4th Grade - Gateway 1
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Designed for NGSS
Gateway 1 - Meets Expectations | 89% |
|---|---|
Criterion 1.1: Three-Dimensional Learning | 16 / 16 |
Criterion 1.2: Phenomena and Problems Drive Learning | 9 / 12 |
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet expectations for Gateway 1: Designed for NGSS; Criterion 1: Three-Dimensional Learning meets expectations and Criterion 2: Phenomena and Problems Drive Learning meets expectations.
Criterion 1.1: Three-Dimensional Learning
Materials are designed for three-dimensional learning and assessment.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet expectations for Criterion 1a-1c: Three-Dimensional Learning. The materials consistently include integration of the three dimensions in at least one learning opportunity per learning sequence and nearly all learning sequences are meaningfully designed for student opportunity to engage in sensemaking with the three dimensions. The materials consistently provide three-dimensional learning objectives at the chapter level that build towards the performance expectations for the larger unit, and consistently assess to reveal student knowledge and use of the three dimensions to support the targeted three-dimensional learning objectives. The units also include three-dimensional objectives and include corresponding assessments that consistently address the three dimensions of the objectives.
Indicator 1a
Materials are designed to integrate the Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs), Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), and Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs) into student learning.
Indicator 1a.i
Materials consistently integrate the three dimensions in student learning opportunities.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 4 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 opportunities. The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 4 consistently integrate the three dimensions in student learning opportunities. Throughout the grade level, all learning sequences (chapters) include three dimensions and consistently integrate SEPs, CCCs, and DCIs in student learning opportunities (lessons). The materials are designed for students to actively engage in the SEPs and CCCs to deepen understanding of DCIs. Three-dimensional connections are outlined for teachers at the unit, chapter, and lesson level.
Examples of where materials are designed to integrate the three dimensions into student learning opportunities:
In Grade 4, Unit: Earth’s Features, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.3: Fossil Formation, students observe and sort fossils (DCI-ESS1.C-E1). Students then read a book to learn about how systems on earth create fossils (DCI-ESS2.B-E1). Students look at images of real fossils and develop questions and record observations about them to try to determine how they were formed (SEP-INFO-E4, SEP-AQDP-E3). Next, students use a simulation to determine how fossils are formed. Students compare the information provided in the book to the information provided by the simulation (CCC-PAT-E2).
In Grade 4, Unit: Earth’s Features, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.6: Writing an Argument About Past Environments, students use the type of rock in the outcrop to identify the types of environments associated with three different fossils (DCI-ESS2.B-E2, CCC-PAT-E1). Using evidence from various sources (SEP-CEDS-E2, SEP-INFO-E5), students write a report to the park rangers about the types of fossils, the environment that prehistoric animals lived in (DCI-ESS1.C-E1), and how those environments shaped that location (DCI-ESS2.A-E2, DCI-ESS2.B-E1).
In Grade 4, Unit: Waves, Energy and Information, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.4: Exploring Sound Waves, students revisit a reading and are reminded that waves move in patterns (CCC-PAT-E2). Students learn that water in waves hardly moves; instead, the energy of the wave travels through water (DCI-PS4.A-E1, DCI-ESS3.B-E1, and CCC-EM-E3). Students then model a stadium wave and explain how it is related to tsunami waves (SEP-MOD-E6) and to sound energy. Students use an online application to play instruments and observe and explain how sound waves travel (DCI-PS3.A-E2).
In Grade 4, Unit: Waves, Energy and Information, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.1: Sound on The Move, students reflect on their own experiences with sound traveling underwater. Students investigate (SEP-INV-E3) how sound travels through different materials (DCI-PS3.A-E2) and make observations by listening. Students write explanations about the ability of sound to travel through certain mediums and read part of a text that helps them visualize the movement of sound and how energy can be transferred as sound waves through different types of matter (CCC-EM-E3, SEP-INFO-E2).
In Grade 4, Unit: Energy Conversions, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.1: Energy Convertors, students build two systems in the Energy Conversions Simulation and complete sentences about the energy conversion they observe in those functioning systems. Students build two different energy systems within the simulation (SEP-MOD-E5) and discuss which is the better system to produce enough energy for Ergstown (SEP-ARG-E4). Students then explain where and why an energy system fails (DCI-PS3.A-E2, DCI-PS3.B-E3) being sure to include the idea that energy can move throughout different systems and from one location to another (CCC-EM-E3).
In Grade 4, Unit: Energy Conversions, Lesson 3.1: Investigating Energy Sources, students use the Energy Conversions Simulation to explore where the energy for various electrical systems comes from and to discover that it may come from an energy source such as the sun, wind, or fuel. Students examine evidence and ask questions about why the Ergstown hospital still has electricity (SEP-ADQP-E1, SEP-CEDS-E3). Students use the Energy Conversions Simulation to explore where electrical systems obtain their energy from including various sources of energy (DCI-PS3.A-E2, DCI-PS3.B-E2). Students use an informational text to read and record information to synthesize their ideas about energy sources and how energy can be transferred between objects (CCC-EM-E3).
In Grade 4, Unit: Vision and Light, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.2: Introducing Animal Senses, students receive a mystery box and use a different sense to determine what is in the box (SEP-INV-E3). Students then discuss their data and collection methods (SEP-CEDS-E1) and how they used their senses and prior experiences to determine what was in each box (DCI-LS1.D-E1). Finally, students look at pictures of animals that show various sense organs (ears, nose, eyes) and discuss how the different structures on each animal functions in collecting information for the animal (CCC-SF-E2).
Indicator 1a.ii
Materials consistently support meaningful student sensemaking with the three dimensions.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet expectations that they consistently support meaningful student sensemaking with the three dimensions. Each learning sequence (chapter), includes multiple lessons where students progress towards the goals of the respective chapter and unit. While the materials consistently include opportunities for students to engage in the three dimensions in each chapter, not all lessons provide opportunities for students to build and use all three dimensions for sensemaking. However, the materials do consistently provide an opportunity in at least one lesson per chapter for students to engage in using the science and engineering practices (SEPs) and the crosscutting concepts (CCCs) to meaningfully support student sensemaking with the other dimensions.
