Education Commons^™

Physical Science - Heating, Cooling, And Reversibility: Changes, Patrick Young

Model NGSS Lessons: Kindergarten - 3rd Grade

Heating or cooling an object will always change its temperature and may alter other properties as well. The temperature change is reversible, but changes to other properties might be irreversible. Heating, in particular, often causes chemical changes in which atoms alter their bonding to form new substances. Cooking an egg changes the egg in ways that cannot be undone. It cannot be “uncooked” into a raw egg.

Phase changes are generally reversible. Water can be frozen, melted back into liquid, boiled into vapor, and then condensed back into its original liquid form. When considering a manufactured object, however, phase changes …

Life Science - Life Cycle Modeling: Plant And Animal, Elizabeth Martinez

Model NGSS Lessons: Kindergarten - 3rd Grade

All living organisms go through life cycles, which consist of stages from birth to death. While these stages are similar, the appearance of organisms in different stages varies. An awareness of child development is important to consider while teaching life cycles. Some research indicates that when a student is in second grade, there is a shift in his or her understanding of organisms, from representations based on perceptual and behavioral features to representations that are more scientific. Children may begin to understand death as the cessation of life processes at about 9 or 10. People of all ages have a …

Additional Documents, Elizabeth Martinez

Model NGSS Lessons: Kindergarten - 3rd Grade

No abstract provided.

Additional Documents, Elizabeth Martinez

Model NGSS Lessons: Kindergarten - 3rd Grade

No abstract provided.

Physical Science - Under Pressure: Matter And Its Interactions, David Hernandez, Elizabeth Martinez

Model NGSS Lessons: 4th - 5th Grade

Air pressure, or atmospheric pressure, is the force exerted on objects by the atmosphere. Barometers are typically used to measure atmospheric pressure. Made of a liquid filled glass tube, the level of liquid will rise when the pressure increases and fall when the pressure drops. Lower barometric pressure tends to be associated with precipitation and cloudiness, while higher readings are related to sunshine and calmer weather. Air is made of invisible particles. The density of these particles is affected by atmospheric pressure. The greater the pressure, the more densely packed the particles are. In comparison, less pressure means a lower …

Physical Science - Gravity On Earth: Gravitational Force, Patrick Young

Model NGSS Lessons: 4th - 5th Grade

Gravity is a curious property of our universe. Gravity causes objects to attract each other with a force. The strength of this force depends on the masses of the objects and their distance apart. The direction of the force is from the center of one object toward the center of the other. Although the force is invisible, we can observe its direction by watching how objects move in response to the force.

Physical Science - Railroad Rescue: Energy Conversion, Patrick Young

Model NGSS Lessons: 4th - 5th Grade

In January of 1952, the Sierra Nevada mountains of California were stuck by a record-breaking blizzard. Railroad tracks through the mountain passes were being blocked by avalanches and snowdrifts. The tracks were generally kept clear by powerful rotary snowplows, but this blizzard was like nothing the Southern Pacific Railroad had ever seen before.

Physical Science - Energy Transfer: Heat And Light, Patrick Young, Peg Steffen

Model NGSS Lessons: 4th - 5th Grade

Energy is the ability to do work. Energy can be thought of as a currency which is universally accepted as the way to make things happen. Energy can be stored in many ways and transferred from place to place in many ways.

Some of the most frequently recognized types of energy are heat and light. These, along with others, can be classified as a phenomenon known as electromagnetic radiation (EM). Radiation is energy that travels and spreads out as it goes. The visible light that comes from a lamp in your house and the radio waves that come from a …

Physical Science - Classroom Detective Agency: Chemical Changes, Peg Steffen

Model NGSS Lessons: 4th - 5th Grade

Students are introduced to the differences between physical and chemical changes in simple kitchen substances that react to water and indicators in characteristic ways. The observable clues that a physical change has occurred includes changes in state such as gas, liquid, or solid. The material itself is the same before and after the change. An ice cube melting is an example of a physical change.

