1st Grade - Gateway 1

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet expectations that they are designed to integrate the Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs), Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), and Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs) into student learning opportunities. Across all four units, the instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 consistently integrate the three dimensions in student learning opportunities. Within each learning sequence, most lessons include three dimensions and integrate SEPs, CCCs, and DCIs.

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

• In Grade 1, Physical Science, How Can We Light Our Way in the Dark?, Lesson 2: Shining Through, students predict, investigate, and learn that materials can be opaque, transparent, or translucent. Students create a drawing to illustrate their initial understanding of what happens when light hits different materials and then observe and share the effects of a flashlight beam on different objects (DCI-PS4.B-P1, DCI-PS4.B-P2). Using their observations, students begin to explain how light interacts with various materials (SEP-DATA-P3). Students identify a pattern in class observations that explains the effect of placing a transparent object in the path of a light beam (CCC-CE-P2).

• In Grade 1, Physical Science, How Can We Light Our Way in the Dark?, Lesson 4: Bouncing Around, students investigate how foil, mirrors, transparent, translucent, opaque, and reflective objects affect light’s behavior. Students investigate the interaction of a flashlight beam with different materials in a 3D exploration (SEP-INV-P4). Students identify objects that might reflect light and record the effects of placing reflective surfaces in the path of a light beam (DCI-PS4.B-P1, DCI-PS4.B-P2). Students establish initial ideas and use patterns to explain the effects of light when it interacts with different materials (CCC-CE-P2).

• In Grade 1, Life Science, How Do Living Things Stay Safe And Grow?, Lesson 7: This Place Is For The Birds, students research how body parts of plants and animals help them survive. Students define a problem that can be solved by mimicking the structure and function of plant and animal parts (DCI-LS1.A-P1). Students obtain information from text about how external body parts help plants and animals survive and how the structure of an external body part is related to its function to assist in growth and survival (SEP-INFO-P1, CCC-SF-P1). Students draw their observations of the body parts and their role in helping the animal survive and then share their ideas with the class (SEP-DATA-P2, SEP-INFO-P4). 

• In Grade 1, Life Science, How Do Living Things Stay Safe And Grow?, Lesson 9: Penguin Problems, Part 1, students make observations of penguin offspring features to determine the group of penguins to which the chicks belong. Students observe patterns (CCC-PAT-P1) in the features of penguin offspring as evidence (SEP-DATA-P3, SEP-ARG-P6) to determine the group of penguins to which the chicks belong (DCI-LS3.A-P1, DCI-LS3.B-P1). 

• In Grade 1, Earth and Space Science, How Can We Predict When The Sky Will Be Dark?, Lesson 3: Oksana, Issa, and Layla, students use observations of the sky to explain that the sun causes brightness outside since toys are visible when the sun is up. Students create a model to represent the objects they can observe in the sky during bright and dark times. Students gather evidence (SEP-DATA-P3) from texts and images (SEP-INFO-P1) to identify patterns (CCC-PAT-P1) in the sky during different times of the day (DCI-ESS1.A-P1).

• In Grade 1, Earth and Space Science, How Can We Predict When The Sky Will Be Dark?, Lesson 6: Sunlight on the National Mall, students use observations of the sun’s position on different days of the year to explain why the sun sets earlier in fall than in summer. Students observe and describe how the sun's position changes at different times of the day (DCI-ESS1.B-P1) and compare the appearance of the sun during fall and winter including its arc and the amount of sunlight. By recording their observations of the patterns of the sun’s position on three different days (CCC- PAT-P1), students determine why the sun sets earlier in the fall than in the summer (SEP-INV-P4, SEP-DATA-P3, and SEP-CEDS-P1).

• In Grade 1, Engineering Design, How Can We Send A Message Using Sound?, Lesson 6: Vibration and Sound, students conduct an investigation to determine that sound can make things vibrate. Students develop a way to use a small drum to investigate scenarios that use sound to make the drumhead vibrate (SEP-INV-P2, SEP-DATA-P3, and DCI-PS4.A-P1). Then, students create a visual representation of their solution by combining data, observations, and readings (SEP-INFO-P4, DCI-ETS1.B-P1). Students use this information to develop an explanation of why they selected certain materials for a device that can make sound (SEP-CEDS-P2).

•  In Grade 1, Engineering Design, How Can We Send A Message Using Sound?, Lesson 10: River Crossing, Part 2, students develop a device that makes two distinct sounds to indicate the direction in which a player should move on a game board. Students describe the device including how its structural shape creates sound (CCC-SF-P1, DCI-PS4.C-P1) and how it would solve the problem of players not knowing which way to move. Students then play the game using their sound-making devices and make observations to determine if their devices effectively solved the problem. Students analyze the results and compare noise-making solutions (DCI-ETS1.C-P1, SEP-INV-P5).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet expectations that they consistently support meaningful student sensemaking with the three dimensions. Learning sequences within the units vary in length between one and five lessons. Across all units and within every learning sequence, nearly all lessons meaningfully support student sensemaking with the other dimensions. Additionally, sensemaking occurs both at the lesson level and across the learning sequence. Student sensemaking is nearly always tied to explaining a phenomenon or solving a problem.

