All resources in Washington Science

OSPI 3-5 Science Home Learning Resources During COVID-19

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This document provides some learning resources associated with each of the 3-5 Science Content Learning Standards. They are intended to serve during this “stay at home” time, which includes all Washington schools. They are not intended to replace or be equivalent to face-to-face learning. Please feel free to use the resources or to make adaptations.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson, Module, Teaching/Learning Strategy

Authors: Barbara Soots, Ellen Ebert, Kimberley Astle, Washington OSPI OER Project

Seed to Tree Unit: Grade 5 Elementary Science and Integrated Subjects

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This 5th grade unit iterates an earlier version and is designed to maximize the integration of science with the other content areas, especially English Language Arts and Math. It is designed so it can be used with in-person or remotely and includes learning activities that can be delivered via Zoom or another similar platform, as well as activities students can complete in-class, independently, or with their families.  You are free to adapt this OER unit as needed. Please note that this unit is a first draft beta version, so please communicate any questions, errors or omissions, feedback and suggestions for improvement to kimberley.astle@k12.wa.us.  

Material Type: Unit of Study

Author: Kimberley Astle

K-5 NGSS Resource Sets for Teaching Science and Integrating with ELA

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This OSPI resource provides curated collections of free activities, lessons, units, and informational "texts" (articles, passages, e-books, videos, podcasts) to support every NGSS Performance Expectation (standard) in grades K-5.  This resource is intended to support teachers with teaching science while also integrating science and ELA to grow student knowledge, thinking, application, and skills in both content areas.  Materials are organized into units based on the topics and essential questions in each grade. Resources listed are all freely available online, with some requiring teachers to create free accounts to access.  Some trade books are also listed that might be accessed through a library system. Gratitude is expressed to the Washington State Science Fellows, Science Fellows Emeriti, and ELA Fellows who contributed to curating the informational texts.  For questions or comments contact OSPI Elementary Science at Kimberley.Astle@k12.wa.us. 

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Assessment, Diagram/Illustration, Full Course, Homework/Assignment, Interactive, Lesson, Lesson Plan, Primary Source, Reading, Simulation, Teaching/Learning Strategy, Textbook

Author: Kimberley Astle

ClimeTime Professional Learning Session: How to Support Home-Based Science Learning During School Closures

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With students and educators under shelter-at-home orders, states and districts are faced with difficult decisions about how to support students’ science learning while they are home. Home environments support different aspects of student learning than school-based environments. Designing home-based learning experiences to intentionally take advantage of the unique assets of being at home can be supportive of students’ social, emotional, and mental health; provide a meaningful and complementary science learning experience; and allow students to explore real-world and personally relevant science in ways that are difficult to accomplish in school. Field-based examples of home and neighborhood investigations of ecological systems will be shared.

Material Type: Teaching/Learning Strategy

Authors: Carrie Tzou, Leah Bricker, Megan Bang, Philip Bell

Supporting Students’ Science Learning During School Closures

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As schools close their doors as part of public health measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, educators are faced with how to support the diverse needs of all learners when students are not in school. This guide recognizes that solutions will not be – nor should be – “school as usual,” simply delivered in a virtual environment. Instead, this resource was developed by members of the Council of State Science Supervisors to provide guidance around how to support student science learning during these unique circumstances. Image by April Bryant from Pixabay 

Material Type: Teaching/Learning Strategy

Authors: Barbara Soots, Kimberley Astle, Ellen Ebert, Washington OSPI OER Project

ClimeTime Resource Portal

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The Washington State Legislature has invested $16 million in climate science education since 2018. This portal contains links to professional learning resources and instructional materials developed by the ClimeTime network of educational partners who came together as a result of this funding. ClimeTime partners provide climate science professional learning to Washington science teachers, using innovative strategies and effective practices. Many projects also create instructional materials aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards, to support student climate science learning.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Assessment, Lesson, Lesson Plan, Reading, Teaching/Learning Strategy

Authors: Barbara Soots, Washington OSPI OER Project, Ellen Ebert, Kimberley Astle, Elizabeth Schmitz

Grade 3 - Elementary Science and Integrated Subjects: How Do Plants Grow and Survive

