6th to 8th Grade - Gateway 3

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that materials include background information to help teachers support students in using the three dimensions to explain phenomena and solve problems. Teacher resources are provided for each unit, chapter and lesson to support teachers by making explicit connections between the phenomenon or problem, the instructional activities, and the three dimensions. These teacher supports are designed to help teachers understand how phenomena and problems drive student learning of the targeted dimensions.

Examples of background information for teachers:

• The Unit Overview provides a summary of the focus for the unit, including the Anchor Phenomenon or problem, why this is important for students to understand, and how students will engage with each dimension to make sense of the phenomenon or solve the problem.
• The Unit Map outlines the phenomena or problem, the Guiding Question for each chapter, and provides a summary section of what Students Figure Out and How They Figure It Out, to support the teacher in understanding what students should understand about each phenomena or problem.
• The Science Background section provides background information about each dimension addressed in the unit and how the unit activities connect the phenomenon or problem to the SEPs, CCCs, or DCIs.
• The Chapter Overview provides a Chapter Question and Investigative Questions designed to drive the learning of the chapter. The Investigative Questions are tied to the investigative phenomena in specific lessons and activities which drive the learning within the chapter.
• The Lesson Overview provides a general description of the lesson, the Anchor Phenomenon, the Investigative Phenomenon, the Everyday Phenomenon (if present), and what students are expected to learn. The Teacher Support section associated with lessons and activities explains the pedagogical goals and provides teachers with information connecting the phenomena or problems to the targeted dimensions.
• The Activity section includes an Instructional Guide providing step-by-step instructions. Depending on the activity, it may also include a Teacher Supports section, including additional background information, pedagogical goals, and supports explaining the connections between the phenomenon or problem, the activities, and instruction.

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that materials provide guidance supporting teachers in planning and providing effective learning experiences to engage students in figuring out phenomena and solving problems. Teacher resources are provided as online and print (PDF) support to guide teachers in planning and delivering lessons. The Teacher Supports are designed to help teachers engage students in understanding phenomena and solving problems.

Each lesson is subdivided into different activities. Each Activity section includes an Instructional Guide providing step-by-step instructions and detailed instructions for enacting the activity, as well as, guidance and support for engaging students in understanding phenomena and solving problems. The amount and type of supports vary depending on the specific activity.

Examples of supports providing guidance for effective learning experiences which engage students in figuring out phenomena and solving problems:

• Prompts to help teachers explain the purpose of specific activities (e.g., Anticipation Guides, Warm-Up routines, Word Relationships Routine, Homework) to students.
• Prompts to point out the Unit Question and direct students to think about how factors contribute to the phenomena or problem associated with the question.
• Prompts or questions to help students connect specific activities or assessments to the targeted phenomenon or problem.
• Prompts or questions to help students make sense of the three dimensions related to the targeted phenomenon or problem.

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that materials contain teacher guidance with sufficient and useful annotations and suggestions for how to enact the student materials and ancillary materials. Teacher resources are provided as online and print (PDF) support and contain annotations and suggestions for enacting student materials and ancillary materials.

Each lesson is subdivided into different activities. Each Activity section includes an Instructional Guide that providing step-by-step instructions and detailed instructions for enacting the activity including teacher prompts; clarifications or explanations about procedures, technology, or content; suggestions for class discussions or key vocabulary, safety guidelines, etc. The amount and type of supports vary depending on the specific activity.

Lessons which contain embedded technology and short videos are accessible through a link in the instructional materials or an embedded video activates when it is clicked. Videos are frequently used to help students visualize phenomena not readily available for first-hand observation in the classroom. Simulations (Sim) are digital models students use to manipulate and test variables, and often serve as a primary data collection mechanism for investigations. The Instruction Guide provides step-by-step support for teachers on how to model and share the Sims, videos, and other embedded technology with students; suggestions on which variables to include for each different use of the Sim or other technology; what information or videos to project at certain points in a lesson, etc. If a school and/or teacher delivers the instructional materials completely online, students are able to submit all work electronically, submitting their answers, images, etc. into boxes on their online page.

