HS-PS1-2 focuses on Structure and Properties of Matter and Chemical Reactions, specifically emphasizing explaining the outcomes of chemical reactions of main group elements. In this post, we’ll look at the standard to clarify and break down the performance expectation, and we’ll also look at how to make sense of it with students by scaffolding up …
HS-PS1-1 focuses on Structure and Properties of Matter, specifically emphasizing that models of the outer electron shell can be helpful in explaining the relative properties of elements. In this post, we’ll break apart the standard and to better understand the performance expectation, and we’ll also look at how to make sense of this topic with …
HS-LS1-2 focuses on Structure and Function, specifically emphasizing the ways that hierarchical systems work together in organisms. In this post, we’ll dissect the standard to better understand the performance expectation, and we’ll also look at how to make sense of it with students by connecting the dots and scaffolding up with different tasks. Standards Breakdown Phenomena …
HS-LS1-1 focuses on Structure and Function, specifically emphasizing the specialized cells in living systems and the relationship between DNA and proteins. In this post, we’ll look at the standard and expand some of our thinking to help you better understand the performance expectation, and we’ll also look at how to make sense of these phenomena with …
Summative assessments based on phenomena can provide teachers valuable data to inform instruction and monitor student progress. NGSS-aligned summative assessments are often one of the most effective ways to final student understanding of grade-level standards, since they are designed to offer students a novel context to apply their learning. Students should be building up their …
Formative assessments based on phenomena can provide teachers valuable data to inform instruction and monitor student progress. NGSS-aligned formative assessments are often one of the most effective ways to assess student understanding of grade-level standards since they help to bridge the gap between content knowledge and application. Students should be building up their knowledge through …
Building Common Formative Assessments with NGSS Phenomena Read More »
One of the key differences between a traditional NGSS test and NGSS-aligned assessments lies in their outcomes: tests generate grades, while NGSS assessments generate valuable data for educators. In this blog post, we will explore the significance of this shift, highlighting how assessments provide educators with actionable data to inform instruction and enhance student learning. …
When implementing the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in the classroom, selecting the right NGSS phenomena is crucial for building student capacity for sensemaking. A good phenomenon serves as the driving force behind scientific investigations, prompting students to explore and make sense of the natural world. In this blog post, we will discuss three important …
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are designed to give students a deeper understanding of scientific concepts and make them apply these concepts to real-world situations. Finding quality NGSS phenomena is essential to align instruction to the standards. NGSS Phenomena Defined Phenomena are occurrences that students can observe and investigate. They can be natural or human-made, and they can be …
With the newly released items of the NYS Science Test, we’ve seen how our instruction needs to level up in complexity and rigor. Your students can no longer only be required to recall facts from a textbook—they must now also be capable of independently reasoning through issues, formulating hypotheses, and making connections between ideas. But …
Navigating the NYS Science Test for Student Success Read More »