1. Amplify Science

2. AMPLIFY SCIENCE
Effective, engaging lessons designed for the NGSS.  The design of the technological tools will facilitate conversation with students as it allows them to engage with each other, explore new concepts, and enhance their learning.

3. Next Generation Science Standards

4. Dimension 1: Practices
The practices describe behaviors that scientists engage in as they investigate and build models and theories about the natural world and the key set of engineering practices that engineers use as they design and build models and systems. The NRC uses the term practices instead of a term like “skills” to emphasize that engaging in scientific investigation requires not only skill but also knowledge that is specific to each practice. Part of the NRC’s intent is to better explain and extend what is meant by “inquiry” in science and the range of cognitive, social, and physical practices that it requires.
Although engineering design is similar to scientific inquiry, there are significant differences. For example, scientific inquiry involves the formulation of a question that can be answered through investigation, while engineering design involves the formulation of a problem that can be solved through design. Strengthening the engineering aspects of the Next Generation Science Standards will clarify for students the relevance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (the four STEM fields) to everyday life.

5. Dimension 2: Crosscutting Concepts
Crosscutting concepts have application across all domains of science. As such, they are a way of linking the different domains of science. They include: Patterns, similarity, and diversity; Cause and effect; Scale, proportion and quantity; Systems and system models; Energy and matter; Structure and function; Stability and change. The Framework emphasizes that these concepts need to be made explicit for students because they provide an organizational schema for interrelating knowledge from various science fields into a coherent and scientifically-based view of the world.

6. Dimension 3: Disciplinary Core Ideas
Disciplinary core ideas have the power to focus K–12 science curriculum, instruction and assessments on the most important aspects of science. To be considered core, the ideas should meet at least two of the following criteria and ideally all four:
Have broad importance across multiple  sciences or engineering disciplines or be a key organizing concept of a single discipline; 
Provide a key tool for understanding or investigating more complex ideas and solving problems;
Relate to the interests and life experiences of students or be connected to societal or personal concerns that require scientific or technological knowledge;
Be teachable and learnable over multiple grades at increasing levels of depth and sophistication.

7. Collect Evidence From Multiple Sources: After learning their role and understanding the problem context, students begin their investigation by collecting evidence from a variety of sources and through a variety of modalities. This leads us to the key ingredient in the success of Amplify Science…

8. Introduce a Real World Problem: Every unit of Amplify Science Middle School begins with students being introduced to a real world, 21st century problem, and it is through the exploration of this problem that we drive towards a deeper understanding of the unit’s key scientific phenomena.

18. Amplify Science
What is it?
Why did we change?
Why is it important?

19. A deep collaboration + =

20. Middle School Curriculum
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8
Launch:
Harnessing Human Energy
Phase Change
Engineering Internship:
Chemical Reactions
Magnetic Fields
Earth, Moon, and Sun
Populations and Resources
Matter and Energy in Ecosystems
Microbiome
Metabolism
Traits and Reproduction
Oceans, Atmosphere, and Climate
Weather Patterns
Plate Motion
Engineering Internship
Rock Transformations
Geology on Mars
Thermal Energy
Natural Selection
Evolutionary History
Force and Motion
Light Waves
Earth’s Changing Climate

21. Middle School Curriculum
Launch Units
Middle School Curriculum
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8
Launch:
Harnessing Human Energy
Phase Change
Engineering Internship:
Chemical Reactions
Magnetic Fields
Earth, Moon, and Sun
Populations and Resources
Matter and Energy in Ecosystems
Microbiome
Metabolism
Traits and Reproduction
Oceans, Atmosphere, and Climate
Weather Patterns
Plate Motion
Engineering Internship
Rock Transformations
Geology on Mars
Thermal Energy
Natural Selection
Evolutionary History
Force and Motion
Light Waves
Earth’s Changing Climate

22. Middle School Curriculum
Core Units
Middle School Curriculum
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8
Launch:
Harnessing Human Energy
Phase Change
Engineering Internship:
Chemical Reactions
Magnetic Fields
Earth, Moon, and Sun
Populations and Resources
Matter and Energy in Ecosystems
Microbiome
Metabolism
Traits and Reproduction
Oceans, Atmosphere, and Climate
Weather Patterns
Plate Motion
Engineering Internship
Rock Transformations
Geology on Mars
Thermal Energy
Natural Selection
Evolutionary History
Force and Motion
Light Waves
Earth’s Changing Climate

23. Middle School Curriculum
Engineering Internships
Middle School Curriculum
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8
Launch:
Harnessing Human Energy
Phase Change
Engineering Internship:
Chemical Reactions
Magnetic Fields
Earth, Moon, and Sun
Populations and Resources
Matter and Energy in Ecosystems
Microbiome
Metabolism
Traits and Reproduction
Oceans, Atmosphere, and Climate
Weather Patterns
Plate Motion
Engineering Internship
Rock Transformations
Geology on Mars
Thermal Energy
Natural Selection
Evolutionary History
Force and Motion
Light Waves
Earth’s Changing Climate

24. Middle School Components
Digital Instructional Materials
Optional Student Investigation Notebooks
Simulations & other Digital Tools
Science Articles
Hands-on Materials
Assessments & Reporting

25. The approach Introduce a real world problem Collect evidence from
multiple sources
Build increasingly
complex explanations
Apply knowledge to solve a different problem

26. Introduce a real world problem

28. Collect evidence from
multiple sources

29. Articles
Hands-on investigations
Physical models
Digital simulations
Evidence cards: data, photographs, etc
Videos
Collect evidence from
multiple sources

30. Do,
Talk,
Read,
Write, Visualize

31. Build increasingly complex explanations
causal?
Build increasingly complex explanations

32. Drive deeper understanding

33. Apply knowledge to solve a different problem

34. Amplify Science
What is it?
Why did we change?
Why is it important?

35. Science instruction of old
CONCEPTS
© 2017 The Regents of the University of California

36. 1965
CONCEPTS
PROCESSES
© 2017 The Regents of the University of California

37. 1990’s
CONCEPTS
INQUIRY
© 2017 The Regents of the University of California

38. FIGURE OUT PHENOMENA USING PRACTICES
2010
FIGURE OUT
PHENOMENA
USING
PRACTICES
© 2017 The Regents of the University of California

39. Progression of NGSS
1990s
Spring of 2012
1990s-2009
A committee of 18 experts in science, engineering, cognitive science, teaching and learning, curriculum, assessment and education policy, was responsible for writing the Framework.
The Framework describes a vision of what it means to be proficient in science.
It also presents and explains the interrelationships among practices, cross-disciplinary concepts and disciplinary core ideas.
The framework was designed to help realize a vision for education in the sciences and engineering in which students, over multiple years of school, actively engage in science and engineering practices and apply crosscutting concepts to deepen their understanding of the core ideas in these fields.
Spring of 2013

40. Next Generation Science Standards

42. Amplify Science
What is it?
Why did we change?
Why is it important?

45. STEM: A Pathway to the Future
23,389 Job Postings in STEM
Job Posting Analysis | PASHE | Southeastern PA | Tetra County Ecosystem including Philadelphia
Unique postings 23,389
Hard Skills: Management | Engineering | Analysis | Communications | Research | Problem Solving
Soft Skills: Leadership | Project Management | Imagination | Creativity | Critical Thinking | Listening | Team Building | Team Leading