Ultimate NGSS Resource Guide

This is a running list of all the recommended and vetted (not a waste of your time or money) resources for NGSS/Framework implementation.

Please let us know if you have a resource you think should be added to our list. 

 Online NGSS Resources

(Glossary of NGSS terms)

An Educator's Guide to NGSS provides an open-source platform of resources for science educators in their quest to implement Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the Framework for K-12 Science Education. Start by reading resources, practicing implementing NGSS little by little, and reflecting on classroom application, while earning points toward the four Educator's Guide badges. Earn all four badges and you'll become a Science Sage, ready to tackle NGSS in your classroom.

NGSS 5 Innovations The NGSS Innovations are the five most significant ways the NGSS advance science teaching and learning, when compared to previous standards and typical instructional and curricular practice in American schools. They build on the conceptual shifts described in Appendix A of the NGSS using lessons learned by educators and researchers since implementation efforts began to bring clarity and focus to what is truly innovative in the NGSS. As the key ways that the NGSS are new and different, these innovations also provide the intellectual framework PEEC uses to evaluate science instructional materials. This section describes each of the five NGSS Innovations and provides insight on how these innovations should be expected to appear in instructional materials.

Performance Expectations

• Performance expectations with evidence statements
• Evidence statements overview and purpose: This explains how evidence statements should be used to guide instruction 

Phenomena

 Understand more about using phenomena in your NGSS classroom:

• Criteria for Evaluating Phenomena: Before beginning, identify the DCI element you wish to target with the phenomena, and then ask the following questions…
• Using Phenomena in NGSS-Designed Lessons and Units: This document answers these questions:What are phenomena in science and engineering? Why are phenomena such a big deal? How are phenomena related to the NGSS and the three-dimensional learning? How do we use phenomena to drive teaching and learning? What makes phenomena effective for use in instruction?
• STEM Teaching Tool 28: Qualities of Anchor Phenomena
• Using NGSS Phenomena to Engage Students: TJ McKenna, Staff Scientist for the Connecticut Science Center and Charles H. Barros STEM Academy, discusses how phenomena-driven instruction motivates students to be the scientist we know they naturally are. Read the blog if you don’t have time to watch the webinar.  
• Assessing Three-Dimensional Performance: Phenomena and Problems  this resource from Achieve “provides educators and assessment developers with recommendations for phenomena that can support all students and reveal students’ ability to sense-make using the three dimensions.”  
• Hear how Brendan Finch uses phenomenon in creating 3D assessments and see what resources he uses: 3D assessment with Inner Orbit's Brendan Finch
• Unwrapping and aligning phenomenon

Search for phenomena for your NGSS classroom:

• Master List of Phenomenon from Paul Andersen’s Wonder of Science website: “an open Google doc that lists all phenomenon we have aggregated.  These phenomenon will be tagged and added to the website (with relevant links, videos, and images) over time.”
• Searchable Phenomena: https://www.ngssphenomena.com/
• #Project Phenomena: Searchable database of phenomena
• Make your own Phenomena Gifs Tutorials here
• StemTeachingTool#58:  How can science instruction leverage and develop student interests? Short answer: In so many different ways!
• A phenomenon-driven three-dimensional instructional task is not a lesson plan, but is intended to guide instructional decisions. Three-dimensional learning is not limited to one specific type of lesson format and is compatible with most lesson plan models. Each IT is intended to provide enough information so that teachers can create and adapt meaningful learning experiences relevant to the culture of their classroom and students, while not being so prescriptive as to hinder the creativity and personalization that professional educators bring to the craft of teaching. As such, teachers should use the suggestions provided in the IT to guide their thought processes as they plan for the 3D learning experiences in their classroom. These recommendations are meant to be used and adapted as needed and we hope that the information presented here inspires teachers to find and utilize phenomena to plan for other 3D learning experiences for their students. The instructional tasks:https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/scienceresources.html
• CA Environmental Phenomena resources

NGSS 3 Dimensional teaching/learning

• CCC progressions:  This link  sends you to the NSTA hub for NGSS. You will find the list of CCC and if you click on an individual one it will send you to the progressions of skills from k-12. This is helpful when planning. 
• SEP progressions: This link  sends you to the NSTA hub for NGSS. You will find the list of SEP and if you click on an individual one it will send you to the progressions of skills from k-12. This is helpful when planning. 
• DCI progressions: This link  sends you to the NSTA hub for NGSS. You will find the list of SEP and if you click on an individual one it will send you to the progressions of skills from k-12. This is helpful when planning. 

Cross Cutting Concepts

Learn about Crosscutting Concepts

•  All CCC and their progressions from NSTA hub
• What Do I Do With Crosscutting Concepts? By Cary Sneider
• Introducing the Crosscutting Concepts: The Chess Metaphor
• Understanding Crosscutting Concepts mini-course
• Using Crosscutting Concepts To Prompt Student Responses Science.pdf: The purpose of this primer is to encourage K-12 educators to use consistent and clear prompts structured around the crosscutting concepts to provide a common scientific language that students and teachers use as they engage in the formative assessment process.
• Expected Student Performances Specific to the Crosscutting Concepts
• Assessing three-dimensional performance: crosscutting concepts-This resource rom Achieve “describes how assessment tasks frequently include crosscutting concepts (CCCs), and discusses which approaches are most effective for providing evidence of students’ understanding and ability to use the CCCs.”
• Expected Student Performance specific to the cross cutting concepts (k-5)  The model lessons found here were created across districts and states utilizing local phenomenon through collaboration with Brett D. Moulding, Rodger W. Bybee, and Nicole Paulson, authors of A Vision and Plan for Science Teaching and Learning. Instructional models used in this site are used with permission from the authors. 
• Expected Student Performance specific to the  cross cutting concepts (6-12)  The model lessons found here were created across districts and states utilizing local phenomenon through collaboration with Brett D. Moulding, Rodger W. Bybee, and Nicole Paulson, authors of A Vision and Plan for Science Teaching and Learning. Instructional models used in this site are used with permission from the authors.

