This page is dedicated to providing accurate, reliable, and vetted resources focused on the Illinois's Learning Standards for Science which are the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).  A variety of resources are shared, including resources to assist teachers, administrators and districts in their implementation, resources for making sense of NGSS curriculum, instruction, and assessment, and resources to support educators in the shift to NGSS.

Have you found a resource that has helped you along the journey?  Interested in sharing with other ISTA members?  Send ideas and resources to ISTAProfessionalLearning@gmail.com

• Looking for the standards?  You can navigate the standards either by DCI or by Topic.
• Need more information on each of the three dimensions?  To understand the complexities of the science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, the disciplinary core ideas, as well as many other key shifts in NGSS, an outline of the appendices is available.
• What is three dimensional instruction? Shifting to NGSS instruction in the classroom, requires an understanding of three-dimensional learning. 
  
• How do we assess NGSS? To support in the development of assessments, Achieve has developed evidence statements and a sampling of assessment tasks that demonstrate three-dimensional assessment.
  
• How do we evaluate lessons and units for alignment? To help evaluate lesson and units, Achieve has created and updated the EQuIP Rubric for Lessons and Units: Science. The Educators Evaluating the Quality of Instructional Products (EQuIP) Rubric for science provides criteria by which to measure the alignment and overall quality of lessons and units with respect to the NGSS.
• What new resources are available? To keep up to date with the latest NGSS resources, sign up for the NGSS NOW Newsletter.

NSTA has so many resources to share. To help make sense of NGSS, start with these great resources: 

• Looking for NGSS on NSTA? NSTA resources specific to NGSS can be located on NGSS@NSTA.  
  

• Looking for a conference?

• What are teachers using to bring NGSS to their classrooms?  Next Gen Navigator is a monthly e-newsletter delivering information, insights, resources, and professional learning opportunities for science educators by science educators on the Next Generation Science Standards and three-dimensional instruction. To keep up to date with the latest NGSS resources, sign up for the Next Gen Navigator.

• Looking for print resources? NSTA Press  "produces 20 new books per year for science teachers from K to college." To learn about these publications and other helpful resources, subscribe to NSTA's Book Beat, the award-winning monthly newsletter!

The STEM Teaching Tools site has tools that can help you teach science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). STEM Teaching Tools is currently focused on supporting the teaching of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).  

Each tool is focused on a specific issue and leverages the best knowledge from research and practice. The tool will include research articles, resources, and other valuable information related to the topic.  Under the News section, you can learn a bit more about how you might use them. This article provides background on this effort. 

Recent Tools - Practice Briefs:

• Practice Brief #51 explores, Supporting Successful District Implementation of New Science Standards

Printable Resources:  

• STEM Teaching Tools Bookmark (single)
• STEM Teaching Tools Bookmark (page)

• NGSS Overview
• Science and Engineering Practices
• Crosscutting Concepts
• Disciplinary Core Ideas
• Phenomena
• Transitioning to NGSS
• EQuIP Overview
• Collaboration
• Scientific Explanations in Elementary

The National Academies Press (NAP) was created by the National Academy of Sciences to publish the reports of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. The following are linked to NAP publications supporting the Next Generation Science Standards.  These publications are available for download, reading online, or paperback purchase.

• A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas (2012)
  
• Next Generation Science Standards (2013)
  
• Developing Assessments for the Next Generation Science Standards (2014)
  
• Guide to Implementing the Next Generation Science Standards (2015)
• Science Teachers' Learning: 
  Enhancing Opportunities, Creating Supportive Contexts (2015)
  
• Seeing Students Learn Science: 
  Integrating Assessment and Instruction in the Classroom (2017)
  

Curriculum Resources

• How do you read the Next Generation Science Standards?  New to the Next Generation Science Standards or need a refresher on how to read and work with the standards, the following resources are provided:
• NSTA's:  InsideTheNGSSBox
• 
  

• How do I plan NGSS units of study? 
  

Next Generation Science Storylines

• How do I plan a NGSS lesson? 
  

NSTA has resources sharing how to develop a lesson using the 5E model. 

• Where can I locate sample lessons that have been evaluated? 
  

Teachers Try Science

• Are there quality resources available?  With the significant shift to learning aligned to the NGSS, quality resources take a great deal of time and effort to be developed. 
  

Model Based Biology 

• With support from the National Science Foundation (DRL # 1348990)* a team of science educators and biologists have worked over the span of four years to develop, pilot, and refine curricular and pedagogical resources to support you in implementing a full year of high school biology that engages students in three-dimensional learning as called for in the Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards.  The team includes teachers who work with students every day. Members of our team have worked for many years to figure out how to bring the practice of developing and using models into the science classroom.
  

Instruction Resources

• How do the practices of ELA, Mathematics, and Science overlap? Checkout this great resources from NSTA.  Practices Venn Diagram

Assessment Resources 

• How do I assess three-dimensional learning and the NGSS? With a shift in instruction and curriculum, it is essential to shift assessment. The following are resources that have been developed to focus specifically on NGSS Assessment. 

