The Anchoring Phenomenon Routine is the launch to student investigation around the anchoring phenomenon. This phenomenon will be the one that students will describe and explain, using disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts in investigations. The Anchoring Phenomenon Routine will encourage thoughtful consideration of the phenomenon, initial models, connections to related phenomenon, discussions about the phenomenon and the creation of the KLEWS chart used for documenting student learning.
In an Anchoring Phenomenon Routine, ​students​:
● Are presented with a phenomenon or design problem
● Write and discuss what they notice and wonder about from the initial presentation
● Create and compare initial models of the phenomenon or problem
● Identify related experiences and knowledge that they could draw upon to explain the phenomenon or solve the problem
● Construct a KLEWS Chart
● Identify potential investigations to answer the questions on the KLEWS Chart, adding the questions to the chart

This sequence of instruction was developed in the Growing Elementary Science Project to help elementary teachers who were working remotely.  We developed a short storyline that ties together a few sessions to help explore a specific concept.  We tried to include some activities that honored and included the student’s family and experience, and some that included the potential for ELA learning goals.
Students view a couple of videos and record what they notice and wonder about how plants change as seasons change. Students take a walk with family members to search for evidence of changes due to weather in their neighborhoods.
It is part of ClimeTime - a collaboration among all nine Educational Service Districts (ESDs) in Washington and many Community Partners to provide programs for science teacher training around Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and climate science, thanks to grant money made available to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) by Governor Inslee. 

A learning activity for the "All About Earth: Our World on Stage" book in the Elementary GLOBE series. In pairs, students will create experimental conditions in terrariums in order to study what plants need to live. Variables to study include the presence or absence of soil, water, and sunlight. Students will record the growth of radish plants as well as observations of "the water cycle" in their terrariums. At the conclusion of their experiments, students will share their results with the class and discuss how water, Earth materials, and air are all necessary to support living things. The purpose of the activity is to acquaint students with the hydrosphere, geosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere more closely, to have students use microcosms to study natural phenomena, and to introduce students to the concept of a "fair test" in a scientific investigation. After completing this activity, students will know about the importance of the hydrosphere, geosphere, and atmosphere in supporting the biosphere. They will learn how to set up "fair test", record detailed observations, use drawings as scientific records, make sense of experimental results, and share them publicly.

Several activities that introduce students to the concepts of earth as a series of systems that are all connected. All of the activities reinforce the idea that water, air, soil, and living things all interact in the Earth system. There are several components that educators can choose to use: a book, a play, two activities, and two coloring pages.

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.

Download this comprehensive, 60-page elementary unit that was co-developed by the Fast Plants Program and Emily Miller (ELA/science elementary science education specialist) who helped author the Next Generation Science Standards) as an exemplar for supporting three-dimensional learning. Developed in 2014, the lessons in this unit that fall during the time when Fast Plants are flowering and being pollinated are the same lessons that were extracted as a stand-alone Bee-ing an Engineer unit, also used as an NGSS-aligned exemplar.

Explains what a growing plant needs to stay healthy and what happens when a plant is lacking a necessary factor. Includes group activity, individual activity, and homework.

Students plant sunflower seeds in plastic cups, and once germinated, expose them to varying light or soil moisture conditions. They measure growth of the seedlings every few days using non-standard measurement (inch cubes). After a few weeks, they compare the growth of plants exposed to the different conditions and make bar comparative graphs, which they analyze to draw conclusions about the needs of plants.

In this engaging unit, students will design and plant a square-foot garden that will be their central tool. Through the growing season, they will explore nutrition content in their everyday lives and see how it relates to what they are growing.

Trees grow all around us. Sometimes they are in large forests and sometimes they are single trees along the road or in our schoolyards. In this storyline, students explore cultural connections with trees, learn about the characteristics of trees, and discover what trees need to grow through handson activities, art, and literacy integration.

The goal of the second grade Wetland: Habitat storyline is to introduce students to wetlands and the living things that call them home. In this storyline students develop an understanding of what a habitat is, different types of habitats, what living animals and plants can be found in a wetland, and what plants need to grow

PhD Science Grade Levels K–2 is available as downloadable PDFs. The OER consists of Teacher Editions and student Science Logbooks for every module.

With PhD Science®, students explore science concepts through authentic phenomena and events—not fabricated versions—so students build concrete knowledge and solve real-world problems. Students drive the learning by asking questions, gathering evidence, developing models, and constructing explanations to demonstrate the new knowledge they’ve acquired. The coherent design of the curriculum across lessons, modules, and grade levels helps students use the concepts they’ve learned to build a deep understanding of science and set a firm foundation they’ll build on for years to come.

Cross-curricular connections are a core component within PhD Science. As an example, every module incorporates authentic texts and fine art to build knowledge and create additional accessible entry points to the topic of study.

