stdClass Object
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    [id] => 123
    [title] => Bring Science Alive! Discipline Program
    [grades_description] => Grades 6-8
    [subject] => Science
    [publisher] => Teachers' Curriculum Institute
    [edition] => 2018
)
1                                            Array
(
    [title] => Bring Science Alive! Discipline Program
    [url] => https://www.edreports.org//Bring-Science-Alive-Middle-School-Science/sixth-to-eighth.html
    [grade] => Sixth to Eighth
    [type] => science-6-8
    [gw_1] => Array
        (
            [score] => 8
            [rating] => does-not-meet
        )

    [gw_2] => Array
        (
            [score] => 0
            [rating] => did-not-review
        )

    [gw_3] => Array
        (
            [score] => 0
            [rating] => did-not-review
        )

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    [version] => 2.2.0
    [id] => 575
    [title] => TeachTCI Discipline-Specific
    [report_date] => 2019-02-28
    [date_updated] => 2019-02-27 21:26:45
    [grade_taxonomy_id] => 61
    [subject_taxonomy_id] => 59
    [reviewed_date] => 2019-02-28
    [revised_date] => 2019-02-28
    [gateway_1_points] => 8
    [gateway_1_rating] => does-not-meet
    [gateway_1_report] => 
​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations for Designed for NGSS, Gateway 1. In Gateway 1, the instructional materials do not meet expectations for three-dimensional learning and phenomena and problems drive learning.
    [gateway_2_rating] => did-not-review
    [gateway_3_rating] => did-not-review
    [meta_title] => Bring Science Alive! Discipline Program
    [meta_description] => Read the EdReports.org review of the instructional materials for Grades 6-8 of Bring Science Alive! Discipline Program.
    [report_type] => science-6-8
    [series_id] => 123
    [report_url] => https://www.edreports.org//Bring-Science-Alive-Middle-School-Science/sixth-to-eighth.html
    [gateway_2_no_review_copy] => Materials were not reviewed for Gateway Two because materials did not meet or partially meet expectations for Gateway One
    [gateway_3_no_review_copy] => This material was not reviewed for Gateway Three because it did not meet expectations for Gateways One and Two
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                    [code] => component-1
                    [type] => component
                    [report] => 
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            [1] => stdClass Object
                (
                    [code] => 1a1c
                    [type] => criterion
                    [report] => 
​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations for Criterion 1a-1c: Three-Dimensional Learning. The materials include opportunities for students to learn and use three dimensions, but not consistently throughout the materials. A few instances where the materials provide opportunities for students to understand and use the SEPs to make sense of the DCIs is evident, but the materials do not consistently present these opportunities. Further, there are many instances where students do not understand and use an SEP or a CCC for sensemaking with the other dimensions. Across the series, lesson objectives are consistently provided but the formative assessment tasks are not designed to reveal student understanding of the three dimensions related to the learning objectives and the materials do not provide support or guidance for teachers to adjust instruction based on student responses. Additionally, the materials consistently provide three-dimensional learning objectives or performance expectations for the units, but the summative tasks consistently do not completely measure student achievement of the targeted three-dimensional learning objectives for the unit.
                )

            [2] => stdClass Object
                (
                    [code] => 1a
                    [type] => indicator
                )

            [3] => stdClass Object
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                    [code] => 1a.i
                    [type] => indicator
                    [points] => 2
                    [rating] => partially-meets
                    [report] => 
The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 partially meet expectations that they consistently integrate the science and engineering practices (SEPs), disciplinary core ideas (DCIs), and crosscutting concepts (CCCs) into student learning opportunities. Throughout the series, some learning sequences integrate SEPs, CCCs, and DCIs in student learning opportunities, while others do not consistently integrate the CCCs.
Units within the program are organized into discipline-specific modules for life, physical, and earth and space sciences. Each unit contains two to four lessons, with each lesson including one or more investigations. In some lessons, students engage in three-dimensional learning that integrates SEPs, CCCs, and DCIs within an investigation. The remaining investigations are frequently two-dimensional with the SEPs and DCIs integrated. However, the CCCs are not consistently integrated into lessons across the series. Further, there are instances where the Engineering Challenges do not require students to use or connect DCIs in physical, earth and space, or life science as students develop solutions to the proposed problems.
Examples where materials integrate the three dimensions in student learning opportunities: 
In Module: Adaptations, Unit 1: History of Life on Earth, Lesson 1: Earth’s History, Investigation 1, students determine how fossils in rock strata provide evidence for how environments changed over time. Students analyze and interpret provided fossil data (SEP-DATA-M4) to create a physical model of a study site (SEP-MOD-M5). Using the physical model, students explain how the fossils in rock strata provide evidence for how the environment in a specific area, such as the Sonoran Desert, changed over time (DCI-ESS1.C-M1, CCC-SC-M1).
In Module: Planet Earth, Unit 3: Earth Processes Through Geologic Time, Lesson 7: Investigating Rock Strata, students analyze patterns (CCC-PAT-M4) in model rock strata by taking core samples from a clay model they  created (SEP-MOD-M5); they change their model to simulate lava flows and plate tectonics. Students take samples across an area and make inferences about the sequence of past events based on relative dating of these past events (DCI-ESS1.C-M1).
In Module: Space, Unit 2: The Solar System, Lesson 7: The Outer Solar System, Investigation 1, students organize their scaled planet data (DCI-ESS1.B-M1) along a spectrum, in a t-chart, and in several different graphical displays. Students look for similarities and differences in the data within and between the different organizations to classify the planets (SEP-DATA-M7). Students use the patterns identified in their data (CCC-PAT-M4) to choose one classification system (SEP-ARG-M3) to propose to a fictitious International Astronomical Union general assembly; students use the patterns as evidence to justify their proposed system.
Examples where materials do not integrate the three dimensions in student learning opportunities: 
In Module: Matter, Unit 1: The Composition of Matter, Lesson 3: Substances and Their Properties, students measure and record the mass and volume of objects (SEP-INV-M4) and calculate density. This is used to recognize different properties that can be used to identify substances (DCI-PS1.A-M2). Students do not engage with a CCC as they investigate why a can of diet soda floats higher than a can of regular soda and develop a claim about whether heavier objects sink and lighter objects float.
In Module: Space, Unit 1: The Earth-Sun-Moon System, Lesson 4: Eclipses, students use their bodies, yarn, and a light bulb to model the Earth-Sun-Moon system during a lunar eclipse and then a solar eclipse (SEP-MOD-M5, DCI-ESS1.B-M2). Students create a physical model of the moon’s orbital plane using a foam ball and toy hoop to explain what causes eclipses and why they are rare. Students then develop their own physical model to help  answer questions about eclipses. They also use their model to investigate apparent sizes of the moon and sun as seen from earth (SEP-MOD-M7, DCI-ESS1.A-M1). Students do not directly engage with a CCC as they develop understanding of eclipses.
In Module: Cells and Genetics, Unit 1: Traits, Lesson 1: Traits for Survival, students watch a video about Madagascar and read information about eight different plants or animals found in Madagascar (SEP-INFO-M1). Students identify traits that each organism has that allows it survive in its environment (DCI-LS1.A-E1). Students research a different organism living in Madagascar, present their findings on their organism’s environment and specialized traits (SEP-INFO-M1). Students do not directly engage with a CCC as they research this elementary DCI.
In Module: Adaptations, Unit 1: History of Life on Earth, Engineering Challenge: Designing a Fossil Extraction Toolset, students construct a model of the rock-filled fossil then choose tools from provided materials; tool selection is based upon identified criteria and constraints. Students explain the protocols for using their tools and identify the structure and function of the tools (CCC-SF-M2). Students test, evaluate, and determine ways to optimize their first design (DCI-ETS1.B-M1, DCI-ETS1.C-M2). Students evaluate their original and revised solutions based on how well each solution meet the criteria and constraints (SEP-ARG-M5). Students are not required to understand and connect the content DCI of understanding evidence for common ancestry (DCI-LS4.A) to solve the problem of extracting rock from a velociraptor fossil eye socket. 
In Module: Space, Unit 3: The Solar System and Beyond, Engineering Challenge: Engineering a Dampening Device, students design a dampening device to protect a camera from damage as it is launched into space. Students identify criteria and constraints before developing a prototype (SEP-MOD-M7); they note the function of each part of the device (CCC-SF-M2) and identify points of failure as they test their prototypes (DCI-ETS1.C-M2). Students are not required to connect understanding of any earth and space science DCIs to solve the problem of collecting video footage in space.  
                )

            [4] => stdClass Object
                (
                    [code] => 1a.ii
                    [type] => indicator
                    [points] => 0
                    [rating] => does-not-meet
                    [report] => 
​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations that materials consistently support meaningful student sensemaking with the three dimensions. Materials are not designed for SEPs and CCCs to meaningfully support student sensemaking with the other dimensions.
Lessons are designed to frequently include all three dimensions, but students do not use one or more dimensions to understand and use the other dimensions to support their sensemaking in nearly all learning sequences. Although the SEPs and CCCs are present and connect to DCIs in many lessons, students often do not use these dimensions to make sense of DCIs or meaningfully support sensemaking with the other dimensions. When students have opportunities to use two dimensions together, students generally use the SEPs to understand and apply the DCIs. 
Examples where the materials are designed for students to understand and apply SEPs to meaningfully support student sensemaking with the other dimensions:
In Module: Forces of Energy, Unit 1: Forces, Lesson 1: Describing Motion, Investigation 2, students plan and carry out an investigation (SEP-INV-M1) to show different ways to move at the same rate (DCI-PS2.A-M3, CCC-SPQ-M3). To determine how many ways students can move at a specific velocity, students identify variables that can be changed and controlled, conduct a trial for each team member, and collect data to show different ways to move at the same rate. While the investigation is used to make sense of the DCI, students do not use the CCC to understand and apply the other two dimensions.
In Module: Adaptations, Unit 2: The Evolution of Life, Lesson 3: Darwin’s Theory of Evolution Through Natural Selection, students model four types of beaks and their ability to compete with the other beak types as they pick up different types of food (SEP-MOD-M5). Students use what they learn from the investigation to explain variation in the finch population and explain Darwin’s hypothesis that all finch species on the Galapagos Islands share a common ancestor (DCI-LS4.B-M1). While the model is used by students to make sense of the DCI, students are not using the CCC (CCC-CE-M3) to understand and apply Darwin’s hypothesis.
Examples where the materials are not designed for students to understand and apply SEPs and CCCs to meaningfully support student sensemaking with the other dimensions:
In Module: Cells and Genetics, Unit 1: Traits, Engineering Design Challenge: Designing a Seed Dispersal Device, students research plant seed dispersal mechanisms and structures of different seeds (SEP-AQDP-M4, CCC-SF-M2). Students define constraints of the design task (ENG-ETS1.A-M1) using their research on seed types. Students develop, test, and revise seed dispersal prototypes to optimize dispersal performance (ENG-ETS1.C-M1, ENG-ETS1.B-M3). While students use understanding of the life science DCI to inform their design, the design challenge does not require students to apply understanding of why plants have specialized features for reproduction (DCI-LS1.B-M3). Additionally, students review the structures of several types of seeds to determine how they function, but the CCC is not incorporated in a manner that helps students figure out why plants have these adaptations. 
In Module: Weather and Climate, Unit 1: The Atmosphere and Energy, Lesson 1: Earth’s Atmosphere, students collect data to create a scale model (SEP-MOD-M5) of earth’s atmosphere, including altitude, temperature, density, and the boundaries between the five layers of the atmosphere (CCC-SYS-M2, DCI-ESS2.D-M1). Although students use a model to represent a system, they copy collected data onto their scale model rather than making sense of the inputs, outputs, processes, or matter and energy flows within a system. Students do not use this model of the atmosphere to understand the affects the layers of the atmosphere have on weather.
In Module: Matter, Unit 3: Chemical Reactions, Lesson 9: Chemical Engineering and Society, students learn how to evaluate sources of information when reading about different synthetic materials and determine what properties make synthetic materials useful to manufacture. Students read and evaluate three different sources, each provides information about sodium lauryl sulfate, a common synthetic chemical added to toothpaste, shampoo, and soap. While the content of this lesson links to describing that synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society, the lesson focus is on evaluating competing information in science and technical texts (SEP-INFO-M3). The lesson does not help students understand the atomic structures of molecules (DCI-PS1.A-M1) or apply their understanding to how atomic arrangement leads to the function of the molecule (CCC-SF-M2).
In Module: Weather and Climate, Unit 3: Climate, Engineering Challenge: Designing a Microclimate, students design a growth system capable of maintaining a microclimate that is able to grow a vegetable not found in the students’ local environment. As students develop their microclimate, they identify criteria and constraints, then develop and test their designs before describing how they can modify their designs (DCI-ETS1.B-M2). While students engage in multiple SEPs as they work on their designs, neither the SEPs nor CCCs are used by students to understand or apply interactions affecting climate, weather, and oceanic and atmospheric flow patterns (DCI-ESS2.D-M1).
                )

            [5] => stdClass Object
                (
                    [code] => 1b
                    [type] => indicator
                    [points] => 0
                    [rating] => does-not-meet
                    [report] => 
​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations that they are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence for the three-dimensional learning in the instructional materials. Across the series, lesson objectives are provided through an Objectives button, but are not consistently three-dimensional and learning tasks associated with the objectives do not consistently reveal student knowledge and use of the three dimensions. Further, there is no guidance or support for teachers to use information from the formative assessment tasks to inform the instructional process. 
The formative assessment tasks include classroom discussions, investigation tasks, engineering challenges, student notebook entries, and lesson games. Vocabulary Cards and the Lesson Game can be used to check student understanding of key terms and concepts within the lesson and typically assess student understanding of the DCI or assess knowledge, but not use, of an SEP or CCC. For example, students may be asked why models are important, but the questions and tasks do not reveal understanding of the entire objective related to modeling, such as to reveal how students are able to develop their own models. Lesson Games provide students with two opportunities to incorrectly answer a multiple choice question before providing the correct answer. No guidance is provided to the student as to why an answer is incorrect. While the Gradebook allows teachers to track questions and student responses, the materials do not provide guidance on how to use this evidence elicited from formative assessment tasks to support instruction. The wrap-up questions delivered as whole-group instruction, do not provide guidance or support for teachers to address misconceptions or provide feedback to each student. Lesson Support buttons inserted within various parts of a lesson typically direct teachers to previous slides, videos, or text, rather than providing new ways of approaching or explaining the content.
Examples where materials do not reveal student knowledge and use of the three dimensions supporting three-dimensional learning objectives and assessment tasks do not support the instructional process:
In Module: Cells and Genetics, Unit 2: Bodies, Lesson 3: Interacting Body Systems, lesson objectives are not provided. The lesson objectives are: “identify internal organs and body systems”, “create a model of human body systems”, “explain how body systems interact”, and “gather information from a variety of sources to diagnose a patient and explain the cause of the symptoms.” While these objectives appear to build towards three-dimensional objectives of the larger learning sequence, student use of the SEPs are often prescriptive and assessments do not reveal student knowledge and skill related to all three dimensions for these objectives. The materials consistently provide an answer key for teachers but do not provide additional teacher guidance to support instruction for students who did not correctly answer the questions.
In Module: Space, Unit 3: The Solar System and Beyond, Lesson 8: Formation of the Solar System, lesson objectives are provided. The lesson objectives are: “explore modeling gravity in the formation of the solar system”, “critique and modify video models of processes in the solar system formation”, and “develop a flipbook describing the formation of the solar system including patterns in solar system formation.” While these objectives appear to build towards three-dimensional objectives of the larger learning sequence, student use of the SEPs are often prescriptive and assessments do not reveal student knowledge and skill related to all three dimensions for these objectives. The materials consistently provide an answer key for teachers but do not provide additional teacher guidance to support instruction for students who did not correctly answer the questions. 
In Module: Waves, Unit 1: Mechanical Waves, Lesson 3: Wave Energy, lesson objectives are provided. The lesson objectives are: “using data from wave energy converters, determine the relationship between wave amplitude and energy produced”, “graph data on wave amplitude and energy and identify the mathematical relationship between the variables, which can be expressed using an algebraic equation”, and “use logic and patterns in ratio reasoning to predict the mathematical relationship between wave frequency and energy.” While these objectives appear to build towards three-dimensional objectives of the larger learning sequence, student use of the SEPs are often prescriptive and assessments do not reveal student knowledge and skill related to all three dimensions for these objectives. The materials consistently provide an answer key for teachers but do not provide additional teacher guidance to support instruction for students who did not correctly answer the questions.
In Module: Weather and Climate, Weather and Climate, Unit 2: Weather, Lesson 4: Air Pressure and Wind, lesson objectives are provided. The lesson objectives are: “develop a model of air pressure that helps to explain wind”, “build a device to measure air pressure changes in the atmosphere and use it to collect data”, and “tie quantitative data acquired using instruments to the real world qualitative experience of weather.” While these objectives appear to build towards three-dimensional objectives of the larger learning sequence, student use of the SEPs are often prescriptive and assessments do not reveal student knowledge and skill related to all three dimensions for these objectives. The materials consistently provide an answer key for teachers but do not provide additional teacher guidance to support instruction for students who did not correctly answer the questions.
In Module: Planet Earth, Unit 4: Earth’s Natural Hazards, Lesson 9: Volcanic Eruptions and Earthquakes, lesson objectives are provided. The lesson objectives are: “identify locations of earthquakes and volcanoes by analyzing patterns in tables”, “use patterns on maps and an understanding of magnitude and frequency to identify areas of earthquake and volcanic risk”, and “create bridge designs developed to mitigate the risks posed by earthquakes.” While these objectives appear to build towards three-dimensional objectives of the larger learning sequence, student use of the SEPs are often prescriptive and assessments do not reveal student knowledge and skill related to all three dimensions for these objectives. The materials consistently provide an answer key for teachers but do not provide additional teacher guidance to support instruction for students who did not correctly answer the questions.  
                )

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                    [type] => indicator
                    [points] => 2
                    [rating] => partially-meets
                    [report] => 
​The instructional materials reviewed for  Grades 6-8 partially meet expectations that they are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence of the three-dimensional learning in the instructional materials. The materials consistently include summative tasks at the end of every unit, however, the summative tasks do not consistently measure the targeted three-dimensional learning objectives for the unit.
Three-dimensional learning objectives for students are not clearly identified for all units. Therefore, the Performance Expectations for the unit are assumed to be the learning objectives. Units consistently list multiple performance expectations and the corresponding Performance Assessments frequently list a subset of the unit performance expectations. While the Performance Assessments are aligned to grade-band performance expectations, they do not consistently measure all targeted performance expectations of a unit. Physical science units are more consistent in assessing all non-engineering objectives with the Performance Assessment; life science units are less consistent in completely assessing all objectives.
Materials provide additional opportunities to assess learning by providing lesson-level multiple choice and constructed-response tests and assessment banks. Test banks are included at the end of each lesson, are specific to each lesson, and are not designed to be the primary mechanism for assessing student learning across the unit. Additionally engineering design PEs are more consistently assessed through Engineering Challenges at the lesson level.
Examples of assessments not addressing the targeted three-dimensional learning objectives:
In Module: Cells and Genetics: Unit 1: Traits, Performance Assessment: Planning a Trait Trek to Madagascar, the prompt is intended to assess one performance expectation (PE-MS-LS1-4). The provided rubric identifies a proficient response as using evidence and reasoning from information students have gathered (SEP-ARG-M4, SEP-INV-M5), to support an explanation for how each trait is important for survival or reproduction. Proficient responses also include a description of the cause and effect relationship between the trait and the increased probability of survival or reproduction (CCC-CE-M2, LS1.B-M2). The assessment does not assess the remaining four targeted performance expectations for the unit (PE-MS-ETS1-1, PE-MS-ETS1-3, PE-MS-ETS1-4, PE-MS-LS1-5). 
In Module: Cells and Genetics, Unit 3: Cells, Performance Assessment: Modeling Synthetic Cells, the prompt is intended to assess two performance expectations (PE-MS-LS1-1, PE-MS-LS1-2). The provided rubric identifies proficient students as having planned an investigation to discover if a structure is a living or non-living thing, including how cells will be observed at a different scale in the investigation. The task does not measure student achievement of one targeted SEP (SEP-INV-M2) and a focus DCI (DCI-LS1.A-M1); the student task to create a clay model of a cell is aligned to an SEP below the middle school grade band (SEP-MOD-E4). This Performance Assessment does not fully address all components of the two targeted performance expectations for this unit. 
In Module: Adaptations, Unit 2: The Evolution of Life, Performance Assessment: Evolutionary History of Whales, the prompt is intended to assess five performance expectations (PE-MS-LS3-1, PE-MS-LS4-2, PE-MS-LS4-3, PE-MS-LS4-4, PE-MS-LS4-6). The provided rubric identifies a proficient response as analyzing data (SEP-DATA-M1) to answer questions, including developing models of how changes have occurred in the whale population over time (SEP-MOD-E4), and constructing an evidence-based explanation (SEP-CEDS-M4) for why whales have lungs and other land mammal features. A proficient explanation is described as being supported by identifying patterns (CCC-PAT-M3) in genetic changes in populations (DCI-LS3.B-M2), fossil comparisons (DCI-LS4.C-M1), embryological development (DCI-LS4.A-M3), and anatomical comparisons to modern organisms (DCI-LS4.A-M2, DCI-LS4.B-M1). Proficiency is determined, in terms of cause and effect relationships between the structures that help organisms survive and an increase in displaying the trait over time (CCC-CE-M3, CCC-SF-M1). The rubric for the assessment identifies the targeted SEP of modeling at the elementary level, however, the other SEPs assessed are grade-band appropriate. The assessment task does not provide an opportunity to assess two of the targeted performance expectations for the unit (PE-MS-ETS1-3, PE-MS-ETS1-4) and partially assesses PE-MS-LS3-1.
In Module: Forces and Energy, Unit 3: Kinetic and Potential Energy, Performance Assessment: Analyzing a Chain Reaction Machine, the prompt is intended to assess three performance expectations (PE-MS-PS3-1, PE-MS-PS3-2, PE-MS-PS3-5). The provided rubric identifies a proficient response as comparing graphs of kinetic energy versus mass, comparing kinetic energy versus speed, and identifying proportional relationships (DCI-PS3.A-M1, CCC-SPQ-M3, SEP-MATH-M2, SEP-DATA-M1). Students who develop proficient models include labeled diagrams of high and low gravitational potential, magnetic potential energy, and an explanation showing an understanding that force can cause energy to be transferred to or from an object (CCC-SYS-M2, CCC-EM-M3, SEP-MOD-M6). Students describe another energy transformation that can be added and compare energy transformations in a video (DCI-PS3.C-M1, CCC-EM-M3). The assessment does not assess the remaining three targeted performance expectations for the unit (PE-MS-ETS1-1, PE-MS-ETS1-2, PE-MS-ETS1-4). 
In Module: Space, Unit 1: The Solar System, Performance Assessment: Classifying Planets, the prompt is intended to assess one performance expectation (PE-MS-ESS1-3). The provided rubric identifies a proficient response as identifying similarities and differences in orbital radii, masses, compositions, sizes, surfaces, and moons of objects in the solar system (DCI-ESS1.B-M1), but doesn’t address gravitational pull. Students who develop proficient models choose a classification scheme and support it with evidence (SEP-ARG-E4), including data on the similarities and differences in the properties and identify which properties and spatial data are represented in the classification system (CCC-SPQ-M1). This assessment does not assess the remaining four targeted performance expectations for the unit (PE-MS-ESS1-2, PE-MS-ETS1-1, PE-MS-ETS1-2, PE-MS-ETS1-3). 
                )

