6th to 8th Grade - Gateway 1

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6–8 meet expectations that materials are designed to include both phenomena and problems.

Across the program, phenomena and problems in learning opportunities are consistently provided. Phenomena are typically introduced at the beginning of a unit, often in Lesson 1 of a lesson set. The remainder of the unit connects to or revisits the learning sequence-level phenomenon or problem. Phenomena are framed as observable events that are not immediately explained after they are presented. Students engage with videos, investigations, data sets, and readings throughout the unit, and related phenomena may also be discussed. The presented phenomena are revisited across multiple lessons, with students using evidence gathered through investigations and learning activities to develop and refine explanations. Problems are presented as challenges to be solved or needs to be addressed. They are accompanied by contextual information that supports students in understanding the relevance and scope of the issue. Students are provided opportunities to develop and propose their own solutions, and while a preferred or most effective solution may ultimately be identified, multiple approaches are explored. Nearly all lessons within a unit return to the central phenomenon or problem, although the depth of these connections varies. Some lessons maintain an explicit focus on the phenomenon or problem, while others reconnect through instructional tools such as the Driving Question Board (DQB) or a Progress Tracker.

Examples of phenomena in the materials:

• 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 reach consensus to explain how rising temperatures influence 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 evidence-based arguments explaining the chain of events by which climate change impacts water resources. Students determine that rising temperatures are associated with regions experiencing drought or flooding. 

• In Grade 8, Unit 8.2: Sound Waves, Lessons 2-6, the phenomenon is that striking a musical instrument produces vibrations. Students record observations while exploring sound sources, analyze data, identify patterns, and participate in class discussions. Students then develop a class consensus model that they use to explain how musical instruments and other objects vibrate when they make a sound.

• In Grade 8, Unit 8.5: Genetics, Lessons 14 and 15, the phenomenon is that each piece of a planaria can survive after the organism is cut into multiple pieces. Students research asexual reproduction in planaria, discuss how genetic information in offspring compares with that of the parent, and co-construct explanations for observed genetic variation using related examples. 

Examples of problems in the materials:

• 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 revise a cup to minimize heat transfer to the liquid in a cup. As they investigate how energy is transferred through different materials and under different conditions, students develop models describing the features of their designs and carry out investigations comparing changes in the mass of water in cups with and without lids.

• 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, co-construct a systems model describing effective community communication during tsunamis, and apply learning from across the unit to design their own hazard communication plan. Students conclude by developing a consensus model explaining how communication systems can better protect people and property.

• 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 reduce their community’s carbon footprint. Students investigate large-scale strategies for reducing carbon emissions, establish design criteria, prioritize a community problem, and develop a plan to mitigate the carbon imbalance that contributes to rising global temperatures.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6–8 meet expectations that phenomena or problems require student use of grade-band Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs).

Across the materials, phenomena and problems are consistently connected to grade-band appropriate DCIs. In most cases, the DCI is introduced as students encounter the phenomenon or problem and is revisited throughout the lesson sequence as students gather evidence, construct explanations, develop models, and design solutions. Students engage with the targeted DCIs through multiple learning experiences, including investigations, readings, case studies, data analysis, graphs, tables, charts, and class discussions. In some instances, more than one DCI is connected to the phenomenon or problem, allowing students to apply multiple science concepts as they make sense of the phenomenon or solve the problem.

Examples of phenomena or problems that require student use of grade-band DCIs:

• 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 at different rates in cups with different surface materials and colors when exposed to light, and also warms under completely dark conditions. Students investigate how light is absorbed by materials and transfers energy to objects (DCI-PS4.B-M1). Students shine light on cups made of different materials and colors, measure incoming, reflected, and transmitted light, and compare the temperature changes of water in cups exposed to light with cups placed in darkness. Students determine that all cups warm over time, but cups exposed to light warm more than those kept in dark conditions.

• 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 reduce their community's carbon footprint. Students apply what they have learned about carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion, imbalances in the carbon cycle, and the reductions needed to restore carbon balance in order to evaluate and develop solutions that reduce carbon emissions (DCI-ESS3.C-M2).

• In Grade 8, Unit 8.2: Sound Waves, Lessons 2–6, the phenomenon is that striking a musical instrument produces vibrations that create sound. Students investigate what causes objects to vibrate, analyze patterns in wave behavior, and develop models to explain how wave amplitude, frequency, and wavelength affect sound (DCI-PS4.A-M1).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6–8 meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems are presented in a direct manner to students.