Examples where SEPs and CCCs meaningfully support student sensemaking with the other dimensions in the learning sequence:
In Grade 4, Unit: Earth’s Features, Chapter 1: How did the fossil get inside the rocky outcrop?, students use graphs to examine data associated with two different snail species (SEP-DATA-E2) to determine why one particular snail species is thriving and one isn’t (DCI-LS4.C-E1). Students are presented with their role as a biomimicry engineer; their goal is to understand how the structure (CCC-SF-E1) of a snail shell is designed and how it helps in the snail’s survival (DCI-LS1.A-E1).
In Grade 4, Unit: Earth’s Features, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.5: Making Inferences about Fossils, students interpret how an outcrop has fossils in it. Based on the type of rock in the outcrop (DCI-ESS2.B-E2), students identify the patterns in the types of environments to determine where the three different fossils came from (CCC-PAT-E1). Using evidence from various sources (SEP-CEDS-E2, SEP-INFO-E5), students write a report to the park rangers about the types of fossils and the environment the prehistoric animals lived in (DCI-ESS1.C-E1), and how those environments shaped that location (DCI-ESS2.A-E2, DCI-ESS2.B-E1).
In Grade 4, Unit: Waves, Energy and Information, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.4: Exploring Sound Waves, students explore how sound waves travel. Students learn that waves move in predictable patterns (CCC-PAT-E2). Through a demonstration, they see that the energy of the wave travels through water even though water hardly moves (DCI-PS4.A-E1, CCC-EM-E3). Students then engage in a model of stadium waves and explain how it is related to tsunami waves (SEP-MOD-E6). This then helps students transfer the same ideas to sound energy. Students use a computer simulation to play instruments and observe and explain how sound waves travel (DCI-PS3.A-E2).
In Grade 4, Unit: Waves, Energy and Information, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.3: Investigating Particles, students observe particle motion and how sound travels through different materials. Students use a digital simulation (SEP-MOD-E4) and read an informational text (SEP-INFO-E4) to visualize sound energy and waves moving through materials (DCI-PS3.A-E2, CCC-EM-E3) at the particle level, and try to find patterns at the particle level (CCC-PAT-E3).
In Grade 4, Unit: Energy Conversions, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.1: Energy Convertors, students build two electrical systems in the Energy Conversions Simulation and complete sentences about the energy conversion they observe (SEP-CEDS-E1) in those functioning systems (SEP-MOD-E5 ). Students reflect on their learning to synthesize how energy moves in systems (CCC-SYS-E1) to understand how energy moves and transfers (DCI-PS3.A-E2, DCI-PS3.B-E3).
In Grade 4, Unit: Energy Conversions, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.1: Investigating Energy Sources, students explore where electrical-system energy comes from. Students examine evidence about why the hospital still has electricity during a blackout (SEP-CEDS-E3). To understand where energy for an electrical system come from, students create different systems in the Energy Conversions Simulation and observe the source of energy for each system (CCC-EM-E3, CCC-SYS-E2, DCI-PS3.A-E2, and DCI-PS3.B-E2).
In Grade 4, Unit: Vision and Light, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.2: Introducing Animal Sense, students learn how humans and other organisms use their senses and specialized organs to gather information about their environment. Using a mystery box, students use their senses to guess what is in each box. Students discuss their observations and combine their data to understand that multiple senses can provide a better idea of the identity of the mystery item (SEP-CEDS-E1). Students then examine pictures of different animals’ organs and relate specific structures to their functions (CCC-SF-E2) to determine how humans and animals use various specialized organs to understand their environment (DCI-LS1.D-E1).
In Grade 4, Unit: Vision and Light, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.3: I Mean What You See, students read a book about the importance of light and then use a simulation activity to model how light helps the eyes transmit signals to the brain. Students synthesize information from a story and simulation (SEP-INFO-E4) to make sense of how light plays a valuable role in how animals see (DCI-PS4.B-E1). Students engage in questions about light reflecting into the eye to make sense of how eyes function as sense-collectors for the brain (DCI-LS1.A-E1). As students engage in a simulated model of light and sight (SEP-MOD-E4), they make sense of how the eyes and brain work together (CCC-SF-E1).
Indicator 1b
Materials are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence for three-dimensional learning.
The materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet expectations that they are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence for the three-dimensional learning in the instructional materials. The materials consistently provide learning objectives in the form of 3-D Statements for each Lesson, Chapter, and Unit. Lesson 3-D Statements build to support Chapter 3-D Statements, and the Chapter 3-D Statements build toward Unit 3-D Statements. In addition to the Chapter 3-D Statements, there are Chapter Targeted 3-D Learning Objectives that specify the focal elements of each dimension for the chapter, often using strikethroughs to indicate aspects not intended to be addressed. The Lessons contain individual assessments that often target a subset of the SEPs and/or CCCs included in a Chapter 3-D Statement, but over the course of the Chapter, assessments are consistently designed to reveal student knowledge and use of the three dimensions in support of the Chapter Targeted 3-D Learning Objectives.
In addition to listing intended standards alignment, in the Teacher Guide for each Unit, Teacher References, Assessment System, and the Formative and Summative Assessment Opportunities sections lists the DCI, SEP, and the CCC addressed in each Lesson-level assessment and includes strikethroughs of the portion of the standard that is not assessed. Assessments throughout Grade 4 consistently address the learning objectives. In a few instances, there are missed opportunities to address a dimension from the objectives across the assessments in the Chapter. For instance, Grade 4, Unit: Energy Conversions, Chapter 1: What happened to the electrical system the night of the blackout?, the three-dimensional objectives are presented as 3-D Learning Objectives for the chapter and there are six elements represented. The materials state that the assessments should provide teachers with insight into student understanding of DCI-PS3.B-E3. On-the-Fly Assessment 3, asks students to use the Energy Conversions Simulation to identify devices that input electrical energy. This formative assessment only examines if students are able to identify electrical devices as devices that have electricity as their input energy. The materials inform the teacher that students will examine how the devices convert energy in the next lesson. This assessment does not adequately measure student knowledge or use of DCI-PS3.B-E3. However, this assessment does assess three dimensions and the majority of the objectives throughout the Chapter.
