Kindergarten - Gateway 1
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Designed for NGSS
Gateway 1 - Meets Expectations | 89% |
|---|---|
Criterion 1.1: Three-Dimensional Learning | 16 / 16 |
Criterion 1.2: Phenomena and Problems Drive Learning | 9 / 12 |
The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet expectations for Gateway 1: Designed for NGSS; Criterion 1: Three-Dimensional Learning meets expectation and Criterion 2: Phenomena and Problems Drive Learning meets expectations.
Criterion 1.1: Three-Dimensional Learning
Materials are designed for three-dimensional learning and assessment.
The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet expectations for Criterion 1a-1c: Three-Dimensional Learning. The materials consistently include integration of the three dimensions in at least one learning opportunity per learning sequence and nearly all learning sequences are meaningfully designed for student opportunity to engage in sensemaking with the three dimensions. The materials consistently provide three-dimensional learning objectives at the chapter level that build towards the performance expectations for the larger unit, and consistently assess to reveal student knowledge and use of the three dimensions to support the targeted three-dimensional learning objectives. The units also include three-dimensional objectives and include corresponding assessments that consistently address the three dimensions of the objectives.
Indicator 1a
Materials are designed to integrate the Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs), Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), and Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs) into student learning.
Indicator 1a.i
Materials consistently integrate the three dimensions in student learning opportunities.
The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten 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. Throughout the grade level, all learning sequences (chapters) include three dimensions and consistently integrate SEPs, CCCs, and DCIs in student learning opportunities (lessons). The materials are designed for students to actively engage in the SEPs and CCCs to deepen understanding of DCIs. Three-dimensional connections are outlined for teachers at the unit, chapter, and lesson level.
Examples of where materials are designed to integrate the three dimensions into student learning opportunities.
In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.6: Explaining Why There Are No Caterpillars, students determine why there are no caterpillars in the garden based on what the caterpillars eat and the plants that are in the garden. Students work in partners to read the Handbook of Plants to find information about what monarch caterpillars eat, learning that monarch caterpillars only eat milkweed plants (DCI-LS4.C-P1, SEP-INFO-P1). Students then compare pictures of the Mariposa Community Garden to the field that was there previously. With partners, students discuss the different plants they see and then the class determines that monarch caterpillars cannot live in the garden because there is no milkweed present, and the monarch caterpillars only eat milkweed (CCC-CE-P2, DCI-LS4.C-P1, SEP-DATA-P3, and SEP-INV-P4).
In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.7: Water for Milkweed, students learn that plants need water to survive. Students construct explanations (SEP-CEDS-P1) for the lack of plant growth, concluding that it did not receive enough water to support its life (DCI-LS1.C-P1, DCI-ESS3.A-P1, and DCI-ETS1.A-P2). Students learn that the roots of a plant are the structures that bring water to the plant for survival (CCC-SF-P1).
In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.2: Observing Light Investigations, students build on their understanding that plants need light to grow. Students review and discuss a previous lesson where some sunflower seeds received light and others did not. The class reads aloud from the Handbook of Plants section about plants needing light (DCI LS2.A-P1). Students act out the plant-growth routine, this time considering the presence of light. Students act out plant growth with and without light. Students use an explanation frame to connect plant growth and light (SEP-INFO-P1, SEP-INFO-P4, DCI-LS2.A-P1, and CCC-CE-P2).
In Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.3: Force Happens Between Two Objects, students learn that an object moves because another object exerts a force on it by touching it. Students review prior activities about what makes objects move and what they know about forces. Students are provided bags of objects and work together to generate forces (DCI-PS2.A-P2) with the objects. The teacher models how to use one object to exert force on another object. The class then discusses that two objects are needed to generate a force. Students use an explanation frame to explain the effect of movement on an object (CCC-CE-P2, SEP-DATA-P3, SEP-INFO-P4, and SEP-CEDS-E1).
In Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.5: Applying Strength and Direction, students work to figure out how to make a pinball move to certain targets in the class pinball machine. Students make predictions about the direction and strength of force needed to hit each of two targets (DCI-PS2.A-P1, DCI-PS3.C-P1). Students pantomime using different directions and strengths of force. They use an explanation frame to explain what is happening to the ball. Students envision their favorite game and one student pantomimes the movement of the ball. They then engage in a discussion about force strength and direction in the game. They visualize forces in photographs of different balls used in sports (SEP-INFO-P1, SEP-INFO-P4, and CCC-CE-P2).
In Kindergarten, Unit: Sunlight and Weather, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.2: Learning More About Models, students use the combined data collected by the class during Lesson 2.1, which used a heat lamp and rubber model to represent the sun’s light shining (or not shining) on earth’s surface (SEP-MOD-P3). Students analyze the graph of class-temperature data (SEP-DATA-P5) as they compare to the light of the sun hitting the surface of earth (DCI-PS3.B-P1). Students use their class temperature graphs to conclude that the light from the lamp (representing the sun) causes the surface of the rubber (representing earth's surface) to heat up (CCC-CE-P2). Students use this information to make predictions of the ground temperature outside on their playground and then test those predictions by going outside and recording the surface temperature.
In Kindergarten, Unit: Sunlight and Weather, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.1: Modeling Warming of Different Surfaces and Lesson 4.2: Reflecting on Warming of Different Surfaces, students investigate the temperature differences among different colored surfaces to explain why two playgrounds warm differently throughout the day. Students work as a class to plan an investigation (SEP-INV-P1) and determine how to modify their lamp-and-rubber model to investigate what happens to the temperature of different colored surfaces over time (SEP-MOD-P3, DCI-PS3.B-P1). Students expose the two differently colored surfaces to light for varying lengths of time and collect temperature data. Students use this data to determine the cause for the different temperatures for the different colored surfaces (CCC-CE-P2).
