6th to 8th Grade - Gateway 3

Materials include background information to help teachers support students in using the three dimensions to explain phenomena and solve problems (also see indicators 3b and 3l).

Materials provide guidance that supports teachers in planning and providing effective learning experiences to engage students in figuring out phenomena and solving problems.

Materials contain teacher guidance with sufficient and useful annotations and suggestions for how to enact the student materials and ancillary materials. Where applicable, materials include teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning.

Materials contain explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identification of the research-based strategies.

Materials are designed to leverage diverse cultural and social backgrounds of students.

Materials provide appropriate support, accommodations, and/or modifications for numerous special populations that will support their regular and active participation in learning science and engineering.

Materials provide multiple access points for students at varying ability levels and backgrounds to make sense of phenomena and design solutions to problems.

Materials include opportunities for students to share their thinking and apply their understanding in a variety of ways.

Materials include a balance of images or information about people, representing various demographic and physical characteristics.

Materials provide opportunities for teachers to use a variety of grouping strategies.

Materials are made accessible to students by providing appropriate supports for different reading levels.

The teacher materials provide a rationale for how units across the series are intentionally sequenced to build coherence and student understanding.

Materials document how each lesson and unit align to NGSS.

Materials document how each lesson and unit align to English/Language Arts and Math Common Core State Standards, including the standards for mathematical practice.

Resources (whether in print or digital) are clear and free of errors.

Materials include a comprehensive list of materials needed.

Materials embed clear science safety guidelines for teacher and students across the instructional materials.

Materials designated for each grade level are feasible for one school year.

Materials contain strategies for informing students, parents, or caregivers about the science program and suggestions for how they can help support student progress and achievement.

Assessments include a variety of modalities and measures.

Assessments offer ways for individual student progress to be measured over time.

Materials provide opportunities and guidance for oral and/or written peer and teacher feedback and self reflection, allowing students to monitor and move their own learning.

Tools are provided for scoring assessment items (e.g., sample student responses, rubrics, scoring guidelines, and open-ended feedback).

Guidance is provided for interpreting the range of student understanding (e.g., determining what high and low scores mean for students) for relevant Science and Engineering Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Disciplinary Core Ideas.

Assessments are accessible to diverse learners regardless of gender identification, language, learning exceptionality, race/ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.

Digital materials are web based and compatible with multiple internet browsers. In addition, materials are "platform neutral," are compatible with multiple operating systems and allow the use of tablets and mobile devices.

Materials include opportunities to assess three-dimensional learning using digital technology.

Materials can be customized for individual learners, using adaptive or other technological innovations.

Materials include or reference digital technology that provides opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other (e.g., websites, discussion groups, webinars, etc.).

Materials integrate digital technology and interactive tools (data collection tools, simulations, modeling), when appropriate, in ways that support student engagement in the three dimensions of science.