Phenomena are introduced throughout the lesson sequences, while design problems are typically introduced after students have had opportunities to investigate and develop understanding of the related science concepts. Phenomena and problems are presented using a variety of methods, including firsthand classroom experiences, teacher demonstrations, videos, images, and other visual media. Students are provided with structured opportunities to make observations, ask questions, share initial ideas, and investigate the phenomenon or problem as they develop explanations or design solutions.

Examples of phenomena or problems that are presented in a direct manner to students:

• In Grade 6, Unit 6.2: Thermal Energy, the phenomenon is that a double-walled plastic cup appears similar to a regular plastic cup but keeps a drink warmer for a longer period of time. The phenomenon is presented through a firsthand classroom experience in which students observe and compare two cups—one regular and one designed to maintain the temperature of a drink. Students make observations, discuss what they notice, and begin asking questions about why the cups perform differently. The firsthand investigation provides students the opportunity to engage directly with the phenomenon without assuming prior understanding or providing distracting information.

• 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 the flavor of a cracker changes from bland to sweet as it is chewed. Students experience the phenomenon firsthand by chewing a cracker and recording the changes they observe in its taste. This direct experience allows students to engage with the phenomenon as they begin investigating the processes involved in digestion.

• In Grade 8, Unit 8.4: Earth in Space, Lessons 1–5, the phenomenon is that twice each year, the city grid of Manhattan aligns with the setting Sun, creating the event known as Manhattanhenge. Students are introduced to the phenomenon through a video showing the event occurring in New York City, allowing students to directly observe a phenomenon that most would not be able to experience in person. The video provides students the opportunity to engage directly with the phenomenon without assuming prior understanding or providing distracting information.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6–8 meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems drive student learning using key elements of all three dimensions.

Across the program, phenomena and problems consistently drive student learning. In most cases, the unit-level phenomenon or problem is introduced at the beginning of the unit and serves as the focus for learning across multiple lessons. Students develop a Driving Question Board (DQB) based on the unit phenomenon or problem and revisit it throughout the unit as they gather evidence, answer initial questions, and generate new questions from their investigations. Throughout the unit, students engage in all three dimensions as they develop and revise models, analyze data, investigate systems, construct explanations, and design solutions that help them make sense of the phenomenon or solve the problem. At the conclusion of the unit, students revisit the Driving Question Board to reflect on how their understanding has changed and identify the questions they are now able to answer.

Examples where phenomena or problems drive student learning using key elements of all three dimensions:

• In Grade 6, Unit 6.1: Light & Matter, the phenomenon is that a piece of material appears to function as a mirror from one side and a window from the other. Students observe a box model and develop investigable questions about what can be seen from each side when the amount of light changes (DCI-PS4.B-M1, CCC-SC-M2). They revise models to explain how changing the lighting conditions affects the behavior of the material (SEP-MOD-M5) and investigate how varying the amount of light influences whether the material behaves as a mirror or a window. Students collect, measure, and analyze data (SEP-DATA-M7) to identify patterns (CCC-PAT-M2) in the transmission and reflection of light through glass, a one-way mirror, and a regular mirror.

• In Grade 7, Unit 7.2: Chemical Reactions & Energy, the design challenge is to develop a homemade flameless heater. Students establish design criteria and constraints (SEP-CEDS-M7, DCI-ETS1.A-M1), investigate the chemical reactions and quantities of reactants needed to heat food to a target temperature (DCI-PS1.B-M3), and design, build, and test prototypes (CCC-SF-M2). Students evaluate their designs by sharing results with classmates (DCI-ETS1.B-M3), revise their solutions based on evidence, and construct and test improved designs (DCI-ETS1.B-M1, DCI-ETS1.B-M2).

• In Grade 8, Unit 8.4: Earth in Space, Lessons 1–5, the phenomenon is that twice each year the city grid of Manhattan aligns with the setting Sun. Students develop and use models (SEP-MOD-M5) to explain how Manhattanhenge occurs, analyze videos and observational data to identify patterns in the Sun's position over the course of a day and a year (CCC-PAT-M2), and collect data on sunrise, sunset, day length, and solar elevation to compare with class findings. Students revise their models based on evidence (DCI-ESS1.A-M1) and work collaboratively to develop a class consensus model explaining why Manhattanhenge occurs only during specific times of the year.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6–8 meet expectations that materials are designed to incorporate the three dimensions in student learning opportunities.

