The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet expectations that they are designed to integrate the Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs), Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), and Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs) into student learning opportunities. The instructional materials are organized by segments (four per grade level) with one to two topics and within the topic are the Quests PBLs, Lessons, and Lab Activities (uConnect, uDemonstrate). Each topic includes two to four 5E lessons. Each 5E lesson consists of four sections: Engage, Explore, Explain and Elaborate, and Evaluate and includes the Quest, texts, and Lab Activities. In five of the 26 lessons, the materials integrate the three dimensions within at least one learning opportunity or activity. Across the grade, learning sequences or lessons consistently provide students with an opportunity to engage with and/or develop understanding of the SEP and DCI, but miss the opportunity for students to develop understanding of the CCCs.

Examples where the materials integrate all three dimensions into a learning opportunity within a learning sequence:

• In Grade 5, Segment 1, Topic 1, Lesson 2: Model Matter, students learn about matter and how it may be too small to be seen. In the Quest Check-In, students observe a solution composed of salt, baking soda, and sugar into water. Students make a plan to test whether the original materials are still in the cups, conduct the plan, and record observations (SEP-INV-E3). Students determine whether their observations present any evidence that matter is made up of small particles (DCI-PS1.A-E1, CCC-EM-E1).
• In Grade 5, Segment 2, Topic 3, Lesson 1: Energy in Food, Explore, students write what they eat in a typical meal and make a model that shows where each food item got its energy (SEP-MOD-E4). Students draw arrows and add the connection to the plants as guided by the teacher. Students state where the energy from their food started and that it traveled from the sun to get to their food (DCI-PS3.D-E2, CCC-EM-E3).
• In Grade 5, Segment 2, Topic 3, Lesson 2: How Animals Use Food, Explore, students choose an animal to research and record three foods the animal eats. Students determine how many “steps are involved when the energy of sunlight travels through other living beings to reach your animal” and construct a model of the steps (DCI-PS3.D-E2, SEP-MOD-P3, CCC-EM-E3).
• In Grade 5, Segment 4, Topic 8, Lesson 4: Patterns Over Time, Explain and Elaborate, students communicate information about a scientific idea (SEP-INFO-P4) to demonstrate their understanding that the orbits of the Sun, Earth, and Moon, along with the rotation of the Earth, cause observable patterns over time (DCI-ESS1.B-E1, CCC-PAT-P1).

Examples where the materials incorporate all three dimensions into a learning sequence but do not integrate within a learning opportunity:

• In Grade 5, Segment 3, Topic 5, Lesson 1: Geosphere and Biosphere, students engage in a learning sequence to develop an understanding of what makes up the biosphere and geosphere. Students model how land and water interact. In the uInvestigate Lab, students plan and build a model to determine how water flows through different soil compositions (SEP-MOD-E6, DCI-ESS2.A-E1). In the Quest Check-In, students answer a question about the cause and effect relationship between acid rain and soil to explain changes to plants (CCC-CE-E1, DCI-ESS2.A-E1). While all three dimensions were present in this lesson, they were not integrated within a learning opportunity.

Examples where the materials do not incorporate all three dimensions into a learning sequence:

• In Grade 5, Segment 2, Topic 4, Lesson 1: Ecosystems, students develop an understanding of the components of a system. Students list parts of a fish tank and create a model (SEP-MOD-P3). Students identify how the parts interact with the other parts (CCC-SYS-P2). Students devise a system consisting of living and non-living things. They make and record observations of their system (SEP-DATA-P1). Students state how the living and nonliving things work together (CCC-SYS-P2). There is a missed opportunity for students to directly connect this learning to a DCI.
• In Grade 5, Segment 3, Topic 6, Lesson 3: Earth’s Ocean, students develop an understanding of how most of earth’s water is located in the ocean. Students design a solution to separate salt from water (SEP-CEDS-E4). Students fill in a chart about the possibilities of getting fresh drinking water from a glacier, groundwater, and the ocean. Students consider each of these sources as a possibility for drinking water, describing how water could be obtained and made drinkable and identifying which parts of the process would affect the cost of using each source. The lesson can help students develop an understanding of the importance of water, but there is a missed opportunity to connect this learning to a DCI.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 do not meet expectations that they consistently support meaningful student sensemaking with the three dimensions. The materials contain instances of three-dimensional sensemaking, where SEPs and CCCs meaningfully support student sensemaking with a DCI in one of the 26 lessons. The materials contain instances of two-dimensional sensemaking, where SEPs or CCCs meaningfully support student sensemaking with a DCI in five of the 26 lessons at the activity level. The materials mostly focus on the DCI and are generally not designed for the SEPs or CCCs to support student sensemaking in the context of or with that DCI.

