6th to 8th Grade - Gateway 1

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that the materials consistently integrate the three dimensions in student learning opportunities. Throughout the series, all learning sequences (Chapters) include three dimensions and consistently integrate science and engineering practices (SEPs), crosscutting concepts (CCCs), and disciplinary core ideas (DCIs) in student learning opportunities. 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 levels to support learning.

Overall, the materials consistently demonstrate they were designed to include and integrate the three dimensions. In each unit, Planning for the Unit, the Standards and Goals tab includes a unit level list of each NGSS targeted performance expectation. The Standards and Goals tab also includes connections to other performance expectations, which SEPs and CCCs are focused on in the unit, and describes the student experiences as they build toward these expectations. Further, in the 3-D Statements tab, the chapter and lesson level targeted three dimensions are described to frame the respective chapter and lesson goal(s).

Examples where materials include DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs and integrate them within student learning opportunities:

• In Grade 6, Unit: Microbiome, Chapter 1: Microorganisms On and In the Human Body, Lesson 1.2, students make a scale model (SEP-MOD-M4) of a microorganism by drawing it at a larger observable scale to gain further understanding that phenomena may not be easily observable to students (CCC-SPQ-M5), as well as, many living things are made of cells which are unobservable at that scale (DCI-LS1.A-M1).
• In Grade 6, Unit: Ocean’s Atmosphere and Climate, Chapter 3: Ocean Currents and Prevailing Winds, Lesson 3.1, students read and annotate a modified scientific article (SEP-INFO-M1) about factors affecting the movement of the Gulf Stream (CCC-CE-M3), latitude, prevailing winds, energy/temperature, etc. Maps are incorporated into the article and used to predict different aspects of the factors (SEP-MOD-M5). Students gather information about how prevailing winds interact with continents to direct currents and make inferences about the relationship between energy transfer (CCC-EM-M4), prevailing winds, and latitude (DCI-ESS2.D-M1, DCI-PS3.B-M3). Students use a digital simulation (SEP-MOD-M5) to investigate (SEP-INV-M4) the relationship between wind direction and current direction (DCI-ESS2.C-M2, CCC-CE-M3).
• In Grade 6, Unit: Weather Patterns, Chapter 1: Understanding Rain Clouds, Lesson 1.3, students conduct an investigation and observe two bags of air placed in different temperatures (SEP-INV-M2). To develop an understanding of how and when condensation happens (DCI-ESS2.C-M1), students use a model to explore that air has moisture (SEP-MOD-M5). Students are asked, “What do you observe about the results of each test?” and “What evidence do you have of energy transfer?” prompting students to make statements about cause and effect relationships they observed (CCC-CE-M2).
• In Grade 6, Unit: Earth’s Changing Climate Engineering Internship, Day 6, students explore how design can have an impact on earth’s rising temperatures (DCI-ESS3.C-M2, DCI-ESS3.D-M1) while they isolate different variables in the Roofmod simulation. Students gather evidence (SEP-INV-M2, SEP-INV-M4, CCC-DATA-M7) on how those changes impact CO2 levels showing the cause and effect relationship that different materials have on the design criteria (CCC-CE-M2). This activity provides students the opportunity to explore how models are important for testing design solutions (DCI-ETS1.B-M4, SEP-MOD-M7).
• In Grade 7, Unit: Populations and Resources, Chapter 3: Indirect Effects in Ecosystems, Lesson 3.3, students view a graphic of food chains (SEP-MOD-M5) in the jellyfishes’ ecosystem (CCC-SYS-M2) and consider what other populations of organisms might affect (CCC-CE-M3) the size of the jelly population (DCI-LS2.A-M1, M2). In the digital simulation (SEP-MOD-M3) students manipulate populations of organisms without changing their resource or consumer populations (SEP-INV-M4). After they gather data/observations (SEP-DATA-M3) from the simulation, students reflect on the question, “How are these examples of indirect effects?” (SEP-CEDS-M4). Students predict how making a specific change in a population of organisms will indirectly affect another population (CCC-SC-M2). Students write an explanation (SEP-CEDS-M4) of how the change led to an increase in the population of a different organism (DCI-LS2.A-M1, DCI-LS2.A-M2).
• In Grade 7, Unit: Plate Motion, students explore what happens at plate boundaries (DCI-ESS1.C-M2). In Chapter 1: Introducing Earth’s Outer Layer, Lesson 1.4, students use a paper model to simulate a landform with plate boundaries (SEP-MOD-M5) to understand how land moves at different boundaries and how earthquakes and landforms are caused by the movement (CCC-CE-M2). At the same time, students explore how cause and effect relationships can help predict phenomena as they make claims about plate boundaries.
• In Grade 7, Unit: Plate Motion Engineering Internship, Day 2, students learn how the planet’s systems interact to shape the earth (DCI-MS-ESS2-2). Students investigate the primary cause of tsunamis by modeling how the plate motion impacts water motion in the physical tank model (CCC-CE-M2). Students model the movement of land, causing the water in the tank to create a wave that moves miniature plastic houses on shore (SEP-MOD-M5).
• In Grade 7, Unit: Phase Change Engineering Internship, Day 3, students isolate the Phase Change Materials in the Baby Warmer Design Tool to investigate (SEP-INV-M5) the effects of insulating materials in an incubation system to learn how temperature differences (DCI-PS3.A-M3) impact energy transfers from one object to another. Students use mathematical representations to support their design solutions (SEP-MATH-M2).
• In Grade 8, Unit: Light Waves, students explore how light interacts with materials. In Chapter 2: Light as a Wave, Lesson 2.3, students investigate types of light and what makes them different (DCI-PS4.A-M1). Students use a digital model (SEP-MOD-M5) to determine what makes types of light different from one another. As students use the digital model to edit a custom wave, they explore the cause and effect relationships in natural wave systems between wavelength, frequency, and amplitude, and types of light (DCI-PS4.A-M1) by manipulating wavelength to demonstrate that different types of light with different profiles can be produced (CCC-CE-M2).
• In Grade 8, Unit: Natural Selection Unit, Chapter 3: Mutation and Adaptive Traits, Lesson 3.3, directs students to, “Show what caused there to be some extremely poisonous newts in the newt population when there were none in the population 200 generations ago. Analyze all four histograms and environment descriptions” (DCI-LS4.C-M1). Students look for patterns that can be used to identify cause and effect relationships (CCC-PAT-M3). Students explain how their model answers the question, “How did a poison-level trait that wasn’t always present in the newt population become the most common trait?” (SEP-CEDS-M2).
• In Grade 8, Unit: Forces and Motion Engineering Internship, Day 5, students analyze data from previous testing (SEP-DATA-M7) to learn how mass, velocity and impact force affect the criteria of their design challenge (DCI-PS2.A-M2). As students analyze patterns in the data (CCC-PAT-M4, CCC-CE-M1), they plan what design components they will use for future iterations (DCI-ETS1.B-M3).