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that materials contain explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identification of research-based strategies. Teacher support materials for each unit are provided electronically on the Unit Guide page and are also available in a downloadable PDF.

Resources providing explanations of the instructional approaches include:

• The Unit Overview describes the overall learning goals for unit, a description of why lessons are organized and structured as they are, and how lessons and activities are sequenced to build student learning across chapters within the unit.
• The Unit Map provides a trajectory of core ideas presented in each chapter and includes a description of what phenomena or challenge solutions students figure out and how they figure them out.
• The Progress Build provides a unit-specific learning progression and includes three levels of how student learning is likely to develop throughout the unit. The Progress Build guides suggested instructional adjustments and differentiation. In most cases, each level of the Progress Build corresponds to a chapter in the unit.
• The Amplify Science Program Guide is a separate resource which describes information about the program’s structure, scope and sequence, program components, connections to literacy, access and equity, and phenomena, standards, and progressions. The Amplify Science Program Guide identifies the research-based strategies used in the materials. The materials were designed with a “multi-modal literacy approach” rooted in the Lawrence Hall of Science program called Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading; this approach includes four modes described as Do, Talk, Read, and Write. This approach, with an additional fifth mode of Visualize, encompassing simulation and modeling elements, was incorporated with strategies described in A Framework for K-12 Science Education.
  

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that materials provide appropriate support, accommodations, and/or modifications for numerous special populations supporting their regular and active participation in learning science and engineering.

Examples of supports provided for each lesson:

• The Differentiation section provides a variety of strategies, depending on the particular lesson or activity, including strategies for activating knowledge, grouping strategies (based on the Progress Build), grouping strategies and routines for class discussions, writing supports such as sentence stems and oral rehearsals, potential challenges in the lessons, strategies for English learners, differentiation for students who need more support, and differentiation for students who need more challenge.
• A Glossary (accessible in English and Spanish) and a Multi-Language Glossary (accessible in Arabic, Chinese French, Haitian-Creole, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Urdu, and Vietnamese) provide definitions for key terms in the unit.
• An audio option is available for various texts students read. For example, when students gather evidence from a text in “Phases of the Moon” they have the option to listen to an audio reading of the text.

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that materials include opportunities for students to share their thinking and apply their understanding in a variety of ways. Activities are designed to allow students to use multiple modalities to share their thinking and compare their thinking with their peers or new ideas in the materials. Within each unit:

• Students share their thinking orally, through classroom discussions and oral presentations during Science Seminars.
• Students share their thinking in writing by annotating scientific text, writing scientific explanations and arguments, and responding to writing prompts.
• Students share their thinking visually by using the Modeling Tools to build visual explanations of the targeted three dimensions and using the Sorting Tools to categorize visual and written representations. Students then synthesize and share their ideas about the phenomenon they are trying to explain.

While students are able to demonstrate understanding with multiple modalities within and across units, the materials rarely provide students with a choice of multi-modal options within a single activity or lesson.

Within the Core units, the materials consistently provide opportunities for students to apply their understanding in new contexts. The first three chapters in the materials are designed to develop student sensemaking of the anchor phenomenon. The last chapter in each Core unit is designed for students to apply that learning in a new context.

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that materials include a balance of images or information about people, representing various demographic and physical characteristics. Across the series, the materials represent a balance of images of people, representing various demographic and physical characteristics within text, images, and videos. Scientists or engineers appearing throughout the series depict different genders, races, ethnicities, and other physical characteristics. Underrepresented groups are also positioned in STEM professions including women, people of varying ethnicities and cultures, and wheelchair users. The materials did not include non-binary genders or other physical characteristics (e.g., blindness, Down Syndrome).  The individuals represented are depicted in a positive manner and materials avoid stereotypes or language viewed as potentially offensive to groups of people. Additionally, the assessment items proportionately use diverse male and female names for both correct and incorrect responses.