Examples of learning sequence where students do not engage in meaningful sensemaking with multiple dimensions:

• In Grade 5, Segment 1, Topic 1, Lesson 1: Observe Matter, students engage in a learning sequence to learn about properties of matter and how to identify matter by its properties. Students plan and conduct an investigation and record observations to gather information about what is inside three closed boxes. Students state whether they were able to identify each object and the evidence they used. Next, students choose two substances and name two properties of the materials they can test that will identify the materials (SEP-INV-P4). Students conduct the investigation, record observations, and state how a robot could use properties to tell one substance from another. Despite the fact that students use DCIs and SEPs, students do not use the SEPs to make sense of the DCIs as students are just making observations and not asked to develop explanations or understanding of their observations. Students do not explicitly engage with or use any CCCs.
• In Grade 5, Segment 3, Topic 6, Lesson 1: Water Cycle, students engage in a learning sequence to learn about the water cycle and the ocean’s role in the water cycle. Students plan and conduct an investigation to determine whether warm or cool water will produce condensation on cups. They record their observations (SEP-DATA-P1, SEP-INV-P2). Later in the learning sequence, students draw arrows to show the movement of water on earth in order to construct an explanation about providing clean drinking water. Students pick a location to explain about the movement of water. Students read information about the Arctic losing ice (SEP-INFO-P1). While students are using the practice of obtaining information, the reading does not address human impact and affects the environment including in the relevant DCI. Students are then introduced to the term carbon footprint and asked to write questions to be asked of community leaders about their carbon footprint and answer a question about what communities should know to help them avoid negative impacts on the climate (DCI-ESS3.C-E1). Despite the fact that students use DCIs and SEPs, students do not use the SEPs to make sense of the DCIs. Students do not explicitly engage with or use any CCCs.

Examples of learning sequence where SEPs or CCCs meaningfully support student sensemaking with the other dimensions:

• In Grade 5, Segment 2, Topic 4, Lesson 3: Change with Ecosystem, students engage in a learning sequence to develop an understanding of stability and change in ecosystems. Students use colored chips to make a simulation of producers and consumers in a food chain and record game results in a table (SEP-INV-P4). Students predict what will happen to the wolf and plant population if a pack of five more wolves arrive and explain their reasoning but do not explain why population size matters (DCI-LS2.C-E1). Students predict what will happen to freshwater fish in saltwater, model the body cells of a fish, use their models to test their predictions, and record observations (SEP-INV-P4). Students explain how their model helped them learn about a freshwater fish in saltwater by stating if their observations support their prediction and what evidence they collected (SEP-MOD-E6). Students infer how changes in an ecosystem could affect their animal.
• In Grade 5, Segment 4, Topic 8, Lesson 3: Earth’s Movement in Space, students engage in a learning sequence to learn about earth’s movement in space. In this learning sequence, students model earth’s rotation around the sun using a chair and a lamp (DCI-ESS1.B-E1, SEP-INV-E3). Students use the information gathered to imagine what the sky will look like in different places on earth (sample answers: sky will be dark, moon is visible, moon and stars visible, sun almost overhead but a little to the west). Students identify where the sun can be seen at different times and places on earth (DCI-ESS1.B-E1). The CCC of cause and effects is not taught or practiced explicitly as students do not explain how patterns of movement help to determine the effects of earth’s spinning motion.