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that the materials are consistently designed to support meaningful student sensemaking with the three dimensions. CCCs and SEPs are used in all learning sequences to support students' sensemaking with the other dimensions in every lesson. Within each Unit Guide, the unit, chapter, and lesson level 3-D Statements provide an overview of the SEPs, CCCs, and DCIs that are addressed in the lessons which make up a larger unit.

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. Additionally, most lessons are targeted for students to build understanding of DCIs and often incorporate the use of a SEP but not always for purposes of sensemaking. However, the materials do consistently provide an opportunity in at least one lesson per chapter for students to engage in using the SEPs and/or the CCCs to meaningfully support student sensemaking with the other dimensions. Most often, the sensemaking is apparent when students are engaged in investigating and explaining cause and effect relationships through various means.

Examples where materials include SEPs and CCCs to meaningfully support student sensemaking with other dimensions:

• In Grade 6, Unit: Microbiome, Chapter 2: Arguing for the Benefits of Fecal Transplants, Lesson 2.2, students analyze data about a patient’s gut microbiome (SEP-DATA-M4). They compare types and percentages of bacteria present when the patient is healthy to the microbiome composition when the patient is ill. Students use changes in the data to support a claim that the change in microorganisms may be the cause (CCC-CE-M2) of the patient’s illness. This provides students an opportunity to argue from evidence (SEP-ARG-M3) how different microorganisms may be linked to the overall health of the patient. Students also gather information by reading The Human Microbiome article (SEP-INFO-M1) to revise their explanation about why one change in a system (CCC-SYS-M1) could cause Patient 23 to feel sick. Cause and effect relationships are explored by students over time to more deeply understand and apply their knowledge of how microorganisms, while unseen, can play a large role in the overall health of humans (DCI-LS1.A-M3).
• In Grade 6, Unit: Weather Patterns, Chapter 1: Understanding Rain Clouds, Lesson 1.1, students change different variables in the digital simulation and analyze data (SEP-DATA-M4) showing how the transfer of energy causes air to cool and create condensation resulting in rain (DCI-ESS2.C-M1). Through this data collection process, students begin to make sense of how energy flows through natural systems and understand the impact when the transfer of energy leads to cooling, resulting in possible condensation leading to rain (CCC-EM-M4).
• In Grade 6, Unit: Earth’s Changing Climate Engineering Internship, Day 4, students create designs for a roof that will have an impact on earth’s rising temperature based on the data previously collected in a digital simulation (SEP-INV-M2). As students analyze the data (SEP-DATA-M7) and make design decisions, they begin to make sense of how designs can have impacts on earth’s rising temperatures (DCI-ESS3.C-M2). Students collect data to determine if their design was able to reduce carbon dioxide. These investigations help students understand how analyzing the similarities and differences in data can be used to develop or modify a design. As students use an iterative testing process to test the different roof models, they gain a deeper understanding and ability to make sense of how cause and effect relationships exist between design choices and environmental impacts (CCC-CE-M2) .
• In Grade 7, Unit: Plate Motion, Chapter 3: Investigating the Rate of Plate Movement, Lesson 3.1, students use the digital simulation to explore how the rate of plate movement can be predicted and recorded (SEP-MATH-M2). Students find the rate of the plate movement by measuring how far apart the plates moved after millions of years have passed, and divide that distance by the number of years. Students use the calculation to develop an understanding of how mathematical representations can support the scientific conclusion that plates have moved over time. As students identify patterns from a digital simulation, they make sense of the timeline and how plates move to understand how the plate movement has changed the surface of the earth (DCI-ESS2.B-M1). Students identify patterns in historical rates of change and of plate motion. They compare these findings with current rates. Students use their understanding of past and current rates of plate motion (CCC-PAT-M3) to support a claim (SEP-CEDS-M2) about whether two plates moved apart suddenly or gradually.