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that materials provide opportunities for teachers to use a variety of grouping strategies. Throughout the series, students have opportunities to work in groups many times, including partner work and small group work. Scaffolds are embedded in the materials to support this work, including discussion protocols and sentence stems. Many types and opportunities to group students are available, but teacher supports and guidance on how to group students are not provided in the teacher materials, other than grouping based on the Critical Juncture Assessments.

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that materials are made accessible to students by providing appropriate supports for different reading levels. Each Lesson Guide provides differentiation strategies for students who need more support. The strategies vary based on the lesson or activities, but often include setting attainable reading goals for students, focusing on visual representations, working or reading with a small group, etc. Several different supports and strategies are consistently embedded throughout the series.

Examples of supports for students reading below grade level to access grade-band content:

• An Active Reading approach is embedded, where students annotate, highlight, and ask questions as they interact with text. Teachers are provided prompts to ask students questions and guide their understanding of the text during the Active Reading approach. Discussion opportunities are provided after each reading; teachers are prompted to support students with sentence stems.
• Readings are provided at a level appropriate for the grade-band. To support students in accessing the text, each text has an audio option to be read to students and including in-text definitions of domain-specific vocabulary.
• A Glossary (accessible in English and Spanish) and a Multi-Language Glossary (accessible in Arabic, Chinese French, Haitian-Creole, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Urdu, and Vietnamese) provide definitions for key terms in each unit.

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that the teacher materials provide a rationale for how units across the series are intentionally sequenced to build coherence and student understanding. The Amplify Science Program Guide identifies the design and suggested sequencing of the units within the series. Each grade consists of nine units, including one Launch unit, seven Core units, and two Engineering Internships. Engineering Internships are designed to follow the associated Core unit of the same name and are intended to provide students with an opportunity to apply what they have learned in the Core unit to an authentic problem. Launch units are designed to introduce students at the start of the year to essential practices (including scientific argumentation), routines, and approaches of the program. The focal CCC of the Launch routine is revisited in subsequent units.

While units are modular and can be sequenced at the discretion of individual schools or districts, a suggested sequence is provided for grades 6-8. The Phenomena, standards and progressions section of the Amplify Science Program Guide identifies the suggested sequence and details which performance expectations are the focus of each unit.  Each unit has focal and emphasized DCIs, CCCs, and SEPs intended to support explanations of the anchor phenomenon for each unit. While this information is provided for the DCIs, SEPs, and CCC, evidence of the nature of science and engineering elements from NGSS was not present.

Within each unit, the Unit Overview and Progress Build sections explain how chapters are sequenced to build student understanding of focal DCIs. Each level of Progress Build show the design and learning progressions as part of the unit, with an explanation as to why they are sequenced in the manner as depicted. The Unit Overview describes the progression of the content, the rationale behind the progression, and connections to prior materials.

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectation that the materials document how each lesson and unit align to NGSS. The Unit Overview section of the materials consistently provides documentation of how each unit and lesson align to the NGSS.

• The Standards and Goals section identifies focal performance expectations and additional performance expectations that have DCIs connected to student learning in the unit.
• The 3-D Statements section lists color-coded statements identifying each CCC, SEP, and DCI that are addressed within each unit, chapter, and lesson.

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that the materials document how each lesson and unit align to English/Language Arts and Math Common Core State Standards, including the standards for mathematical practice. The Unit Overview section of the materials consistently provide documentation of how the ELA and Math Common Core State Standards align to each unit:

• The Standards and Goals section identifies ELA Common Core State Standards addressed in the unit, including anchor and grade-specific standards for reading and writing, and anchor standards for speaking and listening, and for language.
• The Standards and Goals section identifies Math Common Core State Standards addressed in the unit, including math practices and math content.