Material designed for SEPs and CCCs to meaningfully support student sensemaking with the other dimensions:

• In Grade 5, Segment 4, Topic 8, Lesson 4: Quest PBL, students engage in a learning sequence to learn about patterns in space. In this learning sequence, students start by making a star finder to observe patterns in the night sky (SEP-INV-P4). Students use their star finder to see where stars might be throughout one night or a night in a few months (DCI-ESS1.B-E1). Later in the learning sequence, students identify the phase the moon at different dates and places on earth (DCI-ESS1.B-E1) and then communicate information about a scientific idea (SEP-INFO-P4) building students understanding of the orbits of the sun, earth, and moon along with the rotation of the earth cause observable patterns (DCI-ESS1.B-E1). Students are asked how patterns change in the sky over time (CCC-PAT-E3). Students are using both practices and crosscutting concepts to make sense of observable patterns in the sky.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 do not meet expectations that they are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence for three-dimensional learning in the instructional materials. Two out of 26 lesson learning objectives are three-dimensional. Seven lesson learning objectives are two-dimensional and the remainder incorporate either one or zero dimensions. Many questions that are not connected to their Lesson Objectives and 3D elements.

Formative assessments are frequent and are spread across each lesson. The formative assessments target individual learning or group understanding. The uInvestigate Labs are at the beginning of each lesson, before any reading or investigations, and do not measure any lesson learning. While information gained from the labs could provide formative data to inform instructional next steps, the teacher materials do not include support for using this data or adjusting instruction.

The majority of the Teacher Edition formative assessment questions are discussion-based and no directions are provided to support the teacher in eliciting ideas from each student or adjusting instruction based on student responses.

The Teacher Edition questions that address student understanding directly, in the reading section, allows students to scan for the answer within the text. All Student Edition lesson checks, Interactivity, and Online Quizzes are taken by an individual student as there is a response area they fill in. Interactivities frequently only assess the DCIs. The online quizzes are all multiple choice. While materials rarely address the CCCs in the instruction, they are regularly used in a combination with the DCIs during assessments.

Examples of lessons that do not have a three-dimensional objective, the formative assessment tasks partially or do not assess student knowledge of all three dimensions; and the materials do not provide guidance to support the instructional process:

• In Grade 5, Segment 1, Topic 1, Lesson 3: Properties of Matter, the learning objective is “Identify materials based on their properties.” In the uInvestigate Lab, students use a table of identified properties to identify three unknown substances and state which evidence they used to identify each substance (DCI-PS1.A-E3). While students have the opportunity to identify properties using the table and meet the lesson objective, students do not use measurement in this activity to meet the DCI. Similarly, in the Explore section, students write definitions of terms, they read about physical properties of matter. They drag labels for physical properties to an object. During the Online Quiz, students answer the following questions: identify a substance based on color and appearance description (using a table), which observations would identify two samples as a different matter, drag column headings to a table (property label), click on a model that shows if the sample is solid/liquid/gas. This activity meets the lesson objective to identify materials. The materials do not provide guidance to teachers for using formative assessment data to support the instructional process except in the Lesson Check when remediation activities are suggested if students have trouble with the questions.
• In Grade 5, Segment 2, Topic 4, Lesson 2: Organisms Within Ecosystems, the learning objectives are “Describe how organisms use matter” and “Describe the relationship between organisms in an ecosystem.” These objectives are not three-dimensional. Out of seven formative tasks in the lesson, six are individual assessments and one group assessment. Three of the individual assessments assess both lesson objectives. In the Visual Literacy Connection, students answer three questions which are labeled in the Teacher Edition as formative assessment: what are some ways consumers can be classified, describe how consumers differ from producers and decomposers (DCI-LS2.A-E1), and how could a large whale survive by feeding on tiny zooplankton? During the Explain, students label organisms as producer, consumer, or decomposer and write a definition for each type (DCI-LS2.A-E1). In the Evaluate, students answer two questions: “How do organisms use matter?” and “How are producers and consumers related?” (DCI-LS2.A-E1). In the Lesson Quiz, students answer various questions including label decomposer in a shoebox model, interpret a food web, and drag organisms to make a food chain (DCI-LS2.A-E1). The materials do not provide guidance to teachers for using formative assessment data to support the instructional process except in the Lesson Check when remediation activities are suggested if students have trouble with the questions.
• In Grade 5, Segment 3, Topic 5, Lesson 2, Hydrosphere and Atmosphere, the lesson objectives are “Describe what makes up the hydrosphere” and “Describe what makes up the atmosphere.” Out of five formative tasks in the lesson, three assess individual understanding, two assess the lesson objective, one assesses the SEP only, and two assess the DCI only. In the uInvestigate Lab, students hypothesize whether air will stay warm in an open jar and a closed jar to understand how greenhouses work and model how earth’s atmosphere traps heat (SEP-MOD-E3). During both the Evaluate and the Online Lesson Quiz, students answer questions about the interaction between earth’s spheres (DCI-ESS2.A-E1). The materials do not provide guidance to teachers for using formative assessment data to support the instructional process except in the Lesson Check when remediation activities are suggested if students have trouble with the questions.
• In Grade 5, Segment 3, Topic 6, Lesson 2: Earth’s Freshwater, the learning objectives are “Identify that most of the Earth’s freshwater is in glaciers, ice caps or underground” and “Explain that some freshwater is found in lakes, rivers, wetlands, and the atmosphere.” Out of six formative assessment tasks in the lesson that assess individual understanding, three assess the lesson objective, one assesses the CCC only, and three assess the DCI only. In Virtual Labs, students collect data on their own personal use of water and examine water shortages (CCC-SPQ-E2). In the Visual Literacy Connection, students answer questions about surface water and freshwater reservoirs (DCI-ESS2.C-E1). Students complete the interactivity titled “Earth’s Underground Water” where they learn about aquifers and how to prevent underground water shortage (DCI-ESS2.C-E1). The materials do not provide guidance to teachers for using formative assessment data to support the instructional process except in the Lesson Check when remediation activities are suggested if students have trouble with the questions.