• In Grade 7, Unit: Populations and Resources, Chapter 3: Indirect Effects in Ecosystems, Lesson 3.3, students use a digital model to collect data to investigate (SEP-INV-M4) how populations that are not consumers or resources for each other can indirectly affect each other within an ecosystem (DCI-LS2.A-M2). Students use the digital model to change populations on a food web by making changes to populations that are not directly connected. Being able to manipulate populations in the model helps students make sense of how a change in one part of a system can cause large changes in another (CCC-SC-M2). Students then apply what they have learned from using a model to predict how changes to the algae, orca, or walleye pollock populations could indirectly impact the moon jelly population (DCI-LS2.A-M2).
• In Grade 8, Unit: Light Waves, Chapter 3: More Light Interactions, Lesson 3.3, students build on their understanding from previous lessons that energy from light can change a material when it is absorbed. Students use a digital simulation to model (SEP-MOD-M7) what happens to energy (CCC-EM-M4) when different materials transmit or reflect green laser light. The digital simulation provides students an opportunity to collect information (SEP-DATA-M4) to make sense of how light is transmitted or reflected (DCI-PS4.B-M1) and develop an understanding of how the material is not changed by the energy.
• In Grade 8, Unit: Force and Motion Engineering Internship, Day 5, students analyze design test results to identify how to modify their design of a supply pod to deliver packages to people after a natural disaster. Students review test data (SEP-DATA-M7) related to mass, velocity, and impact force (DCI-PS2.A-M2) to find similarities and differences in results. The results can then help inform decisions about what design components are used in future iterations (DCI-ETS1.B-M3). The iterative testing of design solutions allows students to better understand how changing parts of their design impacts the outcome and efficiency of their design (CCC-CE-M1) and how to use this understanding to inform future improvements.
• In Grade 8, Unit: Natural Selection, Chapter 1: Environmental Change and Trait Distribution, Lesson 1.4, students use a digital simulation to collect data (SEP-DATA-M4) between fur traits and temperature. Students use the digital simulation to manipulate the temperature of the environment and identify patterns in the population over time (CCC-PAT-M3). This provides students an opportunity to use patterns in the data to identify cause and effect relationships between temperature and the selection for specific fur traits. Students compare two histograms that are designed through the simulation (SEP-MATH-M2) to support a claim about how fur traits change over time (DCI-LS3.A-M2).

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence for three-dimensional learning in the instructional materials. Lessons consistently provide learning objectives connected to the 3-D Statements for the lesson. The lesson level 3-D Statements build to support the 3-D Statements for the chapter, and the chapter level 3-D Statements build toward the 3-D Statements for the unit. The chapter and unit 3-D Statements are found in the Unit Guide; the lesson objectives and lesson 3-D statements are found in the Lesson Brief and are also embedded throughout the lessons.

Across the series, lessons and units consistently incorporate tasks for the purpose of supporting the instructional process, and lessons and units have assessment tasks that are consistently designed to reveal student knowledge and use of all three dimensions. These opportunities are provided through the use of two assessment types used throughout each unit: On-the-Fly Assessment and Critical Juncture Assessment. A Pre-Unit Assessment can also be used for formative purposes. This assessment is identical to the End-of-Unit Assessment. Each Pre-Unit Assessment and Critical Juncture Assessment consists of multiple-choice questions and written-response questions that provide evidence of students’ current level of understanding of the unit content. The results of these assessments are used to provide insight into student preconceptions and current ideas, and place students on the Progress Build, a tool to group students for differentiated instruction.

