A Design Framework for National Place-Independent Science Instructional Materials to Incorporate Local Phenomena

Abstract

How can national scale curricula designed for NGSS support students in learning science through investigation of local phenomena? We present a framework for designing national place-independent curricula that supports teacher-led localization. Units are designed with supports that help teachers incorporate local phenomena by supplementing or replacing anchoring, related, or investigative phenomena. To illustrate an example of this approach in practice we describe a middle school ecosystems unit under development.