Unit Plan for NGSS and Model-Based Inquiry

Part 1: Unpack the NGSS Performance Expectations ()

What performance expectation(s) will students be able to demonstrate with proficiency at the end of the unit?

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Science and Engineering Practices / Disciplinary Core Ideas / Cross-Cutting Concepts
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Part 2: Identify a phenomenon ()

What is the “Big Idea” (overarching topic) of this unit? This might be a process, thing, theory, or concept.

What is an appropriate “Puzzling Phenomenon” for this unit? This should be an actual, observable event or set of events that kids can come to a deep understanding of over a period of days.

Part 3: Explain the phenomenon

Write a full, causal scientific explanation of the phenomenon. Include what happened, how it happened, and why it happened.

Part 4: Uncover initial student ideas ()

How will you introduce the phenomenon? Include how you will describe it (text, pictures, video, field trip, etc).

How will you scaffold the modeling and explanation of their initial ideas?

What initial ideas do you expect to be shared?

How will you (and the students) use this information? What will this show you about student understanding of the Disciplinary Core Ideas and Cross-Cutting Concepts?

Part 5: Designing learning experiences (, )

Targeted ideas in the phenomenon explanation / Investigation description (including Science and Engineering Practices) / Evidence (including Disciplinary Core Ideas and/or Cross-Cutting Concepts) / Why it happens (including Disciplinary Core Ideas and/or Cross-Cutting Concepts)
1 / Cut and paste from Part 3 / Name
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Description / Direct primary or secondary evidence (observations) students will gather during this investigation (experiment, reading, model analysis, etc.) / Causal explanation for the evidence from the investigation (should be the conceptual understandings needed for the “Targeted ideas” from the phenomenon explanation
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Description
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Part 6: Model and explanation revisions ()

How will you scaffold the revision of models and explanations in the middle of the unit?

How will you scaffold the creation of a final model and explanation at the end of the unit?

Part 7: Application of student learning / summative assessment

How will students demonstrate the performance expectations in the context of a new phenomenon?