The individual assessment items primarily assess two dimensions, typically integrating SEPs and DCIs, resulting in a missed opportunity to include CCCs into the formative assessments and related instructional supports. However, all three dimensions are addressed through the combination of formative assessments across a unit. Each assessment opportunity indicates specific concepts and practices to observe student progress within the learning experiences, followed by suggestions to the teacher based on what might be observed.

Examples of On-the-Fly and Critical Juncture assessments in the series:

• In Grade 6, Unit: Metabolism, Chapter 1: Molecules Needed by the Cells, Lesson 1.3: Evaluating Initial Claims about Elisa, students progress toward the objective focused on understanding how a functioning human body contains molecules from food (glucose and amino acids) and molecules from air (oxygen) in its cells. The On-the-Fly Assessment checks for students’ understanding of cells (DCI-LS1.A-M1, DCI-LS1.A-M2) as students develop a model (SEP-MOD-E4) to support their thinking related to how cell systems interact with each other (CCC-SYS-M1). The On-the-Fly Assessment provides teachers with guidance to identify correct responses and supplies prompts the teacher can provide while students revisit the lesson reading materials and simulation.
• In Grade 7, Unit: Chemical Reactions, Chapter 3: Accounting for Atoms, Lesson 3.4, students progress toward the objective focused on understanding about how possible products of a chemical reaction can be identified based on the atoms that formed the reactants. The On-the-Fly Assessment checks for students’ understanding that models of atoms (SEP-MOD) differ from actual atoms (DCI-PS1.A), and why a model is more useful than looking only at the properties of a substance. Students also apply their understanding that atomic-scale models are useful, but limited tools for visualizing substances at an extremely small scale (CCC-SPQ). This On-the-Fly Assessment provides teachers with guidance to identify correct responses and supplies prompts the teacher can provide while students revisit the lesson materials.
• In Grade 8, Unit: Light Waves, Chapter 2: Light as a Wave, Lesson 2.4, students progress toward the objective focused on understanding how a material absorbs energy from certain types of light and not others (DCI-PS4.B), and apply the key concepts from the previous chapters to conclude that ultraviolet light can cause skin cancer. The On-the-Fly Assessment checks for whether students understand models (SEP-MOD) that show how different types of light are associated with different changes to the genetic material, and how some types of light are associated with no changes to the genetic material (CCC-CE).
• In Grade 7, Unit: Plate Motion, Chapter 2: Understanding Plate Boundaries, Lesson 2.6, students complete a Critical Juncture Assessment consisting of 12 multiple-choice questions and two written-response questions to assess students’ understanding of the how earth’s plates move and what happens to plate boundaries during movement (DCI- ESS1.C, DCI- ESS2.B, CCC-PAT, CCC-SPQ, SEP-CEDS). Many of the multiple-choice questions assess at the intersection of the DCI and CCC or the DCI and SEP. The written-response questions require students to apply learning of all three dimensions. The teacher materials provide information for grouping students to scaffold additional instructional support depending on where a student’s score falls on the Progress Build.
• In Grade 8, Unit: Force and Motion, Chapter 2: Mass and Velocity, Lesson 2.4, students complete a Critical Juncture Assessment that consists of 12 multiple-choice questions and two written-response questions to assess students’ understanding of the relationship between force, mass, and velocity (DCI-PS2.A, CCC-CE, SEP-DATA, SEP-CEDS). Many of the multiple-choice questions assess at the intersection of the DCI and CCC or the DCI and SEP. The written-response questions require students to apply learning of all three dimensions. Teacher materials provide information for grouping students to scaffold additional instructional support depending on where a student’s score falls on the Progress Build.

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that they are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence of the three-dimensional learning in the instructional materials. Materials consistently provide three-dimensional learning objectives for each chapter and unit. The summative tasks are consistently designed to measure student achievement of the targeted 3-D Statements for the learning sequences (chapters) and units.

The materials include several types of summative tasks that follow a consistent design across units: End-of-Unit Assessments, End-of-Unit Performance Assessments (Science Seminar), and Investigation Assessments (one per grade). Each End-of-Unit Assessment generally consists of 12-19 multiple-choice questions and two written-response questions in which students analyze and interpret data and construct explanations. This assessment is designed to reveal students’ understanding of the unit’s core content, including unit-specific DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs. The End-of-Unit Performance Assessment is delivered as a Science Seminar. Students engage in a multicomponent performance task requiring integrated engagement with targeted DCIs and several science and engineering practices. This assessment task includes students submitting a written scientific argument to demonstrate their grasp of the targeted DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs. The Investigation Assessments provide one opportunity in each grade to summatively assess an embedded performance in which students plan and conduct investigations.