Examples where SEPs and CCCs meaningfully support student sensemaking with the other dimensions in the learning sequence:

• In Grade 1, Life Science, How Do Living Things Stay Safe And Grow?, Lesson 6: Penguin Protection, students explore penguin parents’ and chicks’ behaviors to understand what behaviors are needed for survival. In Lesson 6, students use a simulation to observe patterns of behavior that are needed for chicks to survive (DCI-LS1.D-P1, SEP-INFO-P1, and CCC-PAT-P1). Students revise their claims to explain how the penguin’s behavior helps them survive and share their claims with the class (SEP-ARG-P5, SEP-ARG-P6).

• In Grade 1, Life Science, How Do Living Things Stay Safe And Grow?, Lesson 7: This Place is for the Birds, students gather and share information about how the external structures of animal and plant parts function (CCC-SF-P1) to help them grow and survive (DCI-LS1.A-P1, SEP-INFO-P1). Students then apply what they learned to design solutions that mimic a body part they read about that could make it easier for scientists to observe albatrosses in a difficult location (SEP-DATA-P2, SEP-INFO-P4).

• In Grade 1, Earth and Space Science, How Can We Predict When The Sky Will Be Dark?, Lesson 3: Oksana, Issa, and Layla, students figure out that when the sun is visible, it is bright outside. Students use media to identify patterns of when celestial objects are seen in the sky and then explain that the sun is in the sky when toys outside are visible well and is not in the sky when it is hard to see the toys (SEP-INFO-P1, SEP-DATA-P3, and DCI-ESS1.A-P1). Students use patterns observed in the sky as evidence that the sun causes it to be bright (CCC-PAT-P1, CCC-CE-P2).

• In Grade 1, Earth and Space Science, How Can We Predict When The Sky Will Be Dark?, Lesson 7 and 8, students figure out why the moon is in a different part of the sky and why it appears to change shape. In Lesson 7, students observe the moon, ask questions, and make an initial explanation of why it changes shape (SEP-AQDP-P1, DCI-ESS1.A-P1, and DCI-PS4.B-P1). Students predict what they will see in a model of the moon and revisit their predictions after making observations. Students explain that the moon changes shape because they see different amounts of light shining on the moon (SEP-CEDS-P1, CCE-CE-P2). In Lesson 8, students describe the pattern of the position of the moon in the sky and use their observations to determine that sometimes the moon is visible when the sky is bright and sometimes when the sky is dark (CCE-CE-P2, DCI-ESS1.A-P1, SEP-DATA-P1, and SEP-DATA-P3). Students then compare the motion of the moon over two different days and, based on their observations, predict where it will be in the later hours of the day (SEP-INV-P6).

• In Grade 1, Engineering Design, How Can We Send A Message Using Sound?, Lesson 4: Sound Test, students investigate, gather evidence, and support ideas about how sound is generated. Students conduct investigations and record and analyze data to determine how sound is produced (CCC-CE-P1, SEP-INV-P4, SEP-INV-P5, SEP-DATA-P3, and DCI-PS4.A-P1) by three different objects. Students use this information to revise their solution (DCI-ETS1.B-P1) to the problem of students not being able to hear the teacher’s voice in a noisy room.

• In Grade 1, Engineering Design, How Can We Send A Message Using Sound?, Lessons 9 and 10, students create a sound-making device that makes two distinct sounds to communicate instructions to another player in a game. In Lesson 9, students define the requirements for the noisemaker solutions and design and build their devices. Students identify the evidence they used when selecting materials and designing their device (DCI-PS4.A-P1, DCI-ETS1.A-P3, DCI-ETS1.B-P1, and DCI-ETS1-P2). In Lesson 10, students play the game to observe if their devices effectively solved the problem and focus on how the devices’ structures contributed to their ability to make sound (CCC-SF-P1, DCI-PS4.C-P1, SEP-INV-P5, and SEP-INFO-P4).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 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 are found in the Assessment Map of the Curriculum Overview and at the beginning of every lesson. Materials include Pre-Assessments, Formative Assessments, and Checkpoint Assessments in every Module as part of the formative assessment system. Assessment tasks include peer-to-peer, small-group, and class discussions, as well as drawings, verbal responses, data collection, presentations, and building and revising of models. 

Except for the final learning sequence of each Module, every lesson includes one of the three types of assessments with a few lessons across the series having two types. Pre-Assessments occur in the beginning of learning sequences and when new content is presented mid-sequence. Formative Assessments are the most common. Checkpoint Assessments require three-dimensional understanding of a phenomenon or problem before moving to the next lesson. For teacher support, the Pre-Assessments include questions for teacher reflection to consider how students bring prior experiences into the formation of initial ideas. All Formative and Checkpoint Assessments include Indicators of Success and Indicators of Difficulty for each assessed element to support teachers to evaluate student responses. They also include a Remediation section that provides the teacher with guidance on how to adjust instruction based on student responses. 