Example of a lesson that does not have a three-dimensional objective, the formative assessment tasks assess student knowledge of three dimensions connected to the larger learning sequence; and the materials do not provide guidance to support the instructional process:

• In Grade 5, Segment 4, Topic 8, Lesson 2: Brightness of the Sun and Other Stars, the learning objectives are “Recognize that many stars are as big and bright as the sun” and “Explain how the apparent brightness of stars is related to their distances from Earth.” While the objective is not three-dimensional, it builds towards the PE objectives at the topic level. Out of five formative tasks in the lesson, four assess individual understanding of the lesson objective, one assesses the DCI, SEP, and CCC, two assess the DCI and CCC, and one assess the DCI only. In the uInvestigate Lab, students investigate distance and brightness using a flashlight and record data. Students use this evidence to explain how distance impacts brightness (DCI-ESS1.A-E1, SEP-ARG-E4). In the Interactivity, students play games to determine which star is closer (DCI-ESS1.A-E1). Students make an argument for why the sun is brighter than other stars (DCI-ESS1.A-E1, SEP-ARG-E4, CCC-SPQ-P1). In the Lesson Quiz, students answer questions about the relative size and brightness of the sun and other stars (DCI-ESS1.A-E1). The materials do not provide guidance to teachers for using formative assessment data to support the instructional process except in the Lesson Check when remediation activities are suggested if students have trouble with the questions.

Example of a lesson that has a three-dimensional objective, the formative assessment tasks do not assess student knowledge of all three dimensions in the learning objective, and materials do not provide guidance to support the instructional process:

• In Grade 5, Segment 2, Topic 4, Lesson 4: Matter and Energy in Ecosystems, the learning objective is “Model the movement of matter among organisms and the environment.” Out of five formative tasks in the lesson, three assess individual understanding as opposed to group understanding, two assess the SEPs and DCIs, one assesses the SEP only, and two assess the DCI only. None of the assessments include the CCC and, as a result, none of the assessments assess the learning objective. In the uInvestigate Lab, students use building blocks to model matter moving through an ecosystem and explain it (DCI-LS2.B-E1, SEP-MOD-E4). In the Interactivity, students explain why the word chain is used to describe a transfer of matter and energy and they describe how matter and energy might be transferred through a kelp forest (DCI-LS2.B-E1, DCI-LS2.A-E1). In the Lesson Check, students answer two questions: “Make a diagram to show how matter cycles in an ecosystem” (SEP-MOD-E4) and “What would happen over time to an ecosystem if decomposers were removed?” (DCI-LS2.A-E1). The materials do not provide guidance to teachers for using formative assessment data to support the instructional process except in the Lesson Check when remediation activities are suggested if students have trouble with the questions.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 do not meet expectations that they are designed to elicit direct, observable evidence of the three-dimensional learning in the instructional materials. The materials provide three-dimensional learning objectives for the topic level in the form of performance expectations (PEs), but summative tasks measure student achievement of only some learning objectives (PEs) or their associated elements, and few summative assessment tasks are three-dimensional in design.