Across the materials, three-dimensional learning opportunities are present throughout the lesson sets and most often occur within lesson sequences. In many units, the first lesson introduces the unit, while the final lesson consists of a summative assessment or transfer task.

Examples of learning opportunities that incorporate the three dimensions:

• 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 subsystem models from previous lessons and combine them with the tsunami chain of events to create a systems model (SEP-MOD-M5, CCC-SYS-M2) that explains how technologies and human-designed systems help detect tsunamis, warn communities, and reduce damage (DCI-ESS3.B-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 participate in a kinesthetic dice simulation to investigate how human activities affect carbon movement. Students work with partners to modify a model (SEP-MOD-M4) of Earth's Carbon System to show how human actions (DCI-ESS3.D-M1) have changed the movement of carbon on Earth by adding combustion and drilling/mining. Students then use the simulation to better understand the impact of human activity on Earth's Carbon System (CCC-SYS-M2) by comparing carbon cycling 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. Students use a stick apparatus to represent visible vibrations and collect data with the stick at rest, pushed lightly, and pushed harder (CCC-SPQ-M1, SEP-INV-M2). Students then analyze the patterns between the stick graphs and graphs created with a speaker producing soft and loud sounds (CCC-PAT-M4, DCI-PS4.A-E2).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6–8 meet expectations that materials consistently support meaningful student sensemaking with the three dimensions.

Across the program, the materials consistently provide students with opportunities to build understanding of disciplinary content through use of science and engineering practices (SEPs) and crosscutting concepts (CCCs). Elements of all three dimensions are integrated throughout learning experiences to support student sensemaking. Students most often engage in three-dimensional sensemaking within individual lessons as they analyze data, carry out investigations, identify patterns, develop and revise consensus models, and connect evidence to disciplinary core ideas (DCIs). Opportunities for students to iterate on their thinking are consistently embedded through revising class consensus models, incorporating new evidence, and refining explanations as lessons progress. While most lesson sequences meaningfully integrate all three dimensions, lesson subsets at the beginning of a unit that introduce phenomena and at the end of a unit that focus on summative assessment provide fewer opportunities for sustained three-dimensional sensemaking.

Examples where the materials are designed for the three dimensions to meaningfully support student sensemaking and provide opportunities for students to iterate on their thinking:

• 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 how hail forms. Students first examine photographs of hailstones and maps showing hail frequency to identify patterns and generate questions about the phenomenon. They then analyze weather data collected from multiple hailstorm sites (SEP-DATA-M4) to identify common weather conditions associated with hail events. As students compare locations, timing, and atmospheric conditions, they identify patterns in the data (CCC-PAT-M2) and use these observations to explain the environmental conditions necessary for hail formation (DCI-ESS2.C-M2). Students refine their understanding by revisiting their initial observations and incorporating evidence from the data analyses into their developing explanations.

• 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 originate by investigating the relationship between food molecules, water, and air. Students analyze data from investigations (SEP-INV-M4) and identify patterns (CCC-PAT-M4) showing that water and air contain the same building blocks found in plant food molecules. Using this evidence, students deepen their understanding of how plants obtain matter for growth (DCI-LS1.C-M2). Throughout the lesson, students return to and revise their class consensus model by incorporating new evidence, providing a structured opportunity to iterate on their thinking and refine their explanations of plant growth.

• In Grade 8, Unit 8.1: Contact Forces, Lessons 5–6, students use the three dimensions to explain how mass and speed influence contact forces. Students plan and carry out investigations (SEP-INV-M1) using carts and spring scales to measure peak forces under different conditions. They analyze the resulting data to identify patterns (CCC-PAT-M3) in how changing mass or speed affects the measured force and use those patterns to explain relationships among force, mass, and motion (DCI-PS2.A-M1). Students apply evidence from their investigations to revise their explanations and connect findings across lessons, strengthening their understanding of the underlying physical principles through iterative sensemaking.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6–8 meet expectations that materials clearly represent three-dimensional learning objectives within the learning sequences.