Examples of lessons with a three-dimensional objective where 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 1, Life Science, How Do Living Things Stay Safe And Grow?, Lesson 4: Like Parent Like Offspring, the three-dimensional learning objectives comprise four elements. In the Checkpoint Assessment, students record and use observations from images to describe similarities and differences in young and adult plants and use patterns they notice for evidence (DCI-LS3.A-P1, SEP-DATA-P2, SEP-DATA-P3, and SEP-DATA-P1). Students use what they have learned about the patterns of young/adult plants to draw their prediction of what a young Tussac will look like (CCC-PAT-P1). All elements of the learning objectives are assessed. Teachers are provided with Indicators of Success and Indicators of Difficulty and remediation and enrichment activities to support the instructional process.

• In Grade 1, Physical Science, How Can We Light Our Way In The Dark? Lesson 4: Bouncing Around, the three-dimensional learning objectives comprise four elements. In the Checkpoint Assessment, students create a chart that explains how light interacts differently with different materials (DCI-PS4.B-P2, SEP-CEDS-P1). Students use their testing data to share with a partner how to be successful in a game of hide and seek (CCC-CE-P1, CCC-CE-P2). All elements of the learning objectives are assessed. Teachers are provided with Indicators of Success and Indicators of Difficulty and remediation and enrichment activities to support the instructional process.

• In Grade 1, Physical Science, How Can We Light Our Way In The Dark?, Lesson 8: Slow Down –School Students, the three-dimensional learning objectives comprise three elements. In the Checkpoint Assessment, students present and discuss explanations (SEP-CEDS-P2) for how their design solution supports functionality (sending a message to drivers to get a response) and stability (DCI-LS1.D-P1, CCC-SF-P1). All elements of the learning objectives are assessed. Teachers are provided with Indicators of Success and Indicators of Difficulty and remediation and enrichment activities to support the instructional process.

• In Grade 1, Earth and Space Science, How Can We Predict When The Sky WIll Be Dark?, Lesson 6: Sunlight on the National Mall, the three-dimensional learning objective comprises five elements. In the Checkpoint Assessment, students investigate the relative size of the sun’s arc in the sky (CCC-SPQ-P1) and record observations about the different positions of the sun at different times of day and in different seasons (SEP-DATA-P1, SEP-INV-P4). Students use a “What Time of the Year Is It?” chart to explain why the sun sets earlier as seasons change (DCI-ESS1.A-P1, CCC-PAT-P1). All elements of the learning objectives are assessed. Teachers are provided with Indicators of Success and Indicators of Difficulty and remediation and enrichment activities to support the instructional process.

• In Grade 1, Earth and Space Science, How Can We Predict When The Sky WIll Be Dark?, Lesson 8: Where is the Moon?, the three-dimensional learning objectives comprise four elements. In the Checkpoint Assessment, students use observations of the moon's apparent motion overnight to answer the question (SEP-DATA-P3) about why the moon is in different parts of the sky over time. Students use their drawings to predict (SEP-INV-P6) where the moon will appear in the sky later that night (DCI-ESS1.A-P1, CCC-PAT-P1). All elements of the learning objectives are assessed. Teachers are provided with Indicators of Success and Indicators of Difficulty and remediation and enrichment activities to support the instructional process.

• In Grade 1, Engineering Design, How Can We Send A Message Using Sound?, Lesson 4: Sound Test, the three-dimensional objectives comprise five elements. In the Formative Assessment, students investigate and make observations of a variety of objects, such as a tuning fork, making sounds (SEP-INV-P2, SEP-DATA-P1). Students compare their observations to identify patterns in the data, describe how sound is being made, and use their data to revise and draw a device that will communicate using sound (DCI-ETS1.B-P1, SEP-DATA-P3, and CCC-CE-P1). All elements of the learning objectives are assessed. Teachers are provided with Indicators of Success and Indicators of Difficulty and remediation and enrichment activities to support the instructional process. 

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet expectations that they are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence of the three-dimensional learning in the instructional materials. 

Materials provide three-dimensional learning objectives tied to performance expectations for each Module. The Module Overview Assessment Map indicates the elements of the three dimensions addressed in the Module and summative assessments.

The summative assessments are designed to measure student achievement of the targeted three-dimensional learning objectives. Each Module in Grade 1 ends with a two-lesson long Science Challenge or Design Challenge intended as a summative assessment. The Science and Design Challenges present students with a problem or challenge and students work to explain and solve the problem. Within each assessment sequence, performance tasks include peer-to-peer, small-group, and class discussions, as well as drawings, verbal responses, data collection, presentations, and building and revising of models. Scoring rubrics are included with a scale for each element of the three dimensions being assessed in that Module. 

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

• In Grade 1, Life Science, How do Living Things Stay Safe And Grow?, Lessons 9 and 10, the three-dimensional learning objectives comprise eleven elements. In the Science Challenge, students identify what type of penguin a pair of young penguins are and use animal structures as an inspiration to solve problems posed while observing the penguins. Students describe specific features that are similar and different in penguins and between adults and offspring (DCI-LS3.A-P1, DCI-LS3.B-P1). Using patterns from the similar features (CCC-PAT-P1), students support their claim for what type of penguin a particular young penguin is (SEP-DATA-P2, SEP-ARG-P5, and SEP-ARG-P6). Students share posters that identify external plant or animal parts and describe how the external part functions to send information to aid in survival (DCI-LS1.A-P1, DCI-LS1.D-P1, DCI-LS1.B-P1, and CCC-SF-P1). Students use what they know about the structure and function of animal parts to solve a problem Ada may encounter as she observes penguins and then share and construct an argument for their solution (SEP-ARG-P5, SEP-ARG-P6). All elements of the learning objectives are assessed. Teachers are provided with a scoring rubric to measure the three-dimensional elements of the objectives.