There are three assessments at each topic level: Evidence-Based Assessment, uDemonstrate Lab Assessment, and the Online Topic Test. The Evidence-Based Assessment is typically four to six questions, the uDemonstrate Lab is a performance-based assessment, and the Online Topic Test is mainly presented as a multiple-choice exam. The DCIs were most often assessed in at least one question on the assessments. The SEPs were occasionally assessed independently or in combination with the DCI. The CCCs were not assessed on any of the three assessments.

There are two assessments at the segment level: the California Performance-Based Assessment and the Summative Benchmark Assessment which consists of multiple-choice and free-response questions. The end of year assessment is a 30-question Online Topic Test consisting of short-answers, multiple-choice, drop-down-menu, and click-in-the-right-spot.

Examples where objectives are three-dimensional, but summative assessment tasks do not fully assess the three-dimensional learning objectives and are not three-dimensional in design:

• In Grade 5, Segment 2, Topic 3: Energy and Food, the objectives include three PEs: 5-PS3-1, 5-LS1-1, and 5-LS2-1. Not all of the dimensions addressed in these PEs are assessed. There are three summative assessments. On the Evidence-Based Assessment, students are presented with a data chart of organisms, prey, and predator. Students answer three multiple-choice questions and two short-answer questions about matter and energy in ecosystems. The assessment gives the DCI content in the questions or does not require science understanding to answer the questions. For example, Question 2 says, “Is the scientist correct when he argues that matter from the oak tree can be found inside of the owl?” Students read the table to answer this question correctly, however two choices do not make sense and the table shows the owl does not eat the deer or tree seeds leaving only one reasonable choice that does not require DCI understanding. In two of these questions, students do need to state why they agree or disagree and use DCI understanding to do so (DCI-LS1.C-E2, DCI-PS3.D-E2). In the uDemonstrate Lab Assessment, students build a model to show that matter cycles between the environment, plants, and animals using clay. The fourth question asks, “Why was it important that your model showed matter from animals returning to the environment?” which indicates that previous answers and the model need to include matter from animals returning to the environment. Students do not need to have any understanding of how matter returns to the environment (i.e., through decomposition which is included in the DCI), just that it does. And the students’ model does not describe a phenomenon as required by the SEP associated with 5-LS2-1. None of the five questions assess the objective. The Online Topic Test has 22 questions that consist of free-response, fill-in-the-blank, selected-response, and multiple-choice questions. While many of the questions are related to food webs and chains (e.g., identifying producers and consumers, using a food web to identify what a rabbit eats), the questions do not capture the larger concepts of the cycling of matter and flow of energy through ecosystems and the stability of ecosystems. Out of 22 questions, Question nine assesses DCI-PS3.D-E2 and Question 20 assess DCI-LS1.C-E1. Overall, there are 36 questions in all and only two of the questions in the Online Topic Test assess DCIs and none address the SEPs or CCCs.
• In Grade 5, Segment 3, Topic 5: Earth’s Systems, the objective includes one PE: 5-ESS2-1. Not all of the dimensions addressed in this PE is assessed. There are three summative assessments. In the Evidence-Based Assessment, students look at a drawing of land and water. Students answer four multiple-choice and two short-answer questions about the scenario. Out of six questions, two assess DCI-ESS2.A-E1. The uDemonstrate Lab Assessment has four short-answer questions and a table to be filled in. None of the questions assess the objective. Students build a closed terrarium and state which materials represent each sphere. Students choose a variable to test and write a plan. The task and questions do not allow students to see or explain how the spheres interact and affect earth’s surface. The Online Topic Test has 22 multiple choice or short answer questions about earth’s spheres. Out of 22 questions, five assess DCI-ESS2.A-E1 by asking students to identify how two spheres interact. No questions assess the SEP or the CCC.
