JoinAll Book Chapters
Book Chapter
In this lesson, students will discover what planets they can locate in the evening sky and where to find them. Disciplinary core ideas covered are Earth’s place in the universe. Tips for scaling down, scaling up, and extending the lesson are includ...
Book Chapter
In this lesson, students will examine the biotic and abiotic features necessary for survival of an organism by developing a plan to go into hiding for a year in a remote location that would provide the conditions to support life. Disciplinary core id...
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When it’s time for a game change, you need a guide to the new rules. Helping Students Make Sense of the World Using Next Generation Science and Engineering Practices provides a play-by-play understanding of the practices strand of A Framework for K...
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This chapter addresses experimental and field observations, which include aspects of Asking Questions and Defining Problems; Planning and Carrying Out Investigations; Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions; and Engaging in Argument From Ev...
Book Chapter
This chapter addresses experimental and field observations, which include aspects of Asking Questions and Defining Problems; Planning and Carrying Out Investigations; Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions; and Engaging in Argument From Ev...
Book Chapter
This chapter addresses experimental and field observations, which include aspects of Asking Questions and Defining Problems; Planning and Carrying Out Investigations; Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions; and Engaging in Argument From Ev...
Book Chapter
Analyzing and Interpreting Data, Part 1: Graphing
This chapter addresses the interpretation of data through graphs, maps, and cross-sections, which includes aspects of Developing and Using Models; Analyzing and Interpreting Data; Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking; Engaging in Argument Fro...
Book Chapter
Analyzing and Interpreting Data, Part 2: Maps and Cross-Sections
This chapter addresses the interpretation of data through graphs, maps, and cross-sections, which includes aspects of Developing and Using Models; Analyzing and Interpreting Data; Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking; Engaging in Argument Fro...
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Modeling, Part 1: Conceptual Modeling
This chapter addresses the creation and use of conceptual and mathematical models, which include aspects of Developing and Using Models, Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking, and Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions. A model is a...
Book Chapter
Modeling, Part 2: Mathematical Modeling
This chapter addresses the creation and use of conceptual and mathematical models, which include aspects of Developing and Using Models, Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking, and Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions. In this chap...
Book Chapter
Arguing from Evidence, Part 1: Focus on Evidence
This chapter addresses identification of evidence and arguing from evidence, which include aspects of Developing and Using Models; Analyzing and Interpreting Data; Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions; Engaging in Argument From Evidence...
Book Chapter
Arguing from Evidence, Part 2: Claim and Argument
This chapter addresses identification of evidence and arguing from evidence, which include aspects of Developing and Using Models; Analyzing and Interpreting Data; Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions; Engaging in Argument From Evidence...
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This chapter focuses on reading the earth in the rocks. Rocks tell the story of Earth’s past, and we believe that lessons on rocks should include a focus on reading those stories. Many students encounter rocks as an exercise in classification and ...
Book Chapter
This chapter focuses on reading the earth in the layers of rock. Whereas rocks tell the story of what a place was like at one time in the past, layers of rock tell the story of how that place changed through time. The discovery of deep time began, no...
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Stories of Places We Can’t See But Can Hear
This chapter focuses on reading the earth with seismic waves and identifies several important aspects of authentic science, including asking questions, figuring out problems that you don’t already know the answer to, and putting your results into t...
Book Chapter
Stories of Places We Can’t Go But Can See
This chapter focuses on reading the earth with light. Distance learning has a long history. In this chapter, the “Suggestions for Designing an Activity” section offers a way to start with observations in building a model for phases of the Moon. T...
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This chapter focuses on reading the earth in the atoms. Activities are considered that can engage students at the “classroom-friendly” end of the learning spectrum. Understanding geochemical cycling and the differentiation of matter in planetary ...
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Teacher as Curriculum Narrator
This chapter examines the importance of the teacher in narrating the link between spontaneous and creative explorations of the classroom and the core ideas of the discipline. Implementing an authentic science experience in the classroom requires a si...
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This chapter examines the importance of the teacher initiating creative explorations from where you are in place and understanding. With an emphasis on the practice of doing science, students can learn to make sense of observations. They can learn h...
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Teacher as Mentor, Practitioner, and Scholar
This chapter examines mentoring student explorations as a fellow scholar and practitioner of science. The mentor does not give students assignments and then step back and let students sink or swim. The mentor guides, advises, nudges, and, most import...
Book Chapter
Learning to Read the Earth and Sky: Explorations Supporting the NGSS, Grades 6–12 (Book Sample)
Is it time to refresh the way you think about teaching Earth science? Learning to Read the Earth and Sky is the multifaceted resource you need to bring authentic science—and enthusiasm—into your classroom. It offers inspiration for reaching beyon...