Indicator 1a.ii
Materials consistently support meaningful student sensemaking with the three dimensions.
The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet expectations that they consistently support meaningful student sensemaking with the three dimensions. Each learning sequence (chapter), includes multiple lessons where students progress towards the goals of the respective chapter and unit. While the materials consistently include opportunities for students to engage in the three dimensions in each chapter, not all lessons provide opportunities for students to build and use all three dimensions for sensemaking. However, the materials do consistently provide an opportunity in at least one lesson per chapter for students to engage in using the science and engineering practices (SEPs) and the crosscutting concepts (CCCs) to meaningfully support student sensemaking with the other dimensions.
Examples where SEPs and CCCs meaningfully support student sensemaking with the other dimensions in the learning sequence.
In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.4: Exploring Animal Needs, students engage in a learning sequence to observe how animals need plants to survive. Students observe animal cards to make sense of different animal needs. Students walk around with a partner, observe and discuss what the animal is eating in each picture. This is to help them build a relationship between an animal’s food need and where it lives (SEP-DATA-P3). The teacher connects this back to how some animals need plants for food (CCC-SYS-P2). Collecting this data helps students understand the relationship between animals and food and that animals need food to live (DCI-LS1.C-P1).
In Kindergarten, Unit 1: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.5: Investigating Animal Habitats, students engage in a learning sequence to investigate what habitats different animals can live in based on what they eat. Students compare different habitats by looking at a field of weeds and a forest with pine trees and water lilies. They observe that different plants live in different habitats (SEP-DATA-P3). The students are assigned an animal and have to think about which of the two habitats the animal would be better-suited to live in based on what they eat (SEP-INV-P4, DCI-LS4.D-P1). Students develop an understanding of the relationship between what an animal eats and its habitat (CCC-SYS-P2).
In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.6: Explaining Why There Are No Caterpillars, students engage in a learning sequence to determine why there are no caterpillars in the garden based on what the caterpillars eat and the plants that are in the garden. Students make sense of why there are no longer monarch caterpillars in the Mariposa Community Garden. Students compare a picture of the present-day Mariposa Community Garden to a picture of the field that was there previously (SEP-DATA-P3). With partners, they discuss the different plants they see in each photograph. Then as a whole class, they come to the conclusion that there are no loner monarch caterpillars present because there is no longer milkweed in the garden and monarch caterpillars only eat milkweed (CCC-CE-P2, DCI-LS4.C-P1, and SEP-INV-P4).
In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.3: Reflecting on Needs of Living Things, students engage in a learinng sequence to make sense of how humans can make changes to their surroundings that reduce the impact on other animals and allow both humans and animals to get what they need to survive. Student partners work together to propose a design (SEP-CEDS-P2) for a garden that will allow both humans to get what they need and for monarch caterpillars to get what they need to survive (DCI-ESS3.A-P1, DCI-ESS3.C-P1, DCI-ETS1.B-P1). Students then work together to apply what they have learned about the needs of both humans and monarchs to explain how the different parts of the garden in their proposal work together to meet the needs of both monarchs and humans (CCC-SYS-P2).
In Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.3: Force Happens Between Two Objects, students engage in a learning sequence about movement between two objects. Students attempt to make sense of motion and forces by reviewing what they have done previously to determine what makes objects move. They review what they know about forces based on their previous activities. Students are provided bags of objects and work together to generate forces (DCI-PS2.A-P2) with the objects. The teacher models how to use one object to exert force on another object. They then discuss the need for another object to create force. Students use an explanation frame to explain the effect of movement on an object (CCC-CE-P2, SEP-DATA-P3, SEP-INFO-P4, and SEP-CEDS-E1).
In Kindergarten, Unit: Sunlight and Weather, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.2: Learning More About Models, students use the combined class data to represent the sun’s light on earth’s surface. Students analyze the graph of class-temperature data to determine cause and effect relationships as they compare to the light of the sun hitting the surface of earth. Students make sense of the cause-and-effect relationship of the sun’s light and warming on earth's surface when they make predictions of the ground temperature outside on their playground and then test those predictions by going outside and recording the temperature of the surface. In the beginning of the lesson, students engage in a class analysis of data collected in the previous lesson where pairs of students used a lamp/rubber model (SEP-MOD-P3) as a representation of the sun’s light shining on earth’s surface. Each pair recorded the surface temperature of rubber exposed to light and rubber not exposed to light (SEP-DATA-P5, DCI-PS3.B-P1). Class data is pooled and students analyze a graph of the class-temperature data to conclude that the light from the lamp (representing the sun) causes the surface of the rubber (representing earth's surface) to heat up (CCC-CE-P2). Students use this information to make predictions about the surface temperature of their school playground during the day (CCC-CE-P2, DCI-PS3.B-P1). Then students work together in pairs to go outside and collect real-time temperatures of their playground’s surface temperature (SEP-DATA-P5), which provides the framework for applying the understanding of the cause-and-effect relationship explored earlier in the lesson.
In Kindergarten, Unit: Sunlight and Weather, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.1: Modeling Warming of Different Surfaces and Lesson 4.2: Reflecting on Warming of Different Surfaces, students engage in the investigation of temperature differences among different colored surfaces to explain why two playgrounds warm differently throughout the day. Students make sense of how the sun warms earth’s surface by utilizing effective models to conduct an investigation that allows students to develop an understanding of the cause and effect relationships of warming trends over time on different colored surfaces. Students work as a class to plan an investigation (SEP-INV-P1) and determine how to modify their lamp-and-rubber model to investigate what happens to the temperature of different colored surfaces over time (SEP-MOD-P3, DCI-PS3.B-P1). Students strengthen their modeling skills in this lesson as the lens through which they explore the DCI. Students work in groups of four per model station to collect temperature data from two different colored surfaces as they are exposed to light for varying lengths of time. The next lesson engages students in the analysis and application of the data to determine the reason why different colored surfaces warm differently (CCC-CE-P2).
