High School - Gateway 2

The instructional materials reviewed for High School meet expectations that materials provide opportunities for students to fully learn and develop all claimed grade-band Disciplinary Core Ideas.

Across the program, the materials claim 21/38 physical science DCIs, 17/27 earth and space science DCIs, and 4/5 engineering (ETS) DCIs. No life science elements are claimed in the program. There is a mix of full and limited claims, indicated in the materials with strikethroughs in the element language. The Elements of the NGSS Dimensions document, provided for each unit, contains the location of each element by lesson, the language of the element, and rationale which includes a description of either how the publisher intends for students to engage with the element or a description of the limited claim. Another location to find element claims is within the objectives provided in the What Students Will Do section of each lesson-level teacher guide in the form of color coded statements and corresponding element codes. Overall, students usually have more than one opportunity to engage with the DCI elements, and elements are mostly claimed either within one unit or across different units. Students have opportunities to engage with nearly all of the claimed elements from the physical science DCIs, all of the claimed engineering DCIs, and nearly all of the claimed earth and space science DCIs. 

Examples of claimed grade-band DCI elements present in the materials:

• PS1.A-H1: In Unit C.2, Lesson Set 1, Lesson 5: What is happening at a particle level to produce static effects?, students read about atomic structure and use the reading to develop a particle level explanation of what was previously observed in a demonstration with tape that showed the properties of attraction and repulsion. Students also explore a simulation of an atom and develop models with a focus on charges and how they interact.

• PS2.B-H3: In Unit C.2, Lesson Set 4, Lesson 12: Why are some structures safer than others (and safer than being outside)?, students model attraction and repulsion between electric charges at the atomic scale by reading about lightning rods and examining models of metals and nonmetals. Students are able to conclude that the atomic structure can help explain conductivity.

• PS3.A-H1: In Unit C.1, Lesson Set 3, Lesson 12: How can we slow the flow of energy on Earth to protect vulnerable coastal communities?, students develop a mathematical model and use unit conversions to determine the impact of the berm on heat transfer to the Ilulissat Glacier. Students calculate how much energy is required to melt the ice and the amount of energy transferred to the water.

• PS4.B-H4: In Unit C.3, Lesson Set 1, Lesson 5: How can we tell what is in the atmosphere (and just below the surface) of objects in space?, students explore absorption spectra for different substances such as ozone, methane, and carbon dioxide. They analyze absorption spectra data for additional substances and use this data to make predictions about the composition of the atmospheres of different celestial bodies.

• ESS1.B-H2: In Unit C.1, Lesson Set 1, Lesson 2: What can the past help us figure out about what is causing sea level rise in the present?, students read a text called "Earth's Orbit" where they explore how changes to Earth's orbit have altered the distribution of sunlight on Earth, and how it is a cyclical change. Students answer questions in a graphic organizer based on this reading and discuss their findings with the class. Students engage in creating a written and oral argument based on the reading in order to identify a possible cause of recent global temperature increase.

• ESS2.D-H3: In Unit C.1, Lesson Set 1, Lesson 3: How does carbon dioxide contribute to climate change?, students conduct an investigation to determine how different concentrations of carbon dioxide impact temperature and apply this understanding to the global scale. They read an article connecting the lab observations to the global phenomena of the greenhouse effect. Students write a summary of their learning about the greenhouse effect, as well as write a question they have about the effects of carbon dioxide on Earth’s atmosphere.

• ESS3.A-H2: In Unit C.5, Lesson Set 2, Lesson 11: Where is the energy coming from when we use uranium as a fuel?, students evaluate how uranium fuel works and analyze the structure of a nuclear reactor. They construct an explanation on how neutrons and protons are conserved in a nuclear fission reaction and discuss how all forms of energy production have associated costs, risks, and benefits.

• ETS1.B-H1: In Unit C.5, Lesson Set 3, Lesson 13: Why do we use some fuels rather than others?, students explore the tradeoffs involved in using carbon based fuels for transportation. They explore the criteria and constraints for different transportation goals and evaluate transportation solutions using criteria/constraints and a decision matrix.

Claimed grade-band DCI elements partially present in the materials:

• PS1.A-H4: In Unit C.5, Lesson Set 1, Lesson 4: Why do we need to put energy into the system to start the reaction?, students review what they have learned thus far and think about why energy input is needed to begin combustion reactions. They use a physical model to develop an understanding of the role of the added energy in the reaction. Students then conduct an investigation with marbles focused on energy transformation in the system and develop conclusions about the energy required to break bonds. They continue to investigate this using a computer model and then create energy transfer models. Students focus primarily on bond energies and do not have the opportunity to engage with the idea that stable forms of matter are those in which the electric and magnetic field energy is minimized.