Earth/Space Science - But The Crust Is The Best Part: Earth Features, Elizabeth Martinez

Model NGSS Lessons: 4th - 5th Grade

The Earth’s crust is broken into pieces that are called tectonic plates. Seven major plates exist. Plates move in three ways; they may slide by one another (transform plate boundaries), run into each other (convergent plate boundaries), or move apart from one another (divergent boundaries). Movement of these plates is responsible for landforms and natural events such as earthquakes and volcanoes. Volcanoes and mountains tend to be the result of convergent plate boundaries. Earthquakes are likely to occur at transform plate boundaries. New crust is made where divergent plate boundaries exist. These actions occur on the ocean floor as well …

Earth/Space Science - Water, Water: Water Resources, Cassandra Armstrong, Peg Steffen, Elizabeth Martinez

Model NGSS Lessons: 4th - 5th Grade

Water is one of the most important substances on earth and all living things depend on water to survive. In humans, water makes up 60% of adult bodies and without water humans cannot survive longer than a few days depending on activity and environmental conditions. Because water is such a vital resource we need to understand where it comes from and how to make sure we will have enough drinkable water in the future.

Earth Science - Oil Spills And Dust Bowls: Earth's Systems, Cassandra Armstrong, Peg Steffen, Elizabeth Martinez

Model NGSS Lessons: 4th - 5th Grade

Earth is comprised of four interconnected systems: geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. All of Earth’s processes are due to energy and matter cycling within and among these four systems. Because these systems are so connected, it is important to understand both individual characteristics of each system independently as well as features of their interactions with each other.

Physical Science - Speed And Energy: Diving Energy And Speed, Patrick Young

Model NGSS Lessons: 4th - 5th Grade

Energy is the ability to do work. Energy can be thought of as a currency which is universally accepted as the way to make things happen. All moving objects have energy. The amount of energy depends on their speed and mass. The faster an object moves, the more energy it has, and the more work it can do on other objects with which it interacts.

Life Science - Tracking Matter: Movement Of Matter, Cassandra Armstrong

Model NGSS Lessons: 4th - 5th Grade

Energy exists in many forms and is constantly being transferred between forms. All energy types can be sorted into two main categories: potential and kinetic. Potential energy is stored energy. Chemical energy, nuclear energy, stored mechanical energy, and gravitational energy are all examples of potential energy. Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. Radiant (light) energy, thermal energy, sound energy, and electrical energy are all examples of kinetic energy. Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred between the types of energy. Most energy we use on Earth stems from the nuclear energy from within the sun.

Physical Science - Supervillain Detention! Properties Of Matter, Patrick Young, Peg Steffen, Elizabeth Martinez

Model NGSS Lessons: 4th - 5th Grade

Scientists and engineers need to understand the properties of the materials they use. They choose the best materials for specific projects based on the properties of the materials. For example, civil engineers must have a thorough understanding of the properties of materials that might be used to build roads, dams, or bridges and plan their designs around the materials that will be used.

Earth Systems - Patterns In The Rocks: Changes In Landscape Over Time, Patrick Young, Peg Steffen

Model NGSS Lessons: 4th - 5th Grade

Sedimentary rock layers are found in places all around the world. They can provide useful clues to the past. Sometimes a waterway cuts through the layers revealing a geologic record of the past. In other locations, scientists must dig trenches to see the layers. As the lower layers generally formed first, they are the oldest. Fossils within the rocks may allow some layers to be dated with accuracy. In other locations, clues may be sparse.

Searching for patterns in sedimentary rock layers is a bit like solving a puzzle. The picture emerges slowly, and the picture may tell a story. …

Earth/Space Science - Floods! Erosion By Water, Peg Steffen

Model NGSS Lessons: 4th - 5th Grade

Water was the most important environmental factor in early human settlement and rivers were useful sources of water. They were important sources for fresh drinking water, washing, food, and transportation. Floods are a natural part of river ecosystems and flood control by humans has been practiced since ancient times with methods such as reforestation, and the construction of levees, dams, reservoirs and channels diverting floodwater. Farmers often settled near rivers for steady access to water. The river’s natural flooding could help irrigate their farms and in dry seasons the farmers could dig canals or trenches to direct river water to …

Life Science - Structure And Function: Internal And External, Patrick Young, Nicole Ross

Model NGSS Lessons: 4th - 5th Grade

Plants and animals evolve to survive and reproduce in their environments. Both their internal and external structures will be well suited to support survival, growth, behavior and reproduction.

All animals have a mouth. Its function is to take in food, without which it could not survive to reproduce. The type of mouth, however, will vary between animals, depending on what they have evolved to eat. Internal organs of the digestive system will likewise vary depending on an animal’s diet. All parts of the system for eating and digesting food must work together.

Plants also have internal systems for processing food …

Additional Documents, Elizabeth Martinez

Model NGSS Lessons: 4th - 5th Grade

No abstract provided.