Lessons, Chapters, and Units consistently incorporate tasks for the purpose of supporting the instructional process. Opportunities are provided through the use of two assessment types used in each Chapter: On-the-Fly Assessments and Critical Junctures. Rubrics at the Grade 4 level are consistent in format and methodology. Suggestions for multi-modal reteaching or ongoing re-visiting of the practices, crosscutting concepts or disciplinary core ideas while continuing instruction are not provided.
Examples of lessons with a three-dimensional objective where the formative assessment task(s) assess student knowledge of all (three) dimensions in the learning objective, and provide guidance to support the instructional process:
Grade 4, Unit: Energy Conversions, Chapter 1: What happened to the electrical system the night of the blackout?, the three-dimensional objectives are present as the Chapter Targeted 3-D Learning Objectives, representing six elements of the three dimensions. In the first On-the-Fly Assessment, students partner read the book Systems and connect what they read in the book to other sources of information that they have encountered, discuss any new ideas with their partners, and then share with the whole class. This assessment focuses on students’ ability to read grade level texts and use what they read to develop new ideas to understand the concept of systems (SEP-INFO-E1). In the On-the-Fly Assessment, students refer to the text Systems, and they look at the text features within the book to help them look up information on different systems. Students choose a system from the book and describe its function. Then students work with a partner to identify the parts of the systems and their functions within the system from reading the information in the text (CCC-SYS-E1, CCC-SYS-E2). In the third On-the-Fly Assessment, students use the Energy Conversions Simulation to identify devices that input electrical energy (partial DCI-PS3.B-E3). In the fourth On-the-Fly assessment, the teacher has students read several pages from the text It’s All Energy. Students discuss with a partner the different forms of energy they discovered in the book as well as from their personal experiences. This lesson is an introduction to forms of energy and the teacher observes student discussions to see if students understand and correctly identify each form of energy and where it might be observed (DCI-PS3.B-E1). This is further assessed in a writing prompt in Lesson 1.6, Activity 1; in the fifth On-the-Fly Assessment, students examine an image of a subway train and identify two forms of energy and provide supporting evidence (DCI.PS3.B-E1). In the last activity of Lesson 1.6, students revisit the chapter question, “What happened to the electrical system the night of the Ergstown blackout?” Students identify the claim that best answers the question and then identify evidence that best supports the claim (SEP-ARG-E4). Students do not engage in writing a complete argument at this point, they practice finding, selecting, and recording evidence to support their claim. The combination of these assessments are designed to reveal student knowledge and use of the three dimensions to support the learning objectives and all of the elements listed in the three-dimensional learning objectives are properly assessed, with the exception of one full element (DCI-PS3.B-E3).
In Grade 4, Unit: Vision and Light, Chapter 2: How does light allow a Tokay gecko to see its prey?, the three-dimensional objectives are present as the Chapter Targeted 3-D Learning Objectives, representing ten elements of the three dimensions. In the Critical Juncture assessment, students write an explanation to answer the question “How does light allow a Tokay gecko to see its prey?” (DCI -PS4.B-E1; SEP-EDS-E1; SEP-INFO-E5). The Look For for this assessment indicates that the teacher should be aware of students that have incomplete conceptions about light, including that “Only shiny things reflect light” (CCC-SF-E2). Support for teachers to assist students that may not have fully grasped the concept refers them to pages 13-16 in I See What You Mean booklet that is read in class. In the third On-the-Fly Assessment, students complete an Investigation in the Vision and Light Simulation to help learn how light allows a predator to see its prey. In the investigation, students manipulate variables and describe what they observe as light travels in a different direction (SEP-MOD-E4). Students use the information from the two investigations to write their ideas about how light allows a predator to see its prey (SEP-INV-E3). In the fourth On-the-Fly Assessment, students use the Modeling Tool to create the path and direction of light from evidence they gathered in Activity 2. The teacher is guided to ensure that students put arrows in the proper places to represent the light reflecting off the object in the Mystery Box (SEP-MOD-E4). In the fifth On-the-Fly Assessment, students develop questions based on a text they are reading, but do not predict reasonable outcomes (partial SEP-AQDP-E3). The teacher guide suggests letting students know that one book will not always answer all questions and students may need to read through multiple sources to find the answer. Students write the answers to their questions as they read the grade level text on the chart provided in their Investigation Notebook (SEP-INFO-E1). In the teacher guide, the additional three-dimensional assessment opportunities suggest that teachers can evaluate student understanding of patterns by using evidence found in the book I See What You Mean. In Lesson 2.3, Activity 3, the On-the-Fly Assessment has students answer the question: “What kind of information about the peach is this light carrying?” in reference to the book they are reading, I See What You Mean. Students use the think-write-pair-share method to consider their responses to the question. The guidance for the teacher indicates that the teacher should walk around and listen to the discussions to make sure students understand what can be considered information that is transmitted by light to the eye, such as shape, color, and texture (DCI-LSI.D-E1). The combination of these assessments are designed to reveal student knowledge and use of the three dimensions related to support the learning objectives.
In Grade 4, Unit Waves, Energy, and Information, Chapter 1: How does a mother dolphin communicate with her calf across a distance?, the three-dimensional objectives are present as the Chapter Targeted 3-D Learning Objectives, representing four elements of the three dimensions. In the first On-the-Fly Assessment, students observe the pattern of a spring toy wave and a rope wave and the teacher assesses whether students are noticing similarities and differences in patterns of different waves created (CCC-PAT-E1). In the second On-the-Fly Assessment, students use visualization while reading Warning: Tsunami! to think about the measurements in the book (SEP-INFO-E1). In the third On-the-Fly Assessment, students participate in a stadium wave and discuss how this model shows ideas about what travels in a wave. The teacher assesses students’ ability to connect stadium wave to a tsunami wave as well as their understanding that energy moves away from a source (DCI-PS4.A-E1, DCI-PS3.A-E2). The combination of these assessments are designed to reveal student knowledge and use of the three dimensions to support the learning objectives.
