“When students understand that phenomena have causes, they are better prepared to seek evidence to support explanations; helping students see causes for phenomena about which they are curious is a powerful way to motivate learning.” -Brett Moulding- Framework writer, author of A Vision and Plan for K-12 Instruction
Does the phenomenon occur in the student's’ local environment, is the phenomenon anchored in real-world issues, or does the phenomenon relate to a problem that needs to be solved?
Can students observe and/or investigate the phenomenon either through firsthand experiences (e.g., directly in a classroom, lab, or outdoor environment) or through someone else’s experiences (e.g., through video presentations, research, or analyzing patterns in data)?
Do students have to connect Core Ideas and Crosscutting Concepts through Science and Engineering Practices to explain how and why the phenomenon occurs?
By making sense of the phenomenon, do student explanations build grade-level understanding towards performance expectations?
Will students find making sense of the phenomenon interesting and important?
Does the potential student learning related to the phenomenon justify the financial costs and classroom time that will be used?
Are the phenomenon analogous to other phenomenon to build an instructional sequence or extend the learning?
Phenomenal GRC Lessons- Going 3D-Choosing Phenomenon