Across the materials, learning objectives are provided at the lesson level. Within each lesson-level teacher guide, learning objectives are presented at the beginning of the lesson in the What Students Will Do section. Lesson-level Performance Expectations are written as statements and coded with numbers and letters (e.g., 4.A). The statements are color-coded to indicate the dimensions being addressed, and the associated SEP, DCI, and CCC element codes are listed at the end of each objective. At the unit level, the Teacher Background Knowledge section provides tables identifying the element language of the SEPs, DCIs, and CCCs addressed throughout the unit, including strikethroughs where only portions of an element are addressed. Similar information is provided in the Elements of NGSS Dimensions document, which identifies the elements addressed in each lesson and includes rationale describing how the elements are represented in the instructional materials.

The materials consistently provide element-level, three-dimensional learning objectives at the lesson level. Within lessons, students have opportunities to engage with the elements identified in the learning objectives. In most cases, all elements from the learning objectives are addressed through the lesson activities.

Examples of learning opportunities with three-dimensional learning objectives that provide opportunities for students to engage with the elements of the three dimensions present in the objectives:

• In Grade 6, Unit 6.6, Lesson 3: How can medical images and diagrams help us figure out more about the structures in our body?, the learning objective, “Critically read and interpret scientific texts (images and diagrams) adapted for classroom use to describe patterns to figure out that blood and nerves are present in skin, muscle, and bone of a human body,” is three-dimensional. Students observe medical images used to view structures inside the human body (SEP-INFO-M1) and analyze cross-sectional diagrams of a knee to interpret spatial relationships among structures (CCC-SPQ-M1). Students then examine close-up diagrams of skin, muscle, and bone to identify patterns showing that blood vessels and nerves are present throughout these tissues (CCC-PAT-M1, DCI-LS1.A-M3).

• In Grade 7, Unit 7.4, Lesson 1: Where does this stuff come from?, the learning objectives, “Develop an initial model to describe the inputs of the system where plants get food molecules (matter),” and “Ask questions that arise from careful observation of food-related phenomena that the class can investigate to explain how plants get matter and energy to make food molecules,” are three-dimensional. Students examine plant-derived foods by tasting maple syrup and maple sap, viewing a video of sap collection, analyzing nutrition labels, and observing representations of food molecules. Students then develop an initial model of where plants obtain matter and energy (SEP-MOD-M4, CCC-EM-M1, and DCI-LS1.C-M2), generate questions for a Driving Question Board (SEP-AQDP-M1), and propose investigations to answer those questions (SEP-INV-M1).

• In Grade 8, Unit 8.2, Lesson 4: How do the vibrations of the sound source compare for louder versus softer sounds?, the learning objective, “Use mathematical representations of position versus time graphs generated from a tool used to scale up the vibrations of an object to describe wave patterns and support scientific conclusions about how objects move when they make louder or softer sounds,” is three-dimensional. Students use a motion detector and stick apparatus to visualize vibrations, make predictions, and collect data (SEP-INV-M2, CCC-SPQ-M1). Students compare position-versus-time graphs generated from the stick apparatus with graphs of a speaker to identify patterns relating vibration amplitude to sound volume (CCC-PAT-M4, DCI-PS4.A-M2). They use these mathematical representations to draw scientific conclusions about how vibration patterns change as sounds become louder or softer.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that materials include a formative assessment system that is designed to reveal student progress on targeted learning objectives.

Formative assessments exist across each unit in various lessons, as appropriate. In some instances, there is more than one assessment per lesson, but a formative assessment does not exist for every lesson. Formative assessment tasks include Progress Trackers, creating and revising models, constructing explanations, answering questions, collecting data, and exit tickets. Some lessons include multiple learning objectives with separate formative assessment tasks connected to each objective. In other instances, two learning objectives are combined and addressed through a single formative assessment task, requiring students to demonstrate understanding of the elements associated with both learning objectives. Overall, the formative assessments consistently reveal student progress on the targeted learning objectives and provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their use of the three dimensions connected to those objectives. Assessment tasks also include teacher guidance about what to look and listen for as students demonstrate their understanding and, in some cases, what to do if students struggle.