Indicator 1b
Materials are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence for three-dimensional learning.
The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet expectations that they are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence for the three-dimensional learning in the instructional materials. The materials consistently provide learning objectives in the form of 3-D Statements for each Lesson, Chapter, and Unit. Lesson 3-D Statements build to support Chapter 3-D Statements, and the Chapter 3-D Statements build toward Unit 3-D Statements. In addition to the Chapter 3-D Statements, there are Chapter Targeted 3-D Learning Objectives that specify the focal elements of each dimension for the chapter, often using strikethroughs to indicate aspects not intended to be addressed. The Lessons contain individual assessments that often target a subset of the SEPs and/or CCCs included in a Chapter 3-D Statement, but over the course of the Chapter, assessments are consistently designed to reveal student knowledge and use of the three dimensions in support of the Chapter Targeted 3-D Learning Objectives.
In addition to listing intended standards alignment, in the Teacher Guide for each unit, Teacher References, Assessment System, and the Formative and Summative Assessment Opportunities section lists the DCI, SEP, and the CCC addressed in each lesson assessment and includes strikethroughs of the portion of the standard that is not assessed in the unit. Assessments throughout the Kindergarten consistently address the learning objectives.
Lessons, Chapters, and Units consistently incorporate tasks for the purpose of supporting the instructional process. Opportunities are provided through the use of two assessment types in each Chapter: On-the-Fly Assessments and Critical Junctures. Rubrics that accompany the assessments vary in format and methodology, and follow-up is often limited to further questioning. Suggestions for multi-modal reteaching or ongoing re-visiting of the practices, crosscutting concepts or disciplinary core ideas while continuing instruction are not provided.
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 Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 4: How do we make the garden a place where monarch caterpillars can live again?, the three-dimensional objectives are present as the Chapter Targeted 3-D Learning Objectives, representing six elements of the three dimensions. Throughout the chapter, there are multiple formative assessment opportunities that elicit direct, observable evidence for the learning of one or more dimensions associated with this objective. In Lesson 4.1, the On-the-Fly Assessment asks students to use text and drawings to determine that butterflies need milkweed to survive (SEP-INFO-P4, DCI-LS1.C-P1, DCI-ESS3.A-P1). In Lesson 4.2, the On-the-Fly Assessment asks students to work with partners to match different human needs to their environmental origins in order to build students’ understanding that many human needs have plant-based sources (DCI-LS1.C-P1, DCI-ESS3.A-P1, CCC-PAT-P1). The combination of these assessments are designed to reveal student knowledge and use of the three dimensions related to support the learning objectives.
In Kindergarten, Unit: Sunlight and Weather, Chapter 3: Why are the playgrounds warmer in the afternoon?, the three-dimensional objectives are present as the Chapter Targeted 3-D Learning Objectives, representing four elements of the three dimensions. Throughout the chapter, there are multiple formative assessment opportunities that elicit direct, observable evidence for the learning of one or more dimensions associated with this objective. In Lesson 3.2, the On-the-Fly Assessment asks students to connect the Warming Over Time Model with the playground Temperature Chart (SEP-MOD-P3) they constructed with their collective data. Students use patterns from the model (CCC-PAT-P1) to make a prediction about whether their playground is usually warmer in the morning or in the afternoon and they check their predictions against the data collected, and explain why this difference occurs (DCI-ESS2.D-P1). In Lesson 3.3, the On-the-Fly Assessment asks questions about the reading, Playground in the Sunlight, about the temperatures of the playgrounds (SEP-INFO-P1). Students provide an explanation using evidence from the text (DCI-PS3.B-P1, SEP-CEDS-P1). The combination of these assessments are designed to reveal student knowledge and use of the three dimensions related to support the learning objectives.
In Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, Chapter 1: How do we make a pinball start to move?, the three-dimensional objectives are present as the Chapter Targeted 3-D Learning Objectives, representing five elements of the three dimensions. This chapter consists of one Pre-Assessment, three On-the-Fly Assessments, and one Critical Juncture. In Lesson 1, the Pre-Assessment measures students’ ability to discuss with a partner their observations of how a pinball started moving from a stopped position as well as the different ways it moved and what caused it to move (DCI-PS2.A-P1, DCI-PS2.A-P2, CCC-CE-P2). In Lesson 1.2, the On-the-Fly Assessment measures student ability to visualize and discuss their thinking (SEP-INFO-P1) about what is moving and what is making the animals in the images move (DCI-PS2.A-P2). Students are shown five slide projections of animals moving in different ways and they are asked to talk with a partner to describe and/or use hand gestures to describe movement. Students are introduced to the concept of visualization which is a literary term (SEP-INFO-P1, DCI-PS2.A-P1, DCI-PS2.A-P2, DCI-PS2.B-P1). In Lesson 1.3, the On-the-Fly Assessment asks students to work in pairs to make forces with objects and observe how the objects interact (DCI–PS2.A-P2, DCI-PS2.A-P1, SEP-INFO-P4, SEP-INV-P1, SEP-DATA-P3). The combination of these assessments are designed to reveal student knowledge and use of the three dimensions to support the learning objectives.
Indicator 1c
Materials are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence of three-dimensional learning.
The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet expectations that they are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence of three-dimensional learning in the instructional materials. Materials consistently provide three-dimensional learning objectives for each unit in the form of Unit Targeted 3-D Learning Objectives; these typically consist of one or more disciplinary core ideas (DCIs), science and engineering practices (SEPs), and crosscutting concepts (CCCs). These objectives include a subset of the DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs identified within the Chapter Level Targeted 3-D Learning Objectives. Consistently, these Unit-level objectives indicate the specific elements targeted for each DCI, SEP, or CCC and in some instances strike though portions of elements that are not targeted.