• In Grade 1, Engineering Design, How Can We Send A Message Using Sound?, Lessons 9 and 10, the three-dimensional learning objectives comprise eight elements. In the Design Challenge, students solve the problem that a group of students picking up trash need to know the correct path. Students use tools and materials to create a physical model of a tool that can help the students picking up trash communicate (DCI-ETS1.B-P1, SEP-MOD-P4, and SEP-CEDS-P2). The students choose the materials, with an end-goal in mind, based on the structure and function of their model (CCC-SF-P1). Students write an explanation about how their model device vibrates to make sound and that the shape causes the vibration (DCI-PS4.A-P1, SEP-MOD-P4, and CCC-SF-P1). Students then discuss how their model makes sound based on the design structure (SEP-INFO-P4, CCC-SF-P1) and compare their design with peers to see how they are similar and different (DCI-PS4.C-P1, DCI-ETS1.C-P1). All elements of the learning objectives are assessed. Teachers are provided with a scoring rubric to measure the three-dimensional elements of the objectives.

• In Grade 1, Earth and Space Science, How Can We Predict When The Sky Will Be Dark?, Lessons 9 and 10, the three-dimensional learning objectives comprise six elements. In the Science Challenge, students solve the problem that it is dark when a student is walking to school. Students observe patterns in the sky before, during, and after sunrise and patterns of daylight on four different days of the year (DCI-ESS1.A-P1, CCC-PAT-P1) and use this data to determine when students will be going to school in the dark (DCI-ESS1.B-P1, SEP-DATA-P3, and CCC-PAT-P1). Students then investigate three possible solutions to make the walk in the dark safer. They make observations of three light sources to determine the different effects of each light source and explain how each light source makes students visible in the dark (DCI-PS4.B-P1, CCC-CE-P2). All elements of the learning objectives are assessed. Teachers are provided with a scoring rubric to measure the three-dimensional elements of the objectives.

• In Grade 1, Physical Science, How Can We Light Our Way In The Dark?, Lessons 9 and 10, the three-dimensional learning objectives comprise nine elements. In the Science Challenge, students solve the problem that they need to be able to find the exit in a dark room during an emergency. Students ask questions about how available light can illuminate objects or how objects can give off their own light (DCI-ETS1.A-P2, DCI-ETS1.A-P3, and DCI-PS4.B-P1). Students then ask questions about and define the problem of the darkened library (DCI-ETS1.A-P1, SEP-AQDP-P3, and CCC-CE-P2). Next, based on how materials interact with light (opaque, transparent, reflective, etc.) and animals’ responses to stimuli for survival (DCI-PS4.B-P2, DCI-LS1.D-P1), students explain how their selected materials and design solution provide a signal that results in an appropriate response to exiting a darkened library (SEP-CEDS-P1, CCC-CE-P2). All elements of the learning objectives are assessed. Teachers are provided with a scoring rubric to measure the three-dimensional elements of the objectives.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems are connected to grade-level Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs). Across the grade, the materials provide opportunities for students to build an understanding of grade-level DCIs through phenomena or problems. From one to eight lessons in length, learning sequences work to connect a single phenomenon or problem to corresponding DCIs.

Examples where phenomena or problems are connected to grade-level Disciplinary Core Ideas:

• In Grade 1, Earth and Space Science, How Can We Predict When The Sky Will Be Dark?, Lesson 1: Where Are My Toys?, the phenomenon is that in the evenings, toys can be spotted outside, but as the days go on, it becomes harder to see the toys. Students look inside boxes with and without a flashlight shining into the box to determine that without a light source, it is more difficult to see objects (DCI-PS4.B-P1). Students develop a model to represent what can be seen in the sky when it is bright and when it is dark. Students look at seasonal patterns of daylight (DCI-ESS1.A-P1) and use observations of the sky at sunset in the fall and winter (DCI-ESS1.B-P1) to explain why the toys are harder to see as the days pass.

• In Grade 1, Earth and Space Science, How Can We Predict When The Sky Will Be Dark?, Lesson 7: Mysterious Moon, the phenomenon is that over the course of a few days, the moon changes its shape and location in the sky. Students look at a foam ball in a box with a flashlight to determine why the shape appears to change and why you can see the moon. Students then explain that the flashlight is shining on the bright part of the moon model (DCI-PS4.B-P1). Students observe more models showing the moon’s pattern of motion over the course of two different days and record observations to explain the moon's movement in the sky (DCI-ESS1.A-P1).

