On behalf of Learning A to Z, welcome, Idaho reviewers, to a brief presentation on how Science A to Z aligns to the Standards for your 2019 Idaho Science Content Standards adoption. It is our hope that this presentation will provide additional insight on how Science A to Z supports the Idaho adopted primary evaluation of essential criteria, and demonstrates how you can empower your educators and provide students with the resources and experiences necessary to meet Idaho Standards, and achieve high levels of proficiency.
On behalf of Learning A to Z, welcome, Idaho reviewers, to a brief presentation on how Science A to Z aligns to the Standards for your 2019 Idaho Science Content Standards adoption. It is our hope that this presentation will provide additional insight on how Science A to Z supports the Idaho adopted primary evaluation of essential criteria, and demonstrates how you can empower your educators and provide students with the resources and experiences necessary to meet Idaho Standards, and achieve high levels of proficiency.
Science A to Z is a digital platform that is both teacher-centric and student-centric, designed to strengthen the connection between what is being taught and what students are practicing, by delivering developmentally-appropriate content in multiple formats. For the teacher, Science A to Z provides thousands of aligned resources that support differentiation, personalization, and research-based instruction. For the student, Science A to Z provides 24-7 access to texts and resources in print and digital formats, all of which promote three-dimensional learning, and integrate great, appropriate elements of science and engineering practices, cross-cutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas into science instruction.
Before we explore the wealth of resources that Science A to Z offers, that are aligned with Idaho Science Standards, let's discuss how these resources are designed and organized within Science A to Z, to address the Idaho Science Standard's primary evaluation criteria. Science instructional practices are shifting, from learning about a topic to figuring out why or how something happens. Phenomena-centric classrooms give students and teachers a context in which to monitor ongoing progress towards understanding all three dimensions. When it comes to making sense of phenomena and helping students design solutions to problems, Science A to Z centers planning and teaching resources around an anchoring phenomenon, to stimulate students' curiosity and inquiry.
To support scientific discussion with students on a selected topic, Science A to Z provides a variety of digital, printed multimedia resources, including discussion cards and graphic organizers that help students to observe, record and draw conclusions about anchoring phenomena they witness in class. Science A to Z makes it easy for teachers to apply three-dimensional instruction by providing storylines that provide a scope and sequence of lessons tied to an anchoring phenomenon, so that students can make sense of phenomena by asking questions, gathering evidence, making a claim and supporting that claim with a reasoning. Science A to Z Reading, Writing, Collaborating and Investigating resources engage the students by asking them, what's the big idea? Each Science A to Z resource and lesson targets the three dimensions embedded with performance expectations. Science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas and cross-cutting concepts that are strategically integrated and denoted on the lesson plans, so that teachers can identify places where a certain dimension is emphasized. Assessments at the end of each unit help teachers gauge the students' understanding of the lesson content, while monitoring mastery to the Standards.
The idea of preparing students to be scientifically literate isn't new. Learning progressions have the potential to organize Standards, assessments and instruction in a way that provides students with a foundation of scientific literacy, knowledge and skills, so they can continue to progress and expand their proficiency. Many of Science A to Z's resources are intentionally scaffolded to ensure that students develop foundational skills in earlier grades, they will build on and use to complete investigations and projects in later grades.
Scientific literacy is the ability to make meaning of text and to develop proficiency in science content that goes beyond knowing the facts. Designed to promote and develop science literacy along with phenomena-driven three-dimensional learning, Science A to Z provides multi-level materials in English and Spanish that help satisfy both Science and ELA-curriculum Standards, so that Science A to Z supports Idaho's All Students, All Standards criteria.
Next, let's delve a bit further to Science A to Z resources and how they're organized, to look at some specific examples of resources tied to performance expectations. We'll take a look at an example from the Idaho Standards for first grade in physical sciences related to sound and light, and how Science A to Z supports those performance Standards with a comprehensive set of resources. We'll explore how Science A to Z storylines organize and provide a scope and sequence aligned with the Idaho Science Standards, and show how it supports and promotes three-dimensional learning in a way that makes it easy for teachers to plan, provide classroom experiences, and support individual practice.
With Science A to Z storylines, teachers have a complete curriculum that includes resources and guidance correlated to performance Standards. Storylines communicate the scope and sequence of learning for the three-dimensional goals in each phenomena-driven lesson. This sample storyline, focused on sound and light, includes a quick reference link for teachers that summarizes the specific sequence of lessons in the storyline, and the scope of performance objectives to be covered. Easy-to-access storyline lesson plans provide teachers with a greater level of detail on how to plan each lesson, and take advantage of Science A to Z resources that have been organized to help engage students and support instruction and scientific inquiry in the classroom.
Three-dimensional learning is integrated into each lesson with specific callouts to emphasize disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering concepts, and cross-cutting concepts. Each lesson plan includes referenced activities, reading materials, assessments and questions to consider as they transition to the next lesson. Each storyline comes to life in the classroom with an anchoring phenomenon. In this case, students are presented with a video that explores how they can make shadow puppets by blocking the light. The video provides a springboard for further inquiry, supported by discussion question handouts to stimulate deeper inquiry. Resources to support each lesson as outlined in the Storyline Teacher's Guide are easy to access as printable, projectable, or digitally-assignable to students for differentiated reading, practice and assessment. Focus books, like the Sounds of Drums, highlighted here, include activities and further exploration that align with the performance objectives. They provide further context for scientific inquiry while promoting literacy aligned with English Language art Standards. Resources like this quick read provide shorter reading activities aligned with the performance objective. As you can see here, these resources are leveled to promote differentiated instruction with low, medium and high reading levels that provide science learning and inquiry opportunities to all students aligned to the appropriate reading level.