Each unit provides summative assessments in the form of End of Unit (EOU) assessments and rubrics. Additionally, one unit (Sunlight and Weather) in this grade contains an Investigation Assessment. The combination of summative assessments for each unit consistently measure student learning of the three dimensions highlighted in the unit-level 3-D Statements.
The materials provide additional resources that also connect grade-level performance expectations (PEs) to specific units. The PEs are connected to the unit in the unit-level document. This alignment document indicates where formative and summative assessments are intended to occur in each chapter and includes targets for assessment that are beyond the scope of the specific unit, including assessments in other units in the grade and in other units across the grade band. In many instances, dimensions of the PEs connected to a specific unit are not assessed in that unit.
For example, the 3-D Assessment Objectives document indicates that five PEs are connected to the Kindergarten Pushes and Pulls unit. Summative assessments for this unit are designed to assess all three dimensions in one of the PEs associated with this unit; however, most of the dimensions associated with the other targeted PEs are not assessed. These five PEs collectively include four SEPs, six DCIs, and two CCCs. One of the SEPs, one of the CCCs, and two of the six DCIs are cross-referenced to summative assessment opportunities in this unit. Element-level specification is not provided.
Examples where the materials provide three-dimensional learning objectives for the learning sequence; summative tasks measure student achievement of the targeted three-dimensional learning objectives:
In Kindergarten, Unit 1: Needs of Plants and Animals, the unit-level objective is framed by the statement, “Students carry out investigations and analyze and interpret data to determine what plants and animals need to live and grow (systems and system models) in order to help a group of kids from the fictional town of Mariposa Grove solve the problem of why there are no longer monarch caterpillars living in a garden in their neighborhood (cause and effect). At the end of the unit, the class designs a solution to the problem by developing a model (scale, proportion, and quantity) for a garden that provides for both human and animal needs.” This statement is followed by specific elements of DCIs, SEPs, and/or CCCs that are specifically targeted. Summative assessments include EOU assessments and rubrics; collectively, they are three-dimensional and consistently assess the targeted elements of the Unit objective(s).
In the EOU assessment, students show understanding of what animals and plants need to grow (DCI-ESS3.A-P1, DCI-LS1.C-P1). Through teacher prompts, students identify which plants they chose for their garden, explain why this allows monarch caterpillars to live there, explain what milkweed plants need to live and grow, describe growth, explain how the plants’ parts work together (CCC-SYS-P2), and give an example of recording data and how it helped them to answer a question (SEP-DATA-P3).
Three rubrics are provided: Rubric 1 assesses students’ understanding of the targeted DCIs (DCI-ESS3.A-P1, DCI-LS1.C-P1); Rubric 2 assesses students’ understanding of and application of the crosscutting concept Systems and System Models (CCC); Rubric 3 is labeled as assessing students’ application of the science and engineering practice Analyzing and Interpreting Data (SEP). This summative assessment did not explicitly assess the targeted SEP for students to analyze and interpret data.
In Kindergarten, Unit 2: Pushes and Pulls, the unit-level objective is framed by the statement, “Students plan and carry out investigations to determine how force affects the movement of an object, its direction, and its distance, and use observations of movement to provide evidence about forces (cause and effect; scale, proportion, and quantity; structure and function). Students assume the role of engineer as they engage in the design process to develop models that test ideas and construct solutions with the goal of designing a Class Pinball Machine.” This statement is followed by specific elements of DCIs, SEPs, and/or CCCs that are specifically targeted. Summative assessments include EOU assessments and rubrics; collectively, they are three-dimensional and consistently assess the targeted elements of the Unit objective(s).
In the EOU Assessment, students have a one-on-one conversation with the teacher about various movements in the Class Pinball Machine. Prompts are intended to assess all three dimensions. Students show understanding of how different movements are caused by forces. Through teacher prompts, students contrast different movements and how they were made by different forces that the teacher or bumper caused (DCI-PS2.A-P2, DCI-PS2.B-P1). Students provide evidence (SEP-ARG-P6) of the strength and direction of different forces (DCI-PS2.A-P1, DCI-PS3.C-P1) and provide an example of a cause and effect relationship (CCC-CE-P2).
Three rubrics are provided: Rubric 1 assesses students’ understanding of the targeted DCIs; Rubric 2 assesses students’ understanding of and application of the crosscutting concept Cause and Effect; Rubric 3 assesses students’ application of the science and engineering practice Supporting an Argument with Evidence.
In Kindergarten, Unit 3: Sunlight and Weather, the unit-level objective is framed by the statement, “Students use models and collect and analyze data to determine the effect of sunlight on Earth’s surfaces. They do this to explain what is causing two school playgrounds to be different temperatures (cause and effect; energy and matter). Students also obtain information and communicate ideas about severe weather and ways to prepare for it (patterns).” This statement is followed by specific elements of DCIs, SEPs, and/or CCCs that are specifically targeted. Summative assessments include EOU assessments and rubrics; collectively, they are three-dimensional and consistently assess the targeted elements of the Unit objective(s).
In the EOU Assessment, students have a one-on-one conversation with the teacher about how changes and differences in temperature are caused by sunlight and surface color. Students explain why the surfaces of both playgrounds got warmer, but one got even warmer than the other, as well as the temperature changes between day and night (DCI-PS3.B-P1) and provide an example of how to investigate whether the effect of sunlight shining on the surface of a playground causes the surface to get warm (CCC-CE-P1). Students describe how they would model the sun shining on earth (day) and not shining on earth (night), and how the model is similar to and different from real life (SEP-MOD-P1, SEP-MOD-P3).
Three rubrics are provided: Rubric 1 assesses student understanding of the targeted DCIs; Rubric 2 assesses the CCC cause and effect. Rubric 3 assesses the SEP developing and using models. To answer the questions in this prompt, students refer to activities they conducted earlier in the unit that also demonstrate an understanding of the other SEPs in this unit’s 3-D Statements.
