BY SARAH J. FICK, ANNA MARIA ARIAS, AND JONATHAN BAEK

40 BY SARAH J. FICK, ANNA MARIA ARIAS, AND JONATHAN BAEK

While much has been written about how to integrate the science and engineering practices of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) with its disciplinary core ideas (DCIs), there are few suggestions about how the crosscutting concepts (CCs) might be incorporated into instruction (see Resources). The integration of the CCs has the potential to facilitate deeper science learning within one DCI and can assist students in making connections across DCIs (Duncan and Cavera 2015; Rivet et al. 2016). However, as we began to develop middle school units, we found that figuring out what this integration might look like is challenging. In this article, we describe strategies we used for integrating CCs with DCIs and science and engineering practices in a unit focused on the role of water in Earth s processes. Multiple purposes for the crosscutting concepts In the development of our unit, we approached the CC as both a lens and a tool (Duncan and Cavera 2015; Rivet et al. 2016). We also used the CCs to build connections across science disciplines and ideas. CCs as a lens: Using the CCs as a lens allows us to analyze a DCI by looking at the idea from different perspectives. For example, by looking at the cycling of water within a watershed from a systems perspective, we were able to identify important features of the DCI such as how the systems are nested within one another (where multiple smaller systems can join together to form a larger more complex system). Likewise, using the lens of the Energy and Matter CC highlights the role of solar and mechanical energy in the movement of water. CCs as a tool: Using the CCs as a tool enables us to consider how to develop deeper understanding of the DCI. For instance, the CC of Systems and System Models can serve as a tool for building knowledge of the processes and interactions that occur in a watershed. Likewise, the CC of Energy and Matter can serve as a tool for understanding why these interactions occur. CCs as connections: The CCs can also facilitate connections across DCIs, science disciplines, and middle school units. Students and teachers can use the CCs to think about different DCIs they encounter throughout the year to make links across ideas and build on prior knowledge. This can also highlight the similarities and differences in how scientists think across different disciplines. A potential process for using the crosscutting concepts to plan units To show how we used CCs as a frame for developing a middle school unit, we highlight how we did this work with the performance expectation MS-ESS2-4 (Develop a model to describe the cycling of water through Earth s systems driven by energy from the Sun and the force of gravity). At various points in this process, we used CCs as a tool, a lens, and a connection for our own curriculum planning, and for students development of their understanding of the DCI. The following steps are not meant to be a step-bystep guide for unit planning; they are just some of the steps that we used. CONTENT AREA Crosscutting concepts; watersheds GRADE LEVEL 6 8 BIG IDEA/UNIT Writing a unit plan using crosscutting concepts; water in Earth s surface processes ESSENTIAL PRE-EXISTING KNOWLEDGE Not applicable TIME REQUIRED Planning (2 3 hours) COST None Summer 2017 41

Step 1: Break down the elements of the crosscutting concept To consider how to incorporate a CC into a middle school unit, we started by identifying two CCs that seemed appropriate for supporting students learning around the DCI we had chosen, the role of water in Earth s systems processes. We picked two CCs: Systems and System Models and Energy and Matter. Then, using Appendix G of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States 2013), we identified five key elements of the CC of Systems and System Models (p. 85): inputs, outputs, boundaries, interactions, and nested systems. Similarly, we identified five elements for the CC of Energy and Matter (p. 86): matter involved, flows or cycles of the matter, forms of energy, transfers/flows of energy, and how the energy drives the motion or cycling of the matter. Step 2: Cross the disciplinary core idea with the crosscutting concept Next, we considered how the role of water in Earth s system processes (the DCI) might fit the elements of the two CCs. We showed how we crossed the DCI with the elements related to systems and systems thinking in Figure 1 and with elements related to energy and matter in Figure 2. Considering the DCI in this way enabled us to develop our own understandings of a watershed. The CCs served as tools to help FIGURE 1: A cross of two disciplinary core ideas, the role of water in Earth s surface processes and structure and function, with the crosscutting concept of Systems and System Models Crosscutting Concept: Systems Input Output Boundary Components (parts of the system) Interactions Nested system ESS2.C The Role of Water in Earth s Surface Processes Watersheds Rain/precipitation Water moved by animals Evaporation Transpiration Humans/animals taking water out of the area Areas of higher elevation that divide the landscape, causing water to flow in different directions Tributaries, creeks, rivers, lakes, landforms, human influences Infiltration Animal use of water Plant use of water Smaller bodies of water join larger bodies of water that include other watersheds Food Oxygen Water LS1.A Structure and Function The human body Carbon dioxide Water Minerals Energy The skin and other protective tissue Organ systems (organs, tissues, cells) Digestion Respiration Information processing Movement Cells nested in tissues nested in organs nested in organ systems 42