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                    [type] => criterion
                    [report] => 
​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations for Criterion 1d-1i: Phenomena and Problems Drive Learning. The materials incorporate phenomena consistently connected to grade-band appropriate DCIs, but the materials do not consistently present problems in a way allowing students to engage with physical, earth and space, and/or life science DCIs. The materials present phenomena and/or problems to students as directly as possible in multiple instances, but not consistently across the series. The materials provide multiple lessons across the series using problems (Engineering Challenges) to drive student learning, but phenomena do not consistently drive student learning and use of the three dimensions in lessons or activities. The materials provide information regarding how phenomena and problems are present, with students expected to solve problems in 17% of the lessons and explain phenomena in 59% of the lessons. The materials consistently elicit students’ prior knowledge but do not support teachers to use student responses to modify instruction. The materials incorporate few units using phenomena to drive student learning across multiple lessons.
                )

            [8] => stdClass Object
                (
                    [code] => 1d
                    [type] => indicator
                    [points] => 1
                    [rating] => partially-meets
                    [report] => 
The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 partially meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems are connected to grade-band disciplinary core ideas (DCIs). Materials consistently connect phenomena to grade-band appropriate DCIs and their elements, however few problems across the series are connected to grade-band DCIs or their elements. Within each module, problems are presented to students in one or more Engineering Challenges. Some of these challenges miss opportunities to engage students in science-focused learning, often only incorporating engineering DCIs and not including grade-band appropriate, science-specific DCIs (physical, life, and earth and space sciences).
Examples of phenomena and problems connected to grade-band DCIs:
In Module: Planet Earth, Unit 3: Earth Processes through Geologic Time, Lesson 7: Investigating Rock Strata, the phenomenon is rock layers at the bottom of the Grand Canyon are much older than those found at the top of the Grand Canyon. This phenomenon is used to help students understand how the geologic time scale interpreted from rock strata provides a way to organize earth’s history. Throughout the lesson, students use clay models to analyze rock strata and the effects of erosion and volcanic activity on their model rock strata. They also use index fossils to identify relative ages of rock strata to develop an understanding of how rock strata provides a way to organize earth’s history (DCI-ESS1.C-M1).
In Module: Forces and Energy, Unit 1: Forces, Lesson 1: Describing Motion, the phenomenon is presented for students to imagine looking outside the window while sitting in a train alongside other trains, and being unsure about which train is moving. This phenomenon is used to help students understand frames of reference and relative motion. Throughout the lesson, students describe and identify frames of reference and measure positions and motions of objects to develop an understanding that positions of objects and the directions of forces and motions must be described in an arbitrarily chosen reference frame and shared with other people (DCI-PS2.A-M3).
In Module: Adaptations, Unit 3: Human Impacts on Evolution, Lesson: 9: Human Population and Global Change, the phenomenon is the Aral Sea shrunk to a quarter of its size in only 50 years. This phenomenon is used to help students understand how the increases in human population and per capita consumption of natural resources can have negative impacts on earth without activities or technologies to mitigate those effects. Throughout the lesson, students model the effects of increased human population on a particular environment and examine case studies of the impacts of human induced environmental changes on a number of different organisms to develop an understanding of how increases in human population and per capita consumption can change a particular environment, affecting the organisms that live there (DCI-ESS3.C-M2).
In Module: Matter, Unit 3: Chemical Reactions, Engineering Challenge: Design a Hot Pack, students are introduced to the problem of needing a device that releases thermal energy, such as a hot pack. This problem is used to help students understand how some chemical reactions release energy. Students work in small groups to design and test their hot pack by using their understanding of chemical reactions and the release of energy (DCI-PS1.B-M3). 
Examples of problems  not connected to grade-band DCIs:
In Module: Adaptations, Unit 1, Engineering Challenge: Designing a Fossil Extraction Toolset, the problem is addressed by students engaging in a challenge to extract rock from a velociraptor fossil eye socket at a dig site. Students construct a model of the rock-filled fossil then choose tools from provided materials. They test and evaluate their designs to determine ways to optimize their first design (DCI-ETS1.B-M1, DCI-ETS1.C-M2). This problem does not connect to evidence for common ancestry (DCI-LS4.A), the focus of the unit.
In Module: Space, Unit 3, Engineering Challenge: Engineering a Dampening Device, the problem is addressed by students engaging in a challenge around collecting video footage in space. Students design a dampening device to help protect a camera from being damaged as it is launched into space. Students develop a prototype for their dampening devices, then identify any points of failure as they test their prototypes for purposes of improving their models (DCI-ETS1.B-M4, DCI-ETS1.C-M2). This problem does not connect to grade-band appropriate earth and space science DCIs (DCI-ESS1.B-M1), the focus of the unit. 
In Module: Space, Unit 2: The Solar System, Engineering Challenge: Landing on Mars, the problem is addressed by students engaging in a challenge to design a model vehicle to allow an astronaut to land safely on Mars. Students design a model vehicle that will allow an astronaut to land safely on Mars. Using a cup and ball as a model for their vehicle and astronaut, students develop a prototype for testing their Mars landing and collect data in order to improve their design. This problem does not connect to a grade-band appropriate DCI related to earth and the solar system (DCI-ESS1.B), the focus of the unit.​
                )

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                    [code] => 1e
                    [type] => indicator
                    [points] => 1
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The instructional materials reviewed for  Grades 6-8 partially meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems in the series are presented to students as directly as possible. Materials present phenomena and/or problems to students as directly as possible in multiple instances across the series, but not consistently. Anchoring Phenomena for each unit are presented to students as video clips, with some Anchoring Phenomena also including photographs. Phenomena at the lesson level are mostly presented to students as images; problems and some phenomena are presented with a video, text description, or explanation; and several phenomena are presented by the teacher as demonstrations or involve students participating in an activity.
With some phenomena or problems in the series, first-hand observations are not possible or accessible to students, and video presentation is the most direct way to present the phenomenon or problem. However, there are multiple instances where videos or pictures are used in place of opportunities where a more direct presentation or experience is possible. Additionally, for many of the lesson-level phenomena, guidance for teachers to have students make connections to the phenomena through a Direct Observation opportunity in their community or make a personal connection to their lives is evident; however these connections are often not directly linked to the actual phenomenon or are not accessible for all students in all situations. Further, lesson-level phenomena and problems are presented infrequently through first-hand observation and/or experience.
Examples of phenomena or problems presented to students as directly as possible:
In Module: Adaptations, Unit 1: The History of Life on Earth, the phenomenon is similar fossils have been found in fossil digs of the same age that are over 100 miles apart. Students are presented with a video about paleontologists and fossils gathered from various sites throughout the world. The video provides students with a historical and geographical frame of reference to engage in the phenomenon.
In Module: Planet Earth, Unit 3: Earth Processes Through Geologic Time, Lesson 7: Investigating Rock Strata, the phenomenon is rock layers at the bottom of the Grand Canyon are much older than those found at the top of the Grand Canyon. The phenomenon is presented to students as a video of the Grand Canyon. Since visiting the Grand Canyon is not accessible to most students, a video introduction provides the most direct context for this phenomenon.
In Module: Ecosystems, Unit 1: Resources in Ecosystems, Lesson 1: Resources in Living Systems, the phenomenon is poison dart frogs kept in captivity lose their toxicity over time so they are no longer poisonous. The phenomenon is presented to students in a video of a poison dart frog. This phenomenon provides a context through which students can ask questions about organisms’ access to resources and is presented in the most direct way possible. Teacher guidance is provided for a Direct Observation opportunity for students to research toxic organisms possibly living in their local environment.
In Module: Cells and Genetics, Unit 2: Bodies, Engineering Challenge: Designing a Prosthetic Hand, the problem is to design a prosthetic hand with movable parts. Students are presented with an image of a prosthetic hand, examine their own hands, and make observations about all of the ways their hands and fingers can move. This provides students with first-hand observations.
Examples of phenomena or problems not presented to students as directly as possible:
In Module: Weather and Climate, Unit 3: Climate, the Anchoring Phenomenon is the earth’s average temperature increased by 0.95°C from 1880-2016. The phenomenon is presented to students as a video showing examples of impacts of climate change and the challenge to mitigate the effects, but does not address an increase in average temperature.
In Module: Planet Earth, Unit 2: Processes that Shape Earth, Lesson 5: The Water Cycle, the phenomenon is during the “first week of January, New York was covered in four feet of snow, but by the end of May the streets were bare.” The materials indicate that a video of snow falling in New York is available, but the materials only provide a single photograph showing a city with a light dusting of snow.
In Module: Forces and Energy, Unit 2: Noncontact Forces, Lesson 5: Electricity, Observing Phenomena, the phenomenon is experience of a shock or spark when reaching for a doorknob. Students watch a video of this phenomenon occurring. Suggestions are provided to the student in Connections to Your Life button that suggest students turn off the lights and rub a piece of silk on a glass rod then touch another object to see the phenomenon. However, there is no guidance for the teacher to create this opportunity, nor do the materials list support the teacher in providing a glass rod and silk to students. 
In Module: Cells and Genetics, Unit 1: Traits, Engineering Challenge: Designing a Seed Dispersal Device, the problem includes a challenge to design a seed dispersal device. The problem is presented to students as a video showing several different types of plants with wind dispersed seeds and the challenge to design a device mimicking the way seeds are dispersed in nature.
 