 Classroom resources

• Crosscutting Concepts Graphic Organizers:
• K-5 Crosscutting concepts table tents
• Prompts for Integrating Crosscutting Concepts Into Assessment and Instruction Stem Teaching Tool #41: This set of prompts is intended to help teachers elicit student understanding of crosscutting concepts in the context of investigating phenomena or solving problems.Another version
• More Crosscutting concepts graphic organizers

SEP Resource Guide

• Assessing three-dimensional performance: science and engineering practices-This resource describes how science and engineering practices (SEPs) can be used in science assessments and tasks. This resource identifies common misconceptions around the use of SEPs in assessments, while also providing effective and meaningful ways assessment tasks can elicit evidence of students' engagement in SEPs. (Achieve: Task Annotation Project in Science (TAPS))
• STEM Teaching Tool 30 Task Formats for 3D Assessment:The “task format” templates included in this document are tools to help teachers and district leaders design three-dimensional assessment tasks.
• Engaging English Learners in the Science and Engineering Practices STEM Teaching Tool #27
• Understanding how teachers guide evidence construction conversations by Eve Manz Ian Parker Renga
• Expected Student Performance specific to the practices (k-5)  The model lessons found here were created across districts and states utilizing local phenomenon through collaboration with Brett D. Moulding, Rodger W. Bybee, and Nicole Paulson, authors of A Vision and Plan for Science Teaching and Learning. Instructional models used in this site are used with permission from the authors. 
• Expected Student Performance specific to the practices (6-12)  The model lessons found here were created across districts and states utilizing local phenomenon through collaboration with Brett D. Moulding, Rodger W. Bybee, and Nicole Paulson, authors of A Vision and Plan for Science Teaching and Learning. Instructional models used in this site are used with permission from the authors.

  DCI: 

• 12 Core Ideas by Cary Sneider: This article explains how the Core Ideas were chosen and written by a writer of the NGSS. Cary Sneider was also a guest on our podcast. Check out what he has to say about engineering design here: www.ngsnavigators.com/blog/019

3D Performance Tasks and lesson plans

• How to design a performance task: Follow a sequence of steps to develop an authentic performance task.

• Performance Assessment Planning Template

• SCALE Science curriculum focuses on developing curriculum that supports student sense-making through project-based learning. Our resources aid teachers in their efforts to effectively respond to student needs, as well as shifts in instructional demands.

• Examples of tasks from Kentucky Department of Ed: this database is populated with tasks available across grade levels and addressing the science and engineering processes as well as the crosscutting concepts

• Examples of performance tasks developed by Central Michigan Science Mathematics Technology Center

3D Assessments Resource Guide

• NGSS Assessments created by Stanford NGSS Assessment Project (SNAP)rformance assessments and instructionally-embedded assessments that are NGSS-designed/aligned, three-dimensional, and contextualized within observable phenomena.
• How to Assess Three-Dimensional Learning in Your Classroom: Building Assessment Tasks that Work. Online short courseStromholt, S., Van Horne, K., Bell, P., Penuel, W. R., Neill, T. & Shaw, S. (2017). How to Assess Three-Dimensional Learning in Your Classroom: Building Assessment Tasks that Work. [OER Professional Development Session from the ACESSE Project] Retrieved from http://stemteachingtools.org/pd/SessionB

• Steps To Designing a Three Dimensional Assessment
• Wisconsin three-dimensional assessments:links to some initial work from across the country on 3D assessment, some ideas for creating these types of tasks, and tools for working with students' misconceptions in assessment. 
• Classroom Sample Tasks blend content, practices, and concepts from both the NGSS and the Common Core State Standards
• Classroom Science Assessment Examples from Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
• This suite of resources includes annotated examples of assessment tasks for elementary, middle, and high school as well as a series of short resources that highlight the major takeaways across the whole project.
• Take online courses from Stanford NGSS Assessment program 
• Publicly available NGSS assessment tasks in a spreadsheet indexed by a number of relevant categories, including PE, DCI, SEP, and CCC.

• These resources utilize phenomena to facilitate 3D learning, instruction, and formative assessment. Each set contains three documents:

  • Instructional Task (IT)
  • Matched formative Assessment Task (AT)
  • Associated Pattern Analysis of Student Thinking (PAST)

NGSS Units: 

Storyline resources

• Storyline Tool #1: Anchoring Phenomenon Routine: This is a framework for creating your own storyline
• Examples of Storylines

  NGSS Teaching Strategies

•  Questioning strategies

• Incorporating Scientific Argumentation into Your Classroom

• Setting up science notebooks 
• ACCESSE: The Advancing Coherent and Equitable Systems of Science Education (ACESSE, or “access”) project brings together partners from educational research and practice to improve equity by building coherence in science education. The project is based on a deep collaboration between the University of Colorado Boulder, the Council of State Science Supervisors, and the University of Washington.
• Evaluating Instructional Materials with EQuiP

Driving Question Boards:  

• online tool that can be used like a Driving Question Board. The program is called Padlet. It allows the instructor to post a question and students can respond with text, images, and more. Once the board is complete, the instructor can print a PDF copy for records. Here is the link 
• Video describing DQB
• journal article on DQB 
   
   

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