Indicator 1c
Materials are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence of three-dimensional learning.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet expectations that they are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence of three-dimensional learning in the instructional materials. Materials consistently provide three-dimensional learning objectives for each unit in the form of Unit Targeted 3-D Learning Objectives; these typically consist of one or more disciplinary core ideas (DCIs), science and engineering practices (SEPs), and crosscutting concepts (CCCs). These objectives include a subset of the DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs identified within the Chapter Level Targeted 3-D Learning Objectives. Consistently, these Unit-level objectives indicate the specific elements targeted for each DCI, SEP, or CCC and in some instances strike though portions of elements that are not targeted.
Each unit provides summative assessments in the form of End of Unit (EOU) assessments and rubrics. Additionally, one unit (Sunlight and Weather) in this grade contains an Investigation Assessment. The combination of summative assessments for each unit consistently measure student learning of the three dimensions highlighted in the unit-level 3-D Statements.
The materials provide additional resources that also connect grade-level performance expectations (PEs) to specific units. The PEs are connected to the unit in the unit-level document. This alignment document indicates where formative and summative assessments are intended to occur in each chapter and includes targets for assessment that are beyond the scope of the specific unit, including assessments in other units in the grade and in other units across the grade band. In many instances, dimensions of the PEs connected to a specific unit are not assessed in that unit. For example, the 3-D Assessment Objectives document indicates that three PEs are connected to the Grade 4 Vision and Light unit. Summative assessments for this unit are not designed to assess all three dimensions in any of the PEs associated with this unit. These three PEs collectively include two SEPs, three DCIs, and two CCCs. None of the SEPs, none of the CCCs, and all three of the DCIs are cross-referenced to summative assessment opportunities in this unit. Element-level specification is not provided.
Examples where the materials provide three-dimensional learning objectives for the learning sequence; summative tasks measure student achievement of the targeted three-dimensional learning objectives:
In Grade 4, Unit: Energy Conversions, the unit-level objective is framed by the statement, “Students investigate—through firsthand experiences, a digital model, and by obtaining information by reading—how electrical systems convert and transfer energy (systems and system models, energy and matter). They use what they learn to design, test, and evaluate improvements to cause the electrical system to be more reliable, even during natural hazards and to make arguments based on evidence for the best improvements (cause and effect).” This statement is followed by specific elements of DCIs, SEPs, and/or CCCs that are specifically targeted. Summative assessments include EOU assessments and rubrics; collectively, they are three-dimensional and consistently assess the targeted elements of the Unit objective(s).
In the EOU Assessment, students show understanding that electricity comes from a source and travels on wires that need to be connected to the source. Students are provided potential solutions and they select the solution they think is the best to improve the town’s electrical system, then support their choice with evidence and describe any limitations. Students identify how a problem could be related to specific components of the system.
Prompts and rubrics are provided. Rubric 1 assesses student ability to select a design solution and support the choice with evidence and reasoning (SEP-CEDS-E2). Rubric 2 assesses student understanding of the DCIs related to how energy can be moved from place to place through electrical currents (DCI-PS3.A-E2) and how electrical currents can be used to produce sound, heat, or light (DCI-PS3.B-E3), and the CCC that energy can be transferred various ways and between objects (CCC-EM-E2) and that energy can be conserved. Rubric 3 uses these answers to assess student understanding that each part of the electrical system has a different function, with the parts working together to function (CCC-SYS-E1) and if one part of the system doesn’t work it can impact the rest of the system.
In Grade 4, Unit: Vision and Light, the unit-level objective is framed by the statement, “Ask and investigate questions about the role that animals’ senses, primarily vision, play in survival (structure and function) in order to figure out why there is a decline in the number of Tokay geckos living in one area of a rainforest in the Philippines (cause and effect). Students use a digital model, create their own diagram models, and construct explanations to explain that we need light to see and how we see (systems and system models).” This statement is followed by specific elements of DCIs, SEPs, and/or CCCs that are specifically targeted. Summative assessments include EOU assessments and rubrics; collectively, they are three-dimensional and consistently assess the targeted elements of the Unit objective(s).
In the EOU Assessment, students show understanding of the core concepts from the unit about how light works in an animal's eyes. Students see an image of a gecko at night without street lights and one with street lights on. Students draw arrows on the pictures to show how information about the prey gets to the Tokay gecko so that it can see (SEP-MOD-E3, DCI-LS1.D-E1). Students answer two additional questions: How does a Tokay gecko usually see? Why does more light at night make it hard for it to see (DCI-LS1.A-E1)?
Prompts and rubrics are provided. Rubric 1 assesses student ability to construct an explanation and support the explanation with evidence and reasoning (SEP-CEDS-E2) about why light at night negatively impacts the gecko's ability to see prey. Rubric 2 assesses student understanding of the DCIs related to how animals have external structures (eyes) to help their survival (DCI-LS1.A-E1), eyes are sense receptors that process light and sight (DCI-LS1.D-E1), and that objects can be seen when light reflected from a prey’s surface enters the gecko’s eye (DCI-PS4.B-E1). Rubric 3 assesses students’ understanding that the eye is a structure that functions by getting light information and that different substructures of the eye have different functions (CCC-SF-E2).
In Grade 4, Unit: Earth’s Features, the unit-level objective is framed by the statement, “Students obtain information from text and use physical and digital models to construct understanding about how rock forms and erodes, how rock layers form, and how to use rock layers to infer the environmental changes that have happened in a place (stability and change). They apply their understanding to engage in oral and written argument about the geologic history of Desert Rocks National Park.” This statement is followed by specific elements of DCIs, SEPs, and/or CCCs that are specifically targeted. Summative assessments include EOU assessments and rubrics; collectively, they are three-dimensional and consistently assess the targeted elements of the Unit objective(s).
