Instructional units (sections) are organized using a 5E instructional model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate with STEM, and Evaluate). Each section begins with an engaging phenomenon. Supplementary activities engage students in crosscutting concepts and science and engineering practices. Most sections include multiple options for the explore and elaborate sections which engage students in using the crosscutting concepts and science and engineering practices. The material is arranged in a very user-friendly way, making it very easy for teachers to find additional resources to support their students or address the diverse needs of learners. The SEP's and CCC's are embedded strongly throughout their instructional units. The assessments provided are very focused on the disciplinary core ideas (DCI's) with little integration of SEP's and CCC's.
Item | 3 - Extensive | 2 - Adequate | 1 - Inadequate | 0 - None | ||
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Sensitive Materials and Prohibited Submission 53G-10-103, R277-628 | This item has not been graded. | |||||
Prohibited discriminatory practices 53G-2-103-5, 53B-1-118 and 67-27-107 | This item has not been graded. | |||||
Maintaining constitutional freedom in the public schools. 53G-10-202 | This item has not been graded. | |||||
Free from advertising, e-commerce, or political interest | This item has not been graded. | |||||
Item | 3 - Extensive | 2 - Adequate | 1 - Inadequate | 0 - None | ||
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Presence of Three Dimensions of Science: Builds understanding of the science and engineering practices (SEPs), disciplinary core ideas (DCIs), and crosscutting concepts (CCCs). i. Provides opportunities to develop and use specific elements of the SEP(s) ii. Provides opportunities to develop and use specific elements of the DCI(s) iii. Provides opportunities to develop and use specific elements of the CCC(s) | 3 of the Criteria Indicators are met | 2 of the Criteria Indicators are met | 1 of the Criteria Indicators are met | None of the Criteria Indicators are met | ||
Instructional units (sections) are organized using a 5E instructional model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate with STEM, and Evaluate). After engaging students in a phenomenon, follow up activities provide opportunities for students to engage students in crosscutting concepts and science and engineering practices. There are typically several "engage" portions from which teachers can choose in which students are using crosscutting concepts and doing science and engineering practices. | ||||||
Integration of Three Dimensions of Science: Materials integrate elements of the SEPs, CCCs, and DCIs for student sense‐making: Three dimensions of science (SEPs, CCCs, and DCIs) are integrated (consistently utilized in conjunction with each other) to help students make sense of phenomenon and solve problems. | Three dimensions of science (SEPs, CCCs, and DCIs) are consistently integrated. | Three dimensions of science are integrated in certain portions of the instructional material. | Three dimensions of science are rarely integrated in the instructional material. | Three dimensions of science (SEPs, CCCs, and DCIs) are separated and not integrated for student sense making. | ||
Each section begins with an engaging phenomena which is used to drive the rest of the instructional unit. Tasks are designed to engage students in the crosscutting concepts and science and engineering practices, using what they learned to develop their understanding of the initial phenomenon. | ||||||
Alignment to Standards: The DCI Concepts (science content) in the instructional materials align to the Utah Science with Engineering Education (SEEd) Standards | DCI concepts (science content) in the instructional material align to 100% the SEEd Standards for the Grade/Course. | DCI concepts (science content) in the instructional material align to 75% the SEEd Standards for the Grade/Course. | DCI concepts (science content) in the instructional material align to 50% the SEEd Standards for the Grade/Course. | DCI concepts (science content) in the instructional material align to less than 50% the SEEd Standards for the Grade/Course. | ||
Addresses almost all of the SEEd standards for Chemistry. There was no evidence of CHEM.2.3, regarding macromolecules / polymers and the role of intermolecular forces in these compounds. | ||||||
Scientific Accuracy: Uses scientifically accurate and grade‐appropriate scientific information, phenomena, and representations to support students’ three‐dimensional learning. | Instructional materials are scientifically accurate and grade appropriate. | N/A | N/A | Instructional materials are NOT scientifically accurate and grade appropriate. | ||
Instructional units are grade appropriate and utilize a wide variety of videos, diagrams, models, images, and supportive text to support student understanding of 3D science learning. |
Item | 3 - Extensive | 2 - Adequate | 1 - Inadequate | 0 - None | ||
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Focus on Phenomena (Science) or Problems (Engineering): Making sense of phenomena and/or designing solutions to a problem drive student learning. i. Student questions and prior experiences related to the phenomenon or problem motivate sense‐making and/or problem solving ii. The focus of the lesson is to support students in making sense of phenomena and/or designing solutions to problems iii. When engineering is a learning focus, it is integrated with developing disciplinary core ideas from physical, life, and/or earth and space sciences | 3 of the Criteria Indicators are met | 2 of the Criteria Indicators are met | 1 of the Criteria Indicators are met | None of the Criteria Indicators are met | ||
Each section begins with an engaging phenomena which is used to drive the rest of the instructional unit. Tasks are designed to engage students in the crosscutting concepts and science and engineering practices, using what they learned to develop their understanding of the initial phenomenon. Engineering activities are appropriately aligned with crosscutting concepts and disciplinary core ideas. | ||||||
Scaffolding: Identifies and builds on students’ prior learning in all three dimensions i. Provides supports to help students engage in the practices and gradually adjusts supports over time so that students are increasingly responsible for making sense of phenomena and/or designing solutions to problems (Required) ii. Explicitly identifies prior student learning expected for all three dimensions iii. Clearly explains how the prior learning will be built upon | 3 of the Criteria Indicators are met | 2 of the Criteria Indicators are met (i MUST BE MET) | Only Criteria Indicator i has been met | None of the Criteria Indicators are met | ||