• ESS2.A-H3: In Unit C.1, Lesson Set 1, Lesson 2: What can the past help us figure out about what is causing sea level rise in the present?, students read articles and explore data surrounding causes of historical sea level rise and ice melt. Students record the timescale on which these potential causes happen. They use this information to create an argument that answers which of the causes they explored is responsible for the current temperature increases, polar ice melt, and sea level rise. Students do not have the opportunity to consider tectonic events, ocean circulation, or vegetation as a cause of climate change.

• ESS2.D-H2: In Unit C.1, Lesson Set 2, Lesson 7: How do feedback loops affect Earth's systems?, students examine an infographic with four examples of feedback loops on Earth, two demonstrating a positive feedback loop and two demonstrating a negative feedback loop. After examining the feedback loops, students discuss the differences between the loops, Earth systems involved, and how the loops connect to sea level rise. While the infographic does show how plants and other photosynthetic organisms reduce levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, students do not have the opportunity to explicitly engage with the role of plants in gradual atmospheric changes. 

• ESS2.E-H1: In Unit C.1, Lesson Set 2, Lesson 7: How do feedback loops affect Earth's systems?, students examine an infographic with four examples of feedback loops on Earth, two demonstrating a positive feedback loop and two demonstrating a negative feedback loop. After examining the feedback loops, students discuss the differences between the loops, Earth systems involved, and how the loops connect to sea level rise. Students do not have the opportunity to engage with the idea that feedbacks cause a continual co-evolution of Earth’s surface and the life that exists on it.

• ESS3.B-H1: In Unit C.1, Lesson Set 1, Lesson 4: What would happen if the Earth's ice melted?, students calculate the amount of water that would result from the melting of the glaciers on Greenland and Antarctica. They develop an investigation to determine if land ice or sea ice has a greater impact on sea level rise. At the very end of the lesson, students engage in a discussion about how people would be impacted by sea level rise and respond to a discussion prompt about how being able to predict sea level rise might have impacted people who had to migrate long ago. Students do not have an opportunity to consider other geologic events and how human history and human populations have been impacted.

The instructional materials reviewed for High School meet expectations that materials provide opportunities for students to fully learn and develop all claimed grade-band Science and Engineering Practices.

Across the program, the materials claim 44/49 SEP elements from the high school grade band, including at least one element from each practice. For each practice, students have multiple opportunities to engage with the elements, oftentimes across units, as appropriate. Developing and Using Models occurs often across the materials when students are asked to develop and refine models as they carry out investigations, explore online simulations, and discuss their findings as a class. Elements from Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information were least common across the materials. Additionally, connections to components of the Nature of Science associated with the SEPs are noted in the teacher guide for each unit. There is a section titled Connections to the Nature of Science (NOS) and Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science (ETS) that contains a table for each category. The tables include information about which elements are developed in the unit, and how they are developed.

Examples of claimed grade-band SEP elements present in the materials:

• AQDP-H1: In Unit C.3, Lesson Set 1, Lesson 1: What substances would we need and how would we get them to live and work beyond Earth?, students engage with the idea of previous manned and unmanned missions into space. Students are asked three separate times in the lesson to ask questions related to this idea in order to clarify and/or seek additional information.

• MOD-H3: In Unit C.5, Lesson Set 1, Lesson 2: What is happening to the fuels inside the engine to make the vehicle move?, students observe an combustion reaction and then revise their models of how engines work with their learnings from the investigation.

• INV-H5: In Unit C.1, Lesson Set 1, Lesson 3: How does carbon dioxide contribute to climate change?, students conduct an investigation to determine how carbon dioxide impacts global temperatures and are prompted to write a directional hypothesis for their investigation. Students participate in a class discussion about writing hypotheses and then practice writing a hypothesis on their Carbon Dioxide Investigation handout.

• DATA-H5: In Unit C.1, Lesson Set 1, Lesson 2: What can the past help us figure out about what is causing sea level rise in the present?, students analyze historical sea level data and add this new data to working models about sea level rise.