In the EOU Assessment, students write a claim about the environment at the time a specific layer in rock formed. Students support a claim about why more rock layers were exposed in one canyon than another canyon. Students construct an argument and support their claim with evidence and reasoning (SEP-ARG-E4) about the exposed rock layers in the canyons.
Rubric 1 assesses student ability to construct an explanation and support the explanation with evidence and reasoning (SEP-CEDS-E2) about the environment at the time the “unknown” rock layer formed. Rubric 2 assesses student understanding of the DCIs related to how sedimentary rock forms, how fossils can form, how different rocks can form in different environments (DCI-ESS1.C-E1), and that water can change the earth's surface through erosion and weathering (DCI-ESS2.C-M1). Rubric 3 looks for student responses that demonstrate understanding that environments that seem stable today can change or have changed over long periods of time (CCC-SC-E2); however, there is not a question in the assessment to prompt students to provide this information.
In Grade 4, Unit: Waves, Energy, and Information, the unit-level objective is framed by the statement, “Using physical and computer models to observe and analyze patterns (patterns), students figure out how sound travels as a wave (energy and matter). They apply that knowledge to explain how dolphins in the fictional Blue Bay send and receive signals underwater when separated (energy and matter) and how humans encode, send, and receive patterns of information for efficient communication across distances (patterns; scale, proportion, and quantity).” Summative assessments include EOU assessments and rubrics; collectively, they are three-dimensional and assess the elements within the unit-level objective.
In the EOU Assessment, students show how sound waves and digital devices are used to communicate. Students are presented with a scenario of a person being surprised by music played on a computer. A sound wave is generated on the computer for students to observe. Students are asked, “How did the sound get from the computer to Maria?” Students are prompted to include details about how the sound energy traveled through the air (DCI-PS4.A-E2, DCI-PS4.C-E1). Students write explanations (SEP-CEDS-E2) to describe how the sound traveled and they label the diagram (SEP-MOD-E4) with the parts that are important to explain why it surprised the person (SEP-CEDS-E2).
Prompts and rubrics are provided. Rubric 1 assesses student ability to construct an explanation and support the explanation with evidence and reasoning (SEP-CEDS-E2) about why light at night negatively impacts the gecko's ability to see prey. Rubric 2 assesses student understanding of the DCIs related to how sound travels as a wave (DCI-PS4.A-E2, DCI-PS4.C-E1). Rubric 3 assesses student understanding that wavelengths move in patterns and changes to the amplitude or wavelength alter the patterns and the changes can be used as evidence to explain the change in sound (CCC-PAT-E3).
Criterion 1.2: Phenomena and Problems Drive Learning
Materials leverage science phenomena and engineering problems in the context of driving learning and student performance.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 4 partially meet expectations for Criterion 1d-1i: Phenomena and Problems Drive Learning. The materials include phenomena in 82% of the chapters and problems in 24% of chapters. Of those phenomena and problems, they consistently connect to grade-level appropriate DCIs and are consistently presented to students as directly as possible. Few instances of phenomena or problems driving learning and use of the three dimensions were found within the chapters, as a guiding question is the primary focus of the learning at the chapter level. The materials consistently elicit but inconsistently leverage student prior knowledge and experience related to the phenomena and problems present. The materials consistently incorporate phenomena or problems to drive learning and use of the three dimensions across multiple chapters within each unit.
Indicator 1d
Phenomena and/or problems are connected to grade-level Disciplinary Core Ideas.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems are connected to grade-level disciplinary core ideas (DCIs). Within the grade, the materials provide opportunities for students to build an understanding of grade-level DCIs through unit-level or chapter-level phenomena or problems. In many cases, multiple lesson investigations work together to connect to a single phenomenon and/or problem to develop an understanding of corresponding DCIs. Across the series, students engage in a variety of disciplines including life science, earth science, and physical science while developing a deeper understanding of the engineering design cycle as they apply DCIs to the design problem.
Examples of phenomena and problems connected to grade-level-appropriate DCIs or their elements.
In Grade 4, Unit Energy Conversions, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.3: Exploring Systems, the design challenge is to make a small electric fan spin. Students are challenged to build a simple electrical system to show that energy can be moved from place to place using currents (DCI-PS3.A-E2). Students must find a solution using only the available materials and then compare their solutions (DCI-ETS1.A-E1).
In Grade 4, Unit Energy Conversions, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.4: Designing a Wind Turbine, students receive a message from the mayor of Ergstown asking them to consider wind or solar power to solve the town's power issues. Students are challenged to build a wind turbine that spins as fast as possible so that it can bring more energy to the Ergstown electrical system. In this lesson, students are given a set of materials to test and build a wind turbine (DCI-ETS1.A-E1). Students use their knowledge gained in previous lessons that energy is transferred from one form to another (DCI-PS3.B-E3) to build their wind turbine. The faster the turbine moves, the brighter the light appears. Through this design challenge, students recognize that the faster an object is moving, the more energy it will produce (DCI-PS3.A-E1).
In Grade 4, Vision and Light, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.1: Investigating Light, the phenomenon is that a population of tokay geckos in a rainforest in the Philippines has decreased since the installation of new highway lights. Students use a digital simulation to create a model to investigate how light enters the eye (DCI-PS4.B-E1) to allow an animal to see. Students use this information to describe how organisms use their eyes and react to light differently to survive in their environment (DCI-LS1.A-E1).
In Grade 4, Unit: Earth’s Features, Chapter 3, Lesson 2.3: Investigating Rock and Environments, the phenomenon is that a rocky outcrop in Desert Rocks National Park has fossils in it. Through the lens of sedimentary rock formation, students consider where the rock formed and the role that water and precipitation affects the qualities of the rocks that are formed (DCI-ESS2.A-E2). Students explain their thinking by developing a sedimentary-rock-formation model, writing about rock-forming environments and how fossil formation occurs in sedimentary rocks (DCI-ESS1.C-E1).
