Connecting the CCSS and NGSS

Article: "How do the Common Core Math, ELA, and Next Gen Science Standards Overlap?"

Overview

Brief Description of the Resource: In my quest to help teachers connect math and science in Grade 5, I encountered this resource which was adapted from the work of Tina Cheuk at Stanford University by Robert Kaplinsky. Their goal was simple and complex: they aimed to show the connections between the Common Core math and ELA standards and the Next Generation Science Standards. While their work is quite helpful for the teacher, Kaplinsky's suggestion that teachers might prefer to make their own Venn diagrams is perhaps an even better product of this article.

Technical and Cost Considerations: This article is available for free on Kaplinsky's website. It is viewable on any device with Internet access and does not seem to require an excessive amount of bandwidth.

Evaluation

1. Learning Activity Types

In terms of learning activities, this resource best fits the following criteria:

• LA-Present - (read or attend to) presentation of new content/ideas
• LA-Present-Explain - explanation

Kaplinsky and Cheuk take information previously available to teachers and present it in a new format which helps teachers better synthesize and reflect on connections between content areas.

2. What Mathematics Is Being Learned?

Teachers don't necessarily learn (or teach) mathematics with this article. Rather, after reading this article, teachers are better equipped to reflect on what practices students are expected to know and how they relate to each other and connect between subject areas

Common Core Math Practices

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
4. Model with mathematics.
5. Use appropriate tools strategically.
6. Attend to precision.
7. Look for and make use of structure.
8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

Next Generation Science Practices

1. Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
2. Developing and using models
3. Planning and carrying out investigations
4. Analyzing and interpreting data
5. Using mathematics and computational thinking
6. Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)
7. Engaging in argument from evidence
8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

Proficiency Strands
Normally, when we discuss proficiency strands, we are considering which strands students will access through an activity. However, this resource is very much teacher-directed; teachers might choose to share it with students but more than likely will not.

Additional comments on what is being learned
As more and more schools adapt the NGSS and CCSSM, it helps to have resources for teachers to consider all the practices students are now required to learn in addition to the content standards teachers typically aim toward.

3. How Is the Mathematics Represented?

This new information is presented in individual lists (in the article) and symbolically through a Venn diagram (at the end of the article). The list helps make clear the individual practices for different subject areas while the Venn diagram shows connections among practices between content areas. Both formats individually obscure something; the list obscures the connections between subject areas while the Venn diagram to some extent is less clear than a list. While both the list and the diagram are possible without technology, technology allows Kaplinsky the opportunity to link to Cheuk's work and allows for clear representations presented to a wider audience.

4. What Role Does Technology Play?

Some advantages offered by the technology include the ability to link to the original research as well as to share this work with a wider audience. Teachers are able to reflect on the representation and send comments to Kaplinsky. In terms of disadvantages, the visual may seem overwhelming to some. However, Kaplinsky balanced this well by including a list of the practices by subject area.

Affordances of Technology for Supporting Learning

• Representing Ideas & Thinking: Kaplinsky and Cheuk were able to represent their ideas about the NGSS and the CCSS.
• Accessing Information: A wide audience was able to access these representations and in turn use them to help them be reflective practitioners.
• Communicating & Collaborating: Being able to see these ideas and reflect on them allows educators to connect and question current practices.
• Capturing & Creating: These conversations and the tech-created diagram allow teachers to improve their teaching and embrace standards.

5. How Does the Technology Fit or Interact with the Social Context of Learning?

Although articles can be accessed by individuals, this particular article is probably better suited to group analysis. PLCs in particular would probably benefit from discussions on how the practices cross subject lines and how as teachers we can work smarter. Kaplinsky's website unfortunately does not allow public commenting which hinders this discussion from starting with digital learning communities, at least on his webpage. These discussions could still occur via Twitter, email, etc.


6. Additional Comments

This article provides a great visual for teachers feeling overwhelmed by the standards and for teachers seeking to engage in reflective practice.

This evaluation was developed in my work for the MSU Course, CEP 805: Spring 2017, and is also accessible on the private course wiki.