JoinAll Resources
Journal Article
Teacher's Toolkit: The Argumentation and Evaluation Guide: Encouraging NGSS-Based Critical Thinking
In this article the authors focus on how you can use a new tool—argumentation and evaluation guide—to enhance argumentation in the classroom, evaluate a claim made by others, and make and explain claims based on evidence from laboratory experimen...
Journal Article
Scope on the Skies: A Year in Time
This column focuses on astronomy throughout the year. This month’s issue discusses the history of the development of various calendars....
Journal Article
Scope on Safety: Reacting Safely
This column shares safety information for your classroom. This month’s issue covers the safety of hazardous chemicals....
Book Chapter
Using the 5E Model to Implement the Next Generation Science Standards
This chapter provides recommendations for translating standards into instructional materials that are usable for those with the real task of teaching. The discussion provides an affirmative answer to the question: How can the BSCS 5E Instructional Mo...
Book Chapter
Why Does Skill in Questioning Engage Students in Purposeful Standards-Based Learning?
Students need to see purpose for what they are learning as they engage in literacy practices. Children ask questions and make connections to what is being learned in the classroom every day—on the playground, at home, walking to and from class, and...
Book Chapter
Teaching Science for Conceptual Understanding: An Overview
A primary goal of science education is teaching for conceptual understanding. But what does this mean? We argue that teaching for conceptual understanding can and should exist alongside the pressures of testing, “covering the curriculum,” and ins...
Book Chapter
Students With Disabilities and the Next Generation Science Standards
The Next Generation Science Standards require that students engage in science and engineering practices to develop deeper understanding of the disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts. ...
Book Chapter
NGSS: Giving Every Student a Choice
The process for developing the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) was not a simple one. There were many decisions made that while necessary did not make the process simpler. However, one decision was never in debate—the NGSS were meant for al...
Book Chapter
This chapter serves two purposes. First, it provides a context for the work presented in A Framework for K–12 Science Education and the guiding document that underlies the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Second, it discusses that scienc...
Book Chapter
On Building Policy Support for the <i>Next Generation Science Standards</i>
In this chapter, the editor discusses observations made as a foundation officer at Carnegie Corporation of New York throughout the development of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). In particular,...
Book Chapter
Charges of the NGSS Diversity and Equity Team
This chapter summarizes the four tasks of the team. By understanding the far-reaching charges to address diversity and equity across many related topics and products, readers will appreciate how the interests of diverse student groups were taken into...
Book Chapter
Conceptual Framework Guiding the NGSS Diversity and Equity
This chapter is intended to guide readers to better understand the case studies. It lays the conceptual grounding for effective classroom strategies identified for each demographic student group. It also highlights caveats to understand the purpose o...
Book Chapter
Economically Disadvantaged Students and the Next Generation Science Standards
Teachers of economically disadvantaged students will have to narrow the achievement gap while also meeting the higher expectations presented by the new standards. In this chapter, effective teaching strategies for economically disadvantaged students ...
Book Chapter
Students From Racial and Ethnic Groups and the Next Generation Science Standards
Effective strategies for students from major racial and ethnic groups are categorized as culturally relevant pedagogy, community involvement and social activism, multiple representation and multimodal experiences, and school support systems including...
Book Chapter
English Language Learners and the Next Generation Science Standards
The science and engineering practices described in the NGSS are language intensive and present both language demands and language learning opportunities for English language learners. This vignette illustrates how very young students, many of whom ar...
Book Chapter
Girls and the Next Generation Science Standards
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) pave the way for increased exposure to all disciplines of science for all students. This is a breakthrough, in particular, for girls, as research attributes gender disparities in science achievement, coll...
Book Chapter
Students in Alternative Education and the Next Generation Science Standards
Alternative education encompasses many nontraditional models, some of which are intended to target students at risk for dropping out. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) raise the bar for all students. This magnifies the need for teachers i...
Book Chapter
Gifted and Talented Students and the Next Generation Science Standards
Although the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) provide academic rigor for all students, teachers can employ strategies to ensure that gifted and talented students receive instruction that meets their unique needs as science learners. The vign...
Book Chapter
Using the Case Studies to Inform Unit Design
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) transform the way we approach teaching science by reflecting how scientists think and work. When we involve students in phenomena and task them to explain and predict those phenomena, they discover the us...
