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Welcome to Amplify CKLA!

Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) is a cutting-edge and effective core ELA program for students in grades K–5. It was developed in partnership with the Core Knowledge Foundation, features proven evidence-based instructional practices, and was specifically designed to help teachers implement Science of Reading principles.

Note: We’re continually adding information to this site, including specific details regarding our alignment with your non-negotiables. Keep checking back with us between now and April 20, 2023.

Getting Started

On this site, you’ll find a variety of resources designed to support your review and evaluation of the program. Before you dive in, watch the Orientation Overview and Program Overview videos below to learn about CKLA’s alignment to CCSD’s ELA adoption requirements, as well as where to find key program resources.

[Video] Orientation Overview

[Video] Program Overview

In the video below, learn about CKLA’s structure and materials, as well the research behind the curriculum.

Evidence-Based

[Video] Pedagogical Overview with Simple View of Reading

In the video below, Amplify’s Chief Academic Officer Susan Lambert shares the big picture of CKLA, and explains why it was created and the impact it’s making across the country. Below are a few portions of the video that you may find particularly helpful as you conduct your review.

  • 0-1:00 Why CKLA?
  • 1:00-4:40 How CKLA was built on the Simple View of Reading
  • 4:40-8:00 How to review the CKLA Components
  • 8:00-end Teacher Testimonial

[Features] Supporting the Simple View of Reading

Built out of the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify CKLA delivers explicit instruction in both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in grades K–2 with an integrated approach to explicit instruction in grades 3–5.

Review this Science of Reading toolkit to learn more about the Science of Reading best practices integrated throughout CKLA.

See our Science of Reading solutions in action! Click here to see a real example of how one Ohio district is implementing and educating their K–8 community on the Science of Reading as a response to Ohio’s Plan to Raise Literacy Achievement Initiative.

Great reading instruction starts with helping kids develop great decoding skills. By building a solid foundation of phonological awareness and phonics, reading the words on the page becomes automatic so that comprehension and critical thinking can happen. Our instruction is supported by:

  • Step-by-step lessons with multisensory approaches, clear lesson objectives, and embedded formative assessments.
  • Decodable books and student readers with ebook and audiobook versions that feature engaging plots and relatable characters.
  • An engaging sound library with fun songs and videos that develop phonological awareness.
  • An interactive Vocab App featuring engaging activities with immediate feedback and automated, customized instruction based on student performance.

Students build grade-appropriate subject-area knowledge and vocabulary in history, science, literature, and the arts while learning to read, write, and think creatively and for themselves. Our instruction is supported by:

  • Knowledge builders that provide a quick overview of each domain with its key ideas.
  • Interactive Read-Alouds designed to build knowledge and vocabulary.
  • Content-rich anchor texts that support students as they tackle increasingly complex text and sharpen their analytical skills.
  • Social and emotional learning paired with lessons in civic responsibility.

Easy-to-Use Materials

Amplify CKLA offers a number of digital and multimedia resources to support instruction and enhance the teacher and student experience.

  • Amplify CKLA Digital Experience Site: All teacher and student materials are posted on this site for planning and information purposes, including Teacher Guides, Readers, Activity Books, Ancillary Materials, videos, additional resources, and links to other useful sites, such as the Professional Learning site.
  • The Professional Learning Site: This site includes training materials, best practices, and other resources to develop program expertise. Access professional development anywhere, anytime.
  • Intervention Toolkit: The Intervention Toolkit provides easy-to use resources to assist teachers in filling gaps in students’ foundational skills. Teachers will find hundreds of activities to support phonics, fluency, comprehension, handwriting, and other key skills.
  • The Science of Reading: The Podcast: Hosted by Susan Lambert, The Podcast delivers the latest insights from researchers and practitioners in early reading. Each episode takes a conversational approach and explores a timely topic related to the Science of Reading.

In addition to the videos below, our CKLA Components Guide can be a helpful tool as you explore the materials provided within your sample tubs.

[Video] Physical Materials Walkthrough

As you explore your physical samples, the material walkthrough video below can be a helpful resource. In particular, we suggest watching the following portions of the video.

  • 0-4:38 CKLA components for K–2
  • 4:38-7:00 CKLA components for 3–5
  • 7-7:30 CKLA Program Guide
  • 10:12-13:20 CKLA’s Teacher Resource Site

Note: The below video covers both our K-5 program (Amplify CKLA) as well as our 6-8 program (Amplify ELA).

[Video] Digital Materials Walkthrough

In the video below, learn about CKLA’s digital tools for teachers and students across both classroom and asynchronous environments.

As you prepare to explore our digital platform, be sure to watch and refer to the video below.

Diverse Texts

In Amplify CKLA, texts serve a variety of purposes, from building background knowledge, vocabulary, and comprehension to building decoding and fluency skills.

In grades K–2, instruction is segmented between two strands: Knowledge and Skills.

  • Reading within the Knowledge Strand is centered around authentic read-alouds and trade books that are intentionally sequenced to build content knowledge and vocabulary in specific domain topics around literature, history, science, and the arts. Because research shows that students’ listening comprehension outpaces their reading comprehension until their early teens, Amplify CKLA strategically uses read-aloud text in this strand, allowing students to focus their cognitive energy on gaining meaning from the words and better understanding from the images.
  • Reading within the Skills Strand centers around carefully crafted Student Readers that teach students how to read. Structured as chapter books, these readers are 100% decodable and were developed to align with Amplify CKLA’s scope and sequence for phonics, directly connecting instruction to student practice in connected texts. Students use the Readers to practice decoding, fluency, and comprehension during shared reading lessons, targeted close reading sessions, in small groups, and independently.

In grades 3–5, integrated units bring the Skills and Knowledge strands together as students become increasingly automatic and strategic in their word recognition and language comprehension skills. Student reading and comprehension activities involve a variety of reading materials:

  • Authentic Read-Alouds and trade books ensure students encounter a variety of perspectives as they use these complex text to increase their knowledge while practicing vocabulary and listening comprehension skills.
  • Student Readers connect to each theme and are designed to increase in complexity over time, providing a continual challenge as students’ reading and listening comprehension skills develop and strengthen throughout the year.
  • Novel Guides provide teachers a flexible option for extending authentic reading and text-based activities in the classroom using award-winning and acclaimed novels.
  • ReadWorks articles give students access to additional high-quality texts aligned to both Amplify CKLA knowledge topics and the topics outlined in the Common Core State Standards.

Decodable Readers at Grades K–2

Our Decodable Readers are designed to progress in skills, mirroring the scope and sequence of instruction, which allows students to immediately apply what they are learning to 100% decodable text. More specifically, our decodables:

  • Are uniquely designed to provide intensive practice with the CKLA code while students read compelling and engaging stories and informational texts for the first time.
  • Gradually introduce students to “tricky” spelling concepts, such as different sounds that use the same letter code.
  • Increase in text complexity (i.e., content, length, and vocabulary) as students progress through the grades.
  • Include fiction and nonfiction text.
  • Are available as ebooks and audiobooks.

Below, you can see how students grow from year-to-year across grades K–2.

Student Readers at Grades 3–5

By grades 3–5, students have mastered the basics of decoding and are hungry to use what they’ve learned to reach out to the world. Although Read-Alouds remain an important part of lessons, students are also encouraged to practice independent reading starting in grade 3 with the support of carefully crafted Student Readers. These readers are chock-full of various text types, cultural stories, and a blend of fiction and nonfiction texts that are tied to and support the overarching theme of the unit.

Read-alouds

Authentic literature exposes students to a variety of text types and perspectives to deepen their knowledge of fascinating topics in social studies, science, literature, and the arts. Authentic texts support text-to-self, text-to-world, and text-to-text connections for readers.

Trade books

Our optional Trade Book Collection (and suggested list of additional trade books) align with our grade-level topics, and extend the knowledge students are learning through an authentic text.

Novel Guides

Novel Guides bring students beyond the CKLA curriculum. We provide fifteen full days of instruction on contemporary trade books, as well as writing prompts that help students navigate the authentic literature they love.

ReadWorks

Amplify CKLA and ReadWorks® have partnered to deliver high-quality texts curated to support the Amplify CKLA Knowledge Sequence and to extend student learning. Texts include high-interest nonfiction articles in topics in social studies, science, literature, and the arts. These texts are accompanied by vocabulary supports and standards-aligned formative assessment opportunities. Teachers can monitor their students’ progress using the ReadWorks reporting features.

Reading resources

The following resources may be helpful as you explore our approach to reading and the role that diverse texts play in the program.

Writing

CKLA is rich with opportunities for students to develop, practice, and hone their writing skills. While the shape of writing instruction looks slightly different at each grade level, a commonality across all grades K–5 is that writing isn’t taught in isolation. Rather, it’s embedded within the context of each unit, and is connected to what students read.

At Grades K–2, writing takes place in both the Skills and Knowledge strands.

  • Explicit instruction in writing skills (such as sentence structure) and handwriting takes place in the Skills Strand, and is tied to the decodable readers used within each unit.
  • Extended writing and writing process activities take place in the Knowledge Strand.

At Grades 3–5, writing is embedded through the integrated units.

  • Across each unit, students work on smaller, more discrete writing skills alongside their Student Reader. These skills eventually culminate at the end of each unit in the form of a writing project.
  • In 4th and 5th grades, we expand writing even further with the addition of Poetry units.

Writing and text-dependent questions

The overwhelming majority of questions, tasks, and assignments in CKLA materials are text-dependent. Every CKLA unit and domain is based around key texts that are either read aloud, with a peer, or independently. These readings are followed by class discussions where students are expected to refer to these texts when answering literal, inferential, and evaluative questions, both orally during class discussions and through written responses.

  • Literal questions assess students’ recall of key details from the text. These are text-dependent questions that require students to paraphrase and/or refer back to the portion of the text where the specific answer is provided.
  • Inferential questions ask students to infer information from the text and to think critically. These text-dependent questions require students to summarize and/or reference the portions of the text that lead to and support the inference they are making.
  • Evaluative questions ask students to build on what they have learned from the text using analytical and application skills, often to form an opinion or make a judgment. These questions require students to paraphrase and/or cite the textual evidence that substantiates their argument or opinion.

In addition, students are often asked to generate additional questions based on the texts. Students further demonstrate understanding in writing by applying what they have learned and providing evidence from the text to back up their answers and opinions. For example, Grade 3 students learning about sea exploration write a paragraph from the perspective of a sailor on John Cabot’s ship, stating their opinion of whether the hardships they experienced are worth the adventure or glory and citing examples from the text to support their response. Grade 5 students studying the Adventures of Don Quixote write a four-paragraph persuasive essay arguing whether they believe Don Quixote’s good intentions justify his often calamitous actions, using reasons and evidence from the text to support their claims.

Writing with authentic literature

Novel Guides are designed around authentic texts students love. They not only help students foster a love for reading, they also present authentic opportunities for students to express themselves through writing. Novel Guides provide daily text-based writing and discussion through five activity types:

  • Ask contains questions for discussion, reflection, or brief written responses. These questions cover information all students should understand as they read the text.
  • Explore prompts offer brief research opportunities centered around items mentioned in the text.
  • Imagine activities promote creativity and further reflection.
  • Observe items ask students to take notes or make other kinds of observations about what they have read.
  • Understand questions push students to explore connections to the text.

Writing and enrichment

Writing tasks throughout the program provide almost limitless opportunities for extension. Feedback from the teacher, peers, and self-reflection provide students opportunities to strengthen their writing. For example, advanced students can be encouraged to:

  • Use more complex and unusual descriptive vocabulary.
  • Incorporate figurative language into their writing.
  • Write multi-clause sentences with more complex joining words.
  • Create longer or richer opinion, explanatory, and narrative pieces.
  • Evaluate the use of informational textual characteristics and use in their own writing (e.g., headers, bullets).

Writing resources

The following resources may be helpful as you explore our approach to writing and how writing develops across the program.

Access the program

Explore as a teacher

Before logging in, watch this brief video on navigating the CKLA Teacher Resource Site.

Ready to explore as a teacher? Follow these instructions:

  • Click the CKLA Teacher Resource Site button below.
  • Select Log in with Amplify.
  • Enter the username: t1.ccsd-k5-ckla@demo.tryamplify.net
  • Enter the password: Amplify1-ccsd-k5-ckla
  • Click the CKLA Teacher Resource icon
  • Select a grade level
CKLA Teacher Resource Site

Explore as a student

Before logging in, watch this brief video on navigating the CKLA Student Hub.

Ready to explore as a student? Follow these instructions:

  • Click the CKLA Teacher Resource Site button below.
  • Select Log in with Amplify.
  • Enter the username: s1.ccsd-k5-ckla@demo.tryamplify.net
  • Enter the password: Amplify1-ccsd-k5-ckla
  • Click the CKLA Teacher Resource icon
  • Select a grade level
CKLA Student Hub

Check out these additional resources

Nevada submission resources:

CKLA review resources:

S1-06: Supporting students with a creative twist: A conversation with Kentucky Science Teacher of the Year, Shad Lacefield

In this episode, Eric sits down with the Kentucky Science Teacher of the Year, Shad Lacefield. Shad shares his experience teaching during the first year of the pandemic, where Shad dressed up in over 100 costumes to create a unique and engaging online learning experience for his students. Shad also explains ways he connects with his students to celebrate student success, as well as large-scale efforts he leads within his school to cultivate the love of learning science content. Explore more from Science Connections by visiting our main page.

Download Transcript

Shad Lacefield (00:00):
When you stay relevant, it’s being engaged with your students and figuring out, or what are, what are they liking? And every year it’s gonna be different. And that helps you stay relevant. When you have conversations and you build relationships with your kids,Eric Cross (00:13):
Welcome to science connections. I’m your host. Eric Cross. My guest today is Shad Layfield. Shad is a teacher at garden Springs elementary and a part-time professor at Asbury University in Kentucky during the first year of the pandemic, Mr. Layfield dressed up in over a hundred costumes to create a unique and engaging online learning experience for his students. He also created Vader visits, where he visited students at their homes, dressed as Darth Vader to celebrate their online successes and keep them encouraged. During a challenging time. In this episode, we discuss how creativity impacts engagement, transferring lessons learned from distance teaching back to in-person instruction, and how upper grades can apply the same principles to improve student learning. I hope you enjoy this discussion with shad lays field. So you’ve been in fourth grade for four years, and then you were in second grade and fifth grade. And so like how long have you been teaching for like total?

Shad Lacefield (01:09):
So this is my 15th year teaching.

Eric Cross (01:12):
Really? Yeah. You’ve been in the game for a while.

Shad Lacefield (01:15):
Yeah. Yep. It, it doesn’t, and it’s always surprising to parents too during that, that first like, come in and meet your teacher. And I walk in, I’m like, yeah, I’ve been teaching for 15 years and every time it gets ’em, they’re like no way. And I’m like, yeah,

Eric Cross (01:28):
That’s, that’s a good thing though. That’s a good thing. Right?

Eric Cross (01:31):
You know? So like, well the energy and then, and you’re just how you’re perceived. Like you’re, they’re just, I don’t know. It’s something about work with young people. Like it keeps you young.

Shad Lacefield (01:39):
That’s what it is. Absolutely.

Eric Cross (01:41):
So how did, how, like, what’s your origin story? Like, how did you become a teacher? Like what, what was it? Was it something like you knew second career, like right outta school? Like how did you end up in the classroom?

Shad Lacefield (01:53):
Yeah. No, and I love this question cause I’m a big Marvel and, and superhero. So origin stories are all, I love a good origin story. So I grew up on a 13 acre farm in a little bitty town called Gustin, Kentucky, and very early on, like we were instilled my parents, amazing, amazing parents. But they really instilled like a, a super important work ethic in our lives of like, it’s, it’s all about hard work and it’s important that you’re working hard in whatever it is that you do. And I’m one of six kids as well in my family.

Eric Cross (02:24):
Where are you in the–

Shad Lacefield (02:25):
I’m second to last.

Eric Cross (02:26):
Second to last. Okay. So you’re the second youngest.

Shad Lacefield (02:29):
Yes. Okay. And and so, and so growing up, like with that, like, you know, I worked in tobacco, I worked in hay, you know, we did things being on the farm and stuff like that. And within my family as well, there’s four boys. And so when I decided to go to college I was the first guy in my family to go to college. And the first and only boy that ended up going to college. And so it was like this big deal, like, oh, you know, we got one of our boys gonna go to college. So what is he gonna be? And I was like, well, if I’m gonna put forth the, the time and effort and then the financial strain that it would cause cuz we were not poor at all. My dad worked two jobs to make sure, but I really felt the responsibility of like, if I’m gonna go, I’m gonna work in a profession.

Shad Lacefield (03:09):
That’s gonna make a lot of money. And here I am as a teacher now. So I didn’t go to college to be a teacher. I actually was pre dentistry. I thought, now here’s a profession. You can, a lot of money. You don’t work weekends or holidays, you know, I can still be the doctor thing. And so I’m gonna be pre dentistry. But like all good origin stories. There was a, there was a flip. So in my first year I started working at the most majestic place that you will ever go. It’s called Squire, boon, caverns. It’s a cave in Southern Indiana. And it’s an amazingly beautiful little place. You have to like one lane highway, like road to go back there up and down. Like you, you think you’re never gonna make it. And if it rains too much, the bridge will flood and you actually can’t even get back there.

Shad Lacefield (03:52):
So that’s how we’re talking like way back in the sticks. But once you get back, back there totally worth it. And as part of the job you were a tour I also did grist mill demonstrations and gym mining adventures, or, you know, as they’re gym mining and stuff like that. And within that, I started working with school aged kids and on very large tours and stuff. And my manager at the time, Claudia, I’m still great friends with and we still take our kids back there. Every summer she, to me, you’re really good with kids. Like you’re really good with kids. We have this scout program that’s on the weekends. And then during the summers and you would be teaching kindergarten through eighth grade kids, geology and forestry. What do you think about doing that? And I said, well, right, let’s try that out. And then I got the teaching bug and it hit and I was like, oh my gosh, like I don’t wanna spend my life doing something that is all about money or, or that is like, this is where it’s at. Like, I love this, I enjoy this. I enjoy the response that I get when I’m talking. And kids are excited about learning and getting new information and learning new stuff. And so then I change my major and here I am now, all these years later teaching instead of being a dentist,

Eric Cross (05:04):
Are there, are there days, do you ever have days where you’re like, you know, dentistry, it’s still an option. Like I can, I can go back.

Shad Lacefield (05:12):
Oh, rare, rare occasions. Rarely. Yeah.

Eric Cross (05:16):
Okay. Yeah. All right. All right. Fair enough. I, I, I always joke and say that like we have, you know, sometimes I have my, my alternate job on the hard days, which is for me, it’s working at the gap where I just want to fold clothes and go home at the end of the day, you know, on those really rough days. And you know, it’s never the kids, right. It’s always other things. The kids are like the great part. And then there’s all these other things. And I just wanna work at the gap. I just wanna work at the gap. Fold some clothes. Yes, sir. Yes. Ma’am absolutely. I can find that size for you. And then I just go home cause about their job when they go home at the end of the day, when you work at the gap, at least sorry, gap workers. I’m sure hard of that, but my perception in my mind is that you close up shop and then you’re done. Yeah,

Shad Lacefield (05:52):
Absolutely. Like you said, they can turn it, like it’s a turnoff at the end. Exactly. As teachers we know, like you don’t ever turn it off, it’s always there.

Eric Cross (06:00):
Yeah. So one of the things that I was super excited about when I, when I first heard about you is I went on your website and there’s so many things I feel like I can just talk about your website and just the, the content that you’ve produced. I, I, there’s so many directions I can go. But one, one of the things I want to ask you is, is about that. Now, one of the things that’s on there, and this is coming from a fellow star wars, Fisha who finished Bobba FET and the Mandalorian recently and is Jones in four OB one to come out.

Shad Lacefield (06:33):
Oh, so yes,

Eric Cross (06:35):
I live in Southern California next to Disneyland visited Galaxy’s edge star wars. You have these things called VA Vader visits. And so what do you do in those? And like, where did you get the idea for these Vader visits?

Shad Lacefield (06:50):
So the costumes were bringing the kids into the classroom. But when they left my room because you would, we only had them for a certain amount of time. There was still a lot of extra work that they needed to get done. And what I was seeing was I could get them to come in and they were really engaged during my lesson. But then afterwards, when it came to work completion or getting things done, there was, it was starting to fall off. As you know, we were experiencing, you know, more and more craziness of what’s going on. So then as an incentive, I decided if you have everything turned in, by the end of the day, I’m gonna dress up in my Darth Vader outfit, full costume, the, you know, the, the full helmet, like everything. And I’m gonna show up to your house and we’re gonna hang out and play any game at all that you wanna play.

Shad Lacefield (07:34):
So then it was a way of rewarding. My kids for getting everything turned in. But same time I felt like it would also help me build a relationship with them. That was a very challenging part of online learning. Like, again, I want you to feel like you’re a part of my classroom. I wanna feel like I’m invested in you and wanna learn about you. And it was a commitment because some of those kids put me through the ringer, whether it was we’re gonna do gymnastics on a trampoline. And again, I’m in full costume doing gymnast on the trampoline, or we’re doing soccer drills with their soccer coach at their house playing football games. I mean, all kinds of stuff. I made a Yachty game for a kid that loves Harry Potter. And it was really a big part of getting work turned in because, and it’s the crazy thought they wanted to spend time with me. Like that’s what it was. And so it was like, yeah, absolutely. I’ll keep dressing up. I did over 50 plus Vater visits. It wasn’t just for my homeroom. It was for all of fourth grade. So I went over 50 visits and it was cool to see kids in their home and talk to them and meet their parents. It was a great opportunity for me to engage with parents as well. How is online learning, going, what can I do to support you? Do you guys have any questions and stuff like that? So

Eric Cross (08:39):
This thing of relationships is like leading to work completion, which isn’t, which isn’t always the, the thing that we think to as educators of like how, you know, work completion. A lot of times we think of like structures or you know, certain protocols that you do in class get work completion, but here you are addressing as Darth Vader. And, and you said students were turning in more work because they’re connected to, you saw an increase in, in yeah. Engagement.

Shad Lacefield (09:07):
And absolutely. And, and I remember even saying that to myself, like this is, this is what’s getting them. But it, it was, and as part of the Vader visit as well with the videos we recorded all of them and I said, I’m gonna make you a YouTube star. And so I would, I, I recorded them. I put ’em on my YouTube channel. And so a lot of the videos that are on my website, all those Vader visits are like the kids showing off and playing against the teacher. And I promise you, I didn’t take it easy on any one of those kids. Like when it was like a verse match, I went all out and I told ’em. I was like, if you beat me, you know, it’s gonna be like, you earned it.

Eric Cross (09:38):
What a great way to leverage, just what, what is relevant to our students? Like you used your platform and then now you’re showcasing them on your, you know, your platform or what you were using. And then they’re seeing each other. And I could just see, regardless of the grade level, like just students, like beam from, from getting that kind of positive praise through, through, you know a medium that doesn’t, that tends to be more of a, just content consumption, but you’re kind of watching other folks do stuff, but now it’s about them. Like, and they’re, they’re getting that attention directly. Now I have to ask about the Vader costume. Did you, did you buy it for this event or did you already have that Darth Vader costume in your closet?

Shad Lacefield (10:19):
I had parts of the costume, but not the complete costume. And honestly, the very first Vader visit I had, I had the Vader mask that makes sounds, and like you could talk and it makes you sound like Vader.

Eric Cross (10:29):
My dark saber is on order. Yes. And it keeps getting delayed from best buy. It’s supposed to arrive in April, but I do have dark staple and order that I ordered back in November. So the best to your point, I don’t know who doesn’t have one, I’m waiting for mine though.

Shad Lacefield (10:42):
There you go, come on. Best buy come through for us. So

Eric Cross (10:44):
You, you did all this investment in time and, and you created all this content, but then we went back in person. Were, were you able to bring this back into the classroom or any of the things that you had generated during distance learning back in the classroom? Or are you, are you using some of the things that you learned? Like what, or is it just completely separate and you’re just doing something completely different. Now

Shad Lacefield (11:04):
That’s a great question. So I still try to dress up at least once every week, if not once every other week just to make whatever we’re doing fun, cuz I already have costumes that were connected to the content that I was doing. So had I had made a character called captain Soundwave that will use when I’m teaching my amplify lessons over sound. And so then I, you know, I have that or I would have, you know, specific characters that were designed for certain lessons that I would do. And so I still

Eric Cross (11:32):
Lemme interrupt you real quick. Where did you get these character ideas from? Cause they are super creative. I clicked on one random one. And you have had like a, a knitted like skull cap and like some blue shiny like cloak and I like who is this guy? I think, is that him? Is that captain sound wave? That’s

Shad Lacefield (11:48):
That’s hilarious. That was, that was my attempted Elsa. Oh, that was yeah. Started buying more and more costumes and and making characters and putting costumes together. And so yeah, it just ends up being this thing where you never know when I’m gonna show up in a completely random costume and be like today, we’re getting ready to learn about how sedimentary rocks form. And I dressed in my rock outfit, which is the old school rock with the turtleneck and the gold chain with,

Eric Cross (12:16):
Wait, do you have a Fanny pack too?

Shad Lacefield (12:17):
I have a Fanny pack. Yes you have. Yep. You nailed it. And they’re like, what does this guy

Eric Cross (12:22):
Do? He raise the one eyebrow. Can you do the, the rock eyebrow? Oh yeah, you got this. Oh, people on the podcast. Can’t see. Chad’s got it down. He’s got it down. He’s got the, he’s got the eyebrow going. Okay, so you, so I feel like I can go on a tangent and talk about all your costumes that you have, but the thinking about this. So tons of engagement, younger people now taking like some of the principles that you’ve learned from this, how can, how can upper grades like bring this joy to their classroom? Like middle school students, you know, older kids sometimes, you know, they can, they’re still kids, but you know, they might not be the same thing as fourth graders. Like would you, do you have any ideas of like how teachers and upper grades can kind of take these elements that you’ve done and, and apply them?

Shad Lacefield (13:04):
Absolutely. So some of the things that you had talked about, like with YouTube can also be applied to like TikTok videos and things like that, that kids are, are willing to watch and, and be engaged in. And so those things, I feel like I’ve seen other middle and high school teachers really utilize in their classroom. But honestly, and this is a new initiative that we’ve started in our district. Minecraft has been something that a lot of kids play and are really engaged in and has shown an amazing engagement for all of our kids when it comes to science engagement, particularly. And so with that, so there’s 126 million active Minecraft players right now in the world. And Minecraft is one of the largest selling video games. The average age, cuz they’re always like, oh, Minecraft is for kids who actually the average age is like 24.

Shad Lacefield (13:51):
So a lot of the older kids are playing Minecraft as well with the younger kids. And with that in mind, it was a way when I looked at Minecraft and specifically like Minecraft educational edition came out and it was during COVID and it was free. So if you had a school email or it’s like the, what the go 365 account, you could get it for free and all of our kids got it for free. And so then, then we went from playing Minecraft on the computer as like a fun game to me looking at it and saying like, wait a minute. I feel like when I’m doing energy conversions, we can take Redstone and Minecraft and kids can now show how a simple system using different parts and devices can work and understand even more con creates how energy is converted from one form to another.

Shad Lacefield (14:39):
And so let’s make this a, a, a, an actual activity. Let’s take what I’m teaching in the classroom. And if they get done early as an enrichment piece, because there’s not a ton of science and enrichment activities at times for kids to be able to do, like, what do I do when I’m done, Minecraft ended up being that. And so I could have these elaborate worlds that I would build for them that they could then go and play and be super engaged in and show me way more on this Minecraft world, what they knew than what they were writing on paper sometimes, cuz I, you know, you’d get like a sentences out of them on paper, but then all of a sudden when they would build this elaborate system and you just had them record and talk, it was like, oh my gosh, you understand way more than I was thinking that you did with that last exit slip, an assessment that we did.

