This lesson from Common Threads Farm is geared towards upper elementary ages but can be modified for lower elementary easily. In this lesson students will observe ways that erosion is being prevented on their school grounds and observe the difference in how water reacts to permeable and impermeable surfaces. Students will use this knowledge to make models of communities and must consider erosion prevention strategies as each community will experience a model heavy precipitation event. By observing how their models react to the water and by discussing limitations to their models students will gain a deeper understanding of erosion and modeling.

Multiple Literacies in Project-Based Learning is a free, comprehensive OER curriculum developed by the George Lucas Education Foundation.Curricula is designed by grade level beginning in 3rd grade and covers the full year of science standards for each grade aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards. Some units have been awarded the NGSS Design Badge by Achieve/NextGenScience which is compelling evidence of high quality, NGSS aligned instructional materials.Materials are designed as PBL or Project-Based Learning units which is a form of inquiry-based learning in which the primary objectives for students include development of the following: their intrinsic motivation, problem-solving skills, the ability to guide their own learning and other metacognitive skills, collaborative skills, and the ability to transfer knowledge, skills, and attitudes to other contexts. Students work alone or in groups on complex tasks organized around central questions that lead to a final product. Teachers play a facilitator role while addressing the principles of inquiry-based learning.The curriculum in free of charge and has been shown through research to be effective with students. The materials are housed on an interactive hub called "Sprocket".

The Integrated Conceptual Science Program Course 1 Integrated Physics and Chemistry is a three dimensional course based on the Conceptual Progression Model of the Next Generation Science Standards. It is designed to be used as part of a three course program that addresses all high school science performance expectations. Course 1 is designed for ninth grade students.
This resource includes the teacher materials, supporting documents, and short videos to support teachers in using the materials.
The Courses were designed using the Ambitious Science Teaching (AST) framework. It is strongly encouraged that before using these materials that you be familiar with AST. We suggest that you watch the AST Overview short video found here: https://datapuzzles.org/ambitious-science-teaching and explore this Google Slide deck that contains many resources designed to further your understanding of AST: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1WOUVmlm636_7i2l0GYa9JkX1TCK3NMdySfpxKN7IM7A/edit?usp=sharing

The Oregon Science Project was created in response to Oregon educators' desires to understand the NGSS and how it may look in our classrooms. These new standards are more than a restructuring of the previous content standards. The 3 dimensions of NGSS shifts the classroom work toward the students' sense-making of phenomena. Students then model scientific processes as they seek to understand the awe-inspiring piece of the world around us. The modules and process we are embarking on are designed to help us as educators explore what it means for our students to 'do' science. This process will be messy, vague, and uncomfortable at times, and asks each of us to contribute in order to generate productive work. The work throughout this year will be a combination of monthly in-person or online meetings, using OSP Modules, group discussion, and group designed formats.Here is the (draft) skeleton schedule: (subject to change depending on participants' needs)Module #1: Introduction & Framework - Who are we as a group? Why teach science? Why teach science in our community? How does science work? How does NGSS shift the science process?Module #2: Phenomena - What are phenomena? Why are they central to an NGSS classroom? How do you decide what is productive phenomena?Module #3: Making our students' thinking visible - How do we use productive discourse in the classroom? How do we model and teach paraphrasing? Module #4: Equity - How do we engage all students in Science? Module #5: Science Talk - Why is Science Talk important?Module #6: Science Talk - What does Science Talk look like in the classroom?Module #7: Science Talk - How do we increase Science Talk? How do we show others?Module # 8+: Coming soon! Structure: Prior to each meeting, participants will be gifted with insightful media to provoke thoughts, questions, and ideas to prepare each for meeting. Each meeting, participants will share, discuss, and do activities that relate to the Module topics and questions. We will have approximately 8-10 meetings from October 2017 to April 2018. 

Last session we discussed: * Why we teach science, in this community.* How does science work?* How NGSS shifts science teaching.This session is focused on the process of how we teach science. How do we begin? How do we engage their science knowledge and process? How can we get students to think scientifically? 

Making Thinking Visible through Productive Discourse in the NGSS Classroom Last session we discussed: * Phenomena. What is it? How is it different from DCIs?* How can phenomena engage students and meet standards/match DCIs? * How can the Reasoning Triangle be a tool to help guide unit/lesson starters?This session is focused on how we can help students make their thinking visible. How can students be able to describe phenomena or answer a question/problem? How do we create a classroom environment where all feel safe to speak their ideas? How do we teach students the skills to build on each others' ideas as a scientific community? 