In the Investigation Assessment in Lesson 4.1, students investigate why the darker playground surface heats differently than the lighter surface. Students use lamps to heat a dark and light surface, then record and compare the temperatures of the surfaces (SEP-INV-P2).
Criterion 1.2: Phenomena and Problems Drive Learning
Materials leverage science phenomena and engineering problems in the context of driving learning and student performance.
The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten partially meet expectations for Criterion 1d-1i: Phenomena and Problems Drive Learning. The materials include phenomena in 47% of the chapters and problems in 40% of chapters. Of those phenomena and problems, they consistently connect to grade-level appropriate DCIs and are consistently presented to students as directly as possible. Few instances of phenomena or problems driving learning and use of the three dimensions were found within the chapters, as a guiding question is the primary focus of the learning at the chapter level. The materials consistently elicit but do not leverage student prior knowledge and experience related to the phenomena and problems present. The materials consistently incorporate phenomena or problems to drive learning and use of the three dimensions across multiple chapters within each unit.
Indicator 1d
Phenomena and/or problems are connected to grade-level Disciplinary Core Ideas.
The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems are connected to grade-level disciplinary core ideas (DCIs). Within the grade, the materials provide opportunities for students to build an understanding of grade-level DCIs through unit-level or chapter-level phenomena or problems. In many cases, multiple lesson investigations work together to connect to a single phenomenon and/or problem to develop an understanding of corresponding DCIs. Across the series, students engage in a variety of disciplines including life science, earth and space science, and physical science while developing a deeper understanding of the engineering design cycle as they apply DCIs to the design problem.
Examples of phenomena and problems connected to grade-level appropriate DCIs or their elements.
In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 1: Why are there no monarch caterpillars since the Field was made into the Garden?, the phenomenon is that there are no monarch caterpillars in the Mariposa Grove community garden since a vegetable garden was planted. As students engage in a series of lessons to explain why there are no caterpillars in the garden and what can be done to attract more monarch butterflies, they learn that different types of animals need different food sources, the availability of the food source depends on the habitat, and milkweed plants are essential to the survival of the caterpillars (DCI-LS1.C-P1) before determining that the monarch caterpillars are gone because the food they need is no longer there.
In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.1: Growing Seeds, Activity 2, the phenomenon is that seeds grow different amounts. Students engage in a plant growth investigation where they collect evidence about plant growth when provided with different amounts of water. They conclude that plants need water to grow (DCI-LS2.A-P1) and use that knowledge to explain why the seeds grew different amounts.
In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.1: Planning a Light Investigation, the phenomenon is that milkweed seeds with water can still grow differently. Students participate in a series of activities designed to answer the question of what plants need to grow besides water. They compare two sunflower plants: one that was put under light and the other without any light. This helps students understand that plants that get water can still grow differently because they need things other than just water to live (DCI-LS2.A-P1), such as light.
In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.3: Reflecting on the Needs of Living Things, the design problem is for students to create a plan for a garden where monarch butterflies can live. Students use a diagram of the garden to show the types and locations of the eight plants that will meet the needs of humans and the monarch caterpillars (DCI-ETS1.B-P1). They select these plants based on their knowledge that animals need food to live and grow and that plants need water and light (DCI-LS1.C-P1).
In Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.4: We are Engineers, the design problem is to design a pinball machine. Students first observe how the rubber band launcher can be placed in multiple positions. Then they revisit the design goal of making the pinball start to move. Students explore how and why the ball moves when it is pushed by the launcher (DCI-PS2.A-P2). Students design their launcher for their box model, then test and evaluate their designs (DCI-ETS1.C-P1).
In Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.3: Design a New Launcher, the design problem is to design a new launcher for the students’ pinball machine. Students apply prior knowledge from previous lessons about how to make the ball move in their box model. Students suggest how to make the ball go short and long distances then test it in their model and evaluate how well they were able to make the ball move short or long distances based on force (DCI-PS2.A-P1).
In Kindergarten, Unit: Sunlight and Weather, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.1: Getting Warm in the Sunlight, the phenomenon is the desert is cooler in the morning and warmer in the afternoon. Students use a warming model to investigate how the temperature changes with morning light versus afternoon light. Students discover that sunlight warms the earth’s surface and the longer the sunlight is on the surface, the higher the temperature will be (DCI-PS3.B-P1).
Indicator 1e
Phenomena and/or problems are presented to students as directly as possible.
The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems are presented to students as directly as possible. Across the grade level, lessons present phenomena and problems to students as directly as possible. In multiple instances, students are initially presented the phenomenon or problem through pictures and videos that are accompanied by a scenario.
Examples of phenomena and problems presented as directly as possible:
In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 1: Why are there no monarch caterpillars since the Field was made into the Garden?, the phenomenon is that there are no monarch caterpillars in the Mariposa Grove community garden since a vegetable garden was planted. This phenomenon is presented through pictures that show the children from Mariposa Grove, a field with milkweed plants next to a picture of a monarch caterpillar on a milkweed plant, and a picture of the planted garden. Additionally, the teacher explains the scenario that the community around the field decided to turn the field into a vegetable garden and ever since then, the children have not been able to find any more monarch caterpillars. Because a first-hand observation of this scenario is not practical, this is the most direct way to present the phenomenon.
In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.1: Growing Seeds, the phenomenon is that seeds grow different amounts. This phenomenon is presented through a letter from the Children of Mariposa Grove seeking help from the students to help explain why the milkweed plants look differently and accompanied by images that show milkweed seeds and three different colored pots showing different amounts of growth. Because it may not be practical to grow milkweed plants in some classrooms, and the images clearly show the differences in plant growth, this is presented as directly as possible.
