Stanford NGSS Integrated Curriculum - An Exploration of a Multidimensional World

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations for Alignment to NGSS, Gateways 1 and 2. Gateway 1: Designed for NGSS; Criterion 1: Three-Dimensional Learning does not meet expectations. The materials include some three-dimensional learning opportunities and opportunities for student sensemaking with the three dimensions, but not consistently. Opportunities for student sensemaking are present for the CCCs and SEPs, but the materials miss the opportunity to consistently engage students in three-dimensional sensemaking. The task and learning sequence objectives are three dimensional and there is a missed opportunity for the corresponding formative and summative assessments to measure the three dimensions for the objectives. Gateway 1: Designed for NGSS; Criterion 2: Phenomena and Problems Drive Learning partially meets expectations. Phenomena and problems are present and connect to grade-band appropriate DCIs. Of the phenomena and problems present, about half are presented to students as directly as possible. The materials consistently elicit student prior knowledge and experience related to the phenomena or problems, but provide few instances to leverage it in subsequent learning opportunities. The materials include phenomena or problems that drive student learning and use of the three dimensions within multiple tasks and within multiple units, but not consistently for either the tasks or units.