Shad Lacefield (15:25):
And so like, this is awesome. So then I went to my district and I actually proposed an idea what if we did tire Minecraft build challenges for the whole district? So our district has 37 elementary schools and I was like, I think this could be something that, you know, as we’re looking for science, curriculum engagement and making kids excited about learning science and stuff again, cuz that was always the hard part. I feel like sometimes with COVID everything kids lost this love of, of being in the classroom and, and, and learning and that it was like, you know, getting them to come back into the classroom and, and finding, learning fun again. It was like this, this started to get ’em excited and like, yeah, I get to play in Minecraft and I’m learning at the same time. And it was working for all kinds of content areas.

Shad Lacefield (16:07):
We’re doing a blast off to, to Mars. We it’s called blast off to us. We’re partnering with CLO of the future. They’re working with SpaceX. Our kids will actually get to send postcards to space and yes, it’s, it’s a super cool thing. And I love my district and all of the office of technology, individuals, Ashley Josh and Kelly for putting this together. And so it asks this question if you could a community in space, what would it be like? And the goal is that kids will write on the back what they want. And then we send this postcard off to space, they stamp it saying it’s been in space and the kids get to have it back and, and be able to use it. But what, what we decided, what we could do with Minecraft is what if they actually built the colony on Mars, like really research put time and effort into reading scientific articles about plants and how plants would grow and, and water and, and structures and apply all of that in a massive build challenge. And then that be, you know what we’re doing? That can be the answer to the question. And so it’s not just a couple sentences on a postcard, but it’s like a week or two week unit that pulls all this scientific content and standards that we’re working with and really allows kids to show so much creativity like on my Twitter I’ve been posting like pictures and stuff like that of some of the students builds. And I’m gonna continue to do that throughout the build challenge.

Eric Cross (17:26):
Now, are you using Minecraft EDU?

Shad Lacefield (17:28):
Yes. That is correct.

Eric Cross (17:29):
I love Minecraft EDU. Like it, it, you talking about it inspires me to, to try to dive back into it. One of the things sometimes I feel limited by is the time that I have and the things that we’re trying to cover. And it’s almost, it almost feels like we’re doing something wrong using a video game to teach, but it’s such a great educational tool. Like you said, you just said that students are able to show what they know in, in a way by creating something that’s different than if they would’ve just written it, but they’re actually creating, and this is one of the things, I guess you kind of hit on this, but I wanted to probe it a little more. Is do you have your students creating content like you do? Cause I kind of heard that they, you were, did you say that they were explaining or doing a video recording or describing it? How are they, how are they, how are they doing that work?

Shad Lacefield (18:17):
Yeah. So what they actually do is they’ll write a script and they will use Screencastify to record and then upload to Flipgrid. And then that way they can actually show their build to all of fourth grade. Since we weren’t allowed to be in the same class, like we were all departmentalized, so then we will have voting challenges. So after you record, you get to see everyone’s videos, you get to like and comment and leave feedback on their builds. So you can see what the other kids created. And then then from those initial videos and voting, we selected a certain of kids that then go on to the district level for our Minecraft build challenge. And then those videos are viewed by administration and other teachers to vote again. And then you end up having grade level winners and then an overall winner, which shout out to my boy in fourth grade, who was our overall winner, Eli, super proud of him.

Shad Lacefield (19:07):
He, he made this really, really space saving system, which was hidden stairs that ran off of Redstone and used motion, energy. And again, in his video, he talks about like how motion energy has changed to electrical energy and then back into motion through the process of how this hidden staircase would be in the wall. And then you’d be able to use this lever to then release that staircase. So you could go up and down but it was just, and again, when you, when you let kids talk about energy conversions and you let them build all of a sudden, you have kids making security systems for banks. Another kid that made a feeding system for kids for animals at the zoo, and it was just like, oh my gosh, I had no idea that this was what you guys could run out and do. When I, when I taught you how energy conversions work, that this is what you could produce and come over, like this is mind blowing. I love it,

Eric Cross (19:56):
What our kids can do and what they can create always kind of blows us away when we give them an opportunity to kind of have that freedom to, to create and take their knowledge and actually do something with it versus channel it into what, show me what, you know, but only do it like this. This is, this is the lane that you have to stay in. How do you get these ideas and, and stay, stay relevant? Like so many of the things like you’re touching, like pop culture, you, you have this hand in education technology, you have you’re, you’re doing video editing. Like where are you drawing from? Cause I’m just thinking like, as a teacher listening to this, that might be newer. And they go to the side like, oh my gosh, this, this guy is doing these so many things like where are you drawing from for inspiration or ideas?

Shad Lacefield (20:39):
I think a lot of it is like you say, when, when you stay relevant, it’s being engaged with your students and figuring out, or what are, what are they liking? And every year it’s gonna be different. And that helps you stay relevant. When you have conversations and you build relationships with your kids to figure out, you know, what’s going on. Because I was not a big Minecraft person. It was the group that came in that really challenged me to do Minecraft because it, it showed up on their Chromebooks one day and all of a sudden it’s like, oh, we can play Minecraft all the time. And I said, no, you can’t play Minecraft until that I’ve had training. And I know what’s going on because I’m super nervous about this new thing. And I wanna make sure you guys aren’t doing something that you’re not supposed to.

Shad Lacefield (21:13):
And like, they hounded me hardcore about you better do you need to do that training, Mr. Lacefield, you need to, we wanna play Minecraft. You better be doing this. Right. And so I was like, all right, man, I’ll, I’ll invest. I’ll, I’ll put some time into this training. And I’m so glad that I did yeah, again, that’s it just like building relationships and having those conversations help you realize like, what’s, what’s what are they interested in? What what’s going on and what would be really funny, even connecting that back to the costumes. What would it be really funny if I showed up in you know, today, princess Jasmine.

Eric Cross (21:42):
Yeah.

Shad Lacefield (21:43):
Been yes. Done that. That’s a great one. I,

Eric Cross (21:45):
I, I just went to the social studies page. I, and I stop laughing while you were talking. Cause I saw the princess Jasmine.

Shad Lacefield (21:52):
Oh yeah. Folks.

Eric Cross (21:53):
I’m telling you, you have to go, you have to go to his videos and see what he’s done. I mean, they’re just, they’re just amazing with my middle school students. They, I, I find myself having to be into things that I’m not normally into. And we have these intergenerational relationships, right? Like I think teachers are unique in this I aspect where I can connect with a 12 year old with what 12 year olds are in no matter where this 12 year old’s from. Cuz I get 12 year old culture. But sometimes when I go back into my adult world, like I forget that like, Hey yeah, haven’t watched a new anime you know, or, or whatever, you know, up

Shad Lacefield (22:26):
That. Yeah. No said too. And a kid will show up wearing a, a shirt to school and I’m like, I wasn’t the world’s that like, I’ve never even seen that before. And you’re like, okay, I’m gonna have to learn what that is cuz that yeah.

Eric Cross (22:38):
And then the next student asks you about, Hey, do you like, do you like these this game? I’m like, yeah, yeah, let me go Google that game real quick. Yeah, I’m totally into it. I’m downloading on my phone real quick. And, and now I’m connected to all kinds of obscure random interests, but to your, to what you said, it like, it helps keep us fresh, right? With I, with ideas, there, there is something that is super practical that you’ve done that you’ve created that I’ve encouraged teachers to do. And I think you really nailed it. On your site, you have these video tutorials. When I look at those, I, I think about how much time you must have saved yourself of not having to explain the same exact thing multiple times. Because you’ve created this virtual help section that allows students to log in amplify earth, check, Flipgrid, whatever. Like do you, when you’re, when you’re teaching students, do you, do you use those in direct students there so they can kind of support themselves? Or is that, what, how did that come to be when you, when you made these, these virtual tools? Because I could just imagine these are time savers for you.

Shad Lacefield (23:49):
Absolutely. Cuz again, like you said, it’s it saves on time. So a lot of when you have kids that are already visual learners as well, and they love watching YouTube and they learn stuff from YouTube, why not? I mean, make the video and then attach it to my Google classroom, keeping everything online. Everyone always has access. And by still having those videos, it allows kids to hear the directions multiple time, but on their time and at their pace. So then it’s posted on the assignment. So even though I probably still will give those directions verbally out loud if a kid forgets and maybe they feel a little nervous about asking in front of their peers, like, oh, how do I do this again? Or, oh, I don’t remember how to do that. That video is linked on there. So that way they can go back and watch it.

Eric Cross (24:28):
It’s almost like a little co-teacher that you have like a little aide that’s like, but it’s you, but it’s like a mini you who’s helping you out. I found that putting sometimes those tutorial videos on ed puzzle, where at different points in time, you can set it up so that at a certain timestamp, it asks a question and you can control it. So they can’t move faster past it until they respond to the question and you have the question be about whatever you just said. And then it, it syncs with Google classroom. So you can import all the grades and you can see how far through the video they got. But that was one other layer that I was able to do. So I can have some accountability and make sure that okay, everybody watched it and they answered all five questions of like, how do you do this?

Shad Lacefield (25:07):
Oh, see, now you’re sharing stuff with me, Eric, because I, I’m not as familiar with ed puzzle. I’ve used like near pod and per deck, but I mean just you saying that I’m like, okay, I need to check out ed puzzle and, and see what, what this is all about. Cause that sounds awesome.

Eric Cross (25:20):
Hey, I shared something with Chad and it it’s useful. I’m I’m feeling good right now. I’m feel I’m feeling good. So as we, as we kind of wind down one, couple questions I wanna ask. One of ’em is you’ve been in teaching for, for 15 years and I, I talk to you like right now and I get this energy and this vibe that’s just so upbeat, so positive. How do you stay fresh, fresh. And how did you stay fresh during a time when things have been so hard, you know, and it, and still is for so many educators, how do you stay encouraged? Like what, what have you done and, and to stay in, in education for, for this long,

Shad Lacefield (26:00):
I think it, it even goes back to like when I made my initial decision to switch my major to education, like I, I really felt like I found so thing that I thoroughly loved and enjoyed, and I always feel like you go through seasons. Like, and I definitely, when, when COVID hit, like you went through a season of where you start to feel again, that pressure like do I really like doing this as much as I thought that I like doing this and am I ready for this next thing? And then I just go back to just the, well, why did I do this to begin with? And, and it gets me, you know, excited to be like, I did it for the kids, like, and it’s about the kids. And I get joy when they’re laughing and smiling. So again, with the videos, it’s like, how can I make ’em laugh and smile because if they’re laughing and smiling and having a good time, I’m gonna get, you know, jacked and ready to start teaching again.

Eric Cross (26:48):
And I just hear that so much in what you’re saying is you’re serving your kids is, is being more than that building the relationship, that connection. And then through all that, the learning happens. The last question I wanna ask you is who’s one teacher that created a memorable experience for you or inspired you. Is it someone that you remember when you were in school or learn experience that just, that stands out to you to this day? Cuz as teachers, we remember thi like our kids remember us and it’s weird to be in that position to think that we’re gonna be that person. So is there anybody or anything that stands out to you that you remember from a, a teacher and experience?

Shad Lacefield (27:27):
Gosh, I have, I have a lot that you know, from my fifth grade science teacher, Mr. Goodman, who we did the ecology meet and the ecology team, and we went to OT Creek park and we competed against other schools about science, connected materials to my physics teacher in high school that let us build boats out of cardboard and take it to the only hotel in our town and the pool. And we had like boat races with the cardboard boats that we did. But really I, I go back to Squire boon and Claudia my manager and I remember not only was, she’s such a, a pivotal like getting me into teaching. But I remember the, the curriculum that we were using at the time that I was. And again, it goes back to what if I was to teach that curriculum, I would not still be a teacher because again, as sometimes you experience with curriculum, it can be boring and not engaging. And I was already putting my own flare on it at SQUI boon during the scout lessons. And I said, what if I just completely rewrote this curriculum? What if I made it really fun and put my own, spin on it? And, and she was like, absolutely, absolutely do that. And I feel like that encouragement as teachers, when we encourage kids to be creative when we encourage kids to, to take risk and to try new things we end up getting such amazing results that we didn’t even expect

Eric Cross (28:45):
Thought I out to Mr. Goodman for the ecology meet the physics teacher for the, the boat races, which are hilarious, by the way, if you’ve ever been able to watch students, did you make ’em at a cardboard?

Shad Lacefield (28:53):
We did. Yep.

Eric Cross (28:54):
Yeah. Those are hilarious to watch. And Claudia for giving the freedom to let you be a educational DJ and remix things to make it fun. Thanks for being on the podcast. Thanks for your inspiration and for sharing your stuff like publicly and letting other people see it and, and get ideas. It’s, I’m sure there’s more people than, you know, and more teachers than, you know, that are looking at that and getting their own ideas and coming up with their own. It might not be star wars, but coming up with their own inspiration, maybe it’s like Harry Potter or Lord of the rings or some like that.

Shad Lacefield (29:26):
Yeah. Whatever. You’re passionate about. Pull that in.

Eric Cross (29:31):
Thanks so much for joining me and Shad today. We want to hear more about you. If you have any great lessons or ways to keep student engagement high, please email us at stem@amplify.com. That’s STEM@amplify.com and make sure to click, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts until next time.

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What Shad Lacefield says about science

“It’s about being engaged with your students and figuring out what are they liking. Every year it’s going to be different…when you have conversations and you build relationships with your kids.”

– Shad Lacefield

4th Grade Science Teacher, District Elementary Science

Meet the guest

Shad Lacefield is a teacher at Garden Springs Elementary and part-time professor at Asbury University in Kentucky. Mr. Lacefield leads professional development in his district, and has been a guest speaker for Eastern Kentucky University, Campbellsville University, and Amplify Education. His topics include classroom managment, integrating techology, and student engagement. He earned his bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Campbellsville University in 2007, and his master’s in science from Southwest Baptist University in 2011. Shad has either taught or coached every grade K-12, and in his 14 years in education he has served as a lead teacher in literacy, math, science, and social studies. He currently coordiantes with the FCPS Office of Instructional Technology to plan Minecraft build challenges for elementary students, and is working on setting up a science field trip that turns a golf course into a STEM lab. During the first year of the pandemic, Shad dressed up in over 100 costumes to create a unique and engaging online learning experience for his students. He also created Vader Visits where he visited students at their homes dressed as Darth Vader to celebrate their online successes, and keep them encouraged during a challenging time. His creative teaching style, and over 50 “Vader Visits” with students, have been featured on WKYT-TV, LEX-18, Spectrum 1 News, and several local and college news publications. Shad lives in Lexington Kentucky with his wife Whitney Lacefield and their three children.

Check out his website, YouTube channel, and Facebook account!

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About Science Connections

Welcome to Science Connections! Science is changing before our eyes, now more than ever. So…how do we help kids figure that out? We will bring on educators, scientists, and more to discuss the importance of high-quality science instruction. In this episode, hear from our host Eric Cross about his work engaging students as a K-8 science teacher. Listen here!

You might also like:

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Check out Shad’s website!

Check out Shad’s website!

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Earn CE Credit! Free Coding Webinar

Integrating Code-to-Learn Experiences in Middle School Science Classrooms

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Math Teacher Lounge

Looking for ways to support students in problem-solving? Check out the Amplify’s…

Welcome to your Amplify Science pilot!

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Utah ELA Review for Grades PK–5

Thank you for taking the time to review Amplify’s core ELA program for PK–5. Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts® (CKLA) is a state-approved core ELA curriculum designated as a primary core program that fully meets the Science of Reading requirements outlined in SB 127.

Amplify CKLA, developed in partnership with the Core Knowledge Foundation, was designed to help teachers implement Science of Reading principles and evidence-based instructional practices. Scroll down to learn how CKLA is uniquely designed to help all your students make learning leaps in literacy.

Illustration of a diverse group of people engaged in creative activities, including a woman holding architectural plans and a young girl reading a book.

Step 1: Program Introduction

Welcome to Amplify CKLA! Before you dive into our materials, watch the video below to learn about the big picture behind Amplify CKLA’s pedagogy.

In this video, Susan Lambert (Chief Academic Officer and host of Science of Reading: The Podocast) shares why Amplify CKLA was created, how it is built on the Science of Reading, and the impact it’s making across the country.

Step 2: Program Overview

Amplify CKLA is different for a reason. Watch the overview video below to learn about these differences and why educators love them.

In this video, you’ll get an in-depth look at the program’s overall structure and organization, the design behind our proven lessons, and the materials included to support teaching and learning.

The Amplify CKLA Program Guide also provides an in-depth view of how Amplify CKLA works, how it’s structured, and why it’s uniquely capable of helping you bring reading instruction based on the Science of Reading to your classroom.

Evidence-based design

Amplify CKLA is rooted in Science of Reading research. Mirroring Scarborough’s Rope, Amplify CKLA delivers a combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge-building.

  • In Grades PK–2, dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction are taught simultaneously through two distinct instructional strands.
  • In Grades 3–5, dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction are woven together and delivered through one integrated strand.
Scarborough's Rope

Grades K–2 Skills and Knowledge Strands
Every day students in Grades K–2 complete one full lesson that explicitly and systematically builds foundational reading skills in the Skills Strand, as well as one full lesson that builds robust background knowledge to access complex text in the Knowledge Strand. Through learning in each of these strands, students develop the early literacy skills necessary to help them become confident readers and build the context to understand what they’re reading.

Grades 3–5 Integrated Strand
In Grades 3–5, Knowledge and Skills are integrated in one set of instructional materials. Lessons begin to combine skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater writing emphasis. Students can then use their skills to go on their own independent reading adventures.

Key features

For each Amplify CKLA key feature below, click the drop down arrow to learn more.

Built out of the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify CKLA delivers explicit instruction in both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in grades PK–2 with an integrated approach to explicit instruction in grades 3–5.

Review this Science of Reading toolkit to learn more about the Science of Reading best practices integrated throughout CKLA.

Amplify CKLA aligns with the instructional principles recommended by Orton Gillingham and LETRS.

  • Structured–Concepts are taught through consistent routines
  • Sequential–Concepts are taught in a logical, well-planned sequence
  • Systematic–Phonemes are taught from simplest to most complex
  • Explicit–Decoding and encoding concepts are taught directly and explicitly
  • Multi-sensory–Instruction is delivered through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile pathways
  • Cumulative–Concepts are applied in decodable, connected texts with constant review and reinforcement

Watch this video to learn more!

Additionally, great reading instruction starts with helping kids develop great decoding skills. Our instruction is supported by:

The Science of Reading reveals knowledge as an essential pillar of reading comprehension and lifelong literacy. Hear from author Natalie Wexler and CKLA customers on edWebinar about the importance of knowledge-building in reading instruction.

Hear from Natalie Wexlered
Webinar Links

Students build grade-appropriate subject-area knowledge and vocabulary in history, science, literature, and the arts while learning to read, write, and think creatively and for themselves. Our instruction is supported by:

  • Knowledge builders that provide a quick overview of each domain with its key ideas.
  • Interactive Read-Alouds designed to build knowledge and vocabulary.
  • Content-rich anchor texts that support students as they tackle increasingly complex text and sharpen their analytical skills.
  • Social and emotional learning paired with lessons in civic responsibility.

Amplify CKLA not only received an all-green rating from the rigorous evaluators at EdReports, but it was also recently recognized by the Knowledge Matters Campaign as a high-quality literacy program that excels in building knowledge. Our shared message: background knowledge is essential to literacy and learning.

Read our EdReports review
Read our Knowledge Matters review

Student-led reading practice should be purposeful and connected to the core. That’s why Amplify createdBoost Reading. As an optional add-on to Amplify CKLA, students have the opportunity to practice skills directly tied to the skills they’ve been working on during core reading time. Boost Reading also adapts to each student to address their personal gaps and bolsters foundational skills at a pace that supports their individual development.

Boost Reading’s collection of 40+ adaptive games target foundational reading skills and develops them in alignment with Science of Reading principles. Unlike other adaptive games, we ensure students:

  • Practice the right skills at the right time. Our embedded placement tool ensures students receive the content and skill practice most appropriate for their current reading level. From there, students move through our curriculum along their own learning pathway where they encounter personalized content tailored to their evolving skill and grade levels.
  • Progress along a pathway that adapts on multiple dimensions, not just one. For example, a student can work on early first-grade decoding in one game while building more advanced vocabulary knowledge in another.
  • Practice skills in tandem. For example, a student is never forced to master one skill area before proceeding to the next. Instead, we offer students that opportunity to work on multiple skills concurrently.
  • Feel supported with scaffolding, instruction, and practice that adapts based on student performance.
  • Stay engaged by giving them immediate and clear feedback. These results are never punitive. Instead our always-positive feedback is delivered in the context of the game world and is designed to motivate students to keep trying.

Click the buttons below to learn more:

Step 3: Program Resources

Easy-to-use print materials

Amplify CKLA’s easy-to-use materials bring foundational skills and knowledge to life in the classroom.

Download the Amplify CKLA Components guide to see components by grade and watch the print materials walkthrough below.

Engaging CKLA digital experience

The top-rated content of Amplify CKLA is now live with the digital experience that enhances instruction and saves time.

Two digital dashboards are displayed: one for teachers showing recommendations and a program list, and one for students showing to-do items and a lesson named Mount Olympus, Part II.

With the digital experience, everything is in one place, making it easier and more engaging than ever to plan lessons, present digital content, and review student work. Click the arrows below to learn more.

With the digital experience, teachers have access to ready-to-use and customizable lesson presentation slides, complete with all the prompts from the print Teacher Guide embedded in the teacher view. As teachers deliver each lesson, students can engage with the content in one cohesive experience—through these CKLA resources: Activity Books, slides, digital components, videos, Student Readers, and more.

The innovative live review tool found in the digital experience enables you to keep an eye on all of your students as they work on drawing, recording audio, uploading and capturing images, and typing or writing in pre-placed textboxes in their Activity Pages. This dynamic tool provides countless classroom management benefits, enabling you to spot and correct common mistakes as they’re happening, praise your students for thoughtful work, and identify students who are not engaged in the task at hand. Simply put, it will give you those valuable “eyes in the back of your head” you’ve warned your students about!

The digital experience integrates with various LMSs, allowing you and your students to access Amplify CKLA with the software you’re already comfortable using.

In the Amplify CKLA student digital experience, your students have one intuitive access point to fully engage with classroom instruction. Through the Student Home, students can easily access digital lessons with slides, Activity Pages, ebooks, videos, and other interactives from one simple dashboard. Students can draw, record audio, upload and capture images, and type or write in pre-placed text boxes in their Activity Pages.

CKLA review resources

Step 4: State Review Resources

Step 5: Program Access

Explore as a teacher

Before logging in, watch this brief video on navigating the CKLA Teacher Platform.

Ready to explore as a teacher? Follow these instructions:

  • Click the Amplify CKLA Teacher Platform button below.
  • Select Log in with Amplify.
  • Enter the teacher username: t1.utcklapk5@demo.tryamplify.net
  • Enter the teacher password: Amplify1-utcklapk5
  • Choose CKLA from the “Your Programs” menu on Educator Home.
  • Select a grade level from the drop-down menu at the top of the page.
Amplify CKLA Teacher Platform

Ready to explore as a Student? Follow these instructions:

  • Click the Amplify CKLA Teacher Platform button below.
  • Select Log in with Amplify.
  • Enter the student username: s1.utahcklapk5@demo.tryamplify.net
  • Enter the student password: Amplify1-utahcklapk5
Amplify CKLA Student Platform

Elk Grove Science K5

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Getting started with Amplify Science California

Dear Elk Grove K–5 teachers,

Welcome to the Amplify Science California family! Below you’ll find everything you need to successfully kick off your science instruction this year.

– Your California team

Amplify Science - Student reading a book remote & hybrid

Program introduction

Onboarding videos

To start using Amplify Science California quickly in your classroom, check out the following onboarding videos. They cover what you need to know to get started fast, from unpacking materials to quickly start using Amplify Science in your classroom and navigating the digital Teacher’s Reference Guide.

Program pacing

Hands-on materials kit

The following videos give you a quick look into our Amplify Science California classroom kits. For each grade level, you’ll find a “How to unpack your kit” video for the first unit of the program.

Teacher digital resources

Watch this video to understand the basic organization of the digital teacher experience and how to navigate the platform.

Want some practice? Download this exploration guide to practice toggling between teacher view, presentation view, and student view.

Our new digital experience also makes it easy to assign work through our LMS integrations.

Our new digital experience also makes it easy to view student work in real time.

Student digital resources

Watch this video to take a peek at the various student digital resources available to your class.

Use this Student Login Click Path document to support students and families logging in from home.

Essential resources

Your Teacher’s Reference Guide is a tremendously rich resource. It’s also packed! That’s why teachers getting started with Amplify Science love our condensed Unit Guides, lesson planners, and device calendars.

Unit Guides

These short and sweet guides provide a big picture overview of each unit’s phenomenon and storyline, the key questions that guide learning, and how the storyline develops from chapter to chapter. We even spoil the big reveal at the end by pointing out ahead of time what students figure out throughout the unit.

A laptop displays an educational website titled "The Earth System" with lesson modules; a printed Teacher’s Guide with a similar cover design is shown beside it.

Kindergarten

Grade 1

Grade 2

Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 5

Lesson planners

Our lesson planners give you easy access to direct links to key resources within the program.

Kindergarten

Grade 1

Grade 2

Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 5

Teacher-provided materials

Your Amplify Science classroom kit includes a wide variety of consumable and non-consumable items. In fact, each kit contains enough non-consumables to support a class of 36 students working in small groups, and enough consumables to support 72 student uses.

In addition to these provided items, there are some teacher-provided items required in each unit. For a consolidated list of teacher-provided items per unit, download the appropriate PDF below.

Device calendars

Our at-a-glance device calendars make device management and sharing between grade-level colleagues a breeze. With one calendar per unit (beginning in grade 2), you can easily see which lessons utilize devices.

Approach to assessment

The Amplify Science California assessment system is grounded in the principle that students benefit from regular and varied opportunities to demonstrate understanding through performance. In practice this means that conceptual understanding is revealed through engagement in the science and engineering practices.

Assessment types at a glance

In your classroom, you’ll be utilizing a variety of formative (F) and summative (S) assessments:

  • End-of-Unit Assessment (S): Assessments toward the end of each unit feature a combination of targeted discussions, student-generated models, and written explanations to gauge students’ knowledge and growth.
  • Pre-Unit Assessments (F): Discussion, modeling, and written explanations to gauge students’ knowledge.
  • On-the-Fly Assessments (OtFA) (F): Multi-dimensional tasks integrated regularly throughout the lessons. OtFA opportunities were designed to help teachers make sense of student activity during a learning experience (e.g., student-to-student talk, writing, and model construction) and to provide evidence of how a student is coming to understand core concepts and developing dexterity with SEPs and CCCs. Three-dimensional assessment opportunities make measuring progress toward NGSS learning goals possible.
  • Self-assessments (F): One per chapter; brief opportunities for students to reflect on their own learning, ask questions, and reveal ongoing wonderings about unit content.
  • Critical Juncture Assessments (F): Variety of multidimensional performance tasks intended to assess student progress, occurring at the end of each chapter. Examples include writing scientific explanations, engaging in argumentation, developing and using models, and designing engineering solutions. Based on student performance on the assessment, teachers have access to recommendations for targeted student interventions, suggested follow-ups, or differentiating classroom instruction.
  • End-of-Unit Assessment (S): Assessments toward the end of each unit feature a combination of targeted discussions, student-generated models, and written explanations to gauge students’ knowledge and growth.