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The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 partially meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems drive individual lessons or activities using key elements of all three dimensions. Materials provide multiple lessons across the series using problems (Engineering Challenges) to drive student learning. Phenomena are not consistently used to drive student learning and use of the three dimensions in individual lessons or activities.
At the start of each lesson, students watch a video or view an image with a description intended to engage students with a phenomenon; student notebooks contain a prompt for students to record any questions. However, some publisher-identified phenomena are actually scientific concepts, core ideas, directions, or problems, rather than observable occurrences where students explain or generate questions to advance their own learning. Students engage in one or more investigations during each lesson, but the direct connection between the investigations and the lesson-level phenomenon is lacking. While the lesson often builds understanding of the three dimensions, students are not using the three dimensions to make sense of the phenomenon throughout the lesson. At the end of each lesson, students return to their science notebook to connect what they learned during the lesson to the context of the phenomenon.  However, students do not interact with the phenomenon while engaging in the activities of the lesson.
Most units also contain an Engineering Challenge that presents students with a design challenge or problem they must solve. There are 18 Engineering Challenges across the series. After being presented with the problem, students record the problem in their student notebook and either develop their own, add to, or revise a list of specific criteria and constraints. Based on the criteria and constraints, students create a prototype to test and use data from their tests to make improvements to their original design. The problem presented in the Engineering Challenge typically drives student learning of the lesson. However, not all Engineering Challenges engage students with all three dimensions. They help build student understanding of ETS DCIs, but miss opportunities to connect to the grade-band DCIs in physical, earth and space, or life science disciplines.
Examples of problems driving student learning and engaging students with all three dimensions:
In Module: Ecosystems, Unit 1: Resources in Ecosystems, Engineering Challenge: Preserving Frog-Bat Interactions, the problem is there are plans to build a highway through the rainforest very near to a major pond, which could impact a population of frogs and bats living near the pond. Students identify the possible disturbances a noisy road would have to the ecosystem (DCI-LS2.A-M1). Students use information about how bats and frogs rely on acoustic interactions and the impact this disruption could cause to the ecosystem as a whole. Students create a structure to reduce the environmental impact of the highway’s sounds on the frogs and bats (CCC-SF-M2). Students place their sound shield between a speaker and sound meter to model the actual conditions between the road and ecosystem to test their prototype and generate data about how well their solution works.  Students compare their data to data in a provided table showing examples of decibel level equivalents (SEP-MOD-M7).
In Module: Forces and Energy, Unit 3: Kinetic and Potential Energy, Engineering Challenge: Designing Musical Instruments, the problem is to design inexpensive musical instruments for communities who cannot afford to buy them. Students work in small groups to develop criteria and constraints to consider when developing an instrument to transform potential energy into sound energy (DCI-PS3.A-M2). Students agree upon criteria and constraints as a whole class and create a rubric for how their musical instruments will be evaluated. Students brainstorm how they will use different materials to make an instrument (CCC-SF-M2). Students present their instrument designs to the class, depicting how their instrument transforms potential energy into kinetic energy (CCC-EM-M3, CCC-EM-M4). Students evaluate the design solutions (SEP-ARG-M5) based on the class-developed rubric.
In Module: Waves, Unit 1: Mechanical Waves, Engineering Challenge: Preventing Coastal Erosion, the problem is to design and test a seawall to prevent erosion of the coast and save the nearby highway. Prior to building their seawall, students investigate (SEP-INV-M4) seawalls and other structures already in use to prevent erosion. They apply understanding of waves (DCI-PS4.A-M1) and identify criteria and constraints (DCI-ETS1.B-M2) as they evaluate how the proposed structure (CCC-SF-M2) can solve the problem of coastal erosion. 
Examples of phenomena that do not drive student learning:
In Module: Adaptations, Unit 3: Human Impacts on Evolution, Lesson 7: Artificial Selection, students are presented with the phenomenon of bulldogs’ skulls changing dramatically over the last 150 years. Students engage in a game comparing natural and artificial selection in aurochs/cows to build an understanding of how features can change over time. Students research animals and plants that are products of artificial selection. The only connection to the phenomenon occurs at the end of the lesson when students are asked, “What role does the artificial selection process have in bulldog skull evolution?” 
In Module: Cells and Genetics, Unit 5: Changes in Genes, Lesson 11: Genetic Mutations, students are presented with the phenomena of some people have six fingers on one hand and some grapefruit are bright red. Students make bracelets to represent the relationship between genes, proteins, and traits. Students create a flowchart showing their understanding of structure and function of genes, proteins, and the mechanism for how changes in genes can cause changes in proteins. Students model how mutations can affect an organism’s survival in different environments by adding environmental factors to their flowcharts. While these investigations provide content knowledge required for explaining mutations, the only connection to the phenomenon occurs towards the end of the lesson when students read an excerpt telling them what mutation causes some people to have six fingers on one hand. Students are asked to answer why some people have six fingers on one hand and some grapefruit are bright red.
In Module: Waves, Unit 1: Mechanical Waves, Lesson 2: Properties of Waves, students are presented with the phenomenon huge waves form at Mavericks Beach, California, and scientists, surfers, and weather forecasters can predict when they will occur up to 48 hours in advance. Students design an investigation to measure the properties of mechanical waves.  Students graph and analyze their data to explain how waves are measured and used to predict surf conditions in different locations. While the investigations provide content knowledge for students to deepen their understanding of different types of waves, students do not connect weather data to predictions for how different types of waves will form. 
In Module: Planet Earth, Unit 4: Earth’s Natural Hazards, Lesson 10: Mass Wasting, Tsunamis, and Floods, students are presented with the phenomenon Northern California has more mass wasting than Missouri, even though Missouri has more floods. Students review models of risk potential throughout the United States and plan an investigation to determine how slope angle and materials affect the changes in frequency of mass wasting. Students create a model for carrying out their planned investigation but do not connect their results to research they conduct about the topography of land in Missouri or California. They analyze maps and answer questions about mass-wasting and flooding potentials in California, but do not make direct connections to specific areas in California at risk as compared to areas in Missouri.​
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​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 are designed for students to solve problems in 17% of the lessons (19 of 109 lessons) compared to 15% of the NGSS grade-band performance expectations designed for solving problems. Throughout the materials 59% of the lessons (64 of 109) focus on explaining phenomena.  Performance Assessments are not included in these calculations, since they are summative assessments and not learning experiences.
Across the series, all units and lessons consistently start with publisher-identified phenomena; however some of these are labeled as phenomena but are actually scientific concepts, core ideas, or directions, rather than observable occurrences requiring students to explain or generate questions to advance their own learning. Most modules have two Engineering Challenges, Cells and Genetics has three, and Matter has one. Problems are typically found in the Engineering Challenges and are often connected to the Anchoring Phenomenon for the unit. 
Examples of problems (Engineering Challenges) within the series:
In Module: Forces and Energy, Unit 3: Kinetic and Potential Energy, Engineering Challenge: Designing Musical Instruments, students are presented with the challenge of designing a musical instrument. 
In Module: Ecosystems, Unit 1, Engineering Challenge: Preserving Frog-Bat Interactions, students are presented with a problem involving plans to build a highway through the rainforest, near a major pond, potentially impacting a population of frogs and bats living near the pond. 
In Module: Forces and Energy, Unit 1: Forces, Engineering Challenge: Designing Safe Go-Carts, students are presented with the challenge of designing go-carts withstanding different amounts of force, yet proven safe for riders.
In Module: Space, Unit 3, Engineering Challenge: Engineering a Dampening Device, the challenge is collecting video footage in space. Students design a dampening device to help protect a camera from being damaged as it is launched into space with the intent of capturing live shots. 
Examples of phenomena within the series:
In Module: Waves, Unit 2: Light Waves, students watch a video showing several phenomena related to light waves including how lines at the bottom of a pool appear to move; reflections can be seen in a window, but objects outside the window are also still visible; rainbows formed near waterfalls; and sparkling diamonds.
In Module: Ecosystems, Unit 1: Resources in Ecosystems, Lesson 2: Interactions Among Organisms, the phenomenon is captive poison dart frogs lose their toxicity over time. 
In Module: Matter, Unit 1: The Composition of Matter, Lesson 3: Substances and Their Properties, the phenomenon is some liquids don’t mix with other liquids when poured into a bottle and instead form distinct layers. 
In Module: Planet Earth, Unit 3: Earth Processes through Geologic Time, Lesson 7: Investigating Rock Strata, the phenomenon is rock layers at the bottom of the Grand Canyon are much older than those found at the top of the Grand Canyon.  
In Module: Forces and Energy, Unit 1: Forces, Lesson 1: Describing Motion, the phenomenon is presented for students to imagine looking outside the window while sitting in a train alongside other trains, and being unsure about which train is moving. 
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​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 partially meet expectations that materials intentionally leverage students’ prior knowledge and experiences related to phenomena or problems. The materials elicit but do not leverage students’ prior knowledge and experience related to phenomena and problems across the series.
Phenomena are presented at the start of each unit and lesson using videos, pictures, or classroom demonstrations. The materials provide the same prompt for all lesson-level phenomena: “What questions do you have about this phenomenon?” Units consistently elicit students’ prior knowledge and experiences; students use a Know-Want to Know-Learned (KWL) chart and create initial models for each Anchoring Phenomenon. Although students have opportunities to revise their KWL chart, initial model, and questions at the end of each lesson, teachers are not provided guidance to leverage students’ prior knowledge or experiences to support students in understanding or applying what they already know about the phenomenon. The Teacher Guide indicates students may not be able to initially answer the connection questions, but by the end of the lesson they will have sufficient information to answer the connection questions when they reach the performance assessment at the end of the unit.
The materials elicit, but rarely leverage students’ prior knowledge and experience related to problems in a way that allows them to make connections between what they are learning and their own knowledge, and to build on the knowledge and experience students bring from both inside and outside of the classroom. Further, the Engineering Challenges do not consistently prompt students to ask questions or write notes on their prior knowledge and experiences before beginning a design challenge. Instead, student notebooks provide prompts with specific questions about the problem. 
Examples where materials elicit, but do not leverage student prior knowledge and experiences related to phenomena:
In Module: Forces and Energy, Unit 2: Noncontact Forces, the phenomenon relates to how drones overcome gravity to get off the ground. Student prior knowledge is elicited by a KWL chart and the completion of an initial model to show students’ initial understandings related to the phenomenon. The Teacher Guide prompts the teacher to ask students to add to their KWL chart and to make revisions to their initial model as lessons are completed, but student prior knowledge and experiences are not leveraged during lessons.
In Module: Weather and Climate; Unit 1: The Atmosphere and Energy, the phenomenon relates to how food in a cooler stays cold and food in a solar cooker gets hot. Student prior knowledge is elicited by a KWL chart and the completion of an initial model to show students’ initial understandings related to the phenomenon. The Teacher Guide prompts the teacher to ask students to add to their KWL chart and to make revisions to their initial model as lessons are completed, but student prior knowledge and experiences are not leveraged during lessons.
In Module: Ecosystems, Unit 1: Resources in Ecosystems, Lesson 3: Changing Ecosystems, the phenomenon is the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens destroyed all life near the eruption, but now the area is full of life. While students initially ask questions and revisit their questions at the end of the lesson, student prior knowledge and experiences are not leveraged during lessons.
In Module: Forces and Energy, Unit 4: Thermal Energy, Lesson 11: Thermal Properties of Matter, the phenomenon is the temperature is so different between day and night in the desert. Students list what they know about deserts and rainforests and use their prior knowledge to make a prediction about the temperature differences. Students revisit the question about temperature changes at the end of the lesson, but student prior knowledge and experiences are not leveraged during the lesson.
Examples where materials elicit but do not leverage student prior knowledge and experiences related to problems (Engineering Challenges):
In Module: Waves, Unit 1: Mechanical Waves, Engineering Challenge: Preventing Coastal Erosion, the problem relates to coastal erosion. Students discuss their experiences of seeing coastal erosion or solutions to coastal erosion before they brainstorm ideas for potential solutions. Students’ prior knowledge and experiences about coastal problems and solutions in their community is revisited at the end of the lesson as students compare the solutions they tested with the solutions they are familiar with, but student prior knowledge and experience is not leveraged during the lesson.
In Module: Forces and Energy, Unit 1: Forces, Engineering Challenge: Designing Safe Go-Carts, the challenge is to design a safe model go-cart. Students’ prior knowledge of Newton’s 2nd Law is elicited as students record their answers to a series of guiding questions in their notebooks relating to factors affecting motion and action/reaction force pairs. Students apply their initial understandings to design their model go-cart; however student prior knowledge is not leveraged during the lesson.
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​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations that materials embed phenomena or problems across multiple lessons for students to use and build knowledge of all three dimensions. Materials do not consistently provide units that use phenomena or problems to drive student learning across multiple lessons and students have few opportunities to use and build knowledge of the three dimensions to make sense of the unit-level phenomenon or problem across multiple lessons.
Anchoring Phenomena are presented at the start of each unit. Student notebooks provide prompts for students to ask questions about the phenomenon, complete a Know-Want to Know-Learned (KWL) chart, and complete the handout, “Developing a Model to Explain a Phenomenon.” At the end of most investigations, a Connecting to Phenomenon button prompts teachers to provide opportunities for students to review their notes on the unit-level phenomenon and make any necessary revisions in a manner that connects student learning to the Anchoring Phenomenon but student learning is not driven by the Anchoring Phenomenon. Connections to phenomena are different than phenomena driving student learning, where students are expected to figure out phenomena. At the end of lessons, The Wrap Up section provides a prompt for students to add new learning to their model and KWL charts. This gives opportunities for students to transfer their learning from the lessons to the context provided by the phenomenon. The structure within each unit provides opportunities for students to transfer their learning to new contexts and allows them to revise their initial thinking using ideas they learned; however, students are not driven towards these contexts with a desire or questions to figure out regarding the Anchoring Phenomenon. The “Anchoring Phenomena” are most often used as examples of the content topic or concept as opposed to a driving mechanism for student questions and sensemaking.
Performance Assessments are included at the end of each unit and are designed to assess students as they transfer learning from the context of the activities and lessons throughout the unit, to the context of the phenomenon. The structure provides opportunities for students to transfer learning from the investigations and lesson to a context different from the one where learning occurs.  The structure has students revisit their thinking about information learned in the lessons as opposed to allowing for deeper engagement of how thinking has changed over time related to explaining the phenomenon. The Performance Assessments afford students an opportunity to use and apply learning from the investigations and lessons to a new context; however since the Anchoring Phenomenon is primarily the focus of the end-of-unit assessments, it is not driving student learning.
Most problems in the instructional materials are embedded in the Engineering Challenges, which are positioned at a similar level of structure as lessons in the unit and are present in more than half of units across the series. 
Examples where phenomena do not drive student learning across multiple lessons:
In Module: Adaptations, Unit 2: The Evolution of Life, the Anchoring Phenomenon is whales, which look like big fish and live in the ocean, have internal structures similar to mammals living on land. At the start of the unit, students begin a KWL chart to capture their initial thinking about this phenomenon. Throughout the unit, students engage in a series of lessons to understand DCIs related to adaptation by natural selection. While these lessons are related to the DCIs connected to the anchor phenomena, student questions about the phenomena are not what drives the learning. Instead, the activities and lessons are designed in a manner that provides students information related to the DCIs that they write down in their notebook instead of students asking questions about the lesson-level phenomena to try to understand them and to help them make sense of the Anchoring Phenomenon. After each lesson ends, students reflect on the lesson and transfer their learning to the context of the whale phenomenon as they revise their KWL chart and model. However, the phenomenon is used as the context for the Performance Assessment for the unit. Students use prior learning from the lessons and information collected during the Performance Assessment to support a claim about which organism alive today is most like a whale.
In Module: Ecosystems, Unit 1: Resources in Ecosystems, the Anchoring Phenomenon is some cichlid fish stop eating to the point of dying when various species of cichlid fish are combined in aquariums. At the start of this unit, students begin a KWL chart to capture their initial thinking about this phenomenon. Throughout the unit, students engage in a series of lessons to develop an understanding of the interactions of living things in ecosystems. While these lessons are related to the DCIs connected to the anchor phenomena, student questions about the phenomena are not what drives the learning. Instead, the activities and lessons are designed in a manner that provides students information related to the DCIs that they write down in their notebook instead of students asking questions about the lesson-level phenomena to try to understand them and to help them make sense of the Anchoring Phenomenon. After each lesson ends, students reflect on the lesson and transfer their learning to the context of the cichlid fish phenomenon as they revise their KWL chart and model. However, the phenomenon is used as the context for the Performance Assessment for the unit; students use prior learning from the lessons to solve how to make the cichlids healthy again.
In Module: Forces and Energy, Unit 4: Thermal Energy, the Anchoring Phenomenon is how jack rabbits' ears help them survive in the extreme heat. At the start of this unit, students begin a KWL chart to capture their initial thinking about the phenomenon. Throughout the unit, students engage in a series of lessons to develop an understanding of thermal energy and heat transfer. While these lessons are related to the DCIs connected to the anchor phenomena, student questions about the phenomena are not what drives the learning. Instead, the activities and lessons are designed in a manner that provides students information related to the DCIs that they write down in their notebook instead of students asking questions about the lesson-level phenomena to try to understand them and to help them make sense of the Anchoring Phenomenon. After each lesson ends, students reflect on the lesson and transfer their learning to the context of the jack rabbits’ ears phenomenon as they revise their KWL chart and model. The phenomenon is not used as the context of the Performance Assessment for the unit. Instead, students use prior learning about heat transfer from the lessons to design, construct, and test a thermos that can be used in a desert.  
In Module: Planet Earth, Unit 3: Earth Processes Through Geologic Time, the Anchoring Phenomenon is igneous and sedimentary rocks are found throughout the Black Hills, despite the lack of volcanoes and flowing water. At the start of this unit, students begin a KWL chart to capture their initial thinking about this phenomenon. Throughout the unit, students engage in a series of lessons to develop an understanding of the use of rock strata and fossil layers as indicators for geologic time.While these lessons are related to the DCIs connected to the anchor phenomena, student questions about the phenomena are not what drives the learning. Instead, the activities and lessons are designed in a manner that provides students information related to the DCIs that they write down in their notebook instead of students asking questions about the lesson-level phenomena to try to understand them and to help them make sense of the Anchoring Phenomenon. After each lesson ends, students reflect on the lesson and transfer their learning to the context of rocks found in the Black Hills phenomenon as they revise their KWL chart and model. However, the phenomenon is used as the context in the Performance Assessment for the unit; students use prior learning from the lessons to construct an explanation about patterns in rock formations around the Black Hills and Devils Tower National Monument, including a geologic timeline and evidence from rock strata.
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          The instructional materials reviewed for Bring Science Alive! Discipline Program Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations for Alignment to NGSS, Gateways 1 and 2. In Gateway 1, the instructional materials do not meet expectations for three-dimensional learning and phenomena and problems drive learning. Gateway 2 is not reviewed since Gateway 1 expectations are not met.​
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​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations for Designed for NGSS, Gateway 1. In Gateway 1, the instructional materials do not meet expectations for three-dimensional learning and phenomena and problems drive learning. 
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The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations for Criterion 1a-1c: Three-Dimensional Learning. The materials include opportunities for students to learn and use three dimensions, but not consistently. There are few instances of the materials providing opportunities for students to understand and use the SEPs to make sense of the DCIs, but the materials do not consistently present opportunities for sensemaking with the SEPs and CCCs; there are many instances where students do not use either an SEP or a CCC for sensemaking with the other dimensions. Across the series, lesson objectives are consistently provided but the formative assessment tasks are not designed to reveal student understanding of the three dimensions related to the learning objectives and the materials do not provide support or guidance for teachers to adjust instruction based on student responses. Additionally, the materials consistently provide three-dimensional learning objectives (performance expectations) for the units, but the summative tasks do not completely measure student achievement of the targeted three-dimensional learning objectives for the unit on a consistent basis.
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​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 partially meet expectations that they consistently integrate the science and engineering practices (SEPs), disciplinary core ideas (DCIs), and crosscutting concepts (CCCs) into student learning opportunities. Throughout the series, some learning sequences integrate SEPs, CCCs, and DCIs in student learning opportunities, while others do not integrate all three dimensions, often excluding the CCCs.
Each lesson includes one or more investigations. In some lessons, students engage in three-dimensional learning integrating SEPs, CCCs, and DCIs within an investigation. The remaining investigations are consistently two-dimensional with the integration of SEPs and DCIs occurring most often. 
Examples where materials integrate the three dimensions in student learning opportunities: 
In Grade 6, Segment 3: Regional Climates, Global Warming, and Living Systems, Lesson 17: How the Ocean Affects Climate, students monitor temperatures, map global circulation, and model the flow of energy through the ocean system. Students apply their understanding of climate (DCI-ESS.D-M3) to create a plan measuring average ocean temperature and provide feedback to classmates’ plans (SEP-INFO-M5). After analyzing different video models of currents, temperature, and wind patterns in the oceans, students draw and compare diagrams of the impact of wind and density on currents. Using the diagrams, students create models to show how energy flows through ocean systems and impacts coastal climates (CCC-EM-M4).
In Grade 6, Segment 1: Systems and Subsystems in Earth and Life Science, Lesson 1: Earth’s Atmosphere, Investigation 1: Journey to the Exosphere, students collect temperature and density data for atmospheric layers and plot the data on a graph. Students look for patterns (CCC-PAT-M2) then analyze the results to better understand the properties of each atmospheric layer (DCI-ESS2.D-M1). Students explain their understanding (SEP-CEDS-E4) by writing a proposal of what travelers need for a balloon ride.
In Grade 7, Segment 3: The Distribution of Earth’s Resources, Lesson 23: The Motion of Particles, Investigation 1: Modeling States of Matter, students model (SEP-MOD-M5) the states of matter using their bodies to represent molecular motion and structure on a microscopic level (CCC-SPQ-M5). Students use a digital simulation to model states of matter (SEP-MOD-M3) through a lens of energy (CCC-EM-M2). Students use the models as a simplified representation of a system to explain and predict particle motion (DCI-PS1.A-M1) in different states of matter. 
In Grade 8, Segment 6: Sustaining Local and Global Diversity, Lesson 31: Artificial Selection, Investigation 1: Comparing Natural and Artificial Selection, students compare natural selection and artificial selection processes. They simulate (SEP-MOD-M5) successive generations of aurochs by measuring their aggressiveness with each simulated generation. Students use the data to discuss cause and effect relationships (CCC-CE-M3) and how the average of these changes differed in the population experiencing natural selection compared to artificial selection (DCI-LS4.B-M2). 
Examples where materials do not integrate the three dimensions in student learning opportunities: 
In Grade 6, Segment 3: Regional Climates, Global Warming and Living Systems, Lesson 20: Climate Today and Tomorrow, students examine how climate change can impact humans and propose plans to adapt and mitigate human impact on the environment (DCI-ESS3.C-M1, SEP-AQDS-M8) to design a solution (SEP-CEDS-M4). The materials do not integrate a CCC as students design a solution to mitigate human impact.
In Grade 7, Segment 1: Organisms and Nonliving Things Are Made of Atoms, Lesson 2: Molecules and Extended Structures, students ask and answer questions (SEP-AQDP-M1) about different materials to explain the 92 naturally occurring elements but many different materials (DCI-PS1.A-M1, DCI-PS1.A-M2). The materials do not integrate a CCC as students examine pictures and their classroom for examples of materials.
In Grade 7, Segment 1: Organisms and Nonliving Things Are Made of Atoms, Lesson 3: Substances and Their Properties, students compare the buoyancy of cans of regular soda and diet soda. Students are given various spheres, predict which they think will sink or float, and test if heavier objects sink and lighter objects float (DCI-PS1.A-M2). They record the mass of the objects first, but decide what evidence they will need to support the explanation (SEP-INV-M4). The materials do not integrate a CCC as students investigate density.
In Grade 7, Segment 2: Matter Cycles and Energy Flows, Lesson 15: Chemical Engineering and Society, students read about the synthetic material, sodium lauryl sulfate, in three sources. Students evaluate the information and the different sources of information. The lesson primarily focuses on students evaluating competing information in science and technical texts (SEP-INFO-M3), but connects to part of the DCI from PE-MS-PS1-3, understanding that synthetic materials impact society. The materials do not integrate a CCC as students evaluate resources.
In Grade 8, Segment 1: The Speed of Objects and Waves, Lesson 4: Types of Waves, Investigation 2: Identifying Waves, students watch videos of a variety of phenomena and use their model of waves to decide whether the phenomenon in each video is a wave. Students determine if the phenomenon in each video aligns with their definition of waves (DCI-PS4.A-M1). Students make a claim whether each video shows a wave or not (SEP-ARG-M3). The materials do not integrate a CCC as students apply their understanding of the characteristics of a wave to their claims. 
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​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations that the materials are designed to consistently support meaningful student sensemaking with the three dimensions. Materials are not designed for SEPs and CCCs to meaningfully support student sensemaking with the other dimensions.
Throughout the series, lessons frequently include all three dimensions, but students do not have opportunities in nearly all learning sequences to use one or more dimensions to understand and use the other dimensions to support their sensemaking. In many lessons the SEPs and CCCs are present and connect to DCIs, but students do not use the dimensions to make sense of DCIs or to meaningfully support sensemaking with the other dimensions. When two dimensions are used together, the SEPs are typically used to help students understand and apply the DCIs. 
Examples where the materials are designed for students to understand and apply SEPs to meaningfully support student sensemaking with the other dimensions:
In Grade 6, Segment 3: Regional Climate, Global Warming, and Living Systems, Lesson 20: Climate Today and Tomorrow, students examine how climate change can impact humans (DCI-ES3.C-M1). Students gather information on effects of climate change and use their understanding to create a plan to mitigate the impacts of climate change (SEP-CEDS-M4). Students apply their understanding of the DCI as they construct their explanation and design a plan. 
In Grade 7, Segment 1: Organisms and Nonliving Things Are Made of Atoms, Lesson 3: Substances and Their Properties, Investigation 1: Describing Density, students compare the density (DCI-PS1.A-M2) of two different cans of soda, investigate mass and volume of different materials, and measure objects to determine densities (SEP-INV-M4). During the investigations, students decide what evidence they would need to support the explanation using the investigations to critically understand the concept of density. 
In Grade 8, Segment 2: Modeling Light in the Solar System, Lesson 11 Eclipse, Investigation 1: Modeling an Eclipse, students use their bodies and a light bulb to model the Earth-Sun-Moon system during a lunar eclipse and solar eclipse (SEP-MOD-M5, DCI-ESS1.B-M2). Students use the model and the orientation of the bodies to explain what causes eclipses and why they are rare. 
Examples where the materials are not designed for students to understand and apply SEPs and CCCs to meaningfully support student sensemaking with the other dimensions:
In Grade 6, Segment 1: Systems and Subsystems in Earth and Life Science, Lesson 1: Earth’s Atmosphere, students create a scale model (SEP-MOD-M5) of earth’s atmosphere that includes temperature, density, altitude, and boundaries between the five layers of the atmosphere. While students use a model to represent a system, they do not use the model of the atmosphere to develop an understanding of how the layers of the atmosphere affect weather (DCI-ESS2.D-M1). Instead of understanding and applying the inputs, outputs, processes, or matter and energy flows within a system (CCC-SYS-M2), students copy the data onto their scale model. 
In Grade 6, Segment 2: Traits, Engineering Design Challenge: Designing a Seed Dispersal Device, students research plant seed dispersal mechanisms and structures of different seeds (SEP-AQDP-M4, CCC-SF-M2). Students define constraints of the design task (ENG-ETS1.A-M1) using their research on seed types. Students develop, test, and revise seed dispersal prototypes to optimize dispersal performance (ENG-ETS1.C-M1, ENG-ETS1.B-M3). While students use understanding of the life science DCI to inform their design, the design challenge and engagement with the SEP does not help students understand why plants have specialized features for reproduction (DCI-LS1.B-M3). Additionally, students review the structures of several types of seeds to determine how they function, but the CCC is not incorporated in a manner to help students apply their understanding of why plants have adaptations. 
In Grade 6, Segment 3: Regional Climates, Global Warming, and Living Systems, Engineering Challenge: Designing a Microclimate, students design a microclimate to grow a vegetable not typically capable of growing in their local environment. Students identify criteria and constraints, develop and test their designs, and describe how they can modify their designs (DCI-ETS1.B-M2). Students engage in multiple SEPs as they work on their designs. However, neither the SEPs nor CCCs are used by students to understand and apply the DCI, interactions affecting climate, weather, and oceanic and atmospheric flow patterns (DCI-ESS2.D-M1).  
In Grade 7, Segment 2: Matter Cycles and Energy Flows, Lesson 11: Scales of Change on Earth’s Surface, students engage in a series of activities and investigations focused on understanding the CCC of scale, proportion, and quantity as it relates to earth’s processes. Students rank various phenomena based on the size of the phenomenon and the rate or time scale of each phenomenon. Students conduct an investigation where they allow crystals to form and consider the scale of time and space needed to see the crystal development. Finally, students compare time and spatial scales of different earth processes. While several SEPs and DCIs are connected to this lesson, the lesson is focused on students developing the concept of time and spatial scales of phenomena, and does not provide opportunities for students to use the CCCs or SEPs to critically understand and apply a DCI.
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          The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations that they are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence for the three-dimensional learning in the instructional materials. Across the series, lesson objectives are provided through an Objectives button, but are not consistently three-dimensional. 
The formative assessment tasks are not consistently designed to reveal student understanding of the three dimensions. Additionally, the formative assessment tasks include classroom discussions, student notebook entries, lesson games, investigation tasks, and engineering challenges., Vocabulary Cards and the Lesson Game can be used to check student understanding of key terms and concepts within the lesson and are typically assess student understanding of one dimension. Lesson Games provide students with two opportunities to incorrectly answer a multiple choice question before providing the correct answer. No guidance is provided to the student as to why an answer is incorrect. While the Gradebook allows teachers to track questions and student responses, the materials do not provide guidance on how to use the evidence elicited from formative assessment tasks to support instruction. In some instances, the Lesson Guide suggests teachers may need to provide vocabulary support, however there is no method of assessing if this support is necessary. Further, wrap-up questions are present in whole-group instruction without providing guidance for teachers to support instruction. Lesson Support buttons inserted within various parts of a lesson typically direct teachers to previous slides, videos, or text, rather than providing new ways of approaching or explaining the content.
Examples where materials do not reveal student knowledge and use of the three dimensions supporting three-dimensional learning objectives and assessment tasks do not support the instructional process:
In Grade 6, Segment 3: Regional Climates, Global Warming, and Living Systems, Lesson 21: Proteins, Genes, and Chromosomes,  lesson objectives are provided. The lesson objectives are: “explain how genes can influence the traits of organisms”, “make a model that shows the relationship between chromosomes, DNA, and genes”, and “predict the traits that result when individuals have different structured genes, or alleles, in their cells.” Multiple opportunities are provided to check for student understanding of the targeted DCIs and SEPs. While these objectives appear to build towards three-dimensional objectives of the larger learning sequence, student use of the SEPs are often prescriptive and assessments do not reveal student knowledge and skill related to all three dimensions for these objectives. The materials consistently provide teachers with an answer key but do not provide additional teacher guidance to support instruction for students who did not correctly answer the questions. 
In Grade 7, Segment 1: Organisms and Nonliving Things Are Made of Atoms, Lesson 1: Atoms and Elements, lesson objectives are provided. The lesson objectives are: “differentiate between energy and matter using observational data”, “utilize scientific notation to communicate very large and very small numbers relating to the size and quantity of objects”, and “organize similar objects in a logical way by arranging them according to their chemical and physical properties.” Multiple opportunities are provided to check for student understanding of the targeted DCIs and SEPs. While these objectives appear to build towards three-dimensional objectives of the larger learning sequence, student use of the SEPs are often prescriptive and assessments do not reveal student knowledge and skill related to all three dimensions for these objectives. The materials consistently provide teachers with an answer key but do not provide additional teacher guidance to support instruction for students who did not correctly answer the questions.
In Grade 8, Segment 1: The Speed of Objects and Waves, Lesson 6: Wave Energy, lesson objectives are provided. The lesson objectives are: “using data from wave energy converters, determine the relationship between wave amplitude and energy produced”, “graph data on wave amplitude and energy and identify the mathematical relationship between the variables, which can be expressed using an algebraic equation”, “use logic and patterns in ratio reasoning to predict the mathematical relationship between wave frequency and energy.” While these objectives appear to build towards three-dimensional objectives of the larger learning sequence, student use of the SEPs are often prescriptive and assessments do not reveal student knowledge and skill related to all three dimensions for these objectives. Multiple opportunities are provided to check for student understanding of the targeted DCIs and SEPs. The materials consistently provide teachers with an answer key but do not provide additional teacher guidance to support instruction for students who did not correctly answer the questions.
In Grade 8, Segment 3: Noncontact Forces Influence Phenomena, Lesson 15: Electricity, lesson objectives are provided. The lesson objectives are: “Conduct investigations to observe the behavior of electrical forces, including static electricity”, “find patterns in the way objects are interacting within an electrical system”, and “ask questions to discover what factors affect the strength of electrical forces.” While these objectives appear to build towards three-dimensional objectives of the larger learning sequence, student use of the SEPs are often prescriptive and assessments do not reveal student knowledge and skill related to all three dimensions for these objectives. Multiple opportunities are provided to check for student understanding of the targeted DCIs and SEPs. The materials consistently provide teachers with an answer key but do not  provide additional teacher guidance to support instruction for students who did not correctly answer the questions.
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​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 partially meet expectations that they are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence of the three-dimensional learning in the instructional materials. The materials consistently incorporate summative tasks at the end of every unit, at least one or two per segment. 
Since the materials inconsistently include explicit three-dimensional learning objectives for students, the performance expectations are assumed to be the learning objective. Units consistently list multiple performance expectations and the corresponding Performance Assessments frequently list a subset of the unit performance expectations, but do not consistently measure all targeted performance expectations of the respective unit. 
Materials provide additional opportunities to assess learning by providing lesson-level multiple choice and constructed-response tests and assessment banks. Test banks are included at the end of each lesson, are specific to each lesson, and are not designed to be the primary mechanism for assessing student learning across the unit. Additionally engineering design PEs are more consistently assessed through Engineering Challenges at the lesson level.
Examples of assessments that do not address the targeted three-dimensional learning objectives:
In Grade 6, Segment 1: Systems and Subsystems in Earth and Life Science, Performance Assessment: Modeling Synthetic Cells, the prompt is intended to assess two performance expectations (PE-MS-LS1-1, PE-MS-LS1-2). Students plan an investigation to discover if a structure is a living or non-living thing, including how cells will be observed at a different scale in the investigation. The task does not measure student achievement of one targeted SEP (SEP-INV-M2) and a focus DCI (DCI-LS1.A-M1); additionally, the student task to create a clay model of a cell is aligned to an SEP below the middle school grade-band (SEP-MOD-E4). Therefore, the summative task does not elicit evidence of students’ three-dimensional learning of both performance expectations in this unit. 
In Grade 6, Segment 3: Regional Climates, Global Warming, and Living Systems, Performance Assessment: Conserving Coral Reefs Using Genetics, the prompt is intended to assess two performance expectations (PE-MS-LS1-5, PE-MS-LS3-2). The assessment elicits student learning of why asexual and sexual reproduction have different results in offspring genetics (PE-MS-LS3-2) and how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms (PE-MS-LS1-5). The assessment does not assess one targeted performance expectation of the unit (PE-MS-LS3-1) for students to model the relationship between chromosomes, DNA, and genes. 
In Grade 7, Segment 1: Organisms and Nonliving Things Are Made of Atoms, Performance Assessment: Determining the Best Material for a Makeup Pen Base, the prompt is intended to assess one performance expectation (PE-MS-PS1-1). Students test three substances for the properties of solubility, density and melting points (DCI-PS1.A-M2). After comparing data (SEP-DATA-M7), they develop a pitch as to which material would make the best makeup base. Neither the DCI nor SEP are associated with the learning objective (PE-MS-PS1-1), but they do work together to provide evidence of two-dimensional learning. Students are also provided models and identify the chemical formula for each. The assessment task does not measure student achievement in developing models (SEP-MOD-M5). In addition, the scientific concept of chemical formulas is not connected to the DCI or CCC (DCI-PS1.A-M2, CCC-SPQ-M1) associated with the targeted performance expectation. The assessment does not assess one targeted performance expectation for the unit (PE-MS-ETS1-1) and partially assesses another targeted performance expectation for the unit (PE-MS-PS1-2). 
In Grade 8, Segment 2: Modeling Light in the Solar System, Performance Assessment: Designing a Light Art Piece, the prompt is intended to assess one performance expectation (PE-MS-PS4-2). Students include the following concepts into the design and explanation of the light art piece they design: refraction, absorption, reflection, and transmission (DCI-PS4.B-M1). Although students must construct an explanation of the light properties in the art piece (SEP-CEDS-M4), the summative task solely elicits evidence for learning about structure and function (CCC-SF-M2). Other crosscutting concepts taught during the lessons but not included in the summative task include: patterns (CCC-PAT-M3), cause and effect (CCC-CE-M2), and system and system models (CCC-SYS-M2). The assessment does not assess one targeted performance expectation for the unit (PE-MS-ETS1-4).
In Grade 8, Segment 3: Noncontact Forces Influence Phenomena, Performance Assessment: Investigating a Drone Motor Design, the prompt is intended to assess three performance expectations (MS-PS2-3, MS-PS2-4, MS-PS2-5). Students explain the effect of gravitational force on the drone and earth (DCI-PS2.B-E3) and demonstrate magnetic fields on a test object (DCI-PS2.B-M3). To evaluate the design of the drone, students determine how the drone’s mass would affect its flight and determine which motor would be the strongest (CCC-SYS-M2). Students discuss the drone design with classmates and communicate how a drone motor works (SEP-INFO-M5). The assessment does not assess the remaining six targeted performance expectations for the unit (MS-ESS1-2, MS-ESS1-3, MS-ETS1-1, MS-ETS1-2, MS-ETS1-3, MS-ETS1-4). 
                )