The Lesson Brief section of the materials consistently provides documentation, when applicable, of how the ELA and Math Common Core State Standards Standards align to each lesson:

• The Standards section identifies ELA Common Core State Standards addressed in the lesson, including grade-specific standards for reading and writing, and anchor standards for speaking and listening, and for language.
• The Standards section identifies Math Common Core State Standards addressed in the lesson, including math practices and math content.

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that the resources (whether in print or digital) are clear and free of errors. Teacher and student materials are consistently clear and contain no errors in either the digital or printed versions.

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that the materials include a comprehensive list of materials needed. Lists of materials required for each unit and lesson can be found in the Materials & Preparation sections of the PDF version of the Teacher’s Guide and online resources for the unit and for each lesson. Lists provide the name of the item, the quantity needed (based on using the materials five times for a class of 40 students), and the lesson in which a specific material is used. In addition to the materials included in kits, similar lists for materials needing to be printed for students or to be display in the classroom, and a list of materials needing to be provided by the teacher in addition to those listed in the kits are included.

Along with the materials list, the Preparation at a Glance section provides information outlining the amount of preparation time to adequately prepare the materials for each lesson in the unit.  The Materials & Preparation section in the Lesson Brief of each lesson provide detailed preparation steps to complete the day before each lesson, steps to assist teachers in setting up lessons and materials, and steps to complete immediately before each lesson.

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that the materials embed clear science safety guidelines for teacher and students across the instructional materials. Safety notes are consistently found in the materials where appropriate:

• Safety Notes are displayed at the start of any activity, typically found in the Hands-On activities, requiring students to interact with materials that may present a safety concern. Each safety note is specific to the particular activity and the materials used during that activity.
• The Materials & Preparation section of the Lesson Guide includes a teacher note to “check and follow your district’s safety regulations pertaining to the use of proper safety equipment and procedures for students participating in hands-on science activities.”  Additionally, the Preparation section includes a Safety Note when applicable to a particular activity and materials used during that activity.
• The Preparation section of the The Digital Resources includes Safety Guidelines for Science Investigations. This document can be displayed digitally or physically printed and displayed in the classroom. These guidelines are used throughout the materials, when applicable.

​The instructional materials for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that the materials designated for each grade level are feasible for one school year. The pacing of individual lessons and units is appropriate and materials are viable for one school year as written. The lessons would not require significant modifications.

The Unit Overview includes a Materials & Preparation section detailing the pacing of all units and lessons. Each lesson was designed as a 45-minute session, although the materials indicate teachers can extend or shorten the time to meet their needs. Each Core unit contains 16 lessons distributed between four chapters, plus three assessment days (Pre-Unit Assessment, Critical Juncture Assessment, and End-of-Unit Assessment). The Engineering Internship units consist of ten lessons each and Launch Units consist of 11 lessons each.

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that the assessments include a variety of modalities and measures. Throughout the series, a variety of modalities and measures are utilized in the assessments to provide evidence of student understanding.

• Models and other visual representations are frequently included as hands-on activities and simulations.
• Collaborative discussion provides evidence of understanding and the exchange of ideas.
• Oral presentations provide students opportunities to argue from evidence and to construct explanations.
• Annotations of scientific text provides opportunity to assess students’ understanding of textual evidence.
• Multiple choice response and constructed response questions are used in pre-assessments and end-of-unit assessments.
• Performance tasks including scientific explanation and modeling are used throughout the sequence to measure student learning.
• Self-assessment questions allow the student to examine their own understanding.