Three-dimensional teaching and learning are at the heart of the curriculum. As students uncover Disciplinary Core Ideas by engaging in Science and Engineering Practices and applying the lens of Cross-Cutting Concepts, they move from reading about science to doing science.

Great Minds® is the creator of Eureka Math®, Wit & Wisdom®, Alexandria Plan™, and PhD Science®.
Published by Great Minds PBC. greatminds.org
Copyright © 2021 Great Minds PBC. Except where otherwise noted, this PK-2 PhD Science® content is published under Great Minds OER License #1. Use limited to Non-Commercial educational purposes.
COMMERCIAL REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED.

See OER license details here:
https://s3.greatminds.org/link_files/files/000/003/991/original/Final_Form_OER_PhD_Science_K-2_limited_public_license_%282.10.21%29.pdf

In this lesson students will use knowledge of the needs of living things to examine their outdoor classroom for these factors that help plants grow.

Download and print this colorful "Science Inquiry Map" Poster featuring the web of inquiry processes as described by the Five Essential Features of Inquiry from the National Science Education Standards. In addition, the model of inquiry described by the Five Essential Features aligns directly with the Science Practices described in the Next Generation Science Standards. Generally, this poster is used by elementary and middle-school teachers to support learners in being metacognitive about what science practices are in the foreground of their current work during an investigation.

Director of the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory (MAC Lab), Dr. Patricia Samford, presents and demonstrates an activity for students to learn about archaeobotany, or the study of botanical finds in archaeological contexts. Using tweezers and magnifying glasses, students search for seeds mixed in sand or gravel, and use a type collection to identify their finds. What do the finds say about the archaeological environment and uses of plants at a site? Search OER Commons for "Search for Seeds - Resources" for related seed id cards and a type collection for the activity. Use to support Maryland/NGSS for Grades K and 2, or Maryland Social Studies Framework for Grade 1. For K-ESS2-2, have students perform the activity then discuss what the seeds tell them about people who would have used the plants and seeds or write a short vignette about the people at this site using the seeds and their uses as evidence. For Grade 1 Content Topic "Life in the Past," have students perform the activity and similar discussion, then compare those plants and their uses to their uses today or plants that have replaced them. For 2-LS2-1, have students perform the activity along with the planting extension. Students can plant multiples of each type of seed and try growing them in conditions with different light; students can also note how much water they give the seeds. Once sprouted, have students record and discuss their findings as to which did better with more/less sunlight/water. If you evaluate or use this resource, please respond to this short (4 question) survey at bit.ly/3Ep57BP

In this lesson, students will investigate seeds and the process of seeds growing to become the food we eat. Includes activity instructions, extension activities, songs, and a vocabulary list.

NGSS: Partially meets 2-LS2-1, Extension activities meet 4-LS1-1, 5-LS-1

Common Core: W.2.7, W.2.8, Extension activities meet MD.K, MD.1, MD.2.1, MD.3.3, MD, 4.4, MD.5

Social Sciences: 3.12, 4.12

Time: 45 minutes

Materials: "Seed, Soil, Sun" or other book about seed germination and plant growth, clear plastic cups, paper cups, paper towels, seeds, water

In this lesson, students will investigate the miraculous process of air and water combining with seeds, soil, and sunlight to create nearly all the food we eat. Extension activities can take this a step further by encouraging kids to track growth rates of different seeds in an observation journal. Includes place-based connection, activity instructions, extension activities, songs, and vobaulary list.

NGSS: Partially meets 2-LS2-1, 1-LS1-1

Common Core: W.2.7, W.2.8, and MD.K, MD.1, MD.2.1, MD.3.3, MD.4.4, MD.5 with extension activities.

Time: 45 minutes

Materials: "One Bean" book or other book about plant germination, clear plastic cups, paper cups, paper towels, seeds, and water.

Students will work in teams to determine how to best conduct an experiment outdoors to see if plants need sunlight and water to grow.

Incorporating your schoolyard into your classroom can be a powerful tool for making learning meaningful and engaging for your students. Local and relevant phenomena can engage your student’s prior understandings, better connect to their interests and identities, and help in draw in students who don’t see science, reading or writing connecting to their lives.  This online course is a series of professional development workshops for Early Elementary (K-2) educators, developed by IslandWood with funding from the OSPI ClimeTime Grant. A slide deck and accompanying handouts supplement the course outline for a complete picture. 

The teacher leads a discussion in which students identify the physical needs of animals, and then speculate on the needs of plants. With guidance from the teacher, the students then help design an experiment that can take place in the classroom to test whether or not plants need light and water in order to grow. Sunflower seeds are planted in plastic cups, and once germinated, are exposed to different conditions. In particular, within the classroom setting it is easy to test for the effects of light versus darkness, and watered versus non-watered conditions. During exposure of the plants to these different conditions, students measure growth of the seedlings every few days using non-standard measurement. After a few weeks, they compare the growth of plants exposed to the different conditions, and make pictorial bar graphs that demonstrate these comparisons.