• What do I need to know about quality assessment?  Assessment literacy is an essential area for teacher professional learning. The following are general assessment resources that can help build teacher assessment literacy. 
  

 Balanced Assessment Overview &              Balanced Assessment Resources

Guiding Principles for Classroom Assessment

Assessment Literacy Training Modules - Illinois Center for Improvement

• What does research tell us about Assessment in NGSS?

• Looking for information regarding ISBE Illinois Science Assessment (ISA)?  In compliance with federal testing requirements, Illinois will administer a science assessment to students enrolled in a public school district in grades 5, 8 and once at the high school level.  For current information and resources, click here.

Resources for Districts

• What is available to guide districts in implementation?

• The Guide to Implementation provides guidance to district and school leaders and teachers charged with developing a plan and implementing the NGSS as they change their curriculum, instruction, professional learning, policies, and assessment to align with the new standards. 
  

• Achieve Resources are designed to support school districts in implementation.
• • The District Guide to Implementation  booklet provides an overview of the issues and challenges associated with NGSS implementation and outlines some key questions, timelines, decisions, and considerations for district leaders.
  • The NGSS District Implementation Indicators document provides some key common indicators of successful NGSS implementation at the district level, as well as some concrete actions that districts can take to achieve implementation goals. 
    

• What tools are available to evaluate curriculum for alignment? 
• • EQuIP Rubric for Lessons and Units
  • PEEC: Primary Evaluation of Essential Criteria for NGSS Instructional Materials Design
  • Next Generation AIM 

Resources for Administrators

• What should administrators know about the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)?
• • Next Generation Science Standards overview designed for administrators: NGSS Overview for Principles
  • The new vision for K-12 science education and what school administrators should know: STEM Teaching Tool - Practice Brief #21
  • NGSS Who, What, When, Why, & How: NGSS Overview PowerPoint

• How do administrators evaluate science educators implementing the Next Generation Science Standards?
• • View classroom video from the Illinois Principal Association - Classrooms Voices:
  • • Elementary Example: Erica Hicks, McClellan Grade School
    • Middle School Example: Aimee Park, Lisle Junior High School
    • High School Example: Natalie Bader & Kristen Rademaker, Harlem High School
  • Instructional Leadership for Practices site is dedicated to equipping administrators and teacher leaders with the tools they need to support teachers as they implement the Scientific and Engineering Practices in their classrooms. 
  • This Science Instruction Companion to the Danielson Framework provides science specific observable evidence that supervisors of science teachers can reference during and after classroom observations. 

• What professional learning opportunities are available to learn more about the Next Generation Science Standards for Administrators? 
• • Professional Learning Opportunities:
  • • Administrator Academies in NGSS
    • Foundational Services for Science

Resources for Parents

• What Next Generation Science Standards resources are available to share with parents?
• Videos: 
• Why NGSS?
• The Importance of NGSS 
• NGSS Overview 

• Printable resources to share with parents:
• How Will Science Education Change with the NGSS?
• How Do I Help My Child Succeed in Science?
• NGSS Q and A Parent Guide from NSTA
• Why It's Time for New Science Education Standards Infographic
• NGSS Parent Guides: Achieve has released NGSS Parent Guides to illustrate how the standards are a powerful foundation to help students build a cohesive understanding of science over time.  The guides are intended to be disseminated primarily at the state and district levels to help ensure that parents gain a better understanding of the local shifts to new science standards.  
• Understanding NGSS for K-2 
• Understanding NGSS for 3-5
• Understanding NGSS for 6-8
• Understanding NGSS for 9-12

• How do teachers discuss Next Generation Science Standards with parents? 
• Sample Parent Teacher Conference
• How Would You Explain NGSS to a Parent?

Professional Learning Opportunities

What professional learning opportunities are available for teachers and districts?

• NSTA Professional Learning
• Professional Development District Services
• Conferences 
• Summer Institutes

• NGSX - Next Generation Science Exemplar 

• IARSS Professional Learning
• Foundational Services Professional Learning 
• Raising Student Achievement Conference
• ISBE Professional Learning
• Classrooms in Action Professional Learning
• Annual Statewide ESSA Conference

Professional Learning Resources 

• What professional learning resources are available to use with teachers and districts?
  

Topic Specific Resources

Scientific Phenomena

An essential NGSS shift calls for students to make sense of phenomena and/or design solutions to a problem.

Searching for phenomena to drive student questioning and investigations?  The links below offer collections of phenomena and resources highlighting natural phenomena resources.   

• ISTA's Phenomena Collection 
• Science Phenomena
  
• NGSS Phenomena
  
• Georgia Science Teachers Association Phenomena Bank  
• Digital Public Library of America
  
• Monthly Phenomena from NGSS NOW Newsletter
  
• Wonderopolis
• Scholastic: Super Science & Science World

Science in the News

An essential NGSS shift calls for students to obtain, evaluate, and communicate information.  Searching for age-appropriate, relevant, and rich science news to share with your students?  The links listed below offer sources of science in the news. 

• DOGO News
• Science News for Students
• Newsela
• Scholastic: Super Science & Science World
•