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Elementary Science and Integrated Subjects is a statewide Clime Time collaboration among ESD 123, ESD 105, and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Development of the resources is in response to a need for research- based science lessons for elementary teachers that are integrated with English language arts, mathematics and other subjects such as social studies. The template for Elementary integration can serve as an organized, coherent and research-based roadmap for teachers in the development of their own NGSS aligned science lessons.  Lessons can also be useful for classrooms that have no adopted curriculum as well as to serve as enhancements for  current science curriculum. The EFSIS project brings together grade level teams of teachers to develop lessons or suites of lessons that are 1) focused on grade level Performance Expectations, and 2) leverage ELA and Mathematics Washington State Learning Standards.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Reading, Unit of Study

Authors: Georgia Boatman, Barbara Soots, Ellen Ebert, Kimberley Astle, Washington OSPI OER Project

Grade 4 - Elementary Science and Integrated Subjects: Sage Grouse and Sagebrush, Threatened Partners

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Elementary Science and Integrated Subjects is a statewide Clime Time collaboration among ESD 123, ESD 105, and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Development of the resources is in response to a need for research- based science lessons for elementary teachers that are integrated with English language arts, mathematics and other subjects such as social studies. The template for Elementary Integration can serve as an organized, coherent and research-based roadmap for teachers in the development of their own NGSS aligned science lessons.  Lessons can also be useful for classrooms that have no adopted curriculum as well as to serve as enhancements for  current science curriculum. The EFSIS project brings together grade level teams of teachers to develop lessons or suites of lessons that are 1) focused on grade level Performance Expectations, and 2) leverage ELA and Mathematics Washington State Learning Standards.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson Plan, Module, Reading, Teaching/Learning Strategy

Authors: Georgia Boatman, Barbara Soots, Ellen Ebert, Kimberley Astle, Washington OSPI OER Project

Grade 5 - Elementary Science and Integrated Subjects: Where Do Plants Get What They Need to Grow?

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Elementary Science and Integrated Subjects is a statewide Clime Time collaboration among ESD 123, ESD 105, and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Development of the resources is in response to a need for research- based science lessons for elementary teachers that are integrated with English language arts, mathematics and other subjects such as social studies. The template for Elementary integration can serve as an organized, coherent and research-based roadmap for teachers in the development of their own NGSS aligned science lessons.  Lessons can also be useful for classrooms that have no adopted curriculum as well as to serve as enhancements for  current science curriculum. The EFSIS project brings together grade level teams of teachers to develop lessons or suites of lessons that are 1) focused on grade level Performance Expectations, and 2) leverage ELA and Mathematics Washington State Learning Standards.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson Plan, Module, Reading

Authors: Georgia Boatman, Barbara Soots, Ellen Ebert, Kimberley Astle, Washington OSPI OER Project

OSPI K-2 Science Home Learning Resources During COVID-19

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This document provides some learning resources associated with each of the K-2  Washington Science Content Learning Standards. They are intended to serve during this “stay at home” time, which includes all Washington schools. They are not intended to replace or be equivalent to face-to-face learning. Please feel free to use the resources or to make adaptations

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson, Unit of Study

Authors: Barbara Soots, Ellen Ebert, Kimberley Astle, Washington OSPI OER Project

Elementary Science and Integrated Subjects - TEMPLATE

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Template developed by the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) ClimeTime grantees.This format is designed to be an example of how to develop a coherent lesson or suite of lessons that integrate other content areas such as English Language Arts, Mathematics and other subjects into science learning for students.

Material Type: Teaching/Learning Strategy

Authors: Barbara Soots, Ellen Ebert, Georgia Boatman, Kimberley Astle, Washington OSPI OER Project

Grade 1 - Elementary Science and Integrated Subjects: Plants and Their Parts

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Elementary Science and Integrated Subjects is a statewide Clime Time collaboration among ESD 123, ESD 105, and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Development of the resources is in response to a need for research- based science lessons for elementary teachers that are integrated with English language arts, mathematics and other subjects such as social studies. The template for Elementary integration  can serve as an organized, coherent and research-based roadmap for teachers in the development of their own NGSS aligned science lessons.  Lessons can also be useful for classrooms that have no adopted curriculum as well as to serve as enhancements for  current science curriculum. The EFSIS project brings together grade level teams of teachers to develop lessons or suites of lessons that are 1) focused on grade level Performance Expectations, and 2) leverage ELA and Mathematics Washington State Learning Standards.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Authors: Georgia Boatman, Barbara Soots, Ellen Ebert, Kimberley Astle, Washington OSPI OER Project

Kindergarten - Elementary Science and Integrated Subjects: Tackling Trash

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Elementary Science and Integrated Subjects is a statewide Clime Time collaboration among ESD 123, ESD 105, and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Development of the resources is in response to a need for research- based science lessons for elementary teachers that are integrated with English language arts, mathematics and other subjects such as social studies. The template for Elementary integration can serve as an organized, coherent and research-based roadmap for teachers in the development of their own NGSS aligned science lessons.  Lessons can also be useful for classrooms that have no adopted curriculum as well as to serve as enhancements for  current science curriculum. 

