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Sensemaking Resources

 

Journal Article

Listening as Children Lead: Engaging Emergent Multilingual Children in Science Sensemaking by Transforming Roles

This article shares the experiences of three elementary teachers who took steps to transform their roles from speakers to listeners. After participating in a professional learning (PL) project that uses science to support English language practices, ...

 

NSTA Press Book

Wild Wonderings: Scientists and Their Questions

Click here to view video of Wild Wonderings Let your curiosity run wild! This lively book will inspire you to ask questions like scientists do. Why? Because questions can lead you to amazing discoveries. Like what? Like when theoretical physicist ...

 

Journal Article

Exploring Beneficial Species Interactions: A Phenomenon-Driven Approach to Understanding Legumes and Rhizobia Mutualism

This phenomenon-driven unit focuses on students making sense of the mutually beneficial species interactions between legumes and rhizobia. Many science classes spend less time studying the nitrogen cycle due to time constraints and more focus on othe...

 

Journal Article

Beyond Definitions: Using Hexagonal Thinking for Sensemaking

This article was written for the purpose of introducing the hexagonal thinking strategy to upper elementary teachers. The strategy, in which students make connections across the vocabulary and concepts to develop a map, has become more popular in the...

 

Journal Article

Engaging elementary students in science practice: Strategies for helping children plan investigations

This article presents a tool that teachers can use to support children in planning science investigations. Using an extended example from a second-grade investigation into seed dispersal, we describe strategies for structuring conversations that anch...

 

Journal Article

Explanation and Argumentation: How Middle School Students Make Sense of the Phenomenon of Niagara Falls

The Framework and NGSS emphasize using lines of evidence to construct explanations and develop arguments that demonstrate understanding about scientific phenomena. For this vision to be actualized in science classrooms, students must engage in invest...

 

Journal Article

Helping Students Use Crosscutting Concepts to Guide Sensemaking of Anchoring Phenomena

Crosscutting concepts (CCCs) are designed to help students make sense of phenomena across multiple scientific disciplines (National Research Council 2012). Since they are applicable to explaining so many different phenomena, they have the potential t...

 

Class Pack

Mirror, Mirror ClassPack

Now Available for Grade K-2 Picture Perfect STEM Lessons - Ready-to-TeachTM Picture-Perfect ClassPacks!         • We are excited to announce our new kitting partner: ECA Science Kit Services! Now offering ...

 

Class Pack

Feel the Heat ClassPack

Now Available for Grade K-2 Picture Perfect STEM Lessons - Ready-to-TeachTM Picture-Perfect ClassPacks!         • We are excited to announce our new kitting partner: ECA Science Kit Services! Now offering ...

 

Class Pack

The Handiest Things ClassPack: Grade K

Now Available for Grade K-2 Picture Perfect STEM Lessons - Ready-to-TeachTM Picture-Perfect ClassPacks!         • We are excited to announce our new kitting partner: ECA Science Kit Services! Now offering ...

 

Journal Article

Group Learning Routines as a tool to build equitable learning experiences in a Biology classroom

The vision behind the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) is that all students engage in explaining phenomena and designing solutions with three-dimensional learning. Authentic sensemaking involves opportunities for learners to share, analyze, a...

 

Journal Article

Early Retirement: Making Sense of Patterns in Historical Data of Retired Hurricanes

Long after a hurricane passes over and through any region or coastal area, the memories of it often linger. There may be visual reminders of the storm and the day lives may have been changed, or lost, forever. Hurricanes can be long-lived storms. The...

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