• In Grade 5, Segment 3, Topic 7: Human Impacts on Earth's System, the objective includes one PE: 5-ESS3-1. Not all of the dimensions addressed in this PE is assessed. There are three summative assessments. In the Evidence-Based Assessment, students read a table about energy use in a city, answer two short-answer questions, two multiple-choice questions, and a question that requires students to rank energy sources according to their effect on the environment. With the exception of Question 1, all of the questions can be answered by using the table provided meaning that students do not need to have an understanding of the PE. In Question 1, students need to be able to think of ways that a dam can affect the environment other than through pollution (DCI-ESS3.C.E1). In the uDemonstrate Lab Assessment, students research and compare two devices that use falling water to cause motion. Students are asked to design a device that can do this action. Students build, test their design, and evaluate a classmate’s device. This six-question task does not address the objective 5-ESS3-1. In the last assessment of the topic, Online Topic Test, students answer 30 online questions consisting of multiple-choice, short answer, drop-down-menu, and click-on-the-right-spot. Many of these questions are about topics related to other PEs (e.g., definitions of renewable and non-renewable energy, location of freshwater resources) or are extraneous to the element (e.g., where to put solar panels on a house). Out of 30 questions, nine assess DCI-ESS3.C-E1. These assessments total 41 questions, with eleven assessing DCI-ESS3.C-E1 and zero assessing the SEPs or CCCs.
• In Grade 5, Segment 1: Matter, the objectives include four PEs: 5-PS1-1, 5-PS1-2, 5-PS1-3, and 5-PS1-4. Not all of the dimensions addressed in these PEs are assessed. There are two segment assessments. The California Performance-Based Assessment has six questions. Out of the four objectives, only the concepts of variables are assessed as connected to 5-PS1-4 in two of the questions. An example of not connecting to the PEs includes Question 4, “What two ingredients in this recipe will cause the cake to rise?” For the Benchmark Assessment, there are nine questions. Two of the nine questions assess DCI-PS1.B-E2 and DCI-PS1.A-E2. Question 1 and 2 are related to the ideas in the DCIs as they show models of matter in different states, but they do not capture the intent of the DCIs as neither assesses understanding that these particles are too small to see. No questions assess whether students understand that the behavior of gases can explain observations such as balloons. One of the correct responses on Question 4 is that water particles evaporate, which is incorrect. None of the three dimensions in 5-PS1-3 are assessed in either of the two assessments.
• In Grade 5, Segment 4: Patterns in the Night Sky, the objectives include three PEs: 5-PS2-1, 5-ESS1-1, and 5-ESS1-2. Not all of the dimensions addressed in these PEs are assessed. There are two segment assessments. The California Performance-Based Assessment has five short answer questions about gravity. The majority of the assessment tests students understanding that things fall “downward,” not that they fall “towards the planet's center” and therefore the questions do not capture the intent of DCI-PS2.B-E3 which states, “The gravitational force of Earth acting on an object near Earth’s surface pulls that object toward the planet’s center.” The final question has student’s state how a ship traveling around the planet serves as evidence that gravity pulls objects toward earth’s center (DCI-PS2.B-E3). The Benchmark Assessment has nine questions including click-on-the-right-spot, multiple-choice, short-answer, and drop-down-menu questions. Zero of the nine questions assess the first objective, 5-PS2-1. Question 8 has students write a conclusion in a scenario where the apparent brightness of two stars is different than the actual brightness (DCI-ESS1.A-E1). Five of the nine questions assess the DCI-ESS1.B-E1.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 do not meet expectations that phenomena and problems are connected to grade-level Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs). While the materials include sections that label an Anchoring Phenomenon and Investigative Phenomenon, these sections contain questions to help build an understanding of the question that center around a DCI or content learning, resulting in missed opportunities for students to explain phenomena that they observe. Similarly, investigations and Quest PBLs do not provide students opportunities to gather evidence in order to design their own solutions to solve problems. Instead, students often use trial and error to test solutions, resulting in missed opportunities for students to use science ideas to design solutions.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 do not meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems are presented to students as directly as possible. While the materials include sections that label an Anchoring Phenomenon and Investigative Phenomenon, these sections contain questions to help build an understanding of the question that center around a DCI or content learning, resulting in missed opportunities for students to explain phenomena that they observe. Similarly, investigations and Quest PBLs do not provide students opportunities to gather evidence in order to design their own solutions to solve problems.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 do not meet expectations that phenomena and/or problems drive individual lessons or activities using key elements of all three dimensions. Materials do not provide investigations across the series using phenomena or problems to drive student learning within individual lessons. Frequently, the learning objective focuses on the learning of a DCI or associated element, resulting in a missed opportunity for students to use the three dimensions as they work towards explaining phenomena or solving problems.