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Authors: Georgia Boatman, Barbara Soots, Ellen Ebert, Kimberley Astle, Washington OSPI OER Project

Grade 2 - Elementary Science and Integrated Subjects: Tumbling Tumbleweeds

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Elementary Science and Integrated Subjects is a statewide Clime Time collaboration among ESD 123, ESD 105, and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Development of the resources is in response to a need for research- based science lessons for elementary teachers that are integrated with English language arts, mathematics and other subjects such as social studies. The template for Elementary integration can serve as an organized, coherent and research-based roadmap for teachers in the development of their own NGSS aligned science lessons.  Lessons can also be useful for classrooms that have no adopted curriculum as well as to serve as enhancements for  current science curriculum. The EFSIS project brings together grade level teams of teachers to develop lessons or suites of lessons that are 1) focused on grade level Performance Expectations, and 2) leverage ELA and Mathematics Washington State Learning Standards.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Reading

Authors: Georgia Boatman, Barbara Soots, Ellen Ebert, Kimberley Astle, Washington OSPI OER Project

K-5 Science: New and Improved Essential Question Units and Resources

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For those who have previously discovered this resource, we would like to direct you to a new and improved version that now adds curated and freely available  informational "texts" (articles, passages, e-books, videos, podcasts) to support every NGSS Performance Expectation (standard) in grades K-5. This is to support elementary teachers with designing for learning that integrates science and literacy.  Click "View Resource" above for the link.This adds an additional layer to the previous resource that listed freely available activities, lessons, units, and whole-year curricula for every K-5 NGSS Performance Expectation.Please email kimberley.astle@k12.wa.us at OSPI Elementary Science with feedback and questions.  

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Assessment, Homework/Assignment, Textbook, Unit of Study

Author: Kimberley Astle

ACESSE Resource G - Learning to See the Resources Students Bring to Sense-Making

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Overview: In this workshop, we will build our capacity to identify the range of intellectual resources students use as they make sense of phenomena. We will first explore how equity and justice relate to culture-based approaches to pedagogy—and then focus on how to identify and leverage the resources students use in moments of sensemaking. This resource can also be used by individuals wanting to learn how equity involves promoting the rightful presence of all students across scales of justice, desettling inequities, and supporting expansive learning pathways. This workshop provides participants with an opportunity to explore important theoretical ideas by exploring examples of how learners engage in diverse sense-making. Participants will learn about some of the challenges that less expansive learning environments can cause for learners from non-dominant communities. This resource is estimated to take between 161-268 minutes (2 ⅔ - 4 ¾ hours), depending on the choices of the facilitator in scenario selection.

Material Type: Module

Authors: Hank Clark, Philip Bell, Deb Morrison, Gina Tesoriero, Abby Rhinehart

ACESSE Resource E: Selecting Anchoring Phenomena for Equitable 3D Teaching and Assessment

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This pair of workshops is designed to introduce you to the process of selecting phenomena that can anchor an entire unit that supports students’ 3D science learning or that can serve as a basis for a multi-component assessment task. This resource can also be used by individuals wanting to refine their teaching practice around phenomena based instruction. You may have heard a lot about phenomena, but you may also be wondering what exactly they are, and whether using phenomena is any different from how teachers teach today already.This learning experience will help you:Explain to a peer the role of phenomena and design challenges in science teaching, with a particular focus on equity and justice. Generate working definitions of phenomena, design challenges, and disciplinary core ideas. Identify phenomena related to a bundle of three-dimensional standards. Experience how phenomena can be introduced at the start of a unit, in order to launch a student-driven series of questions.

Material Type: Module

Authors: Hank Clark, WILLIAM PENUEL, Philip Bell, Deb Morrison, Abby Rhinehart