Resources

Useful websites

CK12 Flexbooks (2.0): Our online textbooks. Students will use the USF textbook that we curated for 2020-2021:

American Modeling Teachers Association: Used as the basis for much of our curriculum design in units 1-4.

ACS Middle School Science: Used as a resource for many lessons in Unit 2.

Full Option Science System (FOSS): Used as a resource for several lessons in Unit 2.

PhET: Simulations that are used in all units.

Ambitious Science Teaching: An excellent resource that details why we teach the way that we teach.

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS): Full description of disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and science & engineering practices detailed in the national standards.

Massachusetts Science, Technology, and Engineering (STE) standards: Full description of the standards that are the basis for what is taught in Unified Science Foundations. The STE standards draw inspiration from NGSS, but were designed by a collection of Massachusetts educators, several of whom are from Boston(!) . The numbers in the concept maps on the unit pages refer to these standards.

Boston Public Schools: Weebly with details about Boston Science, Science Fair, Safety, and the wide assortment of resources that Boston provides.

Course documents

Lab safety contract

The rules and regulations for carrying out experiments at Boston Latin School.

Scientific Explanation rubric

Based on claim, evidence, reasoning base explanation rubric listed in Luft, Julie, Randy L. Bell, and Julie Gess-Newsome. Science as Inquiry in the Secondary Setting. Arlington, VA: NSTA, 2008).

NGSS Science and engineering practices

This document details the eight practices that students at all grade levels follow when they are doing science.

MA STE Frameworks

Detailed standards for science in every grade in Massachusetts. Middle school standards are detailed on pages 57-75.

Slides from open house, September 2019

Course syllabi for Mr. Balicki, Mr. Njoku, Mr. Tucker