            [7] => stdClass Object
                (
                    [code] => 1d1i
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                    [report] => 
The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations for Criterion 1d-1i: Phenomena and Problems Drive Learning. The materials incorporate phenomena consistently connected to grade-band appropriate DCIs, but the materials do not consistently present problems in a way allowing students to engage with physical, earth and space, and/or life science DCIs. The materials present phenomena and/or problems to students as directly as possible in multiple instances, but not consistently across the series. The materials provide multiple lessons across the series that use problems (Engineering Challenges) to drive student learning, but phenomena do not consistently drive student learning and use of the three dimensions in lessons or activities. The materials provide information regarding how phenomena and problems are present in the materials, with students expected to solve problems in 17% of the lessons and explain phenomena in 59% of the lessons. The materials consistently elicit students’ prior knowledge, but do not support teachers to use student responses to modify instruction. The materials incorporate few units using phenomena to drive student learning across multiple lessons.
                )

            [8] => stdClass Object
                (
                    [code] => 1d
                    [type] => indicator
                    [points] => 1
                    [rating] => partially-meets
                    [report] => 
​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 partially meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems are connected to grade-band disciplinary core ideas. Materials consistently connect phenomena to grade-band DCIs and their elements. Problems in the materials are included as Engineering Challenges. Although they are connected to the grade-band engineering, technology and application of science (ETS) DCIs, problems are not consistently connected to grade-band physical, earth and space, and life science DCIs. Further, some Engineering Challenges are connected to DCIs below grade level.
Examples of phenomena and problems connecting to grade-band DCIs:
In Grade 6, Segment 3: Regional Climates, Global Warming, and Living Systems, Lesson 22: Inheriting Genes, the phenomenon is some organisms, like bacteria, are identical to their parents but other organisms, like dogs, are not. The phenomenon connects to understanding variations of inherited traits between parent and offspring arise from genetic differences resulting from the subset of chromosomes inherited (DCI-LS3.A-M2). As students explain how some offspring are not identical, they focus on the mechanism behind how sexually reproducing organisms vary from one generation to the next as opposed to asexually reproducing organisms (DCI-LS3.B-M1).
In Grade 7, Segment 1: Organisms and Nonliving Things are Made of Atoms, Lesson 8: Investigating Rock Strata, the phenomenon is rock layers at the bottom of the Grand Canyon are much older than those at the top. This phenomenon connects to understanding how scientists interpret a relative, geologic time scale from rock strata (DCI-ESS1.C-M1).
In Grade 8, Segment 3: Noncontact Forces Influence Phenomena, Lesson 14: Gravity, the phenomenon is when a piece of paper is placed on top of a book, and both are dropped together, they fall straight to the ground without the paper fluttering. Students engage in an investigation and simulation on gravitational force to explain the gravitational forces (DCI-PS2.B-M2). In addition, the lesson incorporates a study of forces acting at a distance (DCI-PS2.B-M3).
In Grade 8, Segment 1: The Speed of Objects and Waves, Engineering Challenge: Preventing Coastal Erosion, students address the problem by engaging in a challenge to design a seawall to prevent erosion on beaches. Prior to building their seawall, students investigate seawalls and other structures already in use to prevent erosion. In order to evaluate solutions (DCI-ETS1.B-M2), students apply their understanding of waves (DCI-PS4.A-M1) to solve the problem of coastal erosion. 
Examples of phenomena or problems not connected to grade-band DCIs: 
In Grade 6, Segment 3: Regional Climates, Global Warming, and Living Systems, Engineering Challenge: Designing a Microclimate, students address the problem by engaging in a challenge to build a microclimate to grow one specific vegetable. The activity connects directly to DCI-ETS1.B-M2, but designing a microclimate for a specific plant does not require students to use or apply their understanding of interactions affecting climate, weather, and oceanic and atmospheric flow patterns (DCI-ESS2.D-M1). 
In Grade 7, Segment 4: Sustaining Living Systems in a Changing World, Engineering Challenge: Designing a Fishing Net, students address the problem by engaging in a challenge to design a fishing net for a specific species. While this challenge falls within the unit on biodiversity, the challenge does not call for students to use the concept in their design. The data collected includes counting what is caught from the targeted species and from the non-targeted species; however, the role of biodiversity is not incorporated into designing the net. This engineering challenge is not connected to a life science grade-band DCI even though it connects to engineering DCIs, DCI-ETS1.B-M2 and DCI-ETS1.C-M1.
In Grade 8, Segment 4: Major Collisions in the History of Life, Engineering Challenge: Engineering a Damping Device, students address the problem by engaging in a challenge to design a damping device for filming on a space station (DCI-ETS1.B-M4, DCI-ETS1.C-M2). The problem does not connect to the DCI of gravity, which is the focus of the unit (DCI-ESS1.B-M1).
                )

            [9] => stdClass Object
                (
                    [code] => 1e
                    [type] => indicator
                    [points] => 1
                    [rating] => partially-meets
                    [report] => 
​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 partially meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems in the series are presented to students as directly as possible. Materials present phenomena and/or problems to students as directly as possible in multiple instances, but not consistently across the series. Materials present all Integrated Phenomena and Anchoring Phenomena as videos and some also include photographs and text. Phenomena at the lesson level are mostly presented to students as images; problems and some phenomena are presented with a video, text description, or explanation; and several phenomena are presented through teacher demonstration or student participation in an activity. 
The different types of presentation are used for instances where first-hand observations are not accessible, but are also used in place of opportunities where phenomena lend themselves to more direct means of observation. In some lessons, the publisher provides guidance for teachers on how to present the phenomena more directly than videos, photographs, and text, but these recommendations often do not fully represent the entirety of the science ideas connected to the lesson phenomenon. Few lessons across the series present the phenomena or problems through first-hand observation. 
Examples of phenomena or problems presented to students as directly as possible:
In Grade 6, Segment 2: Earth Systems, Weather, and Organisms, Lesson 10: Traits for Survival, the phenomenon is humans have opposable thumbs, but turtles do not. Students compare and contrast their own hands to images of animals and engage in a hands-on activity simulating not having opposable thumbs.
In Grade 6, Segment 2: Bodies, Engineering Design Challenge: Designing a Prosthetic Hand, the challenge is to design a prosthetic hand with movable parts. Students are presented with an image of a prosthetic hand and students examine their own hands, making observations about all of the ways their hands and fingers can move. 
In Grade 7, Segment 1: Organisms and Nonliving Things Are Made of Atoms, Lesson 3: Substances and Their Properties, the phenomenon is some liquids do not mix with others and form distinct layers in a bottle. The materials provide instructions to the teacher on how to make a solubility and density column to provide students with first-hand experience of directly observing the density column, shaking the column, and discussing what happens after shaking it. 
In Grade 7, Segment 2: Matter Cycles and Energy Flows, Lesson 13: Atoms in Chemical Reactions, the phenomenon is burning steel wool causes its mass to increase. The teacher demonstrates burning steel wool and records the mass of the steel wool before and after burning. 
Examples of phenomena or problems not presented to students as directly as possible:
In Grade 6, Segment 1: Systems and Subsystems in Earth and Life Science, Lesson 2: Taking Earth’s Temperature, the phenomenon is ice melts faster on a metal surface than a ceramic surface. The phenomenon is presented to students as a photograph of a park with snow on the grass and puddles on the sidewalk or road. 
In Grade 7, Segment 2: Matter Cycles and Energy Flows, Lesson 10: Energy in Earth’s Systems, Observing a Phenomenon, the phenomenon is water being heated, rising, cooling, and falling. This phenomenon is presented in a video, with teacher guidance to explain that a special camera is used to show warm areas red, white, and yellow and cold areas are blue and purple. Further, the teacher tells the students “when the bottom of a tank of water is heated, warm water rises, cools, and falls back again.” In the Connections to Your Life button, students are asked to think about a bowl of hot soup or a mug of hot cocoa in a cold room and to think about how their senses tell them something. However, this is not a common experience all students are having with the phenomenon. 
In Grade 8, Segment 2: Modeling Light in the Solar System, Lesson 10: Phases of the Moon, the phenomenon is the moon changes appearance every night. The phenomenon is presented to students as a photograph showing a full moon over a city. 
In Grade 8, Segment 3: Noncontact Forces Influence Phenomena, Lesson 15: Electricity, Observing Phenomena, the phenomenon reaching for a doorknob and experiencing a shock or seeing a spark. Students watch a video to see and hear the spark. Suggestions are provided to the student in Connections to Your Life button that suggests for students to turn off the lights and rub a silk on a glass rod prior to touching another object to see the phenomenon. However, there is not silk or glass rod on the materials list nor supports for the teacher in providing the experience to all students.  
                )

            [10] => stdClass Object
                (
                    [code] => 1f
                    [type] => indicator
                    [points] => 1
                    [rating] => partially-meets
                    [report] => 
​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 partially meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems drive individual lessons or activities using key elements of all three dimensions. While the materials provide multiple lessons across the series using problems (Engineering Challenges) to drive student learning, phenomena do not consistently drive student learning and use of the three dimensions in lessons or activities.
Each lesson begins with students watching a video or viewing an image with a description intended to engage students with a phenomenon. However, some of the publisher-identified phenomena are actually scientific concepts, core ideas, problems, or directions and not observable occurrences requiring students to generate questions or develop an explanation to advance their own learning. Throughout the lesson, students engage in one or more investigations but there is often no direct connection between the lesson-level phenomenon and the focus of the investigations. While the lesson often builds understanding of the three dimensions, students do not interact with the phenomenon while engaging in the activities. Students only interact with the lesson-level phenomenon at the end of the investigations when they reflect on their learning and review their initial notes about the phenomenon. 
The materials contain 18 Engineering Challenges throughout the series, which are included across all three grades and within most segments. The Engineering Challenges present students with a problem they must solve, typically in the form of a design challenge. After being presented with the challenge, students develop their own, add to, or revise a list of specific criteria and constraints before creating and testing a prototype, and then use data from their tests to improve their original design. The problem presented in the Engineering Challenge usually drives student learning of the lesson, but not all Engineering Challenges engage students in all three dimensions. Additionally, the challenges are designed to build student understanding of ETS DCIs, but often miss opportunities to connect to the grade-band DCIs in physical, earth and space, or life science.
Examples of problems driving student learning and engaging students with all three dimensions:
In Grade 6, Segment 3: Regional Climates, Global Warming, and Living Systems, Engineering Challenge: Designing a Microclimate, students address the problem by engaging in a challenge to build a microclimate to grow one vegetable from outside of their climate zone. The challenge drives the use of three dimensions throughout the lesson. Students design and construct an artificial microclimate (DCI-ESS2.D-M1) of a vegetable growth system. The system design supports the growth of a plant by creating and maintaining a microclimate meeting the needs of the particular plant. In designing the system (SEP-ADQP-M8), students note and are aware of inputs, outputs, and the system impact of those factors (CCC-SYS-M2).
In Grade 7, Segment 3: Resources in Ecosystems, Engineering Challenge: Preserving Frog-Bat Interactions, the problem is there are plans to build a highway through the rainforest very near to a major pond, which could impact a population of frogs and bats living near the pond. Students identify the possible disturbances a noisy road would have to the ecosystem (DCI-LS2.A-M1). Students use information about how bats and frogs rely on acoustic interactions, and the impact this disruption could cause to the ecosystem as a whole. Students create a structure that can reduce the environmental impact of the highway’s sounds on the frogs and bats (CCC-SF-M2). Students place their sound shield between a speaker and sound meter to model the actual conditions between the road and ecosystem to test their prototype and generate data about how well their solution works, comparing their data to data in a provided table showing examples of decibel level equivalents (SEP-MOD-M7).
In Grade 8, Segment 1: Mechanical Waves, Engineering Challenge: Preventing Coastal Erosion, students address the problem by engaging in a challenge to design and test a seawall to prevent erosion of the coast and save the nearby highway. Prior to building their seawall, students investigate (SEP-INV-M4) seawalls and other structures already in use to prevent erosion. They apply understanding of waves (DCI-PS4.A-M1) and identify criteria and constraints (DCI-ETS1.B-M2) as they evaluate how the proposed structure (CCC-SF-M2) can solve the problem of coastal erosion. 
Examples of phenomena and problems not driving student learning: 
In Grade 6, Segment 2: Earth Systems, Weather, and Organisms, Lesson 6: Air Pressure and Wind, the phenomenon is some days are windy and others are not. During the investigations, students collect data and calibrate a barometer to answer what correlation exists between the local weather (e.g., wind, storms, etc.) and the barometer readings. While the investigations provide content knowledge required for understanding air pressure, students interact with the phenomenon—why some days are windy and others are not—at the start and end of the lesson, when they respond to questions in their notebook, but not during the investigations.
In Grade 6, Segment 3: Changes in Genes, Lesson 24: Genetic Mutations, the phenomena are some people have six fingers on one hand and some grapefruit are bright red. During the investigations, students show the relationship between genes, proteins, and traits. Students create a flowchart showing structure and function of genes and proteins, the mechanism for how changes in genes can cause changes in proteins, and how mutations can affect an organism’s survival in different environments. While these investigations provide content knowledge required for explaining mutations, students interact with the phenomena—some people have six fingers on one hand and some grapefruit are bright red—at the start and end of the lesson, when they respond to questions in their notebook, but not during the investigations. 
In Grade 7, Segment 1: Organisms and Nonliving Things are Made of Atoms, Lesson 7: Global Cycles of Matter, the phenomenon is fertilizer runoff into a pond triggers the growth of green muck. During the investigations, students develop understanding of the water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles and how the elements move between biotic and abiotic systems. While the investigations provide content knowledge required for explaining biogeochemical cycles, students interact with the phenomenon of algal blooms at the start and end of the lesson when they respond to questions in their notebook, but not during the investigations. Students do not explain the role of nutrients in the formation of algal blooms 
In Grade 8, Segment 2: The Earth-Sun-Moon System, Lesson 9: Earth’s Tilted Axis, the phenomenon is each year, “trees sprout leaves which grow, change color, die, and fall off.” During the investigations, students learn the axial tilt of earth and energy from the sun during different parts of the year contribute to the different seasons. While the investigations provide content knowledge required for explaining what causes the seasons, the lesson does not support students in explaining the mechanism of the phenomenon of tree leaves sprouting, growing, changing color, dying, and falling off.
                )

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                (
                    [code] => 1g
                    [type] => indicator
                    [report] => 
​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 are designed for students to solve problems in 17% of the lessons (19 of 109 lessons) compared to 15% of the NGSS grade-band performance expectations designed for solving problems. Throughout the materials 59% of the lessons (64 of 109 lessons) focus on explaining phenomena. Performance Assessments are not included in the calculations for the lessons, since those are considered summative assessments.
Each grade is structured to include three to six segments. Each segment has an Integrated Phenomenon and typically includes two or three units, labeled as Anchoring Phenomena. Each unit has an Anchoring Phenomenon and typically includes two to four lessons. Most units also include an Engineering Challenge; problems are typically found in the Engineering Challenges and often connect to the Anchoring Phenomenon for the unit. While the materials consistently identify a phenomenon with each segment, unit, and lesson, several of the publisher-identified phenomena are actually scientific concepts, core ideas, or directions, rather than observable occurrences  engaging students in asking questions to advance their own learning or explaining the phenomena.
Examples of problems (Engineering Challenges) within the series:
In Grade 6, Segment 1: Systems and Subsystems in Earth and Life Science, Engineering Challenge: Minimizing and Maximizing the Rate of Heat Transfer, the challenge is to create a device that will insulate or conduct heat energy using a beaker of ice water exposed to light energy. 
In Grade 6, Segment 3: Regional Climates, Global Warming, and Living Systems, Engineering Challenge: Designing a Microclimate, the challenge is to design a microclimate to support growth of a plant not native to the local environment. 
In Grade 7, Segment 3: The Distribution of Earth’s Resources, Engineering Challenge: Test and Improve a Solar Distiller, the challenge is to build and improve a solar distiller taking into consideration rates of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation of water.
In Grade 7, Segment 2: Matter Cycles and Energy Flows, Engineering Challenge: Designing a Hot Pack, the challenge is to design a one-time use hot pack.
In Grade 8, Segment 4: Major Collisions in the History of Life, Engineering Challenge: Engineering a Damping Device, the challenge is to develop a damping device around a camera to reduce vibrations during a rocket launch. 
In Grade 8, Segment 1: The Speed of Objects and Waves, Engineering Challenge: Preventing Coastal Erosion, the challenge is to design and test a seawall to prevent erosion on beaches. 
Examples of phenomena within the series:
In Grade 6, Segment 2: Earth Systems, Weather, and Organisms, the Integrated Phenomenon is when a person takes a dog on a long walk in the summer, the person sweats but the dog pants. 
In Grade 6, Segment 1: Systems and Subsystems in Earth and Life Sciences, Anchoring Phenomenon: The Atmosphere and Energy, the phenomenon is “Cold food in a cooler stays cold, and food in a solar cooker gets hot.” 
In Grade 6, Segment 3: Regional Climates, Global Warming, and Living Systems, Lesson 15: Climate Patterns, the phenomenon is “Earth’s surface is warmer at the equator than it is at the poles.” 
In Grade 7, Segment 4: Sustaining Living Systems in a Changing World, Anchoring Phenomenon: Humans and Changing Ecosystems, the Anchoring Phenomenon is “abalone populations in southern California have been in decline since the 1960s.” 
In Grade 7, Segment 1: Organisms and Nonliving Things are Made of Atoms, Lesson 8: Investigating Rock Strata, the phenomenon is rock layers at the bottom of the Grand Canyon are much older than those at the top. 
In Grade 8, Segment 6: Anchoring Phenomenon: Thermal Energy, the phenomenon is “jack rabbits' ears help them survive in the extreme heat of the desert.” 
In Grade 8, Segment 1: The Speed of Objects and Waves, Lesson 1: Describing Motion, the phenomenon is “sitting in a train alongside other trains, you might look out the window and be unsure which train is in motion.” 
                )

