!"#$%&'()*+,-.*(&/0(01&2.*31-4*05&6(40&7(5&8))&9*:;04&9141-31<=&&Any!unauthorized!reprint!or!use!of!this!document!is!prohibited!under!federal!law.!!!"#$%&'()%*'(+%,(-./0&was!
supported!by!a!grant!to!the!California!State!University!East!Bay!by!the!National!Science!Foundation!Discovery!Research!K12,!Award!No.!DRL-1418440.!PI:!michele.korb@csueastbay.edu!or!
contact!corinne.lardy@csus.edu,!michell e .s in a puelas@c s u e a s tbay.edu!!
Last!Updated!8/26/2020!
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engineering!are!solutions!to!design!problems.!!!
(= ',.40-E?0*.:&6FG)(.(0*,.4D&The!goal!of!science!is!the!construction!of!theories!that!provide!explanatory!accounts!of!the!world.!!A!theory!becomes
accepted!when!it!has!multiple!lines!of!empirical!evidence!and!greater!explanatory!power!than!previous!theories.
O= K14*:.*.:&/,)E0*,.4D&The!goal!of!engineering!design!is!to!find!a!solution!to!problems!that!is!based!on!scientific!knowledge!and!models!of!the!material
world.!During!the!design!process!models!or!prototypes!are!systematically!tested,!and!iteratively!revised!based!on!performance.!!Each!proposed!solutio
n
results!from!a!process!of!balancing!comp eting!criteria!of!desired!functions,!technical!feasibility,!cost,!safety,!aesthetics,!and!compliance!with!legal
requirements.!The!optima l!choice!depen ds!on!how !w ell!the!propo sed!solution s!meet!criteria!and !constraints.
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1) 8-0*?E)(01&a!?)(*IM1FG)(.(0*,.!(a!testable
statement!or!conclusion!that!answers!a
question!about!how!or!why)!that!is!based!
on
and!consistent!with!available!evidence
2) J<1.0*+5!and!<14?-*O1!appropriate!and
sufficient!13*<1.?1!that!support!the
claim/explanation
3) K14?-*O1!the!-1(4,.*.:!(mechanism!of!how
or!why)!that!connects!the!evidence!to!the
claim/explanation!using!scientifi
c
ideas/prin c ip les
4) 913*41!an!explanation*
H,014&,.&',.01F0M/G1?*()&',.4*<1-(0*,.4!(part!of!school!year,!differentiation,!student!developm enta l!consid eration s,!etc.):&
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !
!"#$%&'()*+,-.*(&/0(01&2.*31-4*05&6(40&7(5&8))&9*:;04&9141-31<=&&Any!unauthorized!reprint!or!use!of!this!document!is!prohibited!under!federal!law.!!!"#$%&'()%*'(+%,(-./0&was!
supported!by!a!grant!to!the!California!State!Univers ity!E a st!B a y!b y !the !N at ion a l!Scie n ce !Fo u n da tio n !Dis co ve ry !R es ea rc h!K 1 2,!A w a rd !N o.!D R L-1418440.!PI:!michele.korb@csueastbay.edu!or!
contact!corinne.lardy@csus.edu,!michelle.sina puelas@c s u e a s tbay.edu!!
Last!Updated!8/26/2020!
8/6>&X-(<1&7(.<&'-*01-*(&4+"53%(65,317(89:;(<9=>?!
/?*1.?1&@&6.:*.11-*.:&A-(?0*?14!
/6A&N(D&',.40-E?0*.:&6FG)(.(0*,.4D&Constructing!explanations!in!6-8!builds!on!K-5!experiences!and!progresses!to!include!constructing!explanations!supported!by!
multiple!sources!of!evidence!consistent!with!scientific!ideas,!principles,!and!theories.!!In!9-12!they!build!on!K-8!experiences!and!progress!to!explanations!that!are!
supported!by!multiple!and!indep enden t!student-generated!
sources!of!evidence!consistent!with!scientific!ideas,!principles,!and!theories.!
By#the#end#of#the#grade#band#1'23%,'1#will#have#had#a#structured#opportunity#to#develop#an#understanding#of#each#of#these.##Individual#lessons#or#units#
should#include#opportu nities#for#1'23%,'1#to #prac tice#on e#or#m or e#of#the#follow ing #com p on ents#… …!