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that the assessments offer ways for individual student progress to be measured over time. Across the grade series, the gradebook feature allows a path for the assessment and monitoring of individual student progress to be measured over time. The system of assessment in the program provides consistent and systematic opportunities to measure individual student progress over time. Each unit contains one or more of each assessment type:

• Pre-Unit Assessment (formative): Each unit contains multiple-choice questions and two rubric-scored written responses.
• On-the-Fly Assessments (formative): These three-dimensional formative assessment tasks are integrated throughout the lessons and are designed to help teachers make sense of student activity.  They are also designed to provide evidence of student understanding of the three dimensions.
• End-of-chapter assessments (formative): These are comprised of a variety of performance tasks intended to assess student progress and are administered at the end of each chapter. Examples include written scientific explanations, argumentation, developing and using models, and designing engineering solutions.
• Student Self-Assessments (formative): These are provided once per chapter and are intended for students to reflect on their own learning, ask questions, and reveal ideas about unit content.
• Critical Juncture Assessment (formative): These are included near the midpoint of each unit and are intended to help teachers differentiate instruction based on where students fall on the Progress Build. This helps ensure that all students are ready before moving to the next phase of instruction.
• Science Seminar and final written argument (formative and summative components): This is a culminating performance task for each core unit. Students collect and analyze evidence of different claims, then engage in a full-class discussion to support their claim about a real-world problem. After the seminar, students individually write their final scientific argument, rubrics, scoring guides, and examples of student responses at each scoring level are provided to teachers to support the assessment of students’ understanding of concepts and specific practices.
• End-of-Unit Assessment (summative): Each unit contains multiple-choice questions and two rubric-scored written responses, identical to those in the Pre-Unit Assessment.
• 3-D Investigation Assessments (summative): These are embedded in one unit at each grade level to provide students an opportunity to plan and conduct their own investigation of a phenomenon. Assessment guidance and rubrics for scoring student work are provided. These assessments are found in Thermal Energy; Ocean, Atmosphere, and Climate; Populations and Resources; and Force and Motion units.

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that the materials provide opportunities and guidance for oral and/or written peer and teacher feedback and self-reflection, resulting in students being able to monitor and move their own learning. Throughout the series, there are multiple opportunities for student self-reflection, peer assessment, and teacher feedback, including:

• On-the-Fly Assessments are integrated throughout the lessons and are designed to help provide evidence of student understanding of the three dimensions. Often they contain discussion questions for students to monitor and reflect on their own learning.
• End-of-Chapter Assessments are comprised of a variety of performance tasks intended to assess student progress. Examples include written scientific explanations, argumentation, developing and using models, and designing engineering solutions.
• Student Self-Assessments are provided in each chapter and are intended for students to reflect on their own learning, ask questions, and reveal their ideas about unit content.
• Science Seminar and a final written argument (formative and summative components) are provided once in each core unit. Students collect and analyze evidence and different claims, then engage in a full-class discussion to support their claim about a real-world problem. This helps students reflect on their own learning and provide peer feedback. After the seminar, students individually write their final scientific argument.
• 3-D Investigation Assessments are embedded in one unit at each grade level to provide students an opportunity to plan and conduct their own investigation of a phenomenon. Assessment guidance and rubrics are provided.

In many cases, these assessments encourage student-to-student discussion. Revising Claims with New Evidence components of lessons allow students to exchange and evaluate their own and peers’ ideas. Periodic self-assessment using reflection questions, most frequently occurs near the end of an instructional sequence.

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that tools are provided for scoring assessment items (e.g., sample student responses, rubrics, scoring guidelines, and open-ended feedback). Throughout the series, tools are provided to assist use of assessments to gauge student understanding.  Within the Unit Guide, the Suggestions for Assigning Grades to Student Work section, makes recommendations regarding how to assign grades to student work.

Tools are provided for scoring the following assessment types within the series:

