Why do Antibiotics stop working? | An NGSS aligned lesson

I have been struggling to rework my lessons to meet the NGSS framework.  It's so easy to just stand up in front of the students and lecture, but I know that is not the best way for students to learn.  I am one who need example lessons so I can model my redesigns around them.  That is why I like exemplars like this.  I can see how it should be done so I know what to do when I am making my own updates. 

This lesson is actually part of a 29 lesson unit so there are lots of examples to look at. Looking at them, they are very detailed (I mean down to the minute).  If you are like me you don't have to make this level of detailed lesson plans.  Despite this, it is something that I want to work on, little by little, and I like have examples like this to look at.  Also, I can test these lessons out with my students and find out what works and what doesn't so I can make changes.

I would love to hear what you are doing to transition your lessons to NGSS (or your state's version of it).

Image by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Pix4free

Playground Physics: Learning Science Through Play

Playground Physics is a middle-school science program that blends physical play with virtual activities to support inquiry-based learning aligned to Next Generation Science Standards. Students discover and explore the physics in their everyday lives through their physical play.

There are three components of Playground Physics: an app, a teacher activity guide, and professional development.

Using the app, they record a video of themselves playing, and then tap points along the way to trace a path of motion, and discover the motion, forces, and energy involved!

Students then analyze the data in their play performances via app-generated graphs and lenses focused on energy, force, and motion. Click on the video below to see it work.

Noticing Tools(TM): Playground Physics from NYSCI on Vimeo.


Learn more and sign up to try this app on the Playground Physics Website.

Leaky Cup Phenomenon - Discrepant Event in Chemistry

 This video will really get your kids thinking (bonus points in you do this live for your classes).  I always love to see what the explanations are that the students come up with.  

This video is a fun way to introduce your students to the concept of intermolecular forces.  Afterward, you can explain how this was done.  I am not going to give it away here, but you can find the solution here. 

If you are looking for a tie in to the NGSS it fits with Science Practice: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions, HS-ESS2-5 Water, and HS-PS1 Matter and Its Interactions

Introducing students to the scientific method

One thing I love and hate to do with my students is to teach them to create their own experiments.  I love doing it because the students come up with the craziest ideas and they get to get a sense of what scientists really do.  I hate it because it it's difficult for the students and they resist it.  In the end I am happy with the work that most of my students put into the assignment (you can't get them all, lol)  I try to have a collection of ideas to provide an example for my students and also for those groups who are not able to come up with their own.  Scientific American has a great article that outlines an experiment just as how I would like my student to.  I like to share this with students before we begin so that they can get an idea about what I am expecting.

Where do you get ideas from? 

Why Don't Antibiotics Work Like They Used To? - Example of a NGSS Lesson

If you are in one of the many schools around the country that are transitioning to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) or have already made the transition you have the job of redesigning your lessons to meet these new standards.  The website www.nextgenscience.org has you covered.  You can find examples of quality NGSS designed lessons such as this one asking why antibiotics don't work they way the used to.   It part of the natural selection and evolution unit and explores the case of a girl with a life threatening bacterial infection.  As part of this lesson, students will design a model to explain how bacteria populations change over time.

The lessons you will find on this site were evaluated with the EQuIP Rubric for Science.  The rubric is designed to review existing lessons to provide criterion-based feedback and suggestions for improvement.  It can be a helpful tool as you are trying to develop your own NGSS aligned lessons.

Where you are finding quality NGSS lessons? 

Teaching Students how to Read to Learn in Science

Do you remember when MOOCs (massive open online courses) were all the rage? They are still around and I came across one from Stanford University called Reading to Learn in Science. This course is running now and goes until the end of May. The great things about MOOCs is that you get from it what you put and you don't have to feel guilty about not completing the whole thing because they are free! The course is designed to address such concerns, giving teachers the tools to help students read for understanding in science. With NGSS, CCLS and any other new standards you state or district might be adopting, reading in science is key. Students must know how to do things like cite evidence or support/critique an argument.

If you think that this course is for you, I suggest you check it and get registered. Even if you aren't sure, I would still register so that you have access to the information and can always go back to it later.

Resources for the NGSS Classroom

For some of us our state adopted the NGSS a few years ago, some are just adopting them now and still others have yet to adopt them. In any situation I feel that the practices behind NGSS are beneficial for all classrooms. You can find the infographic below from the National Academies Press. It is available as an interactive widget or as a printable pdf document.


If you want more you can download a free version of the Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas.

"A Framework for K-12 Science Education outlines a broad set of expectations for students in science and engineering in grades K-12. These expectations will inform the development of new standards for K-12 science education and, subsequently, revisions to curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional development for educators. This book identifies three dimensions that convey the core ideas and practices around which science and engineering education in these grades should be built. These three dimensions are: crosscutting concepts that unify the study of science through their common application across science and engineering; scientific and engineering practices; and disciplinary core ideas in the physical sciences, life sciences, and earth and space sciences and for engineering, technology, and the applications of science. The overarching goal is for all high school graduates to have sufficient knowledge of science and engineering to engage in public discussions on science-related issues, be careful consumers of scientific and technical information, and enter the careers of their choice. "

This book is from the National Academies Press and they have over 8,000 other books and many of them are free if you download the pdf version.