Amplify Science

​The instructional materials reviewed for Amplify Science Grades 6-8 meet expectations for Alignment to NGSS, Gateways 1 and 2. In Gateway 1, the instructional materials incorporate and integrate the three dimensions and incorporate three-dimensional assessments for and of student learning. The materials also incorporate phenomena and problems that connect to grade-band appropriate DCIs, present phenomena and problems as directly as possible, and consistently include phenomena and problems that drive student learning and use of the three dimensions within and across lessons. Further, the materials elicit, but do not leverage, student prior knowledge and expertise related to phenomena and problems. In Gateway 2, the instructional materials ensure students are aware of how the dimensions connect from unit to unit, incorporate a suggested sequence for the series, and incorporate student tasks related to understanding and explaining phenomena that increase in sophistication across the series. The materials incorporate scientifically accurate use of the three dimensions. Further, the materials include all components and related elements of the DCIs for physical science, life science, and engineering, technology, and applications of science; the earth and space science DCIs are mostly included, with one element missing. The materials include all SEPs and nearly all elements, except are missing four elements of Asking Questions and Defining problems and are missing one element from both Analyzing and Interpreting Data and Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking. The materials include all CCCs and nearly all elements, except are missing one element from Scale, Proportion, and Quantity. Additionally, the materials incorporate multiple instances of nature of science connections to SEPs and DCIs and engineering connections to CCCs.