School science supplier Carolina Biological announced that California selected its science curriculum for adoption as one of 29 approved new teaching materials for the state’s science classrooms. The California Department of Education (CDE) requires new science resources to support a student-driven, hands-on, and phenomena-based vision of the California Next Generation Science Standards (CA NGSS). After reviewing 34 programs in depth, the state formally adopted 29 of the new K-8 science instructional materials, including Carolina’s Building Blocks of Science™ 3D for students in grades K-5.
Adoption recommendations were made by a special committee, appointed by the CDE. The list of adopted science programs is posted on its website. Schools are not required to buy state-adopted resources, but if administrators or teachers choose to purchase them, the process is faster and easier, since the resources have already passed CA’s screening process.
Almost 20 expert science publishers, including Carolina, submitted for consideration new print and digital science materials that were written to align with the state’s new standards. Carolina’s three-dimensional science investigation-based program aims to turn students into scientists during short 30-minute investigations that fit into the school day for grades K-5. The program offers more than 900 digital science resources consisting of phenomena-rich investigations and engineering design challenges. Students work in groups to investigate science phenomena and learn through hands-on physical experiments and digital simulations.
Building Blocks of Science 3D
Carolina’s Building Blocks of Science 3D hands-on unit kits are for students in grades K to 5. The program integrates engineering into every grade and includes everything teachers need for their entire class with hands-on materials, print, and digital simulations and components for one price. The program is a core curriculum that combines interactive investigations, literacy components, and more than 900 digital resources to teach students science content and investigative skills. The program’s 99 digital simulations give a straightforward and quick way for teachers to assess student understanding. The custom-created simulations are directly tied to the phenomena in the short 30-minute investigations of each unit.
CA NGSS Brings Positive Changes
The incorporation of the CA NGSS in schools brought positive changes to science education and the creation of new instructional resources for CA teachers. Engineering is a requirement of the new standards, with engineering-specific core ideas. To fully address these standards, engineering and science concepts should be taught together, not separately. Carolina integrated engineering into lessons together with science topics into its program.
Carolina’s Gold Standard Support to help educators be successful with its science curriculum is included at no additional charge with Building Blocks of Science 3Dand Carolina’s other digital core science programs for grades K-8.
