SEP-DATA-M4). Students consult investigations and articles to discover that the body is made of cells (DCI-LS1.A-M1) and that the cells contain organelles that perform certain functions (DCI-LS1.A-M2). Students examine various parts related to the injury and discover that multiple body systems with multiple cell types, structures, and functions work together to heal an injury (DCI-LS1.A-M3, CCC-SF-M1).

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.2: Chemical Reactions & Energy, the design challenge is to design a homemade flameless heater. Students design a flameless heater that people could use to heat up foods in the event regular methods aren’t available. Students develop their criteria and constraints (SEP-CEDS-M7, DCI-ETS1.A-M1). Students investigate chemicals needed for their flameless heater along with the amount of each reactant they will need to raise the food to the proper temperature (DCI-PS1.B-M3). Students design, build, and test their prototypes (CCC-SF-M2). Students evaluate their prototype by sharing it with the class (DCI-ETS1.B-M3), assess new design choices, and build and test their optimal design (DCI-ETS1.B-M1, DCI-ETS1.B-M2). 

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.3: Metabolic Reactions, the phenomenon is that a student is exhibiting symptoms that show her body is not functioning properly. Students investigate and analyze the girl’s symptoms provided in a doctor's note and an interview of the patient. Focusing on how food molecules interact with different parts of the digestive system, students analyze similarities and differences between the patient's digestive system and a normal digestive system (CCC-SYS-M1, DCI-LS1.A-M2) in order to determine the nutrients the body needs to function (DCI-LS1.C-M2, CCC-SF-M2). Students develop a model of a healthy digestive system (CCC-SYS-M2), obtain peer feedback, and build a classroom consensus model (DCI-LS1.A-M3). Students develop explanations to explain why the patient's symptoms are based on the dysfunction of the patient's digestive system (SEP-CEDS-M4, SEP-DATA-M4).

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.6: Earth’s Resources & Human Impact, Lessons 13-18: the problem is for students to develop a plan to lower their carbon footprint within the community. To complete the challenge, students review their previous work in earlier lessons to devise solutions to impact the carbon system. Students use a simulation to test ideas about carbon emissions and the impact on temperature. Students use a digital tool to calculate their individual carbon footprint and compare the class average to the American average (SEP-MATH-M5). Students choose several activities they could do to reduce their carbon footprint and evaluate design solutions that could be implemented in their community based on criteria and constraints (DCI-ETS1-M1). Students read about different communities, what the communities do to reduce their carbon footprint (DCI-ESS3.D-M1), and add information to their carbon system model (CCC-SYS-M2). Students look at their own community to develop long- and short-term solutions that will help lower their carbon footprint (DCI-ESS3.D-M1, DCI-ETS1.B-M2, SEP-CEDS-M6).

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.1: Contact Forces, the design challenge is to design a case that will more effectively protect a valuable object when dropped. Considering the criteria and constraints, students draft initial design ideas for objects that need protection from collisions (DCI-ETS1.B-M2). Students explain how their design reduces the peak forces on the object during the collision and consider how specific materials function (CCC-SF-M2). Students investigate how different materials perform if peak forces are increased, decreased, or stay the same. Students analyze their results and share data with the class (SEP-DATA-M4). Students explain what happens to the protective material as a contact force is applied and explore how changes in the smaller-scale structures could affect forces in a collision (DCI-PS2.A-M2, CCC-SF-M2). Students discuss various design ideas and materials (DCI-ETS1.C-M1) in an attempt to determine the best way to meet the criteria, constraints, and needs of stakeholders (DCI-ETS1.B-M2).

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.4: Earth in Space, Lessons 1-5, the phenomenon is that twice a year, the city grid of Manhattan aligns with the setting of the sun. Students develop and use a model (SEP-MOD-M5) to explain how Manhattanhenge happens. Students watch a video to look for patterns (CCC-PAT-P1) related to the Sun over one day (24 hours) and then over the course of a year. Students collect data on the length of the day, sunrise, sunset, and solar elevation to compare with the class (CCC-PAT-M2). Students work with their models, and based on the data (SEP-MOD-E4) make revisions to their model (DCI-ESS1.A-M1). Students investigate patterns of the Sun (CCC-PAT-M2) that could cause Manhattanhenge and create a class consensus model to explain why Manhattanhenge occurs during certain times of the year. 

  • ​​In Grade 8, Unit 8:5: Genetics, Lessons 1-7, the phenomenon is that there are species that have “extra-big” muscles compared to the same species with typical muscles. Students develop models to explain what could be causing some cattle to have such big muscles and then explain what is causing other variations (SEP-MOD-M5). Students obtain and evaluate information from farmers, breeders, and research scientists (SEP-INFO-M1), and observe the role that humans have in selecting for certain trait variations (DCI-LS4.B-M2). Students explain how environmental and genetic factors affect organisms’ growth depending on the trait. Students figure out how muscles typically develop as a result of environmental factors such as exercise and diet (DCI-LS1.B-M4, CCC-CE-M2).

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.6: Natural Selection & Common Ancestry, the phenomenon is that a penguin fossil has similarities to and differences from penguins that are alive today. Students explore inheritable traits in modern penguins as well as ancient penguins and then analyze data from ancient and modern organisms that have similar patterns (DCI-LS4.A-M2, DCI-LS1.B-M2, CCC-PAT-M3, SEP-DATA-M7). Students create a consensus model that shows traits in some modern populations have changed over millions of years compared to the ancient organisms from which they are descended, and the changes may be related to changes in the environment from long ago to the present. Students explain these patterns using a model of adaptation by natural selection (DCI-LS4.B-M1, DCI-LS4.C-M1). Students use the model to explain (SEP-CEDS-M2) where all the modern penguins came from and where all the ancient penguins went.

Overview of Gateway 2

Coherence & Scope

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations for Gateway 2: Coherence & Scope; Criterion 1: Coherence and Full Scope of the Three Dimensions meets expectations. 

Criterion 2.1: Coherence and Full Scope of the Three Dimensions

55/56

Materials are coherent in design, scientifically accurate, and support grade-band endpoints of all three dimensions. * NOTE: Indicators 2b-2c are non-negotiable; instructional materials being reviewed must score above zero points in each indicator, otherwise the materials automatically do not proceed to Gateway 3.

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations for the Criterion 2a-2g: Coherence and Full Scope of the Three Dimensions. The materials have an intentional sequence with students' tasks related to figuring out phenomena and solving problems increasing in sophistication across the series. The scope of the three dimensions in the standards is attended to across the series with a few missed opportunities to incorporate singular elements from the DCIs and one SEP. The materials are accurate and do not include significant content from outside of the grade-band appropriate DCIs.

Indicator 2A
Read

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

Indicator 2A.i
02/02

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

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that students understand how the materials connect the dimensions from lesson to lesson within each unit. Each unit consists of multiple lessons. Learning builds within the unit from lesson to lesson as students work to explain the Anchoring Phenomenon or solve a Design Challenge. The teacher materials provide a Unit Overview that shows how each unit connects to other units within the series in the scope and sequence. Additionally, the Unit Overviews provide a Storyline that shows how lessons build and connect across the unit, with specific information for each lesson including a lesson question, phenomenon or design challenge, what students do and figure out, and how they end up representing what they figure out. Within each lesson, in the Teacher Edition, the materials address what was covered in the previous lesson (except for the first lesson of each unit), current lesson, and next lesson. Additionally, there is a section in the lesson-level Teacher Edition called Where We are Going and Where We Are NOT Going that share intentions for the lesson in context with the Storyline as well as boundaries and connections to other learning in the series. Teachers are frequently prompted to refer to the Anchoring Phenomenon or Design Challenge throughout the lessons of all units as they follow the Storyline for each unit. Each lesson builds to the next with the teacher playing a role in supporting students in making connections between the lessons through reminders and task direction related to unit-level phenomenon or problem.

Examples of student learning experiences that demonstrate connections:

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.4: Plate Tectonics & Rock Cycling, the phenomenon is that Mt. Everest is getting taller and moving yearly to the northeast. In Lessons 1-9, students read an article about the growth and movement of Mt. Everest. Students develop a model to explain colliding plates and plates that spread apart (DCI-ESS1.C-M2, SEP-MOD-M5). Students build a causal chain (CCC-CE-M3) of the processes occurring that are related to the surface of the Earth changing.  In Lessons 10-14, students look at various forms of data from the past, including fossil evidence and plate movement to explain the change to the earth’s surface over time (SEP-DATA-M4, SEP-CEDS-M3, CCC-SC-M3, DCI-ESS2.B-M1, DCI-ESS2.C-M2). Throughout the unit, each lesson builds to the next with the teacher playing a role in supporting students in making connections between the lessons through reminders and task direction related to the unit-level phenomenon.

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.1: Chemical Reactions and Matter, the phenomenon is that gas is released when a bath bomb is dropped into water. In Lessons 1-6, students observe the chemical reaction of a bath bomb. Students create initial models and plan and conduct investigations (SEP-INV-M1, SEP-INV-M2) to determine ingredients and possible substances in bath bombs  (SEP-DATA-M1, DCI-PS1.B-M1, DCI-PS1.B-M2, CCC-EM-M1). Students continue to revise models and add particle motion to models. Students conduct investigations to determine how new substances are created, and the process of energy moving into and out of the system. Students conduct reading on early models of atoms and molecules (SEP-ARG-M2, CCC-SPQ-M1). In Lessons 7-14, students revisit the anchor phenomenon and explain what is happening with the bath bomb using products and reactants. (DCI-PS1.B-M2, CCC-CE-M1). Students investigate odors and how we can detect different odors due to molecules. Students apply their chemical reactions model to construct an argument about what is happening to the Taj Mahal chemically (DCI-PS1.B-M1, SEP-CEDS-M2). Throughout the unit, each lesson builds to the next with the teacher playing a role in supporting students in making connections between the lessons through reminders and task direction related to unit-level phenomenon.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.5: Genetics, Lessons 1-10, students develop initial models (SEP-MOD-M5) to explain the causes of some animals having extra big muscles while others have normal-sized muscles. Students figure out how muscles typically develop as a result of environmental factors such as exercise and diet (DCI-LS1.B-M4, CCC-CE-M2). Students discover patterns (CCC-PAT-M4) in pedigrees and chromosomes that determine the physical traits of living things. In Lessons 11-17,  students obtain and evaluate information from farmers, breeders, and research scientists (SEP-INFO-M1). Students observe the role that humans often have in selecting for certain trait variations (DCI-LS4.B-M2). Students explain how environmental and genetic factors affect organisms’ growth depending on the trait. Students figure out how muscles typically develop as a result of environmental factors such as exercise and diet (DCI-LS1.B-M4, CCC-CE-M2). Students investigate plant reproduction and how traits are passed on through asexual reproduction (CCC-SF-M2, DCI-LS1.B-M3, SEP-INV-M2). Throughout the unit, each lesson builds to the next with the teacher playing a role in supporting students in making connections between the lessons through reminders and task direction related to the phenomena.

Indicator 2A.ii
02/02

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

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they have an intentional sequence where student tasks increase in sophistication.The materials include a variety of student tasks related to explaining phenomena and/or solving problems that increase in sophistication across the grade band. In Grade 6, students are often interacting with practices and concepts that are guided or heavily scaffolded by the teacher. In Grade 7, students are taught additional strategies that can be used more independently when addressing content. Finally, in Grade 8, students are expected to engage in content and practices in a more independent fashion to show understanding and application of content with even less support from the teacher. 

Examples where student tasks related to explaining phenomena or solving problems increases in sophistication:

  • As students engage across the series in explanation of phenomena, their development and use of models become more sophisticated and complex with less reliance on group formation of models. 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.1: Light and Matter, students use a box model of a two-way mirror to test different interactions of light (SEP-INV-M2). Students use the data they gather to create a visual model of what is happening to light rays that interact with the two-way mirror, developing initial models and then working together to create a consensus model for how a two-way mirror works (SEP-MOD-M7). In Grade 7, Unit 7.2: Chemical Reactions & Energy, students draw an initial model for what happens when a bath bomb is added to water. Students perform several investigations (SEP-INV-M4) and build upon and refine their model (SEP-MOD-M6) to describe what cannot be seen during a chemical reaction. This extends their thinking from Grade 6 where they modeled what is happening to particles that can’t be seen to what is happening to the atoms that make up the molecules when chemicals are mixed. In Grade 8, Unit 8.4: Earth in Space, students use physical models within the classroom to investigate interactions between large objects in the solar system (SEP-MOD-M5). Students also develop and refine visual models to explain how interactions between the moon, earth, and sun impact what is seen on earth. The final model integrates their investigations and models to explain several phenomena (SEP-MOD-M5). 

  • As students plan and conduct investigations across the series to explain phenomena and/or solve problems, the expectations around how they will use and show understanding of the data collected during these investigations increases in sophistication. In Grade 6, Unit 6.2: Thermal Energy, students work to understand the phenomenon of a double-walled plastic cup. Students plan and carry out investigations to determine what features of the cup system keep the liquid inside the cup cool (SEP-INV-M1). In Grade 7, Unit 7.2: Chemical Reactions & Energy, students plan and carry out flameless heater investigations to confirm that a chemical reaction is taking place when temperature increases inside the device (SEP-INV-M1). A building understanding discussion takes place to help students identify evidence of a chemical reaction. In Grade 8, Unit 8.3: Forces at a Distance, student hypotheses are used to plan and carry out investigations to determine how to make the forces between two magnets stronger (SEP-INV-M1). Data from these investigations are graphed and analyzed to determine that greater force can be achieved with a larger magnet (SEP-DATA-M1). This activity is used to assess student understanding of the investigations they conducted.

  • As students conduct investigations across the series to design solutions, the development of their tasks becomes more sophisticated and complex. In Grade 6, Unit 6.2: Thermal Energy, students design a cup that will slow down the process of liquids warming up based on evidence they gathered through text (SEP-INFO-M1) and performing investigations (SEP-INV-M4). Students engage in the design cycle (SEP-CEDS-M7) in small groups sharing the outcomes of their designs with the class. The class discusses whether they need to prioritize the criteria and constraints and any trade-offs they may need to make before repeating the process for a new design. (SEP-CEDS-M8). In Grade 7, Unit 7.2: Chemical Reaction & Energy, students design an inexpensive flameless heater.  They perform an investigation to determine what chemicals could be used to transfer the most energy to food. Students use models to help explain what they cannot see and to help make predictions (SEP-CEDS-M2). After finding the right chemicals they determine what is the optimal amount of each reactant to create the correct amount of energy for the amount of food being heated and develop a set of criteria and constraints that would lead to an optimal design (SEP-CEDS-M7). In Grade 8, Unit 8.1: Contact Forces, students develop a design to protect objects in a collision. They choose an object to protect and develop a set of criteria and constraints. Next, they draft their initial designs, get feedback from others, and discuss what criteria and constraints all designs should have (SEP-CEDS-M7). Students investigate different materials (SEP-INV-M4) to determine the best material for reducing peak forces. Students reassess the constraints based on the object being protected which then may require tradeoffs. They revise their designs based on what they learned about different materials, do market research, use a decision matrix to analyze designs, and prioritize criteria (SEP-CEDS-M8).

  • As students obtain, evaluate and communicate information from various sources (text, data, maps, graphs, images, podcasts), they learn and use different guided close reading and listening practices. The level of independence with each of these guided strategies increases as students move from 6th to 7th to 8th grade. In Grade 6, Unit 6.5: Natural Hazards, students collect information from multiple data sources about tsunamis and earthquakes to determine cause and effect relationships (SEP-INFO-M1, CCC-CE-M2). In Grade 7, Unit 7.6: Earth’s Resources & Human Impact, students use reading strategies learned in previous 7th grade units to answer their own questions about earth’s water system and changes in temperature (SEP-INFO-M1). New learnings gained from readings are added to a consensus model about earth’s water system (SEP-MOD-M5). In Grade 8, Unit 8.4: Earth in Space, students use a close listening protocol and take on different roles in small groups to gather information from podcasts about different cultures and their connections to the sky and solar system (SEP-INFO-M1). Students share understandings from their assigned podcast in a class discussion. Individual student ideas and connections are used to make an initial model of sky patterns (SEP-MOD-M5).

Indicator 2B
02/02

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

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they present disciplinary core ideas (DCIs), science and engineering practices (SEPs), and crosscutting concepts (CCCs) in a way that is scientifically accurate. Across the grade, the teacher materials, student materials, and assessments accurately represent the three dimensions and are free from scientific inaccuracies.

Indicator 2C
02/02

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

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they do not inappropriately include scientific content and ideas outside of the grade-band disciplinary core ideas (DCIs). Across the series, the materials consistently incorporate student learning opportunities to learn and use DCIs appropriate to the 6-8 grade-band.

Indicator 2D
Read

Materials incorporate all grade-band Disciplinary Core Ideas.

Indicator 2D.i
04/04

Physical Sciences

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they incorporate grade-band disciplinary core ideas (DCIs) for physical sciences. The instructional materials incorporate all grade-band components and the vast majority of the associated elements of the physical science DCIs. DCI-PS4.B-M3 is not addressed in the materials. The publisher notes that they do not introduce a wave model of light and students will have the opportunity to explore this concept in high school. The remaining physical science DCI elements are distributed throughout the series giving students multiple opportunities to engage in physical science standards during Grades 6-8. Physical science opportunities frequently build on previous learning with materials asking teachers to remind students of when they studied similar concepts or ideas in previous units/grades.

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

  • PS1.A-M1. In Grade 7, Unit 7.1, Lesson 8: How can particles of a new substance be formed out of the particles of an old substance?, students use a model to show particles before and after being mixed. Students show variations of particle combinations (single atoms, molecules, compounds).

  • PS1.A-M2. In Grade 7, Unit 7.1, Lesson 3: What’s in a bath bomb that is producing the gas?, students conduct an investigation to determine which of the substances inside a bath bomb creates the gas that is released. Students look at the color, smell, texture, and movement of various bath bomb ingredients.

  • PS1.A-M3. In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 6: How can we explain the effect of a lid on what happens to the liquid in the cup over time?, students explore the arrangement of molecules in water and water vapor in the cup system. Students show an understanding of the arrangement of molecules when they update their progress trackers at the end of the lesson. 

  • PS1.A-M4. In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 6: How can we explain the effect of a lid on what happens to the liquid in the cup over time?, students show an understanding of the arrangement of molecules when they update their Progress Trackers showing that liquids, gasses, and solids are made of particles of matter. Students also show that particles in a gas have a lot of space between them, but those in liquids and solids do not, and liquids and gasses are made of particles that can move around freely, but solids are made of particles that cannot. 

  • PS1.A-M5. In Grade 7, Unit 7.3, Lesson 3: Why do molecules in the small intestine seem like they are disappearing?, students look at representations of starch and glucose molecules. Students notice that the starch molecule is much bigger than the sugar molecule despite both molecules being made of the same kinds of atoms.

  • PS1.A-M6. In Grade 6, Unit 6.3, Lesson 8: Why does a lot of hail, rain, or snowfall at some times and not others?, students use magnetic balls to represent the atoms in a water molecule being pulled together (attracted) when water vapor is cooled back into a liquid.

