This Teacher Guide is intended to supplement the Teacher and Student Materials for Unit 1. While the Teacher Materials support teachers with what to do, this Guide tells them why, so that enactment decisions are informed by an understanding of the pedagogical approach; we believe this supports teachers to make modifications and adaptations that are aligned with the vision of NGSS. This Teacher Guide also provides additional support with the logistics of enactment, such as pacing, organizing materials, and labs. Routines are embedded into the Teacher Materials; however, this Teacher Guide provides more detailed information about when, why, and how to enact each routine.
Teacher Materials provide the learning goals for the unit, guidance on when to use particular strategies, and an explanation of how to teach the unit in a way that is driven by student questions and ideas. Included in the Teacher Materials is an overview document called the Unit Plan, that summarizes the storyline of the unit and provides an outline for each of the learning sequences within the unit, highlighting key information. For each lesson sequence in the unit, the Teacher Materials also include step-by-step guidelines for enactment. Corresponding Student Materials include handouts for labs and investigations, formative assessments, and rubrics.
Unit 1 Student Materials