• In Grade 1, Life Science, How Do Living Things Stay Safe And Grow?, Lesson 1: A Pair of Penguins, the phenomenon is that penguins are both similar to and different from each other in various ways. Across a series of lessons, students record observations to identify similarities and differences between adult and young animals, including penguins, (DCI-LS3.A-P1) and identify patterns of features between several species of penguins (DCI-LS3.B-P1).

• In Grade 1, Life Science, How Do Living Things Stay Safe And Grow?, Lesson 7: This Place is for the Birds, the problem is that the location and conditions of albatross nesting sites makes it difficult for scientists to observe them. Students make observations of an albatross nesting site and identify challenges for scientists seeking to observe birds there. Students read a story about how body parts help plants and animals survive (DCI-LS1.A-P1) and consider how the design and function of these body parts can help to solve the scientists’ challenge of observing the nesting site (DCI-ETS1.A-P1). Students then design and construct a solution to the problem based on an animal body part. 

• In Grade 1, Physical Science, How Can We Light Our Way In The Dark?, Lesson 2: Treasure Hunt, the phenomenon is that a flashlight beam behaves differently when it shines on different objects in the classroom. Across a series of lessons, students investigate multiple scenarios to see how light interacts with different materials (DCI-PS4.B-P2). Students test how much light shines through clear plastic, parchment paper, and black cardstock. Students then test how they can change the shape and/or size of a shadow and the ability to reflect light onto the ceiling using foil and a mirror.

• In Grade 1, Engineering Design, How Can We Send A Message Using Sound?, Lesson 1: Time to Go!, the problem is that students can't hear their teacher's voice in a space where other people are talking. Students use a model to observe that a human voice is harder to hear at greater distances and over other sounds, explore different ways humans communicate, and research non-vocal ways of sending messages (DCI-PS4.C-P1). Students design a solution to the problem and then record observations of what they feel, hear, and see during sound investigations. Students read about vibrations causing sound in stringed instruments and then investigate a kazoo and model drum to identify that sounds can make things vibrate (DCI-PS4.A-P1).

The instructional materials reviewed for First Grade meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems are presented to students as directly as possible. Across the grade level, materials consistently present phenomena and problems to students as directly as possible. With many accompanied by photographs, the majority of phenomena and problems are presented in a video with an animated character named Ada who directly describes the problems or phenomena for the students. Opportunities for direct, first-hand experiences with phenomena and problems are occasionally included in the materials.

Examples where materials present phenomena and problems to students as directly as possible:

• In Grade 1, Life Science, How Do Living Things Stay Safe And Grow?, Lesson 1: A Pair of Penguins, the phenomenon is that penguins are both similar to and different from each other in various ways. Students watch a video where Ada describes penguins that look alike in some ways and different in other ways. Additionally, students observe cards with penguins to identify similarities and differences. The video and images on the cards provide students with a common experience and context to have a shared and direct understanding of the phenomenon.

• In Grade 1, Earth and Space Science, How Can We Predict When The Sky Will Be Dark?, Lesson 7: Mysterious Moon, the phenomenon is that over the course of a few days, the moon changes its shape and location in the sky. Students watch a video where Ada shares how she's seen the moon in different places, at different times, and in different shapes. Students listen to her explain where and when she saw the moon and observe pictures of what it looked like each time. The video and images provide students with a common experience and context to have a shared and direct understanding of the phenomenon.

• In Grade 1, Engineering Design, How Can We Send A Message Using Sound?, Lesson 1: Time to Go!, the problem is that students can't hear their teacher's voice in a space where other people are talking. Students watch a video of Ada describing a class field trip where the students became so noisy that the teacher is unable to get their attention. Students recreate the problem by running a model that is similar to what happened on the field trip in the video. The video and recreation of the scenario provide students with a common experience and context to have a shared and direct understanding of the problem.

• In Grade 1, Physical Science, How Can We Light Our Way In The Dark?, Lesson 2: Treasure Hunt, the phenomenon is that a flashlight beam behaves differently when it shines on different objects in the classroom. Students are presented the phenomenon through a story and share any experiences they have had with playing a game using flashlights and hiding. After studying an image of a flashlight to learn how it works, students observe their teacher shining a flashlight on a non-reflective wall at a 90 degree angle and onto the floor of a closet. The story, image, and first-hand observations provide students with a common experience and context to have a shared and direct understanding of the phenomenon.

• In Grade 1, Engineering Design, How Can We Send A Message Using Sound?, Lesson 9: River Crossing, Part 1, the design challenge is to make a device that makes two distinct sounds to communicate the instructions to another player in the game. Students watch a video where Ada explains how the game needs two noisemakers to communicate which way to move on the board. Students observe a slide depicting the game and a game board to discuss what is needed for a solution. The video, slide, and game board provide students with a common experience and context to have a shared and direct understanding of the design challenge.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems drive individual lessons or activities using key elements of all three dimensions. In the majority of lessons where phenomena or problems are present, students work toward figuring out phenomena or solving problems. Students often engage with the same phenomenon or problem across multiple learning opportunities and the phenomenon or problem typically drives instruction in each of those opportunities. Across the four Modules, students consistently engage in three-dimensional lessons where two or more SEPs and at least one CCC are present.