  • PS1.B-M1. In Grade 7, Unit 7.1, Lesson 12: How can a new substance (a gas) be produced and the total mass of the closed system not change?, students update the class consensus model to show that all the atoms in the reactants must also be in the products after a chemical reaction takes place. Students continue this discussion by linking the chemical reaction and rearrangement of atoms to property changes.

  • PS1.B-M2. In Grade 7, Unit 7.1, Lesson 7: How can we revise our model to represent the differences in the matter that goes into and comes out of the bath bomb system?, students revise initial models to show how the particles in the initial substance rearrange to form the particles in the final products.

  • PS1.B-M3. In Grade 7, Unit 7.2, Lesson 3: How can we use chemical reactions to design a solution to a problem?, students conduct an investigation in which they mix various ingredients to determine which combination generates the highest temperature increase. Some of the reactions students observe increase temperature, decrease the temperature, or do not change the temperature at all.

  • PS2.A-M1. In Grade 8, Unit 8.1, Lesson 5: How does changing the mass or speed of a moving object before it collides with another object affect the forces on those objects during the collision?, students use spring scales with different stiffnesses to explore the amount of force needed to move springs. The idea of contact forces is added to the class poster. 

  • PS2.A-M2. In Grade 8, Unit 8.1, Lesson 7: How much does doubling the speed or doubling the mass affect the kinetic energy of an object and the resulting damage that it can do in a collision?, students investigate the question, “How much does doubling the speed or doubling the mass affect the kinetic energy of an object and the resulting damage it can do in a collision?” 

  • PS2.A-M3. In Grade 8, Unit 8.1, Lesson 1: What happens when two things hit each other?, the teacher uses a diagram of a phone collision to demonstrate how rotating the diagram does not change the fact that a collision is occurring between the phone and surface. Students understand that the meaning of the diagram is not created because of the orientation of the image, but because we give it meaning. 

  • PS2.B-M1. In Grade 8, Unit 8.3, Lesson 7: How does changing the distance between two magnets affect the amount of energy transferred out of the field?, students conduct an investigation using a cart and a track to determine how changing the distance between two magnets affects the amount of energy transferred from the field between them.

  • PS2.B-M2. In Grade 8, Unit 8.4, Lesson 14: Why do some solar system objects orbit planets and others orbit the Sun?, students develop an initial model to show the effect of gravity when the size or location of an orbiting object is changed. Students investigate the role of gravity in a subsequent activity using a computer interactive.

  • PS2.B-M3. In Grade 8, Unit 8.3, Lesson 2: What can a magnet pull or push without touching?, students explore interactions within a system before and during a collision. They state the cause (energy is transferred in the collision) and the effect (the kinetic energy of each object changes). 

  • PS3.A-M1. In Grade 8, Unit 8.1, Lesson 2: Why do things sometimes get damaged when they hit each other?, students explore interactions within a system before and during a collision. They state the cause (energy is transferred in the collision) and the effect (the kinetic energy of each object changes). 

  • PS3.A-M2. In Grade 8, Unit 8.1, Lesson 8: Why do things sometimes get damaged when they hit each other?, students annotate a model to show where there is stored potential energy and kinetic energy in a launcher, cart, box, and track system.

  • PS3.A-M3. In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 14: How can containers keep stuff from warming up or cooling down?, after observing a demonstration of melting butter, students define the word “heat” and add that definition to the class Word Wall. The purpose of this discussion is to help students distinguish heat from thermal energy.

  • PS3.A-M4. In Grade 6, Unit 6.3, Lesson 3: How does the air higher up compare to the air near the ground?, students examine the movement of air molecules at higher (more spread apart and energetic) and lower temperatures (closer together and less energetic). They create a zoom-in of molecule movement to add to their Progress Trackers. In Lesson 4, they build on their understanding by modeling how air particles transfer energy to the particles in the ground when sunlight shines on the earth's surface.

  • PS3.B-M1. In Grade 6, Unit 6.2: Thermal Energy, Lessons 13 and 14, students use colliding marbles to show that when marbles collide with each other, there is a change in speed and thus a change in energy. In Lesson 14, students apply this thinking to the changes in energy between colliding particles in the cup system. 

  • PS3.B-M2: In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 13, How can containers keep stuff from warming up or cooling down?, students use a computer simulation to analyze the motion of particles in solids based on their temperatures. Students observe what happens to the particles when they are heated, cooled, and interact with each other.

  • PS3.B-M3: In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 14, How can containers keep stuff from warming up or cooling down? Students complete an assessment task in which they construct an argument from the evidence that energy spontaneously transfers out of hotter regions or objects and into colder ones.

  • PS3.C-M1: In Grade 8, Unit 8.2, Lesson 13: How can sound make something move?, students conduct an investigation using an apparatus that is designed to simulate waves or vibrations with different frequencies and amplitudes to find out how much energy is transferred in each case. Class data is compiled and students write about the relationship between amplitude and energy in their notebooks.

  • PS3.D-M1: In Grade 7, Unit 7.4, Lesson 9: Where do the food molecules in the maple tree come from?, students use a model that shows the inputs and outputs of photosynthesis to help develop an initial explanation for why sugar is found in maple trees. 

  • PS3.D-M2: In Grade 7, Unit 7.4, Lesson 10: Where does food come from and where does it go next?,  students create a news release about what is happening with photosynthesis in the dark. This explanation allows students to show an understanding of cellular respiration and the movement of CO2 and O2 into and out of plants.

  • PS4.A-M1: In Grade 8, Unit 8.2, Lesson 4: How can sound make something move?, students learn the characteristics of waves (amplitude and frequency). They add definitions and drawings to their notebooks. Once coming to an agreement, definitions are added to the Word Wall.

  • PS4.A-M2: In Grade 8, Unit 8.2, Lesson 8: How can sound make something move?, students investigate whether sound needs a medium to travel through in order to be heard. Students compile evidence and make a claim about what sound needs to travel and what it does not need. Students watch a video of sound in a vacuum and they observe rocks being hit together outside and inside a fish tank full of water.

  • PS4.B-M1. In Grade 6, Unit 6.1, Lesson 4: Why do we sometimes see different things when looking at the same object?, students read about one-way mirrors and discuss how light interacts with different types of surfaces. Students develop a model that shows how light reflects off of a traditional mirror, reflects and transmits through a one-way mirror, and transmits through clear glass.

  • PS4.B-M2. In Grade 8, Unit 8.4, Lesson 11: How are we connected to patterns we see in the sky and space?, students create a model that shows light traveling straight out of a source (lamp, flashlight, sun) and refracting into different colors as it moves through a drinking glass.

  • PS4.B-M4: In Grade 8, Unit 8.4, Lesson 9: How are we connected to patterns we see in the sky and space?, students look at an image from the Sound Unit and discuss prompts about how light waves are different from sound waves.

  • PS4.C-M1: In Grade 6, Unit 6.5, Lesson 8: Where do natural hazards happen and how do we prepare for them?, students learn about different emergency systems and signals and share information about digital and analog systems in a class discussion. By the end of the discussion, students should understand that some signals are more reliable (digital) than others (analog). 

A grade-band physical science DCI element that is not present in the materials:

  • PS4.B-M3: In Grade 8, Unit 8.4: Earth in Space, there is a missed opportunity for students to use a wave model for explaining brightness, color, and the frequency-dependent bending of light at a surface between media.

Indicator 2D.ii
04/04

Life Sciences

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-band disciplinary core ideas (DCI) for life sciences (LS). The materials incorporate all life science DCI components and associated grade-band elements across the three grades. There is one life science unit in Grade 6, , three units in Grade 7, and two units in the Grade 8. 

Examples of grade-band Life Science DCI elements present in the materials:

  • LS1.A-M1. In Grade 6, Unit 6.6, Lesson 6: What will we see if we look at skin, bone, and muscle with the microscope, too?, students view slides of human skin, bone, and muscle. They have a consensus discussion about how the structure of cells that make up different parts of the body support functions in the body.

  • LS1.A-M2. In Grade 6, Unit 6.6, Lesson 11: How do cells get what they need to grow?, students plan an investigation to determine how things can get in and out of cells. Students observe onion cells using microscopes and add salt water and plain water to the onion skin and observe changes in the cells. They use their observations to construct an explanation that onion cell membranes shrink and expand in the presence of salt water and plain water. 

  • LS1.A-M3. In Grade 7, Unit 7.3, Lesson 2: Can we see anything inside M’Kenna that looks different?, students observe and analyze structures of the digestive system in a healthy person and M’Kenna. They analyze data that show what happens to food as it travels through M’Kenna’s digestive system in comparison to a healthy digestive system and determine that substances in M’Kenna’s small intestine do not decrease as much as compared to a healthy person.

  • LS1.B-M1. In Grade 8, Unit 8.5, Lessons 5: Where do the babies with extra-big muscles get that trait variation?, students develop and use a model of karyotypes to identify that muscle cells have pairs of chromosomes. They look for patterns of banding on the images of chromosomes to locate the pairs. Students determine that one of the chromosomes that make up each pair of chromosomes in the offspring karyotype came from a parental egg, and one from a parental sperm cell.

  • LS1.B-M2. In Grade 8, Unit 8.6, Lesson 1: How could penguins and other things living today be connected to the things that lived long ago?, students analyze data cards about penguins living today that include information about their behaviors related to their reproduction, such as when and where they nest. Students develop initial explanations of how these penguins could be connected to the penguin in the fossil.

  • LS1.B-M3. In Grade 8, Unit 8.5, Lesson 13: How do plants reproduce?, students investigate the structures of flowers and determine that their functions are similar to reproductive structures in humans. Students obtain information about how the structures of flowers can interact with different pollinators and how some plants can reproduce asexually. Students construct explanations that make connections between plant structures and functions in both sexual and asexual reproduction.

  • LS1.B-M4. In Grade 8, Unit 8.5, Lesson 15: How do we get variations if the genetic information is exactly the same?, students obtain scientific information from texts about color variation in apples and then construct an explanation using a model to explain the different environmental factors that cause the range of variation we see in apple colors. Students find that apple color is influenced by temperature, sun exposure, and stressors such as lack of water or insect activity. 

  • LS1.C-M1. In Grade 7, Unit 7.4, Lesson 7: Why do plants need light?, students read about how scientists measure energy in food and then examine food labels to figure out how much energy water, CO2, glucose, and oxygen might have in them. Students then participate in a scientist circle about the role of sunlight as energy since the other inputs do not provide plants with energy. They determine that glucose has calories and provides energy to plants and add this to their consensus model. 

  • LS1.C-M2. In Grade 7, Unit 7.3, Lesson 13: How does a healthy body use food for energy and growth, and how is M’Kenna’s body functioning differently?, students build small-group models to explain how food is rearranged in the body to create energy, store energy for later use, or use matter for growth. Students develop a consensus model for how a healthy body uses energy and compares that to M’Kenna’s body. Students then develop explanations to explain the differences between a healthy digestive system and M’Kenna’s.

  • LS1.D-M1. In Grade 7, Unit 7.1, Lesson 13: Why do different substances have different odors and how do we detect them?, students carry out an investigation about the scents of different substances to see if they can identify these substances by their odors. They gather information from a text about how the sensory receptors inside the nose send signals to the brain. Students then use evidence from the lab and the text to write an explanation about why different substances have different odors and how we detect them.

  • LS2.A-M1, LS2.A-M2, LS2.A-M3, LS2.A-M4. In Grade 7, Unit 7.5, Lesson 11, How does planting oil palm affect other populations?, students develop models of the oil palm system and the rainforest system and discuss similarities and differences. Students then participate in a discussion about the models to show that populations are competing for resources that are both living and nonliving, and how changes in resource availability and individual population sizes can impact other populations of organisms.

  • LS2.B-M1. In Grade 7, Unit 7.4, Lesson 13: What happens to food that doesn’t get eaten?, students watch videos of decomposers that recycle matter from dead plants and animals and how they transfer energy back into the system. They examine data from bread mold in the light and dark to show inputs and outputs in the system. Students then read about decomposers in systems around the world and revise their model to include decomposers as a living part of the system.

  • LS2.C-M1, LS2.C-M2. In Grade 7, Unit 7.5, Lessons 13: How does an ecosystem change when the plants change?, students use a system model to make predictions and test ideas with different kinds of disruptions to fruit tree populations and test some of the same disruptions using the oil palm system model. Students determine that the oil palm system cannot withstand the disruptions like the rainforest can due to its lack of biodiversity. 

  • LS3.A-M1. In Grade 8, Unit 8.5, Lesson 12: Do plants have genetic material?, students watch a video of someone isolating genetic material from animal cells and plan an investigation to see if they can isolate the same material from strawberry cells. They carry out an investigation to isolate genetic material from strawberries and discuss the results as a class, looking for patterns within the data. Students determine that plants, like animals, have genetic material within their cells. 

  • LS3.A-M2. In Grade 8, Unit 8.5, Lesson 8: Why don’t offspring always look like their parents or their siblings?, students use pedigrees and Punnett squares to predict the probability that a known cross will result in a particular genotype. Students cross different combinations of genotypes, homozygous and heterozygous for myostatin in the parent cows, to demonstrate why some offspring have similar or different musculature phenotypes.

  • LS3.B-M1. In Grade 8, Unit 8.5, Lessons 5: Where do the babies with extra-big muscles get that trait variation?, students observe pictures and complete a simulation to see inside the nuclei of egg and sperm cells. They make connections between the karyotype of an offspring’s muscle cell and chromosomes in the sex cells of the parents. Students observe chromosomes in the karyotype that look like those in egg and sperm and figure out that each sex cell contributes one of each kind of chromosome to offspring.

  • LS3.B-M2. In Grade 8, Unit 8.6, Lesson 12: Can our model explain changes over really long periods of time?, students update their models for natural selection to add mutation as a new source of variation. Students then use it to explain differences in body structures in horses and horseshoe crabs over very long periods of time.

  • LS4.A-M1. In Grade 6, Unit 6.4, Lesson 10: Where were Africa and South America in the past?, students examine patterns in data from rock strata, fossils, and other changes in a land across the continents of Africa and South America to determine if they once touched. Students complete an exit ticket to make a claim that the two plates used to touch and support the claim with evidence from the maps.

  • LS4.A-M2. In Grade 8, Unit 8.6, Lesson 13: Can we apply the General Model for Natural Selection over millions of years to explain how all the ancient and modern penguins are connected?, students develop a model to show how modern penguins could be connected to one another and to ancient penguins through common ancestors. Students construct possible explanations for how the penguins are connected.

  • LS4.A-M3. In Grade 8, Unit 8.6, Lesson 14: What do the patterns in embryo development tell us about how things living today could be connected to the things that lived long ago?, students analyze sketches of embryos at different points in development for a variety of animals, including a chicken, a turtle, a rabbit, and a human. Students construct an argument about how and why different organisms share so many physical structures in their embryological development.

  • LS4.B-M1. In Grade 8, Unit 8.6, Lesson 7: How do traits found in a population change over a shorter amount of time?, students analyze five cases (Finch, Peppered Moth, Cliff Swallow, Mustard Plant, Stickleback) where trait distributions in the population changed over a few generations. They develop a model to explain what was causing the shift in trait distribution over time for the individual cases.

  • LS4.B-M2. In Grade 8, Unit 8.5, Lessons 9: How do farmers control the variation in their animals?, students read about ways farmers can breed animals for specific trait variations. Students use a computer simulation to practice selective breeding. 

  • LS4.C-M1. In Grade 8, Unit 8.6, Lesson 12: Can our model explain changes over really long periods of time?, students read about the changing environment and update their model to account for changes in horses’ toes over time. Students read about the body structures of horseshoe crabs and use the model to explain why their body structures have stayed the same over time.

  • LS4.D-M1. In Grade 7, Unit 7.5, Lesson 14:  Are there ways people can grow food without harming the tropical rainforest?, students read articles about different approaches to farming and how these approaches help populations in ecosystems. Students consider positive and negative changes to biodiversity and how biodiversity can influence ecosystems.

Indicator 2D.iii
04/04

Earth and Space Sciences

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-band disciplinary core ideas (DCIs) for earth and space sciences. These DCIs are present in three units in Grade 6, two units in Grade 7, and one unit in Grade 8. The elements are thoroughly covered through a variety of student activities. All elements of this DCI are present, except for the missing element ESS2.C-M4. 

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

  • ESS1.A-M1. In Grade 6, Unit 6.4, Lesson 3: How does what we find on and below Earth’s surface compare in different places?, students create and revise models of the earth's interior after exploring mass, density, and temperature in relation to rocks. Progress trackers explain what type of changes are happening under earth’s surface.

  • ESS1.A-M2. In Grade 8, Unit 8.4, Lesson 16: What patterns and phenomena are beyond our solar system that we cannot see with just our eyes?, students analyze images and video of the solar system and the universe. Students analyze evidence showing the solar system in part of the Milky Way Galaxy.

  • ESS1.B-M1. In Grade 8, Unit 8.4, Lesson 14: Why do some solar system objects orbit planets and others orbit the Sun?, students develop and revise a model that shows gravitational pull between objects in the solar system. Students also use a simulation to manipulate mass and distance and see the effects of pull when those variables change. 

  • ESS1.B-M2. In Grade 8, Unit 8.4, Lesson 5: How can we explain phenomena like Manhattanhenge?, students observe phenomena of the sun alignment in New York City. Students work to create a model including the motion of the earth in a year, its tilt, and rotation.

  • ESS1.B-M3. In Grade 8, Unit 8.4, Lesson 15: How did the solar system get to be the way it is today?, students collect evidence from written and media materials to create a comic storyboard that explains how the solar system was formed from dust and gas.

  • ESS1.C-M1 and ESS2.C-M2. In Grade 6, Unit 6.4, Lesson 10: Where were Africa and South America in the past?, students consult scientific data describing the rate of plate movement at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Students examine fossil and rock-type evidence to conclude that plates that once touched have moved apart as a new ocean floor is created.

  • ESS2.A-M1. In Grade 6, Unit 6.4, Lesson 3: How does what we find on and below Earth’s surface compare in different places?, students construct explanations from evidence from media and text that describe the flowing energy beneath earth’s surface that are not observable but can cause change on the surface.

  • ESS2.A-M2. In Grade 6, Unit 6.4, Lesson 6: How could plate movement help us explain how Mt. Everest and other locations are changing in elevation?, students examine models of tectonic plates to construct an argument about the effect of moving plates. Students consider the scale of the entire planet as well as smaller locations. 

  • ESS2.B-M1. In Grade 6, Unit 6.4, Lesson 10: Where were Africa and South America in the past?, students use paper models of continents to model how they move each year. Although the yearly movement may be a small amount, students recognize the great movement over time.

  • ESS2.C-M1. In Grade 6, Unit 6.3, Lesson 9: Why don’t we see clouds everywhere in the air, and what is a cloud made of?, students conduct an investigation about the formation of frost. They construct an explanation of the motion of molecules at the surface of a cold pack and relate this to the formation of ice crystals in clouds.

  • ESS2.C-M2. In Grade 6, Unit 6.3, Lesson 2: What are the conditions like on days when it hails?, students analyze photos of hailstone and a frequency map to determine patterns that lead to this type of weather.