Support and some scaffolding is provided to teachers to identify student deficiencies in engaging in the CCC's and SEP's, but does not explicitly identify prior student learning expected for all three dimensions. | ||||||
Teacher Supports: Supports teachers in facilitating coherent student learning experiences over time i. Provides strategies for linking student engagement across lessons (e.g. cultivating new student questions at the end of a lesson in a way that leads to future lessons) ii. Providing strategies for ensuring student sense‐making and/or problem‐solving is linked to learning in all three dimensions (e.g. Claim Evidence Reasoning-CER Framework for communicating sense-making, teacher probing questions) iii. Provides additional resources for student learning (e.g. Models, simulations, and/or data sets for students investigation) | 3 of the Criteria Indicators are met | 2 of the Criteria Indicators are met | 1 of the Criteria Indicators are met | None of the Criteria Indicators are met | ||
The "explore" and "elaborate" portions of each instructional unit have several different options for teachers to choose for their students in which the students are engaged in a variety of activities using the crosscutting concepts and science and engineering practices. | ||||||
Assessments: Includes formative, summative, and guidance measures for interpreting student performances that assess three‐dimensional science learning. i. Embeds formative assessment processes throughout conceptual development that surfaces student understanding to inform instruction ii. Embeds summative assessment processes following conceptual development that evaluate student learning and measure understanding iii. Includes aligned rubrics or scoring guidelines that provide guidance for interpreting student performance | 3 of the Criteria Indicators are met | 2 of the Criteria Indicators are met | 1 of the Criteria Indicators are met | None of the Criteria Indicators are met | ||
Teachers are provided with a variety of assessments, both formative and summative, with explanations given in the teacher text. The provided assessments are content-heavy, and not representative of 3D science. |
Item | 3 - Extensive | 2 - Adequate | 1 - Inadequate | 0 - None | ||
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Relevant and Authentic: Engages students in authentic and meaningful scenarios that reflect the practice of science and engineering as experienced in the real world. i. Students experience phenomena or design problems as directly as possible (first-hand or through media representations) ii. Includes suggestions for how to connect instruction to the students' home, neighborhood, community and/or culture as appropriate iii. Provides opportunities for students to connect their explanation of a phenomenon and/or their design solution to a problem to questions from their own experience | 3 of the 4 Criteria Indicators are met | 2 of the 4 Criteria Indicators are met | 1 of the 4 Criteria Indicators are met | None of the 4 Criteria Indicators are met | ||
The selected phenomena and supporting learning activities are highly engaging to a wide variety of students. A large variety of interactive or engaging videos, models, and images are used. | ||||||
Teacher Supports for Diverse Learners: Provides guidance for teachers to support differentiated instruction i. Includes appropriate reading, writing, listening, and/or speaking alternatives (e.g., translations, picture support, graphic organizers, etc.) for students who are English language learners, have special needs, or read well below grade level ii. Provides extra support (e.g., phenomena, representations, tasks) for students who are struggling to meet the targeted expectations iii. Provides extensions for students with high interest or who have already met the performance expectations to develop a deeper understanding of the practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts | 3 of the Criteria Indicators are met | 2 of the Criteria Indicators are met | 1 of the Criteria Indicators are met | None of the Criteria Indicators are met | ||
Important terms or vocabulary have active links to a video, image, or other description to support struggling readers. A variety of support videos are available for use that align with the content objectives of the test. It would be easy for teachers to differentiate the instructional tools used to support a wide range of diverse learners. | ||||||
Accessible for all students: Engages students using methods, vocabulary, representations, and examples that are accessible and unbiased for all learners (e.g., Deaf and Blind, English Learners, Gifted and Talented, Special Education). | Instructional Materials are accessible for all students | N/A | N/A | Instructional Materials are NOT accessible for all students | ||
Important terms or vocabulary have active links to a video, image, or other description to support struggling readers. A variety of support videos are available for use that align with the content objectives of the test. It would be easy for teachers to differentiate the instructional tools used to support a wide range of diverse learners. "Read to Text" option not identified within their resources, but other tools could be applied to their web page text easily. The images and graphics would be difficult to adapt to support blind learners. | ||||||
Physical Characteristics | This item has not been graded. | |||||
Technical Standards | This item has not been graded. | |||||
Ethnic Studies- (Ethnic studies in core standards and curriculum should be a narrowly tailored incorporation of age-appropriate opportunities that naturally arise through education without pretextual effort in courses, programs, or activities where ethnic studies is not a primary focus. The material should incorporate a curriculum of people and cultures that reflect the state’s various demographics without commentary that seeks to violate the neutrality standard established in codes: 53B-1-118, 53G-2-103, 53G-2-104, 53G-2-105, 67-27-107, | This item has not been graded. | |||||
Shared Values and Character Traits | This item has not been graded. | |||||
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