Learn how the NextGen Science Storylines approach is implemented in the OpenSciEd Middle School Science Program. Storylines are coherent from the students’ perspective, in which students see their science work as making progress on questions and problems their classroom has committed to address, rather than simply following directions from textbooks or teachers. Participants will experience […]

Looking to make your classroom more inclusive? Want to support your students with IEPs better? UDL provides a framework for removing barriers and increasing access for students. The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines are a tool that can be used to design learning experiences that meet the needs of all learners (CAST, 2018). Instructional […]

Preview how the OpenSciEd High School Chemistry course unit sequence will help students figure out progressively more nuanced parts, properties and interactions of matter with engaging, real-world phenomena. McCormick Place - W196c Presented by Nicole Vick, Dan Voss, Michael Novak, Northwestern University

Equitable instructional practices are central to the design of the OpenSciEd materials. Learn about these practices and take away strategies for your practice.   In this session, participants will be introduced to a framework for identifying the features of a classroom culture that support equitable sensemaking. There are four main features: 1. Who is engaged […]

See how tools developed within OpenSciEd units can support students’ progression of and engagement in SEPs and CCCs across a variety of unit contexts. Teachers need open source, high-quality instructional materials to support the teaching/learning shifts in the Next Generation Science Standards, and tools that support bringing these shifts into their own practice. Explore how […]

Struggling with figuring out how to meet your grading needs while supporting 3D sensemaking? This session will provide sample 3D assessments and approaches to grading. As educators shift their teaching practice to align with the Framework for K-12 Science and the NGSS, they face various challenges and barriers. One pressing challenge is how to align […]

Explore how students can build elements of disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and science and engineering practices coherently across middle school. It has been common practice to move around units in science curricula based on teacher licensure, teacher preference, or state standards. However, the shifts in three-dimensional science learning supporting equitable science education emphasize the […]

Explore supports for growth in the practice of Engaging in Argument from Evidence embedded in a storyline middle school chemistry unit. Arguing from evidence can be an integral part of the knowledge-building work students do as part of any three dimensional science learning, as students make sense of their findings and use them to develop […]

Support students in making sense of complex biological phenomena by beginning with the most observable level to motivate figuring out smaller-scale components, relationships, and mechanisms. Participants will explore examples of three life science units that use accessible entry points to support students in making sense of complex biological phenomena. Complex biological phenomena, such as how […]

Using OpenSciEd’s instructional materials (or considering it)? This is your chance to get professional learning to help you make OpenSciEd come alive in your classroom! The OpenSciEd Curriculum Launch immerses you in teaching and learning driven by students making sense of phenomena and developing solutions to problems. You will walk away from these four days […]