  • ESS2.C-M3. In Grade 6, Unit 6.3, Lesson 13: Why do some storms produce (really big) hail and others don’t?, students update and revise models used throughout the unit to describe the cycling of matter and energy and its role in producing storms. 

  • ESS2.C-M5. In Grade 6, Unit 6.4, Lesson 13: What causes mountains to shrink in elevation?, students view a time-lapse video and use a mathematical process to calculate how mountains are changing and predict future changes due to erosion and other factors.

  • ESS2.D-M1. In Grade 6, Unit 6.3, Lesson 10: Why do clouds or storms form at some times but not others?, students use a simulation to manipulate variables such as temperature and humidity to observe the type and size of the storm that can be created when changing variables. Students create a model and construct an argument to explain how weather and storms can be created and changed when variables on the planet change.

  • ESS2.D-M2. In Grade 6, Unit 6.3, Lesson 19: Are there patterns to how air masses move that can help predict where large storms will form?, students use precipitation data to analyze and look for patterns that can be used to predict the probability of future weather patterns and events.

  • ESS2.D-M3. In Grade 6, Unit 6.3, Lesson 20: How do oceans affect whether a place gets a lot or a little precipitation?, students analyze text and media portraying warm and cold ocean currents. Students construct an explanation to predict possible weather events influenced by ocean temperature and currents.

  • ESS3.A-M1. In Grade 7, Unit 7.6, Lesson 10: What is happening in the world to cause the sharp rise in CO2?, students examine graphs and data showing population size and growth, fuel consumption, and greenhouse gas composition. Students explore the human need for various resources on the planet and the effects that those needs have.

  • ESS3.B-M1. In Grade 6, Unit 6.5, Lesson 9: How can we model the systems put into place to protect communities?, students use knowledge of subsystems and events involving tsunamis to create a model that will help warn communities about possible tsunamis and to mitigate damage.

  • ESS3.C-M1. In Grade 7, Unit 7.5, Lesson 2: Can we replace palm oil with something else?, students watch a video that describes using palm oil for products humans need/want. Students discuss alternatives and discuss the need for farming to produce these products. Students describe the effects on the planet and species when areas are farmed.

  • ESS3.C-M2. In Grade 7, Unit 7.6, Lesson 10: What is happening in the world to cause the sharp rise in CO2?, students examine graphs and data showing population size and growth, fuel consumption, and greenhouse gas composition. Students look for patterns amongst these variables and then make a claim regarding the cause and effect of said variables

  • ESS3.D-M1. In Grade 7, Unit 7.6, Lesson 11: Why could burning fossil fuels create a problem for CO2 in the Atmosphere?, students use and modify a carbon system model to justify why the burning of fossil fuels is increasing the amount of CO2 in the air.

An earth and space science DCI element not present in the materials:

  • ESS2.C-M4. Variations in density due to variations in temperature and salinity drive a global pattern of interconnected ocean currents.

Indicator 2D.iv
04/04

Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-band disciplinary core ideas (DCIs) for engineering, technology, and applications of science. They occur primarily in units in which the focus is engineering design activities and occur in at least one unit in every grade level. In some instances, an element is fully addressed across multiple lessons. 

Examples of grade-band engineering, technology, and applications of science DCIs present in the materials:

  • ETS1.A-M1. In Grade 8, Unit 8.1, Lesson 11: What can we design to better protect objects in a collision?, students develop a list of criteria and constraints for a device to protect an object from damage. Students gather feedback from their proposed design and then as a class further discuss criteria and constraints that would work for all designs.

  • ETS1.B-M1. In Grade 6, Unit 6.2: Thermal Energy, Lessons 16 and 17, students test their cup system. Each design group shares its data with the class and students discuss how well each met the criteria and constraints. Each design group then modifies its design and explains how its design change(s) should improve the performance.

  • ETS1.B-M2. In Grade 6, Unit 6.5, Lesson 5: How can we reduce damage from a tsunami wave?,  students watch videos of various solutions to protect the community of Ryoshi from a tsunami. They evaluate and rank solutions based on criteria and constraints. As a class, they discuss disagreements and which criteria and constraints to prioritize in choosing the best solution.

  • ETS1.B-M3. In Grade 8, Unit 8.1, Lesson 14: How can we use our science ideas and other societal wants and needs to refine our designs?, students design a protective device and test it. Students perform more tests on different protective materials and how they reduce peak forces. Students reevaluate the criteria and constraints and collect stakeholder feedback. Teams use their information to design a solution that better meets the needs of stakeholders. 

  • ETS1.B-M4. In Grade 7, Unit 7.2, Lesson 6: How can we redesign our homemade flameless heater?, students use data they collect over several lessons to draw and describe the plans for their flameless heater. Students go on to build a prototype that they test. 

  • ETS1.C-M1. In Grade 7, Unit 7.2, Lesson 7: How did our design compare to others in the class?, teams of students share their designs for a flameless heater, giving and receiving feedback. Students use a design testing matrix to record the most promising design ideas and how the design performed with regard to the criteria and constraints. 

  • ETS1.C-M2. In Grade 7, Unit 7.2: Chemical Reactions & Energy, Lessons 7 and 8, students use the information they gather as a class regarding flameless heater designs and determine how they perform with respect to the required criteria and constraints. Students rank the criteria and constraints to help them decide what to focus on when changing their design. Teams decide on two to three design changes and consider the consequences that will result because of the changes they make.

Indicator 2E
Read

Materials incorporate all grade-band Science and Engineering Practices.

Indicator 2E.i
02/02

Asking Questions and Defining Problems

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-band science and engineering practices for asking questions and defining problems. The series thoroughly incorporates the practice of asking questions and defining problems, in multiple units across grade levels. AQDP-M1 is the most common element of this practice in the series and is used by students in multiple and repeated instances throughout lessons and units across the series.

Examples of grade-band elements of asking questions and defining problems present in the materials:

  • AQDP-M1. In Grade 8, Unit 8.5, Lesson 1: How do organisms get their differences?, students generate questions after observing phenomena. Students observe photos of animals with extra-large muscles. Students generate a list of related phenomena and then develop a driving questions board and ideas for future investigations.

  • AQDP-M2. In Grade 7, Unit 7.6, Lesson 17: What solutions work best for our school or community?, students take on the role of a skeptical community member who has questions about their plan.  Students develop and ask questions of their classmates about their plans.

  • AQDP-M3. In Grade 7, Unit 7.6, Lesson 13: Why is solving the climate change problem so challenging?, students observe data about carbon in the atmosphere and generate questions about what could be causing some of the variables to exist and change. 

  • AQDP-M4. In Grade 7, Unit 7.2, Lesson 1: How can we heat up food when we don’t have our typical methods available?, students ask questions to define an engineering problem. After observing a flameless heater, students create a list of criteria and constraints to design their own. Students create a driving questions board to gather ideas to aid in their design.

  • AQDP-M5. In Grade 8, Unit 8.6, Lesson 2: How similar or different are different species of penguins?, students ask questions—that require evidence to answer—about the structure and behavioral evidence found in fossils.

  • AQDP-M6. In Grade 6, Unit 6.1, Lesson 3: What happens when light shines on the one-way mirror?,  students work together to construct questions that can be tested in an investigation. 

  • AQDP-M7. In Grade 8, Unit 8.3, Lesson 9: How do the magnet and the electromagnet work together to move the speaker?, students create and refine questions about magnetic fields and how changing variables can affect outcomes.

  • AQDP-M8. In Grade 7, Unit 7.2, Lesson 1: How can we heat up food when we don’t have our typical methods available?, students define a design problem that can be addressed using a flameless heater.

Indicator 2E.ii
02/02

Developing and Using Models

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-band science and engineering practices for developing and using models. This science and engineering practice has seven elements. MOD-M5 is the most commonly used and is present in every unit of the materials followed by MOD-M4 which is present in every grade level and in multiple units. MOD-M6 is present predominantly in Grade 6. 

Examples of grade-band elements of Developing and Using Models across the series present in the materials:

  • MOD-M1. In Grade 8, Unit 8.4, Lesson 8: What does a lunar eclipse look like and how can we explain it?, students use a model they created in a previous lesson to make predictions about what they would see if they were watching a lunar eclipse. They look for discrepancies between their observations of lunar eclipse images and the predictions they made. Students discuss possible causes/mechanisms that their model did not predict and can’t yet explain. 

  • MOD-M2. In Grade 7, Unit 7.5, Lesson 13: How does an ecosystem change when the plants change?, students modify a model to test different disruptions to an ecosystem. They predict what will happen to populations based on changes to the model.

  • MOD-M3. In Grade 8, Unit 8.3, Lesson 5: How does the magnetic field change when we add another magnet to the system?, students use a computer interactive as a model to understand uncertain factors of the magnetic field that exists between a magnet and a coil.

  • MOD-M4. In Grade 6, Unit 6.3, Lesson 10: Why do clouds or storms form at some times but not others?, students use a simulation to test ideas about what causes a storm to form. They manipulate temperature and humidity to see how changing these variables affects storm formation. Students analyze the data and discuss what the simulation did well and what was missing. Students then suggest modifications to the simulation including other inputs and outputs.  

  • MOD-M5. In Grade 8, Unit 8.6, Lesson 13: Can we apply the General Model for Natural Selection over millions of years to explain how all the ancient and modern penguins are connected?, students develop a model for the common ancestry of penguins based on body structure differences. Students build their model to incorporate more modern penguins then draw a simplified version replacing the dots with lines and creating a branching diagram.

  • MOD-M6. In Grade 6, Unit 6.1, Lesson 4: How do similar amounts of light transmit through and reflect off the one-way mirror?, students develop a model to show how the structure of a one-way mirror causes some light to be reflected and some light to be transmitted.

  • MOD-M7. In Grade 7, Unit 7.2, Lesson 3: What other chemical reactions could we use to heat up food?, students use a model they developed in a previous lesson that describes the flow of energy from a chemical reaction (reaction system) to food (food system) and other materials. They use the model to help investigate which different chemical reactions work best for a homemade flameless heater, taking into account how much energy is needed in the reaction system to get adequate energy to the food system.

Indicator 2E.iii
02/02

Planning and Carrying Out Investigations

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-band science and engineering practices for planning and carrying out investigations. Across all three grade levels, there are multiple opportunities to engage in this practice; INV-M2 and INV-M4 are the most common across the series. 

Examples of grade-band elements of Planning and Carrying Out Investigations across the series present in the materials:

  • INV-M1. In Grade 8, Unit 8.3, Lesson 7: How does changing the distance between two magnets affect the amount of energy transferred out of the field?, students plan and carry out an investigation using a cart on a track to determine how changing the distance between two magnets affects the energy transferred in a magnetic field between them. Students work in small groups to identify variables in the experiment, plan their procedure, and discuss the quantity of data to be collected.

  • INV-M2. In Grade 7, Unit 7.3, Lesson 5: Why do large food molecules, like some complex carbohydrates, seem to disappear in the digestive system?, students plan and conduct an investigation to determine whether certain complex carbohydrates undergo a chemical reaction when mixed with a substance in saliva to produce glucose. They use the data to argue that some complex carbohydrates are broken down into glucose molecules through chemical reactions in the mouth.

  • INV-M3. In Grade 7, Unit 7.2, Lesson 4: How much of each reactant should we include in our homemade flameless heater?, students plan and conduct an investigation to determine which proportion of reactants will work best to heat up food. Students discuss and analyze the procedure with a partner and then discuss as a whole class, to make sure that the data collection methods will provide the appropriate data to explain the correct amount of reactants for the reaction.

  • INV-M4. In Grade 8, Unit 8.1, Lesson 2: What causes changes in the motion and shape of colliding objects?, students explore colliding objects and record observations about changes in their motion and shape. Students analyze slow-motion videos of collisions. Students use the data from their observations to create cause-effect statements, one for each of the collision outcomes: motion changes and shape changes.

  • INV-M5. In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 4: How does a lid affect what happens to the liquid in the cup?, students plan and carry out two investigations to determine the effect of a lid on both the temperature change of hot liquid in a cup and the changes in the mass of a hot liquid in the cup. Students make changes to their procedures based on how the lid affects the variables of temperature and mass.

Indicator 2E.iv
02/02

Analyzing and Interpreting Data

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-band science and engineering practices for analyzing and interpreting data. All elements of this SEP are found across all three grade levels and are frequent throughout the units; DATA-M4 is the most common across the series. Students frequently analyze different types of data such as data sets/tables, graphical data, map data, etc. They analyze data that is provided by the resource as well as data they collect through investigations.

Examples of grade-band elements of Analyzing and Interpreting Data present in the materials:

  • DATA-M1. In Grade 8, Unit 8.3, Lesson 11: What else determines the strength of the force pairs between two magnets in a magnetic field?, students make predictions about what makes the magnetic force between two magnets stronger, then they test their ideas in small groups. Each group investigates a different independent variable and graphs the data. Students determine that the forces get stronger when they make the magnet bigger, increase the number of coils, decrease the diameter of the coils, or increase the current by adding more batteries.

  • DATA-M2. In Grade 6, Unit 6.3, Lesson 15: What happens with temperature and humidity of air in large storms?, students use temperature, humidity, and radar data from a storm across eight-hour increments to track the movement of air and precipitation. Students use the data to show that precipitation and storms develop where air masses of different characteristics meet.

  • DATA-M3. In Grade 6, Unit 6.5, Lesson 2: Where do tsunamis happen and what causes them?, students establish a correlation between some earthquakes and tsunamis, specifically that earthquakes and tsunamis are related (correlation) but not all earthquakes cause tsunamis. They analyze tsunami wave height data to look for patterns in earthquakes’ strength (magnitude) and depth to see how they influence the formation and wave height of a tsunami. They establish causation between certain earthquakes (shallow, strong earthquakes on colliding boundaries) and tsunami formation.

  • DATA-M4. In Grade 7, Unit 7.4, Lesson 10: Why don’t plants die at night?, students analyze data on changes in levels of gases around plant leaves in the dark. They monitor changes in CO2 and relative humidity around spinach leaves in the dark in a closed system. Students then analyze and interpret a data set showing what happens to the levels of oxygen, water, and CO2 around dandelion leaves in the dark.

  • DATA-M5. In Grade 8, Unit 8.6, Lesson 7: How do traits found in a population change over a shorter amount of time?, students explore five cases where trait distributions in the population changed over a few generations. They apply concepts of statistics and probability, including mean, median, mode, and variability, to analyze and characterize the assigned data subsets of their case. Students also apply them when they record and integrate interpretations of data from other group members who analyzed their data subsets using these concepts. 

  • DATA-M6. In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 2: What cup features seem most important for keeping a drink cold?, students consider how changing cup features cause a drink to warm up faster after carrying out an investigation. Students collect, organize, and analyze data from their investigation to identify patterns that help them figure out which cup features work well in maintaining a drink’s temperature and which do not. They suggest ways to modify data collection methods in subsequent investigations to improve the precision and accuracy of data.

  • DATA-M7. In Grade 7, Unit 7.1, Lesson 10: When energy from a battery was added to water, were the gases produced made of the same particles as were produced from heating the water?, students analyze and interpret data from their tests to determine if the gas or gases that are produced by adding electrical energy in each test tube are the same substance and whether they are the same as those produced from boiling water. 

  • DATA-M8. In Grade 7, Unit 7.2, Lesson 6: How can we redesign our homemade flameless heater?, students collect data from their prototype in order to analyze the data to optimize their design. They build prototypes and test them based on their criteria and constraints.

Indicator 2E.v
01/02

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 partially meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-band science and engineering practices for using mathematics and computational thinking. There are five elements to this science and engineering practice. One element is not present (MATH-M3). In Grade 6, the materials refer to mathematical and computational thinking; however, students are often looking at large data sets associated with maps. Element MATH-M4 is used in multiple instances across all grade levels and the other elements present occur mostly in Grade 7. Overall this SEP is used infrequently in relation to the other science and engineering practices present in the program.

Examples of grade-band elements of Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking present in the materials:

  • MATH-M1. In Grade 7, Unit 7.5, Lesson 9: Would planting more rainforest fruit trees help the orangutan population increase?, students use a simulation to gather data and look for trends and patterns in what happens to the numbers of orangutans when the number of fruit trees in the environment changes.

  • MATH-M2. In Grade 8, Unit 8.2, Lesson 4: How do the vibrations of the sound source compare for louder versus softer sounds?, students use a motion detector to make a graph to represent soft and loud sounds. Students use a simulation to graph the motion of a speaker while it is making sounds and look for patterns among the four graphs to discover the characteristics of waves.

  • MATH-M4. In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 4: How does a lid affect what happens to the liquid in the cup?, students gather temperature data and data from the change in mass in cup systems over time, both with a lid and without a lid. They calculate the average changes in temperature and mass. This information is added to their model of a cup system. In a later lesson, students use their model to guide their design of building a cup using everyday materials.

  • MATH-M5. In Grade 7, Unit 7.6, Lesson 13: Why is solving the climate change problem so challenging?, students use an online simulation first to gather baseline information about what will happen to temperature and CO2 concentrations if carbon emissions remain the same. Students then use the simulation to test ideas about what will happen if carbon emissions change. Students use the information to brainstorm how they could make an impact on carbon emissions.

A grade-band element of using mathematics and computational thinking missing from the materials:

  • MATH-M3. Create algorithms (a series of ordered steps) to solve a problem.

Indicator 2E.vi
02/02

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-band science and engineering practices for constructing explanations and designing solutions. The materials incorporate the practice of constructing explanations and designing solutions and nearly all the associated grade-band elements across the series. The most common element, CEDS-M4, is used in multiple instances across the series. 

Examples of grade-band elements of Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions present in the materials:

  • CEDS-M1. In Grade 6, Unit 6.4, Lesson 4: What is happening to Earth’s surface and the material below it during an earthquake?, students engage in a discussion with their partner, using evidence from class investigations, about possible changes to bedrock below the earth’s surface during an earthquake. Students should make a connection between the crack at the surface of the earth and the process happening under the surface.

  • CEDS-M2. In Grade 6, Unit 6.1, Lesson 5: How do light and one-way mirrors interact to cause the one-way mirror phenomenon?, students create individual models to explain how the teacher can see the music student, but the music student cannot see the teacher. Students should use evidence from previous lessons to support what they draw in their model.

  • CEDS-M3. In Grade 7, Unit 7.1, Lesson 5: What gas(ses) could be coming from the bath bomb?, students write predictive explanations about the gas(ses) that may be released from the bath bomb. Students use data from their investigations to make statements that will help them determine, based on the properties of substances, which gas gets released by a bath bomb.

  • CEDS-M4. In Grade 6, Unit 6.4, Lesson 6: How could plate movement help us explain how Mt. Everest and other locations are changing in elevation?, students support the statement, “Earthquakes are caused by plates moving past each other and getting stuck on their rough edges, then snapping out of it suddenly,” with evidence from their models, demonstrations, and/or artifacts in the classroom.

  • CEDS-M5. In Grade 6, Unit 6.4, Lesson 11: Where were the other plates located in the distant past?, in groups, students discuss which data support or are weaker for supporting locations of land masses in the past. Additionally, students consider the positions of land masses that have the most data supporting them as they refine their consensus model. 

