The Next Generation Science Standards are all about discovery-centered instruction. (I may have made up that term, but it’s how I think about the NGSS). In discovery-centered instruction, students engage…
When I first started teaching, cells were one of the topics in my curriculum. My old standards read something like, “Students will know the parts of the cell, including cell…
How can you support students as they practice engaging in argument from evidence? Argumentation - or engaging in argument from evidence - which we’ve been focusing the last several posts…
How can you engage students in argumentation beyond the CER essay? I’m going to say it: C-E-R isn’t the only way to engage students in argument from evidence. In fact,…
How can you use the C-E-R format to engage students in arguing from evidence? In the last post, we took a look at the difference between arguments and explanations. …
What is the difference between argumentation and explanation? There are a lot of misunderstandings around when it comes to the Science and Engineering Practices, and the concept of argumentation definitely…
What do "good" models look like in NGSS classrooms? I’m just going to say it - those pretty “edible cell” projects, the Oreo lunar cycles, the “biome in a box”…
How can you help students make meaning during exploration? Questioning! In an NGSS classroom, the goal is for students to discover the content though exploration. (If you’re not sure what…
Where Can You Find Anchor Phenomena? It takes time and a LOT of thought to identify a great anchor for a unit, so don’t think you have to get it…
How can you differentiate NGSS activities to reach all learners? The transition to the NGSS is hard. It’s hard for teachers, and it can be hard for students. There are…