Examples of summative tasks designed to measure student achievement of the targeted 3-D Statements for the chapter and/or unit:

• In Grade 6, Unit: Earth’s Changing Climate, the End-of Unit Assessment consists of 19 multiple-choice questions and two written-response questions to assess students’ achievement in relation to the unit level learning objective using “digital and physical models and analyze global temperature data in order to construct explanations of how changes to the atmosphere affect Earth’s temperature by altering the energy flow (energy and matter) into and out of Earth’s system (systems and system models), disrupting a dynamic but stable system (stability and change).” Overall, the multiple-choice and written-response questions assess student understanding of the relevant DCIs related to earth systems (DCI-ESS2.A, DCI-ESS2.D, DCI-ESS3.B, DCI-ESS3.C, DCI-ESS3.D). The written-response questions measure student understanding of two SEPs (SEP-DATA, SEP-CEDS) and stability and change (CCC-SC).
• In Grade 7, Unit: Chemical Reactions, the End-of Unit Assessment consists of 12 multiple-choice questions and two written-response questions to assess students’ achievement in relation to the unit level learning objective of using “digital and physical models and hands-on observations to investigate how atoms are rearranged into different patterns to form new substances during chemical reactions.” Overall, the multiple-choice questions assess student understanding of the relevant DCIs related to structure and properties of matter (DCI-PS1.A) and chemical reactions (DCI-PS1.B). Additionally, the written-response questions measure student understanding of three SEPs (SEP-MOD, SEP-DATA, SEP-CEDS). While students apply two CCCs (CCC-SPQ, CCC-EM) in both the multiple-choice and written-response items, neither CCC is explicitly assessed.
• In Grade 8, Unit: Harnessing Human Energy, the End-of Unit Assessment consists of four written-response questions to assess students’ achievement in relation to the unit level learning objective to “investigate energy, the relationship between kinetic and potential energy, and the ways energy is transferred and converted...” Overall, the prompts assess student understanding of energy (DCI-PS3.A, CCC-EM). While students apply early ideas of scientific explanations (SEP-CEDS), the SEPs are not explicitly assessed, partly due to this being a launch unit for the year.
• In Grade 6, Unit: Ocean, Atmosphere, and Climate, Chapter 4: Science Seminar, students “analyze evidence and make oral and written arguments—using what they have learned about energy transfer and the effect of ocean currents and prevailing winds on air temperature (cause and effect, energy and matter)—to determine whether the air temperature in South China during the late Carboniferous period was warmer or cooler than the air temperature in that location today.” The Science Seminar includes a performance task where students construct a scientific argument to assess their understanding of large-scale system interactions (DCI-ESS2.B) related to weather and climate (DCI-ESS2.D), four SEPs (SEP-DATA, SEP-CEDS, SEP-ARG, SEP-INFO), and two CCCs (CCC-CE, CCC-SC) are addressed.
• In Grade 7, Unit: Chemical Reactions, Chapter 4: Science Seminar, students “analyze evidence and make oral and written arguments—using what they have figured out about substances at the macroscale and atomic scale and about how atoms rearrange during a chemical reaction (scale, proportion, and quantity; patterns)—to create models that distinguish between suspects who could and could not have made hydrofluoric acid.” The Science Seminar includes a performance task where students construct a scientific argument to assess their understanding of the relevant DCIs related to structure, properties of matter (DCI-PS1.A), chemical reactions (DCI-PS1.B) and three SEPs (SEP-CEDS, SEP-ARG, SEP-INFO). While students apply ideas of scale, proportion, and quantity (CCC-SPQ) by referring to the correct model while constructing their argument, the CCC is not directly assessed.
• In Grade 8, Unit: Evolutionary History, Chapter 4: Science Seminar, students “analyze evidence and construct oral and written arguments, using what they have learned about shared and distinct body structures and common ancestor populations (stability and change), to determine whether a new fossil is more closely related to ostriches or to crocodiles.” The Science Seminar includes a performance task where students construct a scientific argument to assess their understanding about the evidence of common ancestry and diversity (DCI-LS4.A), four SEPs (SEP-DATA, SEP-CEDS, SEP-ARG, SEP-INFO), and patterns (CCC-PAT) in morphological features.
• In Grade 8, Unit: Force and Motion, Chapter 2: Mass and Velocity, Lesson 2.1, Investigation Assessment, students engage in a performance task to answer the question, “If the same strength force is exerted on two objects, why might they be affected differently?” Students plan and conduct an investigation (SEP-INV, SEP-DATA, SEP-MATH, SEP-INFO) to determine how exerting the same strength force on different objects can result in different effects (DCI-PS2.A, CCC-CE).

