Designed for NGSS
Indicator 1a
Materials are designed to include both phenomena and problems.
AI proposed
Materials consistently include phenomena: the unit is anchored by a puzzling, observable Earth science phenomenon (zombie fires burning under Arctic ice, E7), structured into a phenomenon-driven storyline (E1, E9-E11) with student-generated driving questions (E4, E8). Materials also include engineering problems/design challenges: the unit question frames fire management ('how should we manage them?' E1), Lesson 10 explicitly shifts to 'How do we design solutions to manage the impacts of fires?' (E8), and the Ecosystem Interactions unit develops design criteria for conservation decisions (E6). This structural evidence shows learning opportunities that consistently include BOTH phenomena and problems across the course.
Your decision
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Evidence Guide· what the rubric asks for · click to expand
ence Evidence Guide v2.0 Updated July 2025
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● Criteria for Evaluating Phenomena: a tool used in NGSS@NSTA professional learning experiences.
● Qualities of a Good Anchor Phenomenon: a resource from the Research + Practice Collaboratory.
Scoring
Meets Expectations
● 14-16 points
Partially Meets Expectations
● 8-13 points
Does Not Meet Expectations
● <8 points
HS Science Evidence Guide v2.0 Updated July 2025
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Gateway 1: Designed for NGSS
Criterion 1.1 Phenomena and Problems Drive Learning: Materials leverage science
phenomena and engineering problems in the context of driving learning and
student performance.
Indicator 1a Materials are designed to include both phenomena and problems.
Scoring
4 points
● Materials consistently provide
learning opportunities that
include phenomena and/or
problems.
2 points
● Materials provide learning
opportunities that include
phenomena and/or problems,
but inconsistently.
0 points
● Materials provide few to no
learning opportunities that
include phenomena.
OR
● Materials provide few to no
learning opportunities that
include problems.
About this indicator:
What is the purpose of this Indicator?
This indicator
● examines the presence, structure, function, and use of phenomena and problems in materials.
● sets the stage for review of indicators 1b, 1c, and 1d, as those indicators are dependent on identification of
phenomena and/or problems.
Research or Standards connection:
Read information for Gateway 1, Criterion 1.
“CONCLUSION 2: Teachers can use students’ curiosity to motivate learning by choosing phenomena and des
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a and/or problems.
Research or Standards connection:
Read information for Gateway 1, Criterion 1.
“CONCLUSION 2: Teachers can use students’ curiosity to motivate learning by choosing phenomena and design
challenges that are interesting and engaging to students, including those that are locally and/or culturally
relevant. Science investigation and engineering design give middle and high school students opportunities to
engage in the wider world in new ways by providing agency for them to develop questions and establish the
direction for their own learning experiences.” (Science and Engineering for Grades 6-12: Investigation and
Design at the Center, p. 4)
Resources:
● Science and Engineering for Grades 6-12: Investigation and Design at the Center
HS Science Evidence Guide v2.0 Updated July 2025
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Indicator 1a Guiding Question:
Are the materials designed to include both phenomena and problems?
Evidence Collection
Locations to review:
● Review all learning sequences and learning opportunities where the materials claim the presence of a
phenomenon or problem in both student and teacher materials across the course.
Record evidence:
● Describe where students are presented with a specific, observable event that can be explained by
science content as an introduction to a learning opportunity or sequence (phenomenon).
● Describe where students are presented with a challenge or situation that people want to change
(problem) or a solution to optimize (design challenge) as an introduction to a learning opportunity or
sequence.
● Determine if students return to the phenomeno
Retrieved evidence (12 chunks)
- E1 · grade-9 — openscied-uploads-production.s3.amazonaws.com/G9_UBO/hires/B.2%20Teacher%20Edition.pdfrel 0.49
- E2 · grade-9 — openscied-uploads-production.s3.amazonaws.com/G9_UBO/hires/B.2%20Teacher%20Edition.pdfrel 0.48
- E3 · grade-9 — openscied-uploads-production.s3.amazonaws.com/G9_UBO/hires/B.2%20Teacher%20Edition.pdfrel 0.45
- E4 · grade-9 — openscied-uploads-production.s3.amazonaws.com/G9_UBO/hires/B.2%20Teacher%20Edition.pdfrel 0.45
- E5 · grade-9 — openscied-uploads-production.s3.amazonaws.com/G9_UBO/hires/B.2%20Teacher%20Edition.pdfrel 0.44
- E6 · grade-9 — openscied-uploads-production.s3.amazonaws.com/G9_UBE/hires/B.1%20Teacher%20Edition.pdfrel 0.44
- E7 · grade-9 — openscied-uploads-production.s3.amazonaws.com/G9_UBO/hires/B.2%20Teacher%20Edition.pdfrel 0.43
- E8 · grade-9 — openscied-uploads-production.s3.amazonaws.com/G9_UBO/hires/B.2%20Teacher%20Edition.pdfrel 0.42
- E9 · grade-9 — openscied-uploads-production.s3.amazonaws.com/G9_UBO/hires/B.2%20Teacher%20Edition.pdfrel 0.42
- E10 · grade-9 — openscied-uploads-production.s3.amazonaws.com/G9_UBO/hires/B.2%20Teacher%20Edition.pdfrel 0.41
- E11 · grade-9 — openscied-uploads-production.s3.amazonaws.com/G9_UBO/hires/B.2%20Teacher%20Edition.pdfrel 0.41
- E12 · grade-9 — openscied-uploads-production.s3.amazonaws.com/G9_UBO/hires/B.2%20Teacher%20Edition.pdfrel 0.41
Evidence is stored as references + retrieval scores (the chunk text isn’t snapshotted); open the source to read the passage in context.