Pre-Unit Assessments

Most Pre-Unit assessments are embedded within an activity of the first lesson of a unit. In kindergarten and grade 1, the Pre-Unit assessment (as well as the End-of-Unit assessment) is oral. In grades 2–5 they are typically written. Refer to the Digital Resources area of the Lesson Brief for materials needed for the assessment activity, such as the Clipboard Assessment Tool (K–1 only), copymasters (grades 2–5 only), and an Assessment Guide that will help you interpret and leverage students’ responses.

If you and your students have Interactive Classroom licenses, students can complete their assessment digitally instead of using the copymaster.

When students complete the assessment pages digitally, you’ll be able to review their work on the View Work page.

Critical Juncture Assessments

Critical Juncture assessments typically occur towards the end of each chapter. The Materials and Preparation section will indicate when there is a Critical Juncture to prepare for, but you can also tell when an activity is designed to be a Critical Juncture assessment by the hummingbird icon that will appear within it. Selecting the hummingbird icon will tell you how to assess students’ understanding with the activity, and how to tailor instruction based on what you find. If you need guidance on the “answers” to the assessment activity, refer to the “Possible Responses” tab.

If you are using Classroom Slides or Interactive Classroom, you’ll see a hummingbird or “Critical Juncture” label in the bottom right corner of one of the slides of the activity.

The notes about assessing understanding and tailoring instruction are located in the notes of that slide (on the right-hand side of the Teacher’s Guide tab in the Interactive Classroom experience; underneath the slide in Classroom Slides).

End-of-Unit Assessments

End-of-Unit assessments are typically the last lesson of a unit. In some units, these are two-part assessments that take place over two lessons. The easiest way to find the End-of-Unit assessment is to skim through the lesson titles. Lessons containing End-of-Unit assessments will always have that noted in the title.

Like the Pre-unit assessment, you can find materials for the End-of-unit assessments in the Digital Resources area of the Lesson Brief.

On-the-Fly Assessments

These embedded assessments leverage the formative opportunities in the learning experience students are already engaged in, such as creating models, analyzing data, actively reading, conducting investigations, and more. Refer to the Critical Juncture section above for guidance on finding information about using them.

Unit-level assessment information

You can find overall information about an individual unit’s assessments in the “Assessment System” resource, which is located within the Teacher References section on the Unit Overview page.

The Assessment System resource contains a comprehensive list of all of the assessment opportunities in the unit, including the assessment’s location, a brief indication of what students are doing in that particular activity, what type of assessment it is, which Disciplinary Core Ideas, science and engineering practices, and cross-cutting concepts it specifically addresses, and the kind of evaluation guidance you can expect for it. If you are in a kindergarten or first grade unit, you will also find information on the Clipboard Assessment Tool (used for supporting oral assessment) in this section.

If you’re interested in focusing on information related to the unit’s Critical Juncture and On-the-Fly assessments in particular, check out the “Embedded Formative Assessments” resource, also located within the Teacher References section on the Unit Overview page.

Three-dimensional assessment connections

All assessment opportunities within Amplify Science California include clear labeling around the Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs), and Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) to help teachers connect formative and summative assessments to specific NGSS dimensions.

Coming soon

Unlike other publishers, we don’t make you wait until your next adoption to get the latest and greatest from Amplify. We’re always launching new and exciting features. In fact, on this page is a list of new features you can look forward to using during the 2023-2024 school year.

FAQs

Program questions

Amplify Science California is a flexible, blended K–8 science curriculum that addresses 100 percent of the Next Generation Science Standards for California and a significant number of the California English Language Development Standards and Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects, and Math. Together, the units deliver three-dimensional instruction across the following disciplines: Life Science, Earth and Space Science, Physical Science, and Engineering Design.

Amplify Science California does indeed feature some powerful and engaging digital components, which are gradually introduced beginning at grade 2. However, as a fully blended and flexible program, Amplify Science California can be (and has been) implemented in a wide variety of scenarios.

All lessons were designed with device sharing in mind, and never assume that every student has a separate device. While 1:1 scenarios are great, they aren’t required. When devices are necessary for students to fully experience a concept, teachers can opt to share devices across pairs or small groups, or simply display the Sim or Modeling Tool to the whole class and allow students to “drive” using your device.

Rather than introducing a concept on Monday, testing for mastery on Friday, and knowing students will forget everything by the next Tuesday, we set out to help students build meaningful and lasting knowledge that they can retain and transfer over the course of the entire unit. We accomplish this by giving students multiple opportunities (a.k.a. “at-bats”) to encounter, explore, and experience a concept. Said another way, Amplify Science California is actually made up of a series of multi-modal “mini-lessons.” This intentional, cyclical, and iterative design mirrors the 5Es, allows teachers the flexibility to speed up or skip ahead once students have demonstrated mastery, and empowers students to learn concepts more deeply than any other program.

Yes. Rather than separating performance expectations into physical science units, earth and space science units, and life science units, Amplify Science California units are organized around anchoring phenomena designed to give students opportunities to dive deeply into certain Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) while also drawing from or applying to others. In organizing the Amplify Science California middle school units, we’ve carefully sequenced these ideas within each grade level to support the development of deep and coherent understanding.

Many real-world phenomena cross the domain boundaries of life, physical, or earth and space science (as well as engineering). Each Amplify Science California unit begins with an intriguing real-world phenomenon that poses a problem that needs to be understood and/or solved. By the end of the unit, students will have analyzed the anchor phenomenon across multiple scientific domains, possibly designed and tested an engineering solution, and applied what they’ve learned in a different context.

For example:
In the Light Waves unit, students investigate the anchoring phenomenon of why Australia has a much higher skin cancer rate than countries at similar latitudes like Brazil. The focus of this unit is on Disciplinary Core Ideas related to wave properties (PS4.A) and electromagnetic radiation (PS4.B). Students explore these physical science ideas deeply within the unit, and also draw on ideas from earth science (e.g., latitudinal variation of the sun’s energy) and life science (e.g., the effect of energy on the DNA in the nucleus of a cell) in order to explain the central phenomenon.

Absolutely. Hands-on learning is at the heart of Amplify Science California. Integrated into every unit are opportunities for students to take on the role of scientists and engineers as they gather evidence, think critically, solve problems, and develop and defend their claims.

In addition, our unique combination of focus and flex activities means teachers have more options, opportunities, and materials to make learning active. Each hands-on activity provides clear instructions for the teacher, with more complex activities supported by video demonstrations and illustrations.

What’s important to remember is that more hands-on doesn’t necessarily mean better, at least according to the California NGSS. That’s because only two of the eight Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) are directly related to hands-on learning.

Just as scientists gather evidence from many types of sources, students in the Amplify Science California program gather evidence not just by making physical models, but also by making and interpreting digital models; reading texts; watching videos; and analyzing photographs, maps, and data sets. By doing do, students are provided with more opportunities than any other program to use all of the practices called out in the California NGSS Framework:

  • Asking questions
  • Developing and using models
  • Planning and carrying out investigations
  • Analyzing and interpreting data
  • Using mathematics and computational thinking
  • Constructing explanations
  • Engaging in arguments from evidence
  • Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

While all of our units engage students in gathering evidence from a rich collection of sources, the reliance on different types of evidence (and evidence sources) varies according to unit. For instance, some units lend themselves to meaningful hands-on experiences, while in other units the phenomena students are investigating are too slow, too dangerous, or too big to be observed directly. In those units, students rely more heavily on other evidence sources such a physical models or simulations.

Unit types in grades K–5

In each K–5 grade, there is one unit that emphasizes investigation, one that emphasizes modeling, and one that emphasizes design. In addition, in grades 3–5, there is also one unit that emphasizes argumentation.

Unit types in grades 6–8

Each 6–8 grade features three types of units: Launch, Core, and Engineering Internships. Each year has one Launch unit, six Core units, and two Engineering Internships.

For teachers who want to supplement the lessons with even more hands-on activities, optional “flextension” activities are included in many units.

Yes indeed. Amplify Science California integrates all four STEM disciplines—science, technology, engineering, and math, in addition to English Language Arts—throughout the curriculum. In addition, each grade level features specific units that emphasize engineering design.

Yes, the program includes multiple opportunities for summative assessments.

End-of-unit assessments: At grades K–1 these look like targeted conversations, at grades 2–5 we incorporate written responses, and at grades 6–8 we assess through a combination of auto-scored multiple-choice questions and rubric-scored written responses. These summative assessments for each unit are designed to provide valid, reliable, and fair measures of students’ progress and attainment of three-dimensional learning.

Benchmark assessments: Delivered four times per year in grades 3–5 and three times per year in grades 6–8, benchmark assessments report on students’ facilities with each of the grade appropriate DCIs, SEPs, CCCs, and performance expectations of the California NGSS.

Science Seminars and final written arguments (formative and summative components): In grades 6–8, culminating performance tasks for each core unit invite students to figure out a new real-world problem. They collect and analyze evidence, examine a number of claims, and then engage in a full-class discussion where they must state which claims are best supported by the evidence, all while making clear their reasoning that connects the evidence to the claims. After the seminar, students then individually write their final scientific argument, drawing on the DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs they have used over the course of the unit to develop a sophisticated and convincing argument that addresses the problem they’ve been investigating. Rubrics, scoring guides, and examples of student responses at each scoring level are provided to teachers to support the assessment of students’ understanding of concepts and specific practices.

Amplify Science California provides more than enough instructional content to fill 180 days of instruction. However, unlike other programs that expect you to complete 180 discrete lessons, Amplify Science California includes built-in wiggle room.

For example, the typical elementary classroom delivers science instruction only two times per week. Rather than asking teachers to wade through unnecessary content, we designed our program to address 100 percent of the California NGSS in just 66 days at grades K–2 and 88 days at grades 3–5. When it comes to middle school, we address 100 percent of the California NGSS in 146 lessons.

Some classes might last longer than one session due to a number of reasons (e.g., enthusiastic student conversations, challenging topics requiring deeper dives, more time needed to accommodate diverse learners, etc.). Also, teachers might want to supplement Amplify Science California with some of their own favorite lessons. Lastly, we’ve accounted for the inevitable assembly days, class trips, testing schedules, etc. For teachers that want to go deeper or expand upon a unit topic, we also offer a number of additional lessons that are not core to each unit.

Amplify Science California lessons are designed to be completed in the following time frames:
Lessons in grades K–1 are designed for 45 minutes of science instruction.
Lessons in grades 2–5 are designed for 60 minutes of science instruction.

That said, it’s not a problem if you can’t allocate 45 minutes of science instruction every day at K–1, or 60 minutes per day at 2–5. Since there are a total of 66 lessons to address 100 percent of California NGSS at grades K–2, and 88 lessons to address 100 percent of California NGSS at grades 3–5, you can easily teach the lessons in smaller blocks and cover all of the content over the course of the school year.

Each lesson of every Amplify Science California unit includes point-of-use differentiation strategies and embedded teacher and student supports for diverse learners, including English learners, students who need more support, and students who are ready for more challenge. These strategies and methods ensure that all students have access to the same content as their peers.

Two notable categories of suggested modifications are:

  • English-learner-specific strategies such as English/Spanish glossaries, native language supports, and provision of cognates and other content-specific language scaffolds are provided in each unit.
  • Relatively small alterations and additional scaffolds that provide students with greater access to the content.
    These types of scaffolds benefit all learners and include suggestions such as providing graphic organizers, practice with multiple-meaning words, etc.

With Amplify Science California, the use of technology is always purposeful.

For example:

  • The curriculum has a strong emphasis on literacy, with students reading and analyzing informational texts, and writing scientific explanations and arguments.
  • Digital elements are gradually introduced to students in grades 2–3, with the greatest use of digital elements taking place in grades 4–5, as the phenomena at these grades become more challenging to observe directly.
  • The curriculum’s readers and interactive notebook pages are available in both print and digital across all K–5 units.

This curriculum addresses a significant number of the standards as they pertain to science. Throughout each unit, students read science texts, engage in science talk and argumentation, and write evidence-based science explanations. The curriculum supports vocabulary, language, and reading comprehension development. Students also use measurement tools with precision, record and analyze data, make sense of scientific phenomena, and develop solutions to problems experienced in the real world.

Digital questions

Teacher Support notes including sample teacher talk, student responses, pedagogical support, and possible student responses are provided within your student-facing slides. Simply click “Teach” and reference your private Teacher Guide tab. Students will only see the lesson slides that you are presenting.

You, the teacher, must “Start class” to launch the presentation tab. (Remember, without the presentation tab, students would be able to see your teacher notes.)

Clicking “Starting class” also brings students to the correct slide, which is particularly important for young students who are learning to navigate.

Teachers can either press the “End class” button in the bottom right corner of the slide navigation, or they can simply close the presentation tab.

Clicking “End class” also enables students to navigate through the lesson on their own. That means they’ll be able to return to slides and books to review content, to the Sims and Modeling Tools to replay them, or to notebook pages to update their work.

You can click on the “Student preview” option in the bottom right corner (within the menu that opens when you click the three dots) to open a new browser tab where you can preview the student view using your teacher account.

Any work you complete in this student preview (or elsewhere in the teacher experience) will be automatically saved to your account.

Looking for help?

For login or technology issues, please submit an EGUSD Heat ticket. For curriculum and pedagogical questions, please refer to the support resources below.

Powerful (and free!) pedagogical support

Amplify provides a unique kind of support you won’t find from other publishers. We’ve developed an educational support team of former teachers and administrators who provide pedagogical support for every Amplify curriculum, assessment, and intervention program. This service is completely free for all educators who are using our programs and includes:

  • Guidance for developing lesson plans and intervention plans.
  • Information on where to locate standards and other planning materials.
  • Recommendations and tips for day-to-day teaching with Amplify programs.
  • Support with administering and interpreting assessment data and more.

To reach our pedagogical team, use our live chat within your program, call (800) 823-1969, or email edsupport@amplify.com

Timely technical and program support

Our technical and program support is included and available from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday, through a variety of channels, including a live chat program that enables teachers to get immediate help in the middle of the school day.

For your most urgent questions:

  • Use our live chat within your program.
  • Call our toll-free number: (800) 823-1969.

For less urgent questions:

Email support

Connect with other teachers

Our Amplify Science Facebook group is a community of Amplify Science educators from across the country. It’s a space to share best practices, ideas, and support on everything from implementation to instruction. Join today.

Welcome, Program 3 reviewers!

We’re honored to introduce you to Amplify California Language Arts. We’re confident you’ll find this comprehensive program to be a powerful tool for bringing the vision of the California ELA/ELD Framework to life in classrooms across the state.

Please start with the video on the right to learn how to navigate the program and access key features referenced within our submission. Below you’ll find additional resources to support your review.

Your review samples

We’re excited for you to begin your review of Amplify California Language Arts, a comprehensive biliteracy program for kindergarten through grade 6.

Reviewer Binders (K–6)

Your physical samples should have arrived in grade-specific boxes with three Reviewer Binders.

  • The first binder will contain logistical program review information and the printed Evaluation Criteria Map.
  • The second binder will contain the printed Standards Maps for grades K–2.
  • The third binder will contain the printed Standards Maps for grades 3–6.

Physical samples (trade books)

Your review of the program will be entirely digital with the exception of the trade books that you will be receiving as physical samples. You can expect to receive 13 boxes of physical materials for your review. Twelve boxes of trade books, one for each grade K–5, in English and Spanish, and one box containing your Reviewer Binders.

As you begin the process of organizing your materials, please refer to the inventory checklist found inside each box as well as within your Reviewer Binder.

Digital review materials

In order to access your digital review materials, you’ll need to log in to our platform using your unique login credentials found on a Digital Review Credential flyer inside of your Reviewer Binder. Once you have located the flyer:

  • Click the orange button below to access the platform.
  • Click “Log in with Amplify.”
  • Enter the username and password provided on your Digital Review Credential flyer.
Digital Access

Navigation tips

Before you get started, please review these important functionality notes:

Criteria Map and Standards Maps must be opened on Microsoft Word on your desktop to function as intended. If you open the documents without Microsoft Word on your desktop, citations will be cut off at the bottom of most tables within the document.

Many of our citations are deep-links to PDFs, meaning they will take you to the right page or the first page in the sequence for the citation in question. To ensure this functionality works, please disable any PDF-viewing extensions or plug-ins such as Adobe Acrobat Pro Browser Extension.

[Reviewer program navigation video] Grades K–5

[Reviewer program navigation video] Grade 6

Click here for additional information on navigating the program for grade 6.

Category 1: English Language Arts (ELA) and English Language Development (ELD) content/alignment to standards

Evaluation Criteria Map

Linked below is the Evaluation Criteria Map. Please note that you will need to be logged into the digital platform to access the links in the Evaluation Criteria Map.

ELA Standards Maps

The links below provide the Standards Maps for Amplify California Language Arts for each grade level.

ELD Standards Maps

Category 2: Program organization

Amplify California Language Arts’ biliteracy program is a comprehensive curriculum provides a full year of evidence-based instruction for each grade level, with both integrated and designated English Language Development instruction designed to give multilingual/English learners the tools to thrive. Amplify’s biliteracy program for grades K–6 includes:

  • Core English language arts instruction: Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) California (grades K–5) and Amplify ELA California (grade 6) covering knowledge building and foundational skills.
    • Provides upper grade foundational skills instruction for grades 3–6.
  • Core Spanish language arts instruction: Amplify Caminos California, a fully parallel SLA program that works in tandem with English core instruction across all grades.
    • Provides upper grade foundational skills instruction for grades 3–6.
  • Designated English Language Development: Language Studio California is the designated English Language Development companion that directly aligns with and supports core English instruction. 
  • Newcomer Support: Amplify California Language Arts Newcomer Support to facilitate instruction for students who are new to both English and the United States.

Program structure

Amplify’s California Language Arts programs are built on what the research shows: Strong readers need both word recognition and language comprehension. Our comprehensive curriculum suite follows the Simple View of Reading bringing together foundational skills and knowledge building to deliver instruction grounded in the Science of Reading.

This model is integral to the structure of the Amplify biliteracy program, which directly aligns with the CA CCSS ELA and ELD standards by combining rigorous decoding and skills instruction with research-based knowledge and language development instruction. In its early grades, the Amplify biliteracy program uses a two-strand structure—Skills/Lectoescritura and Knowledge/Conocimiento—to effectively address this learning challenge while meeting standards expectations for both language development and academic content mastery.

Diagram with three orange squares labeled: "Language comprehension," "Word recognition," and "Skilled reading," connected by multiplication and equals signs, with Spanish headings above each square.

[Reviewer highlight video] Program organization for Category 2

[Reviewer highlight video] Program structure for grades K–2

[Reviewer highlight video] Program structure for grades 3–5

[Reviewer highlight video] Program structure for grade 6

Amplify Caminos California lessons are designed to allow all students time to work toward learning objectives, including peer collaboration and discussion. Since each lesson activity is aligned to subsequent activities, students’ understanding and analysis develops progressively throughout the lesson.

Each lesson follows a predictable structure with clearly marked components, beginning with warm-up routines, progressing through explicit instruction with guided practice, and concluding with independent application activities. The program provides detailed teacher language, including question stems and discussion prompts, ensuring clear and consistent delivery of instruction.

Amplify CKLA California and Amplify Caminos California empower teachers to deliver effective instruction and keep students engaged with the following resources:

  • Teacher Guides
  • Assessment Guides
  • Authentic texts and trade books
  • Knowledge Image Cards
  • Knowledge Flip Books
  • Remediation and intervention resources
  • Decodable readers
  • Student Readers and novels
  • Student Activity Books
  • Dedicated ELD support with Language Studio California
  • Poet’s Journals
  • eReaders
  • Sound Library featuring articulation videos and songs
  • Instructional routine modeling videos
  • Assignable Practice Games
  • On-demand professional development

Amplify ELA California students stay engaged with the following resources:

  • Teacher Guides that include:
    • Detailed lesson plans
    • Standards alignment and exit tickets
    • Real-time differentiation strategies
    • Robust reporting
  • Student Editions that include:
    • High-quality narrative and informational texts
    • Videos, audio supports, and digital experiences that capture their attention
    • Personal Writing Journal to keep all student writing in one place
  • Dedicated ELD support with Language Studio California
  • Trade books

Core literacy philosophy

Support every learner. Meet all learning needs with a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) that brings together universal screening, scaffolded core instruction, support for multilingual/English learners, and data-driven intervention to ensure every student gets what they need to succeed.

Deliver consistent foundational skills instruction. Daily explicit, systematic skills instruction in grades K–2, with targeted yet flexible support for students still building decoding confidence in grades 3–6, ensures mastery of essential reading foundations.

Build lasting knowledge across all grades. Through coherently sequenced, content-rich instruction that revisits key vocabulary and concepts with increasing complexity, students build meaningful connections that deepen their vocabulary and reading comprehension.

Strengthen reading through writing at every level. Regular writing instruction grounded in the Science of Writing supports reading comprehension, improves sentence-level writing, and provides the foundation for high-quality composition. As students progress through the upper grades, they engage in increasingly complex analytical tasks—synthesizing ideas, drawing generalizations, and interpreting multiple textual layers through both focused quick-writes and comprehensive essays. 

Foster oral language development. Structured opportunities for academic conversation and evidence-based dialogue build students’ ability to express complex ideas with precision and allow them to participate confidently in classroom discussions.

Measure growth with comprehensive assessments. Assessments range from in-the-moment checks for understanding to summative assessments that measure progress toward skills mastery and standards proficiency, providing the data needed to drive targeted instruction.

Scope and sequence

Below you can view the scope and sequence documents for each grade level. 

Routines

Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, and Amplify ELA California include several structured instructional routines that provide predictable patterns for both teachers and students:

Discussion and collaboration routines:

  • Turn and Talk: Partners discuss text-specific content using sentence starters and frames
  • Think-Pair-Share: Students engage in individual thinking, partner discussion, and whole-class sharing
  • Partner reading: Students sit shoulder-to-shoulder, taking turns reading and listening

Foundational Skills routines:

  • Sound-spelling review: Warm-up activities that reinforce phonics patterns
  • Oral blending warm-ups: Teacher-guided practice progressing to independent application
  • Finger-tapping: Techniques for blending sounds
  • Chaining activities: Students manipulate letters to transform one word into another
  • Word Work: Daily short activities focused on domain-specific and academic vocabulary

Knowledge-building routines:

  • Teacher modeling: Demonstration of proper intonation, expression, and pacing
  • Choral reading: Whole-class reading practice
  • Partner reading: Paired fluency practice

Close reading routines

The program includes carefully structured close reading activities that guide students through multiple encounters with complex texts. These routines help students develop deeper comprehension through systematic analysis and discussion.

Each routine includes comprehensive instructional guides with clear-cut directions for implementation, straightforward explanations of concepts, and suggestions for discussion.

Cross-Linguistic Transfer routines

The Cross-Linguistic Transfer (CLT) routines are easy-to-implement, 10–15 minute mini-lessons designed to help bridge English and Spanish literacy and language development. These structured routines are organized by grade bands for K–2, grades 3–5 and grade 6, covering five skill areas:

  • Oral language
  • Reading
  • Vocabulary
  • Language
  • Writing

[Reviewer highlight video] Amplify’s program alignment to Cross-Linguistic Transfer criteria

Designated English Language Development materials

Language Studio California is a K–8 content-based companion for English language learners. Built on Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California’s carefully sequenced Knowledge Domains, it combines engaging content knowledge with targeted supports and research-based strategies to help students move swiftly toward language proficiency. This program includes:

  • Real-world content to provide authentic opportunities to practice reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
  • Scaffolding strategies and differentiated instruction to offer targeted support along five English proficiency levels.
  • Progress monitoring tools to help teachers provide consistent and effective support.
  • Teacher Guides that:
    • Provide impactful progress monitoring tools including formative and summative assessments, and Language Proficiency Assessment rubrics.
    • Offer varied differentiation strategies including Support, Challenge, and Access supports in each lesson segment.
    • Are organized into thoughtful lesson segments—Talk Time, Building Background, On Stage and more—that make learning objectives concrete.
  • Activities that:
    • Expand on domain knowledge from core content and read-alouds and prompt collaborative conversation to practice oral fluency.
    • Support hands-on language activities to promote authentic interaction in the classroom.
    • Help students bridge experiences and knowledge with images, vocabulary activities, graphic organizers, anticipation guides, writing space, and more.

Category 3: Assessments

Systematic MTSS alignment

In alignment with the additional 2025 Guidance 3.1.a, the assessment systems align with MTSS tiers, including universal screening, diagnostic assessments for students demonstrating a need for additional support, and progress monitoring tools that complement California’s required reading difficulties screening schedule per SB 114.

Tier 1:
Universal/ differentiated support		Tier 2: 
Supplemental/ targeted
support		Tier 3: 
Intensified/ intensive
support
Core instruction assessments





Frequency of administration		Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, Amplify ELA California assessments

Daily, Weekly, Monthly		Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, Amplify ELA California assessments

Daily, Weekly, Monthly		Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, Amplify ELA California assessments

Daily, Weekly, Monthly
Universal screening assessments

Frequency of administration		mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura


3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY		mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura


3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY		mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura


3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY
Formal progress monitoring assessments


Frequency of administration		mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura



3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY		mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura



Monthly		mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura



Bi-weekly
Informal progress monitoring assessments




Frequency of administration		Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, Amplify ELA California core assessments

Daily		Intervention Toolkit progress monitoring assessments



When linked to a lesson in the toolkit		Intervention Toolkit progress monitoring assessments



When linked to a lesson in the toolkit
Diagnostic assessment







Frequency of administration		Amplify skill diagnostic assessment


Amplify Spanish skill diagnostic assessment

Optional after universal screening assessment is administered		Amplify skill diagnostic assessment


Amplify Spanish skill diagnostic assessment

After universal screening assessment is administered

Universal assessment system

Amplify’s mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition (K–8) and mCLASS Lectura (K–6) are universal and dyslexia screening assessments that should be administered three times per year (BOY, MOY, and EOY) to all students. The assessments evaluate student literacy risk, determine progress toward grade-level goals, and indicate the level of instructional  support a student may need. Beginning-of-year screenings require adequate instructional time before administration, particularly in grades K–1, while mid-year and end-of-year assessments evaluate instructional effectiveness and guide tier placement adjustments. These screenings also identify students at risk for dyslexia. Universal screening provides essential data for targeting instruction and measuring instructional system effectiveness.

Core instruction assessments

Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, and Amplify ELA California provide a comprehensive suite of assessments for grades K–6 that range from low-stakes, informal formative assessments to more formal summative assessments. These assessments incorporate a variety of methods and question types, including multiple-choice questions, open-ended questions, and oral and written responses.

Formative assessments:

  • Checks for Understanding: Incorporated into each lesson segment throughout daily instruction. Quick pulse-checks that provide immediate feedback during lesson delivery (grades K–5). 
  • Daily formative assessments: Highlighted moments within each lesson for teachers to plan to track mastery of Primary Focus objectives and standards of each lesson to get a clear snapshot of individual and whole-class progress (grades K–5). 
  • Activity pages: Completed as part of lessons and can be used to assess lesson content understanding through various formats (grades K–5).
  • Exit Tickets: Located at the end of lessons, these provide a quick gauge of students’ ability to meet the lesson’s focus standards (grade 6).  
  • Writing Prompts: Prompts integrated throughout lessons during writing activities that provide skill snapshots within lessons and tracks patterns of skill development over time (grade 6).
  • Independent reading activities (Solos): At the end of every lesson, students complete an independent reading activity (“Solo”) with reading questions that are scored to measure comprehension (grade 6).