In Grade 4, Unit: Waves, Energy, & Information, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.1: Exploring Sound Waves, the phenomena is that dolphins in Blue Bay National Park communicate with one another underwater. Students use a simulation to observe how sound waves move through water particles and this movement transfers energy from one place to another (DCI-PS3.B-E1). In this simulation, students also experiment with different materials to determine what types of medium waves can travel through. Students then revisit their claims about dolphin communication and add to their understanding of communication through water by incorporating particle movement into their dolphin diagrams.
Indicator 1e
Phenomena and/or problems are presented to students as directly as possible.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems are presented to students as directly as possible. Across the grade level, lessons present phenomena and problems to students as directly as possible. In multiple instances, students are initially presented the phenomenon or problem through pictures and videos that are accompanied by a scenario.
Examples of phenomena and problems connected to grade-level-appropriate DCIs or their elements.
In Grade 4, Unit Energy Conversions, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.3: Exploring Systems, the design challenge is to make a small electric fan spin. Students are challenged to build a simple electrical system to show that energy can be moved from place to place using currents (DCI-PS3.A-E2). Students must find a solution using only the available materials and then compare their solutions (DCI-ETS1.A-E1).
In Grade 4, Unit Energy Conversions, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.4: Designing a Wind Turbine, students receive a message from the mayor of Ergstown asking them to consider wind or solar power to solve the town's power issues. Students are challenged to build a wind turbine that spins as fast as possible so that it can bring more energy to the Ergstown electrical system. In this lesson, students are given a set of materials to test and build a wind turbine (DCI-ETS1.A-E1). Students use their knowledge gained in previous lessons that energy is transferred from one form to another (DCI-PS3.B-E3) to build their wind turbine. The faster the turbine moves, the brighter the light appears. Through this design challenge, students recognize that the faster an object is moving, the more energy it will produce (DCI-PS3.A-E1).
In Grade 4, Vision and Light, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.1: Investigating Light, the phenomenon is that a population of tokay geckos in a rainforest in the Philippines has decreased since the installation of new highway lights. Students use a digital simulation to create a model to investigate how light enters the eye (DCI-PS4.B-E1) to allow an animal to see. Students use this information to describe how organisms use their eyes and react to light differently to survive in their environment (DCI-LS1.A-E1).
In Grade 4, Unit: Earth’s Features, Chapter 3, Lesson 2.3: Investigating Rock and Environments, the phenomenon is that a rocky outcrop in Desert Rocks National Park has fossils in it. Through the lens of sedimentary rock formation, students consider where the rock formed and the role that water and precipitation affects the qualities of the rocks that are formed (DCI-ESS2.A-E2). Students explain their thinking by developing a sedimentary-rock-formation model, writing about rock-forming environments, and how fossil formation occurs in sedimentary rocks (DCI-ESS1.C-E1).
In Grade 4, Unit: Waves, Energy, and Information, Chapter 2, Lesson 2.1: Exploring Sound Waves, the phenomena is that dolphins in Blue Bay National Park communicate with one another underwater. Students use a simulation to observe how sound waves move through water particles and this movement transfers energy from one place to another (DCI-PS3.B-E1). In this simulation, students also experiment with different materials to determine what types of medium waves can travel through. Students then revisit their claims about dolphin communication and add to their understanding of communication through water by incorporating particle movement into their dolphin diagrams.
Indicator 1f
Phenomena and/or problems drive individual lessons or activities using key elements of all three dimensions.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 4 do not meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems drive individual chapters using key elements of all three dimensions.
The Printable Resources for each unit contains a Coherence Flowcharts document. This document provides an overview of each chapter and includes sections labeled as Unit Anchor Phenomenon, Chapter-Level Anchor Phenomenon, and Investigative Phenomenon, along with summaries of each investigation, key concepts, and explanations that the unit is intended to address. Each statement that is labeled as a phenomenon is also accompanied by a question. In multiple cases, the sections labeled as Chapter-Level or Investigative Phenomena focus on a broader science topic or concept, rather than an event students observe, ask questions about, or figure out.
The materials include an Anchor Phenomenon at the unit level. Near the start of most units, students are asked to play the role of a scientist or an engineer tasked with explaining a phenomenon or solving a problem. A phenomenon often drives learning across the unit, but does not typically drive learning and use of the three dimensions within a single lesson or chapter. Instead, a guiding question related to building understanding of the Anchor Phenomenon is presented at the start of each chapter. The lessons within the chapter build towards answering this guiding question and often focus on learning supporting concepts, rather than specifically focusing on the phenomenon or problem. Typically the Anchor Phenomenon serves as a central component of learning and can be explained through the application of targeted grade-appropriate science and engineering practices (SEPs), crosscutting concepts (CCCs), and disciplinary core ideas (DCIs), this is primarily found at the unit level and not within individual lessons or chapters (see Indicator 1i).
Examples of chapters where phenomena or problems do not drive student learning:
In Grade 4, Unit: Energy Conversions, Chapter 2, is not driven by a phenomenon or problem. Instead, the chapter focuses on understanding how devices light up, get warm, move, or make sounds. Students use a simulation (SEP-MOD-E5) to connect different pathways for energy to transfer between objects within a town, including lights, music players, and heaters (CCC-EM-E3, DCI-PS3.A-E2).
In Grade 4, Unit: Vision and Light, Chapter 2, is not driven by a phenomenon or problem. Instead, the chapter focuses on understanding that light is needed to see.Students compare different structures to their functions then read about the eye to better understand it’s different parts and their function (CCC-SF-E2). Students then use a digital simulation to manipulate variables (pupil size and amount of light) to model how the amount of light entering the eye affects the ability to see (SEP-MOD-E4) and to show that an object is seen when light reflected from the object’s surface enters the eye (DCI-PS4.B-E1). While this chapter connects to the unit phenomenon, much of the learning within the chapter is focused on general understanding of the role of light in vision.