In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.1: Planning a Light Investigation, the phenomenon is that milkweed seeds with water can still grow differently. The lesson opens by students receiving a new message from the children in Mariposa Grove where they learn that two of Ms. Ray’s milkweed plants received water yet still grew differently and accompanied by images that show three different colored pots showing different amounts of growth. Because it may not be practical to grow milkweed plants in some classrooms, and the images clearly show the differences in plant growth, this is presented as directly as possible.
In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 4, Lesson 4.3: Reflecting on the Needs of Living Things, the design problem is for students to create a plan for a garden where monarch butterflies can live. This problem is presented through an initial discussion with the students. The problem is presented through the question, “How do we make the Garden a place where monarch caterpillars can live again?,” and connected to the phenomena that students have been working to explain. Because there is a picture of the garden and students have already learned about milkweed plants and monarchs, this presentation is as direct as possible.
In Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.4: We are Engineers, the design problem is to design a pinball machine. Students are presented with a video of a simple pinball machine so they can see how different features interact with the ball during the ball’s movement. Students then see another video that shows how to set up the launcher in their own box model. This is as direct as possible because it provides students with visuals to understand what they are trying to accomplish, prior to working with the materials.
In Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.3: Design a New Launcher, the design problem is to design a new launcher for their pinball machine. Students watch a video that shows how to set up the shoelace launcher in their own box model. Then students are given a shoelace to test as a new launcher and investigate how to make the ball go short and long distances. This is as direct as possible because it provides students with visuals to understand what they are trying to accomplish, prior to working with the materials direction.
In Kindergarten, Unit: Sunlight and Weather, Chapter 1: What is the Weather Like on the Playgrounds?, the phenomenon is that students at Carver Elementary School are too cold during morning recess, while students at Woodland Elementary School are too hot during afternoon recess. The phenomenon is presented to students through a letter from the principals from Carver and Woodland explaining the differences in the temperatures on the playground between the two schools during the morning and afternoon recesses and accompanied by illustrations of the two playgrounds at different times of the day. Each image also contains an image of a student and the type of clothing they are wearing, to represent the temperature. The letter and images present the phenomenon as directly as possible; it would not be practical for students to visit two playgrounds that match these conditions.
In Kindergarten, Unit: Sunlight and Weather, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.1: Getting Warm in the Sunlight, the phenomenon is the desert is cooler in the morning and warmer in the afternoon. This is presented through a picture book and text, with guided questions to help students understand what they are seeing in the text. This is as direct as possible, since it would not be practical for most classrooms to visit the desert for a full day to experience this phenomenon first hand.
Indicator 1f
Phenomena and/or problems drive individual lessons or activities using key elements of all three dimensions.
The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten do not meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems drive individual chapters using key elements of all three dimensions.
The Printable Resources for each unit contain a Coherence Flowcharts document. This document provides an overview of each chapter and includes sections labeled as Unit Anchor Phenomenon, Chapter-Level Anchor Phenomenon, and Investigative Phenomenon, along with summaries of each investigation, key concepts, and explanations that the unit is intended to address. Each statement that is labeled as a phenomenon is also accompanied by a question. In multiple cases, the sections labeled as Chapter-Level or Investigative Phenomena focus on a broader science topic or concept, rather than an event students observe, ask questions about, or figure out.
Each of the three units at this grade level include a unit-level phenomenon or problem. Near the start of each unit, students are asked to play the role of a scientist or an engineer tasked with explaining the phenomenon or solving the problem. The phenomenon or problem consistently drive learning across the unit and in a few instances drive learning and use of the three dimensions within a single lesson or chapter. While the phenomena and/or problems serve as a central component of learning and can be explained through the application of targeted grade-appropriate science and engineering practices (SEPs), crosscutting concepts (CCCs), and disciplinary core ideas (DCIs), this is primarily found at the unit level and not within individual lessons or chapters (see Indicator 1i).
Examples of chapters where phenomena or problems do not drive student learning:
In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 1, a phenomenon connects to, but does not drive, student learning. Instead, students build knowledge of what plants and animals need to grow and live, make observations on a local science walk, compare living and nonliving things, and investigate animal habitats. Students have multiple opportunities to make observations (SEP-INV-P4) and discuss patterns that scientists look for (CCC-PAT-P1) as they learn about the different needs of plants and animals (DCI-LS1.C-P1). At the end of the chapter, students connect their learning from the various chapter activities to the phenomenon.
In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 2, a phenomenon connects to, but does not drive, student learning. Instead, students watch a time-lapse video of radish plants (DCI-LS1.A-P1) and read Handbook of Plants to learn about the parts of the plants and what they look like when they grow (SEP-INFO-P1). Students also learn about habitats of plants and animals, including desert plants. Students also observe how garlic plants grow, and explain the parts of the plant (CCC-SYS-P1). At the end of the chapter, students connect their learning from the various chapter activities to the phenomenon.
In Kindergarten, Unit: Sunlight and Weather, Chapter 1, a phenomenon connects to, but does not drive, student learning. Instead, students learn about weather (DCI-ESS2.D-P1), and go outside to observe, describe, and draw the weather they observed (SEP-INV-P2). Students use a color scale and color in how warm or cool it is outside. Students learn more about temperature and how to measure it. This chapter helps students understand key ideas about temperature and weather. At the end of the chapter, students connect their learning from the various chapter activities to the phenomenon.
In Kindergarten, Unit: Sunlight and Weather, Chapter 3, a phenomenon connects to, but does not drive, student learning. Instead, students read the book, Getting Warm in the Sunlight and act out how temperatures in the desert change throughout a day and how sunlight warms the surface of earth (DCI-PS3.B-P1). Students are introduced to a warming model (lamps and rubber/foam) prior to measuring the temperature of a rubber “sandwich.” Students use a color map and color the temperature that they measured (SEP-INV-P4) to see if they can identify a pattern between the temperature and length of time the light is on (CCC-CE-P2). The teacher reads the Handbook of Models for students to learn how scientists investigate fast and slow things. This chapter helps students understand key ideas about how sunlight heats earth. At the end of the chapter, students connect their learning from the various chapter activities to the phenomenon.