Summative assessments:

  • Skills end-of-unit assessments (grades K–2) 
  • Knowledge end-of-domain assessments (grades K–2) 
  • End-of-unit assessments (grades 3–5) 
  • Unit essays: A culminating end-of-unit set of lessons that guide students through crafting an essay with a rubric to score mastery of writing skills (grade 6)
  • Unit reading assessments: Auto-scored responses and two constructed response items evaluate comprehension, content understanding, and reading skills using the passages students read during the unit (grade 6)

Performance assessments

Student Performance Assessments are multi-day assessments administered in Grades K–5 at the beginning, middle, and end of year to help teachers gauge student mastery of grade-level Core content. These assessments provide critical data to help teachers set targeted instructional goals and monitor individual and class-wide progress towards core objectives.

Progress monitoring

Amplify’s mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura provide formal progress monitoring in the discrete skills that are indicative of reading growth and predictive of overall success to provide the most instructionally meaningful information to teachers.

Informal progress monitoring tools can be found within the Intervention Toolkit, including materials for teachers to record, track, and evaluate student progress.

Diagnostic assessment

Interventions within Amplify’s literacy programs are informed by a skill diagnostic assessment that provides detailed data on foundational literacy skill deficits. The Amplify Skill Diagnostic Assessment and Amplify Spanish Skill Diagnostic assessment serve as critical tools in this process, administered specifically to students identified as at risk for reading difficulty through universal screening assessments—particularly those demonstrating mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition or mCLASS Lectura composite scores in the Well Below or Below Benchmark ranges. These diagnostic assessments provide teachers with the precise skills to begin intervention and remediation.

Category 4: Universal Access

Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, and Amplify ELA California are developed using the Universal Design for Learning framework to proactively ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

Universal Design for Learning

Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, and Amplify ELA California incorporate opportunities for engagement, representation, action, and expression based on the guidelines of Universal Design for Learning.

  • Multiple Means of Engagement: The programs incorporate interesting and motivating ways for students to interact with information and content. The Universal Access section in the introduction of each lesson provides specific lesson-level options based on the needs of individual classrooms and students. Scaffolding for students with various levels of need is incorporated into the design of each lesson.
  • Multiple Means of Representation: The programs provide multiple means of presenting content to maximize student understanding. This includes digital component files that allow for a range of presentations of images and text to support learning. Amplify provides access to universal supports such as point-of-use audio for all core texts, embedded definitions for critical vocabulary, and glossaries in multiple languages. The programs include clarification on language found throughout the program, with sidebars that include support on transition words and syntax, and illustrations to help students understand the concepts they are learning.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression: The programs include a range of methods for all students, including Multilingual/English Learners, to navigate and demonstrate learning. This includes physical actions, a range of methods for response, appropriate tools for composition, and varied scaffolding. Lessons provide multiple ways for students to interact with text, allowing their brains to process the language through distinct pathways. Activities harness multiple learning modes, using media tools, digital apps, and a variety of visual and physical experiences to strategically support and enhance student learning.
  • Accessibility: Universal access features include visual aids, enlarged materials, physical objects, and multiple learning modalities through activities like Push & Say and Wiggle Cards. The Universal Access section in the introduction of each lesson provides specific lesson-level options based on the needs of individual classrooms and students.

Embedded differentiation

Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, and Amplify ELA California provide built-in differentiation strategies in every lesson for all students.

  • Pre-teaching supports include mini-lessons on:
    • Core vocabulary building
    • Core connections
    • Essential background information building
    • What Have We Already Learned?/What Do We Already Know?
  • Differentiated Support for Core Instruction tables, located in the overview of each K–2 Skills Teacher Guide, provide a list of specific opportunities for reteaching and additional support in each lesson based on skill.
  • Support and Challenge Sidebars in lesson margins offer educators immediate guidance in implementing point-of-use differentiation techniques.
  • Flexible Grouping within lessons provides opportunities for teachers to facilitate small groups, partners, or individualized support based on students’ needs. In the Skills Strand, teachers receive specific guidance for differentiated small group instruction, with targeted support and activities outlined for both Group 1 (students needing additional support) and Group 2 (on-level students) based on data. 
  • Amplify ELA California and Amplify Caminos California provide point-of-use supports embedded within key core lesson activities with six levels of differentiation. The goal of these supports is to fully enable access to grade-level content for all students, including students with disabilities, English learners, and students ready for an additional level of challenge.
  • The Universal Access section of Advance Preparation in each lesson includes varied strategies to ensure all students can access and engage in each lesson.
  • Frequent use of graphic organizers and visual supports in lessons provide opportunities for differentiation based on need. The program also includes a variety of technological supports, such as eReaders with audio.
  • Extension opportunities are suggested throughout lessons, often embedded in writing tasks, which include prompts to use more complex and descriptive vocabulary, figurative language,  multi-clause and complex sentences, and  informational text characteristics.

Assessment-driven MTSS resources

  • The K–6 Intervention Toolkit is available online and provides easy-to-use resources that assist teachers in filling gaps in students’ reading skills, with activities to support print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, and other key skills.
  • Fluency packets (Grades 2–6)
  • Foundational Skills Intervention Program for Grades 3–6 support students who would benefit from direct and explicit intervention instruction in the full continuum of foundational skills in the upper grades
  • Flexible Instructional Time including:
    • Pausing Points built into the curriculum that provide teachers with dedicated time to address specific student needs through targeted reteaching, remediation, practice, and extension activities 
    • Pausing Point activities designed to support multilingual/English learners’ competence and confidence through differentiated whole-group, small-group, or individual instruction
  • Boost Reading and Boost Lectura are student-led digital intervention programs that follow the scope and sequences of Amplify CKLA California and Amplify Caminos California respectively, to reinforce the same foundational skills taught in core instruction. It integrates easily into daily routines, while the robust data provided by mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition offers a detailed view of how students progress across all instructional tiers.

Category 5: Instructional Planning and Teacher Support

Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, and Amplify ELA California teachers are empowered to deliver effective instruction with various print and digital resources. The program provides comprehensive planning and support materials designed to help teachers prepare for and execute lessons effectively and fulfill the requirements of Category 5.

Implementation supports across K–6

Planning and preparation resources

  • Unit Overviews that provide important background and context for the texts students will read, including highlighted elements within the text and guidance for how students will work with those elements
  • Sub-unit Overviews (Grade 6) that provide an overview of Lesson Objectives and reading and writing assignments, as well as a list of any projections, multimedia, or digital apps that can be projected from the teacher’s included digital license
  • Lesson-by-lesson preparation checklists (Grade 6) accompanying each Sub-unit Overview
  • Lesson Briefs for each individual lesson providing important background and context
  • Content knowledge materials regarding topics that students will examine

Point-of-use instructional guidance

  • Teacher Editions that feature insets of the same text and activity instructions as the corresponding Student Edition, wrapping teacher instruction around these materials
  • Activity guidance at point of use
  • Lesson standards clearly called out
  • Discussion suggestions embedded in lessons
  • Differentiation tips at point of use
  • Detailed Instructional Guides in each activity that include sequencing and grouping suggestions, tips for facilitating discussion, possible student responses and exemplars
  • On-the-Fly supports (Grade 6)—quick call-outs to the identifying features of “on track” and “needs support” students accompanied by short models of student guidance to foster strong performance

Multimedia and digital support

  • Teacher tip videos provide modeling and guidance for implementing key foundational skills routines within the program
  • Digital platform access where teachers can access printable PDFs of differentiated support materials for multilingual/English learners and students struggling to read, including translated Unit Background and Context documents and Text Previews
  • Teacher Dashboard and reporting tools provide real-time visibility into student progress and work for immediate instructional response

Caregiver supports

Communication and overview resources

  • Caregiver Hub available in English and Spanish that provides an overview of the curriculum
  • Caregiver Letters for each K–2 Knowledge Domain and unit in Grades 3–5 that provide an overview of the content, the skills students learn, as well as practical methods that continue the learning and knowledge building at home
  • Unit-specific Caregiver Letters (Grade 6) that provide detailed information regarding what students will read and learn in each unit, including conversation starters that allow caregivers to ask questions and discuss specific aspects of a unit with their student
  • Welcome letters that explain the assessment and placement process while inviting parent involvement and offering support
  • Editable Home-School Communication letters available in English and Spanish
  • Editable Progress Reports for teachers to update parents and guardians on what their child is learning

Content and learning support materials

  • Unit Background and Context documents that provide an introduction and overview to the unit’s topic and themes, available in English and Spanish
  • Text Previews that provide a brief introduction to formative, independent reading assignments (called Solos in Grade 6), available in English and Spanish
  • Unit Overview and Support documents (Grade 6) designed for caregivers that provide information about important questions, assignments, and key aspects of the unit texts, available in English and Spanish
  • Conversation starters included in Knowledge Strand Caregiver Letters to discuss domain topics at home

Home practice and extension activities

  • Take-Home pages in the Skills Strand that include copies of decodable passages, enabling students to share their reading progress with families and continue practicing their skills outside of school
  • Take-Home Letters in the Skills Strand that provide specific guidance for parents to support skills practice at home, such as sound-sorting activities, with detailed instructions and materials for home practice activities
  • Take-Home pages in the Knowledge Strand that provide suggested activities families can do together to reinforce and extend learning beyond the classroom
  • Games and activities on Take-Home Pages that extend classroom instruction, including all the materials and instruction necessary to help families assist students in a fun and engaging way
  • Digital access to decodable texts through the Amplify Caregiver Hub, allowing students to practice their reading skills both in class and at home
  • Weekly spelling lists and directions to decoding activities that can be practiced at home

Overview Video

The Lawrence Hall of Science

Developed by the science education experts at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and the digital learning team at Amplify, our program features:

  • A phenomena-based approach where students construct a complex understanding of each unit’s anchor phenomenon.
  • A blend of cohesive storylines, hands-on investigations, rich discussions, literacy-rich activities, and digital tools.
  • Carefully crafted units, chapters, lessons, and activities designed to deliver true 3-dimensional learning.
  • An instructional design that supports all learners in accessing all standards.
The logo for The Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley, features blue text on a light background and is recognized by educators using Amplify Science for middle school science programs.

Instructional model

The Amplify Science program is rooted in the proven, research-based pedagogy of Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize. Here’s how each element works:

DO

First-hand investigations are an important part of any science classroom, and Amplify Science has students getting hands-on in every unit—from building models of protein molecules to experimenting with electrical systems.

TALK

Student-to-student discourse and full-class discussions are an integral part of the program. Students are provided with numerous opportunities to engage in meaningful oral scientific argumentation, all while fostering a collaborative classroom environment.

READ

Students read scientific articles, focusing their reading activities on searching for evidence related to their investigation and, importantly, on asking and recording questions as they read through fascinating texts on 21st-century topics.

WRITE

Following real-world practices, students write scientific arguments based on evidence they’ve collected, making clear their reasoning about how a given piece of evidence connects to one of several claims.

VISUALIZE

By manipulating digital simulations and using modeling tools to craft visualizations of their thinking— just as real scientists and engineers do—students take their learning far beyond the confines of what they can physically see in the classroom in an exciting and authentic way.

Program structure

Our cyclical lesson design ensures students receive multiple exposures to concepts through a variety of modalities. As they progress through the lessons within a unit, students build and deepen their understanding, increasing their ability to develop and refine complex explanations of the unit’s phenomenon.

It’s this proven program structure and lesson design that enables Amplify Science to address 100% of the NGSS, and support students in mastering the standards.

Graphic showing a research process with four steps: spark intrigue with a real-world problem, explore evidence, explain and elaborate, and evaluate claims, connected in a cycle with arrows.

Unit types

While every unit delivers three-dimensional learning experiences and engages students in gathering evidence from a rich collection of sources, each unit also serves a unique instructional purpose.

In grades 6–8:

  • One unit is a launch unit.
  • Three units are core units.
  • Two units are engineering internships.

Launch units are the first units taught in each year of Amplify Science. The goal of the Launch unit is to introduce students to norms, routines, and practices that will be built on throughout the year, including argumentation, active reading, and using the program’s technology. For example, rather than taking the time to explain the process of active reading in every unit in a given year, it is explained thoroughly in the Launch unit, thereby preparing students to read actively in all subsequent units.

Core units establish the context of the unit by introducing students to a real-world problem. As students move through lessons in a Core unit, they figure out the unit’s anchoring phenomenon, gain an understanding of the unit’s disciplinary core ideas and science and engineering practices, and make linkages across topics through the crosscutting concepts. Each Core unit culminates with a Science Seminar and final writing activity.

Engineering Internship units invite students to design solutions for real-world problems as interns for a fictional company called Futura. Students figure out how to help those in need, from tsunami victims in Sri Lanka to premature babies, through the application of engineering practices. In the process, they apply and deepen their learning from Core units.

Unit sequence

Our lessons follow a structure that is grounded in regular routines while still being flexible enough to allow for a variety of learning experiences.

In fact, our multi-modal instruction offers more opportunities for students to construct meaning, and practice and apply concepts than any other program. What’s more, our modular design means our units can be flexibly arranged to support your instructional goals.

Three columns listing education curriculum topics for grades 6, 7, and 8, focusing on science themes such as microbiomes, mars geology, and harnessing human energy.

Program components

Available digitally and in print, our unit-specific reference guides are chock full of helpful resources, including scientific background knowledge, planning information and resources, color-coded 3-D Statements, detailed lesson plans, tips for delivering instruction, and differentiation strategies.

Amplify Science TG

Hands-on learning is an essential part of Amplify Science, and is integrated into every unit. Students actively participate in science, playing the roles of scientists and engineers as they gather evidence, think critically, solve problems, and develop and defend claims about the world around them. Every unit includes hands-on investigations that are critical to achieving the unit’s learning goals.

A young person wearing gloves looks through a microscope at a table with laboratory supplies, including bottles, slides, and a tray, against a plain blue background.

More hands-on with Flextensions:
Hands-on Flextensions are additional, optional investigations that are included at logical points in the learning progression and give students an opportunity to dig deeper if time permits. These activities offer teachers flexibility to choose to dedicate more time to hands-on learning. Materials referenced in Hands-on Flextension activities will either be included in the unit kit or are easily sourced. Supporting resources such as student worksheets will be included as downloadable PDF files.

Our kits include enough materials to support 200 student uses. In other words, teachers can easily support all five periods and small groups of 4-5 students each. Plus, our unit-specific kits mean teachers just grab the tub they need and then put it all back with ease.

Amplify Science California supports 3-D learning with more materials than any other program.

Our digital Simulations and Practice Tools are powerful resources for exploration, data collection, and student collaboration. They allow students the ability to explore scientific concepts that might otherwise be invisible or impossible to see with the naked eye.

Available for every unit, our Student Investigation Notebooks contain instructions for activities and space for students to record data and observations, reflect on ideas from texts and investigations, and construct explanations and arguments.

In grades 6–8, one copy of the Student Investigation Notebook is included in each unit’s materials kit for use as a blackline master. Each notebook is also available as a downloadable PDF on the Unit Guide page of the digital Teacher’s Guide.

Two booklets titled "El clima cambiante de la Tierra: la desaparición del hielo" and "Earth’s Changing Climate: Vanishing Ice" with landscape illustrations on the covers.

These customizable PowerPoints are available for every lesson of the program and make delivering instruction a snap with visual prompts, colorful activity instructions, investigation set-up videos and animations, and suggested teacher talk in the notes section of each slide.

A laptop displays a PowerPoint presentation in presenter view, with slides about observing objects in plastic containers and related sensory instructions.

Explore your print samples

With your Amplify Science print samples, you’ll find unit-specific Teacher’s References Guides and Student Investigation Notebooks for each grade level.

A note about the Teacher’s Reference Guides:

It’s important that your committee sees the full breadth and depth of our instruction. For that reason, we provided a copy of each of our unit-specific Teacher Reference Guides.

Rest assured that teachers do not use these robust reference guides for day-to-day teaching. For that, we have a hands-free TG!

A laptop screen shows an energy simulation, with surrounding text and diagrams explaining the Earth's system and energy flow.
  • Teacher Reference Guide: Unlike a typical TG that requires a series of supplemental books to support it, our encyclopedic reference guide is chock-full of everything a teacher needs to fully implement our program and the NGSS.
  • Ready-to-Teach Lesson Slides: For daily instruction, teachers need their hands free. That’s why we created ready-to-teach lesson slides for every single lesson. What’s more, they are editable and include suggested teacher talk and point-of-use differentiation and other instructional tips. Click to learn more.

A note about the Materials Kits:

Hands-on learning is at the heart of Amplify Science, and is integrated into every unit. In order to make hands-on learning more manageable for busy teachers, Amplify Science materials are organized into unit-specific kits.

Stacked storage bins with labels, arranged neatly; caption notes they are a sample and may not reflect actual quantities or sizes.

Our unit-specific kits:

  • Include more materials — We give teachers enough materials to support 200 student uses.
  • Are more manageable — Unlike other programs that require large groups of students to share limited sets of materials, our kits include enough to support small groups of 4–5 students.
  • Include supportive videos — Each hands-on activity provides clear instructions for the teacher, with more complex activities supported by video demonstrations and illustrations.

What comes in each grade level kit? Click the links below to see the grade-specific lists of all materials included in each kit.

Access your digital samples

Explore as a teacher

Follow these instructions to explore the Amplify Science digital platform as a teacher.

  • Click the Access Amplify Science Platform button below and bookmark it.
  • Select Log in with Amplify.
  • Enter the username: t1.jeffersoncounty@demo.tryamplify.net
  • Enter the password: Amplify1-jeffersoncounty
  • Click the Science icon.
  • Click on the Program Menu in the top center of the screen and select any grade.
  • Select any unit.
Access Amplify Science Platform

To help familiarize yourself with navigating the digital platform,watch the below navigational video.

Explore as a student

Follow these instructions to explore the Amplify Science digital platform as a student.

  • Click the Access Amplify Science Platform button below and bookmark it.
  • Select Log in with Amplify.
  • Enter the username: s1.jeffersoncounty@demo.tryamplify.net
  • Enter the password: Amplify1-jeffersoncounty
  • Click the Science icon.
  • Click on the Grade Menu in the top center of the screen and select any grade.
  • Select any unit.
Access Amplify Science Platform

Resources to support your review

Welcome to Amplify Science!

On this page, you’ll find resources to help you get started with Amplify Science and have a great first year. Use the menu on the left side of your screen to quickly jump from section to section. Let’s dig in.

A child wearing safety goggles performs a science experiment with a cup and stirrer, surrounded by science-related graphics including molecules, a circuit board, a wave, and a robotic arm.

Program introduction

Onboarding: what to expect

Welcome to Amplify Science! To help you know what’s coming next, we created the following outline of the steps of the on-boarding process. You can use it as a reference.

Admin tools

Administrators please see the following tools to help you support your staff in implementing Amplify Science:

CPS Implementation Rubric

Pre-launch Checklist for Teachers

Five things to consider (and share with teachers) as you being to implement Amplify Science

Elementary school resources (grades K–5)

To ensure your first day using Amplify Science in the classroom is as seamless and smooth as possible, we recommend reviewing the following checklist before the first day of school.

What’s coming to my school?
Each unit of Amplify Science comes with a hands-on materials kit. Each hands-on materials kit arrives in one to three boxes and contains:

  • Consumable materials for two uses of 25 or 36 students (depending on school purchase)
  • Non-consumable materials.
  • Classroom wall materials.
  • Premium print materials (card sorts, vocabulary rings, etc.).
  • 18 copies of each Student Book (5 titles each unit)  (K–1 will receive 5 big books/unit)
  • A blackline master of the Student Investigation Notebook
  • One set of Student Investigation Notebooks (25 or 36)

You can find complete materials lists for each unit in the following PDF. This information is also available in the digital Teacher’s Guide within the program.

On-boarding videos
Our team has created a series of short videos to help get you started with Amplify Science:

Planning guides
As you prepare to plan for a unit, download our planning guides to help walk you through the most important resources to locate in either the print or digital Teacher’s Guide to help you plan:

Additional resources
If you’re interested in learning more about each unit’s anchor phenomena, the Student Books in each unit, and more program features, download the resources below:

Middle school resources (grades 6–8)

To ensure your first day using Amplify Science in the classroom is as seamless and smooth as possible, we recommend reviewing the following checklist before the first day of school.

What’s coming to my school?
Each unit of Amplify Science comes with a hands-on materials kit. Each hands-on materials kit arrives in one to three boxes and contains:

  • Consumable materials for five uses of 40 students
  • Non-consumable materials.
  • Classroom wall materials.
  • Premium print materials (cards, maps, etc.).
  • A blackline master of the Student Investigation Notebook

You can find complete materials lists for each unit in the following PDF. This information is also available in the digital Teacher’s Guide within the program.

Onboarding videos
Our team has created a series of short videos to help get you started with Amplify Science:

Planning guide
As you prepare to plan for a unit, download our planning guide to help walk you through the most important resources to locate in either the print or digital Teacher’s Guide to help you plan.

Additional resources
If you’re interested in learning more about each unit’s anchor phenomena, the Student Books in each unit, and more program features, download the resources below:

Looking for help?

Timely technical, program, and pedagogical support
Our technical and program support is included and available from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, through a variety of channels, including a live chat program that enables teachers to get immediate help in the middle of the school day. As a part our support, Amplify also has an Educational Support Team of former teachers and administrators who provide instructional support for every Amplify curriculum, assessment, and intervention program.

For your most urgent questions:

  • Use our live chat within your program
  • Call our toll-free number: 1 888 850 0945

For less urgent questions:

Reach out to our support team at: help@amplify.com

Email support

Remote & hybrid learning

Rich, engaging content is at the center of Amplify CKLA instruction. Students build subject area knowledge in history, science, literature, and the arts by learning to read and write. We have built new resources to make our high-quality preK–5 program easy to use in remote or hybrid settings during the 2020–2021 school year.

Supporting back to school 2021–2022

As students return to school this fall, Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts® (CKLA) will be offering resources to help you flexibly transition from the physical classroom to at-home learning as needed. This includes a new digital Hub for students to access videos, readers, and an interactive Vocab App from anywhere, and the Foundational Skills Boost to help students fill in gaps from spring 2020.

Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) will be offering resources to help you flexibly transition from the physical classroom to at-home learning as needed. This includes a new digital Hub for students to access videos, readers, and an interactive Vocab App from anywhere, and the Foundational Skills Boost to help students fill in gaps from spring 2020.

Foundational Skills Boost website

To address foundational skills instruction missed during COVID-19 school closures, we are providing a free resource for educators and parents. This new website includes video-based instruction for students in Grades 1–3, covering the last nine weeks of the previous school year to give students the boost they need. The video-based, self-guided lessons pull from Amplify CKLA instructional resources and are designed for students to complete independently, either at home or in the classroom. Access it here!

The site features:

  • Video lessons targeting phonemic awareness and phonics
  • Decodable readers for practice
  • Optional teacher-led small group activities
  • Family resources for additional practice
  • A planner for educators and caregivers to track students’ progress.

Scope and Sequences: These documents show the scope and sequence of the Foundational Skills Boost.

These documents show how Foundational Skills Boost aligns with the Amplify CKLA grade-level curriculum. If you’re using Amplify CKLA, download the PDFs below to use with Foundational Skills Boost.

Back-to-school instructional recommendations

  • Begin grade-level instruction with Unit 1 in every grade, utilizing recommended instructional minutes.
  • In grades 1–3, CKLA instruction begins with review from the previous year.
  • For grades 4–5, you may choose the optional novel guide unit to start the school year.
  • For grades 1–3, we recommend you schedule an additional 30-minute instructional block for unfinished foundational skills instruction from spring 2020. We will offer the Foundational Skills Boost for use during this block.

New back-to-school features for remote and hybrid learning

Recorded daily Read-Alouds

Teachers and students will have access to video recordings of all K–2 Knowledge Read-Alouds with pictures from the Flip Books.

Digital Hub for students and teachers

Students can now access materials that support K–5 instruction from anywhere, including student Readers in an audio-enabled eReader. Teachers will find multimedia resources on the Hub and digital versions of all instructional components on the Teacher Resource Site.

Parent access

Parents will now have access to important student resources via the digital Hub. We will have a parent login available and a letter in both English and Spanish that explains how to use the resources.

Skills at home

Grade-level foundational skills guidance for parents includes instructions and materials to teach and practice grade-level phonics at home. Resources include sound videos, Readers, and a how-to video with editable instructions that teachers can customize to meet individual classroom needs.

How to use Amplify CKLA during remote learning

We’ve developed a variety of resources to ensure you have the tools you need to support students in developing foundational skills and building background knowledge—no matter where learning is happening. On the following pages, you’ll find information on using Amplify CKLA for extended periods of remote learning, both in situations where students have access to technology and those where technology is limited.

For remote learning with access to technology at home, we recommend teacher-led virtual lessons for daily Skills Strand lessons in K–2 and daily lessons in 3–5, while students access application activities, recorded Knowledge Strand Read-Alouds, and the Foundational Skills Boost online. In the Student Hub, students will have access to K–2 Skills Strand components such as student Readers and the Sound Library, K–2 Knowledge components like Knowledge Builders, and the 3–5 Vocab App.

Grade level Instructional resources
Kindergarten
  • Skills units: Teacher-led instruction, digital Hub (Sound Library and Readers starting in Unit 6)
  • Knowledge domains: digital Hub (Knowledge Builder video) and recorded daily Read-Alouds
  • Amplify Reading for independent, student-driven skill Practice
Grades 1–2
  • Foundational Skills Boost website for daily lessons
  • Skills units: Teacher-led instruction, Student Hub (Sound Library and student Reader), Activity Books
  • Knowledge domains: Student Hub (Knowledge Builder video), recorded daily Read-Alouds, Activity Books (Word documents)
  • Amplify Reading for independent, student-driven skill Practice
Grade 3
  • Foundational Skills Boost website for daily lessons
  • Units: Teacher-led instruction, Student Hub (Readers, Vocab App), Activity Books (Word documents)
  • Amplify Reading for independent, student-driven skill practice
Grades 4–5
  • Units: Teacher-led instruction, Student Hub (Readers, Vocab App), Activity Books (Word documents)
  • Novel guides: Optional
  • Amplify Reading for independent, student-driven skill practice

Amplify CKLA’s resources ensure students can continue learning at home. If students have limited access to technology, Activity Books and student Readers can be sent home with editable family letters. If students have access to a smartphone, K–2 Knowledge Strand recorded Read-Alouds are mobile friendly, as are Student Readers and other multimedia on the Hub.

Grades K–2 sample daily schedule

Foundational skills lesson

Teacher-led virtual Skills lesson on Zoom or a similar platform

Independent skills practice

Students use the Hub to practice sound-spellings in the eReader, using the audio as additional support. Then, they complete an activity page.

Independent Knowledge Read-Aloud

Students engage with the daily recorded Read-Aloud

Knowledge discussion and application

Teacher-led virtual knowledge discussion and application

Foundational Skills Boost

For students in grades 1–2, we recommend setting aside an additional 30 minutes for Foundational Skills Boost lessons covering unfinished instruction from the previous year. Foundational Skills Boost lessons are video modules that students can complete on their own at home.

laptop icon

Grades 3–5 sample daily schedule

Young girl wearing glasses and pink headphones looks at a laptop screen while sitting at a desk in a classroom, participating in a Remote Learning Language Arts Program.

Daily lesson and discussion

Teacher-led virtual lesson on Zoom or a similar platform

Reading and writing application

Students use the Hub to access the eReader, using the audio as additional support. Students complete daily application activities online.

Independent vocabulary practice

Students work on vocabulary in the Vocab App on the Hub.