The Oregon Science Project Modules are designed for K-12 and nonformal educators who want to learn more about NGSS, with an emphasis, in Modules #4 & 5, on the central role student discourse and talk play in the K-12 NGSS classroom. It is designed to provide 3-4 hours of work and asks learners to create something new to contribute to the work.Last session we discussed: * How we could ask students to make their thinking visible?* How we could use models for content and students thoughts?* How we can create ways that every student has the opportunity to use science talk?This session is focused on how to increase the science talk in our classrooms. How do we teach students the skills to build on each others' ideas as a scientific community? Who talks and why?Engaging All StudentsModule #5 Components:Task #1 - What Does Science Talk in the Classroom Look Like? Individual WorkTask #2 - How Do We Increase Science Talk? How Do We Show Others? Individual Work

This is the third in a series of Hybrid NGSS Modules curated by the Oregon Science Project in 2017 using already created, research-based NGSS professional development resources. This module focuses on formative assessment and how it can help educators to make student thinking visible and also how to use student ideas and models for teaching in the NGSS classroom.  It builds on the work of the first two: Module #1 Phenomena & Equity, Module #2 Talk & Equity. (We in the Baker Cohort have broken down these Modules further. The Oregon Science Project has designed Module #3, and we have broken it down into Modules #6 & 7.)All Oregon Science Project Hybrid NGSS PD Modules are designed to be done together with other educators in real time either online or face-to-face. The Oregon Science Project utilizes the videoconferencing tools of Zoom to run small teams of K-12 educators through these modules online in real time. Some Oregon Science Project Learning Facilitators are able to meet with their teams in person and still use these modules on computers during face-to-face work.It was built using the OER Commons Module builder so it is broken into units as Tasks. Some are meant to be done individually, while others are designed for group dialogue and interaction. Dialogue in this case is used as way to build shared understanding. This is compared to discussion where a group is working on making a decision or choice. This difference is based upon the Adaptive School Work of Garmston and Wellman. You can read more about this in Chapter 4 of the Adaptive School: A Sourcebook for Developing Collaborative Groups. The design of the modules and overall framework is also informed by the research about professional development from A Facilitator's Guide to Online Professional Development: Establishing Communities of Learning and Cultures of Thinking by Carol Brooks Simoneau and Gerald Bailey.This module was developed based upon the assumption that all participants have completed Oregon Science Project Hybrid NGSS Modules #1- #5 and are studying the NGSS.Module #6 Components:Task #1 - What is formative assessment?Task #2 -  What are some high leverage practices for formative assessment in the NGSS classroom? 

This is the seventh in a series of Hybrid NGSS Modules curated by the Oregon Science Project in 2017 using already created, research-based NGSS professional development resources. This module focuses on formative assessment and how it can help educators to make student thinking visible and also how to use student ideas and models for teaching in the NGSS classroom.  It builds on the work of the first six about; Phenomena & Equity and Talk & Equity.All Oregon Science Project Hybrid NGSS PD Modules are designed to be done together with other educators in real time either online or face-to-face. The Oregon Science Project utilizes the videoconferencing tools of Zoom to run small teams of K-12 educators through these modules online in real time. Some Oregon Science Project Learning Facilitators are able to meet with their teams in person and still use these modules on computers during face-to-face work.It was built using the OER Commons Module builder so it is broken into units as Tasks. Some are meant to be done individually, while others are designed for group dialogue and interaction. Dialogue in this case is used as way to build shared understanding. This is compared to discussion where a group is working on making a decision or choice. This difference is based upon the Adaptive School Work of Garmston and Wellman. You can read more about this in Chapter 4 of the Adaptive School: A Sourcebook for Developing Collaborative Groups. The design of the modules and overall framework is also informed by the research about professional development from A Facilitator's Guide to Online Professional Development: Establishing Communities of Learning and Cultures of Thinking by Carol Brooks Simoneau and Gerald Bailey.This module was developed based upon the assumption that all participants have completed Oregon Science Project Hybrid NGSS Modules #1 - 6 and are studying the NGSS.Module #7 Components:Task #1 - How can we develop and use culturally responsive formative assessments for NGSS?Task #2 - How can we integrate the NGSS practices into assessment tasks?