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems are connected to grade-band DCIs. Materials consistently connect phenomena and problems to grade-band appropriate DCIs and/or their elements. Lesson level investigations connect directly to the Investigative Phenomenon or problem, helping students make sense with the identified DCIs. Multiple lesson investigations and activities are coordinated to work together to explain the anchor and/or investigative phenomenon and bridge learning of and with the associated DCIs. Across the series, students engage in making sense of phenomena and solving problems that require students to utilize and deepen their understanding of the associated DCIs.

Examples of phenomena that connect to grade-band DCIs present in the materials:

• In Grade 6, Unit: Microbiome, the anchor phenomenon is “a fecal transplant cured a patient suffering from a potentially deadly C. difficile infection.” Throughout the unit, students investigate the scale of microorganisms living on and in the human body (DCI-LS1.A-M1) and the human microbiome making up the gut. Students learn how fecal transplants can change the gut environment for harmful and helpful bacteria (DCI-LS1.A-M2) and the effects of interacting body systems within multicellular functions (DCI-LS1.A-M3). This helps students answer the question, “How can fecal transplants cure patients infected with harmful bacteria?”
• In Grade 7, Unit: Plate Motions, the anchor phenomenon is about how fossils of an extinct reptile are found in two locations separated by thousands of kilometers of ocean. Throughout the unit, students learn about plate motion at or near plate boundaries (DCI-ESS1.C-M2) and GPS data to understand plate motion (DCI-ESS1.C-M2). This helps students answer the question, “Why are fossils of species that once lived together found in different locations on Earth now?”
• In Grade 8, Unit: Life Waves, the anchor phenomenon is about how Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. Students investigate how different materials change when they absorb energy from light (DCI-PS4.B-M1). They use this knowledge to analyze and interpret evidence of how different wavelengths of light from the sun can cause skin cancer by causing damage to genetic material (DCI-PS4.B-M3). This helps students construct explanations about the cause of Australia’s high rate of skin cancer.
• In Grade 7, Unit: Populations and Resources, Chapter 2: Energy and Changes to Populations, Lesson 2.2, the phenomenon is about how yeast provided with more sugar produce more bubbles. Throughout this lesson, students investigate how sugar undergoes a series of chemical reactions within living organisms (yeast) that break it down and rearrange the molecules, forming new molecules to support growth, reproduction, or release of energy (DCI-LS1.C-M2).
• In Grade 8, Unit: Earth, Moon, and Sun, Chapter 2: Moon Phases, the phenomenon is about how the appearance of the moon as seen from earth changes from night to night. Throughout the chapter, students investigate and model how the apparent motion of the moon can be observed, described, predicted, and explained with models (DCI-ESS1.A-M1).

Examples of problems that connect to grade-band DCIs present in the materials:

• In Grade 6, Unit: Earth’s Changing Climate Engineering Internship, students design a roof modification meeting three criteria: reducing the city’s climate impact, preserving the city’s historic value, and keeping costs low. Throughout this unit, students identify human-caused impacts on the earth's systems.  Students also identify the positive impacts they can have through activities and technologies (DCI-ESS3.C-M2) as they evaluate how different design decisions impact the climate.
• In Grade 8, Unit: Natural Selection Engineering Internship, Day 4, students continue to solve the problem of how parasites that cause malaria are becoming resistant to antimalarial drugs. In order to design a malaria treatment to reduce the amount of parasites that build resistance to the antimalarial drug, students run tests in the MalariaMed Design Tool to understand how different drugs, doses, and duration of treatment impact drug-resistance traits (DCI-LS4.C-M1).

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems are presented to students as directly as possible. Across the series, all lessons present phenomena and problems to students as directly as possible through video, simulations, or hands-on investigations. Every unit has an Anchor Phenomenon or problem and lessons incorporate Investigative or Everyday Phenomena.

Examples of phenomena that are presented to students as directly as possible:

• In Grade 6, Unit: Thermal Energy, anchor, investigative, and everyday phenomena are used to drive instruction. Students watch a video to learn about the anchor phenomenon about how two different heating systems can heat the Riverdale School. Although this phenomenon is more aligned to a problem that needs to be solved, there are several investigative and everyday phenomena to be explored throughout this unit and presented to student directly. In Chapter 1: Understanding Temperature, Lesson 1.2, students are given direct, hands-on experience to explore how food coloring disperses more rapidly in warm water than in cold water. In Lesson 1.3, students use the Thermal Energy simulation to explore the molecular activity of heated and cooled liquid to directly observe a phenomenon unobservable in real life. Further, in Chapter 2: Temperature and Energy, Lesson 2.1, students watch a video to observe what happens to air around heated water. Students are prompted to make predictions based on the experience.
• In Grade 7, Unit: Rock Transformations, students are presented with the phenomenon about how the rocks of the Rocky Mountains and the rock of the Great Plains have similar mineral composition. In Chapter 1: Rock Formations, students interact with this phenomenon as directly as possible by watching a video, interacting with a digital simulation, and engaging in a hands-on investigation to explore processes leading to the formation of rocks that cannot be observed first-hand.
• In Grade 8, Unit: Natural Selection, Chapter 1: Environmental Change and Trait Distribution, Lesson 1.2, students are presented with the Investigative Phenomenon, “Individuals in an population can look different.” Students look at an image of a population of dogface butterflies to determine similarities and differences found within the population.