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                    [code] => 1h
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                    [points] => 1
                    [rating] => partially-meets
                    [report] => 
​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 partially meet expectations that materials intentionally leverage students’ prior knowledge and experiences related to phenomena or problems. The materials elicit, but do not leverage students’ prior knowledge and experiences of phenomena. 
All units and lessons begin with a phenomenon presented through either videos, pictures, or demonstrations. The materials include the same prompt for all lesson-level phenomena: “What questions do you have about this phenomenon?” For the unit-level phenomena, all units elicit students’ prior knowledge and experiences through a Know-Want to Know-Learned (KWL) chart. The materials do not leverage the information elicited from the unit-level and lesson-level phenomena, and do not provide guidance for teachers to connect students’ responses to subsequent learning opportunities helping them apply what they already know as they make sense of the phenomena. Students return to their questions and KWL charts at the end of the units and lessons, but are not afforded the opportunity to incorporate their prior knowledge and experiences during the learning in the lessons.
The materials elicit but rarely leverage students’ prior knowledge and experience related to problems in a way that allows them to make connections between what they are learning and their own knowledge, and to build on the knowledge and experience students bring from both inside and outside of the classroom. The Engineering Challenges begin by presenting a problem as a design challenge, but do not consistently prompt students to ask questions or write notes on their prior knowledge and experiences. Instead, students are prompted in their notebooks to answer specific questions about the problem.
Examples where materials elicit but do not leverage student prior knowledge and experiences related to phenomena:
In Grade 6, Segment 3: Regional Climates, Global Warming, and Living Systems, Lesson 15: Climate Patterns, the phenomenon is “Earth’s surface is warmer at the equator than it is at the poles.” The materials pose questions to the whole class about where they think it is warm and cold on earth, but students do not respond in their notebooks. While the questions elicit student knowledge related to the phenomenon, no guidance is provided for teachers to leverage student responses in subsequent investigations. Students are presented with a diagram showing various climate zones and write questions about the phenomenon in their notebooks before they begin investigations. Students return to their notebooks to record their understanding at the end of the lesson, but they are not prompted to incorporate, use, or build on prior knowledge during the investigations.
In Grade 7, Segment 4: Sustaining Living Systems in a Changing World, Anchoring Phenomenon: Humans and Changing Ecosystems, the instructional materials present the Anchoring Phenomenon “abalone populations in southern California have been in decline since the 1960s.” Students write in a KWL chart what they already know about the phenomenon, but their experiences with this phenomenon are not explicitly elicited. Additionally, teachers are not provided guidance on how to incorporate the students’ prior knowledge and experiences to leverage this information during the lesson.
In Grade 8, Segment 4: Major Collisions in the History of Life, Lesson 20: Formation of the Solar System, the phenomenon is humans weren't around to watch the solar system form, but have observed patterns which may explain its formation. At the beginning of the lesson, the materials ask students to record any questions they have about the phenomenon. After this point in the lesson, materials do not ask students to engage with, use, or build on their prior knowledge or experiences. Additionally, the materials provide no guidance to help teachers leverage students' prior knowledge and experiences.
In Grade 8, Segment 6: Anchoring Phenomenon: Thermal Energy, the phenomenon is “jack rabbits' ears help them survive in the extreme heat of the desert.” Students are shown images and a short video mentioning heat transfer of jack rabbits’ ears. Students complete a KWL chart. In the subsequent lessons and performance assessment of the unit, students are not given any opportunities to connect their prior knowledge and experiences written in the KWL chart to make sense of the phenomenon.
Examples where materials elicit but do not leverage student prior knowledge and experiences related to problems:
In Grade 6, Segment 1: Systems and Subsystems in Earth and Life Science, Engineering Challenge: Minimizing and Maximizing the Rate of Heat Transfer, the challenge is to create a device that will insulate or conduct heat energy using a beaker of ice water exposed to light energy. Students’ prior knowledge is elicited as students respond to questions in their notebooks, but not leveraged during the challenge. 
In Grade 6, Segment 3: Regional Climates, Global Warming, and Living Systems, Engineering Challenge: Designing a Microclimate, the challenge is to design a microclimate to support growth of a plant. When designing their solution, the materials instruct students to “Think about plants that do not naturally grow in your local environment. Developing the microclimate should be a challenge.” Within the scope of assigned criteria and constraints, students design and build their microclimate based on their group’s ideas and research. Student prior knowledge is elicited as students think about plants, but prior knowledge is not leveraged during the challenge.
                )

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                (
                    [code] => 1i
                    [type] => indicator
                    [points] => 0
                    [rating] => does-not-meet
                    [report] => 
​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations that materials embed phenomena or problems across multiple lessons for students to use and build knowledge of all three dimensions. Materials do not consistently provide units using phenomena or problems to drive student learning across multiple lessons; few units use phenomena or problems to engage with all three dimensions across multiple lessons.
The instructional materials present an Anchoring Phenomenon at the start of each unit and students are prompted to ask questions about the phenomenon in their notebook through use of a Know-Want to Know-Learned (KWL) chart and a handout called “Developing a Model to Explain a Phenomenon.” A Connecting to Phenomenon button is provided at the end of most investigations prompting teachers to give students opportunities to review their notes on the unit-level phenomenon and make revisions if necessary; this connects student learning to the Anchoring Phenomenon but student learning is not driven by the Anchoring Phenomenon. Connections to phenomena are different than phenomena driving student learning, where students are expected to figure out phenomena. The Wrap Up section at the end of the lesson provides a similar prompt for students to add new learning. Students return to their KWL chart and initial model after each lesson and at the end of the unit transfer their learning from the lessons to the context provided by the phenomenon. The structure provides students opportunities to transfer learning to new contexts and to revise their initial thinking using ideas they learned; however students are not driven towards these contexts with a desire or questions to figure out regarding the Anchoring Phenomenon. The “Anchoring Phenomena” are most often used as examples of the content topic or concept as opposed to a driving mechanism for student questions and sensemaking.
The materials are designed to include Performance Assessments at the end of each unit; these are designed to match the context of the Anchoring Phenomenon and assess what students learned throughout the unit. The Performance Assessments generally engage students in transferring learning from the context of the activities done throughout lessons in the unit, to the context of the phenomenon, but consistently has students revisit information learned in the lessons instead of allowing for deeper engagement and reflection of how thinking has changed over time related to explaining the phenomenon. This structure for the Performance Assessments provides students opportunities to transfer learning from the investigations and lesson to a new context; however since the unit-level phenomenon is typically used as part of the assessment occurring at the end of the unit, it is not driving student learning.
Further, Integrated Phenomena are incorporated at the beginning of a segment to provide context to the aggregation of units and to provide connections helping students understand how the topics are related. After the phenomena are introduced, students write their generated questions and develop an initial model to explain the phenomena. Whereas the content of these are touched upon over the course of the associated units, student engagement at the unit and lesson level is not used during the learning to help explain the Integrated Phenomenon. Within the lessons, the instruction does not refer back to the Integrated Phenomenon. Instead, when the Integrated Phenomenon is initially presented, the materials instruct students to return to their explanation at the end of the segment. Overall, phenomena (Integrated, Anchoring, and Investigative) are consistently placed at the beginning and end of learning opportunities and sequences, but are missing the opportunity for students to make sense of the phenomena during their learning and be supported in continually revising their thinking about the phenomena.
Problems are typically embedded within the Engineering Challenges. These are at the lesson level and occur in a little more than half of the units across the series; the problems are not used to connect multiple lessons in the unit nor do they support students in figuring out the Anchoring Phenomenon.
Examples where phenomena do not drive student learning across multiple lessons:
In Grade 6, Segment 2: Earth Systems, Weather, and Organisms, the Integrated Phenomenon is “when a person takes a dog on a long walk in the summer, you might see that the person is sweating but the dog is panting.” Students answer a prompt in their notebook about what questions they have and how they might investigate to find an answer. Students develop an initial model and are prompted to return after each lesson to record information learned and revise the model. Students engage in several units: weather, including lessons on the different factors contributing to weather; traits in organisms, including lessons on traits used for survival and reproduction; and bodies, including lessons in body systems, levels of organization, and information processing. While these lessons are related to the DCIs connected to the anchor phenomena, student questions about the phenomena are not what drives the learning. Instead, the activities and lessons are designed in a manner that provides students information related to the DCIs that they write down in their notebook instead of students asking questions about the lesson-level phenomena to try to understand them and to help them make sense of the Anchoring Phenomenon. 
In Grade 7, Segment 3: The Distribution of Earth’s Resources, Anchoring Phenomenon: Resources in Ecosystems, the Anchoring Phenomenon is some captive species of cichlid fish stop eating to the point of dying when other cichlid species are in the aquarium. Students fill out a KWL chart to capture their initial thinking about the phenomenon. Students engage in a series of lessons on the role of resource availability on populations of dart frogs, ecosystem interactions with ants and acacia trees, and the effect of ecosystem disruptions on populations around Mount St. Helens’ eruption. While these lessons are related to the DCIs connected to the anchor phenomena, student questions about the phenomena are not what drives the learning. Instead, the activities and lessons are designed in a manner that provides students information related to the DCIs that they write down in their notebook instead of students asking questions about the lesson-level phenomena to try to understand them and to help them make sense of the Anchoring Phenomenon. At the conclusion of each lesson, students reflect on the investigations and transfer their learning to the context of the phenomenon as they revise their KWL chart. However, the phenomenon is also used as the context for the Performance Assessment where students use prior learning from the lessons to try to solve the problem of making the cichlids healthy again.
In Grade 8, Segment 3: Noncontact Forces Influence Phenomena, Anchoring Phenomena: Noncontact Forces, the Anchoring Phenomenon is drones are able to overcome gravity. Students fill out a KWL chart to capture their initial thinking about the phenomenon. Students engage in a lesson to explain how a book and piece of paper fall at the same rate. The remaining lessons in the unit focus on electricity, magnetism, and electromagnetism, including constructing circuits and testing an electromagnet. While these lessons are related to the DCIs connected to the anchor phenomena, student questions about the phenomena are not what drives the learning. Instead, the activities and lessons are designed in a manner that provides students information related to the DCIs that they write down in their notebook instead of students asking questions about the lesson-level phenomena to try to understand them and to help them make sense of the Anchoring Phenomenon. At the conclusion of each lesson, students reflect on the investigations and transfer their learning to the context of the flying drones as they revise their KWL chart. However, the phenomenon is also used as the context for the Performance Assessment; students engage in activities assessing learning from the lessons related to how a motor works, how a motor compares to a generator, and how gravity and mass affect the flight of an object to help answer the question of how drones defy gravity.
In Grade 8, Segment 4: Major Collisions in the History of Life, Anchoring Phenomenon: The Solar System and Beyond, the Anchoring Phenomenon is that celestial bodies follow distinct patterns of movement. Students fill out a KWL chart to capture their initial thinking about this phenomenon. Students then engage in a series of lessons that focus on understanding the role of gravity in the formation of the solar system and understanding scale and distance between celestial bodies. During the unit’s Engineering Challenge, students develop a damping device around a camera to reduce vibrations during take off of a rocket. Students define criteria and constraints, design different solutions, and test and improve their devices. The design problem only engages students in the engineering performance expectations and does not connect back to the phenomenon of celestial bodies moving in predictable patterns. While these lessons are related to the DCIs connected to the anchor phenomena, student questions about the phenomena are not what drives the learning. Instead, the activities and lessons are designed in a manner that provides students information related to the DCIs that they write down in their notebook instead of students asking questions about the lesson-level phenomena to try to understand them and to help them make sense of the Anchoring Phenomenon. At the conclusion of each lesson, students reflect on the investigations and transfer their learning to the context of the phenomenon as they revise their KWL chart. However, the phenomenon is also used as the context for the Performance Assessment; students evaluate an existing movie script about space and write a movie scene based on their understanding gravity’s effects on celestial bodies.
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The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations for Gateway 1: Designed for NGSS.           The materials do not meet expectations for three-dimensional learning and that phenomena and problems drive learning. 
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The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations for Criterion 1a-1c: Three-Dimensional Learning. Approximately half of all learning sequences engage students in use of the three dimensions and the materials do not consistently provide opportunities for students to use both SEPs and CCCs to make sense of and with the other dimensions. The materials incorporate lesson objectives that do not consistently incorporate the three dimensions and formative assessment tasks are present but do not consistently yield information about student progress in learning and using the three dimensions. Further, the materials include three-dimensional objectives at the unit level, but the summative assessments for each unit partially address or do not address the objectives listed for the same unit. 
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The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 partially meet expectations that they are consistently designed to integrate the science and engineering practices (SEPs), crosscutting concepts (CCCs), and disciplinary core ideas (DCIs) into student learning. 
Across the series, the materials integrate the three dimensions in student learning opportunities at the lesson level in approximately half of all learning sequences. Discovery Education Science Techbooks are organized by unit (four per grade level) and then by supporting concepts (four to five per unit). Each learning sequence (concept) is designed to follow the 5E (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate) format of instruction and is typically completed over 10-15 instructional periods (45 minutes each).
When the three dimensions are present, they are most frequently within the Explore or Elaborate sections, but may be found within select Engage and Explain portions of concepts. Within each concept, the Elaborate with STEM section contains two to four STEM Project Starters. The minimum suggested time estimate in the Model Lesson PDF corresponds to the minimum suggested time associated with the STEM in Action assignment, labeled as core interactive text (CIT), and interpreted to be the required component of this section. The maximum suggested time estimate allows for students to additionally complete one or more STEM Project Starters. For example, in Grade 8, Unit 3: Life’s Unity and Diversity, Concept 3.2: Evolution and Natural Selection, the Model Lesson PDF recommends 90-180 minutes of instructional time to complete the Elaborate with STEM section. The suggested time for the STEM in Action section is 90 minutes. Additionally, this section includes three STEM Project Starters: What Did Darwin Do? (45 minutes), Helicopters and Hummingbirds (45 minutes), and Traits over Time (90 minutes). The total recommended time to complete all four activities within the Elaborate with STEM section is 270 minutes, yet the suggested range for the entire Elaborate with STEM section is only 90-180 minutes. Insufficient guidance is provided to support students in selecting and teachers assigning these project starters; it cannot be assumed that all students will complete every option within the series. As such, any individual STEM Project Starter is considered to be optional within the materials and is not considered as a factor in scoring. Additionally, the Evaluate portion of each lesson assesses, rather than engages students in new learning, and is not considered a factor in the scoring of this indicator.  
Examples of student learning opportunities that integrate the three dimensions:
In Grade 6, Unit 2: Causes of Weather, Concept 2.1: Energy Transfer in the Water Cycle, Explore 1, students collect and analyze temperature data of ice as it is melted and heated to boiling, and subsequently relate changes in temperature to changes in energy states. Students engage in a teacher-led discussion identifying the relationship between water temperature and its state, and then modify a changes in state diagram incorporating prior collected evidence. Within the instructional sequence, students use observed data (SEP-DATA-M4) to identify cause and effect relationships (CCC-CE-M2) between temperature, energy state, and material phase (DCI-PS1.A-M6) as they modify a model to reflect identified relationships (SEP-MOD-M2). 
In Grade 7, Unit 3: Shaping Earth’s Resources and Ecosystems, Concept 3.2: Earth’s Natural Resources, Explore 4, students investigate how groundwater travels through rock and sand, participate in small group and whole class discussions on the effects of human populations on groundwater resources, and describe the consequences of groundwater depletion in an extended response question. Within the instructional sequence, students conduct an investigation to produce data (SEP-INV-M2) that describe the uneven distribution of groundwater as a resource (DCI-ESS3.A-M1), and then describe the negative effects (CCC-CE-M1) of groundwater depletion by human populations.
In Grade 8, Unit 1: Objects Move and Collide, Concept 1.2: Energy for Launch, Engage, students design an investigation to identify a fuel mixture that will propel a small rocket to an altitude of ten meters; create and modify a model to demonstrate the forces acting on a rocket as it launches, climbs, and descends; and identify evidence to explain how mass and energy affect the acceleration of a rocket. Within the instructional sequence, students develop and modify a model to represent a system (CCC-SYS-M2) to include interactions observed in a designed investigation (SEP-INV-M1) to evaluate the sum of forces acting on an object (DCI-PS2.A-M2).
Examples from learning sequences where student learning opportunities do not integrate the three dimensions:
In Grade 6, Unit 1: Systems on Earth, Concept 1.1: Body Systems, students read a passage and watch several videos describing the functions of the central and peripheral nervous systems, interact with an animation that describes which parts of the brain control several bodily functions, sort activities by nervous subsystem, and complete a paragraph by selecting vocabulary terms from drop down menus within a diagram. Within the instructional sequence, students do not engage in an SEP as they evaluate the differences between the subsystems of a larger complex system (CCC-SYS-M1) composed of tissues and organs specialized for particular body functions (DCI-LS1.A-M3).
In Grade 7, Unit 2: Matter Cycles and Energy Flows, Concept 2.2: Matter and Energy in Living Systems, Explore 3, students read a passage comparing cellular respiration and photosynthesis, watch an animation and several videos about the cycling of matter and the flow of energy, and make posters to explain how matter cycles and energy flows through organisms. Within the instructional sequence, students do not engage in an SEP as they represent how energy and matter flow (CCC-SYS-M2) as plants use sunlight and carbon dioxide to make and store food (DCI-LS1.C-M1). 
In Grade 8, Unit 3: Life’s Unity and Diversity, Concept 3.1: Earth’s History and the Fossil Record, Explore 4, students examine a table of extinction event data, watch several videos, read multiple passages about fossil records, and perform an optional physical measurement activity. Within the instructional sequence, students do not engage in an SEP or CCC as they read and hear about how the fossil record documents the history of life on earth (DCI-LS4.A-M1). 
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​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 partially meet expectations that they are consistently designed to support meaningful student sensemaking with the three dimensions. The materials are designed for SEPs to meaningfully support student sensemaking with the other dimensions in nearly all learning sequences.
In instances where the materials include all three dimensions within an instructional sequence, students do not consistently use both the SEPs and the CCCs to make sense of and with the other dimensions. The materials contain some instances where SEPs or CCCs meaningfully support student sensemaking with the other dimensions. Where CCCs are included, the relationships illustrated by the CCCs are often stated in the student text or explicitly scripted for the teacher to identify during discussion. Student use of SEPs to meaningfully make sense of DCIs occurs in nearly all learning sequences and typically occurs within the Hands-on Activities.
While students engage in multiple SEPs across the series, the materials rely heavily on the practice of the students constructing explanations from evidence. In most instances, students explain using evidence from text and/or video segments and less frequently from direct observation and hands-on-activities.
Examples of student learning opportunities where students make sense with the three dimensions:
In Grade 6, Unit 2: Causes of Weather, Concept 2.1: Energy Transfer in the Water Cycle, Explore 1, students make sense of how changes in temperature relate to changes in energy states (DCI-PS1.A-M6) with the other dimensions. Students utilize the practice of identifying appropriate evidence to support an explanation (SEP-DATA-M4) as they analyze and interpret data from a laboratory exercise and teacher demonstration to build understanding of changes in state (DCI-PS1.A-M6). Students utilize the concepts of cause and effect (CCC-CE-M2) and energy transfers (CCC-EM-M4) to build understanding of the relationships between temperature, energy state, and material phase (DCI-PS1.A-M6).
In Grade 8, Unit 1: Objects Move and Collide, Concept 1.2: Energy for Launch, Engage, students make sense of the forces acting on a rocket (DCI-PS2.A-M2) with other dimensions. Students utilize the practices of designing an investigation (SEP-INV-M1) and testing solutions (SEP-INV-M5) as they build understanding of how the motion of an object is determined by the forces acting on it (DCI-PS2.A-M2). Students utilize the concept of using models to represent systems and their interactions (CCC-SYS-M2) to build understanding of total and net force (DCI-PS2.A-M2).
Examples of students using an SEP for sensemaking with a DCI:
In Grade 6, Unit 1: Systems on Earth, Concept 1.3: Earth’s Interacting Systems, Explore 1: students are asked the question, “What causes sea levels to rise?” To answer this question, students watch videos and read text to build background knowledge on earth’s water sources (DCI-ESS2.C-E1). In the Hands-on Activity, students create a physical model (SEP-MOD-M5) to compare sea level rise from melting glaciers to melting sea ice to explain rising sea levels.
In Grade 7, Unit 3: Shaping Earth’s Resources and Ecosystems, Concept 3.1: Earth’s Moving Surface, Explain, students are asked the question, “Why do so many earthquakes occur along the west coast of the United States?” Students look at maps showing global earthquake distribution then read text, and watch videos that provide information about plate movements. Students engage in a Hands-on Activity to create a paper reconstruction of Pangea. Students restate explanations provided in the text to build understanding of the movement of Earth’s plates (DCI-ESS2.B-M1). Students make a claim and support it with evidence from the text, maps, and videos (SEP-CEDS-M3) to make sense of how mapping the historical occurrences of earthquakes can help forecast future events (DCI-ESS2.B-M1, DCI-ESS3.B-M1). 
In Grade 7, Unit 3: Shaping Earth’s Resources and Ecosystems, Concept 3.2: Earth’s Natural Resources, Explore 4, students conduct an investigation (SEP-INV-M2) to test the porosity of sand and permeability of different types of rocks to help them determine which components make a good aquifer. Students read additional text and watch several videos to learn about sources of groundwater, movement and storage of groundwater, and depletion of groundwater. Students are provided with a list of consequences of groundwater depletion to build understanding of the mechanisms affecting groundwater depletion (DCI-ESS3.A-M1) as they make sense of geologic conditions that determine the availability of groundwater as a natural resource.
In Grade 8, Unit 1: Objects Move and Collide, Concept 1.3: Colliding Objects, Explore 1, students make sense of Newton’s third law (DCI-PS2.A-M1) with scientific practices, but not with the crosscutting concepts.  Students utilize the practice of analyzing data (SEP-DATA-M4) to make sense of how force is transferred from one object to another as objects collide (DCI-PS2.A-M1).  
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​​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations that they are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence for three-dimensional learning in the instructional materials. Across the series, the provided Lesson Objectives frequently focus on student learning of the targeted DCIs and do not consistently integrate the SEPs or CCCs. Formative assessment tasks are present within each of the learning sequences. Digital activities are available to periodically check students knowledge throughout the concept and sometimes including the use of a practice, but they do not consistently yield information about the students’ progress in learning and using all three dimensions.
Examples of lesson objectives that are not three-dimensional and the subsequent formative assessment tasks do not elicit information about students understanding and use of the three dimensions:
In Grade 6, Unit 1: Systems on Earth, Concept 1.3: Earth’s Interacting Systems, students explore the interconnectedness of Earth’s systems. The Lesson Objectives include describing energy transfers from the sun that drive thermal expansion (DCI-ESS2.A-M1), the role of gravity in the hydrologic cycle (DCI-ESS2.C-M3), and the role of plants in the water cycle (DCI-ESS2.C-M1). However, no lesson objectives focus on the SEPs or CCCs. Digital activities are available to periodically check student knowledge throughout Concept 1.3, but the activities do not yield information about the students’ progress in learning and usage of the three dimensions.
In Grade 7, Unit 1: Matter All Around, Concept 1.1: Particles in States of Matter, the Lesson Objectives include seven objectives focused on DCIs related to matter to support PE-MS-PS1-4. One additional objective, “Model the movement of particles in solids, liquids, and gases,” includes an SEP to support this PE. However, no lesson objectives focus on the CCCs. Digital activities are available to periodically check student knowledge throughout Concept 1.1, but they do not yield information about the students’ progress in learning and usage of the three dimensions.
In Grade 7, Unit 4: Sustaining Ecosystems, Concept 4.3: Human Impact on Ecosystems, the Lesson Objectives include seven objectives focused on DCIs and SEPs related to understanding and developing solutions to environmental problems. However, no lesson objectives focus on the CCCs. Digital activities are available to periodically check student knowledge throughout Concept 4.3, but they do not yield information about the students’ progress in learning and usage of the three dimensions.
In Grade 8, Unit 3: LIfe’s Unity and Diversity, Concept 3.1: Earth’s History and the Fossil Record, the Lesson Objectives include five objectives focused on DCIs and the CCCs of patterns and cause and effect. However, no lesson objectives focus on the SEPs. Digital activities are available to periodically check student knowledge throughout Concept 3.1, but they do not yield information about the students’ progress in learning and usage of the three dimensions.
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​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations that they are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence of the three-dimensional learning in the instructional materials. The Discovery Education Science Techbook Assessment Cycle in the Teacher Edition includes a description of “medium-cycle” assessments to be given at the end of the unit or quarterly. These include the  Performance Based Assessment (PBA) and the Unit Assessment which includes a series of technology enhanced items (TEIs). Additionally, the materials provide “short-cycle” assessments that include the optional STEM Project Starters. 
Across the series, the materials present a performance-based assessment at the end of each unit to assess the learning objectives, identified as performance expectations (PEs), for that unit. These summative assessments generally consist of five to seven questions that are designed to assess two to six PEs. Assessments typically include multiple technology enhanced items (TEIs) such as drag-and-drop matching and labeling, drop-down menu fill in the blank, true/false statements, and multiple select/choice questions. All of the performance-based assessments include one extended response question. While the performance-based assessment for Grade 6, Unit 4 meets the requirement to produce evidence of three-dimensional learning, the summative assessment items do not consistently meet this requirement in units across the series. Across the series, the summative assessments frequently partially address or do not address the listed learning objectives for the unit (PEs).
Examples where summative assessments are not three-dimensional in design and do not connect to the three-dimensional learning objectives for the unit:
In Grade 6, Unit 2: Causes of Weather, the performance-based assessment consists of one extended response question and four TEIs intended to assess student achievement in relation to the performance expectations of MS-PS3-4, MS-ESS2-4, and MS-ESS2-5. This assessment does not fully address the intended PEs, as students do not fully demonstrate understanding of the SEPs or CCCs as indicated. Further, the assessment does not attempt to address the unit learning objectives MS-PS3-3 and MS-PS3-5.
In Grade 7, Unit 2: Matter Cycles and Energy Flow, the performance-based assessment consists of one extended question and four TEIs intended to assess student achievement in relations to the performance expectations of MS-PS1-2, MS-PS1-5, MS-LS1-6, and MS-ESS2-1. This assessment does not fully address the intended PEs, as students do not fully demonstrate understanding of the SEPs or CCCs as indicated. Further, the assessment does not attempt to address the unit learning objectives MS-PS1-6, MS-LS1-7, and MS-ETS-1, 2, 3, and 4.
In Grade 8, Unit 4: Monitoring Biodiversity, the performance-based assessment consists of one extended response question and six TEIs intended to assess student achievement in relations to the performance expectations of MS-PS4-1, MS-PS4-2, MS-LS4-4, MS-LS4-6, MS-ESS1-1, and MS-ESS3-4. This assessment does not fully address the intended PEs, as students do not fully demonstrate understanding of SEPs or CCCs as indicated. Further, the assessment does not attempt to address the unit learning objectives MS-ETS1-1, MS-ETS1-2, MS-ETS1-3, and MS-PS4-3.