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

• In Grade 1, Physical Science, How Can We Light Our Way In The Dark?, Lesson 2: Treasure Hunt, the phenomenon is that a flashlight beam behaves differently when it shines on different objects in the classroom. Students investigate when they can see objects in the light and dark (DCI-PS4.B-P1, SEP-INV-P2). Students use a cave simulation to see if objects can be seen when it is dark (SEP-CEDS-P1) and make predictions as to what would cause gemstones in the dark to be seen. Students generate questions that they can investigate to test their ideas on what causes objects to be seen (CCC-CE-P1).

• In Grade 1, Physical Science, How Can We Light Our Way in the Dark?, Lesson 6: Animal Ideas, the problem is that drivers in the dark may not see children at the dark bus stop. Students ask questions and define a problem related to students waiting for a bus when it is dark outside (SEP-ADQP-P1, DCI-ETS1.A-P1, and DCI-ETS1.A-P2). Students use an image to identify objects that illuminate the dark that might be solutions to the safety problem (DCI-PS4.B-P1) and gather information from text to identify structures that help animals survive in the dark (SEP-INFO-P3, DCI-LS1.D-P1, and CCC-SF-P1). Students then draw their initial solution to the problem and explain how it will help drivers see students at the bus stop when it is dark outside.

• In Grade 1, Life Science, How Do Living Things Stay Safe And Grow?, Lesson 1: A Pair of Penguins, the phenomenon is that penguins are both similar to and different from each other in various ways. Looking at images, students describe penguins’ similarities and differences and record their observations (SEP-DATA-P1, DCI-LS3.B-P1). Students use these observations to look for patterns they can use as evidence to support why two penguins can look both alike and different (SEP-DATA-P3, CCC-PAT-P1, and DCI-LS3.A-P1).

• In Grade 1, Life Science, How Do Living Things Stay Safe And Grow?, Lesson 5: Staying Alive, the phenomenon is that a baby penguin is seen making noise at and chasing after its mother. After gathering information from a video of a penguin parent and chick and a reading that explores various patterns of behavior, students construct an argument from evidence (SEP-ARG-P6) to explain patterns of behavior in penguin parents and their young and why the baby penguin makes noise and chases its parent (CCC-PAT-P1, DCI-LS1.B-P1, and DCI-LS1.D-P1).

• In Grade 1, Earth and Space Science, How Can We Predict When The Sky Will Be Dark?, Lesson 2: Locating the Light, the phenomenon is that in the evenings, toys can be spotted outside, but as the days go on, it becomes harder to see the toys. Students look inside of a cardboard box and see a glow stick and explain that they can see the glow stick because it gives off its own light (DCI-PS4.B.P1, SEP-DATA-P3). Using a card set with images of toys, students categorize the cards into groups where either the toys can be seen because they give off light or because light shines on the toys. Students share their findings with the class describing patterns in their categories and ideas about where they think the light is coming from for each category (SEP-CEDS-P1, CCC-CE-P1). Revisiting the phenomenon, students explain why the toys are harder to see and cite patterns noted in their discussions as evidence (CCC-PAT-P1). Students explain that the amount of light (the sun) shining on the toys determines if they can be seen (DCI-PS4.B.P1). 

• In Grade 1, Earth and Space Science, How Can We Predict When The Sky Will Be Dark?, Lesson 7: Mysterious Moon, the phenomenon is that over the course of a few days, the moon changes its shape and location in the sky. Students watch a video depicting the moon on three different days (CCC-PAT-P1), make an initial explanation about why the moon appears to change shape (CCC-CE-P2), and then share questions and observations (SEP-AQDP-P1). Students use a model of the moon (foam ball in a box) to make and record observations (SEP-DATA-P1, SEP-MOD-P3, and SEP-MOD-P1). Students construct an explanation of how the bright part of the moon model changes shape over time (SEP-CEDS-P1, DCI-ESS1.A-P1, and DCI-PS4.B-P1).

• In Grade 1, Engineering Design, How Can We Send A Message Using Sound?, Lesson 8: Sounding Off, the problem is that students can't hear their teacher's voice in a space where other people are talking. Students build a three dimensional model of a sound-making device to solve the problem of not hearing the teacher (SEP-CEDS-P2, SEP-MOD-P4). Students record observations (SEP-INV-P5) of how far away their instrument can be heard (DCI-PS4.C-P1) and then analyze the results to determine if their device worked as intended (DCI-ETS1.C-P1, SEP-DATA-P5). Using their models, students communicate their design and how the structure makes sound (DCI-ETS1.B-P1, CCC-SF-P1).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet expectations that they intentionally elicit and leverage students’ prior knowledge and experiences related to phenomena or problems. Throughout the grade, the materials consistently elicit and leverage students’ prior knowledge and experience as they explain and solve phenomena and problems. Students’ prior knowledge and experience are leveraged in several different ways. This includes prompting students to use their prior experience to support their thinking, using what students share to identify common patterns across a phenomenon, or applying previous experiences to engage with the phenomenon or problem. In some cases, the materials elicit prior experiences and knowledge at the beginning of a sequence and then return to and incorporate the responses into instruction in multiple subsequent lessons. In all of the instances where prior experiences are leveraged, the materials make the connection between students’ prior knowledge and experience and their application to the phenomenon or problem explicit.