Earth/Space Science - Earth's Place In Space: Seasonal Change, Elizabeth Martinez, Peg Steffen

Model NGSS Lessons: 4th - 5th Grade

A key Disciplinary Core Idea for understanding our place in space is that the orbits of Earth and the sun and of the moon around Earth cause observable patterns. These include day and night; daily changes in the length of shadows; and different positions of the sun, moon, and stars at different times. There are many misconceptions about earth’s orbit but it is important to remember and to convey to students that Earth is moving around the Sun and the Moon is moving around us. What we see each day with the motion of the Sun moving across the sky …

Physical And Life Science - Food And Energy: Animal And Plant Energy, Cassandra Armstrong

Model NGSS Lessons: 4th - 5th Grade

Energy exists in many forms and is constantly being transferred between forms. All energy types can be sorted into two main categories: potential and kinetic. Potential energy is stored energy. Chemical energy, nuclear energy, stored mechanical energy, and gravitational energy are all examples of potential energy. Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. Radiant (light) energy, thermal energy, sound energy, and electrical energy are all examples of kinetic energy. Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred between the types of energy. Most energy we use on Earth stems from the nuclear energy from within the sun.

Additional Documents, Elizabeth Martinez

Model NGSS Lessons: 4th - 5th Grade

No abstract provided.

Unit #1: Colors - Remote Learning Activities, Lindsey Herlehy, Cassandra Armstrong

Little STEAMers: Early Learning Program

No abstract provided.

Context Is Critical: K-5th Grade Three-Act Math Tasks, Lindsey Herlehy

Publications & Research

Mathematicians view mathematics within interesting and natural contexts. In this session, participants will engage and explore Three-Act Math Tasks; a story-telling pedagogical strategy that elicits student curiosity, collaboration, and questioning while redefining the term “real-world context” and the role that students play in the learning process. Resources will be provided

Teaching With A Full Deck: Card Sorts, Lindsey Herlehy

Publications & Research

Card sorts tend to make students do the “thing” we value most: talk. Beyond making matches, card sorts provide opportunities for students to classify, rank, sequence, and mind map while setting a natural context for argumentation and use of the claim-evidence-reasoning framework. Join me for a series of card sorts to explore how this easy-to-prep tool will encourage your students to reason and think critically. Math and science resources will be shared.

Resources available below for download include all cards used in the training.

Back To Basics: Mathematical Play, Lindsey Herlehy

Publications & Research

Our youngest students are curious and creative with the skills and practices needed to be successful mathematicians. Engaging in play, students naturally take risks and pursue their own questions. Research shows this practice is beneficial for all students, regardless of grade level. So, let’s play!

Reading Robot Light-Up Bookmarks, Professional Field Services

Hands-on STEM Activities

Materials: Robot Bookmark Template, LED light, 3V Lithium Battery, 3 strips of copper tape (approx. 3 in. or 8 cm.)

Stem Storytelling: Using Picture Books To Integrate Mathematics - "Dare To Tinker", Lindsey Herlehy, Karen Togliatti

Publications & Research

This series of activities invites students to engage in a design challenge that elicits mathematical and scientific thinking. In the first activity, the picture book The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires will be used as a catalyst to discuss the engineering design process as experienced by the protagonist, a little girl. Suggested questioning techniques and inferential reasoning strategies will focus on the trials and tribulations, frustrations, and successes achieved by the little girl. Additionally, discussion prompts are included to provide students an opportunity to reflect on the little girl as a mathematician and scientist as she takes action and …

Stem Storytelling: Using Picture Books To Integrate Mathematics - "Who Lives Here?", Lindsey Herlehy, Karen Togliatti

Publications & Research

This series of activities invites students to explore animals and their habitats, classify “animal” figures by habitat, sort, represent, and analyze data. In the first activity, the picture book Listen to Our World by Bill Martin, Jr. and Michael Sampson will be used to discuss eleven different animals and their habitats. Questioning strategies will focus on student comprehension and inferential reasoning skills related to why each animal lives in a particular type of habitat. This book is utilized at all grade levels to introduce the subsequent activity.

The grade-level activities that follow integrate students’ knowledge of animals and their habitats …

Stem Integration: Math, Meet Biology!, Lindsey Herlehy, Karen Togliatti

Publications & Research

Join us for three hands-on, inquiry-based activities integrating mathematical and scientific thinking. First, explore patterns in the powers of ten and use this information to sort a set of images and design a scale model of an E. coli's DNA. Then, simulate a colorful biotechnology application using new tools and laboratory skills. Art, science, and math intersect in an activity merging coordinate geometry, symmetry, and biotechnology skills. NGSS and CCSS practice standards will be demonstrated.