  • CEDS-M6. In Grade 7, Unit 7.2, Lesson 6: How can we redesign our homemade flameless heater?, students work in teams to redesign the prototype of their food heaters. Designs should include all of the characteristics listed on the “Design Must-Haves” list.

  • CEDS-M7. In Grade 7, Unit 7.5, Lesson 17: How can we redesign the way land is used in Indonesia to support orangutans and people at the same time?, students participate in a design challenge in which they redesign land to benefit both orangutans and palm farmers. Students identify criteria and constraints and create design solutions to meet them.

  • CEDS-M8. In Grade 8, Unit 8.1, Lesson 15: How can we use what we figured out to evaluate another engineer’s design?, students complete the Cheerleading Headgear assessment in which they evaluate different types of materials that can be used to create protective headgear. Students then design headgear that will optimize protection during cheerleading competitions.

Indicator 2E.vii
02/02

Engaging in Argument from Evidence

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-band science and engineering practices for engaging in argument from evidence. The materials incorporate this practice and all grade-band elements across the series. ARG-M3 is the most common element with multiple instances throughout the series and the least commonly used element is ARG-M4. In some instances multiple elements may be used together by students with opportunities to use and/or develop partial aspects of each; most frequently partial use of ARG-M1 is paired with partial use of ARG-M2.

Examples of where materials incorporate engaging in argument from evidence:

  • ARG-M1. In Grade 6, Unit 6.3, Lesson 18: How can we explain what is happening across this storm (and other large-scale storms)?, students read through different explanations about air pressure, fronts, and precipitation to determine similarities and differences between ideas. Students track what evidence is already included and what evidence needs to be added to make the explanation more accurate and complete.

  • ARG-M2. In Grade 8, Unit 8.1, Lesson 9: How do other contact forces from interactions with the air and the track cause energy transfers in the launcher system?, students take turns sharing and defending their explanations about energy transfer before and right after a collision caused by the cart-launcher system. Students ask each other questions to push thinking around cause-and-effect relationships and kinetic energy changes in the system.

  • ARG-M3. In Grade 6, Unit 6.4, Lesson 3: How does what we find on and below Earth’s surface compare in different places?, students update their progress trackers at the end of the lesson with information that answers the question, “How does what we find at and below Earth’s surface compare in different places?” Students are expected to use evidence from a story map, images, and data collected from investigation cards to support their explanations.

  • ARG-M4. In Grade 7, Unit 7.2, Lesson 7: How did our design compare to others in the class?, students compare their how-to instructions and designs with two other teams with the purpose of providing and receiving feedback about their work. Students annotate feedback so that they can make the best revisions possible in their redesign work.

  • ARG-M5. In Grade 7, Unit 7.6, Lesson 15: How can large-scale solutions work to reduce carbon in the atmosphere?, students look at different solutions for eliminating CO2 emissions in the atmosphere. Students discuss and determine which solutions best meet the criteria of CO2 reduction.

Indicator 2E.viii
02/02

Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-band science and engineering practices for obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information. The practice of obtaining and evaluating information and the related elements are present throughout the units in the series. Information is presented in a variety of formats across grade levels. INFO-M1 is present the most frequently and is across all grade levels.

Examples of grade-band elements of Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information present in the materials:

  • INFO-M1. In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 15: How do certain design features slow down the transfer of energy into a cup?, students read articles about designs intended to keep beverages warm or cold.  They use this information to improve their own designs.

  • INFO-M2. In Grade 8, Unit 8.5, Lesson 2: How do extra-big muscles compare to typical ones up close?, students must integrate information from pictures, videos, and an article to describe and explain reasons behind muscle variations in animals.

  • INFO-M3. In Grade 8, Unit 8.6, Lesson 12: How similar or different are different species of penguins?, students read various texts in order to determine if the information found supports their models of natural selection or not.

  • INFO-M4. In Grade 7, Unit 7.6, Lesson 16: How are these solutions working in our communities?, students view a community resilience plan.  Students identify solutions in the plan. Students receive a community solutions plan and sort the solutions into categories.  Students use information from both to identify the best plans after receiving more information.

  • INFO-M5. In Grade 7, Unit 7.4, Lesson 10: Why don’t plants die at night?, students review data to create a news release explaining how photosynthesis occurs in the dark.

Indicator 2F
Read

Materials incorporate all grade-band Crosscutting Concepts.

Indicator 2F.i
02/02

Patterns

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-band crosscutting concepts for patterns. Elements of patterns are found often across all three grade levels, with PAT-M3 and PAT-M4 used most frequently.

Examples of grade-band elements of patterns present in the materials:

  • PAT-M1. In Grade 7, Unit 7.1, Lesson 11: How do Dalton’s models of the particles that change in a reaction compare to the ones we developed?, students use atomic level structures to represent changes occurring in the arrangement of atoms that make up substances in bath bombs. Students use what is happening at the molecular level to account for what they observe as macroscopic patterns, the production of a new substance when a bath bomb reacts with water.

  • PAT-M2. In Grade 8, Unit 8.4, Lesson 4: How do these changes in sunlight impact us here on Earth?, students use data collected during an investigation to create a numerical relationship using an energy graph to explain seasonal temperature differences as a result of earth’s tilt and solar elevation.

  • PAT-M3. In Grade 6, Unit 6.5, Lesson 3: What causes a tsunami to form and move?, students use a series of models to identify patterns in a tsunami’s formation, movement, and how changes in the ocean floor can cause changes in the wave’s amplitude.

  • PAT-M4. In Grade 7, Unit 7.4, Lesson 4: Are any parts that makeup food molecules coming into the plant from above the surface?, students use tables and graphs of data to identify different gases as plant inputs or outputs. They analyze data to look for patterns in the amounts of carbon dioxide, water, and oxygen surrounding plant leaves over time.

Indicator 2F.ii
02/02

Cause and Effect

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-band crosscutting concepts for cause and effect. All elements of cause and effect are present across all three grade levels. All of the elements appear frequently throughout the units with CE-M2 being the most frequently used by students. 

Examples of grade-band elements of cause and effect present in the materials:

  • CE-M1. In Grade 7, Unit 7.6, Lesson 10: What is happening in the world to cause the sharp rise in CO2?, students identify a correlation between rising populations, rising consumption of fossil fuel use, and rising CO2 levels. They further explore the causal relationship between fossil fuel use and CO2 emissions when they burn a fuel source and trace the products that are given off.

  • CE-M2. In Grade 6, Unit 6.3, Lesson 5: What happens to the air near the ground when it is warmed up?, students identify cause-and-effect relationships between energy and matter in closed systems. They observe the behavior of gases in closed systems and figure out that adding thermal energy causes predictable changes in matter’s particle motion.

  • CE-M3. In Grade 8, Unit 8.3, Lesson 12: What cause-effect relationships explain how magnetic forces at a distance make things work?, students participate in a scientist’s circle to discuss the results of the experiments from a previous lesson. Students use this discussion as an opportunity to explain that phenomena may have more than one cause.

Indicator 2F.iii
02/02

Scale, Proportion, and Quantity

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-band crosscutting concepts for scale, proportion, and quantity. All five of the grade-band elements are present throughout the materials. SPQ-M3 is the most common SPQ element in this series and is used by students in multiple and repeated instances throughout lessons and units across the series.

Examples of grade-band elements of scale, proportion, and quantity present in the materials:

  • SPQ-M1. In Grade 8, Unit 8.2, Lesson 11: How does sound make matter around us move?, students create models that show the movement of salt particles due to sound. Students must create models of the sound wavelengths even though they are at a scale too small to be seen.

  • SPQ-M2. In Grade 7, Unit 7.6, Lesson 16: How are these solutions working in our communities?, students map solutions to the Carbon Crisis. Students realize that solutions occur at different scales - individual, family, city, organizational, and worldwide.

  • SPQ-M3. In Grade 6, Unit 6.4, Lesson 12: Where did mountains that aren’t at plate boundaries today, like the Appalachians and Urals, come from?, students use ideas of proportional relationships as they describe the formation of mountain ranges and volcanoes over time.

  • SPQ-M4. In Grade 7, Unit 7.1, Lesson 9: Does heating liquid water produce a new substance in the gas bubbles that appear?, students use ideas of proportional relationships as they calculate the mass, volume, and density of a substance.

  • SPQ-M5. In Grade 8, Unit 8.6, Lesson 12: Can our model explain changes over really long periods of time?, students examine how traits in a population are stable over short periods of time but change over long periods at various scales.

Indicator 2F.iv
02/02

Systems and System Models

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-band crosscutting concepts (CCCs) for systems and system models. The materials incorporate the CCC of systems and system models and all grade-band elements across the series. The most frequent element is SYS-M2 and the least frequent element is SYS-M3.

Examples of grade-band elements of systems and system models present in the materials:

  • SYS-M1. In Grade 6, Unit 6.6, Lesson 12: How do structures and systems work together to heal the injury?, students develop explanations for how healing works in the human body. They share explanations with partners and participate in a consensus discussion about healing. Student responses should include an understanding of the body’s many systems and how they work together to heal injuries.

  • SYS-M2. In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 4: How does a lid affect what happens to liquid in the cup?, students collect data during two cup lid investigations. They use this data to develop an initial model to predict what happens to the mass that is lost in the open cup investigation.

  • SYS-M3. Grade 6, Unit 6.5, Lesson 6: How are tsunamis detected and warning signals sent?, students read an article about tsunami detection systems and summarize what they read during a discussion. They then answer the question, “How can we make a diagram of a tsunami detection and warning system working together?” In their response, students are expected to show an understanding of the limitations of the tsunami detection system they read about. 

Indicator 2F.v
02/02

Energy and Matter

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-band crosscutting concepts (CCCs) for energy and matter. The materials incorporate the CCC of energy and matter and all the associated grade-band elements across the series. Students have multiple opportunities to make sense of energy and matter concepts. EM-M4 is the most frequent element used across the series and EM-M3 is the second most frequent element used. EM-M3 is present in a single learning opportunity in the materials. Students learn about different types of energy throughout the course of the series.

Examples of grade-band elements of Energy and Matter present in the materials: 

  • EM-M1. In Grade 7, Unit 7.1, Lesson 2: Where is the gas coming from?, students construct an explanation based on evidence from their bath bomb investigation that gas is not new matter. The mass of the bath bomb does not increase after the chemical reaction takes place, it decreases. The gas must have come from the materials already present in the bath bomb and is created as a result of a chemical reaction.

  • EM-M2. In Grade 7, Unit 7.3: Metabolic Reactions, Lessons 10 and 11, students conduct an investigation in Lesson 10 during which they observe a wick burning in oil. They update their progress trackers with information about the reduction in matter as a result of a chemical reaction. In Lesson 11, students continue their investigation to determine that when food is burned, a chemical reaction takes place that releases energy, and CO2 and H2O vapor are produced.

  • EM-M3. In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 7: If matter cannot enter or exit a closed system, how does a liquid in the system change temperature?, students create two models, one to show heat energy and one to show light energy in the closed cup system. These are initial models and require that students rely on previous learning.

  • EM-M4. Grade 7, Unit 7.2, Lesson 2: How do heaters get warm without a flame?, students construct a consensus model based on their flameless heater investigations that shows the movement and transfer of energy during a chemical reaction.

Indicator 2F.vi
02/02

Structure and Function

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-band crosscutting concepts for structure and function. There are two elements for this CCC. Most structure and function elements are present in Grades 6 and 8 and occur in multiple units in each of those grades. They also are present across earth/space, life, and physical science learning opportunities.

Examples of grade-band elements of Structure and Function present in the materials:

  • SF-M1. In Grade 6, Unit 6.1: Light and Matter, Lessons 3 and 4, students investigate what happens to light as it interacts with glass, a one-way mirror, and a mirror. They use words and pictures with arrows to represent how much light is reflected versus passed through. In the next lesson, students are given additional information about the microscopic structures and create new drawings of light rays interacting with the materials, and including how the rays interact with the microscopic structures to cause the materials to function the way they do.

  • SF-M2. In Grade 8, Unit 8.1, Lesson 13: How (and why) does the structure of a cushioning material affect the peak forces produced in a collision?, students share descriptions of cross-sections of structures of the top force-reducing materials they investigated in a previous lesson. Next, students make scaled-up versions of some of the structures using rectangles of plastic formed into rings. They test various structures formed by the rings to determine how the structures impact their cushioning ability.

Indicator 2F.vii
02/02

Stability and Change

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they incorporate all grade-band crosscutting concepts (CCCs) for stability and change. There are four elements for this CCC and students have multiple opportunities to use and build on each of the elements. This CCC is primarily found in Grades 6 and 7 with a few instances in Grade 8. The CCC is used by students in multiple and repeated instances throughout lessons and units across the series.

Examples of grade-band elements of Stability and Change present in the materials:

  • SC-M1. In Grade 8, Unit 8.6: Natural Selection & Common Ancestry, Lessons 7 and 8, students examine the structures of an assigned organism analyzing trait variations. They investigate what caused the population of their organism to change over time. Each group shares information about their organism. The class co-constructs a model showing how some environmental interactions can lead to a competitive advantage for some traits and those traits are passed on to future generations. These changes lead to future generations that have different trait distributions than previous generations. 

  • SC-M2. In Grade 7, Unit 7.6: Earth’s Resources & Human Impact, Lessons 3 and 4, students analyze data and look for patterns between temperature and components of the water cycle. They create a model showing interactions occurring in the earth’s water system. Students find that increasing temperatures lead to increased evaporation and water vapor in the atmosphere. Winds move the water vapor leading to some locations receiving more precipitation than normal and others receiving less than normal. 

  • SC-M3. In Grade 6, Unit 6.4: Plate Tectonics & Rock Cycling, Lessons 10 and 11, students use current rates of plate movement to estimate when Africa and South America might have touched in the past. They add to their prediction to include where other landmasses could have been in the past based on plate movement, the shape of land masses, and expert group data. Groups share their predictions and come to a consensus about land mass locations. 

  • SC-M4. In Grade 7, Unit 7.5: Ecosystem Dynamics, Lessons 14 and 16, students are given an article to read that describes a way to grow food while protecting animals and the forest at the same time. They take notes and fill out a worksheet describing how food is grown, how it differs from a mono-crop, why it helps populations in ecosystems, and who is doing this. Students continue their study of a way to grow food by viewing a StoryMap that matches the approach they read about in the previous lesson but focuses on what people are getting from the farming approach. They add an additional column to their worksheet, “Benefits people receive.” In the next lesson, students jigsaw to synthesize information about the different approaches to growing food and add a row to their worksheet about mono-crop farms. Students rank how each farming practice benefits animals, plants, and people.

Indicator 2G
02/02

Materials incorporate NGSS Connections to Nature of Science and Engineering.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they incorporate NGSS connections to nature of science and engineering. Throughout the series, the materials incorporate the Nature of Science and Engineering elements associated with SEPs and CCCs. The materials provide connections that are spread throughout the grade levels, in multiple units. Some are present within individual lessons, some across multiple lessons, and some throughout entire units.

With regard to some of these connections, there are instances where they are limited to certain grades or are generally infrequent. The materials include all elements of Human Endeavor (HE) although they are predominantly present in Grades 7 and 8. The elements are often found in later units in the grade levels. The materials include one out of three of the Addressing Questions about the Natural and Material World (AQAW) elements. The AQAW element that is present is mostly in Grades 7 and 8. Both HE and AQAW are not commonly present across the series with the examples below representing almost all occurrences. 

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

  • NOS-VOM-M1. In Grade 6, Unit 6.1: Light & Matter, Lessons 1-4, students begin the unit by looking at a one-way mirror and work throughout the unit to determine why it can act as a mirror and window at the same time. Students do several investigations to understand what is happening including what happens if the amount of light on each side is changed, how light interacts with glass, and how the amount of light that is transmitted and reflected varies with different materials. 

  • NOS-VOM-M2. In Grade 7, Unit 7.3: Metabolic Reactions, Lessons 2-4, students investigate the digestive system of a healthy individual and a sick individual in order to figure out what is happening in the sick individual. They make observations of endoscopy images of the two individuals. Students analyze graphs about food molecules of a graham cracker as the molecules travel through different portions of the small intestine. They investigate what is happening with food molecules by using dialysis tubing to represent the small intestine and glucose and starch to represent small and large food molecules. Students make observations of additional graphs of food molecules in the mouth and food molecules after reaching the large intestine and explaining what they think is happening. Students continue to gather more information throughout the unit to refine their ideas as to the reason the one individual is sick

  • NOS-VOM-M3. In Grade 6, Unit 6.3, Lesson 14: What causes a large-scale precipitation event like this to occur?, students watch a video clip of a weather prediction followed by a clip that shows where clouds and precipitation were located just before the forecast was made. Students create a series of predictions to show where the warm and cold parts are when the forecast is made and 24 and 40 hours after the forecast. They explain how what is happening at the time of the forecast is connected to what happens 40 hours later. Students gather together to discuss areas of agreement and disagreement between initial models and explanations to help figure out what is happening in large-scale weather phenomena like the one they are studying.

  • NOS-VOM-M4. In Grade 8, Unit 8.5, Lesson 3: How do diet and exercise affect muscle size?, students discuss what they should be looking for to see if a source is credible before reading several texts. The class co-creates a list of ideas to look for as they read. They are given some time to read the first article and then begin discussing the ideas from the list they created and evaluate whether the article was credible or not and why. Students repeat the process with the remaining articles.

  • NOS-BEE-M1. In Grade 6, Unit 6.5, Lesson 2: Where do tsunamis happen and what causes them?, students investigate where tsunamis occur by analyzing patterns in global tsunami data. They compare where earthquakes are located and which ones cause tsunamis. Students use the evidence to connect tsunamis to earthquakes in specific locations and explain what causes most tsunamis to happen

  • NOS-OTR-M1. In Grade 7, Unit 7.1, Lessons 1-4, students observe what happens to a store-bought bath bomb and homemade bath bombs when they are added to water. They develop initial models to include what happened at the macroscopic scale and later at a microscopic scale and include written explanations for what they observed and modeled. Students then plan and carry out an investigation to determine if the gas they observed was trapped in the bath bomb by comparing data in an open and closed system. They repeat the investigation but add the bath bomb to water in an open and closed system. In another investigation, students test individual components of a bath bomb to try to determine which might be involved in the formation of the bubbles they see. Students get into groups and discuss their revised explanations based on the new evidence they gather.

  • NOS-OTR-M3. In Grade 8, Unit 8.6, Lessons 2 and 3, students are shown an ancient giant penguin and modern penguins. They begin their study by analyzing data on the heritable external structures of modern penguins to look for patterns and infer connections between them and the giant penguin that lived long ago sorting them into groups. They analyze additional data on heritable internal structures and again sort the penguins into groups. As a whole group, students share patterns and ideas from the sorting activities and use the data to make a claim and explain whether the ancient penguin could be an ancient ancestor of modern penguins. Additional bone data about other ancient penguins are analyzed and compared to modern penguins. Students continue to revise their thinking as they are given additional data including when the ancient penguins lived and the environments that penguins lived or are living in.