Examples where individual lessons or activities are not driven by phenomena and/or problems, and do not engage students with all three dimensions:

• In Grade 5, Segment 1,Topic 1, Lesson 3: Properties of Matter, a phenomenon or problem does not drive student learning. Rather, the lesson is driven by the learning objective, “Students will identify materials based on their properties.” Students plan and conduct an investigation to identify substances based on conductivity, appearance, and solubility and then state the properties used to identify each unknown substance. Students provide an example of when using color to identify a substance would be important. In the Quest Check-In Lab, students describe ways they can compare the properties of matter before testing four objects for physical properties and recording their findings in a table. Within the instructional sequence, students conduct an investigation to identify substances based on their properties (DCI-PS1.A-E3, SEP-INV-P2) and record their findings of physical properties in a table (SEP-DATA-P1).
• In Grade 5, Segment 3, Topic 4, Lesson 2: Organisms Within Ecosystems, a phenomenon or problem does not drive student learning. Rather, the lesson is driven by the learning objectives, “Students will describe how organisms use matter” and “Students will describe the relationships between organisms in an ecosystem.” Students answer text-based questions to identify what plants need from their environment (i.e., carbon dioxide, water, sunlight). Students read about consumers and study the paths of matter and energy in an ecosystem (DCI-LS2.B-E1). Students use an Interactivity to choose two organisms to find out how they interact with each other and record results in their online field notebook.
• In Grade 5, Segment 3, Topic 5, Lesson 3: Interactions Among Earth's Systems, a phenomenon or problem does not drive student learning. Rather, students engage with the learning objective, “Describe how Earth’s systems interact with each other.” Students identify patterns on a precipitation map. Students explain how the hydrosphere and geosphere work together to cause precipitation. Students study a visual to draw conclusions about how the ocean affects other systems on earth. In the Quest Check-In, students predict how changes in natural processes affect earth’s spheres. Students describe how the spheres interact in each process and predict how a change in one of the processes might affect the earth’s spheres. Within the instructional sequence, students explain how precipitation differs on two sides of a mountain range and predict how changes in natural processes affect earth’s spheres (DCI-ESS2.A-E1).
• In Grade 5, Segment 3, Topic 7, Lesson 2: Human Activity and Earth’s Systems, a phenomenon or problem does not drive student learning. Rather, students engage with the learning objective, “Students will explain how human activities affect Earth’s resources and environments.” Students read about pollution and answer the question, “Should all states require cars to pass smog inspections before being driven?” Students look at how human activities can affect earth’s systems, including causing environmental damage (DCI-ESS3.C-E1).
• In Grade 5, Segment 3,Topic 7, Lesson 3: Protecting Earth’s Resources and the Environment, a phenomenon or problem does not drive student learning. Rather, students engage with the learning objective, “Students will describe ways to protect Earth’s resources and environments.” Students design and build a way to capture rainwater before reading text about resource protection and conservation. Students learn about recycling as a way humans can minimize the impact of waste materials on the environment. Students compare three different locations for building a new classroom and determine which site would be best, considering building needs and impact on the environment. Students identify one action that could be implemented at their own school to conserve resources and write an implementation plan. Students explore ways they impact the environment and look at ways they reduce their impact. This instructional sequence helps students build understanding that human activities can impact the environment but individuals and communities can take actions to protect resources and environments (DCI-ESS.3-E1).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 were designed for students to solve problems in 0% of the topics (0/8 topics). Throughout the materials, 0% of the topics (0/8 topics) were designed for students to explain phenomena. There are four Instructional Segments in Grade 5, each comprised of one to two topics, with a total of eight topics altogether. Each topic consists of two to four lessons, uConnect labs, uInvestigate labs, uDemonstrate labs, a Career Connection page, and Quest Problem Based Learning (PBL). The Quest PBL is part of the launch of the topic and then revisited in each lesson and at the end of the topic. As a result, students do not solve problems in this grade level.