Example of a chapter where phenomena or problems drive student learning and engage students with two dimensions:
In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 3, the phenomenon is that two of Ms. Ray's milkweed pods received water but one plant grew more than the other. Students compare photographs of two plants that received water but grew different amounts. Students discuss what could cause the difference in plant development when water isn’t the cause. Students conduct a new plant investigation to test whether plants grow the same with light vs. without light. Students (with guidance) plan an investigation (SEP-INV-P2) to observe and collect data (SEP-DATA-P3) about sunflower growth. After collecting the data, students read the Handbook of Plants to learn that plants need light to grow. Students act out a movement routine to demonstrate plant growth with and without light, demonstrating that plants with light grow and thrive (DCI-LS1.C-P1). The materials miss the opportunity for students to use a crosscutting concept as they make sense of the phenomenon.
Examples of chapters where phenomena or problems drive student learning and engage students with all three dimensions:
In Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, Chapter 3, the design challenge is to add targets to the pinball machine. Students discuss ideas with a partner about the strength and direction of force needed to change the ball's direction. Students then try to get the ball to hit a target in the class pinball machine, testing various strengths and directions (SEP-INV-P4, DCI-PS2.B-P1). The teacher tests the students’ suggestions on the class pinball machine, missing on purpose. The class discusses what is causing the ball to miss the target (CCC-CE-P1). Then students suggest modifications so that the ball can hit different targets in different directions.
In Kindergarten, Unit: Sunlight and Weather, Chapter 5, the problem is that after extreme rain, Woodland Elementary’s playground floods but Carver Elementary’s playground does not. Students compare photographs of the two playgrounds, one showing high flood waters and the other showing unflooded ground with puddles. Students then compare weather data from the two sites as well as illustrations of the two playgrounds. Students compare models of the differences in the playgrounds to test how different materials and structures impact whether the playground floods (SEP-INV-P4, CCC-CE-P1, and SEP-CEDS-P1). Students then propose ways to modify the playground to prepare for, or reduce flooding (DCI-ESS3.B.E1).
Indicator 1g
Materials are designed to include both phenomena and problems.
Indicator 1h
Materials intentionally leverage students’ prior knowledge and experiences related to phenomena or problems.
The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten partially meet expectations that they intentionally leverage students’ prior knowledge and experiences related to phenomena or problems. The materials elicit but do not consistently leverage prior knowledge and experiences throughout the materials in a way that allows students to build from their own knowledge and experiences. Evidence for this elicitation includes:
In the Teachers’ Guide, Printable Resources, Eliciting and Leveraging Students’ Prior Knowledge, Personal Experiences, and Cultural Backgrounds, it states, “Prompts for eliciting students’ funds of knowledge. While leading discussions, the following prompts may be helpful in eliciting contributions from students:
What does… remind you of from your own life?
When have you had an experience related to…?
When have you observed something similar to…?
Can you connect… to something in your family or neighborhood?
What have you heard from your family about…?
Is there another word you would use for…?
What words do you know in another language about this topic?
Have you ever visited somewhere that reminds you of…?
Have you ever seen a TV show or read a book that’s similar to…?
Is there anything in our city/town that reminds you of…?”
These prompts provide ample and consistent opportunities for teachers to elicit prior knowledge and experience from students in their classrooms. Teachers are instructed to use What We Think We Know and Our Experiences charts to document students' knowledge and experience so they can return to them throughout the unit. However, the information students share and elicit is rarely incorporated into subsequent activities other than to reflect at the end of instruction. When incorporated into specific activities, it often misses the opportunity to position students to leverage their prior experience to make sense of the phenomenon. In some instances students' prior knowledge and experience are leveraged to support them in making sense of phenomena, but not consistently.
Examples where the materials elicit prior knowledge and experience related to phenomena and problems, but miss the opportunity to leverage:
In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.6, Activity 3, the unit phenomenon is that there are no monarch caterpillars in the Mariposa Grove community garden since a vegetable garden was planted. In this lesson, students are asked to think back to animals they saw living in various places and then think about whether or not an animal could live in a different kind of environment. Then students connect this to what they learned about monarch caterpillars and why they can survive in the field but not the garden. After this discussion, the lesson disengages from prior experiences and focuses only on the monarch caterpillars and their needs using scaffolded language frames. There is a missed opportunity to leverage the elicited experiences and knowledge through the following activities.
In Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.2, Activity 1, the unit design challenge is to create a pinball machine that lets students control the way that a pinball moves. Students are asked if they ever built anything before and to describe what forces they used to build it. Then students are asked to visualize their experiences building and compare those experiences with a book they’ll read together. After this discussion, the student work disengages from prior experiences and focuses only on the information from the book. There is a missed opportunity to leverage the elicited experiences and knowledge through the following activities.
In Kindergarten, Unit: Sunlight and Weather, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.4, Activity 4, the unit phenomenon is that students at Carver Elementary School are too cold during morning recess, while students at Woodland Elementary are too hot during afternoon recess. In this activity, students are asked to think of a time when they have played or walked on warm ground with bare feet and to think about what time of day it was. They refer back to these remembrances after developing an explanation for what is happening on the two playgrounds. There is a missed opportunity to leverage the elicited experiences and knowledge through the following activities.
