51茶馆

We describe the development, design, implementation, and preliminary classroom results of an innovative curriculum, Focus on Energy, that supports learning about energy in Grades 4鈥�5. The curriculum is grounded in the concepts of science as practice, model鈥恇ased reasoning, and learning progressions, and builds on students’ pre鈥恊xisting ideas and resources. We illustrate how students gradually develop the ability to track energy forms, transfers, and transformations in increasingly complex scenarios. We present evidence, using a quasi鈥恊xperimental design, that students who completed the curriculum were significantly more adept at these skills than students in comparable classrooms who experienced their districts’ existing energy鈥恟elated physical science curricula. Important features of the curriculum include: the careful selection of a limited set of concepts chosen to provide a sound foundation for future learning; a consistent conceptual framework (the Energy Tracking Lens) within which the students have agency to build and refine a model of energy; engaging hands鈥恛n activities that steadily build in complexity; accessible and versatile semi鈥恞uantitative representations that support reasoning and communication; individual, small鈥恎roup and large鈥恎roup meaning鈥恗aking; and training and support for the teachers.