• MATH-H2: In Unit C.2, Lesson Set 2, Lesson 7: How are electrostatic forces between objects affected by the amount of charge and the distance between them?, students use algebraic techniques to solve problems involving Coulomb’s Law. Students use both mathematical and computational models of electrostatic forces to solve problems and make predictions using the equation for a larger scale such as lightning.

• CEDS-H5: In Unit C.4, Lesson Set 3, Lesson 13: How can we apply our science ideas to develop a solution to help protect oysters?, students design and refine a solution to the problem of oyster die-offs. They use their scientific knowledge, student generated sources of data, and consider criteria/constraints in the development of their solution.

• ARG-H2: In Unit C.5, Lesson Set 1, Lesson 5: How and why is energy released when we burn carbon-based fuels?, students consider other carbon-based fuels besides fossil fuels. They read about two fuel sources, fossil fuels and biofuels, and answer questions to analyze the arguments presented in the reading about which fuel type is better. Students then participate in a debrief discussion about the two types of fuel. 

• INFO-H2: In Unit C.3, Lesson Set 1, Lesson 4: How and why do water and other liquids interact with materials to make surface features?, students compare and evaluate different sources of information including articles and conclusions from a lab activity to address the question of how water interacts in different settings.

Claimed grade-band SEP elements partially present in the materials:

• AQDP-H8: In Unit C.4, Lesson Set 1, Lesson 7: How can we use what we have learned to help protect oysters?, students read articles and use the information they learned to define a sub-problem considering the role of stakeholders in solution design for the problem of oyster die-off. Students synthesize information about different stakeholders to identify criteria and constraints for their solutions. Finally, they participate in a class discussion about their solutions. Students do not have the opportunity to meaningfully consider the development of a process or system with interacting components.

• INV-H3: In Unit C.1, Lesson Set 2, Lesson 6: Why would some engineers want to sprinkle glass microbeads on the Arctic?, students conduct an investigation to see how different colored materials change temperature under a heat lamp and then discuss these results to learn more about energy transfer and absorption. Before the investigation, students engage in a class discussion about the environmental and social impacts of the microbead solution. Students do not have the opportunity to plan the investigation. While a step by step procedure is provided to students, they do identify the variables and controls as part of the handout.

Claimed grade-band SEP elements not present in the materials:

• MOD-H2: Design a test of a model to ascertain its reliability.

• MATH-H1: Create and/or revise a computational model or simulation of a phenomenon, designed device, process, or system.

• CEDS-H4: Apply scientific reasoning, theory, and/or models to link evidence to the claims to assess the extent to which the reasoning and data support the explanation or conclusion.

• ARG-H3: Respectfully provide and/or receive critiques on scientific arguments by probing reasoning and evidence and challenging ideas and conclusions, responding thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, and determining what additional information is required to resolve contradictions.

The instructional materials reviewed for High School meet expectations that materials provide opportunities for students to fully learn and develop all claimed grade-band Crosscutting Concepts.

Across the program, the materials claim 29/29 CCC elements from the high school grade band. For each concept, students have multiple opportunities to engage with the elements, oftentimes across units, as appropriate. Elements from Patterns and Energy and Matter occur most often across the program. Additionally, connections to components of the Nature of Science associated with the CCCs are noted in the teacher guide for each unit. There is a section titled Connections to the Nature of Science (NOS) and Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science (ETS) that contains a table for each category. The tables include information about which elements are developed in the unit, and how they are developed.

Examples of claimed grade-band CCC elements present in the materials:

• PAT-H5: In Unit C.3, Lesson Set 2, Lesson 6: What patterns are there between the types of atoms and the number of bonds they form in the resources we need?, students examine element cards to figure out what makes elements different from one another. Students identify patterns within the cards and utilize these patterns to create an element tool.

• CE-H3: In Unit C.5, Lesson Set 2, Lesson 10: How can we use hydrogen as a fuel and what are the impacts?, students discuss different types of fuels and compare them to hydrogen fuel cells. They consider how engine systems can be designed with different fuels, taking into account different constraints and the desire to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

• SPQ-H2: In Unit C.1, Lesson Set 1, Lesson 2: What can the past help us figure out about what is causing sea level rise in the present?, students look at data over vast periods of time which are too slow or large to observe directly. Students review historical data tracking sea level over time and use this information to attempt to determine what is causing the sea level rise.