Optional novel study (grades 4–5)

Teacher-led virtual discussion in conjunction with independent reading and writing

Foundational Skills Boost

For students in grade 3, we recommend setting aside an additional 30 minutes for Foundational Skills Boost lessons covering unfinished instruction from the previous year. Foundational Skills Boost lessons are video modules that students can complete on their own at home.

laptop icon

Resources for remote learning with limited student access to technology

Grade level Instructional resources
Kindergarten
  • Skills units: Activity Books that include home support for families
  • Knowledge domains: Mobile-friendly recorded daily Read-Alouds
Grades 1–2
  • Skills units: Student Readers, Activity Books that include home support for families
  • Knowledge domains: Mobile-friendly recorded daily Read-Alouds
  • Foundational Skills Boost: Take-home support
Grade 3
  • Student Readers, Activity Books for independent practice
  • Foundational Skills Boost: Take-home support
Grades 4–5
  • Student Readers, Activity Books for independent practice
  • Optional: Novel guides

How to use Amplify CKLA during hybrid learning

We know that back to school will look different for every district. You may be considering staggered schedules or alternating between remote and in-person days. Amplify CKLA’s resources for hybrid learning ensure that students continue to develop critical foundational skills both in the classroom and at home.

Resources for hybrid learning with student access to technology

Grade level Remote days In-person days
Kindergarten
  • Skills Strand in the Hub: Independent activities and practice with Student Readers (starting with Unit 6) and Sound Library
  • Knowledge Strand: Daily recorded Read-Aloud
  • Digital or print activity pages
  • Amplify Reading for independent, student-driven skill practice
  • Skills Strand units: Daily lessons
  • Knowledge Strand domains: Daily lessons
Grades 1–2
  • Foundational Skills Boost module
  • Skills Strand in the Hub: Independent activities and practice with student Readers (starting with Unit 6) and Sound Library
  • Knowledge Strand: Daily recorded Read-Aloud
  • Digital or print activity pages
  • Amplify Reading for independent, student-driven skill practice
  • Skills units: Daily lessons
  • Knowledge domains: Daily lessons
Grade 3
  • Foundational Skills Boost module
  • Student Hub: Student Reader, Vocab App
  • Digital or print activity pages
  • Amplify Reading for independent, student-driven skill practice
  • Units: Daily lessons
Grades 4–5
  • Student Hub: Student Reader, Vocab App
  • Digital or print activity pages
  • Novel guide independent reading and writing
  • Amplify Reading for independent, student-driven skill practice
  • Units: Daily lessons
  • Novel guide discussion

We understand that access to technology is a significant barrier for many of our students. Amplify CKLA’s resources ensure students are able to continue to develop their skills in any learning environment. Following is a plan for maximizing both in-person and remote days when students have limited access to technology.

Grade level Remote days In-person days
Kindergarten
  • Student Readers (starting in Unit 6)
  • Skills Activity Books with take-home support
  • Daily recorded Read-Aloud (mobile friendly)
  • Knowledge Activity Books
  • Skills units: Daily lessons
  • Knowledge domains: Daily lessons
Grades 1–2
  • Student Readers
  • Skills Activity Books with take-home support
  • Daily recorded Read-Aloud (mobile friendly)
  • Knowledge Activity Books
  • Skills units: Daily lessons
  • Knowledge domains: Daily lessons
Grade 3
  • Foundational Skills Boost: Take-home support
  • Student Readers
  • Activity Books
  • Foundational Skills Boost
    modules
  • Units: Daily lessons
Grades 4–5
  • Student Readers
  • Activity Books
  • Novel guide independent reading and writing
  • Units: Daily lessons
  • Novel guide discussion

Welcome, K–8 Program 2 reviewers!

We’re honored to introduce you to Amplify California Language Arts. We’re confident you’ll find this comprehensive program to be a powerful tool for bringing the vision of the California ELA/ELD Framework to life in classrooms across the state.

Please start with the video on the right to learn how to navigate the program and access key features referenced within our submission. Below you’ll find additional resources to support your review.

Your review samples

We’re excited for you to begin your review of Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) California and Amplify ELA California, Language Studio California for grades K–8. Physical and digital review materials will vary by grade level.

Reviewer Binders (K–8)

Your physical samples should have arrived in grade-specific boxes with three Reviewer Binders.

  • The first binder will contain logistical program review information and the printed Evaluation Criteria Map.
  • The second binder will contain the printed Standards Maps for grades K–4.
  • The third binder will contain the printed Standards Maps for grades 5–8.

Physical samples (K–5)

You can expect to receive 15 boxes of physical materials for your review. As you begin the process of organizing your materials, please refer to the inventory checklist found inside each box as well as within your Reviewer Binder. Please note you will not receive any physical samples for grades 6–8 ELA or Language Studio for grades K-8. Your review of the program for grades 6–8 ELA and Language Studio for grades K-8 will be entirely digital.

Digital samples

In order to access your digital samples, you’ll need to log in to our platform using your unique login credentials found on a Digital Review Credential flyer inside of your Reviewer Binder. Once you have located the flyer:

  • Click the orange button below to access the platform.
  • Click “Log in with Amplify.”
  • Enter the username and password provided on your Digital Review Credential flyer.
Digital Access

Navigation tips

Before you get started, please review these important functionality notes:

Criteria Map and Standards Maps must be opened on Microsoft Word on your desktop to function as intended. If you open the documents without Microsoft Word on your desktop, citations will be cut off at the bottom of most tables within the document.

Many of our citations are deep-links to PDFs, meaning they will take you to the right page or the first page in the sequence for the citation in question. To ensure this functionality works, please disable any PDF-viewing extensions or plug-ins such as Adobe Acrobat Pro Browser Extension.

[Reviewer program navigation video] Grades K–5

[Reviewer program navigation video] Grades 6–8

Click here for additional information on navigating the digital materials for grades 6–8.

Category 1: English Language Arts (ELA) and English Language Development (ELD) Content/Alignment to Standards

Evaluation Criteria Map

Linked below is the Evaluation Criteria Map for grades K–8. Please note that you will need to be logged into the digital platform to access the links in the Evaluation Criteria Map.

ELA Standards Maps

The links below provide the Standards Maps for Amplify California Language Arts for each grade level. Please note that you will need to be logged into the digital platform to access the links in the Standards Maps.

ELD Standards Maps

Category 2: Program Organization

The Amplify California Language Arts Program 2 submission includes Amplify CKLA California for Grades K–5, Amplify ELA California for Grades 6–8, and Amplify Language Studio California for Grades K–8. This comprehensive curriculum provides a full year of evidence-based instruction for each grade level, with both integrated and designated English Language Development instruction designed to give English learners the tools to thrive.

Program structure

Amplify’s California Language Arts programs are built on what the research shows: Strong readers need both word recognition and language comprehension. Our comprehensive curriculum suite follows the Simple View of Reading and The Reading Rope–bringing together foundational skills and knowledge building to deliver instruction grounded in the Science of Reading.

Flowchart illustrating skilled reading as the product of language comprehension and word recognition, grounded in the science of reading.
Diagram illustrating the interplay between language comprehension and word recognition in reading, as seen in early literacy stages. It highlights pathways through knowledge, vocabulary, and sentence understanding, reflecting principles from the CKLA reading program.

Each lesson follows a predictable structure with clearly marked components, beginning with warm-up routines, progressing through explicit instruction with guided practice, and concluding with independent application activities. The program provides detailed teacher language, including question stems and discussion prompts, ensuring clear and consistent delivery of instruction.

[Reviewer highlight video] Program organization for Category 2

[Reviewer highlight video] Program structure for grades K–2

[Reviewer highlight video] Program structure for grades 3–5

[Reviewer highlight video] Program structure for grades 6–8

Amplify CKLA California empowers teachers to deliver effective instruction and keeps students engaged with with the following resources:

  • Teacher Guides
  • Assessment Guides
  • Authentic texts and trade books
  • Knowledge Image Cards
  • Knowledge Flip Books
  • Remediation and intervention resources
  • Decodable readers
  • Student Readers and novels
  • Student Activity Books
  • Dedicated ELD support with Language Studio California
  • Poet’s Journals
  • eReaders
  • Sound Library featuring articulation videos and songs
  • Instructional routine modeling videos
  • Assignable Practice Games
  • On-demand professional development

Amplify ELA California students stay engaged with the following resources:

  • Teacher Guides that include:
    • Detailed lesson plans
    • Standards alignment and exit tickets
    • Real-time differentiation strategies
    • Robust reporting
  • Student Editions that include:
    • High-quality narrative and informational texts
    • Videos, audio supports, and digital experiences that capture their attention
    • Personal Writing Journal to keep all student writing in one place
  • Dedicated ELD support with Language Studio California
  • Trade Books

Core literacy philosophy

Support every learner. Meet all learning needs with a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) that brings together universal screening, scaffolded core instruction, support for English learners, and data-driven intervention to ensure every student gets what they need to succeed.

Provide intentional ELD support. Honor students’ linguistic assets while building academic English through both integrated and designated instruction.

Deliver consistent foundational skills instruction. Daily explicit, systematic skills instruction in grades K–2, with targeted yet flexible support for students still building decoding confidence in grades 3–8, ensures mastery of essential reading foundations.

Build lasting knowledge across all grades. Through coherently sequenced, content-rich instruction that revisits key vocabulary and concepts with increasing complexity, students build meaningful connections that deepen their vocabulary and reading comprehension.

Strengthen reading through writing at every level. Regular writing instruction grounded in the Science of Writing supports reading comprehension, improves sentence-level writing, and provides the foundation for high-quality composition. As students progress through the upper grades, they engage in increasingly complex analytical tasks—synthesizing ideas, drawing generalizations, and interpreting multiple textual layers through both focused quick-writes and comprehensive essays. 

Foster oral language development. Structured opportunities for academic conversation and evidence-based dialogue build students’ ability to express complex ideas with precision and allow them to participate confidently in classroom discussions.

Measure growth with comprehensive assessments. Assessments range from in-the-moment checks for understanding to summative assessments that measure progress toward skills mastery and standards proficiency, providing the data needed to drive targeted instruction.

Scope and sequence

Below you can view the scope and sequence for each grade level. 

Routines

Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California include several structured instructional routines that provide predictable patterns for both teachers and students:

Discussion and collaboration routines:

  • Turn and Talk: Partners discuss text-specific content using sentence starters and frames
  • Think-Pair-Share: Students engage in individual thinking, partner discussion, and whole-class sharing
  • Partner reading: Students sit shoulder-to-shoulder, taking turns reading and listening

Foundational Skills routines:

  • Sound-spelling review: Warm-up activities that reinforce phonics patterns
  • Oral blending warm-ups: Teacher-guided practice progressing to independent application
  • Finger-tapping: Techniques for blending sounds
  • Chaining activities: Students manipulate letters to transform one word into another
  • Word Work: Daily short activities focused on domain-specific and academic vocabulary

Knowledge-Building Routines:

  • Teacher modeling: Demonstration of proper intonation, expression, and pacing
  • Choral reading: Whole-class reading practice
  • Partner reading: Paired fluency practice

Close reading routines

The program includes carefully structured close reading activities that guide students through multiple encounters with complex texts. These routines help students develop deeper comprehension through systematic analysis and discussion.

Each routine includes comprehensive instructional guides with clear-cut directions for implementation, straightforward explanations of concepts, and suggestions for discussion.

Designated English Language Development materials

Language Studio California is a K–8 content-based companion for English language learners. Built on Amplify CKLA California’s and Amplify ELA California’s carefully sequenced Knowledge Domains and units, it combines engaging content knowledge with targeted supports and research-based strategies to help students move swiftly toward language proficiency. This program includes:

  • Real-world content to provide authentic opportunities to practice reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
  • Scaffolding strategies and differentiated instruction to offer targeted support along with five English proficiency levels.
  • Progress-monitoring tools to help teachers provide consistent and effective support.
  • Teacher Guides that:
    • Provide impactful progress monitoring tools including formative and summative assessments and Language Proficiency Assessment rubrics.
    • Offer varied differentiation strategies including Support, Challenge, and Access Supports in each lesson segment.
    • Are organized into thoughtful lesson segments—Talk Time, Building Background, On Stage and more—that make learning objectives concrete.
  • Activities that:
    • Expand on domain knowledge from core content and read-alouds and prompt collaborative conversation to practice oral fluency.
    • Support hands-on language activities to promote authentic interaction in the classroom.
    • Help students bridge experiences and knowledge with images, vocabulary activities, graphic organizers, anticipation guides, writing space, and more.

Category 3: Assessments

Systematic MTSS alignment

In alignment with the additional 2025 Guidance 3.1.a, the assessment systems align with MTSS tiers, including universal screening, diagnostic assessments for students demonstrating a need for additional support, and progress monitoring tools that complement the California’s required universal screening schedule per SB 114.

Tier 1:
Universal/ differentiated support		Tier 2: 
Supplemental/ targeted support		Tier 3: 
Intensified/ intensive support
Core instruction assessments





Frequency of administration		Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, Amplify ELA California assessments

Daily, Weekly, Monthly		Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, Amplify ELA California assessments

Daily, Weekly, Monthly		Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, Amplify ELA California assessments

Daily, Weekly, Monthly
Universal screening assessments

Frequency of administration		mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura


3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY		mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura


3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY		mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura


3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY
Formal progress monitoring assessments

Frequency of administration		mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura



3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY		mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura



Monthly		mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura



Bi-weekly
Informal progress monitoring assessments




Frequency of administration		Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, Amplify ELA California core assessments

Daily		Intervention Toolkit progress monitoring assessments




When linked to a lesson in the toolkit		Intervention Toolkit progress monitoring assessments




When linked to a lesson in the toolkit
Diagnostic assessment






Frequency of administration		Amplify skill diagnostic assessment

Amplify Spanish skill diagnostic assessment

Optional after universal screening assessment is administered		Amplify skill diagnostic assessment

Amplify Spanish skill diagnostic assessment

After universal screening assessment is administered

Universal assessment system

Amplify’s mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura are universal and dyslexia screening assessments that should be administered three times per year (BOY, MOY and EOY) to all students. The assessments evaluate student literacy risk, determine progress toward grade-level goals, and indicate the level of instructional  support a student may need. Beginning-of-year screenings require adequate instructional time before administration, particularly in grades K–1, while mid-year and end-of-year assessments evaluate instructional effectiveness and guide tier placement adjustments. These screenings also identify students at risk for dyslexia. Universal screening provides essential data for targeting instruction and measuring instructional system effectiveness.

Core instruction assessments

Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California provide a comprehensive suite of assessments for Grades K–8 that range from low-stakes, informal formative assessments to more formal summative assessments. These assessments incorporate a variety of methods and question types, including multiple-choice questions, open-ended questions, and oral and written responses.

Formative assessments:

  • Checks for Understanding: Incorporated into each lesson segment throughout daily instruction. Quick pulse-checks that provide immediate feedback during lesson delivery (grades K–5). 
  • Daily formative assessments: Highlighted moments within each lesson for teachers to plan to track mastery of Primary Focus objectives and standards of each lesson to get a clear snapshot of individual and whole-class progress (grades K–5). 
  • Activity pages: Completed as part of lessons and can be used to assess lesson content understanding through various formats (grades K–5).
  • Exit Tickets: Located at the end of lessons, these provide a quick gauge of students’ ability to meet the lesson’s focus standards (grades 6–8).  
  • Writing Prompts: Prompts integrated throughout lessons during writing activities that provide skill snapshots within lessons and tracks patterns of skill development over time (grades 6–8).
  • Independent reading activities (Solos): At the end of every lesson, students complete an independent reading activity (“solo”) with reading questions that are scored to measure comprehension (grades 6–8).

Summative assessments:

  • Skills end-of-unit assessments (grades K–2) 
  • Knowledge end-of-domain assessments (grades K–2) 
  • End-of-unit assessments (grades 3–5) 
  • Unit essays: A culminating end-of-unit set of lessons that guide students through crafting an essay with a rubric to score mastery of writing skills (grades 6–8)
  • Unit Reading Assessments: Auto-scored responses and two constructed response items evaluate comprehension, content understanding, and reading skills using the passages students read during the unit (grades 6–8)

Performance Assessments

Student Performance Assessments are multi-day assessments administered in Grades K-5 at the beginning, middle, and end of year to help teachers gauge student mastery of grade-level Core content. These assessments provide critical data to help teachers set targeted instructional goals and monitor individual and class-wide progress towards core objectives.

Progress monitoring

Amplify’s mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura provide formal progress monitoring in the discrete skills that are indicative of reading growth and predictive of overall success to provide the most instructionally meaningful information to teachers.

Informal progress monitoring tools can be found within the Intervention Toolkit, including materials for teachers to record, track, and evaluate student progress.

Diagnostic assessment

Interventions within Amplify’s literacy programs are informed by a skill diagnostic assessment that provides detailed data on foundational literacy skill deficits. The Amplify Skill Diagnostic Assessment and Amplify Spanish Skill Diagnostic assessment serve as critical tools in this process, administered specifically to students identified as at risk for reading difficulty through universal screening assessments—particularly those demonstrating mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition or mCLASS Lectura composite scores in the Well Below or Below Benchmark ranges. These diagnostic assessments provide teachers with the precise skills to begin intervention and remediation.

Category 4: Universal Access

Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California were built on the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and reviewed by CAST, a nonprofit education research and development organization. The program is developed using the Universal Design for Learning framework to proactively ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

Universal Design for Learning

The programs incorporate opportunities for engagement, representation, action, and expression based on the guidelines of Universal Design for Learning.

  • Multiple Means of Engagement: The programs incorporate interesting and motivating ways for students to interact with information and content. In Amplify CKLA California, the Universal Access section in the introduction of each lesson provides specific lesson-level options based on the needs of individual classrooms and students. Scaffolding for students with various levels of need is incorporated into the design of each lesson.
  • Multiple Means of Representation: The programs provide multiple means of presenting content to maximize student understanding. This includes digital component files that allow for a range of presentations of images and text to support learning. Amplify provides access to universal supports such as point-of-use audio for all core texts, embedded definitions for critical vocabulary, and glossaries in multiple languages. Amplify CKLA California includes clarification on language found throughout the program, with sidebars that include support on transition words and syntax, and illustrations to help students understand the concepts they are learning.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression: The programs include a range of methods for all students, including English Learners, to navigate and demonstrate learning. This includes physical actions, a range of methods for response, appropriate tools for composition, and varied scaffolding. In Amplify ELA California, lessons provide multiple ways for students to interact with text, allowing their brains to process the language through distinct pathways. Activities harness multiple learning modes, using media tools, digital apps, and a variety of visual and physical experiences to strategically support and enhance student learning.
  • Accessibility: Universal access features include visual aids, enlarged materials, physical objects, and multiple learning modalities through activities like Push & Say and Wiggle Cards. The Universal Access section in the introduction of each lesson provides specific lesson-level options based on the needs of individual classrooms and students.

Embedded differentiation

Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California provide built-in differentiation strategies in every lesson for all students.

Throughout the Teacher Guides, point-of-use Differentiation icons provide targeted instructional strategies and supports. These icons indicate specific guidance for advanced learners, students who need additional support, and English learners, allowing teachers to easily identify and implement appropriate scaffolds and extensions during instruction. In addition, teachers are provided with recommendations for resources to use with each group of students.

  • Pre-teaching supports include mini-lessons on:
    • Core vocabulary words
    • Core Connections
    • Essential Background Information or Terms
    • What Have We Already Learned/What Do We Already Know?
  • Differentiated Support for Core Instruction tables, located in the overview of each K–2 Skills Teacher Guide, provide a list of specific opportunities for reteaching and additional support in each lesson based on skill.
  • Support and Challenge Sidebars in lesson margins offer educators immediate guidance in implementing point-of-use differentiation techniques.
  • Flexible Grouping within lessons provides opportunities for teachers to facilitate small groups, partners, or individualized support based on students’ needs. In the Skills Strand, teachers receive specific guidance for differentiated small-group instruction, with targeted support and activities outlined for both Group 1 (students needing additional support) and Group 2 (on-level students) based on data. 
  • Amplify ELA California provides point-of-use supports embedded within key core lesson activities with six levels of differentiation. The goal of these supports is to fully enable access to grade-level content for all students, including students with disabilities, English learners, and students ready for an additional level of challenge.
  • The Universal Access section of Advance Preparation in each lesson includes varied strategies to ensure all students can access and engage in each lesson.
  • Frequent use of graphic organizers and visual supports in lessons provide opportunities for differentiation based on need. The program also includes a variety of technological supports, such as eReaders with audio.
  • Extension opportunities are suggested throughout lessons, often embedded in writing tasks, which include prompts to use more complex and descriptive vocabulary, figurative language,  multi-clause and complex sentences, and  informational text characteristics.

Assessment-Driven MTSS resources

  • The K–8 Intervention Toolkit is available online and provides easy-to-use resources that assist teachers in filling gaps in students’ reading skills, with activities to support print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, and other key skills
  • Fluency Packets (Grades 2–5)
  • Foundational Skills Intervention Program for Grades 3–8 support students who would benefit from direct and explicit intervention instruction in the full continuum of foundational skills in the upper grades
  • Flexible Instructional Time including:
    • Pausing Points built into the curriculum that provide teachers with dedicated time to address specific student needs through targeted reteaching, remediation, practice, and extension activities 
    • Pausing Point activities designed to support English learners’ competence and confidence through differentiated whole-group, small-group, or individual instruction
  • Boost Reading is a K–5 student-led digital intervention program. Boost Reading follows Amplify CKLA California’s scope and sequence to reinforce the same foundational skills taught in core instruction. It integrates easily into daily routines, while the robust data provided by mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition offers a detailed view of how students progress across all instructional tiers.

Category 5: Instructional Planning and Teacher Support

Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California teachers are empowered to deliver effective instruction with various print and digital resources. The program provides comprehensive planning and support materials designed to help teachers prepare for and execute lessons effectively and fulfill the requirements of Category 5.

Implementation supports across K–8

Planning and preparation resources

  • Unit Overviews that provide important background and context for the texts students will read, including highlighted elements within the text and guidance for how students will work with those elements
  • Sub-unit Overviews (Grades 6–8) that provide an overview of Lesson Objectives and reading and writing assignments, as well as a list of any projections, multimedia, or digital apps that can be projected from the teacher’s included digital license
  • Lesson-by-lesson preparation checklists (Grades 6–8) accompanying each Sub-unit Overview
  • Lesson Briefs for each individual lesson providing important background and context
  • Content knowledge materials regarding topics that students will examine

Point-of-use instructional guidance

  • Teacher Editions that feature insets of the same text and activity instructions as the corresponding Student Edition, wrapping teacher instruction around these materials
  • Activity guidance at point of use
  • Lesson standards clearly called out
  • Discussion suggestions embedded in lessons
  • Differentiation tips at point of use
  • Detailed Instructional Guides in each activity that include sequencing and grouping suggestions, tips for facilitating discussion, possible student responses and exemplars
  • Student Supports in all core lessons that provide teachers with targeted supports in daily core instruction, addressing which might serve the student best in the moment—support, strengthen, stretch—with additional call-outs for newcomers

Multimedia and digital support

  • Teacher tip videos provide modeling and guidance for implementing key foundational skills routines within the program
  • Digital platform access where teachers can access printable PDFs of differentiated support materials for English learners and students struggling with reading, including translated Unit Background and Context documents and Text Previews
  • Teacher dashboard and reporting tools (Grade 6–8) provide real-time visibility into student progress and work for immediate instructional response

Caregiver supports

Communication and overview resources

  • Caregiver Hub available in English and Spanish that provides an overview of the curriculum
  • Caregiver Letters for each K–2 Knowledge Domain and unit in Grades 3–5 that provide an overview of the content, the skills students learn, as well as practical methods that continue the learning and knowledge building at home
  • Unit-specific Caregiver Letters (Grades 6–8) that provide detailed information regarding what students will read and learn in each unit, including conversation starters that allow caregivers to ask questions and discuss specific aspects of a unit with their student
  • Welcome letters that explain the assessment and placement process while inviting parent involvement and offering support
  • Editable Home-School Communication letters available in English and Spanish
  • Editable Progress Reports for teachers to update parents and guardians on what their child is learning

Content and learning support materials

  • Unit Background and Context documents that provide an introduction and overview to the unit’s topic and themes, available in English and Spanish
  • Text Previews that provide a brief introduction to formative, independent reading assignments (called Solos in Grades 6–8), available in English and Spanish
  • Unit Overview and Support documents (Grades 6–8) designed for caregivers that provide information about important questions, assignments, and key aspects of the unit texts, available in English and Spanish
  • Conversation starters included in Knowledge Strand Caregiver Letters to discuss domain topics at home

Home practice and extension activities

  • Take-Home pages in the Skills Strand that include copies of decodable passages, enabling students to share their reading progress with families and continue practicing their skills outside of school
  • Take-Home Letters in the Skills Strand that provide specific guidance for parents to support skills practice at home, such as sound-sorting activities, with detailed instructions and materials for home practice activities
  • Take-Home pages in the Knowledge Strand that provide suggested activities families can do together to reinforce and extend learning beyond the classroom
  • Games and activities on take-home pages that extend classroom instruction, including all the materials and instruction necessary to help families assist students in a fun and engaging way
  • Digital access to decodable texts through the Amplify Caregiver Hub, allowing students to practice their reading skills both in class and at home
  • Weekly spelling lists and directions to decoding activities that can be practiced at home

Welcome, K–8 Program 1 reviewers!

We’re honored to introduce you to Amplify California Language Arts. We’re confident you’ll find this comprehensive program to be a powerful tool for bringing the vision of the California ELA Framework to life in classrooms across the state.

Please start with the video on the right to learn how to navigate the program and access key features referenced within our submission. Below you’ll find additional resources to support your review.

Your review samples

We’re excited for you to begin your review of Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) California and Amplify ELA California. Physical and digital review materials will vary by grade level.

Reviewer Binders (K–8)

Your physical samples should have arrived in grade-specific boxes with three Reviewer Binders.

  • The first binder will contain logistical program review information and the printed Evaluation Criteria Map.
  • The second binder will contain the printed Standards Maps for grades K–4.
  • The third binder will contain the printed Standards Maps for grades 5–8.

Physical samples (K–5)

You can expect to receive 15 boxes of physical materials for your review. As you begin the process of organizing your materials, please refer to the inventory checklist found inside each box as well as within your Reviewer Binder. Please note you will not receive any physical samples for grades 6–8. Your review of the program for grades 6–8 will be entirely digital.

Digital samples (K–8)

In order to access your digital samples, you’ll need to log in to our platform using your unique login credentials found on a Digital Review Credential flyer inside of your Reviewer Binder. Once you have located the flyer:

  • Click the orange button below to access the platform.
  • Click “Log in with Amplify.”
  • Enter the username and password provided on your Digital Review Credential flyer.
Digital Access

Navigation tips

Before you get started, please review these important functionality notes:

Criteria Map and Standards Maps must be opened on Microsoft Word on your desktop to function as intended. If you open the documents without Microsoft Word on your desktop, citations will be cut off at the bottom of most tables within the document.

Many of our citations are deep-links to PDFs, meaning they will take you to the right page or the first page in the sequence for the citation in question. To ensure this functionality works, please disable any PDF-viewing extensions or plug-ins such as Adobe Acrobat Pro Browser Extension.

[Reviewer program navigation video] Grades K–5

[Reviewer program navigation video] Grades 6–8

Click here for additional information on navigating the digital materials for grades 6–8.

Category 1: English Language Arts (ELA) and English Language Development (ELD) Content/Alignment to Standards

Evaluation Criteria Map

Linked below is the Evaluation Criteria Map for grades K–8. Please note that you will need to be logged into the digital platform to access the links in the Evaluation Criteria Map.