Examples of problems that are presented to students as directly as possible:

• In Grade 7, Unit: Phase Change Engineering Internship, students watch a video depicting examples of babies in incubators and explain the importance of incubators to the health of babies with medical conditions.
• In Grade 8, Unit: Force and Motion Engineering Internship, students are asked to “design a supply drop pod for areas affected by natural disaster.” Students would be unable to directly observe a supply drop in an area of natural disaster. Instead, students are introduced to the problem as directly as possible using a video. Students engage in a simulation to test different solutions to the design problem.

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems drive individual lessons or activities using key elements of all three dimensions. At the start of most lessons, students are asked to play the role of a scientist or engineer tasked with explaining the phenomenon or solving the problem. Each activity in the lesson is designed for students to work towards explaining the phenomenon or solving the problem in the context of the role they play. Students engage in all three dimensions as they work through the activities to make sense of the phenomenon or solve the problem.

Examples of individual lessons or activities that are driven by phenomena using key elements of all three dimensions:

• In Grade 6, Unit: Thermal Energy, Chapter 2: Temperature and Energy, Lesson 2.1, students investigate the phenomena about how pouring hot water into a cup will gradually warm the air when it is enclosed inside a box. Students use the Thermal Energy Simulation to identify patterns (SEP-MOD-M5, CCC-PAT-M3) in molecular motion to learn that molecules have kinetic energy. Students use the model to show the faster molecules are moving, the more kinetic energy they have (CCC-EM-M2; DCI-PS3.A-M4).
• In Grade 6, Unit: Traits and Reproduction, Chapter 1: Exploring Variation in Spider Silk, Lesson 1.2, students investigate the phenomena about how the quality of silk produced by spiders in the same species varies in strength and flexibility. Students use the Traits and Reproduction simulation to model (SEP-MOD-M4) how chromosome rearrangement during sexual reproduction causes silk traits to vary between parents and offspring. as well as, between sibling spiders (DCI-LS3.A-M2, CCC-SF-M1, CCC-CE-M3).
• In Grade 7, Unit: Chemical Reactions, Chapter 2: Explaining Chemical Reactions, Lesson 2.1, students investigate the phenomenon of calcium chloride and sodium carbonate solutions mixing together and reacting to form new substances. Students use the digital simulation to investigate (SEP-INV-M2) how atoms can rearrange to form new substances during a chemical reaction (DCI-PS1.B-M1, CCC-CE-M2).
• In Grade 7, Unit: Geology on Mars, Chapter 1: Comparing Earth and Rocky Planets, Lesson 1.2, students investigate the phenomenon about how images of the surface of mars shows landforms looking similar to those on earth. Students use an interactive digital tool, Google Mars™ (CCC-SYS-M2, SEP-MOD-M5) to search for landforms similar to those on earth, especially those that could have been formed by flowing water or lava (DCI-ESS2.A-M2). Students use the information to support a claim about whether the same geologic processes have shaped earth have also shaped mars over time (SEP-ARG-M3).
• In Grade 8, Unit: Evolutionary History, Chapter 1: Finding Species Similarities, Lesson 1.3, students investigate the phenomenon about how many of their body structures are similar to those in blue whales. Students use the Evolutionary History simulation to gather information (SEP-INFO-M1), compare body structures, and geographic location of extinct animals to existing animals. Students use patterns in common body structures (CCC-PAT-M4) to help map ancestral connections on an evolutionary tree, showing common body structures provides evidence that whales and humans share a common ancestor (DCI-LS4.A-M2).

Examples of individual lessons or activities that are driven by problems using key elements of all three dimensions:

• In Grade 6, Unit: Earth’s Changing Climate Engineering Internship, Day 4, students create designs for a roof that will have an impact on earth’s rising temperature. As students analyze the data (SEP-DATA-M7) and make design decisions, they begin to make sense of how design can have an impact on earth’s rising temperatures (DCI-ESS3.C-M2). Students collect data to determine if their design was able to reduce carbon dioxide. Students use an iterative process to test different roof models and make sense of cause and effect relationship between designs choices and environmental impacts (CCC-CE-M2).
• In Grade 8, Unit: Natural Selection Engineering Internship, Day 4, students continue to solve the problem about how parasites that cause malaria are becoming resistant to antimalarial drugs. In order to design a malaria treatment to reduce the amount of parasites that build resistance to the antimalarial drug, students run tests in the MalariaMed Design Tool to understand the cause and effect relationship (CCC-CE-M2) that different drugs, doses, and duration of treatment have on drug-resistance traits (DCI-LS4.C-M1). Using the MaleriaMed design tool allows students to use a model to generate data to test ideas about natural systems (SEP-MOD-M7, DCI-ETS1.B-M4). Students run isolated tests to better understand how there is a systematic process for evaluating solutions (DCI-ETS1.B-M2) as they design their malaria treatment.