UNIT PLANNING USING THE CROSSCUTTING CONCEPTS us explain the what, how, and why of the scientific phenomena for ourselves. Likewise, we saw key components of the DCI to highlight for students. Step 3: Consider how the crosscutting concept might be applied across the year Next, we considered how the elements of the CCs might fit with other DCIs that students would focus on throughout the school year. This allowed us to see the connections across units and potential ways to help students better understand the CCs and different DCIs. For example, by looking at both watersheds and the human body through the lens of systems, we could see the potential of using the idea of nested systems across core ideas (Figure 1). We could also see how students would develop a stronger understanding of what a system is by considering the CC with both core ideas. Step 4: Ground the unit in an example of the phenomenon Using the CCs of Systems and System Models with Energy and Matter, we picked an example of the phenomenon to use as the central theme of the unit in this case watersheds. For this phenomenon, we identified watersheds to focus on in the area where students lived. In this example, we chose an instance of the phenomenon that had clear connections to the components of the CC that were the focus of the unit, and related to students regular interactions with the world around them. To emphasize this interaction, one of the questions that came up during the unit was, Why do the soccer fields flood every time it rains? Step 5: Designing assessments for the unit We had two goals for student understanding: the macroscale movement of water on the surface of the Earth and the microscale movement of water through the surface of the Earth. Both would ultimately be integrated into a single assessment that asked students to model how water moves on and through the surface of the Earth (see Fick and Baek 2017 for a more detailed description of the assessments). Students responses to these assessments, which were formatively incorporated throughout the unit to show students progress, were analyzed for their inclusion of aspects of the CC crossed FIGURE 2: A cross of the disciplinary core idea, the role of water in Earth s surface processes, with the crosscutting concept Energy and Matter Crosscutting concept: Energy and Matter Matter involved Flows or cycles of the matter Forms of energy Transfers/flows of energy How the energy drives the motion or cycling of the matter ESS2.C. The Role of Water in Earth s Surface Processes Water (matter on the land, in the atmosphere, and in the hydrosphere) Movement of water through Earth s systems (e.g., land, atmosphere, hydrosphere) and various forms (e.g., water vapor, snow, ice, liquid water) Mechanical energy, solar energy, heat energy, kinetic energy, potential energy propelled by sunlight and gravity Transfer of heat energy during transpiration, evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and crystallization Flow of energy from potential to kinetic energy during the downhill flow of water and precipitation The global movement of water in different forms driven by transfers of energy and propelled by sunlight and gravity Summer 2017 43

FIGURE 3: A student s pre-unit model of a watershed, including a pipe that appears to take water from Lake Superior to a factory in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to them. Figure 3 shows an example of a student s pre-unit assessment of their watershed knowledge. The same question was given to students throughout the unit and at the end of the unit (Figure 4). See Fick and Baek 2017 for another example and additional description of these assessments. Step 6: Anticipate challenging content and design lessons to support students learning with the DCI using a rubric, which accompanies Fick and Baek (2017). As students progressed through the unit, responses were expected to slowly include elements of nested systems, elevation dividing the flow of water (a system boundary), and a single output for the watershed in association with lessons focused on those topics. The use of the scientific practice of modeling enabled students to demonstrate their understanding in the way that made the most sense After determining the goal understandings for the sections of the unit, we anticipated the prior knowledge and experiences students might possess and identified components students might find challenging. We determined that students would struggle with the reason a watershed boundary exists and why it is located there (a macroscale goal), and the interactions that occur within a watershed (a microscale goal). (Watershed boundaries are determined by the influence of points of higher elevation on the direction of water flow. In much of the United States, the slope of the landscape is not particularly great, and human development often obscures the actual slope in areas that do have elevation change, which makes this concept more challenging. Similarly, how and why the surface of the Earth does and does not absorb water is not something that is easy to observe.) FIGURE 4: A student s post-unit model showing a line of mountains dividing water into two destination bodies of water, with the line of mountains labeled as a dividing line Step 7: Consider how you would break down the content into lessons that build on each other We used the cross of the DCI with the CC Systems and System Models (Table 2) as a frame for developing the unit. The inputs of a watershed were discussed in a prior unit about the water cycle. Each of the remaining components of the CC (outputs, boundary, interactions, and nested systems) became the focus for a lesson or series of lessons dedicated to components 44