ELA Standards Maps

The links below provide the Standards Maps for Amplify California Core Language Arts for each grade level. Please note that you will need to be logged into the digital platform to access the links in the Standards Maps.

Category 2: Program Organization

The Amplify California Language Arts Program 1 submission includes Amplify CKLA California for Grades K–5 and Amplify ELA California for Grades 6–8. This comprehensive curriculum provides a full year of evidence-based instruction for each grade level, transitioning from foundational literacy to advanced text analysis.

Program structure

Amplify’s California Language Arts programs are built on what the research shows: Strong readers need both word recognition and language comprehension. Our comprehensive curriculum suite follows the Simple View of Reading and The Reading Rope–bringing together foundational skills and knowledge building to deliver instruction grounded in evidence-based literacy practices.

Flowchart illustrating skilled reading as the product of language comprehension and word recognition, grounded in the science of reading.
Diagram illustrating the interplay between language comprehension and word recognition in reading, as seen in early literacy stages. It highlights pathways through knowledge, vocabulary, and sentence understanding, reflecting principles from the CKLA reading program.

Each lesson follows a predictable structure with clearly marked components, beginning with warm-up routines, progressing through explicit instruction with guided practice, and concluding with independent application activities. The program provides detailed teacher language, including question stems and discussion prompts, ensuring clear and consistent delivery of instruction.

[Reviewer highlight video] Program organization for Category 2

[Reviewer highlight video] Program structure for grades K–2

[Reviewer highlight video] Program structure for grades 3–5

[Reviewer highlight video] Program structure for grades 6–8

Amplify CKLA California empowers teachers to deliver effective instruction and keeps students engaged with the following resources:

  • Teacher Guides
  • Assessment Guides
  • Authentic texts and trade books
  • Knowledge Image Cards
  • Knowledge Flip Books
  • Remediation and intervention resources
  • Decodable readers
  • Student Readers and novels
  • Student Activity Books
  • Poet’s Journals
  • eReaders
  • Sound Library featuring articulation videos and songs
  • Instructional routine modeling videos
  • Assignable Practice Games
  • On-demand professional development

Amplify ELA California students stay engaged with the following resources:

  • Teacher Guides that include:
    • Detailed lesson plans
    • Standards alignment and exit tickets
    • Real-time differentiation strategies
    • Robust reporting
  • Student Editions that include:
    • High-quality narrative and informational texts
    • Videos, audio supports, and digital experiences that capture their attention
    • Personal Writing Journal to keep all student writing in one place
  • Trade Books

Core literacy philosophy

Support every learner. Meet all learning needs with a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) that brings together universal screening, scaffolded core instruction, support for English learners, and data-driven intervention to ensure every student gets what they need to succeed.

Deliver consistent foundational skills instruction. Daily explicit, systematic skills instruction in grades K–2, with targeted yet flexible support for students still building decoding confidence in grades 3–8, ensures mastery of essential reading foundations.

Build lasting knowledge across all grades. Through coherently sequenced, content-rich instruction that revisits key vocabulary and concepts with increasing complexity, students build meaningful connections that deepen their vocabulary and reading comprehension.

Strengthen reading through writing at every level. Regular writing instruction grounded in the Science of Writing supports reading comprehension, improves sentence-level writing, and provides the foundation for high-quality composition. As students progress through the upper grades, they engage in increasingly complex analytical tasks—synthesizing ideas, drawing generalizations, and interpreting multiple textual layers through both focused quick-writes and comprehensive essays. 

Foster oral language development. Structured opportunities for academic conversation and evidence-based dialogue build students’ ability to express complex ideas with precision and allow them to participate confidently in classroom discussions.

Measure growth with comprehensive assessments. Assessments range from in-the-moment checks for understanding to summative assessments that measure progress toward skills mastery and standards proficiency, providing the data needed to drive targeted instruction.

Scope and sequence

Below you can view the scope and sequence for each grade level. 

Routines

Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California include several structured instructional routines that provide predictable patterns for both teachers and students:

Discussion and collaboration routines:

  • Turn and Talk: Partners discuss text-specific content using sentence starters and frames
  • Think-Pair-Share: Students engage in individual thinking, partner discussion, and whole-class sharing
  • Partner reading: Students sit shoulder-to-shoulder, taking turns reading and listening

Foundational Skills routines:

  • Sound-spelling review: Warm-up activities that reinforce phonics patterns
  • Oral blending warm-ups: Teacher-guided practice progressing to independent application
  • Finger tapping: Techniques for blending sounds
  • Chaining activities: Students manipulate letters to transform one word into another
  • Word Work: Daily short activities focused on domain-specific and academic vocabulary

Knowledge-building routines:

  • Vocabulary preview: Introduction of new words before reading
  • Read-aloud procedures: Established routines for introducing and discussing complex texts
  • Text discussions: Structured comprehension conversations with scaffolded questioning

Fluency routines:

  • Teacher modeling: Demonstration of proper intonation, expression, and pacing
  • Choral reading: Whole-class reading practice
  • Partner reading: Paired fluency practice

Close reading routines

The program includes carefully structured close reading activities that guide students through multiple encounters with complex texts. These routines help students develop deeper comprehension through systematic analysis and discussion.

Each routine includes comprehensive instructional guides with clear-cut directions for implementation, straightforward explanations of concepts, and suggestions for discussion.

Category 3: Assessments

Systematic MTSS alignment

In alignment with the additional 2025 Guidance 3.1.a, the assessment systems align with MTSS tiers, including universal screening, diagnostic assessments for students demonstrating a need for additional support, and progress monitoring tools that complement California’s required universal screening schedule per SB 114.

Tier 1:
Universal/ differentiated support		Tier 2: 
Supplemental/ targeted support		Tier 3: 
Intensified/ intensive support
Core instruction assessments




Frequency of administration		Amplify CKLA California, Amplify ELA California assessments


Daily, Weekly, Monthly		Amplify CKLA California, Amplify ELA California assessments


Daily, Weekly, Monthly		Amplify CKLA California, Amplify ELA California assessments


Daily, Weekly, Monthly
Universal screening assessments

Frequency of administration		mCLASS DIBELS and mCLASS Lectura

3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY		mCLASS DIBELS and mCLASS Lectura

3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY		mCLASS DIBELS and mCLASS Lectura

3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY
Formal progress monitoring assessments


Frequency of administration		mCLASS DIBELS and mCLASS Lectura


3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY		mCLASS DIBELS and mCLASS Lectura


Monthly		mCLASS DIBELS and mCLASS Lectura


Bi-weekly
Informal progress monitoring assessments



Frequency of administration		Amplify CKLA California, Amplify ELA California core assessments


Daily		Intervention Toolkit progress monitoring assessments


When linked to a lesson in the toolkit		Intervention Toolkit progress monitoring assessments


When linked to a lesson in the toolkit
Diagnostic assessment



Frequency of administration		Amplify skill diagnostic assessment


Optional after universal screening assessment is administered
Amplify skill diagnostic assessment


After universal screening assessment is administered

Universal assessment system

Amplify’s mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition (K–8) and mCLASS Lectura (K–6) are universal and dyslexia screening assessments that should be administered three times per year (BOY, MOY and EOY) to all students. The assessments evaluate student literacy risk, determine progress toward grade-level goals, and indicate the level of instructional  support a student may need. Beginning-of-year screenings require adequate instructional time before administration, particularly in grades K–1, while mid-year and end-of-year assessments evaluate instructional effectiveness and guide tier placement adjustments. These screenings also identify students at risk for dyslexia. Universal screening provides essential data for targeting instruction and measuring instructional system effectiveness.

Core instruction assessments

Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California provide a comprehensive suite of assessments for Grades K–8 that range from low-stakes, informal formative assessments to more formal summative assessments. These assessments incorporate a variety of methods and question types, including multiple-choice questions, open-ended questions, and oral and written responses.

Formative assessments:

  • Checks for Understanding: Incorporated into each lesson segment throughout daily instruction. Quick pulse-checks that provide immediate feedback during lesson delivery (grades K–5). 
  • Daily formative assessments: Highlighted moments within each lesson for teachers to plan to track mastery of Primary Focus objectives and standards of each lesson to get a clear snapshot of individual and whole-class progress (grades K–5). 
  • Activity pages: Completed as part of lessons and can be used to assess lesson content understanding through various formats (grades K–5).
  • Exit Tickets: Located at the end of lessons, these provide a quick gauge of students’ ability to meet the lesson’s focus standards (grades 6–8).  
  • Writing Prompts: Prompts integrated throughout lessons during writing activities that provide skill snapshots within lessons and tracks patterns of skill development over time (grades 6–8).
  • Independent reading activities (Solos): At the end of every lesson, students complete an independent reading activity (“Solo”) with reading questions that are scored to measure comprehension (grades 6–8).

Summative assessments:

  • Skills end-of-unit assessments (grades K–2) 
  • Knowledge end-of-domain assessments (grades K–2) 
  • End-of-unit assessments (grades 3–5) 
  • Unit essays: A culminating end-of-unit set of lessons that guide students through crafting an essay with a rubric to score mastery of writing skills (grades 6–8)
  • Unit Reading Assessments: Auto-scored responses and two constructed response items evaluate comprehension, content understanding, and reading skills using the passages students read during the unit (grades 6–8)

Performance Assessments

Student Performance Assessments are multi-day assessments administered in Grades K–5 at the beginning, middle, and end of year to help teachers gauge student mastery of grade-level Core content. These assessments provide critical data to help teachers set targeted instructional goals and monitor individual and class-wide progress towards core objectives.

Progress monitoring

Amplify’s mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura provide formal progress monitoring in the discrete skills that are indicative of reading growth and predictive of overall success to provide the most instructionally meaningful information to teachers.


Informal progress monitoring tools can be found within the Intervention Toolkit, including materials for teachers to record, track, and evaluate student progress.

Diagnostic assessment

Interventions within Amplify’s literacy programs are informed by a skill diagnostic assessment that provides detailed data on foundational literacy skill deficits. The Amplify Skill Diagnostic Assessment and Amplify Spanish Skill Diagnostic assessment serve as critical tools in this process, administered specifically to students identified as at risk for reading difficulty through universal screening assessments—particularly those demonstrating mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition or mCLASS Lectura composite scores in the Well Below or Below Benchmark ranges. These diagnostic assessments provide teachers with the precise skills to begin intervention and remediation.

Category 4: Universal Access

Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California were built on the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and reviewed by CAST, a nonprofit education research and development organization. The program is developed using the Universal Design for Learning framework to proactively ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

Universal Design for Learning

The programs incorporate opportunities for engagement, representation, action, and expression based on the guidelines of Universal Design for Learning.

  • Multiple Means of Engagement: The programs incorporate interesting and motivating ways for students to interact with information and content. In Amplify CKLA California, the Universal Access section in the introduction of each lesson provides specific lesson-level options based on the needs of individual classrooms and students. Scaffolding for students with various levels of need is incorporated into the design of each lesson.
  • Multiple Means of Representation: The programs provide multiple means of presenting content to maximize student understanding. This includes digital component files that allow for a range of presentations of images and text to support learning. Amplify provides access to universal supports such as point-of-use audio for all core texts, embedded definitions for critical vocabulary, and glossaries in multiple languages. Amplify CKLA California includes clarification on language found throughout the program, with sidebars that include support on transition words and syntax, and illustrations to help students understand the concepts they are learning.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression: The programs include a range of methods for all students, including English learners, to navigate and demonstrate learning. This includes physical actions, a range of methods for response, appropriate tools for composition, and varied scaffolding. In Amplify ELA California, lessons provide multiple ways for students to interact with text, allowing their brains to process the language through distinct pathways. Activities harness multiple learning modes, using media tools, digital apps, and a variety of visual and physical experiences to strategically support and enhance student learning.
  • Accessibility: Universal access features include visual aids, enlarged materials, physical objects, and multiple learning modalities through activities like Push & Say and Wiggle Cards. The Universal Access section in the introduction of each lesson provides specific lesson-level options based on the needs of individual classrooms and students.

Embedded differentiation

Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California provide built-in differentiation strategies in every lesson for all students.

  • Pre-teaching supports include mini-lessons on:
    • Core vocabulary building
    • Core connections
    • Essential background information building
    • What Have We Already Learned?/What Do We Already Know?
  • Differentiated Support for Core Instruction tables, located in the overview of each K–2 Skills Teacher Guide, provide a list of specific opportunities for reteaching and additional support in each lesson based on skill.
  • Support and Challenge Sidebars in lesson margins offer educators immediate guidance in implementing point-of-use differentiation techniques.
  • Flexible Grouping within lessons provides opportunities for teachers to facilitate small groups, partners, or individualized support based on students’ needs. In the Skills Strand, teachers receive specific guidance for differentiated small-group instruction, with targeted support and activities outlined for both Group 1 (students needing additional support) and Group 2 (on-level students) based on data. 
  • Amplify ELA California provides point-of-use supports embedded within key core lesson activities with six levels of differentiation. The goal of these supports is to fully enable access to grade-level content for all students, including students with disabilities, English learners, and students ready for an additional level of challenge.
  • The Universal Access section of Advance Preparation in each lesson includes varied strategies to ensure all students can access and engage in each lesson.
  • Frequent use of graphic organizers and visual supports in lessons provide opportunities for differentiation based on need. The program also includes a variety of technological supports, such as eReaders with audio.
  • Extension opportunities are suggested throughout lessons, often embedded in writing tasks, which include prompts to use more complex and descriptive vocabulary, figurative language,  multi-clause and complex sentences, and  informational text characteristics.

Assessment-driven MTSS resources

  • The K–8 Intervention Toolkit is available online and provides easy-to-use resources that assist teachers in filling gaps in students’ reading skills, with activities to support print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, and other key skills
  • Fluency Packets (Grades 2–5)
  • Foundational Skills Intervention Program for Grades 3–8 support students who would benefit from direct and explicit intervention instruction in the full continuum of foundational skills in the upper grades
  • Flexible Instructional Time including:
    • Pausing Points built into the curriculum that provide teachers with dedicated time to address specific student needs through targeted reteaching, remediation, practice, and extension activities 
    • Pausing Point activities designed to support English learners’ competence and confidence through differentiated whole-group, small-group, or individual instruction
  • Boost Reading is a K–5 student-led digital intervention program. Boost Reading follows Amplify CKLA California’s scope and sequence to reinforce the same foundational skills taught in core instruction. It integrates easily into daily routines, while the robust data provided by mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition offers a detailed view of how students progress across all instructional tiers.

Category 5: Instructional Planning and Teacher Support

Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California teachers are empowered to deliver effective instruction with various print and digital resources. The program provides comprehensive planning and support materials designed to help teachers prepare for and execute lessons effectively and fulfill the requirements of Category 5.

Implementation supports across K–8

Planning and preparation resources

  • Unit Overviews that provide important background and context for the texts students will read, including highlighted elements within the text and guidance for how students will work with those elements
  • Sub-unit Overviews (Grades 6–8) that provide an overview of Lesson Objectives and reading and writing assignments, as well as a list of any projections, multimedia, or digital apps that can be projected from the teacher’s included digital license
  • Lesson-by-lesson preparation checklists (Grades 6–8) accompanying each Sub-unit Overview
  • Lesson Briefs for each individual lesson providing important background and context
  • Content knowledge materials regarding topics that students will examine

Point-of-use instructional guidance

  • Teacher Editions that feature insets of the same text and activity instructions as the corresponding Student Edition, wrapping teacher instruction around these materials
  • Activity guidance at point of use
  • Lesson standards clearly called out
  • Discussion suggestions embedded in lessons
  • Differentiation tips at point of use
  • Detailed Instructional Guides in each activity that include sequencing and grouping suggestions, tips for facilitating discussion, possible student responses and exemplars
  • Student Supports in all core lessons provide teachers with targeted supports in daily core instruction, addressing which might serve the student best in the moment—support, strengthen, stretch—with additional call-outs for newcomers

Multimedia and digital support

  • Teacher tip videos provide modeling and guidance for implementing key foundational skills routines within the program
  • Digital platform access where teachers can access printable PDFs of differentiated support materials for English learners and readers struggling with text, including translated Unit Background and Context Documents and Text Previews
  • Teacher Dashboard and reporting tools (Grade 6–8) that provide real-time visibility into student progress and work for immediate instructional response

Caregiver supports

Communication and overview resources

  • Caregiver Hub available in English and Spanish that provides an overview of the curriculum
  • Caregiver Letters for each K–2 Knowledge Domain and unit in Grades 3–5 that provide an overview of the content, the skills students learn, as well as practical methods that continue the learning and knowledge building at home
  • Unit-specific Caregiver Letters (Grades 6–8) that provide detailed information regarding what students will read and learn in each unit, including conversation starters that allow caregivers to ask questions and discuss specific aspects of a unit with their student
  • Welcome letters that explain the assessment and placement process while inviting parent involvement and offering support
  • Editable Home-School Communication letters available in English and Spanish
  • Editable Progress Reports for teachers to update parents and guardians on what their child is learning

Content and learning support materials

  • Unit Background and Context documents that provide an introduction and overview to the unit’s topic and themes, available in English and Spanish
  • Text Previews that provide a brief introduction to formative, independent reading assignments (called Solos in Grades 6–8), available in English and Spanish
  • Unit Overview and Support documents (Grades 6–8) designed for caregivers that provide information about important questions, assignments, and key aspects of the unit texts, available in English and Spanish
  • Conversation starters included in Knowledge Strand Caregiver Letters to discuss domain topics at home

Home practice and extension activities

  • Take-Home pages in the Skills Strand that include copies of decodable passages, enabling students to share their reading progress with families and continue practicing their skills outside of school
  • Take-Home Letters in the Skills Strand that provide specific guidance for parents to support skills practice at home, such as sound-sorting activities, with detailed instructions and materials for home practice activities
  • Take-Home pages in the Knowledge Strand that provide suggested activities families can do together to reinforce and extend learning beyond the classroom
  • Games and activities on Take-Home Pages that extend classroom instruction, including all the materials and instruction necessary to help families assist students in a fun and engaging way
  • Digital access to decodable texts through the Amplify Caregiver Hub, allowing students to practice their reading skills both in class and at home
  • Weekly spelling lists and directions to decoding activities that can be practiced at home

USBE Data Analysis for K-3 Reading Assessment Program

Introduction

mCLASS Assessment: Acadience™ Reading

How it works: Quickly identify the needs of each student and inform next steps with instant analysis, reports, and instructional planning tools included in the only licensed mobile version of the research-based Acadience Reading assessment.

  • Use short, 1-minute fluency measures for foundational reading skills.
  • Replace manual calculations with instant results and recommended activities.
  • Compare student progress with predictive, research-based benchmark goals.
  • Track progress and target instruction to individual student needs.
  • Support decision-making at every level using aggregate reports.
  • Translate class- and student-level reports into individualized instruction using the Now What?Tools.
  • Get a more complete view of early literacy skills with the new mCLASS:Early Literacy Measures (ELM).
Enrollment for mClass

Please review the Utah Enrollment for mCLASS document for important information about the rostering process for LEAs in Utah.

Benchmark Windows

The USBE has required that each Acadience Reading testing benchmark window occur within the below dates:

BOY — the first benchmark before October 14
MOY — the second benchmark between December 1 and February 5
EOY — the third benchmark between the middle of April and June 15

Benchmark windows for LEAs are set to the state benchmark window dates in mCLASS. Each LEA is to have 2-4 week benchmark period that is within the state benchmark window dates and LEA leaders are to share those dates with staff. The benchmark windows in mCLASS are set to the state benchmark window dates; not the LEA benchmark window dates and this can not be changed in mCLASS. If a student moves into your LEA and your benchmark window is closed, but the state benchmark period is still open, the student must be benchmarked. Should your LEA need an extension of a benchmark window beyond the close of the state benchmark windows, that must be approved by the USBE Assessment Department. Once the benchmark window closes, do not give the benchmark to a student, instead, educators can progress monitor the student on the measures they would have received a benchmark in order to get the students current instructional levels.

If you have questions regarding your current benchmark window dates, feel free to reach out to Amplify Customer Services at help@amplify.com.

Acadience Reading Benchmark Invalidations

Before you invalidate a benchmark probe, review the USBE’s list of acceptable reasons for invalidating on the Frequently Asked Questions: Acadience Reading Invalidations document. If a district/charter has a significant percentage of invalidations, contact and further action will be deployed. If you believe an invalidation is required, please contact your District/Charter Literacy Director. If they need support, they can contact Sara Wiebke, sara.wiebke@schools.utah.gov, to request an invalidation.

Progress Monitoring

The impact of progress monitoring

Progress monitoring is the most powerful tool we offer with regards to student achievement.

“Scores for Daze increase more slowly than they do for other Acadience Reading measures, so more frequent monitoring may not be as informative. For students who need to be monitored on Daze, we recommend monitoring once per month.”
Progress Monitoring with Acadience Reading 
© Acadience Learning
October 2012

The Acadience Reading authors recommend progress monitoring students in the Well Below Benchmark category once every 7-10 days (and once every 10-12 days for students in the Below Benchmark category).

Progress monitoring is the practice of testing students briefly but frequently on the skill areas in which they are receiving instruction, to ensure that they are making adequate progress. When students are identified as at risk for reading difficulties, they can receive progress monitoring testing more frequently to ensure that the instruction they are receiving is helping them make progress. (Acadience Learning/October 2012, Progress Monitoring Guide)

The purposes of progress monitoring are:

  • to provide ongoing feedback about the effectiveness of instruction,
  • to determine students’ progress toward important and meaningful goals, and
  • to make timely decisions about changes to instruction so that students will meet those goals.

How to progress monitor?

  • Select students for progress monitoring
  • Select Acadience Reading materials for progress monitoring
  • Set progress monitoring goals
  • Determine the frequency of progress monitoring
  • Conduct progress monitoring assessment
  • Access data through class and student reports
  • Evaluate progress and modify instruction.

The key to progress monitoring: Instruction should link to progress monitoring and progress monitoring should link to instruction. They should run parallel and merge as one to confirm student growth in reading.

Check your progress monitoring fidelity report in mCLASS to ensure you are on track with these students. For more information regarding progress monitoring guidelines, visit the official progress monitoring guidelines.

Support Team

Amplify Customer Services

(800) 823-1969
Monday to Friday, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT
help@amplify.com

Educational Support Team

Pedagogical Questions
(800) 823-1969
Monday to Friday, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT
edsupport@amplify.com

For more information, please contact:

Sarah McCarty
Associate Director, Educational Partnership
(812) 593-5776
smccarty@amplify.com

Donna Bright
Educational Partnership Manager
(303) 960-3772
dbright@amplify.com

Robert McCarty
Regional Director of Educational Partnership
(435) 655-1731
rmccarty@amplify.com

Cydnee Carter
Assessment Development Coordinator
(801) 538-7654
cydnee.carter@schools.utah.gov

Liz Williams
Elementary ELA Assessment Specialist
(801) 538-7542
Liz.williams@schools.utah.gov

Sara Wiebke
Literacy Coordinator
(801) 538-7935
sara.wiebke@schools.utah.gov

Krista Hotelling
K-3 Literacy Specialist
(801) 538-7794
krista.hotelling@schools.utah.gov

Christine Elegante
K-3 Literacy Specialist
(801) 538-7551
christine.elegante@schools.utah.gov

Julie Clark
K-3 Literacy Specialist
801-499-2515
julie.clark@schools.utah.gov

Melissa Preziosi
Assessment Data Specialist
(801) 538-7949
melissa.preziosi@schools.utah.gov

Resources

Helpful tips and guides
mCLASS:Acadience Reading tutorials
Technical resources

Amplify Enrollment This guide walks you through the necessary steps to complete enrollment using the manual enrollment tools on Amplify Home. It shows you how to manage staff, student, and class assignment information, and maintain the accuracy of your staff, student, and class assignments.

Devices & Requirements Ensure mCLASS is compatible with your devices and systems for optimal performance and support.

Remote Assessing

Videos:

Remote Assessment Guidance from the Acadience Team:  
mCLASS®: Acadience® Reading (formerly known as DIBELS Next)

Key Points:

Before you assess:

1. Determine how you will show student materials and score in mCLASS at the same time. 

  Description

Description

Recommended set up
  • One computer for video conferencing and sharing student materials.
  • One touchscreen device for scoring in mCLASS.
Modified set up
  • One computer.

Note: mCLASS app is optimized for touchscreen; scoring with a mouse may need more practice.

2. Familiarize yourself with the digital copies of student materials.

3. Schedule virtual meetings with students. To communicate with English-speaking caregivers, consider sending this email or video. To communicate with Spanish-speaking caregivers, consider sending this email or video.

4. Determine how you will handle scenarios where there’s a lag:

  Description
Record the meeting
  • Before the assessment begins, press the recording button on your video conferencing tool.
  • After the virtual meeting, listen to recording and rescore in mCLASS if needed.
  • Pick a decision rule for how to score ambiguous items and be consistent. For example, if you decide that you will give a student the benefit of the doubt and mark ambiguous similar sounding items correct when you can’t quite hear their answer, do this for all students you assess.
Use a phone
  • Before the assessment begins, call caregiver’s phone using your phone (type *67 before your number if you want your number to be hidden).
  • Ask the caregiver to press the speaker button. 
  • Mute yourself and your student on the virtual learning platform.

While you assess: 

1. Take the opportunity to connect individually with your students as they experience so much change. Don’t make the session solely about testing, and remind caregivers and students that the assessment is a way to see how you can best tailor instruction.

2. Make student materials visible to your student.

For Maze, choose the model that works best for you:

Enter results into the mCLASS web reports

  • Students complete online Maze during a video conference
    • Put a link to the student assessment site (mclass.amplify.com/student) and the student’s credentials into the chat box (learn how to generate student credentials in this video)
    • Ask your student to complete Maze.
  • Students complete online Maze outside of a video conference (caregiver support is needed with log-in)
    • To provide student credentials and instructions to English-speaking caregivers, consider sending this email and video. To provide student credentials and instructions to Spanish-speaking caregivers, consider sending this email and video.
  • Students complete Maze on paper
    • Locate the benchmark Maze Acadience Learning’s site.
    • Print a copy of the form you need (e.g. BOY) for each student in your class.
    • Send the form home in a sealed envelope with students, mail the form to caregivers, or have caregivers get forms via school-based pick-up. Provide instructions not to open the envelope until the student is ready to take the assessment.
    • Provide parents with instructions on how to proctor the assessment for their child. They need to:
      • Give the form to their child
      • Sit with their child and read the instructions and practice items
      • Tell their child to stop when 3 minutes has elapsed
      • Send screenshots of their child’s work via email or text, or return the completed form to the school in a sealed envelope provided by the school.
  Guidance
Acadience:Reading 

Use the share screen feature to display student materials on your screen.

Optional next step for measures that have student materials:

Zoom users: grant your student control of your screen so you can see their cursor as they read:

  • Click “Remote Control” and select your student’s name in the dropdown.
  • Ask your student to use their cursor to point to words as they read.

Note: For Mac OSX, you will need to give Zoom access in the Accessibility tab in the Privacy and Security preferences of your Mac. For more information on giving Zoom access in Security and Privacy, click here.

3. Score in mCLASS.

Student materials

  Benchmark Progress monitoring
Acadience Reading (formerly known as DIBELS Next) Available for free download on the Acadience Learning website

Amplify Science resources for Richmond Public Schools

Welcome! This site contains supporting resources designed for the Richmond Public Schools adoption of Amplify Science.

Authored by UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, Amplify Science is a comprehensive program that blends literacy-rich activities, hands-on investigations, and engaging digital experiences to empower Richmond students to think, read, write, and argue like 21st-century scientists and engineers.