Science A to Z's process activity resources help K through 6 students practice key skills and tools frequently used in science experiments and investigations. These resources are designed to help students think and act like scientists and engineers. In this example, Science A to Z provides teachers with an outline of materials needed, data sheets for recording observations, and step-by-step instructions so they can guide the activity, get students to record their observations, draw conclusions, and propose an argument. This tuning fork activity gives students the opportunity to use their sense of hearing, touch and sight to better-understand the nature of sound.
Science A to Z diagrams and graphic organizers help to formalize inquiry related to process activities. A variety of organizers, including evidence, claim and reasoning, concept flower diagrams, and organizers designed to help students take ownership of their reading experience, and their own learning goals are all provided.
All Science A to Z resources correlated to Idaho's Science Standards are well-organized, and easy for teachers to access. Within Science A to Z, teachers can select the state and choose a grade level, and give you a menu of correlated resources that are part of Science A to Z's deep library. As you explore Science A to Z, you can find these Standards and correlation guides within the Teacher's Corner on the Home Page, then navigate to the U.S. Science Standards, and select Idaho, and the desired grade level. In addition to teaching resources, Science A to Z includes assessment tools for informal and formal assessment of student learning throughout their journey. As students engage in three-dimensional learning, teachers can use several types of opportunities to informally assess along the way. Each lesson within the storyline includes a performance-based assessment to be administered at the conclusion of the lesson. That accumulative final assessment that asks questions related to the concepts, ideas and practices that were covered in the entire series of lessons.
Beyond providing a storyline framework for science and literacy resources, Science A to Z organizes resources by unit. Teachers can browse unit resources, conduct a keyword search for specific materials, or refer back to Idaho Standards' correlations to further explore available resources. Let's look at this unit on senses to examine some additional Science A to Z resources, to promote phenomena-driven inquiry, three-dimensional learning, and science literacy.
Science A to Z I.Files are group science activities for kids that help them dig deeper into science content, to stimulate further inquiry and inspire them to think like scientists and engineers. In this example, students conduct a close reading of iFiles related to the five senses. Each iFile includes a simple suggested activity to further their exploration and inquiry. After reviewing and discussing each file in a group, students are presented with a mystery file that poses questions that they must explore, then cite evidence to support. In this case, students are asked to explore and debate whether the ability to know direction qualifies as a sense in the same way as touch, smell or taste.
A library of easy-to-access Science A to Z videos with supporting discovery questions are organized as part of storylines, units, or as independent, searchable resources, so teachers can incorporate them into their lessons. Each video is designed to prompt further inquiry, and to guide activities that teachers and students can explore further in the classroom. Unit resources, like Career Files, help students to explore and understand how scientific inquiry and the knowledge and skills they have acquired apply to careers in the real world. Career Files help students to think more broadly about the possibilities and opportunities available to them, as they continue their journey of scientific exploration.
We've explored classroom resources for promoting phenomena-driven science inquiry, three-dimensional learning, and science literacy. Now let's take a look at how Science A to Z connects classroom exploration to student practice. To access the digital student practice site of Science A to Z, students can utilize any internet browser, or download the Kids A to Z mobile app. In Kids A to Z, students find engaging science content and activities in an interactive, digital format. From the Science A to Z portal, kids have access to the Science Library, assignments, and In the News. The Science Library divides the four domains into three areas of difficulty within each domain. In every unit, students can digitally access the resources we've reviewed in this video. Students can listen to texts independently and interact with texts, using eBook tools to develop higher-level content knowledge. They can record themselves reading to practice fluency, with instant teacher access for review and feedback. Non-efficient books and focus books have an audio version, which allow students to hear properly-modeled fluency, or reading highlighted text, helping them develop their fluency and learning vocabulary. After students read and-or listen to the books, they can take the comprehension eQuiz that measures comprehension knowledge. Once the students have read the book, they are now able to take the comprehension quiz. The results of the quiz inform teachers with regard to ELA Standards in which science topics students have mastered, as well as which ones might require additional instruction or practice.
With the Kids A to Z Student Management System, teachers and administrators can quickly and easily track student progress and monitor activity across all Learning A to Z programs. In Science A to Z, teachers can monitor the amount of time students spend reading and listening to books, watching videos, taking quizzes, and interacting with the Star Zone Incentive Program. Results of the student activity and performance in the Science A to Z online quizzes are immediately recorded and accessible to teachers and administrators. A variety of reports are available, and can be emailed, printed, exported or downloaded. Teachers can also email reports to parents. Parents can also monitor student activity and growth, and can offer encouragement to students. Teachers can monitor how students interact with Science A to Z by viewing the activity reports that show how many books students have listened to and read, as well as quiz information, and report of time spent in the incentive portions of the program.
Like all Learning A to Z solutions, Science A to Z is based on our belief in the power of teachers, and all elements of the program's design equip teachers with high-quality resources that fit the way they teach in their classrooms. The programs' multiple formats and differentiated content make Science A to Z a seamless fit for blended or traditional classrooms. The Kids A to Z Student Management System helps teachers shape student's eLearning experience to fit their unique needs. Teachers can customize each individual student's library, as well as assign resources and create custom assignments in response to student interests or learning needs.
On behalf of Learning A to Z, thank you for viewing this presentation. We hope the information presented was relevant, meaningful, and got you excited to learn more. We look forward to partnering with schools and districts across Idaho.
