Post date: Dec 13, 2016 7:38:44 PM
The EiE kits are great and are great ways to help teach the CA NGSS. While the different kits all seem captivating in their own way, the key is matching the correct kit to the correct grade level so that you really do a good job of teaching the NGSS science along with the engineering challenges from EiE.
These EiE kits are fantastic matches to the CA Science Framework:
Good activities for teaching the NGSS, but just do not fit the specific theme of the CA Science Framework storyline
Most typical engineering challenge lesson plans engage students in a lot of NGSS practices and require them to apply DCIs such that a science ‘unit’ really could be built entirely around an engineering design as the major piece. I haven’t seen the latest EiE curricula teacher manuals, but be sure to ask their curriculum specialists what SEPs they think their curriculum is WEAKEST in. Then ask them activities they recommend that you add on to the curriculum to ensure that you are able to assess students doing all the NGSS practices. Some of the ones that typical engineering challenges are weakest in:
SEP-2 (Developing and Using Models) – EiE is obviously GREAT at physical models, but we also want students to draw a lot of diagrams illustrating the connection between ideas (concept maps, flow charts, systems diagrams, etc…). These are easy to add in and can really ensure that students are not just engineering by trial and error. EiE also probably does a good job of having students use diagrams to DESCRIBE their solutions, but we want to go one level deeper in abstraction (especially the older grades) so that their diagrams illustrate key concepts and explain WHY their design works. This delves into the realm of 'science' rather than engineering, and I'm not sure it's a focus in the EiE lessons.
SEP-6 (Constructing Explanations) — Similar to models… EiE is great about designing solutions (one half of SEP-6), but may not require students to write about how their solutions work.
SEP-7 (Engaging in Argument from Evidence) – Students are doing this during the design process and evaluating competing designs, but make sure you have basis for assessing the arguments and giving students feedback about it. They probably have this integrated into some of he curricula as students make preliminary presentations to the class about their models.
SEP-8 (Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information) – EiE is great at having students DO things and relating to the fictional stories, but they don’t get as much experience finding and parsing information. Students make a number of presentations, but be sure that the presentations design communications products for specific audiences (i.e., make a poster that convinces the mayor and City Council to make windmills a priority for renewable energy).
Another possible place that the EiE guides may be weak: making the CCC’s explicit. We argue that every classroom should have a poster of the CCC’s on their wall so that we can constantly ask students, “which CCC are we using right now to think about this problem?” Ask the EiE people for examples of how you can use the CCCs during the engineering design process.
The EiE curriculum developers have likely thought about how their kits align to NGSS a lot more than I have, so I’m sure they will be able to help you!