Click here to visit Richmond Public Schools’ Science Department page.

Welcome!

This site contains supporting resources designed for the Richmond Public Schools adoption of Amplify Science for grades 3–8. Here are some resources to get you started, but make sure to check back for exciting updates!

Program-wide resources

Click the button below to explore the Amplify Science  Program Guide. You can access the full digital Teacher’s Guide from the Program Guide to explore the program.

Program Guide

Onboarding videos

To start using Amplify Science quickly in your classroom, check out the following onboarding videos. They cover what you need to know to get started fast, from unpacking materials to logging in and navigating the digital Teacher’s Guide.

Getting Started: K-5

This section allows you to become familiar with the program and to guide you through initial preparation for implementing Amplify in your classrooms. here you will find look-for-tools, pacing/planning guides, and editable documents to support unpacking the unit lessons.

Overview

Supporting literacy development

Planning resources

Planning Guides

Look-for-tools

Planning support documents

The following materials lists and videos give you a quick look into our Amplify Science classroom kits. For each grade level, we have a video for the first unit in the scope and sequence, and we show you how to unpack the kits for all the units.

NOTE: These materials kits are not specific to the Richmond unit progression. Please reference these Richmond unit progression docs for 3–5 and 6–8 so you’ll know which kits to look for in each grade.

Materials lists

Unpacking videos

Getting Started: 6-8

This section allows you to become familiar with the program and to guide you through initial preparation for implementing Amplify in your classrooms. here you will find look-for-tools, pacing/planning guides, and editable documents to support unpacking the unit lessons.

Overview

Supporting literacy development

Planning resources

Planning/Pacing Guides

Look-for-tools

Planning support documents

The following materials lists and videos give you a quick look into our Amplify Science classroom kits. For each grade level, we have a video for the first unit in the scope and sequence, and we show you how to unpack the kits for all the units.

NOTE: These materials kits are not specific to the Richmond unit progression. Please reference these Richmond unit progression docs for 3–5 and 6–8 so you’ll know which kits to look for in each grade.

Materials lists

Unpacking videos

6th grade Integrated

7th grade Integrated/Physical science

Additional units

Getting Started: Admin

Admin resources

Getting Started Checklist

Administrator Reports support

K-5 Frequently-Asked Questions

6-8 Frequently-Asked Questions

Professional learning opportunities

Check back for a list of upcoming sessions!

Frequently asked questions

We get it…pacing your instruction, especially with a new program, can be really challenging. In Amplify Science, students internalize concepts through repeated exposures over multiple days with different modalities. We say students get multiple “at-bats” with each concept. As you move through the lessons, avoid looking for concept mastery each day. Instead, try to move through the lesson according to the timing guidelines, maintaining a quick pace.

In classroom discussion activities in particular, you may be tempted to keep the conversation going to ensure that your students fully master the content in that class period. We recommend, though, if the lesson overview says discuss for 10 minutes, cut it off at 10 minutes.

Every Amplify Science unit includes hands-on investigations. But, just as scientists gather evidence from many types of sources, so do students in Amplify Science. Like scientists, students using Amplify Science also gather evidence from physical models, digital models, texts, videos, photographs, maps, and data sets. Doing so requires using the full range of the practices in multi-dimensional learning. It also offers students different ways of acquiring knowledge and experience, multiple means of expressing their understanding, and a variety of resources through which to engage with the content.

Often, students enjoy hands-on investigations, but don’t sufficiently learn key concepts from those experiences. The Amplify Science investigations are designed for efficiency and effectiveness. For teachers who wish to supplement the lessons with more hands-on activities, optional hands-on “flextension” activities are included in many units. Instructional guidance, student sheets, and other supporting resources for them are included as downloadable PDF files and materials needed are either included in the unit kit or easily sourced.

First, take a breath, and know that you will gradually internalize the program routines and overall flow. Also, remember that your students are experiencing the program for the first time with you. Together, you’ll be peeling the onion one layer at a time.

It can be intimidating to begin the school year with a brand-new curriculum: where do you start? The Richmond Resources Site will help you navigate the different supports and resources we have for new Amplify Science teachers. 

The Program Hub is also a great place to direct your own, independent learning about Amplify Science instruction. Once you log into the platform, click on the directory on the top left side. Click into the Program Hub, then Professional Learning, and Getting Started. This will give you access to prioritized resources that will help you plan for your Amplify Science instruction. Additionally, the Amplify Science Help center (also accessible from the Global Navigation menu) is great for short videos about specific topics like supporting EL students, using Classwork, etc.

The variety of multimodal activities that are included in Amplify Science provides students with the opportunity to dive deeply into understanding science ideas, make science exciting to students, and allow for all students to have the benefit of multiple opportunities to access rich science content. Think about how many times you’ve taught a concept and then discovered your students had minimal recall at the end of the week. The truth is, students need multiple, varied exposures to key concepts.

In the program, we make sure that students have the opportunity to DO, TALK, READ, WRITE, and VISUALIZE every important idea. We think of this as providing students with multiple at bats— each encounter with the idea provides students with additional evidence, and the opportunity to develop deeper understanding. Students have multiple opportunities to construct their understanding of the same idea.

This multimodality may feel repetitive, but it is purposeful and impactful. Sometimes the repetition is for 1) hitting other Science and Engineering Practices, and/or 2) giving students multiple and varied opportunities to express their understanding. Many students can easily parrot back what they read and one may think they know it — but ask them to draw a model, and one might see that their understanding is only so deep.  Ultimately we believe that this approach not only serves a broader range of students but will also result in more retention in the long run.

Looking for help?

Technical or pedagogical support

Amplify provides a unique kind of free support you won’t find from other publishers. Technical and pedagogical support teams are available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.

For your most urgent questions:

  • Use our live chat within your program
  • Call our toll-free number: (800) 823-1969

For less urgent questions, send us an email!

  • Technical support: help@amplify.com
  • Pedagogical support: edsupport@amplify.comWhat is pedagogical support? We have developed an educational support team of former teachers and administrators who provide pedagogical support for every Amplify curriculum, assessment, and intervention program. This service is completely free for all educators who are using our programs and includes:
    • Guidance for developing lesson plans and intervention plans
    • Information on where to locate standards and other planning materials
    • Recommendations and tips for day-to-day teaching with Amplify programs
    • Support with administering and interpreting assessment data and more

Order exceptions

If you need to arrange for the return or exchange of items, contact help@amplify.com and be sure to identify yourself as a Richmond Public Schools teacher.

Welcome back to Amplify Science!

On this page, you’ll find helpful resources, for returning educators, to support you and your students to ensure you have a successful year with Amplify. Let’s dig in.

A woman in glasses examining a glass of water, surrounded by illustrations of scientific icons like satellites, a rocket, a telescope, moons, and clouds on an abstract orange and black background.

Professional learning resources

Amplify Science K-5

When you’re ready to log in to learning.amplify.com and get started, begin by watching the navigation video for grades K–5 to familiarize you with the digital organization of materials. Visit the PD Library to learn how to find everything you need to teach with this video about navigating Amplify Science. Note: login required!

Amplify Science 6-8

When you are ready to log in to learning.amplify.com and get started, begin by watching the navigation video for grades 6–8 to familiarize yourself with the digital organization of materials. Visit the PD Library to learn how to find everything you need to teach with this video about navigating Amplify Science. Note: login required!

Program Hub

Access self-study professional resources on our Amplify Science program hub (log-in required). Here you will find resources and videos on:

  • Remote learning resources
  • Training videos
  • Hands-on Investigation Videos

Professional Development Library

The Professional Development Library is a space for educators to learn more about Amplify Science through short, engaging video collections. The PD Library can be located on the Program & Apps menu when logged into the program. Watch the training videos based on your grade band to learn more about pacing, planning, and teaching Science!

Level up learning webinars

Level up your Amplify Science experience with our We Are Scientists webinars! We showcased expert classroom teaching strategies and offered educator tips and tricks on how to get creative with learning with your students.

Admin tools

Elementary school resources (grades K–5)

For a refresher on navigating and locating resources in the digital Teacher’s Guide, access the page for new users for mini on-boarding videos.

What’s new for 2024-25?
Amplify Science is launching exciting new and updated features for the upcoming school year. Click here to check out improvements designed to save you time, extend your reach, and support your efforts to deliver the rigorous and riveting learning experiences your students deserve.

Have a question? Here is where you can look to find the answer..

Planning guides
Planning guides for grades K–5 walk you through strategies for planning for a unit, including which resources to locate in either the print or digital Teacher’s Guide to most effectively plan:

Additional resources
If you’re interested in learning more about each unit’s anchor phenomena, the Student Books in each unit, and more program features, download the resources below:

Middle school resources (grades 6–8)

For a refresher on navigating and locating resources in the digital Teacher’s Guide, access the page for new users for mini on-boarding videos.

What’s new for 2024-25?
Amplify Science is launching exciting new and updated features for the upcoming school year. Click here to check out improvements designed to save you time, extend your reach, and support your efforts to deliver the rigorous and riveting learning experiences your students deserve.

Have a question? Here is where you can look to find the answer…

Planning guide
Our planning guide walks you through strategies for planning for a unit, including which resources to locate in either the print or digital Teacher’s Guide to most effectively plan. Click here to download.

Additional resources
If you’re interested in learning more about each unit’s anchor phenomena, the Student Books in each unit, and more program features, download the resources below:

Ready to dig a little deeper?

Revisiting coherence flowcharts

Take another look (or look for the first time) at the coherence flowcharts for your unit (found in the printable resources section of the unit guide).

Sample Coherence Flowchart: First Grade: Plant and Animal Defenses

Sample Coherence Flowchart: Fourth Grade: Energy Conversions

Sample Coherence Flowchart: Seventh Grade: Plate Motion

Enhance your discourse routines 

Productive Discourse Routines

Discourse Routines in K-5

Using Phenomena in NGSS

Looking for help?

Timely technical, program, and pedagogical support
Our technical and program support is included and available from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, through a variety of channels, including a live chat program that enables teachers to get immediate help in the middle of the school day. As a part our support, Amplify also has an Educational Support Team of former teachers and administrators who provide instructional support for every Amplify curriculum, assessment, and intervention program.

For your most urgent questions:

  • Use our live chat within your program
  • Call our toll-free number: 1 888 850 0945

For less urgent questions:

Reach out to our support team at: help@amplify.com

Email support

Utah – USBE Data Analysis for K-3 Reading Assessment Program – New

To view this protected page, enter the password below:



Amplify CKLA Community Review Site

Welcome to the Amplify CKLA community review site for Idaho Falls School District. This site is designed to help you learn about Amplify CKLA—a core English Language Arts curriculum for Grades K–5.

Your district leaders want to hear from you! Please share your thoughts by completing this district survey.

Looking for 6th grade material? Click here.

What is Amplify CKLA?

Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) is a core English language arts program for Grades K-5 that combines phonics with rich texts designed to build content knowledge—so that students learn to read and read to learn at the same time. It is also a blended program, which means your student will be interacting with both print and digital materials.

  • In Grades K–2, students complete one full lesson each day that builds foundational reading skills, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge.
  • In Grades 3–5, foundational reading skills and background knowledge are taught together through one integrated lesson each day.

Looking for 6th grade material? Click here.

There’s no better way to understand the power of Amplify CKLA than seeing it in action. Watch Ms. Lehman’s second-graders in the video below as they learn how to decode and spell words with the long /ā/ sound.

What do students learn?

Amplify CKLA is an evidence-based program built on research about how students learn to read. This collection of research is often referred to as the Science of Reading or The Simple View of Reading. It tells us that:

  • Students learn to read best when they are taught foundational reading skills (like phonics) and comprehension skills (like vocabulary and background knowledge) at the same time. That’s why Amplify includes a combination of skills and concepts in every unit.
  • The more students know about a particular topic, the better they are able to comprehend what they read. That’s why Amplify CKLA incorporates rich stories, texts, and articles about a variety of topics throughout the program.

Because students learn so much with Amplify CKLA, it can be hard to review it all at once. To make it easier for you to review the program, we’ve provided links to a variety of resources below, including unit overviews and text lists by grade.

Important note:
Amplify believes in empowering teachers to make the best instructional decisions for their students. For that reason, we include a variety of optional materials for teachers to use at their own discretion. For example: Trade Books are an optional tool that teachers can choose to use to extend a lesson. These books do not come with the program and only serve as a suggestion to assist teachers in finding additional material that ties to the unit topic.

Kindergarten Knowledge Curriculum 

Kindergarten Skills Curriculum

Kindergarten Text List

Grade 1 Knowledge Curriculum

Grade 1 Skills Curriculum

Grade 1 Text List

Grade 2 Knowledge Curriculum

Grade 2 Skills Curriculum

Grade 2 Text List

Grade 3 Curriculum Overview

Grade 3 Text List

Grade 4 Curriculum Overview

Grade 4 Text List4

Grade 5 Curriculum Overview

Grade 5 Text List

Print materials

Student Readers

These readers are uniquely designed to provide intensive practice while reading simple but authentic stories. All readers are also available as ebooks and audiobooks on the teacher resource site.

In grades K-2, these readers are chapter books that allow students to practice just-learned sound-spellings within an authentic reading experience that incorporates compelling plots and interesting characters.

In grades 3-5, readers develop close reading and other literacy skills through a selection of diverse, content-rich literary and informational texts.

Student Activity Books

Part of the daily lessons, these activity pages ask students to respond to the text they’ve read and apply skills and knowledge. They also include assessments that track students’ skills development, to which teachers have access.

Digital materials

We are excited to announce that students will be able to access multimedia resources and engage in a new digital experience on the CKLA Hub. Unlike ever before, students can access digital resources independently from anywhere, taking full advantage of the instructional multimedia experiences that Amplify CKLA has to offer. Students can access the Hub at home, in the classroom, and on the go, making it ideal for remote learning. It’s compatible with laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, and desktops—we’ve also optimized it for mobile devices.

Knowledge Builder videos for grades K–2

Each Knowledge Domain starts with a Knowledge Builder video: a short, fun, animated story that enriches the lesson and motivates students with new characters, places, and concepts.

Recorded daily read-alouds for grades K–2

Teachers and students will have access to video recordings of all K–2 Knowledge Read-Alouds with pictures from the Flip Books.

Sound Library for grades K-2

The Sound Library uses audio sounds, catchy songs, and animated articulation videos to help students learn and master sounds.

Foundational Skills Boost for grades 1–3

Designed for grades 1–3, these video-based, self-guided lessons target critical foundational skills from the previous year’s instruction in order to fill in any gaps. They offer approximately nine weeks of instruction organized as daily lessons, with additional teacher-led small-group activities and family resources.

Vocab App for grades 3-5

The Vocabulary App is designed for independent practice with vocabulary. Students can use the Vocabulary App for game-like activities that challenge them.

Quests for grades 3–5

Each of the grade levels in 3–5 contains a Core Quest. In these special units, all the normal rules of the classroom change, and students engage with language in surprising new ways. For example, in grade 5, they learn to love the dense Shakespearian language of A Midsummer Night’s Dream through imagery, close reading, and performance.

Support your child at home

Read and talk at home

  • If possible, read with your child daily; even 15 minutes of reading together each day can make a huge impact. 
  • You can read sections of the text aloud together. If your child struggles, you might try reading the text to them with expression, and then have them read it aloud back to you. 
  • For additional practice, watch the recorded read-alouds with your K-2 student or have your grade 3-5 student use the Vocabulary App. 
  • Find moments to discuss what they are reading and discovering. Examples of questions you could ask: What stood out to you from what you read today? Were any sentences or words confusing? What was most surprising? What do you think the writer was trying to communicate? Do you agree with the writer’s ideas or descriptions? What connections can you make between what you are reading and your own life or other issues?
  • Listen to your child read their written responses or have them share with a friend over video chat. 
  • We recommend reviewing this Protecting Kids Online article by the Federal Trade Commission addressing digital safety.

Skills practice at home

We’ve developed a set of resources for families to use with their students that includes instructions and materials to teach and practice grade-level phonics at home. Resources include sound videos, Readers, and a how-to video with editable instructions that family members can customize to meet individual student needs.

Program access

Before accessing the program, watch the below video to learn even more about Amplify CKLA! Then scroll down and follow the login instructions provided.

Take a closer look at the program with the Idaho Falls Community demo account! Follow these simple instructions to access our program digitally.

  • Click the CKLA Teacher Resource Site button.
  • Select Log in with Amplify.
  • Enter this username: t1.ifckla@demo.tryamplify.net
  • Enter this password: Amplify1-ifckla
  • Select the desired grade level.
CKLA Teacher Resource Site

Where to go for help

Whether you have questions about your technology or want to know more about the program, Amplify’s Support Team is here to help!

Contact Support via telephone at (833) 97-Care-8 (833-972-2738) or caregiver@amplify.com.

Our support hours are Monday – Friday, 7 am – 9 PM ET, and Sunday, 10 – 6 ET.

Puyallup families, welcome to Amplify CKLA!

Welcome to the Amplify CKLA Caregiver Hub for Puyallup School District. This site is designed to help you learn about Amplify CKLA—a core English Language Arts curriculum.

We want to hear from you! Please share your thoughts by completing this district survey.

Illustration showing a man with a tree, colorful abstract shapes, and various scientific and nature-related icons including a laboratory setup, an animal skeleton, and marine life.

What is Amplify CKLA?

Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) is a language arts program for Grades PreK-5 that combines a multi-sensory approach to phonics with rich texts carefully sequenced to build content knowledge—so that students learn to read and read to learn at the same time. 

Every day in Grades PreK–2, students complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge. In Grades 3–5, students start to master the skills of reading, further opening up their worlds.

Illustrative circles depicting educational stages from prek to grade 5, each showing children engaged in age-appropriate activities or learning themes.

CKLA in Action

There’s no better way to understand the power of Amplify CKLA than seeing it in action. Watch Ms. Lehman’s second graders in the video below as they learn how to decode and spell words with the long /ā/ sound.

Unit Overviews

Below are quick overviews of the units your student will be working through in their grade throughout the year. Next to each unit are downloadable guides which provide a more in-depth look at the content covered and how you can help your student advance their understanding of the topics.

Kindergarten Knowledge Curriculum 

Kindergarten Skills Curriculum

Grade 1 Knowledge Curriculum

Grade 1 Skills Curriculum

Grade 2 Knowledge Curriculum

Grade 2 Skills Curriculum

Grade 3 Curriculum Overview

Grade 4 Curriculum Overview

Grade 5 Curriculum Overview

Materials overview

Amplify CKLA is a blended program, which means your student will be interacting with both print and digital materials.

Print materials

Student Readers

These readers are uniquely designed to provide intensive practice while reading simple but authentic stories. All readers are also available as ebooks and audiobooks on the teacher resource site, which caregivers can now access.

In grades K-2, these readers are chapter books that allow students to practice just-learned sound-spellings within an authentic reading experience that incorporates compelling plots and interesting characters.

In grades 3-5, readers develop close reading and other literacy skills through a selection of diverse, content-rich literary and informational texts.

A collage of kindergarten-level reading books titled Kit and Seth, with illustrated pages showing children, plants, and scenes of reading and eating grapes and cake.
Grade 1 reading materials featuring illustrated children, a Snapshots cover, two open storybooks showing kids and activities, and a page about a holiday with text and drawings.
Open educational book for grade 2, showing illustrations and text about a chicken nugget story and the war of 1812.

Student Activity Books

Part of the daily lessons, these activity pages ask students to respond to the text they’ve read and apply skills and knowledge. They also include assessments that track students’ skills development, to which teachers have access.

Two illustrated pages titled Knowledge 1-6 and Knowledge 7-12, each showing colorful scenes representing different educational topics in numbered circles.

Digital materials

CKLA Hub for grades K–5

We are excited to announce that students will be able to access multimedia resources and engage in a new digital experience on the CKLA Hub. Unlike ever before, students can access digital resources independently from anywhere, taking full advantage of the instructional multimedia experiences that Amplify CKLA has to offer. Students can access the Hub at home, in the classroom, and on the go, making it ideal for remote learning. It’s compatible with laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, and desktops—we’ve also optimized it for mobile devices.

Knowledge Builder videos for grades K–2

Each Knowledge Domain starts with a Knowledge Builder video: a short, fun, animated story that enriches the lesson and motivates students with new characters, places, and concepts.

A cartoon scientist stands next to a sparking robot in a laboratory, displayed on a laptop screen with purple-themed laboratory equipment in the background.

Recorded daily read-alouds for grades K–2

Teachers and students will have access to video recordings of all K–2 Knowledge Read-Alouds with pictures from the Flip Books.

Cover image for Cycles in Nature by Amplify CKLA. Features illustrations of a dinosaur, plant, wagon, book, fish, cat on desk, and various nature-related items against a pink background.

Sound Library for grades K-2

The Sound Library uses audio sounds, catchy songs, and animated articulation videos to help students learn and master sounds.

A webpage titled Sound Library displays search bar and sound cards for different phonemes, each with example words and buttons for sound, video, and song.

Foundational Skills Boost for grades 1–3

Designed for grades 1–3, these video-based, self-guided lessons target critical foundational skills from the previous year’s instruction in order to fill in any gaps. They offer approximately nine weeks of instruction organized as daily lessons, with additional teacher-led small-group activities and family resources.

A chocolate chip cookie in a glass of milk, a person speaking, a speech bubble saying Let's say it together!, and two illustrated eyes on a green background.

Vocab App for grades 3-5

The Vocabulary App is designed for independent practice with vocabulary. Students can use the Vocabulary App for game-like activities that challenge them.

Screenshot of the Amplify Vocab App webpage, showing interactive vocabulary tools for students in grades 3-5, with a Launch App button and navigation menu at the top.

Quests for grades 3–5

Each of the grade levels in 3–5 contains a Core Quest. In these special units, all the normal rules of the classroom change, and students engage with language in surprising new ways. For example, in grade 5, they learn to love the dense Shakespearian language of A Midsummer Night’s Dream through imagery, close reading, and performance.

A collage showing illustrated cards of Titania, Puck, and Athens, a lesson on performing Shakespeare, and two photos of actors performing on stage.

Support your child at home

Read and talk at home

  • If possible, read with your child daily; even 15 minutes of reading together each day can make a huge impact. 
  • You can read sections of the text aloud together. If your child struggles, you might try reading the text to them with expression, and then have them read it aloud back to you. 
  • For additional practice, watch the recorded read-alouds with your K-2 student or have your grade 3-5 student use the Vocabulary App. 
  • Find moments to discuss what they are reading and discovering. Examples of questions you could ask: What stood out to you from what you read today? Were any sentences or words confusing? What was most surprising? What do you think the writer was trying to communicate? Do you agree with the writer’s ideas or descriptions? What connections can you make between what you are reading and your own life or other issues?
  • Listen to your child read their written responses or have them share with a friend over video chat. 
  • We recommend reviewing this Protecting Kids Online article by the Federal Trade Commission addressing digital safety.

Skills practice at home

We’ve developed a set of resources for caregivers to use with their students that includes instructions and materials to teach and practice grade-level phonics at home. Resources include sound videos, Readers, and a how-to video with editable instructions that caregivers can customize to meet individual student needs.

Parent and child at home working on sofa

Where to go for help

Whether you have questions about your technology or want to know more about the program, Amplify’s Support Team is here to help!

Contact Support via telephone at (833) 97-Care-8 (833-972-2738) or caregiver@amplify.com.

Our support hours are Monday – Friday, 7 am – 9 PM ET, and Sunday, 10 – 6 ET.

Northshore families, welcome to Amplify CKLA!

Welcome to the Amplify CKLA Caregiver hub for Northshore School District. We are here to support you and your child with all things Amplify!

CKLA in Action

There’s no better way to understand the power of Amplify CKLA than seeing it in action. Watch Ms. Lehman’s second graders in the video below as they learn how to decode and spell words with the long /ā/ sound.

What is Amplify CKLA?

Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) is a language arts program for Grades PreK-5 that combines a multi-sensory approach to phonics with rich texts carefully sequenced to build content knowledge—so that students learn to read and read to learn at the same time. 

Every day in Grades PreK–2, students complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge. In Grades 3–5, students start to master the skills of reading, further opening up their worlds.

Equitable Spanish instruction

Our equivalent Spanish language arts program, Amplify Caminos, ensures our native Spanish-speaking students are equally inspired to become confident readers, writers, and thinkers.

Like Amplify CKLA, Amplify Caminos is designed to spark curiosity through content-rich instruction. Amplify Caminos features complex interactive Read-Alouds and authentic Spanish literature to develop reading and writing skills and build bridges across Spanish and English.

Most importantly, Amplify Caminos is more than just a translation. It includes transadaptations and authentic texts written by Latin American and Spanish authors across a diversity of topics and genres.

Unit Overviews

Below are quick overviews of the units your student will be working through in their grade throughout the year. Next to each unit are downloadable guides which provide a more in-depth look at the content covered and how you can help your student advance their understanding of the topics.

Kindergarten Knowledge Curriculum 

Kindergarten Skills Curriculum

Grade 1 Knowledge Curriculum

Grade 1 Skills Curriculum

Grade 2 Knowledge Curriculum

Grade 2 Skills Curriculum

Grade 3 Curriculum Overview

Grade 4 Curriculum Overview

Grade 5 Curriculum Overview

Materials overview

Amplify CKLA is a blended program, which means your student will be interacting with both print and digital materials.

Print materials

Student Readers

These readers are uniquely designed to provide intensive practice while reading simple but authentic stories. All readers are also available as ebooks and audiobooks on the teacher resource site, which caregivers can now access.

In grades K-2, these readers are chapter books that allow students to practice just-learned sound-spellings within an authentic reading experience that incorporates compelling plots and interesting characters.

In grades 3-5, readers develop close reading and other literacy skills through a selection of diverse, content-rich literary and informational texts.

Student Activity Books

Part of the daily lessons, these activity pages ask students to respond to the text they’ve read and apply skills and knowledge. They also include assessments that track students’ skills development, to which teachers have access.

Digital materials

CKLA Hub for grades K–5

We are excited to announce that students will be able to access multimedia resources and engage in a new digital experience on the CKLA Hub. Unlike ever before, students can access digital resources independently from anywhere, taking full advantage of the instructional multimedia experiences that Amplify CKLA has to offer. Students can access the Hub at home, in the classroom, and on the go, making it ideal for remote learning. It’s compatible with laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, and desktops—we’ve also optimized it for mobile devices.

Knowledge Builder videos for grades K–2

Each Knowledge Domain starts with a Knowledge Builder video: a short, fun, animated story that enriches the lesson and motivates students with new characters, places, and concepts.

Recorded daily read-alouds for grades K–2

Teachers and students will have access to video recordings of all K–2 Knowledge Read-Alouds with pictures from the Flip Books.

Sound Library for grades K-2

The Sound Library uses audio sounds, catchy songs, and animated articulation videos to help students learn and master sounds.

Foundational Skills Boost for grades 1–3

Designed for grades 1–3, these video-based, self-guided lessons target critical foundational skills from the previous year’s instruction in order to fill in any gaps. They offer approximately nine weeks of instruction organized as daily lessons, with additional teacher-led small-group activities and family resources.

Vocab App for grades 3-5

The Vocabulary App is designed for independent practice with vocabulary. Students can use the Vocabulary App for game-like activities that challenge them.

Quests for grades 3–5

Each of the grade levels in 3–5 contains a Core Quest. In these special units, all the normal rules of the classroom change, and students engage with language in surprising new ways. For example, in grade 5, they learn to love the dense Shakespearian language of A Midsummer Night’s Dream through imagery, close reading, and performance.