  • NOS-ENP-M1. In Grade 7, Unit 7.6, Lesson 12: How are changes to Earth’s carbon system impacting Earth’s water system?, students explore the concept of theory when they respond to a tweet about climate change being the cause of natural disasters. Students consider that a theory has to be supported by many different pieces of evidence, which is different from a hypothesis, hunch, or explanation. Students should recognize that the tweet is not sharing a correct observation of the phenomenon, that climate change is not the reason natural disasters happen, it is the reason that modern-day natural disasters are much worse. 

  • NOS-ENP-M2. In Grade 7, Unit 7.6, Lesson 12: How are changes to Earth’s carbon system impacting Earth’s water system?, students explore the concept of theory when they respond to a tweet about climate change being the cause of natural disasters. Students consider that a theory has to be supported by many different pieces of evidence, which is different from a hypothesis, hunch, or explanation. Students understand that a theory is supported by a large body of evidence that is collected over time.

  • NOS-ENP-M3. In Grade 7, Unit 7.1, Lesson 8: How can particles of a new substance be formed out of the particles of an old substance?, students create a visual mathematical model to show the particles of a substance before they are mixed together. They describe what happens during the mixing process and then show the particles after being combined.

  • NOS-ENP-M4. In Grade 8, Unit 8.3, Lesson 7: How does changing the distance between two magnets affect the amount of energy transferred out of the field?, students write a hypothesis to guide their investigation of changes in energy transfer when a cart is moved various distances from a magnet. Hypothesis directions include choosing a mechanism to test and a cause-and-effect relationship that can be observed.

  • NOS-ENP-M5. In Grade 8, Unit 8.3, Lesson 3: How does energy transfer between things that are not touching?, students engage in a discussion about the word “theory” in science meaning something that is supported by a wide body of evidence. This is different from how the word “theory” is used in everyday language. 

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

  • NOS-WOK-M2. In Grade 8, Unit 8.4, Lesson 2: What patterns are happening in the sky that I have experienced and can observe (through models)?, students watch videos of Native American star stories and collect noticings and wonderings about the two stories. Ideas are shared during a class discussion and should include similarities and differences between the stories and a connection to students’ own current-day experiences with the North Star.

  • NOS-WOK-M3. In Grade 7, Unit 7.5, Lesson 14: Are there ways people can grow food without harming the tropical rainforest?, students read about the different ways that some farmers grow crops to specifically limit the harm done to their local ecosystems. Students use information from the readings to identify differences between the approach in the reading and large-scale monocropping, as well as how the approach can benefit all elements of an ecosystem including insects, birds, and mammals.

  • NOS-AOC-M1. In Grade 8, Unit 8.2, Lesson 10: What exactly is traveling across the medium?,  students use a computer simulation to observe the wavelength produced by various sounds.  Students can manipulate pitch and frequency to observe how changing the variables affects the patterns of the waves. Students observe how frequency and amplitude can be measured.

  • NOS-AOC-M2. In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 14: Does our evidence support that cold is leaving the system or that heat is entering the system?, students conduct many investigations where they use data to determine the proper cup insulation. Students look at evidence from prior investigations to determine what they have learned to support or refute prior findings. Students look for and identify anomalies in the data in order to revise and retest conditions that will lead to optimal design.

  • NOS-HE-M1. In Grade 8, Unit 8.6, Lesson 1: How could penguins and other things living today be connected to the things that lived long ago?, students are introduced to scientists from various backgrounds including Ali Altamirano, a researcher in Perú; and Julia Clarke, a professor of paleontology at the University of Texas at Austin. Students use the information from a podcast and its transcript to learn how they figured out where ancient penguins and other organisms went and how they’re connected to species living today.

  • NOS-HE-M2. In Grade 7, Unit 7.5, Lesson 15: How can people benefit from growing food in ways that support plants and animals in the natural ecosystem?, students read and listen to StoryMaps regarding different ways that people grow food. They hear from farmers who are improving their practices to benefit the environment and improve their efficiency.

  • NOS-HE-M3. In Grade 7, Unit 7.6, Lesson 13: Why is solving the climate change problem so challenging?, students use a simulation to show that increasing temperatures are due to the CO2 imbalance in the atmosphere caused by combustion. They explore different ideas about increasing temperatures and possible solutions before they investigate climate change further.

  • NOS-HE-M4. In Grade 7, Unit 7.6, Lesson 14: What things can people do to reduce carbon dioxide going into the atmosphere?, students calculate a carbon footprint and choose carbon reduction activities and behaviors that would reduce their carbon emissions. They investigate trends in CO2 data over long periods of time and learn about scientific and technological advancements that changed the energy sources used by people.

  • NOS-AQAW-M1. In Grade 8, Unit 8.4, Lesson 16: What patterns and phenomena are beyond our solar system that we cannot see with just our eyes?, students make observations about the solar system that they can see over a series of lessons, when they refer back to what they learn in Lessons 7-9. In Lesson 16, students view photos from the Hubble Telescope and from the video Tour of the Universe. Students gather information and make connections between different objects in space at different scales.

  • NOS-AQAW-M2. In Grade 6, Unit 6.4, Lesson 3: How does what we find on and below Earth’s surface compare in different places?, students gather and document information about the materials that can be found on and below the surface of the earth at a number of different sites. They analyze the data regarding the composition of the earth to the extent that they can observe it, and draw conclusions about the interior and its associated processes.

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

  • ENG-INTER-M1. In Grade 8, Unit 8.1, Lesson 15: How can we use what we figured out to evaluate another engineer’s design?, after learning about forces and collisions, students understand the need to engineer helmets and other protective gear. Students analyze protective headwear and design and revise protective headgear for cheerleaders. 

  • ENG-INTER-M2. In Grade 7, Unit 7.2, Lesson 6: How can we redesign our homemade flameless heater?, students revise models of their flameless heaters to show the best energy transfer.  The knowledge of energy transfer leads to designing better flameless heaters.

  • ENG-INTER-M3. In Grade 8, Unit 8.2, Lesson 10: What exactly is traveling across the medium?, students use a computer simulation of sound waves to manipulate volume and pitch and record how the behavior of molecules changes.

  • ENG-INFLU-M1. In Grade 6, Unit 6.5, Lesson 5: How can we reduce damage from a tsunami wave?, students analyze data of tsunamis and look at solutions. Students examine the effect of various solutions, both positive and negative to the community.

  • ENG-INFLU-M2. In Grade 8, Unit 8.5, Lesson 9: How do farmers control the variation in their animals?, students analyze information about technologies used for genetic breeding in order to pre-determine certain traits. Students consider and discuss the reasons that such scientific technology would be useful.

  • ENG-INFLU-M3. In Grade 8, Unit 8.2, Lesson 13: What transfers more energy, waves of bigger amplitude or waves of greater frequency?, students learn about astronomers in history and discoveries over time. Students learn how different cultures and times have advanced our knowledge about space. 

Overview of Gateway 3

Usability

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations for Gateway 3:  Instructional Supports & Usability; Criterion 1: Teacher Supports meets expectations. Criterion 2: Assessment meets expectations. Criterion 3: Student Supports partially meets expectations. Criterion 4: Intentional Design is narrative evidence only.

Criterion 3.1: Teacher Supports

09/10

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

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations for the Criterion 3a-3h: Teacher Supports. The materials provide teacher guidance with useful annotations and suggestions for enacting the materials, contain some adult-level explanations and examples of the more complex grade-level concepts beyond the current grade so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject, include standards correlation information that explains the role of the standards in the context of the overall series, provide explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identification of the research-based strategies, and provide a comprehensive list of supplies needed to support instructional activities.

Indicator 3A
02/02

Materials provide teacher guidance with useful annotations and suggestions for how to enact the student materials and ancillary materials, with specific attention to engaging students in figuring out phenomena and solving problems.

The materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations for providing teacher guidance with useful annotations and suggestions for how to enact the student materials and ancillary materials, with specific attention to engaging students in figuring out phenomena and solving problems. Each unit includes specific information for planning and implementing lessons in the Unit Storyline and Teacher Background Knowledge sections at the beginning of the Teacher Guide. These sections address student background knowledge, misconceptions, and equitable learning strategies. At the start of each lesson is a summary page that provides details about the individual lesson, including timeframes, materials lists/preparation, and minute-by-minute planning. Embedded throughout the lesson are teacher prompts, sample student responses, and suggestions for addressing NGSS elements and equity. Finally, each lesson includes Additional Guidance and Alternative Activity sections, as well as guidance on key ideas/questions to listen for during class discussions. 

Each lesson includes a section called, Where We Are Going and NOT Going. This information helps teachers to know what they expect students to know from previous learning experiences and what students are not expected to understand yet. 

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.4, Lesson 6: How are all these things interacting together in this part of the plant?, teacher guidance includes: “This lesson and the unit do not address how structures of plants transport water and gasses within plant systems…”

In addition, explicit directions for how to present information are provided, such as, “Explain to students that it is important to look at each other’s ideas so we can see things from other perspectives.” Additional examples include: 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.5, Lesson 1: What happens to a community when a tsunami occurs?, teachers are provided with a script, suggested prompt and sample student response. Lessons also include sections called, “Listen for these ideas…” or “Listen for these questions.”

  •  In Grade 8, Unit 8.5, Lesson 11: How can we answer the rest of our questions? it states, “You might also hear predictions about possible causes for these variations. If so, go ahead and capture those ideas as questions, too.”

The Unit Overview provides a Unit Storyline chart at the beginning of each unit that includes a brief summary of each lesson. The summary includes the length of the lesson, the phenomenon or problem being addressed in the lesson, information about “what we do and figure out,” and “how we represent it.” Also included in this chart is a note called, “Navigation to the next lesson” so that teachers can quickly see where they are headed. In the Teacher Background Knowledge section of the Teacher Guide, a section titled, “What are some common ideas that students might have?” is included. This section addresses common misconceptions that students might have and how to address them. 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.4: Plate Techtonics & Rock Cycling, it states, “It is common for students to think that the continents are the plates that ‘float’ around slowly in the ocean. This unit purposefully uses a global relief map with ocean topography to help students visualize that the bottom of the ocean is part of Earth’s crust, too…” 

Other topics covered in the Teacher Background Knowledge section that assist with teacher planning include required math skills, strategies to support equitable science learning, and recommended resources to further individual teacher knowledge of content. Also included in this section is a section called, “What additional ideas will my students have to know from earlier grades or OpenSciEd units?” This section includes detailed information about NGSS elements covered in previous units or grade levels.

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.1: Light & Matter, it states, “From prior grades, students may know that systems are composed of important components that interact. Students will reinforce their understanding of systems as a group of related parts that interact and will advance their understanding of systems by identifying boundaries to the system…” 

The last section in the Teacher Background Knowledge section is called, Guidance for Developing a Word Wall. This section helps teachers understand the new vocabulary that will be used in each lesson throughout the unit. At the lesson level, teachers are provided with a one-page overview of the lesson at the start of each lesson. This page includes a summary of the lesson, timeframes, what happened before and what will happen after this lesson, 3D learning objectives, and a list of what students will figure out in the lesson. They are also given a Learning Plan Snapshot with exact times for each part of the lesson. 

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.3, Lesson 6: How can we use magnetic fields to explain interactions at a distance between the magnet and the coil?, will take three days. Day 1 has four parts that range in time from 3-20 minutes, Day 2 has two parts that range in time from 13-32 minutes, and Day 3 has three parts that range in time from 10-20 minutes. A materials list and preparation directions are also included.

Throughout each lesson, teachers are provided with a range of tips and suggestions. These supports show up in the margins under the headings: Attending to Equity, Supporting Students in Three-Dimensional Learning, and Strategies for…” Additional support can be found throughout each lesson under the headings: Additional Guidance and Alternate Activity.

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.3, Lesson 3: Why do molecules in the small intestine seem like they are disappearing?, an additional guidance prompt states “Encourage students to come to the front of the room to present a noticing around the molecular models that everyone has analyzed. This provides a concrete reference point for other students to add their ideas to a discussion. It also grows a culture in which students see that for them to make progress in figuring things out together, students need to have space to present their ideas for their classmates to work with.” In the Teachers Tools and Resources manual, suggestions for supporting SEPs, engineering skills, tracking ideas across lessons, and discussions and peer feedback are included. Strategies include sentence frames, scaffolds, rubrics, charts, and checklists that can be used with students to further their understanding. For example, one section is titled, Asking Questions Tool: Open and Closed Questions. Another section is titled, Working with Data Template.

Indicator 3B
01/02

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

The materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 partially meet expectations for containing adult-level explanations and examples of the more complex grade/course-level concepts and concepts beyond the current course so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject. While there are multiple and comprehensive supports for the teacher to understand the focus of learning for students, as well as prior learning and future learning in the series, there is limited support for adult-level explanations of advanced, grade-level concepts, and expected student practices, other than a few examples.  

Each unit includes a Unit Overview in which teachers are provided with a summary of what the unit and associated lessons incorporate. For example, in Grade 6, Unit 6.5: Natural Hazards, the Unit Overview states, “This unit begins with students experiencing, through text and video, a devastating natural event that caused major flooding in coastal towns of Japan. This event was the 2011 Great Sendai or Tohoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami that caused major loss of life and property in Japan. Through this anchoring phenomenon, students think about ways to detect tsunamis, warn people, and reduce damage from the wave. As students design solutions to solve this problem, they begin to wonder about the natural hazard itself: what causes it, where it happens, and how it causes damage.”

The Teacher Guide also provides a section called Teacher Background Knowledge that includes additional information about the anchoring phenomenon for the unit, the NGSS elements that are developed, and additional ideas that students will have from previous grade levels. For example, in Grade 7, Unit 7.3: Metabolic Reactions, it states, “Based on 5th grade DCIs, some students may have an idea that new substances can be made from mixing old substances and may call such transformations a chemical reaction, but they are unlikely to have a particle level model to explain how this is possible and what is happening to the matter in the system.”

At the beginning of each lesson, teachers are provided with a paragraph of information addressing boundaries, titled, Where We are Going and Where We Are NOT Going. For example, in Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 9: How does the temperature of a liquid on one side of a cup wall affect the temperature of a liquid on the other side of the wall?, it states, “The lesson elicits students' initial ideas about how body systems work together to help us grow and have the energy to do the things we want to do. In this lesson, students are introduced to the anchoring phenomenon - a 13-year-old girl named M’Kenna who feels very sick and is losing weight.”

Each unit in the Teacher Guide provides a section in the Teacher Background Knowledge called, What are recommended adult-level learning resources for the science concepts in this unit?, this section provides a curated list of online resources including videos, podcasts, and articles teachers can use to further their knowledge of unit content. For example, in Grade 8, Unit 8.1: Contact Forces, this section lists online resources for learning more about forces, position and kinematic equations, vectors, and energy transfers between systems at the middle school level. Additionally, this section provides clickable web links to relevant sections of A Framework for K-12 Science Education to support teachers in seeing the progression of the core ideas used in the respective unit.

Indicator 3C
02/02

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

The materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations for including standards correlation information, including connections to college- and career-ready English Language Arts and mathematics standards, that explain the role of the standards in the context of the overall series. 

Correlation information is present for the NGSS standards addressed throughout the grade level/series.

The materials include a Unit Overview across the series, in each of the 18 units, across Grades 6-8.

  • In the Unit Overview, the section: What are the NGSS Dimensions developed in this context? contains an explanation of how the NGSS dimensions are used by students to explain the phenomenon. This section also contains a table of the PEs and three dimensions present in the unit.

    • This section follows a section that explains the anchoring phenomenon for the unit and why it was chosen. This section also shows how all three dimensions help students develop an understanding in order to explain the phenomenon. It contains a table that lists the PEs that the unit is building towards, as well as focal elements of the DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs. It also identifies other SEPs and CCCs that are key to sensemaking within the unit.

  • In the Unit Overview, the section: Where does this unit fall within the OpenSciEd Scope and Sequence? contains a graphic that shows all six units per grade level. 

    • The graphic shows all 18 units and is color-coded by life, physical, and earth/space science. The units are connected by arrows to indicate unit connections as well as color-coded icons to show prior PEs the unit builds on. 

  • In the Unit Overview, the section: What additional ideas will my students have or know from earlier grades or OpenSciEd units? provides guidance about prior knowledge that students will build upon in the unit either from previous grade levels or prior OpenSciEd units.

    • This section provides previous grade-level DCIs that would provide a foundation to build upon for Grades 6-8. It identifies previous units within the series where related content has been covered. It lists the unit number and title as well as a bulleted list of related content elements.

This section provides, where applicable, elements of SEPs from previous units within the series that students will build upon.

Correlation information is present for the English Language Arts standards addressed throughout the grade level/series.

In the Teacher’s Edition for each lesson, there is a section titled Additional Lesson # Teacher Guidance which contains a subsection Supporting Students in Making Connections in ELA. This section provides the CCSS-ELA standards and their descriptions. It also includes a brief summary of what students will do within that lesson and how it connects to the CCSS identified. The ELA connections are listed at the lesson level, at the very end of the Teacher’s Edition. Every lesson that makes a connection to ELA contains this information. 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.4, Lesson 4, Additional Lesson 4 Teacher Guidance: Supporting Students in Making Connections in ELA, the guidance explains that students will engage in both small group and whole group discussions. Students co-develop an argument with a partner and then come together as a class to share their arguments. The students work together as a whole group to come to a consensus on what happens to bedrock after an earthquake. The following ELA correlation is identified in the materials: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on Grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas, and expressing their own clearly. 

Correlation information is present for the mathematics standards addressed throughout the grade level/series.

In the Overview Materials document, there is a section titled What mathematics is required to fully access the unit’s learning experiences?. This section provides a brief rationale for use of mathematics within the unit and lists the CCSS codes and descriptions. The math connections are made at the unit level and where applicable at the lesson level within the Additional Lesson # Teacher Guidance section of the Teacher’s Edition. Every unit in the series contains this information at the unit level and where applicable at the lesson level. 

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.2, Unit Overview, Section: What mathematics is required to fully access the unit’s learning experiences?, In Lesson 3, students calculate the maximum temperature change for three different amounts of reactants. They report this change in temperature using positive and negative numbers to show the increase or decrease from the starting temperature. The materials include prerequisite math concepts (as standards) that may be helpful to reference in an adjacent column. The following math correlation is identified in the materials: CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.NS.C.5: Understand that positive and negative numbers are used together to describe quantities having opposite directions or values (e.g., temperature above/below zero, elevation above/below sea level, credits/debits, positive/negative electric charge); use positive and negative numbers to represent quantities in real-world contexts, explaining the meaning of zero in each situation.

Indicator 3D
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Materials provide strategies for informing all stakeholders, including students, parents, or caregivers about the program and suggestions for how they can help support student progress and achievement.

The materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 provide strategies for informing all stakeholders, including students, parents, or caregivers about the program and suggestions for how they can help support student progress and achievement.

All of the units across the series have a document in the Overview Materials entitled Home Communication. This document is a letter to the parents/guardians and provides information including a brief overview of the content contained in the unit and a description of any design challenges found within the unit. For example, in Grade 8, Unit 8.1: Contact Forces, the home communication letter describes how students make models over the course of the unit and then apply what they’ve learned in the design challenge to protect an object of their choice. The home communication letter also contains a section called Helping your child make sense of their learning that contains prompts for parents to have discussions with their student that is specific to the content within the unit, such as “Ask how they might have arrived at a particular conclusion.” It also contains a section called Having conversations about science, which has prompts for discussing broad ideas in science, such as “Encourage your child’s curiosity through talking about their own noticings and wonderings when running errands or on a walk.” 

