NGSS &

Teaching Climate Science

Illinois is a Next Generation Science Standards, NGSS, adopting state. As a result participants will be focusing on further developing their curriculum to better align with the NGSS. One of the key areas educators indicate they need additional support in is better aligning their curriculum with NGSS 3-dimensional teaching and learning. A second area is to further develop their scientific knowledge base as it relates to the disciplinary core ideas focusing on climate science.

3-dimensional teaching and learning focuses on the NGSS:

Disciplinary core ideas, DCI: DCIs are grouped into four domains: physical science; earth and space science; life science; and engineering, technology and applications of science. They are meant to describe the most important core content of science. For example, within the earth and space science DCIs, Earth’s Systems are called out as a core area, then further described in the DCI document. A specific example is: HS-ESS2.D3: Changes in the atmosphere due to human activity have increased carbon dioxide concentrations and thus affect climate.
Science and engineering practices, SEP: SEPs describe the various inquiry practices used by scientists as they ask questions that can be answered through investigations, and that are used by engineers in describing problems that can be solved through design. For example, developing and using models as tools to represent ideas and explanations of phenomena.
Crosscutting concepts, CCC: CCCs apply across all domains of science. They include big cross-disciplinary ideas such as: patterns; cause and effect relationships; and systems and system models.

NGSS Performance expectations

NGSS Disciplinary core ideas

NGSS Science and engineering practices

NGSS Crosscutting concept alignment

The starting point: How phenomena should drive science learning

Start with the phenomena that we need to explain! What observation(s) do we need to build knowledge around? What do we need to be able to understand? How can we engage students in the process of figuring things out, in such a way that it becomes more meaningful for students?

Resources for developing and working with phenomena and storylines:

#ProjectPhenomenaA database for identifying and selecting science phenomena for NGSS aligned instruction. A criteria for selecting good phenomenon tool is provided. Scientific phenomena are occurrences in the natural or man-made world that cause one to ask questions. They do not have to be phenomenal, but should be engaging to students and make them wonder and ask questions or identify a problem to be solved. The key reason for identifying possible phenomenon is to ensure that the learning of science concepts are anchored around something that will engage students (make them wonder and ask questions), whereby they seek accurate, evidence-based explanations for how and why things occur by using the Science and Engineering Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Disciplinary Core Ideas of the Next Generation Science Standards. Student participation in three-dimensional learning occurs as a classroom culture is established where students are continually asked to figure out phenomena or design solutions to problems (Krajcik, 2015). Much of science involves finding patterns in observations of phenomena (using the Crosscutting Concepts) and explaining them using a small number of science concepts (Disciplinary Core Ideas). For students to appreciate how science works, they need to engage in the Science and Engineering Practices to develop models of observations, construct explanations using scientific reasoning, and engage in argumentation with others to refine those models and explanations. Building progressively more sophisticated explanations of natural phenomena is central throughout the K-12 science experience (National Research Council, 2012). This website has been developed in response to a need to help teachers identify grade level appropriate phenomena that could be incorporated into science instruction. #ProjectPhenomena is a collaboration of teacher, industry, university, and community organization leaders who want to help students engage in relevant, engaging, and meaningful phenomena as part of science process.