Each Instructional Segment begins with a section labeled as an Anchoring Phenomenon that provides a focus question for the segment. For example, Instructional Segment 1 provides the question, “How can medicine be delivered more quickly?” as the Anchoring Phenomenon. Each topic within a segment provides a question labeled as an Investigative Phenomenon; these questions help build an understanding of the segment-level question. The topic within Segment 1 labels the question, “How do you describe the properties of matter?” as the Investigative Phenomenon. Each of the three lessons within this topic focuses on smaller questions to help students answer the topic-level question. The learning at each of these levels focuses on answering a lesson-, topic-, or segment-level question centered around a DCI or content learning, resulting in missed opportunities for students to explain phenomena that they observe. As a result, students do not figure out phenomena in this grade level.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 do not meet expectations that they intentionally leverage students’ prior knowledge and experiences related to phenomena or problems. While the materials include sections that label an Anchoring Phenomenon and Investigative Phenomenon, these sections contain questions to help build an understanding of the question that center around a DCI or content learning, resulting in missed opportunities for students to explain phenomena that they observe. Similarly, across the 26 lessons in this grade, investigations and Quest PBLs do not provide students opportunities to gather evidence in order to design their own solutions to solve problems.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 do not meet expectations that they embed phenomena or problems across multiple lessons for students to use and build knowledge of all three dimensions. Across the grade, a concept or a question is used to frame learning across multiple lessons in the topic, rather than a driving phenomenon or problem. Within the eight topics in the grade, students do not have opportunities to solve problems or design challenges in Quest PBLs. The Quest PBL provides multimodal opportunities for students to engage in developing, evaluating, and revising their thinking as they work through the Quest. There are few opportunities for students to develop, evaluate, and revise their thinking outside of the Quest PBLs.

Examples of topics that do not use phenomena or problems to drive student learning across multiple lessons:

• In Grade 5, Segment 1, Topic 2: Changes in Matter, a phenomenon or problem does not drive student learning across multiple lessons. Rather, student learning is driven by the concept of changes in matter. Students observe photographs of physical changes, chemical changes, mixtures, and solutions to answer questions, draw conclusions, or make predictions. Students conduct short investigations to cool, heat, mix, and separate objects and substances. Students mix substances to determine the state of matter of the new substance (DCI-PS1.B-E1), investigate how temperature affects properties (DCI-PS1.B-E2, SEP-INV-P4, CCC-EM-E2), and mix substances to find evidence of chemical changes (DCI-PS1.B-E1, SEP-INV-E3, SEP-CEDS-E3).
• In Grade 5, Segment 2, Topic 3: Energy and Food, a phenomenon or problem does not drive student learning across multiple lessons. Rather, student learning is driven by the question, “Where does the energy in food come from and how do living things use food?” Students read informational text, conduct investigations, and engage in Quest PBL activities to create a healthy plate of food. Students research an animal (SEP INFO-P3) to find out foods the animal eats, foods the animal’s prey eats, and how the animal uses the energy it receives from food. Students compare information about their animal with other students' animals looking for similarities and differences and then create a model showing how the energy of the sun moves through living things to reach their animal (DCI-PS3.D-E2).
• In Grade 5, Segment 3, Topic 7: Human Impacts on Earth’s Systems, a phenomenon or problem does not drive student learning across multiple lessons. Rather, student learning is driven by human impacts on earth. Students observe photographs of human impacts and different solutions to answer questions. Students research different types of metals and map where they are naturally found, showing their distribution across the globe, mapping their locations draw conclusions, or make predictions. Students also conduct short investigations to design a new toy out of reusable materials, study metals, discover how materials break down over time, and plan a way to collect rainwater. During the PBL, students look to make their school less wasteful and more efficient. Students design a pet from reusable materials and research metals (SEP-INFO-E4). During the Quest PBL, students design and build a model of an energy-efficient room (SEP-MOD-E6).
• In Grade 5, Segment 3, Topic 8: Patterns in Space, a phenomenon or problem does not drive student learning across multiple lessons. Rather, student learning focuses on learning about different aspects of space. Students read informational text, complete investigations and activities, and complete the Quest PBL to develop an understanding of the grade-level DCIs related to gravity and space. Students make models to investigate the effects of gravity, research sunrise and sunset times, research phases of the moon, and make a brochure on their observations. In the Quest PBL Check-Ins, students make a space pattern brochure as a final project using the moon phases, observations in the sky, and gravity (CCC-PAT-P1, SEP-INFO-P4, DCI-ESS1.B-E1).