The materials also include generic supports for the teacher to engage with students’ prior knowledge and experiences related to phenomena and problems. Each Pre-Assessment is accompanied by Questions for Teacher Reflection, which include a question about how students bring in their prior experiences and knowledge as they develop their initial explanation or solution. Lessons also occasionally include EL Strategy callout boxes that suggest, “Access students’ prior knowledge and experience.” Both of these supports are generalized and do not always include support specific to the lesson.

Example where the materials elicit and leverage prior knowledge and experience related to phenomena and problems.

• In Grade 1, Life Science, How Do Living Things Stay Safe And Grow?, Lesson 1: A Pair of Penguins, the phenomenon is that penguins are both similar to and different from each other in various ways. Students observe the phenomenon and then make initial claims about why the penguins are similar and different. The teacher elicits and leverages prior experience by asking students “Have you ever seen anything like this in your own life that makes you think that?” as they support their initial explanations. 

• In Grade 1, Life Science, How Do Living Things Stay Safe And Grow?, Lesson 5: Staying Alive, the phenomenon is that a baby penguin is seen making noise at and chasing after its mother. Students share with a partner what the penguins are doing in the video and how parts of their bodies are used in the behavior. As students discuss, the teacher elicits and leverages prior knowledge by, “Encourage[ing] students to draw on their prior experience with other animals” as they respond and support their ideas.

• In Grade 1, Physical Science, How Can We Light Our Way in the Dark? Lesson 1: Treasure Hunt, the phenomenon is that it is harder to see objects in the closet than on a desk in the classroom. The teacher elicits students’ prior experience by asking students to “think for a minute about the darkest place they know.” The teacher collects students’ responses and records them on a Dark Places chart. In Lesson 4: Bouncing Around, the teacher leverages these responses in a discussion about the interaction of light with a variety of materials. The teacher asks students if there are any places that are completely dark and leverages their prior experiences by supporting students to “refer to the Dark Places Chart.” In Lesson 5: Waiting in the Dark, the challenge is that drivers in the dark may not see children at the dark bus stop. As students analyze the problem, the teacher leverages their prior experience by referring to the Dark Places Chart and asking, “Whether they would want to light up any of those places and why.”

• In Grade 1, Earth and Space Science, How Can We Predict When the Sky Will be Dark?, Lesson 1: Where Are My Toys?, the phenomenon is that in the evenings, toys can be spotted outside, but as the days go on, it becomes harder to see the toys. After introducing the phenomenon, the teacher asks students if anything like this has happened to them and records their responses on the Has This Happened to You Chart. Students then make an initial explanation about why the phenomenon occurred and the teacher leverages their prior experience by “Remind[ing] students that they might get ideas from their own or their classmates’ similar experiences.” Later, as students are investigating possible causes of the phenomenon, the teacher again prompts students to “think about times when they were in places without light” to explain why objects were or were not visible inside a cardboard box.

• In Grade 1, Engineering Design, How Can We Send a Message Using Sound?, Lesson 2: Sending the Message, the problem is that students can't hear their teacher's voice for them to end an activity in a space where other people are talking. As students begin to solve the problem, the teacher asks students to think about the ways that people communicate at home, in the classroom, and when they are not near to one another. The teacher solicits their responses and records them on the Ways We Communicate Chart. Next, the teacher guides students to organize the ways of communication students listed into categories of communication (e.g., writing, sound) in the Human Communications Chart. Student prior experiences are further leveraged as they use the Human Communications Chart to discuss ways of communication that may not have been available in the past and consider “which types of communication do they think would work best to solve the problem.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet expectations that they embed phenomena or problems across multiple lessons for students to use and build knowledge of all three dimensions. The instructional materials consistently use phenomena or problems to drive student learning and to engage with all three dimensions as students engage in modeling, develop and revise explanations, and solve problems across most lesson sequences. Each unit consists of at least two lesson sequences which vary in the number of lessons included. In addition to driving learning across multiple lessons within a sequence, phenomena and problems within a single unit are often connected across learning sequences by a similar theme. For example, the Physical Science unit focuses on interactions of light and how it is used for animal survival where students make sense of a light-related phenomenon or problem in each learning sequence. When phenomena and problems drive instruction across multiple learning opportunities, students consistently engage with all three dimensions as they make sense of or solve phenomena and problems. Students also have a variety of opportunities to revisit and revise their thinking through writing, drawing, and discussion.

