6th to 8th Grade - Gateway 1

The 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 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 6, Unit 6.3: Weather, Climate & Water Cycling, Lessons 4 and 5, the phenomenon is that air temperatures differ near the Earth’s surface compared to higher in the atmosphere on a school campus. Students conduct an investigation to collect temperature data of different types of surfaces (blacktop, mulch, dirt, grass, and sidewalk) and determine the effect of sunlight on temperature. Students then develop a consensus model explaining why the air near the ground is warmer than the air higher above the surface.

• 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 record observations while eating a cracker, read an article about complex carbohydrates, and investigate whether complex carbohydrates undergo a chemical reaction with saliva. Students construct explanations for why complex carbohydrates decrease, while glucose increases.

• 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 the phases of the Moon and use a simulation to investigate how the positions of the Earth, Sun, and Moon produce the phases observed in the night sky. Students develop initial models and contribute to a class consensus model explaining the Moon’s phases.

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. 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 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.

• In Grade 8, Unit 8.1: Contact Forces, Lessons 11-14, the design challenge is to design a protective case for a valuable object that will prevent damage when dropped. Students identify an object to protect, design and test a protective case, provide and receive feedback on design solutions, and investigate how the structures of different materials affect their ability to reduce forces during a collision. Students develop models comparing how material structures influence force reduction and conclude by writing proposals that justify their designs using evidence from testing and stakeholder feedback.

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 6.1: 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. Throughout the unit, students investigate how light interacts with different materials by using box models, readings, videos, and data collected with light sensors to develop models and explanations for the phenomenon. Students apply the idea that light travels in straight lines to explain how a one-way mirror works (DCI-PS4.B-M1, DCI-PS4.B-M2).

• 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).

Indicator 1c. Phenomena and/or problems are presented in a direct manner to students.

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 6.6: Cells & Systems, Lessons 8–9, the phenomenon is that a skin wound caused by an accident heals over time. Because students cannot observe this process in real time, the phenomenon is presented through a time-lapse video showing the stages of wound healing. The video provides students the opportunity to directly observe the phenomenon and begin developing questions and explanations 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, 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 are introduced to the phenomenon by making direct observations of the Moon as part of a homework assignment and by examining a series of images that illustrate its changing appearance throughout the lunar cycle. The firsthand observations and supporting images provide students the opportunity to engage directly with the phenomenon without assuming prior understanding or providing distracting information.

Indicator 1e. Phenomena and/or problems drive student learning using key elements of all three dimensions.

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 6.6: Cells & Systems, the phenomenon is that an injury heals over time. Throughout the unit, students investigate (SEP-INV-M2) and develop models (SEP-MOD-M2) to explain how the body heals following an injury. Students examine recovery reports and collect evidence related to the injury and the healing process over time (SEP-DATA-M4). Through investigations and readings, students discover that the body is composed of cells (DCI-LS1.A-M1), that cells contain organelles with specialized functions (DCI-LS1.A-M2), and that multiple body systems work together to repair damaged tissue (DCI-LS1.A-M3, CCC-SF-M1). Students continually revise their models as they gather new evidence to explain the healing process.

• 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 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 7.6, 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. They 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 to their models. Students then participate in a kinesthetic dice game to better understand the impact of human activity on Earth's Carbon System (CCC-SYS-M2) by comparing the carbon 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 visible vibrations and gather data with the stick at rest, pushed lightly, and pushed harder (CCC-SPQ-M1, SEP-INV-M2). Students then identify 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 consistently across learning sequences to support student sensemaking. Three-dimensional sensemaking most often occurs within individual lessons as students analyze data, carry out investigations, identify patterns, and develop evidence-based explanations and models. Opportunities for students to iterate on their thinking are consistently present through revising consensus models, incorporating new evidence, and refining explanations as learning progresses. Lesson subsets that do not consistently support three-dimensional sensemaking most often occur in introductory lesson sets that establish the phenomenon or in final lesson sets focused on summative assessment.

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 the formation of hail. Students begin by examining photographs of hailstones and a map showing hail frequency to identify patterns and generate questions about the phenomenon. They then analyze weather data collected from eight hailstorm sites (SEP-DATA-M4), looking for patterns in location, timing, scale, and weather conditions (CCC-PAT-M2) to determine the common atmospheric conditions associated with hail formation (DCI-ESS2.C-M2). Students refine their explanations as they synthesize evidence from multiple data sources to explain the conditions that produce hail.