• SYS-H1: In Unit C.1, Lesson Set 3, Lesson 11: How does heat affect the amount of ice melt?, students conduct an investigation to explore how warm water and ice interact. Students collect data and calculate how much energy is needed to melt a certain amount of ice. They use their lab data concerning the amount of energy needed to melt ice to explain how the berm system is designed to prevent melting of a glacier.

• EM-H2: In Unit C.5, Lesson Set 1, Lesson 1: What different fuels have we used, and do we currently use, for transportation?, students analyze data on sources of fuels that are used for transportation. They develop models of energy changes and transfers in an engine to explain how fuel is used to provide energy to make a vehicle move.

• SF-H1: In Unit C.3, Lesson Set 3, Lesson 10: Why do we need water in so many reactions?, students explore the uses of water in a precipitation reaction system. They model the interaction between water and ionic compounds to make conclusions about the force of attraction between different atoms.

• SC-H3: In Unit C.1, Lesson Set 2, Lesson 7: How do feedback loops affect Earth's systems?, students read and discuss an infographic concerning various positive and negative feedback loops on Earth. They discuss how sea level rise could destabilize the system of the Earth’s hydrosphere and coasts.

Claimed grade-band CCC elements not present in the materials:

• PAT-H2: Classifications or explanations used at one scale may fail or need revision when information from smaller or larger scales is introduced; thus requiring improved investigations and experiments.

• SC-H4: Systems can be designed for greater or lesser stability.

The instructional materials reviewed for High School meet expectations that materials present Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs), and Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs) in a way that is scientifically accurate. Across the course, the teacher materials, student materials, and assessments accurately represent the three dimensions and are free from scientific inaccuracies.

The instructional materials reviewed for High School meet expectations that they do not inappropriately include scientific content and ideas outside of the grade-band disciplinary core ideas (DCIs). Across the course, the materials consistently incorporate student learning opportunities to learn and use the DCIs appropriate to the HS grade-band.

The instructional materials reviewed for High School meet expectations that materials are designed for student tasks related to explaining phenomena and/or solving problems to increase in sophistication.

Across the program, student tasks related to explaining phenomena and solving problems consistently increase in sophistication. In some cases, tasks increase in complexity and in other cases, student responsibility increases. The way tasks increase in sophistication varies, but often there is a rubric or specific approach that students are given explicitly in early units and then those pieces of guidance are gradually removed as students progress through the program. Notably, tasks related to the SEP of Developing and Using Models increased in sophistication whereas tasks related to the SEPs of Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information and Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking showed little to no change in terms of increasing sophistication across the program.

Examples where student tasks related to explaining phenomena and/or solving problems increase in sophistication across the course:

• Across the program, the materials consistently engage students in asking questions and defining problems. Students always engage with this practice at the beginning of each unit through the building of a driving question board (DQB). However, there is an increase in sophistication in the types of tasks students engage in. Early on in the program, students review one piece of data to build the DQB, and then in the next couple of units students review a few different sources in different types of media. In later units, students design an initial model, and then build their DQB based on both observations from data, videos, and their original model. At times, tasks also increase in sophistication within a unit. In Unit C.1, Lesson 1, students examine a model of sea level rise and ask questions about what they have observed as a way to build a driving question board. In Lesson 7, students engage in a feedback loop. They ask questions of their classmates in small groups as a way to improve a model that they created within the unit.

• Across the program, the materials consistently engage students in developing and using models. Students develop initial models, use other models to build understanding and make predictions, evaluate each other’s models, develop consensus using models, and update their models. For instance, in Unit C.2, students extensively work with modeling as a throughline of the unit. In Lesson 1, students are guided through an activity discussing the purpose of modeling and the creation of an initial model of lightning. Throughout the unit, students mainly work to update this model with their new learning, adding complexity throughout the unit. In Lesson 13, students are asked for the first time to evaluate other models, a more rigorous activity, when they extensively evaluate three models for their explanatory power.

• Across the program, the materials consistently engage students in analyzing data. Initially, students are given graphic organizers in order to scaffold their understanding of data. By the end of the program, students are expected to analyze data without scaffolding and use their analysis to generate an argument. For instance, in Unit C.1, students are given a series of data sets concerning sea level rise. Students use a graphic organizer to collect evidence, and use a sentence stem to write a conclusion. Then in Unit C.5, students analyze data about different gases and how they absorb energy. They use this data to make a claim about which gases should be considered greenhouse gases. Students are not given a graphic organizer for this, they are expected to discuss whatever they notice with a partner and the class. Students then go on to use data to design solutions to complex real world problems.