Issues and Science

Proven Alignment with All-Green EdReports Ratings

Only three science programs for grades 6–8 have earned all-green EdReports ratings. Issues and Science is one of them.

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All Green, All Gateways - EdReports

Issues and Science brings middle school science to life by centering each unit around a real-world problem and encouraging students to explore concepts through hands-on labs and investigations.

This curriculum fosters curiosity and creativity, enabling students to make meaningful connections with their learning, peers, and the world.

EdReports found Issues and Science to fully meet expectations for standards alignment and usability in Gateways 1-3. 

Read the Full Report
Content Design
Literacy
Assessment

Three-Dimensional

EdReports states that Issues and Science:

Is "designed to integrate three dimensions into student learning opportunities" 

"Consistently supports meaningful student sensemaking with the three dimensions" 

Is "designed to elicit direct, observable evidence for three-dimensional learning by providing three-dimensional learning objectives at the activity level and building towards the performance expectations of the larger unit"

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Embedded Practices

Issues and Science embeds science practices from day one, so students build skills through real-world investigations.

 

Students spend more than two-thirds of class time engaged in hands-on, screen-free labs and investigations.

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Instructional Design

With more than 15 activity types, Issues and Science keeps students engaged through hands-on learning.

 

Students interact directly with phenomena instead of simply reading, clicking through simulations, or watching videos.

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Issue-Oriented

Understanding the science behind today’s issues prepares students for the decisions and solutions of tomorrow.

 

Each Issues and Science unit is built around a guiding focus that connects learning to meaningful, real-world challenges.

Literacy

Issues and Science lowers the linguistic burden for students by providing content through a variety of instruction. Robust tools within the core instruction further support literacy skills.

Student materials are available in print and interactive-digital in English and Spanish, with read-aloud translations for 26 additional languages

More than 20 types of literacy tools are embedded at the point for use with further instructional support for teachers

Core instruction combines with these strategies to help students improve their literacy skills over time

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Assessment

Issues and Science is designed to elicit direct, observable evidence of three-dimensional learning and performance expectations.

 

Materials consistently provide learning objectives at the activity level that build toward the performance expectations for the larger unit.

 

To allow for flexibility in the teaching sequence, student tasks often remain at the same level of complexity, while the assessment system provides scoring guides that can be used to track students’ progress and serve as evidence of increasing competency of student work.

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Analysis Questions

Near the end of each activity, Analysis questions assess student understanding of the guiding question.

 

These questions build in complexity from one-dimensional to three-dimensional thinking, helping students demonstrate deeper learning across all three dimensions.

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Teacher Support

Teacher resources support the assessment system with sample answers and exemplars, three-dimensional color coding, quick formative assessment strategies, unit assessment blueprints aligned to PEs, and guidance for using assessment data to inform instruction.

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Connected Assessment

The SEPUP Assessment System is embedded within activities, giving students regular opportunities to demonstrate learning and receive authentic feedback in context.

 

For example, students redesigning a structure to prevent erosion may also be assessed on their understanding of engineering design.

Let's Talk
Issues and Science

Bring Issues and Science to your classroom—contact us today to request digital or print samples and speak with a curriculum specialist. 

 

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