Book Chapter
Reflecting on Instruction to Promote Equity and Alignment to the NGSS
Prior to the Next Generation Science Standards, science ideas were removed from practices and crosscutting concepts, which resulted in science learning as a memorization exercise that did not enable students to explain related phenomena. The major sh...
Book Chapter
Case Study Utility for Classroom Teaching and Professional Development
Every teacher who loves to teach science experiences how science learning inspires all students. Science can motivate even the most reluctant learners, and teachers notice that all students bring ingenuity to science class! These professional develop...
NSTA Press Book
It’s challenging to teach science well to all students while connecting your lessons to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). This unique book portrays real teaching scenarios written by the teachers on the NGSS Diversity and Equity Team. T...
Book Chapter
What Are Teachable Moments, and How Are They Created?
This chapter serves as an introduction to the primary themes of teachable moments and the BSCS 5E Instructional Model. First, there’s a discussion of teachable moments and then a summary of the instructional model. The model provides teachers with ...
Book Chapter
Reviewing Education Research Supporting Instructional Models
This chapter reviews education research supporting instructional models, including the 5Es. The BSCS 5E Instructional Model is grounded in sound education theory, has a growing base of research to support its effectiveness, and has had a significant ...
Book Chapter
Exploring Historical Examples of Instructional Models
This chapter discusses several historical predecessors to the contemporary 5E Model and explores the historical idea of what can be considered an instructional model. Chapter 10 is included in this book selection and provides background on how implem...
Book Chapter
The BSCS 5E Instructional Model
This chapter presents a detailed in-depth explanation of the BSCS 5E Instructional Model. The model is commonly referred to as the 5Es—engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate. It can be used to help frame an integrated instructional seque...
Book Chapter
What Can We Learn About Conceptual Understanding by Examining the History of Science?
This chapter focuses on the history of science and its importance to anyone teaching for conceptual understanding. Even though the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) do not include the history, this does not mean it’s not important to embed...
Book Chapter
What Is the Nature of Science, and What Does It Mean for Conceptual Understanding?
This chapter examines the nature of science and the connection to conceptually understanding science, as well as its importance to anyone teaching for conceptual understanding. The recognition of the importance of developing understanding of the natu...
Book Chapter
How Does the Nature of Children’s Thinking Relate to Teaching for Conceptual Understanding?
This chapter presents the current view of the nature of children’s thinking. During the last few decades, research on learning combined with the wisdom of practitioners have given us important new ideas to consider about deepening students’ unde...
Book Chapter
This chapter looks back at our attempts at making science teaching more meaningful through the use of the research findings available. It also provides a very brief history of science education in the United States from the turn of the 20th century u...
Book Chapter
How Is Conceptual Understanding Developed Through the Three Dimensions and Learning Strands?
This chapter examines A Framework for K–12 Science Education learning practices of science and engineering, focusing primarily on science and the role in teaching science through the learning strands. The list of scientific and engineering pract...
Book Chapter
How Does the Use of Instructional Models Support Teaching for Conceptual Understanding?
This chapter is devoted to describing instructional models developed over time by teachers, curriculum developers, and researchers, including a current research-based model that explicitly supports the practices of science—Argument-Driven Inquiry ...
Book Chapter
What Are Some Instructional Strategies That Support Conceptual Understanding?
In this chapter, strategies are described that can be used to promote learning within an instructional model. There are many strategies that researchers and practitioners have determined to be effective in supporting conceptual understanding. This ch...
Book Chapter
How Does Linking Assessment, Instruction, and Learning Support Conceptual Understanding?
This chapter focuses on connecting instruction, assessment, and learning. It features some of the ways you can use formative assessment to support conceptual understanding in science so that teachers can make better instructional decisions that suppo...
Book Chapter
What Role Does Informal Education Have in Developing Conceptual Understanding?
This chapter addresses learning in informal environments and in this age of technology, informal education is everywhere. Although opportunities have been available for many years, it’s only recently that educational researchers have become interes...
Book Chapter
Putting It All Together: “Balancing” Case Study
This Appendix features a case study of a lesson on “balancing” using the principles and ideas espoused in the book and in A Framework for K–12 Science Education. To illuminate the three dimensions and the four strands in “science as practic...