Examples of opportunities for students to elicit and leverage their prior knowledge and experience include:
In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.4, Activity 2, the unit phenomenon is that there are no monarch caterpillars in the Mariposa Grove community garden since a vegetable garden was planted. In this lesson, during a discussion of animal needs students are asked to think about when they took care of a pet or when they observed animals or insects to identify or remember what they needed to live. The students’ ideas are placed on the Experiences Charts. In the next activity teachers acknowledge that students knew that animals needed food to live and connect that with an activity where students “walk around the classroom to observe different animals from around the world eating food.” In this case, students leverage their prior experiences by investigating different types of animals and observing the pattern that they need food to survive, similar to animals from their past personal experiences, this supports sensemaking of the phenomenon.
In Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls Lesson 1.5, Activity 3, the unit design challenge is to create a pinball machine that lets students control the way that a pinball moves. Students are asked to think about how they made a ball move when they played games in the past and if they could make it move multiple ways. Then students apply this to explain how they would make a pinball start to move. Students take their considered past experiences and work with a partner to develop a plan to make a pinball move in the way that they want it to move. Students are coached to use language and listening routines to make sense of what they did in the past (cause) to make the ball move a certain way (effect).
While the materials support teachers to elicit and even help students identify how prior experiences and knowledge might be similar to what is happening in the classroom, they do not consistently provide opportunities for students to leverage that prior knowledge and experiences over subsequent activities. There are missed opportunities to bridge the gap between students’ current known experience(s), and the new, lesser-known/understood experience for the sake of building on their understanding, supporting sensemaking, and/or incorporating into their explanation of the phenomenon.
Indicator 1i
Materials embed phenomena or problems across multiple lessons for students to use and build knowledge of all three dimensions.
The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten 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 across multiple lessons across the unit. The three dimensions are consistently used to make sense of a phenomenon or problem at the unit level. Each chapter of the unit consists of multiple lessons. The phenomenon or problem does not drive learning in all lessons within the chapters. Instead, many lessons are driven by a science topic or concept that builds background knowledge that can then be applied to the phenomenon or problem. However, each unit contains at least two chapters where one or more of the lessons are driven by the phenomenon or problem. The materials consistently provide multimodal opportunities for students to develop, evaluate, and revise their thinking as students figure out phenomena or solve problems. Students have frequent opportunities to engage in multimodal learning to develop, evaluate, and revise their thinking across within each unit.
Examples of phenomena that drive students’ learning and use of the three dimensions across multiple lessons in the unit:
In Kindergarten, Unit: Needs of Plants and Animals, the phenomenon that there “are no monarch caterpillars in the Mariposa Grove Community Garden since a vegetable garden was planted,” drives learning across multiple lessons in Chapter 1 and part of Chapter 4. Students engage with all three dimensions across multiple lessons and are provided with multimodal opportunities to develop, evaluate, and revise their thinking as they make sense of the phenomenon. In Chapter 1, students observe that different plants and animals live in different places and research the needs of plants and animals (DCI-LS1.C-P1). Students determine what caused the monarch butterflies to disappear (CCC-CE-P2). They describe the relationship between the caterpillars and the milkweed (SEP-DATA-P3), and determine that since the milkweed plants grow in the field but do not grow in the garden, the monarch caterpillars no longer have their food source. In Chapter 4, students learn more about monarch habitats and what monarchs need to survive. At the end of the chapter, students apply their learning to design a garden that would meet human needs and also allow the monarchs to survive. Students have multiple opportunities through discussions and their mini-book to revise their thinking about this phenomenon. Chapters 2 and 3 provide opportunities for students to make connections to the phenomenon, but the phenomenon does not drive learning in these two chapters.
In Kindergarten, Unit: Pushes and Pulls, the design challenge of making a pinball machine drives learning across multiple lessons in this unit. Students engage with all three dimensions across multiple lessons and are provided with multimodal opportunities to develop, evaluate, and revise their thinking as they solve the challenge. In Chapter 1, the challenge is introduced in Lesson 1.4. Students apply their prior learning that pushing an object will start it in motion (DCI-PS2.A-P2, CCC-CE-P1) as they design the launcher for the pinball machine. In Chapter 2, students observe how a pinball machine can make the ball move longer or shorter distances, and then investigate (SEP-INV-P4) how the amount of force applied to a ball determines how far the ball moves. Students then determine how their pinball designs need to change (DCI-ETS1.B-P1, DCI-ETS1.C-P1). In Chapter 3, students investigate how to make objects change directions, then apply that understanding to designing flippers and bumpers for their pinball machine. In Chapter 5, students redesign their pinball machine models.
In Kindergarten, Unit: Sunlight and Weather, the phenomenon that, “students at Carver Elementary School are too cold during morning recess, while students at Woodland Elementary School are too hot during afternoon recess,” drives learning across multiple lessons in this unit. Students engage with all three dimensions across multiple lessons and are provided with multimodal opportunities to develop, evaluate, and revise their thinking as they make sense of the phenomenon. In Chapter 1, the phenomenon is introduced at the end of Lesson 1.3 and drives learning of Lesson 1.4 where students compare images and weather of the playgrounds at different times of the day. In Chapter 2, students figure out that sunlight causes the playgrounds to get warm during the day. Students engage in activities to understand the different temperatures of each playground during daytime and nighttime. Students model the sun heating earth’s surface (DCI-PS3.B-P1, SEP-MOD-P1, and CCC-SYS-P2) to explain the different temperatures on the different playgrounds. Students compare daytime and nighttime temperatures of both playgrounds, discussing why the temperature changes (SEP-AQDP-P1, SEP-DATA-P3, and CCC-CE-P2). In Chapter 3, students look for patterns (CCC-PAT-E2) in the temperature data of both playgrounds. They use the warming model to observe how the amount of light shining over time affects the temperature and relate that to the differences between the two playgrounds. In Chapter 4, students examine the color of each playground surface (DCI-PS3.B-P1), gather and graph data (SEP-INV-P4) from their colored surfaces model (SEP-MOD-P3), then examine pictures of different colored surfaces. Students then discuss what changes can be made to the playgrounds that will affect temperature.