In Grade 4, Unit: Earth’s Features, Chapter 2, is not driven by a phenomenon or problem. Instead, the chapter focuses on understanding how sedimentary rock forms. In this chapter, students compare two types of rock to learn about how they are formed (DCI-ESS2.E-E1) and then engage in a simulation to understand which type of rock is better at preserving fossils (DCI-ESS1.C-E1). Students use a simulation to determine that different sediments build up in different environments and thus form different types of rock (SEP-MOD-E4). Lastly, students observe two samples of sedimentary rock to see what information they give about the environment in which they formed and discuss what caused the different properties of each sample to determine if they were formed in the same way (CCC-CE-E1). While this chapter connects to the unit phenomenon, much of the learning within the chapter is focused on general understanding of how sedimentary rock forms.
In Grade 4, Unit: Waves, Energy, and Information, Chapter 2, is not driven by a phenomenon or problem. The chapter focuses on understanding how sound waves travel, rather than a specific phenomenon or problem. Students learn about sound waves at the particle level and how these collisions make different sounds. Students use spring toys and coins to model (SEP-MOD-E6) what happens when particles collide (CCC-EM-E1, DCI-PS3.C-E1) and energy is transferred (DCI-PS3.A-E2). Students examine sound waves using text, simulations, models, and musical instruments to make connections between energy, wave patterns, and different sounds. While this chapter connects to the unit phenomenon, much of the learning within the chapter is focused on general understanding of how energy is transferred in sound waves.
In Grade 4, Unit: Waves, Energy, and Information, Chapter 4, is not driven by a phenomenon or problem. The chapter focuses on understanding how humans can use codes to communicate, rather than a specific phenomenon or problem. Students read text to learn about human communication using codes (CCC-PAT-E3). Students are then asked to use a digital device to transmit a message using binary code (SEP-MATH-E2, DCI-PS3.A-E2).
Examples of chapters where phenomena or problems drive student learning and engage students with all three dimensions:
In Grade 4, Unit: Energy Conversions, Chapter 3, Lessons 3.4 and 3.5, students are challenged to build a wind turbine that spins as fast as possible; this challenge drives student learning. Students build a device that brings more energy to the Ergstown electrical system. Students observe a simple electrical system of a generator and LED light and discuss the parts of the system (SEP-MOD-E5, DCI-PS3.A-E1). Students use the design process (DCI-ETS1.A-E1, DCI-ETS1.B-E3) as they discuss the original designs of the models and how they can be modified to transfer energy in different ways between objects to resolve the power issue (CCC-EM-E3). Students ultimately make decisions as to which design is the best to resolve the town's energy problems.
Indicator 1g
Materials are designed to include both phenomena and problems.
Indicator 1h
Materials intentionally leverage students’ prior knowledge and experiences related to phenomena or problems.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 4 partially meet expectations that they intentionally leverage students’ prior knowledge and experiences related to phenomena or problems. The materials elicit but do not consistently leverage prior knowledge and experiences throughout the materials in a way that allows students to build from their own knowledge and experiences. Evidence for this elicitation includes:
In the Teachers’ Guide, Printable Resources, Eliciting and Leveraging Students’ Prior Knowledge, Personal Experiences, and Cultural Backgrounds, it states, “Prompts for eliciting students’ funds of knowledge. While leading discussions, the following prompts may be helpful in eliciting contributions from students:
What does… remind you of from your own life?
When have you had an experience related to…?
When have you observed something similar to…?
Can you connect… to something in your family or neighborhood?
What have you heard from your family about…?
Is there another word you would use for…?
What words do you know in another language about this topic?
Have you ever visited somewhere that reminds you of…?
Have you ever seen a TV show or read a book that’s similar to…?
Is there anything in our city/town that reminds you of…?”
These prompts provide ample and consistent opportunities for teachers to elicit prior knowledge and experience from students in their classrooms. Teachers are instructed to use What We Think We Know and Our Experiences charts to document students' knowledge and experience so they can return to them throughout the unit. However, the information students share and elicit is rarely incorporated into subsequent activities other than to reflect at the end of instruction. When incorporated into specific activities, it often misses the opportunity to position students to leverage their prior experience to make sense of the phenomenon. In some instances students' prior knowledge and experience are leveraged to support them in making sense of phenomena, but not consistently.
Examples where the materials elicit prior knowledge and experience related to phenomena and problems, but miss the opportunity to leverage:
In Grade 4, Unit: Energy Conversions, Chapter 3, Lesson 3.6, Activity 4, the unit phenomenon is that “Ergstown has frequent blackouts.” In this lesson, students are asked to describe wind turbines and solar panels and provide evidence as to why these are a good source of energy where they were located. Teachers are provided with prompts for students if they fail to come up with evidence or their own experiences with wind turbines and solar panels. After this discussion, the lesson disengages from prior experiences and focuses on the recognition of the general structure/function of wind turbines and solar panels. This lesson misses the opportunity to leverage student prior knowledge and experiences across the activities.
In Grade 4, Unit: Vision and Light, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.4, Activity 1, the unit phenomenon is that a population of tokay geckos in a rainforest in the Philippines has decreased since the installation of new highway lights. In this lesson, students are asked to answer questions about their knowledge and experience related to animal sense after discussion and after watching a set of videos. This activity, while it may elicit student prior knowledge, it misses the opportunity to leverage student knowledge and experience across the activities.
Examples of opportunities for students to elicit and leverage their prior knowledge and experience include:
In Grade 4, Unit: Energy Conversions, Chapter 1, Lesson 1.6, Activity 4, the unit phenomenon is that “Ergstown has frequent blackouts.” In this lesson, students are asked to use their knowledge and experiences with devices that stop working to help them formulate an argument to support their claim. Students are asked to use their prior experiences in combination with the other activities in the chapter to build an explanation for why the electrical system stopped working the night of the blackout. In this activity teachers are leveraging the students’ ability to connect cause and effect relationships in their lived experiences with patterns they are noticing in new data to make sense of what is likely to occur.