In another example, in Grade 7, Unit 7.3: Metabolic Reactions, the home communication letter states “Provide your child space and time to think aloud with a drawing, objects, or their voice about different (maybe conflicting) ideas for processing. Sometimes processing ideas won’t lead to a clear “answer” or solution yet.”

Indicator 3E
02/02

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

The materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations for providing explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identification of research-based strategies. There is a Teacher Handbook that thoroughly describes the program's instructional approaches and references the researched-based strategies and is present in each unit. Specific supports for each unit can be found in the Unit Overview for each unit. 

The Teacher Handbook describes the instructional approaches of the program. It begins with a broad overview in Section A,The OpenSciEd Instructional Approach.  This section has the following descriptive subsections:

  • Why use Science Storylines to Organize OpenSciEd Units? 

  • What is the role of phenomena in OpenSciEd? 

  • What is the role of the disciplinary core ideas in OpenSciEd?

  • What is the role of the science and engineering practices in OpenSciEd?

  • What is the role of the crosscutting concepts in OpenSciEd?

  • Summary of OpenSciEd Instructional Elements

The Teacher Handbook goes on to describe different areas of their instructional approach including Organization of OpenSciEd Units, OpenSciEd Routines, Driving Question Board & Ideas for Investigations, E. Developing and Using Science and Engineering Practices, Developing and Using Crosscutting Concepts, Attending to Equity, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Principles, Classroom Culture and Norms Supporting Discussion, Supporting Emerging Multilingual Learners, Assessment System, Supporting English Language Arts (ELA) and Supporting Mathematics. At the beginning of each unit, there is a Unit Overview, a Unit Storyline, and Teacher Background Knowledge. The Unit Storyline also lists a question, a description of a “phenomenon/design problem”, describes what the students will do and figure out, and how the student will represent what they will figure out. Teacher Background Knowledge describes an Anchoring Phenomenon if there is one, which NGSS elements are addressed in the unit, how the unit is structured and how it fits into the middle school program, what earlier NGSS elements this unit is building on and how to “leverage” that information, and how to modify (if taught out of sequence) or shorten/lengthen the unit. It also supplies any additional information pertinent to the unit.

Examples of how and where the materials identify research-based strategies that are used in the design

  • OpenSciEd units are designed using a form of Science Storyline approach. The goal of a Science Storyline approach is to provide students with a coherent experience that is motivated by the student's own desire to explain something they don’t understand or to solve a problem (Reiser, Novak, & McGill, 2017).”

  • The Teacher Handbook is divided into sections. At the end of most sections, a reference is made to where the information originates. Some examples include:

    • Section A, The OpenSciEd Instructional Approach, ends with “Portions of Section A were adapted from tools and processes developed by NextGen Science Storylines At Northwestern University and from the Next Generation Science Exemplar System Project (NGSX) at Clark University and Tidemark Institute. The work of NextGen Science Storylines was funded by support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the James S. McDonnell Foundation, and the Carnegie Corporation of NY to Northwestern University; William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to the University of Colorado, Boulder; and support from the NGSX Project at Clark University, TidemarkInstitute, and Northwestern University.”

    • Section F, Developing and Using Crosscutting Concepts, ends with “Portions of Section F are based on suggestions in STEM Teaching Tool #41 developed by the Institute For Science + Math Education at the University of Washington. The full tool is available at http://stemteachingtools.org/brief/41.” 

    • Section I, Classroom Culture and Norms, ends with  “Portions of Section I draw from the work of the Science Education Research Partnership (SERP) and the NextGeneration Science Exemplar Project (NGSX). Two specific resources include Michaels, S. and O’Connor (2014). Establishing Norms: Laying the Foundations for Academically Productive Talk and O’Connor,C., Ruegg, E., and Cassell, C. (2017) Establishing Classroom Discussion Norms.” There is also a full list of references at the end of the handbook.

Indicator 3F
01/01

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

The materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations for providing a comprehensive list of supplies needed to support instructional activities. The Teacher Edition includes a list (in PDF format) of all materials required for each unit. The list details the number of items necessary and whether it is per class (assuming a class size of 30), student, or group. The list indicates whether the item is permanent or consumable and which lesson(s) the item is used in. The list also provides example links when applicable. The OpenSciEd website also has interactive lists of materials by unit that allows the user to click on items to note whether they are necessary or need to be purchased. Links are provided for some items to aid in purchasing. 

In each lesson within the Teacher Edition in the Materials List section, materials are listed for each part of each lesson as well as what is needed for the entire lesson. The Teacher Edition also includes a page entitled Materials Preparation that guides teachers on steps needed to be ready for the lesson and a timeframe of how long it should take to prepare materials.

Grade-level examples of lists that are provided in the Teacher Edition at the lesson level: 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 2: What cup features seem most important for keeping a drink cold?, Part 2 requires a whiteboard or chart paper and markers. 

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.5, Lesson 5: How have changes in our community affected what lives here?, Part 7 requires Observations around Our School handout, marker, sticky note, Initial consensus model (developed in Lesson 1 and modified in Lessons 2-4), markers, and the Driving Question Board.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.4, Lesson 3: How can we explain the Sun’s path change over time?, Part 8 requires Earth–Sun Modeling Demonstration, 1 4-inch sphere, 4 pushpins, 1 round pushpin, 1 fabric tape measure, 1 ruler, 1 twist-tie, 1 rubber band, 1 60W light bulb, 1 bulb socket, 1 extension cord, 1 plastic coffee stirrer, 1 plastic clamp, 1 Sharpie marker, 12 inches of 12 gauge aluminum wire, masking tape to secure lamp to table (optional), and skewer (optional).

Indicator 3G
01/01

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

The materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations for including opportunities to provide clear science safety guidelines for teachers and students across the instructional materials. 

Across the series, each unit has a section in the Unit Overview Materials titled Lab Safety Requirements For Science Investigations. Within this section, there are general lab safety protocols and suggestions. When necessary, general safety protocols are listed in the Materials Preparation section of the Teacher’s Edition for each lesson. It is important to note that teachers should always locate and adhere to local policies and regulations related to science safety in the classroom.

Example of general safety measures: 

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.2, Lesson 4: How much of each reactant should we include in our homemade flameless heater?, 

  • Safety

    • Ensure that the lab has engineering controls (eyewash station and shower) available.

    • Wear indirectly vented chemical splash goggles, a non latex apron, and nitrile gloves during the setup, hands-on, and take-down segments of the activity.

    • Immediately wipe up any spilled water on the floor--this is a slip and fall hazard.

    • Follow your teacher’s instructions for disposing of waste materials.

    • Secure loose clothing, remove loose jewelry, wear closed-toe shoes, and tie back long hair.

    • Wash your hands with soap and water immediately after completing this activity.

    • Never eat any food items used in a lab activity.

    • Never taste any substance or chemical in the lab.

    • Use caution when working with heated liquids--this can burn skin!

    • Safety guidelines need to be in place for the hydrogen gas that is generated by these reactions (root killer). Guidelines should include the use of vented containers to avoid the build up of pressure and the elimination of potential ignition sources like sparks and flames. The amounts of hydrogen generated by these reactions do not pose an inhalation hazard. Use appropriate lab ventilation.

Lessons include varying levels of safety guidelines depending on the number of investigations and the type of safety concerns associated. Specific safety precautions are called out within the lesson, where necessary, using a yellow triangle icon with an exclamation point and a call-out box. The call-out box describes the safety concern and the recommended protocol. 

Examples of specific safety measures described:

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 10: What is the difference between a hot and a cold liquid?, the materials state, “reiterate safety precautions for working with hot liquids. Review why wearing safety goggles for the entire lab is required and how you expect students to obtain and handle the hot water throughout the lab. To ensure greater safety, you should pour the hot water from the kettle into an additional cup or beaker for each group.”

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.1, Lesson 8: How can particles of a new substance be formed out of the particles of an old substance?, the materials state, “over the next couple of lessons students will be engaging in these investigations. There are safety considerations and protocols that will need to be followed for each investigation. It can’t hurt to remind students often that they will have the opportunity to do both of these investigations in the science classroom with safety precautions in place and they should not go home and try either of them on their own.”

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.3, Lesson 4: What can we figure out about the invisible space around a magnet?, the materials state, “ask students why, for safety reasons, they should make sure to not actually touch any electronic   device that is plugged in, nor the cord, nor the socket the cord is plugged into. Establish that this is to ensure that they don’t accidentally get shocked by any faulty electrical wiring or sockets in their house. Remind them that by keeping the compass at a distance and not touching any of those things, they can safely explore whether there are magnetic fields in the space around the objects they select to explore.”

Indicator 3H
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Materials designated for each grade are feasible and flexible for one school year.

The OpenSciEd 6-8 science materials designated for each grade are feasible and flexible for one school year. The materials provide pacing information throughout the Teacher Edition including at the unit and lesson levels. Additional macro-pacing information is included in the Scope and Sequence document and the OpenSciEd Middle School Course Overview document on the OpenSciEd website. Grade-level units are designed to be completed within a 180-day school year if periods are 45 minutes each. Additionally, specific details for extending or condensing units and lessons are provided in the Teacher Editions, in the Teacher Background Knowledge section, in the event that scheduling allows for additional instruction or needs to be shortened due to lack of time.

At the beginning of each unit, in the Unit Overview, a Unit Storyline is provided. This storyline provides pacing information for each lesson. For example, the Grade 6, Unit 6.4: Plate Tectonics & Rock Cycling, the Unit Storyline states that Lesson 1 should take four days. At the beginning of each lesson, the number of days is noted, followed by a Learning Plan Snapshot. The Learning Plan Snapshot details each part of the lesson by minute and day. For example, in Grade 8, Unit 8.2, Lesson 4: How do the vibrations of the sound source compare for louder versus softer sounds?, the lesson takes two days. Day 1 has five parts ranging in time from 5-50 minutes each. Day 2 has four parts ranging in time from 7-15 minutes each. In the OpenSciEd Middle School Course Overview additional detail is provided about the length of time each unit will take. For example, in Grade 7, Unit 7.6: Earth’s Resources & Human Impact will take 33 days. In a different chart, the total number of days for the entire school year is provided with Grade 6 taking 169 days, Grade 7 taking 170 days and Grade 8 taking 174 days. This document also notes that lessons are designed for 45-minute class periods and may last multiple days. 

OpenSciEd provides a detailed Scope and Sequence of the Grade 6-8 materials. This Scope and Sequence details the order in which units are intended to be taught, additional guidance about teaching units out of sequence, directions for teaching “intentionally developed” vs. “not a focus” SEPs and CCCs, and a detailed appendix of how to integrate and address NGSS elements throughout the 6-8 science materials. For example, a chart is provided for each grade level and NGSS element. The components of the chart note the level to which each element should be addressed in each unit throughout the grade level. 

In the Teacher Background Knowledge section of each Teacher Edition, there are two sections that address making adjustments for time or scheduling constraints. The first section is titled, How will I need to modify the unit if taught out of sequence?. This information provides suggestions to teachers that will help them bridge the gaps of missed information caused by skipping units or jumping ahead in the sequence. For example, in Grade 7, Unit 7.3: Metabolic Reactions, states, “If this unit is taught before Unknown material with identifier: te, support will be needed around the nature of matter so that students see all matter as made of particles.” The second section is titled, How do I shorten or condense the unit if needed? How can I extend the unit if needed?. In this section of the Teacher Edition, specific lessons are noted and guidance for either extending or shortening these lessons is provided. For example, in Grade 8, Unit 8.6: Natural Selection, suggests, “Lesson 7: If your high school uses the Galapagos finch case as an anchoring phenomenon, consider just using the fish, moths, mustard plants, and swallows cases in this unit.” In a separate list of lessons, it suggests, “Lesson 15: If time allows, consider making this a two-day lesson and giving students more time to reflect on their Progress Trackers.” In just one unit, in Grade 7, Unit 7.5: Ecosystem Dynamics & Biodiversity, the Teacher Background Knowledge section provides a pacing decision-making flowchart. This chart provides different pathways teachers can opt to take if they would like to extend or condense the unit. Materials state,” The core of this unit is Lessons 1-18, which requires 33 instructional class periods. There are two options to extend students' learning beyond Lesson 18. You will need to make decisions based on your student's interests and the instructional time you have available.” This flowchart includes additional information about the number of class periods needed to complete a specific pathway. The shortest pathway requires 33 class periods and the longest pathway will add an additional five class periods.

Additional suggestions and guidance for extending or condensing lessons come intermittently throughout individual lessons. There are sections labeled, Additional Guidance and Alternative Activity. While not all of the suggestions provided in these spaces address pacing, in some instances they do. For example, in Grade 6, Unit 6.6, Lesson 4: Why is there blood in all of these places in the body?, an Alternative Activity box suggests that students independently research answers to their questions as home learning. In Grade 8, Unit 8.4, Lesson 9: Why do the Moon and Sun appear to change color near the horizon?, an Additional Guidance box encourages teachers not to dwell on a concept that is not central to the lesson.

Criterion 3.2: Assessment

10/10

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

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations for the Criterion 3i-3l: Assessment. The materials indicate which standards are assessed and include an assessment system that provides multiple opportunities throughout the courses to determine students' learning and sufficient guidance for teachers to interpret student performance and suggestions for follow-up. The materials also provide assessments that include opportunities for students to demonstrate the full intent of course-level standards and practices.

Indicator 3I
02/02

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

The materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that assessment information is included in the materials to indicate which standards are assessed. In the Unit Overview for each unit, all assessments within the unit are described in the Assessment System Overview, Overall Unit Assessment section (pre-assessments, formative, summative, and student self-assessments). For example, in Grade 8, Unit 8.1, Lesson 4: How much do you have to push on any object to get it to deform (temporarily vs. permanently)?, the Unit Overview states, “At the start of Lesson 4, students express their initial ideas about important variables in an investigation. The handout Independent, Dependent, and Controlled Variables can be used as a reference for students throughout the unit and throughout 8th grade as they continue to design and carry out investigations.” 

The standards are not indicated in the Assessment System Overview, Overall Unit Assessment section; however, it is noted where these standards are covered within the Lesson-by-Lesson Assessment Opportunities table. For example, in Grade 8, Unit 8.1, Lesson 10: Why do some objects break or not break in a collision?, the DCI, SEP, and CCC are identified in the Teacher Edition, “Apply scientific ideas to explain multiple baseball phenomena, including the effects of air density and wind on ball speed (changes to the stability of the system and its effect on kinetic energy changes due to air resistance), bat mass vs. bat speed (interpreting patterns in graphical and tabular data to determine the linear and nonlinear effects on increases on kinetic energy within the system), and bat type (the effect deformation has on peak forces in the system and kinetic energy) on how the game is played.”

The information in the Lesson-by-Lesson Assessment Opportunities table is also present at the lesson level in the Teacher Edition that shows Lesson-Level Performance Expectations for each lesson and also, when applicable, what assessments (formative, summative, etc.) are present and connect to those objectives. The Unit Overview for each unit states what performance expectations the students are building towards.

At the lesson-level, summative assessments are positioned in context with Lesson-Level Performance Expectations. The design of the materials often focuses on students building toward NGSS Performance Expectations at the unit level, requiring educators to follow a path of multiple Lesson-Level Performance Expectations to make sense of which aspects of the unit-level NGSS Performance Expectations are being assessed as they move throughout lessons and units in this series.

Additionally, there are a few instances of a rubric present for summative assessments that may provide additional detail on lesson-level objectives that the respective assessment may address.

Indicator 3J
04/04

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

The materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations for providing an assessment system with multiple opportunities throughout the grade, course, and/or series to determine students' learning and sufficient guidance to teachers for interpreting student performance and suggestions for follow-up.

Throughout the units, summative assessments include answer keys, rubrics, and scoring guides which state what elements should be present in student answers in order to assess learning. Point values are not assigned to the summative assessment answer keys or rubrics. Rubrics can be scored by checking, “Meeting, Developing, or Mastered” for scoring components.

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.1, Lesson 8: Why do we sometimes see different things when looking at the same object?, the Answer Key provides examples of student-written explanations, drawn explanations, and open-ended feedback.

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.2, Lesson 10: How can we decide between competing designs?, a Summative Assessment Answer Key and Rubric are provided.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.2, Lesson 2: What is happening when speakers and other music makers make sounds?, there is a rubric for formative assessment with feedback.

In the majority of the summative assessments, there is a missed opportunity for guidance for teachers to follow up with students. There are some questions provided where teachers can individually ask students to verbally explain their learning if questions were marked wrong to see if students can explain rather than write the correct information; however, this is inconsistent across summative assessments. One example of this type of follow-up was present in Unit 7.2 in the Summative Assessment for Lesson 10. 

Formative assessments do not include rubrics or scoring guides. Throughout the materials, follow-up is provided in the Teacher Edition within each lesson for formative assessments including self-assessment, modeling, and peer review. Examples of acceptable answers are provided along with suggestions of what teachers can do if students are missing some of the information from the lesson/unit.

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.2, Lesson 10: How can we decide between competing designs?, suggestions are provided for follow-up on one of the questions if a student answered incorrectly in order to clarify understanding.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.2, Lesson 2: How can we decide between competing designs?, suggestions are provided to have a classroom discussion if students are missing necessary components of the model.

Indicator 3K
04/04

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

The materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations for providing assessment opportunities for students to demonstrate the full intent of grade-level/grade-band standards and elements across the series.  There are opportunities across the series, in all grade levels, for students to demonstrate the full intent of the standards and assess three dimensions throughout various types of assessments.

The materials consist of formative and summative assessments. Within these opportunities, there are self-assessments, peer assessments, exit tickets, performance expectations, data analysis, and group assessments. All of the assessments are open-ended. There are no multiple-choice, matching, or fill in the blank questions. Responses require short-answer and longer constructed responses, and many include modeling, diagrams, and labels to add to the descriptions, allowing for student demonstration of standards expectations and a range of practices. Examples include: 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.4, Lesson 14: How is there an exposed marine fossil on Mt. Everest? and, what other remaining questions from our Driving Question Board can we now answer?, the assessment task fully addresses the Lesson-Level Performance Expectation as well as the PE MS-ESS2-2. Students start by modeling Mt. Everest in the past, how the Himalayan mountains formed, and how fossils reached the top of Mt. Everest (DCI-ESS2.A-M2). Next, they explain (SEP-CEDS-M3) their models using evidence from throughout the unit. Finally, they explain the processes (DCI-ESS2.C-M5) that allow new fossils to be revealed on Mt. Everest in recent history.

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.2, Lesson 9: What is our optimal design for a homemade flameless heater?, the assessment task in Lesson 9 fully addresses PE MS-PS1-6, MS-ETS1-1, MS-ETS1-3, and MS-ETS1-4. Students submit their revised design solutions (SEP-CEDS-M7) that must show an understanding of the flow of energy (CCC-EM-M4) through their device as thermal energy is released as a result of a chemical reaction. Plans must also address how criteria and constraints are addressed (PE MS-ETS1-1), and how other student’s ideas are combined (MS-ETS1-3) into student designs to enhance design performance (MS-ETS1-4). This assessment also includes a detailed, standards-aligned scoring rubric. 