• Pre-Unit Assessment (formative): Each multiple-choice question is correlated to the associated level on the Progress Build. Explanations of correct responses, rubrics for scoring the written responses, and guidance for interpreting student scores are provided in the Pre-Unit Assessment Answer Key and Scoring Guide that is provided in the digital materials.
• On-the-Fly Assessments (formative): These formative assessment tasks are integrated throughout the lessons and are designed to help teachers make sense of student activity and provide evidence of student understanding of the three dimensions. Each assessment contains Look for and Now what? guidance sections for teachers.
• End-of-chapter assessments (formative): These performance tasks include written scientific explanations, argumentation, developing and using models, and designing engineering solutions. They are administered at the end of each chapter. The teacher materials provide possible student responses.
• Student Self-Assessments (formative): These are provided once per chapter and are intended for students to reflect on their own learning, ask questions, and reveal ideas about unit content. Possible student answers are provided when applicable.
• Critical Juncture Assessment (formative): These are included near the midpoint of each unit and are intended to help teachers differentiate instruction based on where students fall on the Progress Build. Explanations of correct responses, rubrics for scoring the written responses, and guidance for interpreting student scores are provided in the Critical Juncture Assessment Answer Key and Scoring Guide included in the digital materials.
• Science Seminar and final written argument (formative and summative components): This is a culminating performance task for each core unit. Students collect and analyze evidence and different claims, then engage in a full-class discussion to support their claim about a real-world problem. After the seminar, students individually write their final scientific argument, rubrics, scoring guides, and examples of student responses at each scoring level are provided in the Rubrics for Assessing Students’ Final Written Arguments that is provided in the digital materials.
• End-of-Unit Assessment (summative): Each unit contains multiple-choice questions and two rubric-scored written responses, identical to those in the Pre-Unit Assessment. Explanations of correct responses, rubrics for scoring the written responses, and guidance for interpreting student scores are provided in the End-of-Unit Assessment Answer Key and Scoring Guide provided in the digital materials.
• 3-D Investigation Assessments (summative): These are embedded in one unit at each grade level to provide students an opportunity to plan and conduct their own investigation of a phenomenon. Assessment guidance, rubrics for scoring student work, and possible feedback, are provided in the Rubrics for Assessing Students’ Investigations document that is found in the digital materials.

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that guidance is provided for interpreting the range of student understanding (e.g., determining what high and low scores mean for students) for relevant science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas.

Guidance is provided for interpreting student understanding measured by these assessment types within the series:

• Pre-Unit Assessment (formative): Guidance for interpreting student scores are provided in the Pre-Unit Assessment Answer Key and Scoring Guide. This guidance primarily focuses on interpreting student understanding of the DCIs and CCCs.
• On-the-Fly Assessments (formative): Each assessment contains Look For and Now What? guidance sections for teachers focusing on interpreting student responses and providing feedback on student use of the DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs.
• End-of-chapter assessments (formative): These performance tasks include written scientific explanations, argumentation, developing and using models, and designing engineering solutions.  They are administered at the end of each chapter. The teacher materials provide possible student responses focused on how students use SEPs to make sense of the targeted DCIs.
• Critical Juncture Assessment (formative): This assessment helps teachers differentiate instruction based on where students fall on the Progress Build. Explanations of correct responses, rubrics for scoring the written responses, and guidance for interpreting student scores are provided in the Critical Juncture Assessment Answer Key and Scoring Guide located within the digital materials.The interpretation in the rubric applies to the SEPs, CCC, and DCIs within the targeted learning sequence.
• Science Seminar and Final Written Argument (formative and summative components): Rubrics, scoring guides, and examples of student responses at each scoring level are provided in the Rubrics for Assessing Students’ Final Written Arguments. The rubric focuses on student understanding of targeted DCIs, CCCs, and the SEP of constructing arguments.
• End-of-Unit Assessment (summative): Guidance for interpreting student scores are provided in the End-of-Unit Assessment Answer Key and Scoring Guide. This guidance primarily focuses on interpreting student understanding of the DCIs and CCCs.
• 3-D Investigation Assessments (summative): Guidance for interpreting student scores are provided in the Rubrics for Assessing Students’ Investigations. This guidance primarily focuses on interpreting student understanding of and providing feedback for each of the targeted SEPs and CCCs.

​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet expectations that the assessments are accessible to diverse learners regardless of gender identification, language, learning exceptionality, race/ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. The assessments are neutral in the areas of gender identification, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Assessments are free of bias and are accessible to diverse learners.