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Introduction to DCIs: What They Are and Why They Are Important
This chapter serves as an introduction to Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs). As a whole, DCIs help students build usable knowledge that is central to the physical sciences but also across the life sciences, Earth and space sciences, and engineering. The...
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Core Idea PS1: Matter and Its Interactions
This chapter focuses on matter and its interactions and discusses the importance of how a rich understanding of atomic theory leads to a deeper understanding of why there are so many different substances in the world. A full understanding of matter a...
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Core Idea PS2: Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
This chapter discusses the disciplinary core idea of forces and interactions which consists of three component ideas that are described here. If any idea is a core concept, it is the idea of forces and interactions. Forces affect every single thing i...
Book Chapter
This chapter focuses on energy—perhaps the most important idea in all of science. It is used by every scientific discipline and applies to all known natural phenomena. Students hear and use the word “energy” from a very early age, but developin...
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Core Idea LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
In this chapter, the disciplinary core idea (DCI) is central to biology and also serves as the glue connecting all four DCIs in the life sciences strand. In essence, it is about the properties of living things and explaining the complexity of life an...
Book Chapter
Core Idea LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
This chapter begins by suggesting three ways in which a deeper understanding of ecosystems could enrich students’ lives and support their participation as informed citizens in society. The three ways are by: developing a deeper appreciation of the ...
Book Chapter
Core Idea LS3: Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
The heredity disciplinary core idea (DCI) is about the biological mechanisms that underlie many familiar and less familiar phenomena such as genetic disorders, genetically modified foods, gene therapy, and others. Explaining how and why we are simila...
Book Chapter
Core Idea LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
This chapter has hopefully provided a bit more insight into the disciplinary core idea (DCI) of Evolution: Unity and Diversity. Taking an evolutionary perspective on biology is one of the most powerful ways that scientists make sense of and reason ab...
Book Chapter
Core Idea ESS1: Earth’s Place in the Universe
Earth and space sciences consists of three disciplinary core ideas (DCIs) that help to explain a wide variety of Earth-related phenomena, including the motion of the planets, changes in climate, and the shape of Earth structures. In this chapter, the...
Book Chapter
Core Idea ESS2: Earth’s Systems
The Earth exists as one large system, consisting of an array of interconnected subsystems. Often, scientists focus their efforts on exploring and explaining smaller, individual subsystems or even smaller relationships within these subsystems. However...
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Core Idea ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
Of all the fields of scientific study, the Earth sciences are one of the most interdisciplinary. This is particularly true for this disciplinary core idea (DCI), which focuses on society’s interactions with the planet’s complex systems. Today, Ea...
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Core Idea ETS1: Engineering Design
The engineering, technology, and applications of science disciplinary core ideas (DCIs) address questions about the ways in which engineers use science to develop solutions, the process of design, and the effects of our designed world on nature and, ...
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Core Idea ETS2: Links Among Engineering, Technology, Science, and Society
This component of the disciplinary core idea (DCI) brings together two movements in science education—environmental education and science, technology and society. Learning about the Influence of engineering, technology, and science on society and t...
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This lesson helps students understand the function of the nucleus, cell membrane, cell wall, mitochondria, and chloroplasts. Students will relate the structure of each organelle to its function, develop and use a model to explain the functions of org...
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This lesson helps students: develop and use a model to explain the inheritance of traits; predict the frequency of genotypes and phenotypes in a cross; recognize that each parent contributes equally to the genotype even when the recessive trait is no...
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Seriously …That’s Where the Mass of a Tree Comes From?
This lesson helps students identify photosynthesis as the process through which plants make glucose, determine that most of the mass of a plant comes from carbon dioxide, explain that plants use glucose for energy and raw materials for plant growth a...
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Chemistry, Toys, and Accidental Inventions
This lesson helps students distinguish between reactants and products, explain the law of conservation of matter, measure properties or reactants and products, recognize that a change in the reactants results in a difference in the products, observe ...
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Nature’s Light Show: It’s Magnetic!
This lesson helps students draw and describe Earth’s magnetic field, explain the phenomenon of the aurora, summarize a text, including the central ideas and supporting details, and synthesize information gained from investigations and text. The inv...
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Thermal Energy: An Ice Cube’s Kryptonite!
This lesson helps students recognize that different materials have different thermal properties, distinguish between qualitative and quantitative measurements of temperature, illustrate that thermal energy moves from areas of high heat to areas of lo...