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​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations for Criterion 1d-1i: Phenomena and Problems Drive Learning. The materials include phenomena at unit and concept levels and are consistently linked to grade-band appropriate DCIs. The materials do not consistently present phenomena and problems as directly as possible. The materials incorporate some phenomena at the lesson or concept level, but those phenomena do not connect student learning experiences within the lesson or concept.           The materials provide information regarding how phenomena and problems are present in the materials, with students expected to solve problems in up to 10% of the lessons, and explain phenomena in 33% of the lessons. The materials elicit student prior knowledge, but do not leverage student prior knowledge and experience related to phenomena and problems. Additionally, the materials consistently incorporate phenomena at the unit level, but those phenomena do not drive student learning and use of the three dimensions across multiple lessons or concepts. 
                )

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​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meet the expectation that phenomena are connected to grade-band disciplinary core ideas. Across the series, problems are found in some performance-based assessments or presented within the Elaborate with STEM section of each concept as optional extension resources; because of this design, problems were not considered when scoring this indicator.
The materials follow a 5E model. Each grade-band sequence is composed of four units, each comprising three to five conceptual 5E subunits. Phenomena are presented at the unit (anchoring) and concept (investigative) level. Within the Engage and Explore portions of each instructional sequence, students watch videos, read passages, engage in class discussions, and perform hands-on activities to build understanding of grade-band DCIs. The instructional materials include phenomena linked to grade-band appropriate DCIs or their elements in nearly all instances.
Examples of phenomena linked to grade-level appropriate DCIs:
In Grade 6, Unit 3: Causes and Effects of Regional Climates, Concept 3.3: Reproducing to Save a Species, students investigate the phenomenon of climate changes signaling sea turtles to reproduce. Throughout the learning sequence, students work to build an understanding of the nature of reproductive success. Students synthesize information from multiple video segments and several reading passages to build an understanding of animals engaging in characteristic behaviors to increase odds of reproduction (DCI-LS1.B-M2) and that human caused changes to the environment will have impacts on the ability of living things to reproduce (DCI-ESS3.C.M1).
In Grade 7, Unit 2: Matter Cycles and Energy Flow. Concept 2.1: How Matter Can Change, students investigate the phenomenon of matter changes that occur during a wildfire. Throughout the learning sequence, students work to build an understanding of the nature of chemical change. Students synthesize information from multiple video segments and several reading passages to develop an understanding that substances have characteristic physical and chemical properties (DCI-PS1.A-M2).  Students also perform investigations to demonstrate evidence characteristic of chemical change (DCI-PS1.B-M1) and mass conserved during a chemical reaction (DCI-PS1.B-M2).
In Grade 8, Unit 3: Life’s Unity and Diversity, Concept 3.2: Evolution and Natural Selection, students investigate the phenomenon of the effect of drought on the beak depth of finches. Throughout the learning sequence, students work to build an understanding of adaptation by natural selection. Students evaluate several images and graphs to build an understanding of how changes to an environment cause traits in a populations to change (DCI-LS4.C-M1) and investigate the role of natural selection in the variation of traits expressed in a population (DCI-LS4.B-M1).

                )

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​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 partially meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems in the series are presented to students as directly as possible. Within the materials, investigative phenomena are presented in either the Engage or the Explore sections of concepts or, in the case of anchoring phenomena, the opening of each unit. Both anchoring and investigative phenomena are present throughout most of the series and are introduced to students through a brief reading passage and a video segment or image. Problem solving scenarios in the materials are presented as optional extensions, thus they are not considered for scoring.
Throughout the materials, when phenomena are present, they are presented as directly as possible approximately half of the time. In multiple instances, the phenomena are introduced via video or still photo, which is appropriate due to issues of scale, geographical access, or in consideration of student safety. In some instances, passages engage students in phenomena via a crosscutting concept, which provides access points for students who may lack contextual background knowledge of phenomena. However, the materials contain many instances in which videos and images are employed to introduce phenomena and where first-hand observation is feasible. Across the series, phenomena are not consistently presented to students as directly as possible.
Examples of phenomena that are presented as directly as possible:
In Grade 6, Unit 2: Causes of Weather, Concept 2.1: Energy Transfer in the Water Cycle, Engage: Where Did the Water Go?, the investigative phenomenon of water evaporating from Lake Mead is presented to students via the passage “Where Did the Water Go?", a video segment “Lake Mead”, and through whole class observations of changing water levels in two beakers of water. These resources provide students with geographical and first-hand conceptual context with which to engage in the phenomenon.
In Grade 6, Unit 3: Causes and Effects of Regional Climates, the anchoring phenomenon of the causes of different climate regions across the globe is presented to students via a world map of average annual temperatures and a brief passage which directs students to identify visible patterns on the map. These resources provide students with a scale-appropriate context with which to engage in the phenomenon. Additionally, the crosscutting concept of patterns provides an access point for students who may lack background knowledge.
Grade 6 Unit 3: Causes and Effects of Regional Climate, Concept 3.2: Environmental and Genetic Influences, Engage: Engaging With Earth’s Environments, the investigative phenomenon of how loss of sea ice affects the migration of caribou is presented to students via the passage “Engaging with Earth’s Environments” and several video segments including; “Caribou on Thin Ice”. These resources provide students with scalar and geographical contexts with which to engage in the phenomenon.
In Grade 7, Unit 1: Matter all Around, Concept 1.2: Energy and changing States, Engage: Liquid Nitrogen - Very Strange Stuff, the investigative phenomenon of phase changes of nitrogen is presented to students through the passage “Liquid Nitrogen - Very Strange Stuff”, and several video segments, including “Liquid Nitrogen”, in which a presenter makes ice cream with the supercooled liquid. These resources provide students a safe environment in which to engage in the phenomenon.
In Grade 7, Unit 3: Shaping Earth’s Resources and Ecosystems, Concept 3.1: Earth’s Moving Surface, Engage: The 1989 San Francisco Earthquake, the investigative phenomenon of the frequency of earthquakes in California is presented to students via a video and passage, both titled “The San Francisco Earthquake of 1989”. Included in the passage are two images: the first, a map showing worldwide distribution of earthquakes and the second, a relief map of the ocean floor. Language within the passage tasks students with identifying patterns between the two maps. These resources provide students with an historical and geographical context with which to engage in the phenomenon. Additionally, the crosscutting concept of patterns provides an access point for students who lack background knowledge.
In Grade 8, Unit 2: Moving Planets, Concept 2.2: Planetary Forces, Engage: Life on Mars, the investigative phenomenon that life might have existed on Mars is presented to students through a video that explores the presence of water as necessary to support life on Mars. These resources provide students with a scalar and geographical context with which to engage in the phenomenon.
Examples of phenomena that are not presented as directly as possible:
In Grade 6, Unit 1: Systems on Earth, Concept 1.3: Earth’s interacting systems, Engage: Earth’s Vital Signs, the investigative phenomenon of sea level change is presented to students through a graph of changing sea level over time. A more direct presentation is possible to help students focus their questions on how the increase in sea level impacts plants near the coast.
In Grade 7, Unit 1: Matter all Around, Concept 1.1: Particles in States of Matter, Engage: Dry Ice a Really Cool Substance, the investigative phenomenon of dry ice is presented to students through a video of dry ice sublimation. A more direct experience is possible to help students experience and observe this phenomenon in greater detail while still maintaining classroom safety.
In Grade 7, Unit 1:Matter all Around, Concept 1.3:The Composition of Matter, Engage: Matter Changes in a Burning Match, the investigative phenomenon of a burning match is presented to students through a video of a match being burned. A more direct experience is possible to help students experience and observe this phenomenon in greater detail while still maintaining classroom safety.
In Grade 7, Unit 2: Matter Cycles and Energy Flow. Concept 2.1: How Matter Can Change, Engage: Changing Matter in a Wildfire, the investigative phenomenon of fire and what happens to matter as it burns is presented to students through video of wildfires in California and a discussion on the nature of fire. A more direct experience is possible to help students experience and observe this phenomenon in greater detail while still maintaining classroom safety.
In Grade 7, Unit 2: Matter Cycles and Energy Flow, Concept 2.2: Matter and Energy in Living System, Engage: The World’s Largest Trees, the investigative phenomenon of giant trees growing from tiny seeds is presented to students through a video of the sequoias along the coast of California. The video provides information about Sequoia National Park that includes information about the distribution, age, weight, and size of sequoia trees in the park but does not provide information about the tree's seeds or different stages of growth. A more direct presentation is possible to help students focus their questions on how the tree gains matter as it grows.

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​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems drive individual lessons or activities using key elements of all three dimensions. Within the materials, Investigative Phenomena are presented in either the Engage or Explore sections of concepts and are present throughout most of the series. Phenomena are generally introduced to students through a brief reading passage and a series of video segments. In most instances, the materials either do not connect the learning experiences to the phenomena or they do not engage students using all three dimensions. Problem solving activities are presented only as optional extensions within the materials; thus, they are not considered for scoring.
Examples of phenomena that are presented but not used to drive student learning:
In Grade 6: Unit 1: Systems on Earth, Concept 1.3: Earth’s Interacting Systems, Engage: Earth’s Vital Signs, students are introduced to the phenomenon of an increasing sea level height between 1993 and 2017. In subsequent parts of the learning sequence, students learn about factors that do not contribute to sea level rise and factors that do. The materials do not support students in collecting evidence to explain the phenomenon of sea level rise in the time frame shown in the initial graph. The phenomenon is used as an introduction only and students are not utilizing the three dimensions to make sense of it or figure it out.
In Grade 8, Unit 3: Life’s Unity and Diversity, Concept 3.3: Evidence for Evolution, Engage: Flu Evolution, students are introduced to the phenomenon of needing different flu shots each year to prevent influenza. Students then read about the meaning of a scientific theory, the fossil record, evolution in whales, homologous structures, and cladograms. The materials do not address flu evolution during the learning sequence after the Engage portion of the lesson, thus this phenomenon does not drive student learning. The phenomenon is used as an introduction only and students are not utilizing the three dimensions to make sense of it or figure it out.
In Grade 8: Unit 3: Life’s Unity and Diversity, Concept 3.4: Modifying Organisms, Engage: Thinking about Where Dog Breeds Come From, students are introduced to the phenomenon of “dog breeds” via a teacher guided discussion. The Teacher Notes direct the instructor to elicit student ideas about the various characteristics of different dog breeds, learned versus inherited traits, and the sources of the variety of breed traits. Students then read a text, “Thinking about Where Dog Breeds Come From,” and watch several video segments. Although the domestication of dogs is mentioned in the Explore section, the phenomenon does not form the basis for any investigations or discovery throughout the subsequent activities to support students in making sense of the phenomenon.
In cases where phenomena drive learning without engaging students in all three dimensions of instruction student explanations do not include the broader scientific ideas found in the crosscutting concepts.
Examples of phenomena that do not engage students in all three dimensions:
In Grade 6, Unit 3: Causes and Effects of Regional Climates, Concept 3.2: Environmental and Genetic Influences, students are introduced to the phenomenon of impacts of climate change on caribou populations in the Arctic in the Engage section. This phenomenon is revisited in the Explain section of the concept where students write a scientific explanation to address the question, “How do the environment and genetics influence the growth of caribou in the Arctic?” In this case, students address interdependent relationships in ecosystems (DCI-LS2.A-M1, DCI-LS2.A-M3) and inheritance of traits (DCI-LS3.A-M2), while constructing an explanation (SEP-CEDS-M3).
In Grade 7, Unit 1: Matter All Around, Concept 1.1: Particles in States of Matter, students watch a video segment showing the phenomenon of dry ice. The materials reference the phenomenon multiple times throughout the Engage, Explore, and Explain sections of the concept. This engagement is supported in the Teacher Notes, where the instructor is guided to elicit students’ prior knowledge and to help students make connections to the phenomenon. Throughout the concept, students consistently address matter and its interactions (DCI-PS1.A-M4), and construct an explanation (SEP-CEDS-M2, SEP-CEDS-M4).

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The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 were designed for students to solve problems in up to 10% of the lessons/activities compared to 15% of the NGSS grade-band performance expectations designed for solving problems. Throughout the materials, 33% of the lessons or 13 of 40 concepts, focus on explaining phenomena. 
Across the series, problems are found in several locations throughout the materials: Hands-on Activities, STEM Project Starters, and performance-based assessments. Performance-based assessments are not included in the calculations for the lessons, since those are considered summative assessments and occur at the conclusion of learning. 
Within each concept, the Elaborate with STEM section contains a STEM in Action extension resource and two to four STEM Project Starters. STEM Project Starters may ask students to solve a design problem or explain a topic, concept, or phenomenon. Most units have at least one STEM Project Starter that is focused on solving a design problem. Within each concept, the Elaborate with STEM section contains two to four STEM Project Starters. The minimum suggested time estimate in the Model Lesson PDF corresponds to the minimum suggested time associated with the STEM in Action assignment, labeled as core interactive text (CIT), and interpreted to the be required component of this section. The maximum suggested time estimate allows for students to complete one or more STEM Project Starters. For example, in Grade 7, Unit 3: Matter Cycles and Energy Flow, Concept 2.1: How Matter Can Change, the Model Lesson PDF indicates that the Elaborate with STEM section requires 45-135 minutes of instructional time. The suggested time for the STEM in Action section is 45 minutes. There are an additional three STEM Project Starters: The Chemistry of Skunks (90 minutes), Wildfire! (90 minutes), and Chemical Engineering of Ice Packs (90 minutes). Because the suggested total time to complete all four activities within the Elaborate with STEM section is 315 minutes and the suggested range is 45-135 minutes, it cannot be assumed that all students will complete the Chemical Engineering of Ice Packs project or any of the other two options. As such, this design problem is not considered for scoring purposes since insufficient guidance is provided on which STEM Project Starters students will select or teachers will assign. 
Hands-on Activities are typically found in the Explore section of each concept; some of these engage students in engineering design problems. A Student Investigation Sheet provides standardized questions across all the Hands-on Activities that focus on asking students to write questions, make predictions, plan, collect evidence, and support or refute their hypothesis related to their investigation. In few instances, the Hands-on Activities that engage students with design problems also provide an additional Engineering Design Sheet that provides standardized questions related to defining the problem, developing the solution, and optimizing the design. This Engineering Design Sheet is not consistently provided for all problem-focused Hands-on Activities.  
Across the series, the materials present anchoring phenomena at the opening of each unit and investigative phenomena in either the Engage or Explore sections of each concept. Both anchoring and investigative phenomena are present throughout most of the series and are introduced to students through a brief reading passage and a video segment or image. Frequently, students are engaged in answering a Can You Explain? question as it relates to the phenomenon. While the materials consistently identify a phenomenon for each unit and concept, several of the publisher-identified phenomena are actually scientific concepts, core ideas, or topics, rather than observable occurrences that engage students in asking questions to advance their own learning or explain the phenomena.
Examples of problems within the materials:
In Grade 7: Unit 2: Matter Cycles and Energy, Concept 2.1: How Matter Can Change, students design, construct and test a device that either releases or absorbs thermal energy through chemical reactions. The materials provide both the Student Investigation Sheet and the Engineering Design Sheet for students to record their thinking during the activity. 
In Grade 6, Unit 4: Our Changing Climate, Concept 4.3: Reducing Human Impacts on the Environment, STEM Project Starter: Reducing Waste in My House, students define criteria and then design a process to help reduce the amount of trash that ends up in landfills. The materials provide the Engineering Design Sheet for students to record their thinking during the project before presenting their process to the class. This project is one of two projects in the Elaborate with STEM section of this concept where students are provided a problem to design a solution. The materials recommended 45-135 minutes of instructional time for the Elaborate with STEM section: STEM in Action (45 minutes for this Core Interactive Text), Reducing Waste in My House (45 minutes), and Cow Pollution (90 minutes), yet the suggested time to complete all three components totals 180 minutes. Based on the suggested instructional time, it cannot be assumed that all students will complete the same problem(s) within this lesson and as such, they are considered optional extension resources.
Examples of phenomena within the materials:
In Grade 6, Unit 1: Systems on Earth, Concept 1.1: Body Systems, Engage, students read a brief a passage, watch a short video, examine several images, and respond to several Technology Enhanced Items about the investigative phenomenon of their hearts racing when they are scared. Students define and identify the components of systems, explore how bodies sense and respond to their environments, and investigate how the body reacts to stress throughout the remainder of this instructional sequence.
In Grade 7, Unit 3: Shaping Earth’s Resources and Ecosystems, students read a brief passage, view an image of an erupting geyser, and respond to several guiding questions about the unit phenomenon, the Yellowstone supervolcano. Students investigate the San Francisco earthquake of 1989, the distribution of mineral resources throughout Earth, and how the availability of resources can shape a population throughout the subsequent instructional sequences.
In Grade 7, Unit 1: Matter All Around, Concept 1.1: Particles in States of Matter, Engage, students watch videos of dry ice and liquid nitrogen and observe the changes in appearance when a match is burned. Students investigate the relationship between particles of matter, energy involved in phase changes, and chemical reorganization of matter.
In Grade 8, Unit 1: Objects Move and Collide, Concept 1.2: Energy for Launch, students watch a short video about rockets or experiment with their own rockets from a prior hands-on activity. Students investigate how mass and energy affect the acceleration of a rocket.
In Grade 8, Unit 4: Monitoring Biodiversity, students read a brief passage, watch a video, and answer several guiding questions about the unit phenomenon, sensing biodiversity from the sky. Students investigate the energy released from a supernova, the interactions of energy waves and matter, the relationship between solar energy and climate, and how remote sensing can provide datasets of large areas throughout the subsequent instructional sequences.