• 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 by analyzing food molecule data and air molecules. Students investigate evidence (SEP-INV-M4) and identify patterns (CCC-PAT-M4), demonstrating that water and air contain the same building blocks as the food molecules produced by plants, supporting their understanding of how plants obtain matter for growth (DCI-LS1.C-M2). Students then incorporate this new evidence into their existing class consensus model, revising the model to include additional sources of matter beyond hydroponic plant food and water and thereby iterating on their understanding.

• In Grade 8, Unit 8.1: Contact Forces, Lessons 5–6, students use the three dimensions to make sense of forces and the effects of mass and speed on those forces. Students plan and carry out an investigation (SEP-INV-M1) using carts and spring scales to measure peak forces under varying conditions. They analyze the resulting data to recognize patterns (CCC-PAT-M3) as mass or speed changes and apply these findings to explain the relationship among force, mass, and motion (DCI-PS2.A-M1). Students build on evidence collected during the investigation to refine their explanations across the lesson sequence, strengthening their understanding of contact forces 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 6.3, Lesson 3: How does the air higher up compare to the air near the ground?, the learning objectives, “Analyze and interpret sets of data to identify patterns (similarities across data sets) that provide evidence that air temperature changes based on altitude above Earth’s surface independently of geographical location or time of year,” and “Develop a model to show the relationship between the motion of the molecules that make up air and the energy of those molecules to explain the patterns of change in air temperature at various altitudes,” are three-dimensional. Students analyze and interpret temperature profiles collected by weather balloons from multiple locations and times of year to identify patterns in air temperature with increasing altitude (SEP-DATA-M4, CCC-PAT-M2). Students then develop a class consensus model representing the relationship between molecular motion and energy at different temperatures (SEP-MOD-M4, DCI-PS1.A-M4, and DCI-PS1.A-M6).

• In Grade 7, Unit 7.1, Lesson 5: What gas(es) could be coming from the bath bomb?, the learning objectives, “Analyze and interpret the data for common gases to look for patterns that could be used to identify an unknown gas by its characteristic properties,” “Apply scientific reasoning based on patterns in the densities for a known set of gases to explain how either of two different possible outcomes from a future investigation could help us narrow down the subset of candidate substances from what could be in the unknown gas from the bath bomb,” and “Construct, use, and present an oral and written argument for an explanation that the gas in the bubbles from the bath bomb can be narrowed down to only three possible substances (out of ten of the most common ones in the air) supported by the patterns in the results from density and flammability tests and data on their properties and the use of related key model idea,” are three-dimensional. Students analyze data about the densities and flammability of common gases (SEP-DATA-M4), investigate the properties of gases from a bath bomb, room air, and helium, and use evidence from these investigations to construct and communicate an argument identifying the most likely gases produced by the bath bomb (DCI-PS1.A-M2, SEP-ARG-M3,  CCC-PAT-M4).

• In Grade 8, Unit 8.5, Lesson 5: Where do the Babies With Extra Big Muscles Get That Trait Variation?, the learning objectives, “Use a model to describe and predict the patterns in variations in traits between parents and offspring in a pedigree,” and “Develop and use a model to describe the unobservable mechanism of fertilization, in which parents each contribute half of the chromosomes an offspring has, by discerning patterns in the number and types of chromosomes in the sex cells of parents and the body cells of offspring,” are three-dimensional. Students examine photographs of cattle families to identify patterns in inherited muscle traits (SEP-MOD-M5, CCC-PAT-M4). They then compare chromosomes in muscle cells, sperm cells, and egg cells using karyotypes and chromosome diagrams to determine that each parent contributes one chromosome from each pair to the offspring during fertilization (DCI-LS3.A-M2, DCI-LS3.B-M1, and SEP-MOD-M6).

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 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. Prior to students creating the model, the teacher is directed to guide discussions to check student understanding. Students create a model (SEP-MOD-M5) to accurately describe how the eye responds to light and how components of the nervous system (CCC-SYS-M2) process the information that allows people to see (DCI-PS4.B-M1). 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 increase 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. The materials also provide teacher guidance for discussion following the Carbon Dice Game and guidance about what to do based on patterns in student responses to the exit ticket.

• 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 the trait of 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 teacher 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).