While the materials support teachers to elicit and even help students identify how prior experiences and knowledge might be similar to what is happening in the classroom, they do not consistently provide opportunities for students to leverage that prior knowledge and experiences over subsequent activities. There are missed opportunities to bridge the gap between students’ current known experience(s), and the new, lesser-known/understood experience for the sake of building on their understanding, supporting sensemaking, and/or incorporating into their explanation of the phenomenon.
Indicator 1i
Materials embed phenomena or problems across multiple lessons for students to use and build knowledge of all three dimensions.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet expectations that they embed phenomena or problems across multiple lessons for students to use and build knowledge of all three dimensions. The instructional materials consistently use phenomena or problems to drive student learning and to engage with all three dimensions across multiple chapters and lessons across the unit. Each chapter of the unit consists of multiple lessons and is associated with a question that focuses the chapter around a component of understanding the Anchor Phenomenon. The phenomenon or problem does not drive learning of all lessons within the chapters; many lessons are driven by a science topic or concept that builds background knowledge that can then be applied to the phenomenon or problem. However, each unit contains opportunities where the phenomenon or problem is driving learning across multiple lessons and multiple chapters. The materials consistently provide multimodal opportunities for students to develop, evaluate, and revise their thinking as students figure out phenomena or solve problems. Students have frequent opportunities to engage in multimodal learning to develop, evaluate, and revise their thinking across and/or within each unit.
Examples of phenomena that drive students’ learning and use of the three dimensions across multiple lessons in the unit:
In Grade 4, Unit: Energy Conversions, the Anchor Phenomenon is that “Ergstown has frequent blackouts.” Within this unit, students engage in a series of lessons to develop an understanding of energy and electricity to explain the blackouts in the fictional town of Ergstown. In Chapters 1 and 2, students discuss and investigate electricity by making objects move, spin, or light up (DCI-PS3.A-E2, DCI-PS3.B-E3). Students investigate and experiment with the components of a small electrical system and what happens if one part of the system does not work (SEP-INV-E3, CCC-EM-E3). In Chapter 3, students observe the flow of energy in a generator and use a small crank to light up a bulb. Students also design and test a wind turbine created to light-up a bulb (DCI-PS3.A-E1). Students explore sources of energy and the ability to generate electricity and use this knowledge to create a wind turbine. In Chapter 4, students investigate and model the components of electrical systems. Students begin gathering data and evidence about blackouts and consider design solutions to solve the problem in Ergstown. Students incorporate all the learning in the above chapters to prepare a system improvement plan that they will present in a mock town hall meeting.
In Grade 4, Unit: Vision and Light, the Anchor Phenomenon is that a population of tokay geckos in a rainforest in the Philippines has decreased since the installation of new highway lights. In Chapter 1, students learn about their senses then relate that learning to how the gecko uses its senses to get information about its environment. In Chapter 2, students read about the eye to better understand its structure and function (CCC-SF-E2) and also determine that light is necessary to see an object (CCC-CE-E1). Students use a digital simulation to model light entering into the eye and to manipulate variables that can affect the eye being able to see (SEP-MOD-E4, DCI-PS4.B.E1). Students connect this learning to how the gecko is able to see its prey. In Chapter 3, students participate in a digital card-sort to order steps that must occur for an animal to see their prey. Students show and discuss how animals are able to use perception and memories (DCI-LS1.D.E1) as well as light to see an object (DCI-PS4.B.E1). They use this information to figure out how the gecko knows that it is looking at its prey. In Chapter 4, students view images to observe what animals see. Students use a digital simulation to observe how amounts of light affect certain animals (SEP-MOD-E3, SEP-INV-E3) to explain why the increased light from the highway is negatively affecting the population of geckos.
In Grade 4, Unit: Earth’s Features, the Anchor Phenomenon is that a rocky outcrop in Desert National Park has fossils in it. This phenomenon drives learning in Chapters 1 and 2. Students read about rock formation and make a model of sedimentary rock (SEP-MOD-E4) to understand fossils and rock formation (DCI-ESS1.C-E1). They discuss their models and the limitations, then predict (CCC-PAT-E2) how the outcrop could have changed over time (CCC-SC-E2). Students look at examples of river canyons to collect more evidence and investigate what could have caused differences in rock layers, then compare it to the outcrop (SEP-AQDP-E3). Based on the type of rock in the outcrop (DCI-ESS2.B-E2), students identify the types of environments that three different fossils came from. Using evidence from various sources (SEP-CEDS-E2, SEP-INFO-E5), students write a report to the park rangers about the types of fossils, the environment the prehistoric animals lived in (DCI-ESS1.C-E1), and how those environments shaped that location (DCI-ESS2.A-E2, DCI-ESS2.B-E1).
In Grade 4, Unit: Waves, Energy and Information, the Anchor Phenomenon is that dolphins in Blue Bay National Park communicate with one another underwater. In Chapter 1, students take on the role of marine scientists to investigate how dolphins communicate with each other using simulation models (SEP-MOD-E6); these models show the patterns produced as sound and energy move through matter as waves (DCI-PS4.A-E1, CCC-EM-E3). In Chapter 2, students use a simulation to examine sound energy moving as waves at the particle level. Students determine that sound energy creates a vibration within water particles which helps the sound travel (DCI-PS3.A-E2) from one location to another. Students see that this transfer of energy moves in a pattern (CCC-PAT-E3) that develops when these particles vibrate matter and that it moves in a wave. They then revise their sound model (SEP-MOD-E3) to show their understanding of how a dolphin can use sound waves to communicate through water. In Chapter 3, students explore how changing a sound wave’s height (amplitude) changes the volume of the sound. Students identify the connection between amplitude and volume. Using a simulation model (SEP-MOD-E6), students determine that different patterns of sound waves produce different sounds. These different sounds allow for a dolphin calf to know which call comes from its mother.