Examples of phenomena and problems that drive students’ learning and use of the three dimensions across multiple lessons in the unit:

• In Grade 1, Physical Science, How Can We Light Our Way In The Dark?, Lessons 2-4, the phenomenon is that a flashlight beam behaves differently when it shines on different objects in the classroom. Students engage in a series of lessons to explain how objects are seen and what happens when light shines on different materials (DCI-PS4.B-P1, DCI-PS4.B-P2). In Lesson 2, students construct an initial explanation of what happens when light interacts with opaque, transparent, and reflective materials (CCC-CE-P2), then test their predictions (SEP-INV-P4). Students use observations to explain the effect of putting transparent objects in the path of a beam of light (CCC-CE-P2). In Lesson 3, students plan ways they can affect shadow formation and size and explain how to make small and large shadows. In Lesson 4, students explain that a light source is needed in order to see objects and the effects of shining light on transparent, translucent, and opaque objects (DCI-PS4.B-P1, DCI-PS4.B-P2, and SEP-CEDS-P1). Across the learning sequence, students engage in multiple opportunities to develop, revise, and evaluate their thinking such as drawing initial explanations, engaging in discussions, making predictions, and creating a cause/effect chart to form a class explanation of the phenomenon.

• In Grade 1, Life Science, How Do Living Things Stay Safe And Grow?, Lessons 1-3, the phenomenon is that penguins are both similar to and different from each other in various ways. Students engage in a series of lessons to explain how young animals and plants are very much like their parents but can also vary in many ways (DCI-LS3.B-P1, DCI-LS3.A-P1). In Lesson 1, students describe the details from images of two penguins and recognize patterns in the observations they recorded (CCC-PAT-P1, SEP-DATA-P3). In Lesson 2, students use pictures to observe and look for patterns as they record observations comparing adult and young animals (CCC-PAT-P1, SEP-DATA-P3). In Lesson 3, students observe penguin features to classify and describe different types of penguins and then support their explanation that the penguins in the phenomenon were adult penguins and young penguins. Across the learning sequence, students engage in multiple opportunities to develop, revise, and evaluate their thinking such as making observations, creating a class chart, sharing ideas with a partner, and using words, drawings, or both, to communicate why the penguins look similar and different.

• In Grade 1, Life Science, How Do Living Things Stay Safe And Grow?, Lessons 5 and 6, the phenomenon is that a baby penguin is seen making noise at and chasing after its mother. Students engage in two lessons to explain how animals engage in certain behaviors (DCI-LS1.D-P1). In Lesson 5, students use their observations of patterns in parent behavior as evidence to support their ideas about how different types of behavior help animals survive (SEP-INFO-P3, SEP-DATA-P3, and CCC-PAT-P1). In Lesson 6, students use evidence to support their claim to explain the penguins' behavior in the video and use evidence to explain why they agree or disagree with a peer's argument (SEP-ARG-P5, SEP-ARG-P6, and DCI-LS1.D-P1). Across the learning sequence, students engage in multiple opportunities to develop, revise, and evaluate their thinking such as constructing arguments with evidence from a video, reading to gather information, evaluating arguments in pairs, listening to others’ arguments, and engaging in a simulation before revising their arguments based on evidence.

• In Grade 1, Life Science, How Do Living Things Stay Safe And Grow?, Lessons 7 and 8, the problem is that the location and conditions of albatross nesting sites makes it difficult for scientists to observe them. Students engage in two lessons to define a problem and draw or describe how their idea could solve this problem. In Lesson 7, students define the problems faced by the scientists observing the animals (DCI-ETS1.A-P3). Students then explore the concept of biomimicry and look at how imitating the structure (CCC-SF-P1) of plants and animals can offer solutions to these problems. In Lesson 8, students describe how different shapes and stability of plant and animal parts relate to their function and use this information to come up with a design solution (DCI-LS1.A-P1, SEP-CEDS-P2). Across the learning sequence, students engage in multiple opportunities to develop, revise, and evaluate their thinking such as communicating through oral and written forms and/or drawings as well as using different materials that mimic plant and animal parts to further refine and build on their initial solution ideas.

• In Grade 1, Earth and Space Science, How Can We Predict When The Sky Will Be Dark?, Lessons 1-4, the phenomenon is that in the evenings, toys can be spotted outside, but as the days go on, it becomes harder to see the toys. Students engage in a series of lessons to explain that it is harder to see without the sun’s light and that the sun begins to set earlier in the fall. In Lesson 1, students investigate looking at objects in a box with and without a flashlight (DCI-PS4.B.P1, SEP-INV-P6, and CCC-CE-P1), and use their observations to explain why the toys could or could not be seen (SEP-CEDS-P1, SEP-INV-P4). In Lesson 2, students observe a glow stick in a box (SEP-DATA-P3) and categorize things that can be seen giving off light and those with light shining on them (DCI-PS4.B-P1). They use the patterns to explain how objects can be seen when light is shining on them (SEP-CEDS-P1, CCC-PAT-P1). In Lesson 3, students use media and text (SEP-INFO-P1) to learn about celestial objects and explain that the toys can only be seen when the sun is in the sky (CCC-CE-P2, SEP-DATA-P3, and DCI-ESS1.A-P1). In Lesson 4, students collect data (SEP-DATA-P3) from media about the sun to identify patterns of when it is bright and dark outside (SEP-INFO-P1) and then determine what time of year is best to see the toys (DCI-ESS1.B-P1). Across the learning sequence, students engage in multiple opportunities to develop, revise, and evaluate their thinking such as recording data, categorizing observations, sharing ideas with partners, engaging in discussions, reading a story, and writing or drawing ideas.