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​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 partially meet expectations that materials intentionally leverage students’ prior knowledge and experiences related to phenomena or problems. Across the series, the materials provide opportunities to elicit students’ prior knowledge or experiences of phenomena via Technology Enhanced Items (TEIs) embedded throughout the Engage section or at the close of each Engage section, through one or two Can You Explain? (CYE) questions. The materials generally repeat these items later on in the instructional sequence.
Across the series, Teacher Notes and Model Lessons consistently include commentary detailing what students should already know, along with common alternative conceptions related to phenomena. These sections also contain Connections to Student Lives, a scripted piece used to guide the initial discussion about the phenomenon. Overall, these sections are  informational and, while they provide guidance for the elicitation of students’ prior knowledge and experiences, the materials do not provide supports to address the different entry points to learning possible in diverse student populations. Connections to Student Lives also does not provide strategies to connect back to student experiences, to build contextual relevance for students, or to address students’ alternative conceptions. When used as designed, the materials review and elicit, but do not leverage students’ prior knowledge and experience related to phenomena and problems across the series in a way that allows them to make connections between what they are learning and their own knowledge.
Examples that elicit, but do not leverage students’ prior understanding of phenomena:
In Grade 6, Unit 1: Systems on Earth, Concept 1.2: The Cell as a System, student prior knowledge of the investigative phenomenon, cancerous tumor on a colon, is elicited in the Engage section with a CYE question, “What happens to the body when someone gets cancer?” Cancer is not directly addressed again until an assessment at the end of the Explore 2 lesson, and then the original CYE question is presented again in the Explain section. The associated teacher materials do not provide guidance to the teacher for the purposes of leveraging student responses to the initial or subsequent CYE questions.
In Grade 6, Unit 2: Causes of Weather, Concept 2.1: Energy Transfer in the Water Cycle, student prior knowledge of the investigative phenomenon, disappearing water from Lake Mead, is elicited in the Engage section by several TEIs about the water cycle and the CYE question, “How does energy transfer cause water levels to drop in Lake Mead?” The original CYE question is presented again in the Explain section. The teacher materials provide some guidance for discussion via a Teacher Note that instructs the teacher on how to engage students in the phenomenon in addition to the general discussion scripting in the Model Lesson. The remaining teacher materials do not provide any further guidance to the teacher for the purposes of leveraging student responses to the initial or subsequent CYE questions.
In Grade 7, Unit 2: Matter Cycles and Energy Flow, Concept 2.1: How Can Matter Change?, student prior knowledge of the investigative phenomenon and changes that occur in matter during combustion, is elicited in the Engage section by several TEIs describing the combustion of hydrogen and the CYE “How and why does matter change when it burns?” Students respond to the original CYE question again in the Explain section. The Model Lesson suggests that the teacher facilitate a conversation around student ideas; however, the learning activities that follow are not based on or driven by student responses.
In Grade 7, Unit 3: Shaping Earth’s Resources and Ecosystems, Concept 3.3: Interactions in Ecosystems, student prior knowledge of the investigative phenomenon, organism survival in Death Valley, is elicited in the Engage section by a teacher led discussion, several TEIs about population dynamics and energy flows, and the CYE question, “How do organisms survive in Death Valley, California?” The original CYE question is presented again in the Explain section. Teacher materials provide limited scripting to elicit student background knowledge through class discussion and students’ initial engagement with the phenomenon; however, no guidance is provided to leverage students’ prior knowledge or experiences.
In Grade 8, Unit 3: Life’s Unity and Diversity: Concept 3.2: Evolution and Natural Selection, Engage: Finches and Famine, student prior knowledge of the investigative phenomenon, the change in beak size among a population of finches, is elicited in the Engage section by several TEIs about evolution and natural selection and the CYE question, “What is natural selection and how does it work?” Students respond to the original CYE question again in the Explain section. The Model Lesson elicits what students already know, but does not provide guidance to adjust further learning to leverage students’ prior knowledge or experiences.
Example of that elicits and leverages students’ prior knowledge and experiences to drive instruction, in few instances:
In Grade 8, Unit 2: Moving Planets, Concept 2.1: Observing Planetary Objects, students’ prior knowledge of the phenomenon, objects beyond our solar system, is elicited and leveraged in the Engage section as students engage in several TEIs exploring their understanding of the Sun-Earth-Moon system and then respond to the CYE question, “How do we obtain data about the properties of exoplanets and objects in our solar system?” Teacher Notes within the Engage section provide explicit instruction on how the teacher should address several misconceptions pertaining to scale and orbital motion. In Explore 1, the teacher is guided to have students evaluate their prior thinking against new evidence and incorporate the new evidence into a model of their thinking. Within the same section, teachers are guided to include students’ prior experiences in a discussion about modeling systems and to differentiate a graphing exercise based on students’ math skill level. This conceptual subunit provides explicit direction that supplements instruction to leverage the prior knowledge and experiences of students.

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The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations that phenomena or problems are utilized across multiple lessons for students to use and build knowledge of all three dimensions.
Across the series, Anchor Phenomena are presented within the introduction of each unit generally in the form of a photograph or brief video, then followed by several guiding questions. While a variety of phenomena are present throughout the series at the unit level, there are no problems presented at the unit level across the series. Additionally, the materials provide an individual instance where a unit uses a phenomenon to drive student learning across multiple lessons or concepts. While not explicitly identified in the PDF or digital version of the Model Lesson (Lesson Overview, The Five Es, Teacher Preparation, or Assignments and Resources Tab), the materials do revisit the unit phenomena within the final STEM Project Starter in each concept. For example, in Grade 8, Unit 4: Monitoring Biodiversity, the Anchor Phenomenon is identified as Sensing Biodiversity from the Sky and the final STEM Project Starter in Concept  4.5 is Bringing Back from the Brink, a capstone project where students “explore the challenges presented in species restoration.” This project is one of three project options students can choose or teachers can assign. The PDF of each Model Lesson states “STEM Project Starters provide additional real-world contexts that require students to apply and extend their content knowledge related to the concept. STEM Project Starters can also serve as an alternative instructional hook presented at the beginning of the learning progression. The project can then be revisited throughout and at the end of the 5E learning cycle for students to apply content knowledge.” However, most of the STEM Project Starters are identified in the Teacher Notes and the Model Lesson PDF as summative assessments. 
 
Examples of units where phenomena do not drive student learning across multiple lessons:
In Grade 6, Unit 1: Systems on Earth, the phenomenon is presented to students as an image of the Biosphere 2 habitat, with a brief paragraph describing the goals of the project and two guiding questions. Throughout the remainder of the unit, there are no learning activities, lessons, or teacher materials that make sense of the unit phenomenon until the final STEM Project Starter, Martian Biosphere, in Concept 1.3 of the unit. However, the Teacher Note in the lesson indicates this “summative assessment provides students with the opportunity to see both the effects of sea level rise and the effects of saltwater inundation on plants” and the materials provide this as one of three project options students can choose or teachers can assign, the anchor phenomenon is not driving student learning across the unit.
In Grade 6, Unit 3: Causes & Effects of Regional Climates, the phenomenon of different climate regions across the globe is presented to students via a map of annual average temperatures, with a brief statement describing observable patterns and several guiding questions. In Concept 3.1 of the unit, the phenomenon is loosely linked to the guiding question, “Why is the climate so different in different regions of the planet?” Throughout the remainder of the unit, no learning activities, lessons, or teacher materials help students make sense of the unit phenomenon until the final STEM Project Starter, Engineering a Better Banana, in Concept 3.4 of the unit. However, the Teacher Note in the lesson indicates this is a “summative assessment that connects students with trait selection and the engineering of desirable traits in food and links these ideas with the climates where fruit is usually grown” and the materials provide this as one of two project options students can choose or teachers can assign, the anchor phenomenon is not driving student learning across the unit.
In Grade 6, Unit 4: Our Changing Climate, the phenomenon of global temperature changes between 1981 and 2017 is introduced to students via a map showing land and sea temperature increases above average temperatures and several guiding questions. In Concept 4.1: Causes of Climate Change, students read information about natural processes and human activities that affect global temperature. Throughout the remainder of the unit, no learning activities, lessons, or teacher materials help students make sense of the unit phenomenon until the final STEM Project Starter, Cow Pollution, in Concept 4.3 of the unit. However, the Teacher Note in the lesson indicates this is a “summative assessment provides students with the opportunity to consider how cows influence atmospheric chemistry and asks students to design a solution to reduce their impact” and the materials provide this as one of two project options students can choose or teachers can assign, the anchor phenomenon is not driving student learning across the unit.
In Grade 7, Unit 1: Matter All Around, the phenomenon of two prosthetic legs made of different materials is presented to students as an image of an athlete holding his prosthetic leg and includes a short description of the unit learning targets and three guiding questions. Throughout the remainder of the unit no learning activities, lessons, or teacher materials connect student understanding to the unit phenomenon until the final STEM Project Starter, Engineered Materials for Better Living, in Concept 1.3 of the unit. However, the Teacher Note in the lesson indicates this is a “summative assessment provides students the opportunity to research a material developed by scientists and engineers” and the materials provide this as one of three project options students can choose or teachers can assign, the anchor phenomenon is not driving student learning across the unit.
In Grade 7, Unit 2: Matter Cycles and Energy Flow, the phenomenon, is presented to students as an image of an ocean beach and includes a brief description and three guiding questions. Throughout the remainder of the unit no learning activities, lessons, or teacher materials help students make sense of the unit phenomenon until the final STEM Project Starter, The Importance of Beaches, in Concept 2.3 of the unit. However, the Teacher Note in the lesson indicates that “students will explore how energy flows and matter cycles through beaches” and the materials provide this as one of two project options students can choose or teachers can assign, the anchor phenomenon is not driving the anchor phenomenon is not driving student learning across the unit.
In Grade 7, Unit 3: Shaping Earth’s Resources and Ecosystems, the phenomenon of a supervolcano in Yellowstone National Park is presented to students as an image of an erupting geyser and includes a brief description and three guiding questions. Throughout the remainder of the unit no learning activities, lessons, or teacher materials help students make sense of the unit phenomenon until the final STEM Project Starter,The Yellowstone Supervolcano, in Concept 3.3 of the unit. However, the Teacher Note in the lesson indicates this “summative assessment provides students with the opportunity to research the effects of the Yellowstone volcano on the park’s ecosystem” and the materials provide this as one of three project options students can choose or teachers can assign, the anchor phenomenon is not driving the anchor phenomenon is not driving student learning across the unit.
One out of 12 units across the materials used phenomena to drive learning, but only within one of the four lessons. 
Individual instance where a phenomenon drives student learning of all three dimensions within one lesson:
In the Grade 8, Unit 3: Life’s Unity and Diversity, the phenomenon of the end of the dinosaurs drives meaningful instruction of all three dimensions across an instructional sequence, but not across multiple lessons. In Concept 3.1: Earth’s History and the Fossil Record, Explore 2, students consider the phenomenon of why dinosaurs no longer exist on Earth as they engage in an evidence-based argument (SEP-ARG-M3) about the history of life on earth (DCI-ESS1.C-M1) with respect to the formation of fossils over different time scales (CCC-SPQ-M1). Students engage in making sense of the phenomenon in Concept 3.1, but in subsequent lessons do not connect back to the unit phenomenon.
One out of 12 units across the materials used phenomena to drive learning across multiple lessons and build student understanding of all three dimensions.
Individual instance where a phenomenon drives student learning of all three dimensions across multiple lessons:
In Grade 8, Unit 1: Objects Move and Collide, the phenomenon of the Antarctica impact crater drives meaningful instruction of all three dimensions across an instructional sequence involving multiple concepts. In Concept 1.1: Falling Objects, Explore 1, students explain how a space object falls to the earth (DCI-PS2.A-M2) as they collect and analyze data of moving objects and identify algebraic relationships (CCC-SPQ-M3, CCC-SPQ-M4) using digital tools (SEP-DATA-M1) to help them understand the unit phenomenon. In Concept 1.3: Colliding Objects, Explore 1, students define and analyze the energy transferred to Earth’s surface from an asteroid impact (CCC-SYS-M1) and design an investigation (SEP-INV-M1) to collect and analyze data (SEP-MATH-M4) to determine how force and mass affect collisions (DCI-PS2.A-M1) to help them understand the unit phenomenon. Throughout the unit and across multiple concepts, students make sense of the Antarctic impact crater in meaningful ways using the three dimensions.

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​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 partially meet expectations that they are designed to integrate the science and engineering practices (SEPs), disciplinary core ideas (DCIs), and crosscutting concepts (CCCs) into student learning. Throughout the series, some learning sequences include three dimensions and consistently integrate SEPs, CCCs, and DCIs in student learning opportunities. 
The materials are divided into nine units with each unit divided into nine to twelve lessons.  Each lesson contains three to five investigations, which serve as the primary driver of all student learning. Throughout the series, each SEP is present. Students most often use the SEPs of developing and using models, planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, and constructing explanations and designing solutions when conducting investigations. Through the investigations, students consistently improve their understanding of the DCIs by engaging with the SEPs. Across the series, all CCCs are present in the materials. However, the CCCs are not consistently included throughout the materials and connections to the CCCs are often limited to one reflection question related to individual investigations. The materials provide few opportunities that include more than one question for students to use the CCCs. In addition, many investigations do not include a reflection question or mention a CCC. Therefore, some learning sequences include and integrate the three dimensions into student learning, but the CCCs are not consistently included or integrated.
Examples of materials integrating the three dimensions into student learning:
In Unit: Structure and Function, Lesson 4: Photosynthesis, Investigation 4.1, students investigate how plants use carbon dioxide during photosynthesis (SEP-INV-M2) and analyze data to determine similarities and differences in findings between each sample and investigative group (SEP-DATA-M7). Prior to designing the investigation, students discuss how the parts of the plants relate to each other when plants photosynthesize (CCC-SF-M1). After determining how plants function with photosynthesis and its relationship to the health of the plant, students design their investigation. Students use evidence from the investigation to explain how plants use the energy from light to make sugars (DCI-LS1.C-M1). 
In Unit: Electricity, Waves, and Information Transfer, Lesson 6: Modeling Waves, Investigation 6.1, students create a model of a wave showing the relationship between amplitude, wavelength, and frequency (DCI-PS4.A-M1). Students use a beaded chain to create model waves, modify the model (SEP-MOD-M2), and record the effect. Students use the model to determine how waves have a repeating pattern (DCI-PS4.A-M1) and read about wave characteristics before measuring and recording the wavelength and amplitude of model waves (SEP-INFO-M1). Students discuss the relationship between the energy transferred to the chain and the amplitude of the model wave (CCC-PAT-M3). 
In Unit: Matter and Its Interactions, Lesson 2: The Nature of Matter, Investigation 2.3, students plan and carry out an investigation to find out how different liquids affect the reactivity of iron (SEP-INV-M1). Students develop an understanding how different liquids cause the iron to react dissimilarly (DCI-PS1.B-M1), which in turn helps students understand chemical reactions (CCC-CE-E1).  
In Unit: Space Systems Exploration, Lesson 2: The Sun-Earth-Moon System, Investigation 2.1, students model the sun-earth-moon system (SEP-MOD-P3) and calculate the relative sizes of the bodies in the system using ratios (SEP-MATH-M4). In Investigation 2.2, using the model created in Investigation 2.1, students develop a sense of the apparent motion of the sun, the moon, and stars in the sky (DCI-ESS1.A-M1). Students use their models to understand the relative proportions of the sun-earth-moon system (CCC-SPQ-M1).
Examples of the materials integrating, at most, two dimensions into student learning:
In Unit: Weather and Climate System, Lesson 4: Wind and Air Pressure, Investigation 4.4, students answer the question, “How do you think air pressure and weather relate to one another?” Students conduct the experiment and record their data and observations in their notebooks and determine trends (SEP-DATA-P1, SEP-DATA-P3). Students do not engage with a CCC during this learning sequence. Additionally, while students are engaged in the SEPs, the engagement does not lead to a deeper understanding of the intended DCI. 
In Unit: Weather and Climate System, Lesson 9: Introduction to Climate, students analyze data for five different locations and use the data to determine the climate classification for the observed areas (SEP-DATA-P3, DCI-ESS2.D-E2). Students record their climate zone and cite the average high and low temperatures, average precipitation in inches, the number of days of precipitation, and the hours of sunshine (SEP-ARG-E4). Students discuss why their group chose the classification they did for each location, based on climate as the range of an area’s typical weather conditions (DCI-ESS2.D-E2). The students are not directed to consider the CCC.
In Unit: Genes and Molecular Machines, Lesson 7: Selection, Investigation 7.2, students demonstrate how plants use specialized features or animals to aid in their reproduction (DCI-LS1.B-M3). Students discuss how seeds are able to remain dormant and be transported to islands in the ocean. Students plan and carry out an investigation to test how different seeds are dispersed in nature (SEP-INV-M1). The students observe different methods (wind, water, gravity, animals, and mechanical propulsion) used by six different plants to move their seeds. Students record their results and answer questions. The students are not directed to consider the CCC.
In Unit: Genes and Molecular Machines, Lesson 5: Genetics, Investigation 5.3, students create “creature babies” to understand how traits and variation of those traits are inherited from parents (DCI-LS3.A-M2). Students create a model by combining alleles for the creature’s inherited traits (SEP-MOD-M6).  Students are not required to use their model to explain the underlying content of inheritance; students are simply asked to identify similarities and differences between parents and offspring. The students are not directed to consider the CCC.
In Unit: Matter and Its Interactions, Lesson 3: Density Makes a Difference, Investigation 3.3, students calculate the density of objects with irregular shapes (PS1.A-M2, SEP-INV-M1, SEP-DATA-M7). They collect and analyze their data, then compare their data to the data collected during Investigation 3.2. The students are not directed to consider the CCC.
In Unit: Matter and Its Interactions, Lesson 4: Just a Phase, Investigation 4.3, students use a computer simulation to model different phases of matter at the particle level (DCI-PS1.A-M6). After making observations, students pause the simulation then make a prediction by using a jar of plastic cubes to model changes in a system (SEP-MOD-M4). Students record their prediction and proceed with the simulation. The students are not directed to consider the CCC.
In Unit: Weather and Climate Systems, Lesson 3: The Water Cycle, Cloud Formation, and Air Masses, Investigation 3.2, students follow a prescriptive set of instructions to build an apparatus they will use as a model for the water cycle  (DCI-ESS2.C-M1, SEP- MOD-M5). Students answer questions at the end of the activity. The students are not directed to consider the CCC.
                )

            [4] => stdClass Object
                (
                    [code] => 1a.ii
                    [type] => indicator
                    [points] => 2
                    [rating] => partially-meets
                    [report] => 
​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 partially meet expectations that they are designed for SEPs or CCCs to meaningfully support student sensemaking with the other dimensions in nearly all learning sequences. Across the series, SEPs and CCCs are present in the materials and students most often engage with the SEPs in investigations to improve their understanding and use of the DCIs. In many instances, SEPs from previous grade-bands are used by students. Additionally, one instance was found where students used SEPs to make sense with a science content idea from outside of the grade-band DCIs. Further, the materials are not consistently designed for the CCCs to meaningfully support student sensemaking with the other dimensions; investigations typically do not reference the CCCs or they are often limited to one reflection question related to individual investigations. 
Examples of students using SEPs to make sense with DCIs:
In Unit: Genes and Molecular Machines, Lesson 2: Cells, students observe, draw, measure, and compare onion cells and a paramecium (DCI-LS1.A-M1). In Investigation 2.3, students view prepared slides from a variety of other organisms, then draw and label structures within those cells (DCI-LS1.A-M2). Students read, “Introduction to Cell Types” to learn about different organelles and their structures. Students collect observations and measurements serving as a basis for their comparison (SEP-INV-E3), but  CCCs are not included for students to make sense with the DCI or SEP.
In Unit: Energy, Forces and Motion, Lesson 4: Newton’s First and Second Laws, Investigation 4.1, students draw force diagrams (SEP-MOD-E5) of a stone arch, pushing a car compared to a bike and swinging a baseball bat to hit a ball. Students answer questions about the forces acting on a car hooked to pulleys, but do not observe the motion of the car. In Investigation 4.2, students plan and carry out an investigation (SEP-INV-M2) to collect data about the acceleration of a small plastic car. Students then write a paragraph describing motion using a force diagram (SEP-MOD-E5) to illustrate the forces acting on the car (DCI-PS2.A-M2). Students use the SEPs to understand how an object with greater mass will need a greater force acting on it to make it move (DCI-PS2.A-M2), but CCCs are not included for students to make sense with the DCI or SEP.