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that the materials embed phenomena or problems across multiple lessons for students to use and build knowledge of all three dimensions. Materials consistently use phenomena or problems to drive student learning and to engage with all three dimensions across multiple lessons. In each grade level two units, Engineering Internship, engage students in problems that are embedded across multiple lessons and the other seven units embed Anchor Phenomena at the unit level driving learning across multiple lessons. Additionally, the three dimensions are consistently used to make sense of the Anchor Phenomena and solve problems across the series. The Anchor Phenomena drive learning and use of the three dimensions within the chapters, lessons, and activities of the unit. The engineering problems drive learning and use of the three dimensions within the days and activities of the Engineering Internships.

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

• In Grade 6, Unit: Traits and Reproduction, the phenomenon is “spider offspring have different silk flexibility traits, even though they have the same parents.” Students create physical and visual models (SEP-MOD-M6) as they investigate the structure and function (CCC-SF-M1) of protein molecules to help support them as they construct explanations about gene combinations, inheritance, proteins, and traits (DCI-LS3.A-M2). In Chapter 1: Exploring Variation in Spider Silk, students investigate the variation in silk flexibility among spiders as they construct visual models (SEP-MOD-M6) to illustrate how the structure of protein molecules cause differences in traits (DCI-LS3.A-M2; CCC-SF-M1). In Chapter 2: Examining Spider Genes, students investigate the unit phenomenon by using a digital model (SEP-MOD-M6) to explain what causes Darwin’s bark spider offspring to make different silk proteins to affect variation in spider silk flexibility (DCI-LS3.A-M2; CCC-SF-M1).
• In Grade 7, Unit: Phase Changes, the phenomenon is “images taken by a space probe show that a methane lake on Titan disappeared.” In Chapter 1: Describing Phase Change at Two Scales, students investigate phase changes (DCI-PS1.A-M6) at the micro and macro scale (CCC-SPQ-M1). They use a digital simulation (SEP-MOD-M5) to test and analyze different claims about what happened on Titan. In Chapter 3: Investigating Attraction and Phase Change, students gather information to help explain the timeline for when the lake evaporated. Students use a digital model (SEP-MOD-M5) to predict whether adding or removing energy always leads to a phase change (DCI-PS1.A-M6). Students then construct a model (SEP-MOD-M3) and write an explanation for why the methane lake did not change phase until the summer was almost over.
• In Grade 8, Unit: Evolutionary History, the phenomenon is the “Mystery Fossil at the Natural History Museum has similarities with both wolves and whales.” Throughout the unit, students use digital and physical models (SEP-MOD-M5) to investigate the body structure (CCC-SF-M1) of both extinct and living species (DCI-LS4.A-M2). In Chapter 1: Finding Species Similarities, students use a digital model (SEP-MOD-M5) to discover patterns of body structures (CCC-SF-M1) in organisms as evidence of common ancestry (DCI-LS4.A-M2). In Chapter 3: Identifying Related Species, students analyze and interpret evidence (SEP-CEDS-M3) about differences in shared structures (DCI-LS4.A-M2; CCC-SF-M1) to construct an argument based on evidence about whether the mystery fossil is more closely related to wolves or whales.

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

• In Grade 7, Unit: Plate Motion Engineering Internship, the design problem is “Design a better tsunami warning system for Sri Lanka.” Students perform iterative tests and analyze data to uncover patterns (CCC-PAT-M3) about geologic activity and plate motion to predict events (DCI-ESS3.B-M1). Students submit their design for feedback and refine their designs. Students then compile all their evidence from research and tests to submit a proposal, supporting a claim (SEP-ARG-M3) about how they have optimized their design solutions.
• In Grade 6, Unit: Earth’s Changing Climate Engineering Internship, the design problem is “Design a plan to reduce the city’s climate impact using white or solar roofs on buildings citywide.” Students test and modify their roof designs (SEP-CEDS-M7, SEP-CEDS-M8) to meet the defined criteria. Throughout the unit, students identify human-caused impacts on earth's systems and the positive impacts they can have through activities and technologies (DCI-ESS3.C-M2) as they evaluate how different design decisions impact the climate (CCC-CE-M2).