This module provides a TABLE as a reference for each SUPERLesson, and aligns each unit to the specific NGSS it covers.

The Oregon Science Project Module #1 is designed for K-12 and nonformal educators who want to learn more about NGSS, with an emphasis on how the shift to sense-making around phenomena is at the heart of the NGSS. 

The Oregon Science Project Module #1 is designed for K-12 and nonformal educators who want to learn more about NGSS, with an emphasis on how the shift to sense-making around phenomena is at the heart of the NGSS. 

The Oregon Science Project Module #1 is designed for K-12 and nonformal educators who want to learn more about NGSS, with an emphasis on how the shift to sense-making around phenomena is at the heart of the NGSS. It is designed to provide 3-4 hours of work and asks learners to create something new to contribute to the work.

The Oregon Science Project Module #1 is designed for K-12 and nonformal educators who want to learn more about NGSS, with an emphasis on how the shift to sense-making around phenomena is at the heart of the NGSS. It is designed to provide 3-4 hours of work and asks learners to create something new to contribute to the work.

The Oregon Science Project Module #1 is designed for K-12 and nonformal educators who want to learn more about NGSS, with an emphasis on how the shift to sense-making around phenomena is at the heart of the NGSS. It is designed to provide 3-4 hours of work and asks learners to create something new to contribute to the work.

This Wakelet is a collection of links to free online resources that address all areas of teaching the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The resources are grouped together in smaller, topic-based collections. A range of resources are provided for K-12, and additional links will be continually added to the collection. 

This learning resource will engage you and your colleagues in learning more about the importance of NGSS. You will build awareness and learn more about how to implement the Next Generation Science Standards in your own setting. We envision this professional learning taking place in an ongoing community of practice. We encourage you to determine and proceed at your own pace that reflects the needs of your team.

Image by Gorkhs from Pixabay

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)* call for students to use the practices, concepts and content of science and engineering to understand phenomena and solve problems that are relevant to their lives. Starting from a student’s own experiences and community makes the science meaningful and increases engagement while helping students understand how global issues like climate change are present and addressable in their lives. In this series we examine how you can use the new science standards and your community to understand and address real world environmental problems and explore together how to integrate NGSS into your district’s classroom science units.Mapping neighborhood assets, opportunities, and problems can engage students more deeply in science and engineering. In this workshop you’ll learn how system models, looking for patterns, and observing change over time can help students investigate and map their community. Local ecosystems, water flow, and community assets are some of many possible areas for your mapping efforts. By the end of this workshop you’ll have strategies to use in mapping your community and ideas for how you can use the information gathered.

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)* call for students to use the practices, concepts and content of science and engineering to understand phenomena and solve problems that are relevant to their lives. Starting from a student’s own experiences and community makes the science meaningful and increases engagement while helping students understand how global issues like climate change are present and addressable in their lives. In this series we examine how you can use the new science standards and your community to understand and address real world environmental problems and explore together how to integrate NGSS into your district’s classroom science units.How does engineering relate to solving problems in your community? Learn how IslandWood is using the engineering design process to help students investigate local stormwater problems, seek stakeholder input, and develop solutions. Explore what is involved in putting student ideas into action including possible real-world constraints, practical small-scale solutions potential partners, and mini-grant options. We’ll work together to figure out a plan for the topics and students you teach.

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)* call for students to use the practices, concepts and content of science and engineering to understand phenomena and solve problems that are relevant to their lives. Starting from a student’s own experiences and community makes the science meaningful and increases engagement while helping students understand how global issues like climate change are present and addressable in their lives. In this series (NGSS in Action: Science and Engineering in your Schoolyard) we examine how you can use the new science standards and your community to understand and address real world environmental problems and explore together how to integrate NGSS into your district’s classroom science units.Workshop 1: Science in Action Description: "Venture outside the walls of the classroom to find local environmental phenomena that can anchor your classroom science unit. Explore with us the big picture of Next Generation Science Standards’ “three dimensional” science learning and then get hands on with the Science and Engineering Practices as you use them to build an understanding of an example phenomenon in our 'schoolyard.' You’ll leave this workshop with ideas and examples you can use in your own classroom science curriculum."