UNIT PLANNING USING THE CROSSCUTTING CONCEPTS we anticipated would be challenging for students. We also considered the role the science and engineering practices would play in instruction. To support student understanding of the DCI, we developed lessons that allowed students to use a variety of science practices, including Developing and Using Models, Analyzing and Interpreting Data, and Constructing Explanations. Many of these lessons are described in detail in a separate article (Fick and Baek 2017). Other suggestions for using the crosscutting concepts during a unit Consider using a simpler example or a familiar example of a CC to help students understand a new topic. We found that very simple examples of CCs could facilitate students in developing a deeper understanding of a DCI. For example, thinking about a bathtub as a system enabled students to think deeper about the components of the system of a watershed. Students could see how the walls of a bathtub act as boundaries, similar to how mountain ranges might act as boundaries of a watershed. Likewise, in the next unit on human body systems, we made connections to students understandings of a watershed as a system. Think about how you might use the CC to analyze student work and notice change in understanding over time. Using the CCs as a lens for analyzing assessments, both formative and summative, seems to have potential for supporting both teaching and learning. The CCs, when used in students work, revealed gaps and areas of strength in students understanding of concepts. For example, in student models, the concept of a boundary revealed very different levels of understanding. Some students drew a line with a label boundary, while other students labeled areas of higher elevation dividing the flow of water (Figure 4). Consider using multiple CCs to support students learning about the DCI from multiple perspectives. For the water in Earth s surface processes, we show examples from both Systems and System Models and Energy and Matter. Each of these CCs provides a different focus and new information about the DCI. Using multiple CCs provides students with opportunities to think about the core content using different lenses, which likely will lead to deeper understandings. Conclusion When planning a unit, the CCs can serve as lenses and tools to help teachers develop deeper, more nuanced understandings of science concepts and ideas. The CCs highlight connections that can be made across concepts and ideas during unit planning and enable teachers to design appropriate learning goals, assessments, and sequencing. CCs also support student learning by providing common vocabulary and a conceptual framework for analyzing content across units. We suggest that teachers might use similar strategies when creating units that facilitate three-dimensional learning. REFERENCES Duncan, R.G., and V.L. Cavera. 2015. DCIs, SEPs, and CCs, oh my! Understanding the three dimensions of the NGSS. Science and Children 53 (2): 16 20. Fick, S.J., and J. Baek. 2017. Supporting student understanding of watersheds by using multiple models to explore elevation. Science Scope 40 (6): 24 32. NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For states, by states. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Rivet, A.E., G. Weiser, X. Lyu, Y. Li, and D. Rojas-Perilla. 2016. What are crosscutting concepts in science? Four metaphorical perspectives. In Transforming learning, empowering learners: The International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS) (Vol. 2), eds. C.K. Looi, J.L. Polman, U. Cress, and P. Reimann. Singapore: International Society of the Learning Sciences. RESOURCES Bybee, R.W. 2013. Translating the NGSS for classroom instruction. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Duschl, R.A. 2012. The second dimension crosscutting concepts: Understanding A Framework for K 12 Science Education. The Science Teacher 79 (2): 34 38. Sarah J. Fick (ficksj@wfu.edu) is an assistant professor of science education in the Department of Education at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Anna Maria Arias is an assistant professor of science education at Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. Jonathan Baek is a middle school science teacher at Honey Creek Community School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Summer 2017 45