Examples of formative assessments that are designed to reveal student progress on the targeted learning objectives:

• In Grade 6, Unit 6.1, Lesson 6: Why does the music student not see the teacher?, the 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. Students develop a model to describe how the eye responds to light and how components of the nervous system process the information that allows people to see (SEP-MOD-M5, DCI-PS4.B-M1, and CCC-SYS-M2). Prior to students creating the model, the teacher guides discussion to check student understanding. The materials also provide guidance for supporting students in incorporating ideas from previous lessons into their models and addressing parts of the model that may be missing or incomplete.

• 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 modify and use a carbon system model to make sense of why burning fossil fuels increases rates of CO₂ in the atmosphere (DCI-ESS3.D-M1). During the Carbon Dice Game, students modify their models to show how different inputs and outputs in the system influence the rate of CO₂ in the atmosphere (SEP-MATH-M4, CCC-SYS-M2). These activities build toward an exit ticket in which students use the rates represented in their carbon system models to explain what is causing a buildup of CO₂ in the atmosphere.

• 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 learning objective is, “Develop and use models to show multiple causes of variation within a trait.” The formative assessment is a worksheet. Students read and highlight evidence about the impact of genes and the environment on variation in arm span. They create a model showing how genes and the environment contribute to the observed variation in the trait (SEP-MOD-M5, DCI-LS3.A-E2, and CCC-CE-M3). Students then write an explanation describing why they selected the proportions they did for the contributions of genes and the environment. The materials provide the teacher with guidance about 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 in the model to represent differences in contributions.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that materials are designed to incorporate three-dimensional assessments that incorporate uncertain phenomena or problems.

Within the materials, assessments that incorporate uncertain phenomena or problems are present within formative assessments and summative transfer tasks. Transfer task assessments take place at the end of a lesson set and/or end of the unit. Students engage with an uncertain phenomenon or problem at the beginning of the assessment through a reading, data, graphs, etc. and then work through a multi-part assessment to answer questions about the uncertain phenomenon or problem. Multiple choice and short answer response types are at times included. Other student activities within the assessments include modeling, critiquing an argument, constructing an explanation, etc. Other assessments with uncertain phenomena include some exit tickets, identified as formative or summative, and other formative assessments connected to lesson ideas which ask students to extend their thinking to a new aspect of the phenomenon or problem through modeling or calculations. All assessments that contain an uncertain phenomenon or problem are also three-dimensional and, across the assessment system, most assessments are two- or three-dimensional.

Examples of assessments that integrate the three dimensions and incorporate uncertain phenomena or problems:

• In Grade 6, Unit 6.3, Lesson 22: How can we explain differences in climate in different parts of the world?, the summative assessment is the Rainforest Climate Assessment. In this assessment, students apply what they have learned about weather and climate to predict the locations of tropical rainforests around the world. Students create a model to predict where tropical rainforests are located (SEP-MOD-M3, DCI-ESS2.D-M1). They then use maps and graphs, as well as their understanding of weather systems, weather conditions, energy, and energy transfer, to describe the effects of air temperature in different regions of South America (DCI-ESS2.D-M3). Students complete the transfer task by creating a model to explain weather conditions in different regions of South America (DCI-ESS2.D-M2, CCC-SYS-M2).

• In Grade 7, Unit 7.2, Lesson 10: How can we decide between competing designs?, the summative assessment is the Sea Turtle Assessment. In this assessment, students evaluate a variety of designed sea turtle incubators and determine the characteristics that should be included in an incubator used to move sea turtle eggs to a more permanent location. Students develop an argument based on evidence for which solution best meets the criteria and constraints provided in the scenario (SEP-ARG-M4, DCI-ETS1.C-M1). Students then create a model showing the energy transfer that will take place in their chosen solution (CCC-EM-M4). Students also identify elements of a chemical reaction and determine whether the reaction releases or absorbs heat (DCI-PS1.B-M3).

• In Grade 8, Unit 8.5, Lesson 17: Why are living things different from one another?, the summative assessment is the Redwoods Assessment. In this assessment, students apply what they have learned about genetic and environmental factors to investigate variation in the height of coastal redwoods. Students read and annotate an article and participate in a classroom discussion about coastal redwoods (SEP-INFO-M1). They use the information to explain how environmental and genetic factors could affect redwood height and explain whether they think those factors influence height (SEP-CEDS-M3, DCI-LS1.B-M4, and CCC-CE-M3). Students then develop a model and explain how genetic and environmental factors could account for the height variation represented in the data (SEP-MOD-M5, SEP-CEDS-M3, and DCI-LS1.B-M1).