Example of students using SEPs to make sense with DCIs, but the DCI was not from the appropriate grade-band:
In Unit: Space Systems Exploration, Lesson 7: Gravity: Bending Space-Time, students begin the lesson by reading and interpreting graphs to determine the difference between causal and correlational relationships (SEP-DATA-M3). In Investigation 7.1, students read information from a table to answer questions comparing how much they would weigh on different planets. Students then use provided information to graph planet mass versus surface gravity factors and answer questions. Students use additional information to graph and describe the relationship between planet mass and radius (SEP-DATA-E1). Students read, “Mass and Weight: What is the Difference?” to understand the differences across planets. In Investigation 7.2, students read, “What is the Space-Time Continuum?” before using the Planetary Motion Model to observe how different sized objects interact with each other on the plastic sheet. Students also construct and support a claim about the space-time continuum (SEP-CEDS-M2). While students used this SEPs to make sense of the content, the space science content wasn’t aligned to any Grade 6-8 DCIs.
                )

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                    [code] => 1b
                    [type] => indicator
                    [points] => 0
                    [rating] => does-not-meet
                    [report] => 
​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations that they are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence for three-dimensional learning in the instructional materials. Each lesson is comprised of multiple investigations. The Teacher Edition provides one or more learning objectives for each investigation, but the objective(s) for each investigation are rarely three-dimensional, as they frequently exclude the crosscutting concepts. Further, the formative assessment tasks do not consistently reveal student learning and use of the three dimensions.
Additionally, the Lesson Planner in the Teacher Edition indicates formative assessments located within each investigation, but the formative assessments are not clearly labeled within the lesson materials. During the investigation, teachers assess what students understand about the investigations through class discussions, student worksheets and assignments, or student presentations. The Reflecting on What You’ve Done section at the end of lessons and investigations provides an Exit Slip question in addition to multiple questions students can answer as part of a class discussion or in their notebooks. 
Examples where materials do not have three-dimensional learning objectives, nor include formative assessment tasks addressing three dimensions: 
In Unit: Genes and Molecular Machines, Lesson 4: Cellular Reproduction, Investigation 4.5, the learning objective is for students to “compare and contrast mitosis and meiosis using a Venn diagram.” Students answer a series of questions about the two processes (DCI-LS3.B-M1) before making their own Venn diagram. They compare their answers with a partner then in a class discussion before making any revisions. The Exit Slip at the end of the investigation asks, “Where do cells come from?” (DCI-LS3.B-M1). The learning objective did not include the three dimensions and the formative tasks did not assess student understanding of the three dimensions.
In Unit: Matter and Its Interactions, Lesson 5: Building Blocks of Matter, Investigation 5.2, the learning objective is for students to “Use physical models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules.” Students use a molecular model set to construct molecules for N2 and H20, drawing and labeling each in their science notebook. Students compare similarities and differences between the two molecules (DCI-PS1.A-M1). The Exit Slip at the end of the investigation, asks “How does a compound differ from an element?” (DCI-PS1.A-M1). The learning objective did not include the three dimensions and the formative tasks did not assess student understanding of the three dimensions.
In Unit: Electricity, Waves, and Information Transfer, Lesson 9: The Electric Body, Investigation 9.2, the learning objectives are for students to “Describe the types of stimuli the nervous system respond to” and “Investigate factors that affect the time it takes for the body to respond to a stimulus.” Students plan and conduct an investigation (SEP-INV-M5) related to reaction time (using different hands, while distracted, visual or auditory stimuli, etc.), performing multiple trials and recording their predictions, hypotheses, data, and claims in their science notebooks. Students answer questions about factors affecting reaction time (DCI-LS1.D-M1) in the Student Guide and share answers during a class discussion. The learning objective did not include the three dimensions and the formative tasks did not assess student understanding of the three dimensions.
In Unit: Space Systems Exploration, Lesson 8: Gravity’s Role in the Universe, Investigation 8.1, the learning objective is for students to “Use a model to examine the relationships between relative body mass and the speed of an orbiting body.” Students swing a Moon Orbiter over their heads, recording the number of revolutions in a specified time period. Students repeat the task multiple times and calculate the average orbital period (SEP-INV-M4). Students then add different numbers of washers to change the mass to model the relationship between the mass of a planet and the speed of the orbiting body. Students analyze their data and compare it to the provided Planet and Moon Data before answering questions in the Student Guide (DCI-PS2.B-M2). The learning objective did not include the three dimensions and the formative tasks did not assess student understanding of the three dimensions.
                )

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                    [type] => indicator
                    [points] => 0
                    [rating] => does-not-meet
                    [report] => 
​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations that they are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence of the three-dimensional learning in the instructional materials. The Teacher Edition does not provide specific learning objectives for each unit; rather, it provides a list (usually 10-15) performance expectations intended to be met by the end of the unit. 
The materials include two types of summative assessments: performance assessments and written assessments. Written assessments include multiple-choice and constructed-response questions. The final lesson in each unit serves as a performance assessment for the unit and is intended for students to apply learning from the unit as a performance task that includes research, preparing proposals or posters, and class presentations. Across each content area, neither type of assessment is consistently designed to measure student knowledge and use of all three dimensions, frequently omitting the crosscutting concepts.
Examples where the summative assessment tests and tasks are not  three-dimensional in design and do not fully assess the targeted three-dimensional learning objectives (listed as multiple PEs):
In Unit: Earth’s Dynamic Systems, Lesson 12: Assessment, the Teacher Edition shows alignment to seven performance expectations within the assessments and the alignment at the start of the unit includes 11 PEs; the ETS PEs are not included in the summative assessments and not all of the other seven PEs are fully assessed across the two assessments. During the performance assessment, students are guided by questions in the Student Guide as they research historic earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and develop a proposal for geodynamic event preparedness. The written assessment includes ten questions which do not fully assess the three-dimensional learning objectives (PEs) for the unit. Across the two assessments, several DCIs and SEPs are assessed.  Assessment of the CCCs is not evident within the targeted PEs.  
In Unit: Electricity, Waves, and Information Transfer, Lesson 10: Assessment, The Teacher Edition shows alignment to 10 performance expectations, while the alignment at the start of the unit includes 13 PEs; three of the ETS PEs are not included in the summative assessments and not all of the other 10 PEs are fully assessed across the two assessments. During the performance assessment, students are guided by questions in the Student Guide as they research neurological disorders and support a claim related to how the researched disorder could affect job function. The written assessment includes 10 questions, yet they do not fully assess the three-dimensional learning objectives (PEs) for the unit. Across the two assessments, several DCIs, SEPs, and the CCC of cause and effect are assessed.  Assessment of the CCCs is not evident within the targeted PEs.
In Unit: Genes and Molecular Machines, Lesson 11: Assessment, The Teacher Edition shows alignment to six performance expectations, but not all of the PEs are fully assessed across the two assessments. During the performance assessment, students answer questions in the Student Guide as they research a technology used to develop or influence a desired trait of an organism; students create a poster showing what they learned about the technology and how it was used to influence the trait. The written assessment includes 15 questions, yet they do not fully assess the three-dimensional learning objectives (PEs) for the unit. Across the two assessments, several DCIs, SEPs, and the CCC of cause and effect are assessed.  Assessment of the CCCs is not evident within the targeted PEs.
In Unit: Ecosystems and Their Interactions: Lesson 11: Assessment, The Teacher Edition shows alignment to 12 performance expectations while the alignment at the start of the unit includes 13 PEs; the assessment also includes MS-LS1-7, not listed at the start of  the unit. Not all of the other 13 PEs are fully assessed across the two assessments. During the performance assessment, students answer questions in the Student Guide as they research a threat to an ecosystem service in the area they live, create a plan for reducing the threat in their area, and create a poster to report their findings to the class. The written assessment includes 12 questions, yet they do not fully assess the three-dimensional learning objectives (PEs) for the unit. Across the two assessments, several DCIs and SEPs area assessed.  Assessment of the CCCs is not evident within the targeted PEs.
                )

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                    [code] => 1d1i
                    [type] => criterion
                    [report] => 
​The instructional materials reviewed for G​rades 6-8 do not meet expectations for Criterion 1d-1i: Phenomena and Problems Drive Learning. The materials infrequently incorporate phenomena and problems, but when present they do connect to grade-band appropriate DCIs. The materials do not present phenomena or problems to students as directly as possible. The materials incorporate few investigations across the series using phenomena or problems to drive students' learning and use of the three dimensions. The materials provide information regarding how phenomena and problems are present in the materials, with students expected to solve problems in 11% of the lessons and explain phenomena in 7% of the lessons. The materials do not consistently elicit and do not leverage students' prior knowledge and experience related to phenomena or problems. Further, the materials do not incorporate phenomena that drive learning across multiple lessons and when problems are used to drive student learning, students are not provided the opportunity to use all three dimensions to solve them.
                )

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                (
                    [code] => 1d
                    [type] => indicator
                    [points] => 2
                    [rating] => meets
                    [report] => 
​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 meets expectations that phenomena and/or problems are connected to grade-band disciplinary core ideas (DCIs). While there are few phenomena and problems in the series, those that are present connect to grade-band disciplinary core ideas or their elements. 
The materials are divided into nine units with each unit containing nine to eleven lessons. Each lesson contains three to five investigations. While phenomena or problems are found within most units, they are found in very few lessons in each unit. When present, the phenomena are generally located on the first page of the unit with the Focus Question or are located near the start of individual investigations. When present, the problems usually occur as an investigation.
While the examples provided are connected to a grade-band DCI, these examples represent most of the phenomena and problems from across the series. There is a dichotomy between number of phenomena and/or problems present in the materials in conjunction with the number of lessons in each unit. 
Examples of phenomena in the series connected to grade-band disciplinary core ideas:
In Unit: Genes and Molecular Machines, Lesson 5: Genetics, the phenomenon of how puppies from the same litter look different is used to help students understand that variations of inherited traits between parent and offspring arise from genetic differences resulting from the subset of chromosomes, and therefore, genes inherited (DCI-LS3.A-M2). 
In Unit: Matter and Interactions, Lesson 4: Just a Phase, Getting Started, the phenomenon of how the scent of peppermint oil is able to leave an open bottle and distribute through the classroom is used to help students understand molecular motion in different states of matter (DCI-PS1.A-M4).

Examples of problems in the series connected to grade-band disciplinary core ideas:
In Unit: Matter and Its Interactions, Lesson 8: Releasing Energy, Investigation 8.2, students design a calcium chloride instant hot pack to produce heat on demand. While engaging in this design problem (DCI-ETS1.B-E1), students apply prior learning related to chemical reactions releasing energy (DCI-PS1.B-M3). 
In Unit: Ecosystem and their Interactions, Lesson 2: Ecosystem Organization, Investigation 2.3, the problem is focused on determining if an organism is a good choice for a zoo exhibit (DCI-LS2.A.M1). 
In Unit: Ecosystems and Their Interactions, Lesson 9: Biodiversity, Investigation 9.2, the problem is focused on determining whether an organism should be reintroduced to part of its historic range (DCI-LS2.C-M1). 
In Unit: Energy, Forces, and Motion, Lesson 8: Transforming Energy, Investigation 8.2, students are challenged to design and build a prototype roller coaster that has the highest velocity, the largest loop, or the highest hills (DCI-PS3.A-M1, DCI-PS3.A-M2).
                )

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                    [code] => 1e
                    [type] => indicator
                    [points] => 0
                    [rating] => does-not-meet
                    [report] => 
​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems in the series are presented to students as directly as possible. Few lessons and associated investigations present phenomena designed for students to explain. When phenomena are present, they are typically presented to students in a reading passage as an example or to illustrate a larger science concept or topic without further student engagement. When problems are present, students are generally given the problem and then directed to solve the provided problem. Only two instances were found where phenomena are presented as directly as possible. This is a missed opportunity for the materials to consistently present phenomena and problems more directly to support students' meaningful participation.
Example of a phenomenon presented in the materials, but not as directly as possible:
In Unit: Genes and Molecular Machines, Lesson 9: Selection, the lesson phenomenon is how multiple varieties of cabbages have been derived from a single wild cabbage species. This phenomenon is presented to students with a picture of wild cabbage and five varieties (e.g., broccoli, kale, cauliflower, etc.) with the Focus Question, “How do natural and artificial selection change a population over time?” A more direct presentation is possible for students to visualize the different varieties. 
Examples of problems presented in the materials, but not as directly as possible:
In Unit: Ecosystem and their Interactions, Lesson 2: Ecosystem Organization, Investigation 2.3, the problem is focused on determining if an organism is a good choice for a zoo exhibit. After researching an assigned organism’s habitat, population, community, and ecosystem, students read how ecosystems are organized. Students then view a picture of a sloth bear exhibit at a zoo and the teacher tells students to determine if their organism would be a good candidate for a zoo exhibit. A more direct presentation is possible for students to visualize requirements for zoo exhibits. 
In Unit: Ecosystems and Their Interactions, Lesson 9: Biodiversity, Investigation 9.2, the problem is focused on determining whether an organism should be reintroduced to part of its historic range. Students view a picture of freshwater mussels which have been reintroduced to parts of their historic range. The teacher (and Step 1 in the Procedure) tells students to determine whether their assigned organism should be reintroduced to a part of its historic range. A more direct presentation of species reintroduction is possible. 
In Unit: Electricity, Waves, and Information Transfer Unit, Lesson 5: Transforming and Transferring Energy, Investigation 5.2, the problem is focused on designing a device to maximize or minimize thermal energy from containers (used in the prior investigation). The problem is presented to students by reading text accompanied by three pictures (i.e., person in coat and gloves, pot of water boiling, mug of hot chocolate) and instructions in Step 1 of the procedure.  A more direct presentation of thermal energy transfer is possible.
In Unit: Energy, Forces, and Motion, Lesson 8: Transforming Energy, the problem is focused on designing and building a prototype roller coaster that has the highest velocity, the largest loop, or the highest hills. This problem is presented to students with a picture of one loop in a roller coaster and the Focus Question, “How do energy transformations inform the design of a roller coaster?” A more direct presentation is possible for students to visualize the motion and full design of a roller coaster. 
In Unit: Space Systems Exploration, Lesson 9: The Challenges of Space Exploration, the problem is focused on designing solutions to support humans living in space. This problem is presented to students with a picture of mars and the Focus Question, “What are the criteria and constraints for humans to live in space?” A more direct presentation is possible for students to help students visualize requirements for space habitation.  


                )

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                    [code] => 1f
                    [type] => indicator
                    [points] => 0
                    [rating] => does-not-meet
                    [report] => 
​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems drive individual lessons or activities using key elements of all three dimensions. Materials provide few investigations across the series using phenomena or problems to drive student learning. For the majority of investigations, a science topic is used as the basis for learning. 
When a phenomenon is present, the materials consistently provide students with an explanation of the phenomenon in the next step or paragraph. This represents a missed opportunity for students to engage with all three dimensions to make sense of the phenomenon. Problems drive learning within individual investigations more frequently than phenomena. However, when problems are used to drive student learning, key elements of all three dimensions are not incorporated, and most often exclude the CCCs. 
Examples of lessons that use a problem to drive learning, but do not use key elements from all three dimensions, most often excluding CCCs:
In Unit: Matter and Its Interactions, Lesson 8: Releasing Energy, Investigation 8.2, students design a calcium chloride instant hot pack to produce heat on demand. While engaging in this design problem (DCI-ETS1.B-E1, SEP-INV-M5, SEP-CEDS-M7), students apply prior learning related to chemical reactions releasing energy (DCI-PS1.B-M3). 
In Unit: Ecosystems and their Interactions, Lesson 2: Ecosystem Organization, Investigation 2.3, the problem is focused on determining which organisms are good choices for zoo exhibits (DCI-ETS1.A-E1). Students select or are assigned an animal. They research the animal’s habitat, population characteristics, and community (DCI-LS2.A.M1). Students identify what is needed to house their animal at a zoo (what does the animal need, what does the zoo need to do to meet that need - and is it possible/practical/cost efficient to do so). Students make a poster with a claim as to whether their animal would be a good choice as a zoo exhibit and support the claim with evidence about the animal’s habitat, needs, and the costs/constraints for the zoo (SEP-CEDS-M2).
In Unit: Ecosystems and Their Interactions, Lesson 9: Biodiversity, Investigation 9.2, the problem is focused on determining whether an organism should be reintroduced to part of its historic range. Students research the organism assigned by the teacher and its role in an ecosystem, the proposed area for reintroduction, other reintroductions, and the stakeholders with an interest or concern in the problem. Students research and identify criteria that would be met for a successful reintroduction (e.g., food, shelter,  impact on livestock). Students research and identify constraints (size of range, cost, stakeholders) that would impact the reintroduction plan. Students gather evidence to support their argument for whether the organism would be a good choice for reintroduction (SEP-ARG-M3, DCI-LS2.C-M1). Students make a poster to communicate their solution. 
                )

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                    [type] => indicator
                    [report] => 
​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 were designed for students to solve problems in 11% of the lessons (9/85 lessons) compared to 15% of the NGSS grade-band performance expectations designed for solving problems. Throughout the materials, 7% of the lessons (6/85 lessons) were designed for students to explain phenomena. For this determination, the final lesson of each was not counted since the lesson was designed as a summative assessment. Problems students solved were typically found as a single investigation within a lesson; phenomena students explained were typically found at the start of a lesson. While few phenomena or problems were found across the series, at least one instance occurred within each discipline.
Examples of problems in the series:
In Unit: Ecosystem and their Interactions, Lesson 2: Ecosystem Organization, Investigation 2.3, the problem is focused on determining if an organism is a good choice for a zoo exhibit. 
In Unit: Ecosystems and Their Interactions, Lesson 9: Biodiversity, Investigation 9.2, the problem is focused on determining whether an organism should be reintroduced to part of its historic range. 
In Unit: Energy, Forces, and Motion, Lesson 8: Transforming Energy, Investigation 8.2, students design and build a prototype coaster to solve the problem of highest velocity, the largest loop, or the highest hills.
In Unit: Matter and Its Interactions, Lesson 8: Releasing Energy, Investigation 8.2, students gather information about using calcium chloride to create a new hot pack, design a prototype, collect data, evaluate their prototype, and make a recommendation to their company.
In Unit: Electricity, Waves, and Information Transfer Unit, Lesson 5: Transforming and Transferring Energy, Investigation 5.2, students design a device to maximize or minimize thermal energy from containers. They use information from the previous investigation to create a new hot pack, design a prototype, and collect data. Students evaluate their prototype and make a recommendation to their company.
In Unit: Space Systems Exploration, Lesson 9: The Challenges of Space Exploration, the problem is focused on humans living in space. Students define criteria and constraints considering technology needed to live in space and begin to design solutions in support of human survival in space. 
Examples of phenomena in the series:
In Unit: Genes and Molecular Machines, Lesson 5: Genetics, the phenomenon is puppies from the same litter looking different even though they have the same parents.
In Unit: Genes and Molecular Machines, Lesson 9: Selection, the phenomenon is multiple varieties of cabbages having been derived from a single wild cabbage species. 
In Unit: Electricity, Waves, and Information Transfer, Lesson 4: Electricity in Motion, the phenomenon is a compass needle moving when near an electrical circuit. 
In Unit: Matter and Interactions, Lesson 4: Just a Phase, Getting Started, the phenomenon is the scent of peppermint oil and its ability to leave an open bottle and distribute throughout the classroom. 
                )

            [12] => stdClass Object
                (
                    [code] => 1h
                    [type] => indicator
                    [points] => 0
                    [rating] => does-not-meet
                    [report] => 
​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations that materials intentionally leverage students’ prior knowledge and experiences related to phenomena or problems. Lesson 1 of each unit is designed as a pre-assessment for each unit. Students are provided with a Focus Question and often an image related to that focus question, but the image is often not connected to a phenomenon students are asked to explain. The Getting Started section asks students additional questions related to the focus of the unit. If a phenomenon is present, these questions may elicit prior knowledge and experience about the phenomenon, but the questions generally elicit prior knowledge related to the broader science concept. Additionally, an investigation in Lesson 1 of a unit frequently has students begin a KWL chart related to the topic of the unit, but it is not specific to the phenomenon or problem, if present. 
Examples where the materials do not elicit or leverage students’ prior knowledge or experience related to the phenomenon or problem:
In Unit: Genes and Molecular Machines, Lesson 9: Selection, the phenomenon is multiple varieties of cabbages having been derived from a single wild cabbage species. This phenomenon is presented to students with a picture of wild cabbage and five varieties (e.g., broccoli, kale, cauliflower, etc.) and the Focus Question, “How do natural and artificial selection change a population over time?” Student prior knowledge or experience specific to cabbage varieties is not elicited or leveraged.
In Unit: Matter and Its Interactions, Lesson 8: Releasing Energy, Investigation 8.2, the problem is for students to design a calcium chloride instant hot pack to produce heat on demand. Before engaging in this design problem, students learned in prior investigations about chemical reactions releasing energy, but prior knowledge or experience specific to hot packs was not elicited or leveraged. 
In Unit: Ecosystem and their Interactions, Lesson 2: Ecosystem Organization, Investigation 2.3, the problem is focused on determining if an organism is a good choice for a zoo exhibit. Student prior knowledge or experience specific to zoos and designing zoo habitats is not elicited or leveraged.
In Unit: Ecosystems and Their Interactions, Lesson 9: Biodiversity, Investigation 9.2, the problem is focused on determining whether an organism should be reintroduced to part of its historic range. Student prior knowledge or experience specific to species reintroduction is not elicited or leveraged.
The materials infrequently elicit students’ prior knowledge and experience related to a phenomenon or problem, but when they do it is typically through a class discussion or students recording their ideas in their science notebooks. These student ideas are not leveraged in subsequent learning as students make sense of the phenomenon or solve the problem; often the explanation or solution immediately follows in the next step of the lesson or investigation. There are minimal instances where materials only elicit student ideas and experiences related to phenomena or problems, however, the elicitation is not found consistently across the series.
Examples where the materials elicit, but do not leverage students’ prior knowledge or experience related to the phenomenon or problem:
In Unit: Matter and Interactions, Lesson 4: Just a Phase, Getting Started, the phenomenon is the scent of peppermint oil is able to leave an open bottle and distribute through the classroom. Student prior knowledge and understanding of this phenomenon is elicited by students describing the phenomenon and drawing a diagram of what they think happened with the peppermint oil particles. While student drawings are revisited and modified during a subsequent lesson in the unit, their understandings are not leveraged during the other lessons.
In Unit: Space Systems Exploration, Lesson 9: The Challenges of Space Exploration, the problem is focused on designing solutions to support humans living in space. Student prior knowledge and understanding of this problem is elicited by a series of questions from the lesson that students discuss with partners and record in their science notebook. While student ideas are revisited and modified during subsequent lessons in the unit, their understandings are not leveraged during the other lessons.
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​The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations that materials embed phenomena or problems across multiple lessons (or investigations) for students to use and build knowledge of all three dimensions. Across the series, the materials provide few lessons using phenomena or problems to drive student learning of the three dimensions across multiple investigations. For the majority of lessons, a science topic is used as the basis for learning. 
Each unit consists of multiple lessons; Lesson 1 of each unit is designed as a pre-assessment for each unit and the final lesson of the unit is intended to be a summative assessment. Each lesson provides a Focus Question and often an image related to that focus question. The Focus Question is rarely connected to a specific phenomenon that students are asked to explain or a problem students are asked to solve, but rather it is connected to a broader science concept or topic. As a result, the investigations within the lesson are typically connected to the science topic of the lesson, but not to a specific phenomenon or problem. 

When a phenomenon is present, the materials consistently provide students with an explanation of the phenomenon in the next step or paragraph. Multiple examples of phenomena driving learning were not found. In two instances, problems drive learning across multiple investigations in a lesson. Additionally, when problems are used to drive student learning, key elements of all three dimensions are not incorporated, and most often exclude the CCCs. 
Examples of lessons using a problem to connect multiple investigations for students, but do not use and build knowledge of all three dimensions: 
In Unit: Energy, Forces, and Motion, Lesson 8: Transforming Energy, students design and build a prototype roller coaster. In Investigation 8.1, students follow procedures to build a basic roller coaster, then test how various heights will affect marble velocity (SEP-INV-M1, DCI-PS3.A-M2). In Investigation 8.2, students sketch a design, build a prototype, test whether their roller coaster design works, and plan modifications (SEP-INV-M1, DCI-ETS1.C-M1). After completing the design, students answer questions about energy transfers (DCI-PS3.A-M1, DCI-PS3.A-M2) and read several articles and answer questions. 
In Unit: Space Systems Exploration, Lesson 9: The Challenges of Space Exploration, the problem is focused on humans living in space. In Investigation 9.1, students read scientific text and explore particular criteria and constraints regarding living in space, particularly on mars (SEP-INFO-M1, DCI-ETS1.A-M1). They present their group’s list to the class and accept feedback, as well as, provide feedback to other groups (SEP-ARG-M3). In Investigation 9.2, students brainstorm challenges of living in space (e.g., ground support, technology needed for moving around, supporting life, etc.) and gather additional information from assigned readings to support an argument for or against habitation in space (SEP-ARG-E6 ). In Investigation 9.3, students define criteria and constraints related to their specific topic for supporting life in space (ENG-INFLU-M1, ENG-INFLU-M2). 
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​The instructional materials reviewed for Science and Technology Concepts Middle School, Grades 6-8 do not meet expectations for Alignment to NGSS, Gateways 1 and 2. In Gateway 1, the instructional materials do not meet expectations for three-dimensional learning and phenomena and problems drive learning.

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