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9/12/2019

NGSS DCIs

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Next Generation Science Standards Topics for Mission:Tigers!

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The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) consist of three distinct but equally important parts or dimensions: Guiding Principles, Cross Cutting Concepts, and Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs).  Outstanding instruction combines all three!  Often programs or administrators focus on assessing and measuring one of these dimensions, the DCIs.  These are the "topics" so to speak.  It is important to expose children to many science topics and the DCIs are among them.  However, I've often observed that when the focus is on assessing DCIs, the other dimensions can be pushed aside and when that happens an experience around a topic can become little more than a fun activity or craft project.

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While topics do matter, a strong science foundation comes more from the why of science rather than the what.  The Guiding Principles shape every aspect of Go2Science. 

​Keeping these principles at the forefront can also help you turn nearly any experience in your classroom into an opportunity to increase science thinking.  


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Guiding Principles
  1. Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
  2. Developing and using models
  3. Planning and carrying out investigations
  4. Analyzing and interpreting data
  5. Using mathematics and computational thinking
  6. Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)
  7. Engaging in argument from evidence
  8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
Think for a moment about how nearly any of these principles can support instruction outside of science time.  

You may have noticed that we lead each Go2Science lesson with one of the Cross Cutting Concepts.
  1. Patterns. 
  2. Cause and effect.
  3. Scale, proportion, and quantity.
  4. Systems and system models.
  5. Energy and matter.
  6. Structure and function.
  7. Stability and change. 
These may be a bit trickier to weave in and really get to the core of the "why" of science.  We guide you though activities that help you address these.
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We also provide opportunities each school year to address the DCIs.  If you join us for all three live missions this school year we will have lessons that help you address each DCI with your students, but most are not a "one and done" situation.  By the end of the school year you'll have had the opportunity to focus on many DCIs multiple times and in new and novels settings so students can build a deeper and more connected understanding of these topics than if they'd simply worked through a series of lessons focused on meeting their grade level DCIs.

We understand that for you may wish to know which DCIs will be addressed when so we've created a spiffy spreadsheet for Mission: Tigers!  It lays out which lessons provide opportunities to address which DCIs.  This can also be helpful in deciding which lessons you might wish to do with your students.  We hope it helps! ​

Download DCI Spreadsheet for Mission:Tigers!

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8/12/2019

Mission Schedule

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Schedule for the 2019-20 School Year

We will have three new research adventures this school year!  Of course, you can use any of the existing missions at any time, but if you like to join us live we want to make sure you know when we'll be live.  We'll live stream on Tuesdays and Thursdays according the the schedule below. 
Mission: Thailand: Tigers!
  • Selected pre-mission materials to teachers in August
  • September 13 – Mission 1, week 1 materials to teachers
  • September 17 – Live Stream Day 1
  • September 19 – Live Stream Day 2
  • September 20 – Mission 1, week 2 materials to teachers
  • September 24 – Live Stream Day 3
  • September 26 – Live Stream Day 4
  • September 27 – Mission 1, week 3 materials to teachers
  • October 1 – Live Stream Day 5
  • October 3 – Live Stream Day 6
  • October 4 – Mission 1, week 4 materials to teachers
  • October 8 – Live Stream Day 7
  • October 10 – Live Stream Day 8
  • October 11 – Mission 1, week 5 materials to teachers
  • October 15 – Live Stream Day 9
  • October 17 – Live Stream Day 10
  • October 18 – Mission 1, week 6 materials to teachers
  • October 22 – Live Stream Day 11
  • October 24 – Live Stream Day 12
  • Publication page remains open for posting and commenting and this mission is listed as “current” until Mid-December
Mission: Kenya: Water!
  • Selected pre-Mission materials to teachers in Mid to Late December
  • January 4 – Mission 2, week 1 materials to teachers
  • January 7 – Live Stream Day 1
  • Tuesday/Thursday live streams continue (12 total)
  • Friday materials deliveries continue (6 total)
  • February 13 – Live Stream Day 12
  • Publication page remains open for posting and commenting and this mission is listed as “current” until Mid-March
Mission: Stay tuned for location and topic info!
  • Pre-Mission materials to teachers in late March
  • April 3 – Mission 3, week 1 materials to teachers
  • April 7 – Live Stream Day 1
  • Tuesday/Thursday live streams continue (12 total)
  • Friday materials deliveries continue (6 total)
  • May 14 – Live Stream Day 12
  • Publication page remains open for posting and commenting and this mission is listed as “current” until mid-summer
All the info above is also available on our FAQ page.














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    Meet Beth and Curtis!

    Presidential Award-Winning teacher and hula hoop fanatic, Beth loves bringing real world science to kids! Beth is fascinated by engineering challenges, technology, and outdoor learning spaces. After 25 years teaching kindergarten, she’s excited to share her passion and experience on-line with classrooms from around the world!

    Curtis is a lot of things: a scientist, lawyer, explorer, drummer and Ironman. His brain is always churning. His paleontological finds are in museums across the country and he even has an extinct sea turtle named after him. He loves traveling the world and immersing himself in new environments and cultures. Curtis finds joy in sparking the imagination of young learners and making them think in new ways.

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