In this workshop participants will identify, adapt, and develop classroom-ready templates and lesson plans allied with the NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards). They will select the basic material from the ChemSource module, Basic Chemical Reactions, and utilize the NGSS performance expectations for each grade level constructed by blending ideas from Science and Engineering Practices (Inquiry), Disciplinary Core Ideas, and Crosscutting Concepts. The templates will focus on the introduction of the particle nature of matter into middle school and secondary school chemistry instruction. The participants will learn the decision-making process for what they have to add or omit to existing activities to make them consistent with NGSS. In the process, participants will concentrate on answering three questions for their own grade level: (1) What should students know prior to instruction? (2) What characteristics must be common to learning activities? (3) How will I know if students have learned? And (4) How is this instruction alike and different from traditional instruction? The particle nature of matter and chemical reactions have been chosen for illustrative purposes because of their importance to chemistry education and emphasis in the NGSS which illustrates the development of a core concept or learning progression. Although the NGSS are utilized in this workshop, the process is useful for constructing any standards-based instructional materials. Participants will receive a packet of The New ChemSource material for use in the workshop and for future use. They will be able to exit the workshop with several viable lesson plans in their level of interest.