!
NYZ&X-(<1&7(.<&
[Y$"&X-(<1&7(.<&
1) 8-0*?E)(01&a!
?)(*IM1FG)(.(0*,.!(a!
testable!statement!or!
conclusion!that!
answers!a!question!
about!how!or!why)!
that!is!based!on!and!
consistent!with!
available!evidence!
Clearly!articulate!a!claim!about!(an!explanation!of)!a!phenomenon!that:!
a. is!a!testable!statement!or!conclusion!that!correctly!answers!a!
question!about!how!or!why!!
b. relates!the!given!phenomen on!to!a!relev ant!scientific!idea!!
c. includes!a!g ra d e-appropriate!level!of!the!mechanism!involved!!
d. is!consistent!w ith !av a ila b le!e vid e n ce !!
e. inclu d es!qu alitative!or!quantitative!relationships!betwee n!
variables!that!predict!and/or!describe!phenomena!!
Clearly!articulate!a!claim!about!(an!explanation!of)!a!phenomenon!
that:!
a. is!a!testable!statement!or!conclusion!that!correctly!answers!a!
question!about!how!or!why!!
b. relates!the!given!phenomen on!to!a!relev ant!scientific!idea!!
c. includes!a!g ra d e-appropriate!level!of!the!mechanism!involved!!
d. is!consistent!w ith !av a ila b le!e vid e n ce !!
e. inclu d e!a!qualitative!and/or!quantitative!claim!regarding!the!
relationship!between!dependent!and!independent!variables!that!
predict!and/or!describe!phenomena!
2) J<1.0*+5!and!<14?-*O1!
appropriate!and!
sufficient!13*<1.?1!
that!support!the!
claim/explanation!
Identify!and!describe!evidence!that:!
(= appropriately!and!sufficiently!support!the!claim!!
O= are!valid!(relevant!to!phenomena)!and!reliable!(obtained!with!
precision!and!systematically)!!!
?= are!obtained!from!multiple!sources!such!as!the!students’!own!
experiments,!observations,!reading!material,!numerical!data,!
and/or!models!or!representations!
Identify!and!describe!ev iden ce!tha t:!
a. appropriately!and!sufficiently!support!the!claim!!
b. are!valid!(relevant!to!phenomena)!and!reliable!(obtained!with!
precision!and!systematically)!!!
c. are!obtained!from!multiple!sources!such!as!the!students’!own!
experiments,!observations,!reading!material,!theories,!
numerical!data,!and/or!models!or!representations!
3) K14?-*O1!the!
-1(4,.*.:!
(mechanism !of!how !or!
why)!that!connects!the!
evidence!to!the!
claim/explanation!
using!scientific!
ideas/prin c ip les !
Describe:!
a. how!or!why!the!evidence!support!the!claim!using!appropriate!
scientific!ideas/principles!!
b. the!reasoning!that!conn ects!the !evide nce !to!the!ph eno m en on!!
c. how!different!pieces!of!evidence!connect!to!each!other!(chain!of!
reasoning)!to!support!the!explan ation !!
d. why!the!data!or!evidence!is!adequate!for!the!explanation!or!
conclusion!
Describe:!
a. how!or!why!the!evidence!support!the!claim!using!appropriate!
scientific!ideas/principles,!theories,!or!models!!
b. the!reasoning!that!conn ects!the!evide nce!to!the!p heno m eno n!!
c. how!different!pieces!of!evidence!connect!to!each!other!(chain!of!
reasoning)!to!support!the!explan ation !!
d. to!what!extent!the!data!or!ev iden ce!an d!reas onin g!suppo rt!the!
explanation!or!conclusion!!
e. any!possible!unanticipated!effects!
4) 913*41!an!
explanation*!
Given!new!evidence!or!context,!students!apply!scientific!ideas,!
principles,!and/or!evidence!to!revise!an!explanation!for!real-!world!
phenomena,!examples,!or!events!
Given!new!evidence!or!context,!students!apply!scientific!ideas,!
principles,!and/or!evidence!to!revise!an!explanation!for!real-!world!
phenomena,!examples,!or!events!
*!This!component!is!not!required!in!K-2!or!3-5!grade!bands!