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.2, Lesson 14: How can we explain our anchoring phenomenon, and which of our questions can we now answer?, students use models and evidence to explain (SEP-CEDS-M3) how sound waves can cause damage to ears due to variations in amplitude and wavelength (DCI-PS4.A-P1).

Indicator 3L
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Assessments offer accommodations that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills without changing the content of the assessment.

The materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 include assessments that offer accommodations that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills without changing the content of the assessment. 

Throughout the units, teachers are provided with suggestions for viewing so that all students are able to see explanations, demonstrations, and other classroom activities leading to the assessment. These suggestions are provided in the Teachers Edition at the lesson level.

In the summative assessments present in all units, some provide alternate assessments. For example, in Unit 8.1: Contact Forces, two assessments are provided that are similar in content yet one is designed for students capable of a more challenging assessment. In Unit 7.3: Metabolic Reactions, two similar assessments are provided yet one is modified to include more information for students who may struggle in processing and reading, and for students who have other disabilities. While these options occur in some instances, they are not consistently present across formative or summative assessment opportunities.

All assessments are open-ended in nature and allow for teachers to use their discretion in assessing knowledge of content and mastery. Some assessments have rubrics available to support the teacher’s interpretation, but not consistently for all assessments.

All of the summative assessment opportunities are provided to the teacher in English and, in some instances, Spanish versions are available. 

Criterion 3.3: Student Supports

04/06

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

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 partially meet expectations for the Criterion 3m-3v: Student Supports. The materials provide strategies and supports for students in special populations to support their regular and active participation in learning grade-level science. The materials also provide some extensions and/or opportunities for students to engage with grade-level science at higher levels of complexity. While some strategies and supports are present for students who read, write, and/or speak in a language other than English, there is a missed opportunity for consistent support of students across the spectrum of language proficiency to meet or exceed grade-band science and engineering expectations.

Indicator 3M
02/02

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

The materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations for providing strategies and supports for students in special populations to support their regular and active participation in learning grade-level/grade-band science and engineering. 

The Teacher Handbook provides an overview of how the program has been designed to provide strategies, supports, and resources for students in special populations. The supports and strategies fall under the material’s Universal Design for Learning (UDL) general philosophy and have limited identification of specific student populations. Within the lessons, UDL guidance, when applicable, can be found under Attending to Equity callouts in the margins and relate often to differentiation support. Within the Teacher Edition, more strategies and supports can be found under Additional Guidance. The majority of supports are similar for all students and generally do not name special populations or different levels of readers.

Examples of where and how the materials provide specific strategies and supports for differentiating instruction to meet the needs of students in special populations:

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.3, Lesson 21: Why is there less precipitation further inland in the Pacific Northwest than further inland from the Gulf Coast?, there is a suggestion for students who may need additional support in obtaining information from a provided graph. They might have students work with a partner as they read and annotate a graph or allow for a competent aide, partner, or “intervener” to interpret the patterns they notice from the graph aloud. 

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.1, Lesson 5: What gas(es) could be coming from the bath bomb?, in one of the Attending to Equity callout boxes there is a reference to the discussion in the lesson, and that there are other forms of expression in the lesson that provide students with varied and multiple ways to express their understanding that helps them internalize the strategies used in arguing from evidence.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.4, Lesson 7: Why do we see eclipses and when do we see them?, it explains that students may benefit from using other modalities other than adding to their drawn model such as allowing students to use a physical model to express their understanding of the cause of a solar eclipse.

Indicator 3N
01/02

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

The materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 partially meet expectations for providing extensions and/or opportunities for students to engage in learning grade-level/grade-band science and engineering at greater depth. There are some instances where students have the opportunity to work with data at a higher level of complexity. For example:

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.4, Lesson 10: Where were Africa and South America in the past?, students analyze maps to determine past plate locations. Additionally, two maps are available for teachers to decide to use if students could benefit from a greater cognitive challenge.

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.3, Lesson 2: What are the conditions like on days when it hails?, students analyze hailstorm cases. Two cases are somewhat more complex and are recommended for students who could use an extra challenge. 

There are opportunities for students to develop and apply higher-level thinking. There is one opportunity in Grade 7 for students to develop and apply higher-level thinking but this adds additional work compared to their classmates. The summative assessment at the end of this unit has two parts. Part 1 is for everyone. Part 2a is for the majority of students and 2b is recommended for students who would benefit from a challenge.

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.1, Lesson 3: What’s in a bath bomb that is producing the gas?, students investigate how different substances found in bath bombs react with water. The extension is meant to allow space for some students to reason through why they would want to collect data about mass and then actually collect the data. This “supports high-interest students in going deeper with SEP3 (Planning and Carrying Out Investigations).” (NOTE: This would be in addition to the regular work.) 

In the Unit Overview, there is a section titled “How do I shorten or condense the unit if needed? How can I extend the unit if needed?” This section lists the locations and describes the extensions available in each unit.  The majority of extensions are dependent upon the teacher making the decision to extend the thinking for all students. If a single student chooses to do them, they are in addition to the standard activities and would be more work for that student. These extensions are for all students and not solely advanced students. Examples include:

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.6, Lesson 3: Can we apply the General Model for Natural Selection over millions of years to explain how all the ancient and modern penguins are connected?, the callout for Attending to Equity, Universal Design for Learning--Extension Opportunity states, “If students ask whether the data set they are working with on Data strips for ancient penguin fossils represents data from all the penguin fossils found so far, say, ‘No, there are more, but they are relatively incomplete, often just one or a few bones, and therefore harder to interpret.’ You can then offer those students an opportunity to analyze these as well if they are interested.”

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.1, Lesson 5: What gas(es) could be coming from the bath bomb?, the Extension Opportunity in Part 2 has students look at different properties of gasses. If students also notice that all the gasses have boiling points less than room temperature they may want to investigate further.  “If students seem intrigued by this or want to talk about this further you could ask them to consider how this is connected to why these substances are a gas at room temperature. If students bring up wonderings about what would happen if you cooled these gasses, you ask students to consider how these boiling points could be used to make predictions about which gasses would turn into liquids if you cooled them down to a certain temperature.”

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.2: Chemical Reactions & Energy, extension activities include, In Lesson 1, “If time allows, you may want to provide more context about the development of MREs. The video available at https://www.kcet.org/shows/meals-ready-to-eat/natick-labs-the-science-behind-military-food explains how the US military’s goal with MREs is to not only provide proper nutrition to the troops but to give them a sense of comfort and home with this food, as well.” In Lesson 2, “Students may question temperature change if the amount of hand warmers used changed. Give students an opportunity to test additional hand warmers, and give students an opportunity to wonder about and investigate the cost of this option to get adequate temperature changes to warm food.”

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.3, Lesson 2: What can a magnet pull or push without touching?, the suggested extension is, “Draw on students’ experiences with magnets to help them see why this content is relevant to them. Consider asking students to each bring in a magnet from their own refrigerator or locker to test in this investigation. Would one of those magnets also make the speaker work? If there is time, try it. If students bring in magnets, give some space for them to share the magnet with the class and where it came from. Is it from a family trip? Is it sent from a relative who lives elsewhere? Is it an advertisement from a local company? Is it a picture of a loved one? Use these examples to highlight how common magnets are in our lives across a variety of contexts, even when we don’t notice them.”

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.3: Forces at a Distance, for Lessons 8-12, guidance is included on “how to provide a coherent enrichment experience for students who are interested in learning more about electricity or who have met and exceeded the performance expectations. These might also be helpful if your state has standards in addition to those laid out in the NGSS related to electricity and circuits. Look for guidance with the heading “Electricity extension opportunity” to find optional enrichment support over the next four lessons. There may also be optional handouts associated with this enrichment. For more details on these opportunities, see the reference document titled Electricity extension opportunity. All lessons: Remove scaffolds provided with Science and Engineering Practices as a way to give students more independent work with the elements of these practices.”

Indicator 3O
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Materials provide varied approaches to learning tasks over time and variety in how students are expected to demonstrate their learning with opportunities for for students to monitor their learning.

The materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 include varied approaches to learning tasks over time and variety in how students are expected to demonstrate their learning with opportunities for students to monitor their learning. Students engage in a variety of learning activities throughout the series including initial thinking, investigations, discussions, engineering, modeling, questioning, readings, revising thinking, and assessments. In addition to engaging in multiple modes of learning, students are given a variety of opportunities to provide and receive feedback from peers and teachers throughout the materials. Every unit includes specific guidance and suggestions about how and when to use self and peer-assessment opportunities. Boxes titled, Supporting Universal Design for Learning are included throughout Teacher Guides in many lessons to make additional suggestions for providing support and feedback to students.

The materials provide multi-modal opportunities for students to question, investigate, sense-make, and problem-solve using a variety of formats and methods. Throughout all units, students are given the opportunity to participate in partner discussions, initial modeling, brainstorming questions, investigations, revising models, class discussions, peer-to-peer feedback, the engineering design process, and both formative and summative assessment opportunities. Examples include:

  • In Lesson 1 of every unit, students generate questions to add to the Driving Question Board (DQB) for the unit. The DQB is revisited throughout the unit and celebrated at the end of the unit. For example, in Grade 6, Unit 6.1, Lesson 1: How can something act like a mirror and a window at the same time?, students generate questions about the one-way mirror/box model phenomenon. In Lesson 8: Why do we sometimes see different things when looking at the same object?, students revisit the DQB to document the questions that have been answered during the unit and reflect on learning. 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.3, Lesson 6: How can we explain the movement of air in a hail cloud?, the Universal Design for Learning box notes, “This assessment encourages students to demonstrate their understanding of key skills and concepts from the unit so far by scaffolding the construction of a written explanation. Allowing students to use different modalities will provide more access for students to present their understandings. Some students may benefit from using other modalities, such as drawing to show their thinking for any or all of the questions on the assessment. Consider allowing some students to present their answers verbally as another student scribes their thinking on paper; this would allow students to also use gestures to help articulate their understanding about how air behaves and rises in a cloud.”

The materials provide opportunities for students to share their thinking, to compare their thinking with other students or to new ideas presented in the learning opportunities, to demonstrate changes in their thinking over time, and to apply their understanding in new contexts. All units contain opportunities for students to share initial ideas and revise those ideas over time. Students are given multiple opportunities to discuss ideas with partners before being asked to share ideas with the whole class. Examples include:

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 1: Why does the temperature of the liquid in some cup systems change more than in others?, teacher guidance says, “Before students engage in whole class discussions, it can be helpful to first provide them with the opportunity to work with others -either in pairs, triads, or small groups- on ideas related to their reasoning.”

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 1: Why does the temperature of the liquid in some cup systems change more than in others?, students are asked to brainstorm how to collect evidence to support a claim. They are then given time to “turn and talk” with a partner about their ideas. Student ideas are collected in a class discussion and used in the subsequent investigation activities.

  •  In Grade 7, Unit 7.4: Matter Cycling & Photosynthesis, students develop an initial list of possible candidates for food molecules in plants. This model is revisited and revised in Lesson 3 as students explore the composition of air molecules. The question is updated to read, “What candidates are possible sources for parts of food molecules in plants?” After additional investigating and evidence collection, students summarize their learning in a final informational model activity in Lesson 8. In this activity, students are expected to use learning from Lessons 1-7 to show an understanding of how plants get their food molecules and where the food molecules come from.

The materials provide opportunities for students to engage in ongoing review, practice, self-reflection, and feedback. Across the series, the materials include a variety of self-assessment opportunities including, self-assessment for classroom discussions, teamwork self-assessment, general self-assessment, and giving and receiving feedback self-assessment. Guidance for use of the student self-assessment discussion rubric states that it “can be used anytime after a discussion to help students reflect on their participation in the class that day.” Materials suggest using this tool at least once a week or every other week. 

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.2, Lesson 5: How do the vibrations from a sound source compare for higher-pitch versus lower-pitch sounds?, students sit in a Scientist Circle to have a “Building Understandings Discussion about Frequency and Pitch.” The discussion rubric can be used by students to reflect on their participation in this discussion.

In addition to rubrics, the materials provide opportunities for students to use a Progress Tracker to reflect on their learning throughout the unit. Progress Trackers are updated throughout the unit with new learning and ideas. 

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.5: Ecosystem Dynamics & Biodiversity, students update their Progress Tracker in Lessons 3, 4, 8, 9, 11, and 18.

The materials include guidance for multiple feedback strategies, such as oral and/or written feedback. Teachers have opportunities throughout the learning materials to provide feedback to students in a variety of ways. Examples include:

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 16: How can we design a cup system to slow energy transfer into the liquid inside it?, teachers provide feedback to groups about their first cup designs. Teacher guidance suggests, “Ask each group to review their peer feedback. This is a prime opportunity to share your feedback on each group’s first design.”

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.2, Lesson 6: How can we redesign our homemade flameless heater?, students will submit their design solutions for their homemade flameless heaters. After evaluating themselves using the Engineering Design Rubric, teachers use the same rubric to provide feedback on student designs. This feedback should be used for improvement, not assessment.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.3, Lesson 7: How does changing the distance between two magnets affect the amount of energy transferred out of the field?, teachers are instructed to, “leave feedback in the form of noticings and wonderings in the student notebooks, for any area of their investigation plan that student did not develop fully...”

The materials also include guidance for multiple strategies for peer or teacher feedback. Included in the Teacher Edition for each unit is a chart called, Overall Unit Assessment. This chart lists opportunities for peer feedback. An entry at the end of these charts is titled, Peer Feedback Facilitation: A Guide. This entry provides guidance on when to use peer-to-peer feedback opportunities. Examples include

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.4: Plate Techtonics & Rock Cycling, the Overall Unit Assessment chart states, “Peer feedback works best for Lessons 8, 10, 13, and 14 during the consensus moments where students are sharing their consensus models, or after an investigation where students share what they figured out with peers.” In general, the materials suggest using peer-to-peer feedback “after students complete substantial meaningful work.”

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.1, Lesson 11: What can we design to better protect objects in a collision?, students are given the opportunity to receive feedback from a partner about their protective device designs. Students will take turns over the course of eight minutes to provide feedback to their partner. Students will use the questions on Slide H to guide their feedback discussions. Students are then encouraged to take their designs home to receive additional feedback from family members.

Students have opportunities to monitor their own progress based on feedback and self-reflection. The materials provide multiple opportunities for students to monitor their own progress based on feedback and self-reflection. Examples include:

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.6, Lesson 6: How are rising temperatures connected to two seemingly different

phenomena?, at the end of the lesson, students are asked to reflect on the question, “On a scale of 4 (totally independent) to 1 (needs lots of help with this), how are you feeling right now about writing a scientific explanation? Briefly explain why you feel this way.” Since students will be writing another explanation on Day 2 of Lesson 6, this information can be used to inform instruction.

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.5, Lesson 2: Where do tsunamis happen and what causes them?, students are instructed to, “use a different colored pencil to revise the map they made their prediction on Tsunami Predictions to include what they have now figured out about where tsunamis occur. Then, have students write a quick explanation for why they made changes to their initial predictions.”

Students are also able to monitor and move their own learning. Teachers are provided suggestions for how to help students monitor and move their learning in boxes throughout the materials titled, Supporting Universal Design for Learning. These boxes provide suggestions for ways teachers can engage students at all learning levels in self-monitoring and growth. An example:

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.1, Lesson 6: How can we explain another phenomenon where gas bubbles appear from combining different substances together?, students are provided with sentence starters to guide an argument writing task. Students are also encouraged to color code where the information needed to fill in provided sentence stems can be found (e.g., “adding a yellow-colored note to the first page of Explaining another phenomenon or Alternate: Explaining another phenomenon”).

Indicator 3P
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Materials provide opportunities for teachers to use a variety of grouping strategies.

The materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 include opportunities for teachers to use a variety of grouping strategies. 

Lessons in all units across the series use a variety of grouping strategies including independent think time, turn-and-talk with a partner, small group activities, whole-class discussions, investigations, and demonstrations. Guidance for grouping strategies can be found in a few different places depending on the activity, availability of materials, or nature of the task. These locations often include the Unit Storyline, Materials List/Preparation Information, general lesson guidance throughout a lesson in the Teacher Edition, and Attending to Equity boxes in the margins of lessons. Examples include:

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.1, Lesson 7: Why do the music student and the teacher see the music student but the music student can’t see the teacher?, students work as a whole group to create a class explanation for why a teacher is able to see the music student. Students are then given the opportunity to write their own explanations based on what was shared during the whole class discussion and co-created explanations. Finally, students have the opportunity to share their explanations with a peer and receive feedback to inform their revision.

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.3, Lesson 2: Can we see anything inside M’Kenna that looks different?, grouping guidance states, “For those students whom you know will benefit from additional support with image analysis, gather them into a small group to facilitate a more structured analysis of the endoscopy images. You may elect to open the invitation to the whole class for those who would like additional guidance.”

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.2, Lesson 11: How does sound make matter around us move?, the box states, “Try to take the time to plan partnerships rather than just telling the students, ‘Everyone find a partner to work with,’ which can take longer to get organized, leave students feeling excluded, and/or result in unproductive pairings. You could assign specific partners that you’ve chosen based on who will work well together (i.e., not the highest functioning students with the most in need of help, but those students who will be able to teach and learn from each other as a balanced team). Or, you could randomly choose partners for the students, which at least takes the social pressure off of them.”

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.5, Lesson 1: How do organisms get their differences?, students start the lesson by independently recording noticings and wonderings about bull photos. Students are then asked to turn and talk with a partner about their observations. Finally, the teacher facilitates a whole group discussion about student ideas. This is a common routine throughout the series.

Each lesson contains a materials list with preparation instructions. In lessons that extend multiple days and/or include specific demonstrations or lab activities/materials, grouping information is provided. For example: 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.6, Lesson 4: Why is there blood in all of these places in the body?, Days 1 and 2 group size states, “Divide your class by the number of microscopes available.” 

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.4, Lesson 11: Why don’t plants die when they can’t make food?, the grouping information for Day 1 is three students per group.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.3, Lesson 1: What causes a speaker to vibrate?, the materials list notes that the group size on Days 1 and 2 is the whole class.

Guidance is embedded throughout each lesson to indicate when and how students should be grouped. This guidance comes in the general flow of the lesson. For example, in Grade 6, Unit 6.5, Lesson 8: Which emergency communication systems are the most reliable in a hazard?, teacher guidance states, “Have students gather in small groups, either with one device or each individually with a device.”

Sometimes, grouping information is included in the Unit Storyline at the start of each Teacher Edition. For example, in the Unit Storyline information for Grade 7, Unit 7.5, Lesson 17: How can we redesign the way land is used in Indonesia to support orangutans and people at the same time?, it states, “Working in groups of three, students use a computer simulation to redesign the way land is used in Indonesia to support orangutans and people at the same time.”

Indicator 3Q
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Materials provide strategies and supports for students who read, write, and/or speak in a language other than English to regularly participate in learning grade-level/grade-band science and engineering.

The materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 partially meet expectations for providing strategies and supports for students who read, write, and/or speak in a language other than English to regularly participate in learning grade-level/grade-band science and engineering.

Every unit has a page called, Guidance for Developing Your Word Bank that includes general guidance for using this resource for multilingual learners. For example, in Grade 7, Unit 7.6: Earth’s Resources & Human Impact, states, “It is especially important for emergent multilingual students to have a reference for this important vocabulary, which includes an accessible definition and visual support.” This exact statement is repeated in each unit throughout the series. It is important to note that the materials use the term Emergent/Emerging Multilingual Learners (EMLs) to note any students who are learning more than one language at a time, and are not specifically referencing a group of students at a particular level in language development across levels of proficiency.

All units have multiple Attending to Equity boxes in the margin of the Teacher Edition (ranging from four to twelve per unit) that provide guidance based on the Universal Design for Learning approach that may be good for all students, including multilingual learners (see indicator 3m report). However, only some boxes address strategies or supports specifically for multilingual learners and are inconsistent in their presence. Additionally, some units contain as few as one per unit that specifically addresses multilingual learners. 

In terms of focus on students across different levels of English language proficiency, the strategies present miss the opportunity for suggestions for students who are at varying levels of proficiency to support English language development. Further, the strategies and supports specific to multilingual learners are infrequent in nature and do not attend to language development over time for students who may read, write, and/or speak in a language other than English; there is a missed opportunity to systematically support students on varying levels of proficiency in use and understanding of the English language.

In the Teacher Handbook, there are sections that generally address multilingual learners. The information instructs teachers to use the Attending to Equity boxes to find strategies and supports. For example, in the Attending to Equity section it states, “These educative boxes are embedded within the lessons in each unit to provide specific and just-in-time support for teachers. For example, in relation to the use of sentence starters in the student notebooks, an ‘Attending to Equity’ box states: ‘Using sentence starters in science notebooks supports students in developing their ability to communicate in scientific ways. Sentence starters are particularly helpful for emergent multilingual students.’” This section focuses only on emerging multilingual students and misses the opportunity to support other levels of proficiency. Additional suggestions are included in this document but often group multilingual learners with other students who can benefit from support. For example, in the Equitable subsection of the Classroom Culture and Norms, it states, “For students who are by nature very shy, for emerging multilingual students, for students with high-frequency learning needs, or for students new to academic discussions, scaffolding and support (both from the teacher and peers) may be required to help students formulate arguments and explanations in a way that others can hear, make sense of, and understand.” In a section dedicated to multilingual learners called Supporting Emerging Multilingual Learners, general information is provided about why the focus is on emerging multilingual learners (EML) and the importance of language to sensemaking in science. It is also noted how the materials support multilingual students: “There are two primary ways that OpenSciEd supports EMLs: 1) through the curricular design and pedagogical routines that are at the heart of its instructional model, and 2) through educative boxes embedded in the teacher materials.” The information provided in this section is an overview of how and why multilingual student learning is addressed throughout the materials. Specific learning strategies or guidance for teachers regarding multilingual learners is only provided in brief examples that are used to explain the structure of the materials.

Additionally, some guidance is provided in terms of grouping students. For example, in Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 1: Why does the temperature of the liquid in some cup systems change more than in others?, the Attending to Equity section of the Teacher’s Edition, suggests allowing multilingual learners to have small groups, triad, or partner discussions before a whole group discussion to engage in sensemaking with their peers. It allows them to use their linguistic and non-linguistic resources with a smaller group and also learn from other students’ use of their resources.

Indicator 3R
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Materials provide a balance of images or information about people, representing various demographic and physical characteristics.

The materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 include a balance of images or information about people, representing various demographic and physical characteristics.

In general, the materials do not specifically indicate race, ethnicity, or gender. The slide shows, handouts, and assessments rarely show people or use names. Videos of people sharing their stories or imparting information vary in ethnicity, race, gender, disability, and demographics. Videos used to show experiments that may be difficult to do in a classroom for various reasons almost always show just the hands of the person performing the experiments. In most of the units there is information about how to use norms within the classroom in order to make the classroom a safe environment to engage in discourse to provide different viewpoints.  

Examples where materials provide a balance of images or information about people, representing various demographic and physical characteristics: 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.1, Lesson 8: Why do we sometimes see different things when looking at the same object?, the assessment depicts a black woman photographer on the sidewalk and a white woman inside a building next to a window. Names are not referenced in the assessment.

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.6: Cells & Systems Materials, students learn about how the body heals itself. In Lesson 14 students review what they learned previously. Students watch a video about two students, Matt who was born with a disability, and Jeremy who had a permanent injury to his legs. Unlike the student they had been studying, Matt and Jeremy have permanent disabilities. They both enjoy playing basketball but they do so in a wheelchair. Students analyze changes to a disability icon comparing the changes between 1968 and 2010 and have a discussion about what the icons suggest about people with disabilities. Students then listen to the stories of two women: one who has an invisible disability (autism) and another whose visible disability is often overlooked (dwarfism) in the design of facilities and fashion. 

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.5, Lesson 8: Why do orangutans need so much forest space?, students run an Orangutan Energy Model. The orangutans in the model have diverse names. 

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.6: Earth’s Resources & Human Impact,  Lessons 1 and 2, students listen to water stories. One is about a place receiving too much water and the other about a place that uses too little. Students listen to additional stories from around the country including the Navajo Nation.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.4, Lesson 1: How are we connected to the patterns we see in the sky?, there are four podcasts of people representing different races, ethnicities, and gender. In Lesson 2 there are two videos that describe Navajo and Paiute star stories.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.5, Lesson 5: Where do the babies with extra-big muscles get that trait variation?, students create several pedigrees based on pictures of cattle and then add in chromosome information found in different cattle. The names of the cattle are varied.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.5, Lesson 11: How can we answer the rest of our questions?, the student materials include images of students, with different arms spans, that represent different races and genders.

Indicator 3S
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Materials provide guidance to encourage teachers to draw upon student home language to facilitate learning.

The materials provide limited guidance to encourage teachers to draw upon student home language to facilitate learning. Guidance on cognates to help with vocabulary is limited and mostly refers to Spanish cognates with few other examples from other languages. There are a few suggestions present for having vocabulary on the Word Wall in home languages and some suggestions about using drawings to represent vocabulary to help with language acquisition. In a few instances, the Attending to Equity box does prompt teachers to invite student home language in to use as an asset. 

Examples of the materials using and/or drawing upon student home language include: 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 11: Why do particles move more in hot liquids?, the Attending to Equity  box suggests that learners should use student-friendly definitions, ”include a visual representation of the word, and make connections to cognate words when possible such as energía cinética (Spanish), énergie cinétique (French), kineticheskiy energiya (Russian transliteration), or kinetisch Energi (German).” The suggestion is to use the strategies throughout the unit for both “words we earn” and “words we encounter.”

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.3, Lesson 14: What causes a large-scale precipitation event like this to occur?, the Attending to Equity box states, “Consider sharing transcripts in the languages that students are most comfortable reading. This can allow all learners greater access to the information being shared about the phenomenon and the connections to the visual change occurring in the large-scale storm event.” The program only offers transcripts in Spanish. 

  • In Grade 6, In Unit 6.6, Lesson 2: What do our bones, skin, and muscles do for us?, the Attending to Equity box suggests that as the class works together to develop using the word “structure” as a noun and a verb, “it may help emergent multilingual students to include a definition in their native language on the Word Wall for each use of this word.”

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.2, Lesson 3: What other chemical reactions could we use to heat up food?, the  Attending to Equity box states, “You might also intentionally group emerging multilingual students with certain peers who know the same languages or with peers whose English language development is slightly more advanced.”

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.3, Lesson 11: What happens to matter when it is burned?,  the Attending to Equity box suggests adding the working definition of fuel to the “class Word Wall so that all students can have a consensus on what the class means when using the word ‘fuel’.”  In addition, it is suggested that drawing examples of different fuels along with the names of fuels in students’ home language should also be added to the Word Wall.

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.6, Lesson 1: Why are floods and droughts happening more often?, the Attending to Equity box suggests supporting emergent multilingual students by “Asking questions in everyday language allows students to share their thinking or experiences, even if they do not have the appropriate scientific vocabulary yet. This is helpful for emergent multilingual students because by not requiring scientific words at the onset, you do not limit their participation in classroom discourse.”

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.6, Lesson 2: What would we normally expect for these places and how do we know it’s really changing?, the Attending to Equity box provides multiple strategies to support emerging multilingual students with developing new vocabulary, including making connections to cognate words when possible. “Variability is variabilidad and trend is la tendencia in Spanish. Using cognate stems like ‘vary’ or words like ‘trends’ show where the data tends to head... might be able to help emergent multilingual students. Include a drawing as well for a visual clue to distinguish the two words. Use these strategies throughout the unit for both ‘words we earn’ and ‘words we encounter.’”

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.6, Lesson 16: How are these solutions working in our communities?, the Attending to Equity box provides some suggestions to use cognates related to the vocabulary (e.g., resilience in English = resiliencia in Spanish). “Using cognates, teachers can support emerging multilingual students in making connections between new science vocabulary and their native language(s). This can reduce the vocabulary overload that they may experience in science. Teachers can display cognates by placing them on Word Walls alongside new vocabulary terms or include cognates in text using parentheticals.”

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.6, Lesson 17: What solutions work best for our school or community?, the Attending to Equity Box states, “This could be an opportunity to highlight the benefits of multilingual communication in our global world because expressing ideas across many languages can help reach larger and broader audiences. This would also be particularly beneficial if the stakeholder group(s) speak a primary language other than English. Consider encouraging your emerging multilingual students—who feel comfortable doing so—to develop a communication project that includes key messaging in their home language or multiple languages.”

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.6, Lesson 1: How could penguins and other things living today be connected to the things that lived long ago?, the Attending to Equity box refers to the “modern penguins” and “ancient penguins,” terms that will be used throughout the unit to distinguish between penguins found alive today and those found in the fossil record. “The Spanish word for modern is ‘moderna/o’, and the Spanish word for ancient is ‘antiguo/a’. Additionally, the Spanish word for penguin is ‘pingüino’. Using cognates is a helpful strategy to support emerging multilingual students.”

Indicator 3T
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Materials provide guidance to encourage teachers to draw upon student cultural and social backgrounds to facilitate learning.

The materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 include limited guidance to encourage teachers to draw upon student cultural and social backgrounds to facilitate learning. There are a few examples, which make an attempt to draw upon student backgrounds. The Attending to Equity sections of the Teacher Edition for each lesson are in multiple instances connected to English Learners, but not about their or other students' backgrounds–just assisting them with certain strategies and routines (see Indicator 3q). Examples include:

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 1: Why does the temperature of the liquid in some cup systems change more than in others?, the teacher's guidance for supporting Emergent Multilingual states, “when adapting an anchoring phenomenon, keep in mind students’ cultures and languages to make the adapted phenomena accessible to emerging multilingual students.” 

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.5, Lesson 1: How do organisms get their differences?, the following teacher guidance for this optional at-home assignment states, “at some point during this unit, your students may bring up the idea that they may (or may not) share traits with members of their families. Recall that not all your students may be living with or in touch with their biological family members and therefore would not be able to compare themselves with their parents, grandparents, siblings, and so on. In order to be sensitive to these situations, you should not direct students to explore inheritance with their families. The home learning in this lesson should be focused on nonhuman examples of trait variation, although if students bring in human examples on their own, that is OK.” 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6, Lesson 10: What do cells need to grow and make more of themselves?, the teacher guidance suggests, “Students with vegetarian or vegan diets may be familiar with agar (often sold as agar-agar) since it is a plant-based gelatin used as an alternative to animal-derived gelatin. Students of Asian descent may also be familiar with it, as it is commonly used in Asian desserts. Do not call out specific students about their prior knowledge of agar, but ask the whole class if they have ever heard of, used, or eaten agar before.”

Indicator 3U
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Materials provide supports for different reading levels to ensure accessibility for students.

The materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 include supports for different reading levels to ensure accessibility for students. The materials provide a guidance document that gives students questions to consider while reading and asks them to annotate as they read. This strategy is only present where students are reading articles and therefore is not present in every unit. This document is only present in Grade 6 so it functions as a scaffold for early middle school. In Grade 8, a similar strategy is present but comes in the form of a lesson-level slide titled, While You Read to serve as a reminder to students about the purpose of reading and collecting evidence. 

Examples of strategies to engage students in reading and accessing grade level science: 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.6, Lesson 4: Why is there blood in all of these places in the body?, students are given a document called Guidance for Reading About Blood prior to reading the article. The document gives them a purpose for reading as well as directions for what to do during reading. For example, the guidance document provides questions for students to consider while they’re reading, such as “What are all those parts of the mixture doing for the body?” and “Why is blood so important that it goes everywhere?” Students are asked to underline or highlight key ideas in the text and jot down any new questions that could be added to the Driving Question Board. 

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.5, Lesson 9: How do farmers control the variation in their animals?, the slide titled “While You Read” encourages students to identify the goals of the text, claims the reading is making, evidence given to support the claims, sources of evidence and whether they are cited. It also provides questions for students to reflect on while reading and make connections to what they already know.

The materials miss the opportunity to consistently provide supports for accommodating different reading levels or provide the reading levels for the reading passages. The materials make a suggestion in Unit 7.1, Lesson 11 for teachers to create an audio version of the readings for struggling readers, but the resource does not provide the recordings.

Examples of a variety of representations to help struggling readers access and engage in grade-level science: 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.6, Lesson 10: What do cells need to grow and make more of themselves?, information is provided to provide students the opportunity to choose their level of perceived challenge. There are four possible readings to choose from and the Lexile reading estimates for each of the readings. The scientific information in each of these readings is said to be equally rigorous and they are at different reading levels to support differentiation.

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.4, Lesson 13: What happens to food that doesn’t get eaten?, there are four readings that are at different reading levels for readers of different capabilities. The materials suggest the Dung Beetle reading for struggling student readers and the Bacillus Subtilis reading for those students who are looking for a challenge.

Indicator 3V
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This is not an assessed indicator in Science.

Criterion 3.4: Intentional Design

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

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 include evidence of Criterion 3w-3z: Intentional Design. The materials integrate technology such as interactive tools and/or dynamic software (often simulations or interactives) in ways that engage students in grade-band learning; the materials provide teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology, when applicable, to support and enhance student learning. The materials have a visual design that supports students in engaging thoughtfully with the subject, and is neither distracting nor chaotic. The materials do not include or reference digital technology that provides opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other, as much of the collaboration is designed for in-person engagement. 

Indicator 3W
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Materials integrate interactive tools and/or dynamic software in ways that support student engagement in the three dimensions, when applicable.

The materials integrate multiple simulations and computer interactives across the series, when applicable. The simulations and computer interactives are most often integrated with grade-band appropriate use of DCIs, SEPs, and/or CCCs when the concepts are difficult for students to visualize due to challenges of scale or changes over time. The majority of the program is designed for in-person engagement, leveraging digital engagement only as necessary. When digital tools are used, most of the guidance for teachers is centered around the facilitation of the tools for students to use in context with the lesson. Examples include:

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 11: Why do particles move more in hot liquids?, students engage in a simulation. In this simulation students make observations and ask questions as they observe particle movement as the liquid in the simulation is heated and cooled. 

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.5, Lesson 8: Why do orangutans need so much forest space?, students engage in a simulation. In this simulation students gather data about individual orangutans that are competing for food resources. 

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.3, Lesson 5: How does the magnetic field change when we add another magnet to the system?, students engage in a computer interactive. In this computer interactive students map the magnetic field around a magnet and a coil of wire in different configurations for distance (how close the magnet and coil of wire are) as well as whether they are attractive or repulsive.

Indicator 3X
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Materials include or reference digital technology that provides opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other, when applicable.

The materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not include or reference digital technology that provides opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other, when applicable. The materials are consistently designed for in-person student collaboration.

Indicator 3Y
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The visual design (whether in print or digital) supports students in engaging thoughtfully with the subject, and is neither distracting nor chaotic.

The materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 have a visual design that supports students in engaging thoughtfully with the subject, and is neither distracting nor chaotic. 

The student-facing printable materials follow a consistent format. The lesson materials are printed with the text in black and white and an accent color per grade level (Grade 6: green, Grade 7: blue, and Grade 8: red). There are no distracting visuals or an overabundance of graphic features. The images, graphics, and models are printed in color and are present, but only where they are necessary to support student learning. The student procedure pages and slides contain icons that indicate the strategy or activity that students will be engaged in.

The teacher materials and their organization are consistently clear and accurate. Each unit provides a Unit Overview for teachers to support them in understanding multiple aspects of the unit and its design. The Unit Overview frames the investigations and sets the stage for which NGSS Performance Expectations students will be building towards. The Unit Overview provides a Unit Storyline that details the lesson question, phenomenon, or design problem, what they figure out, and how they represent it for each lesson. This Storyline also includes the number of days required, and notes on transitions between lessons. Additionally, the Overview includes Teacher Background Knowledge that includes educative components and important information for enactment and/or adjustment, an Assessment System Overview, and sample Home Communication. Units also include documents related to the Elements of NGSS Dimensions with accompanying rationale for how they are included in the lesson, Lab Materials lists as necessary, Video Links as necessary, a Teacher Handbook, and protocol information relevant to student work and expectations (E.g., Communicating in Scientific Ways and Self Evaluation Classroom Discussion).

The student materials and their organization are consistently clear and accurate. The student materials are printed in a separate guide per unit. It contains a table of contents and is broken into Student Procedures, References, and Readings. The Student Procedures section is broken up by lesson and provides step-by-step instructions that are simple and easy to follow. The instructions also follow in sequence with the slides for the unit. The guide includes the icons for different activities and protocols, such as “In your notebook” and “Turn and talk,” which provide consistent expectations for students throughout the unit and across all three grade levels. Graphs and images are printed in the materials when relevant and in color.

Indicator 3Z
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Materials provide teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning, when applicable.

The materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 provide teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning, when applicable. The guidance is mostly around using the simulations or computer interactives and how to facilitate the related activities. It offers suggestions for time spent on the simulation, and how to assist students with the outcomes (making observations, asking questions, collecting data, discussions, etc.). It also includes suggestions for how students should view the technology (main screen vs individual), and how they should be seated, for example in a semi-circle around the main presentation board. Examples include: 

  • In Grade 6, Unit 6.2, Lesson 11: Why do particles move more in hot liquids?, guidance is provided for the teacher that includes how to facilitate the simulation of particle movement. It recommends how long to keep each part of the simulation open and how to lead the discussion about the simulation.

  • In Grade 7, Unit 7.5, Lesson 8: Why do orangutans need so much forest space?, directions and suggestions for using the orangutan simulation with students are provided, including how to project the simulation for the whole class and how to use the simulation with students who are absent.

  • In Grade 8, Unit 8.3, Lesson 5: How does the magnetic field change when we add another magnet to the system?, guidance for using the computer interactive for the magnet and coil of wire includes how students should arrange their data table in their notebooks and connects students back to related questions on the Driving Question Board.