Next Generation Science

Standards
Jackie Gardner, SJUSD NGSS TOSA
jgardner@sanjacinto.k12.ca.us

http://bit.ly/NGSSoverview
 The Whole Child
The Next Generation Science Standards consider not
just what a student needs to memorize, but what
skills the student should have mastered to best
understand a concept.

In each grade level every year, even in HS, the

standards try to address all areas of science each year
but with age appropriate scaffolding. While one core
concept at a time might be in the spotlight, NGSS
highlights the natural interconnectedness of the
natural world. Similar to spiral reviews, the content
should touch on previously learned knowledge to
keep build on the foundations from last year, or even
last week.
Conceptual Shifts: More of This & Less of That
Remember that it is not mandatory to do ONLY
one style of teaching or to cut out ALL of a certain
style, however your teaching style should be
flexing in the direction of total student
engagement.

Vocabulary, reading passages, and learning from

lectures will always have a place in the classroom
but consider which of these strategies you feel
comfortable adding into your weekly lesson plans.
Follow along with the examples
in this presentation on the Next
Generation Science Standards
Website:
http://www.nextgenscience.org/

For California-specific NGSS

information, visit the Ca Dept. of
Ed. website:

https://www.cde.ca.gov/pd/ca/sc
/ngssstandards.asp
Reading the Standards
Performance Expectations

Practices (Blue): Science and Engineering Practices

Crosscutting (Green): Crosscutting Concepts

Content (Orange): Disciplinary Core Ideas

For this presentation, look up standard: 5-ESS3-1

Performance
Expectations
While each standard includes ALL
three dimensions, the PE is a single
assessable statement that puts
together what the students should be
able to know and do.
Science and Engineering Practices
(SEP)
These are the tasks and activities that the
students will perform in the classroom that
replicate real world scientific practices.

1.Asking Questions (for science) and Defining

Problems (for engineering)
2.Developing and Using Models
3.Planning and Carrying out Investigations
4.Analyzing and Interpreting Data
5.Using Mathematics and Computational
Thinking
6.Constructing Explanations (for science) and
Designing Solutions (for engineering)
7.Engaging in Argument from Evidence
8.Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating
Information
Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI)

These are the groups of science facts that

students traditionally are expected just to
know.

1. Physical Sciences
2. Life Sciences
3. Earth and Space Sciences
4. Engineering, Technology and
Applications of Science
Crosscutting Concepts (CCC)

These are the concepts that are found

throughout all science disciplines that can
make connections from prior knowledge or
previous/future units.

1. Patterns, Similarity, and Diversity

2. Cause and Effect
3. Scale, Proportion, and Quantity
4. Systems and System Models
5. Energy and Matter
6. Structure and Function
7. Stability and Change
 Connections
1. Connections to Other Grade
Level Standards

2. Connections to the
Same DCI in Different
Grades

3. Connections to Common
Core ELA and Math
Evidence Statements
Each standard contains a set
of Evidence Statements that
break down what student
performance should look like
if they have mastered the
standard.

There are always different

ways to demonstrate mastery
and the NGSS addresses this
with multiple examples of
observable features.
STEMscopes and NGSS
The 5 E’s
A common teaching practice within current science education is the use of the 5 E’s in designing a
sequence of lessons.

1. Engage
2. Explore
3. Explain
4. Elaborate
5. Evaluate
 Engage
Get their attention! These activities are
designed to get the students thinking about the
content and possibly working on some possible
explanations for what they are experiencing.

Phenomena Based Learning

phe·nom·e·non
fəˈnäməˌnän,fəˈnäməˌnən/
noun

1. a fact or situation that is observed to exist or

happen, especially one whose cause or
explanation is in question.
Fire Tornado
While watching the video, think
about what you are seeing and
write down the questions that
pop into your head.

Credit: The Slo Mo Guys

Great source for phenomena videos.

Explore
When students explore, they are
driving the questions. Students
should explore the topic further and
discover new evidence to help them
build their own evidence-based
claims.
Explain
This is where direct instruction
comes in. Vocabulary, facts,
concepts, this is where you build
the core academic foundation for a
lesson or unit.
Elaborate
Now that the students have a general
understanding of the concepts, take the
concepts and apply them to other ideas.
Perhaps connections can be made to
previous lessons or to something local
and relevant for the students.
Evaluate
To check for mastery, refer back to the
evidence statements provided for each
standard.

Assessment does not always have to mean

tests and quizzes. Experiment with
alternative assessments such as projects and
presentations where the students have to
utilize their critical thinking skills, applying
what they learned and not just reciting it
back to you.
 STEMscopes Site Navigation

39 Min Webinar:
Nagivating the STEMscopes
Website
Thanks!
Email: jgardner@sanjacinto.k12.ca.us

Power School NGSS Page:

https://sanjacinto.learning.powerschool.co
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