Support your child at home

Read and talk at home

  • If possible, read with your child daily; even 15 minutes of reading together each day can make a huge impact. 
  • You can read sections of the text aloud together. If your child struggles, you might try reading the text to them with expression, and then have them read it aloud back to you. 
  • For additional practice, watch the recorded read-alouds with your K-2 student or have your grade 3-5 student use the Vocabulary App. 
  • Find moments to discuss what they are reading and discovering. Examples of questions you could ask: What stood out to you from what you read today? Were any sentences or words confusing? What was most surprising? What do you think the writer was trying to communicate? Do you agree with the writer’s ideas or descriptions? What connections can you make between what you are reading and your own life or other issues?
  • Listen to your child read their written responses or have them share with a friend over video chat. 
  • We recommend reviewing this Protecting Kids Online article by the Federal Trade Commission addressing digital safety.

Skills practice at home

We’ve developed a set of resources for caregivers to use with their students that includes instructions and materials to teach and practice grade-level phonics at home. Resources include sound videos, Readers, and a how-to video with editable instructions that caregivers can customize to meet individual student needs.

Explore the program

Watch the below video to learn even more about Amplify CKLA!

Take a closer look at the program with our demo account! Follow these simple instructions to access our program digitally.

  • Click the CKLA Teacher Resource Site button.
  • Select Log in with Amplify.
  • Enter this username: t1.northshoreckla@demo.tryamplify.net
  • Enter this password: Amplify1-northshoreckla
  • Select the desired grade level.
Access CKLA Teacher Resource Site

Where to go for help

Whether you have questions about your technology or want to know more about the program, Amplify’s Support Team is here to help!

Contact Support via telephone at (833) 97-Care-8 (833-972-2738) or caregiver@amplify.com.

Our support hours are Monday – Friday, 7 am – 9 PM ET, and Sunday, 10 – 6 ET.

Amplify CKLA Review Site for Bonneville Joint School District #93

Welcome to the Amplify CKLA community review site for Bonneville Joint School District #93. This site is designed to help you learn about Amplify CKLA—a core English Language Arts curriculum.

What is Amplify CKLA?

Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) is a core English language arts program for Grades K-5 that combines phonics with rich texts designed to build content knowledge—so that students learn to read and read to learn at the same time. It is also a blended program, which means your student will be interacting with both print and digital materials.

  • In Grades K–2, students complete one full lesson each day that builds foundational reading skills, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge.

There’s no better way to understand the power of Amplify CKLA than seeing it in action. Watch Ms. Lehman’s second-graders in the video below as they learn how to decode and spell words with the long /ā/ sound.

What do students learn?

Amplify CKLA is an evidence-based program built on research about how students learn to read. This collection of research is often referred to as the Science of Reading or The Simple View of Reading. It tells us that:

  • Students learn to read best when they are taught foundational reading skills (like phonics) and comprehension skills (like vocabulary and background knowledge) at the same time. That’s why Amplify includes a combination of skills and concepts in every unit.
  • The more students know about a particular topic, the better they are able to comprehend what they read. That’s why Amplify CKLA incorporates rich stories, texts, and articles about a variety of topics throughout the program.

Because students learn so much with Amplify CKLA, it can be hard to review it all at once. To make it easier for you to review the program, we’ve provided links to a variety of resources below, including unit overviews and text lists by grade.

Kindergarten Knowledge Curriculum 

Kindergarten Skills Curriculum

Kindergarten Text List

Grade 1 Knowledge Curriculum

Grade 1 Skills Curriculum

Grade 1 Text List

Grade 2 Knowledge Curriculum

Grade 2 Skills Curriculum

Grade 2 Text List

Print materials

Student Readers

These readers are uniquely designed to provide intensive practice while reading simple but authentic stories. All readers are also available as ebooks and audiobooks on the teacher resource site.

In grades K-2, these readers are chapter books that allow students to practice just-learned sound-spellings within an authentic reading experience that incorporates compelling plots and interesting characters.

Student Activity Books

Part of the daily lessons, these activity pages ask students to respond to the text they’ve read and apply skills and knowledge. They also include assessments that track students’ skills development, to which teachers have access.

Digital materials

We are excited to announce that students will be able to access multimedia resources and engage in a new digital experience on the CKLA Hub. Unlike ever before, students can access digital resources independently from anywhere, taking full advantage of the instructional multimedia experiences that Amplify CKLA has to offer. Students can access the Hub at home, in the classroom, and on the go, making it ideal for remote learning. It’s compatible with laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, and desktops—we’ve also optimized it for mobile devices.

Knowledge Builder videos for grades K–2

Each Knowledge Domain starts with a Knowledge Builder video: a short, fun, animated story that enriches the lesson and motivates students with new characters, places, and concepts.

Recorded daily read-alouds for grades K–2

Teachers and students will have access to video recordings of all K–2 Knowledge Read-Alouds with pictures from the Flip Books.

Sound Library for grades K-2

The Sound Library uses audio sounds, catchy songs, and animated articulation videos to help students learn and master sounds.

Foundational Skills Boost for grades 1–3

Designed for grades 1–3, these video-based, self-guided lessons target critical foundational skills from the previous year’s instruction in order to fill in any gaps. They offer approximately nine weeks of instruction organized as daily lessons, with additional teacher-led small-group activities and family resources.

Support your child at home

Read and talk at home

  • If possible, read with your child daily; even 15 minutes of reading together each day can make a huge impact. 
  • You can read sections of the text aloud together. If your child struggles, you might try reading the text to them with expression, and then have them read it aloud back to you. 
  • For additional practice, watch the recorded read-alouds with your K-2 student. 
  • Find moments to discuss what they are reading and discovering. Examples of questions you could ask: What stood out to you from what you read today? Were any sentences or words confusing? What was most surprising? What do you think the writer was trying to communicate? Do you agree with the writer’s ideas or descriptions? What connections can you make between what you are reading and your own life or other issues?
  • Listen to your child read their written responses or have them share with a friend over video chat. 
  • We recommend reviewing this Protecting Kids Online article by the Federal Trade Commission addressing digital safety.

Skills practice at home

We’ve developed a set of resources for families to use with their students that includes instructions and materials to teach and practice grade-level phonics at home. Resources include sound videos, Readers, and a how-to video with editable instructions that family members can customize to meet individual student needs.

Program access

Watch the below video to learn even more about Amplify CKLA digital!

Where to go for help

Whether you have questions about your technology or want to know more about the program, Amplify’s Support Team is here to help!

Contact Support via telephone at (833) 97-Care-8 (833-972-2738) or caregiver@amplify.com.

Our support hours are Monday – Friday, 7 am – 9 PM ET, and Sunday, 10 – 6 ET.

Welcome

Elementary Literacy Program – Family Welcome Letter

Lectoescritura en Español – Carta de bienvenida para las familias

Grade K

Grade 1

Grade 2

Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 5

West Virginia’s review of the program built for middle schools, Amplify ELA

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Welcome to Amplify Science!

This site contains supporting resources designed for LAUSD Amplify Science for grades TK–8. Check back for exciting updates!

Sync Grades to Schoology – Amplify Classwork

Navigate to the Amplify Science Program Hub (video walk-through)

Share the The Caregiver Hub (Eng/Span)

ES Science Teachers

MS (6-8) Unpacking the Unit Videos

Upcoming Amplify Science PDs:

  • ES (K-5) – Refer to MyPLN: (Search Amplify 24)
  • MS (6-8) – Refer to MyPLN
  • Click here to go back to the LAUSD homepage.
A woman in glasses examining a glass of water, surrounded by illustrations of scientific icons like satellites, a rocket, a telescope, moons, and clouds on an abstract orange and black background.

Program Introduction

Learn more about Amplify Science

Click the buttons below to explore the Amplify Science California Program Guide. You can access the full digital Teacher’s Guide from the Program Guide to explore the program.

Transitional Kindergarten
Grades K–8 (Integrated)
Grades 6–8 (Discipline specific)

2024-2025 Session Materials

Unit 2 Deep Dives:

November 2nd Elementary Onsite:

Unit 3 Deep Dives (G 3-5)

January 25th Elementary Onsite

Unit 3 Deep Dives (GK-2)

March 15th Elementary Onsite

Supplemental Materials

2026-2027 LAUSD Planning Calendars

Middle School Curriculum Maps

Misc. Planning Resources

Lesson Prep Videos

Unit 1

Grade 3 Lesson Prep Videos can be found in the Resources section in the Amplify Science- Elementary group in Schoology. Access code: W4PK-W466-63F5B

Grade 4 Lesson Prep Videos can be found in the Resources section in the Amplify Science- Elementary group in Schoology. Access code: W4PK-W466-63F5B

Grade 5 Lesson Prep Videos can be found in the Resources section in the Amplify Science- Elementary group in Schoology. Access code: W4PK-W466-63F5B

New Teachers – Start Here

To start using Amplify Science quickly in your classroom, check out the following onboarding videos. They cover what you need to know to get started fast, from unpacking materials to logging in and navigating the digital Teacher’s Guide.

The following videos give you a quick look into our Amplify Science classroom kits. For each grade level, we have a video for the first unit in the scope and sequence, and we show you how to unpack the kits for all the units.

Looking for help?

Technical, program and pedagogical support

Our technical, program and pedagogical support is available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.

For your most urgent questions (immediate help during the school day):

  • Use our live chat within your program
  • Call (800) 823-1969
  • Email help@amplify.com

We have developed an educational support team of former teachers and administrators who provide pedagogical support for every Amplify curriculum, assessment, and intervention program. This service is completely free for all educators who are using our programs and includes:

  • Guidance for developing lesson plans and intervention plans
  • Information on where to locate standards and other planning materials
  • Recommendations and tips for day-to-day teaching with Amplify programs
  • Support with administering and interpreting assessment data and more

To reach our pedagogical team:

Amplify Science Resources for NYC (6-8)

This page has been archived. For the latest information, please visit the NYC Resource Site.

Welcome!

As the 2021-2022 school year kicks into full gear, you’re likely thinking about making your classroom responsive to student needs due to the covid-19 pandemic.

Got additional questions? Use Zoom to attend office hours with Adaliz Gonzalez, the DOE’s Middle School Science Lead on Thursdays from 3-4pm.

Meeting ID: 852 2280 0969

Passcode: 528986

A powerful partnership

Amplify Science was developed by the science education experts at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and the digital learning team at Amplify.

The word "Amplify" is written in large, orange letters with a period at the end on a light background.
The logo for The Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley, features blue text on a light background and is recognized by educators using Amplify Science for middle school science programs.

NYC Newsletters

Educator Spotlight Submission

Calling all NYC DOE educators! Do you know an educator who has gone above and beyond? Would you like to highlight your teaching experience for others? Submit nominations here to see them featured as a spotlight in a future edition of our monthly newsletter and on our Instagram pages!

Introduction

This page includes planning, implementation, and professional learning resources for NYC schools using Amplify Science. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the categories in the navigation bar on the left side of the page, so that you’ll be able to easily find what you need.

Most New York City educators come here looking for specific information, but if you’re new to Amplify Science, we recommend you read through the program guide to learn a little about the program. 

New to Amplify? – Start HERE!

Teachers and Administrators 

Step 1: Review the Amplify Science Overview Video.

Step 2: Review the NYC Scope and sequence for 21-22 school year.

Step 3: Review the Unpacking the Kit Videos listed below to understand what’s in your unit 1 kit.

Step 4: Access your unique Log-in information to log-in to the Amplify Science Curriculum outlined below under Login support

Step 5: Log into the platform and access our Program Hub.  Select Using this site for self study for a complete suite of training videos and resources for an initial orientation video series.

Step 6: Log into the curriculum and begin studying the Unit Map and Teacher’s Guide resources and begin planning your first lesson. Print out the NYC Program Guide for essential program information.

Step 7: Administrator’s ONLY – Review the new administrator orientation presentation for an overview of the program. Review other materials under Admin Resources. 

NOTE: Should you need any additional guidance on how to get started with prep (or anything else!), please feel free to get in touch with our pedagogical support team. They are available Monday-Friday from 7AM-7PM EST. You can reach them via the chat icon in the lower right- hand corner of your screen when logged in, through email (help@amplify.com), or via phone (800-823-1969).

Getting started resources

Login Support

Materials

Unpacking your first Amplify Science classroom kit

21-22 Login Update

The temporary login credentials for fall ’21 have been deactivated. 

Please make sure you check out the Getting started resources > Login Support below for instructions around teacher and student logins. If there are any issues, please confirm with your STARS programmer that your classes are assigned correctly and then contact our Amplify Help Desk at help@amplify.com or at 1-800-823-1969 for further assistance.

Implementation resources

21-22 NYC Scope and Sequence and Pacing Guide

Use our NYC Field Trip List to plan an engaging field trip for your students!

NYC Companion Lesson Guides 

The format of the NYC Companion Lessons is similar to other Amplify Science lessons. Some companion lessons are designed to require more than a single class period to teach, so each lesson includes pacing suggestions. Science Background sections support teachers with the science content introduced in the lessons. For students’ written work, possible student responses are included at the end of each lesson guide.

The Lesson Guides are available in the last section of each unit’s print Teacher’s Guide and can be downloaded from the tables in the downloads section below.

NYC Companion Lesson Copymasters
Each NYC Companion Lesson has an accompanying Copymaster (for creating student sheets) that can be copied and distributed to students or used as a visual reference. The NYC Companion Lessons require students to have physical copies of the student sheets. The copymasters are available to download as printable PDF files from the tables in the downloads section below.

Grade 6 Lesson guides and Copymasters

  • Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 2.2
  • Time frame: 60 minutes (can spread across multiple class periods)
  • NYSP–12SLS: PE: MS-PS3-6, DCI: PS3.B
  • Links (click to download):
  • Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 3.3
  • Time frame: Two 45-minute class periods
  • NYSP–12SLS: PE: MS-PS2-3, MS-PS2-5, DCI: PS2.B
  • Links (click to download):
  • Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 3.3 and after Investigating Non-Touching Forces
  • Time frame: 60 minutes (first and second reads can be spread across two class periods)
  • NYSP–12SLS: PE: MS-PS2-5, MS-PS2-3, DCI: PS2.B
  • Links (click to download):
  • Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 2.5
  • Time frame: 105 minutes (can be spread across multiple class periods)
  • NYSP–12SLS: PE: MS-PS1-6, DCI: PS1.B
  • Links (click to download):
  • Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 3.4
  • Time frame: 60 minutes (first and second reads can be spread across two class periods)
  • NYSP–12SLS: PE: MS-LS2-5, DCI: LS2.C, LS4.D
  • Links (click to download):
  • Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 1.3
  • Time frame: 60 minutes (first and second reads can be spread across two class periods)
  • NYSP–12SLS: PE: MS-ESS2-4, DCI: ESS2.C
  • Links (click to download):
  • Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 3.3*
  • Time frame: 90 minutes (can be spread across multiple class periods)
  • NYSP–12SLS: PE: MS-PS1-7, MS-ESS2-6, DCI: PS1.A, ESS2.C
  • Links (click to download):

*Note: The homework assignment for Ocean, Atmosphere, and Climate Lesson 3.3 (reading the article “Deep Ocean Currents: Driven by Density”) should be assigned after the Investigating Deep Ocean Currents companion lesson rather than after Lesson 3.3.

Grade 7 Lesson Guides and Copymasters

  • Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 3.2
  • Time frame: 60 minutes (first and second reads can be spread across two class periods)
  • NYSP–12SLS: PE: MS-LS1-3, DCI: PS3.D, LS1.A
  • Links (click to download):
  • Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 3.3 or later
  • Time frame: Three 45-minute class periods, each several days apart
  • NYSP–12SLS: PE: MS-LS1-8, DCI: LS1.D
  • Links (click to download):
  • Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 3.5
  • Time frame: 60 minutes (first and second reads can be spread across two class periods)
  • NYSP–12SLS: PE: MS-LS1-6, MS-LS1-7, DCI: LS1.C, PS3.D
  • Links (click to download):
  • Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 2.2
  • Time frame: 60 minutes (first and second reads can be spread across two class periods)
  • NYSP–12SLS: PE: MS-PS1-4, DCI: PS3.A
  • Links (click to download):
  • Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 1.3
  • Time frame: 60 minutes
  • NYSP–12SLS: PE: MS-PS1-7, DCI: PS1.A
  • Links (click to download):
  • Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 2.3, 2.4, or 2.5
  • Time frame: Two 45-minute class periods
  • NYSP–PE: MS-PS1-8, MS-PS1-2 DCI: PS1.A, PS1.B
  • Links (click to download):

Grade 8 Lesson Guides and Copymaster

  • Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 2.2
  • Time frame: 90 minutes (can be spread across multiple class periods)
  • NYSP–12SLS: PE: MS-PS3-2, MS-PS3-5
  • Links (click to download):

NYC Companion Kits

Materials needed to teach Amplify Science lessons are provided in a kit for each unit. While some materials used in the NYC Companion Lessons are also found in a unit’s kit, materials specific to the companion lessons are provided in NYC Companion Kits. The contents of each kit and any additional materials needed to teach the companion lessons are listed in the PDFs provided below. Please select your grade to view or download the list.

NYC Student Editions (print)
The NYC Student Editions are durable student references that compile all reading material required for a grade level, including the articles students read for NYC Companion Lessons. Students reading in the Student Edition should annotate the text directly with sticky notes to achieve the full benefits of Active Reading. The Active Reading approach was designed as an interactive process in which students highlight and annotate digital or hard copies of articles directly. Printable versions of the articles are available in the downloads section below.

It is recommended that NYC teachers insert this additional lesson between Lessons 3.1 and 3.2 in order to have students complete a reading assignment in class along with an additional Sim activity.

  • Lesson: Earth, Moon and Sun: Modeling Seasons
  • Lesson Placement: Insert between Lessons 3.1 and 3.2*
  • Links (click to download):

*If teaching this Modeling Seasons lesson, do not assign reading “The Endless Summer of the Arctic Tern” article for homework in Lesson 3.1. However, students should still model a lunar eclipse with the Modeling Tool for homework, as they will be revisiting and revising this model in Lesson 3.3.

NYC Investigation Notebooks (for teacher download)

* includes NYC Companion Lesson Copymaster(s)

* includes NYC Companion Lesson Copymaster(s)

  • Geology on Mars
  • Earth, Moon, and Sun
  • Force and Motion
  • Engineering Internship: Force and Motion
  • Magnetic Fields*
  • Light Waves
  • Traits and Reproduction
  • Natural Selection
  • Evolutionary History

* includes NYC Companion Lesson Copymaster(s)

Admin resources

Remote and hybrid learning resources

In response to the shifts towards remote learning, Amplify has created resources for using our programs remotely. Please visit our Program Hub accessible via your Teacher Platform for all of our hybrid and remote learning supports which includes guidance for teachers and parents/guardians.

Additionally, please see below where you’ll find the recordings from our recently held webinars on our remote learning resources and some best practices for implementing Amplify Science in a distance learning setting.

Resource guides

Professional learning opportunities

Interested in attending training? Check out and sign up for this year’s PL offerings here!

Election Day 21-22 PL

Grade 6 Guided Planning Presentation and Webinar

Grade 7 Guided Planning Presentation and Webinar

Grade 8 Guided Planning Presentation and Webinar

Grades 6-8 Unpacking Phenomena Presentation and Webinar

All 2020-2021 PL session materials can be found below under Professional learning resources.

Amplify Science Back-to-School Recorded Webinars – Amplify held a series of national office hours throughout the summer and fall to share information about our new resources to support remote and hybrid learning– including recommendations about what to prioritize from your curriculum and essential refresher topics, such as how to navigate your program and find the best planning resources. Feel free to watch all recorded sessions at your convenience.

Archived Professional Learning Resources

Winter 2022

Spring 2021

Winter 2021

Fall 2020

Summer 2020

Summer 2019- Harnessing Human Energy and Thermal Energy

Fall 2019- Population and Resources with Participant Notebook

Winter 2022

Spring 2021

Winter 2021

Fall 2020

  • Grade 7: Progress Builds & Embedded Assessments Webinar
  • Grade 7: Amplify Science Remote & Hybrid Resources Webinar

Summer 2020

Summer 2019 – Microbiome and Metabolism

Fall 2019 – Phase Change with Participant Notebook

Winter 2022

Spring 2021

Winter 2021

Fall 2020

  • Grade 8: Progress Builds & Embedded Assessments Webinar
  • Grade 8: Amplify Science Remote & Hybrid Resources Webinar

Summer 2020

Summer 2019 –  Geology on Mars and Earth, Moon, Sun

Fall 2019 – Force and Motion with Participant Notebook

Caregiver resources

Caregiver Hub

Questions

For general questions about the Amplify program (navigation, pedagogy, login), please reach out:

Email – scihelp@amplify.com
Phone – call toll-free at (800) 823-1969, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m.–7 p.m.  ET

Amplify Chat – click the Amplify Chat icon within the individual teacher account

Amplify Tutor Hiring

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Amplify Science – Oklahoma

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Amplify Science – Oklahoma

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Nevada ELA Review for grades K–5

Thank you for taking the time to review Amplify’s core ELA program for K–5.

Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) is a cutting-edge and effective core ELA program for students in grades K–5. It was developed in partnership with the Core Knowledge Foundation, was specifically designed to help teachers implement Science of Reading principles, and features proven evidence-based instructional practices.

Getting started

On this site, you’ll find a variety of resources designed to support your review and evaluation of the program. Before you start scrolling, watch the video below to learn about CKLA’s alignment to Nevada’s literacy initiatives as well as where to find key program resources.

Curriculum background

Pedagogical overview

In the video below, Amplify’s Chief Academic Officer Susan Lambert shares the big picture of CKLA, and explains why it was created and the impact it’s making across the country.

Program overview

In the video below, learn about CKLA’s structure and materials, as well the research behind the curriculum.

Program features

Built out of the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify CKLA delivers explicit instruction in both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in grades K–2 with an integrated approach to explicit instruction in grades 3–5.

Review this Science of Reading toolkit to learn more about the Science of Reading best practices integrated throughout CKLA.

Great reading instruction starts with helping kids develop great decoding skills. By building a solid foundation of phonological awareness and phonics, reading the words on the page becomes automatic so that comprehension and critical thinking can happen. Our instruction is supported by:

  • Step-by-step lessons with multisensory approaches, clear lesson objectives, and embedded formative assessments.
  • Decodable books and student readers with ebook and audiobook versions that feature engaging plots and relatable characters.
  • An engaging sound library with fun songs and videos that develop phonological awareness.
  • An interactive Vocab App featuring engaging activities with immediate feedback and automated, customized instruction based on student performance.

Students build grade-appropriate subject-area knowledge and vocabulary in history, science, literature, and the arts while learning to read, write, and think creatively and for themselves. Our instruction is supported by:

  • Knowledge builders that provide a quick overview of each domain with its key ideas.
  • Interactive Read-Alouds designed to build knowledge and vocabulary.
  • Content-rich anchor texts that support students as they tackle increasingly complex text and sharpen their analytical skills.
  • Social and emotional learning paired with lessons in civic responsibility.

Amplify CKLA provides built-in differentiation strategies in every lesson for all students,
including supports for ELLs.

  • Access supports for ELLs—Integrated ELD supports in each lesson segment
    for ELLs are specific to students’ mastery of the lesson’s objectives.
  • Support and Challenge for all learners—Lessons include Support and Challenge suggestions that provide assistance or opportunities for more advanced work toward the goal of the lesson. These supports are suitable for all learners, including ELLs.
  • 30 minutes of Additional Support in every Skills lesson–In the Skills Strand, every lesson concludes with an Additional Support section of recommendations for 30 minutes of extended instruction and activities, directly aligned to the skills taught in the lesson to assist students who need more support in mastering the lesson’s objectives.
  • Intervention Toolkit–The Intervention Toolkit provides easy-to-use resources to assist teachers in filling gaps in students’ foundational skills. Teachers will find of hundreds of activities to support phonics, fluency, comprehension, handwriting, and other key skills.

The slides-based Amplify CKLA digital experience enhances instruction while saving you time. Everything you need is all in one place, making it easier than ever to plan lessons, present digital content, and review student work.

  • Simplify planning and instruction–Teachers have access to ready-to-use and customizable lesson presentation slides, complete with all the prompts from the print Teacher Guide embedded in the teacher view. As teachers deliver each lesson, students can engage with the content in one cohesive
    experience—through Activity Books, slides, digital components, videos, Student Readers, and more.
  • Interactive student activities–Through the Student Home, students can easily access digital lessons with slides, Activity Pages, ebooks, videos, and other interactive resources from one simple dashboard.
  • Your teacher command center–You’re provided with the tools you need to ensure a productive digital experience that’s personalized to meet your students’ needs. This includes a teacher home from which to launch and track lessons, LMS integrations such as Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams, and other customizations based on classroom needs.
  • Get real-time insights into your students’ work–The innovative live review tool enables you to keep an eye on students drawing, recording audio, uploading and capturing images, and typing or writing in pre-placed text boxes in their Activity Pages.

Curriculum review

Digital experience overview

In the video below, learn about CKLA’s digital tools for teachers and students across both classroom and asynchronous environments.

Digital navigation walkthrough

Physical materials walkthrough

Curriculum implementation

See our Science of Reading solutions in action! Click here to see a real example of how one Ohio district is implementing and educating their K–8 community on the Science of Reading as a response to Ohio’s Plan to Raise Literacy Achievement Initiative.

Access the program

Explore as a teacher

Before logging in, watch this brief video on navigating the CKLA Teacher Resource Site.

Ready to explore as a teacher? Follow these instructions:

  • Click the CKLA Teacher Resource Site button below.
  • Select Log in with Amplify.
  • Enter the username: t1.nvk5@tryamplify.net
  • Enter the password: AmplifyNumber1
  • Click the CKLA Teacher Resource icon
  • Select a grade level
CKLA Teacher Resource Site

Explore as a student

Before logging in, watch this brief video on navigating the CKLA Student Hub.

Ready to explore as a student? Follow these instructions:

  • Click the CKLA Teacher Resource Site button below.
  • Select Log in with Amplify.
  • Enter the username: s1.nvk5@tryamplify.net
  • Enter the password: AmplifyNumber1
  • Click the CKLA Teacher Resource icon
  • Select a grade level
CKLA Student Hub

Check out these additional resources

Nevada submission resources:

CKLA review resources:

CKLA Review for Scottsdale

Thank you for taking the time to review Amplify’s core ELA program for K–5.

Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) is a cutting-edge and effective core ELA program for students in grades K–5. It was developed in partnership with the Core Knowledge Foundation, was specifically designed to help teachers implement Science of Reading principles, and features proven evidence-based instructional practices.

Step 1: Program Introduction

Welcome to Amplify CKLA! Before you dive into our materials, watch the video below to learn about the big picture behind Amplify CKLA’s pedagogy.

In this video, Susan Lambert (Chief Academic Officer and host of Science of Reading: The Podocast) shares why Amplify CKLA was created, how it is built on the Science of Reading, and the impact it’s making across the country.

Step 2: Program Overview

Amplify CKLA is different for a reason. Watch the overview video below to learn about these differences and why educators love them.

In this video, you’ll get an in-depth look at the program’s overall structure and organization, the design behind our proven lessons, and the materials included to support teaching and learning.

The Amplify CKLA Program Guide also provides an in-depth view of how Amplify CKLA works, how it’s structured, and why it’s uniquely capable of helping you bring reading instruction based on the Science of Reading to your classroom.

Evidence-based design

Amplify CKLA is rooted in Science of Reading research. Mirroring Scarborough’s Rope, Amplify CKLA delivers a combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge-building.

  • In Grades PK–2, dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction are taught simultaneously through two distinct instructional strands.
  • In Grades 3–5, dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction are woven together and delivered through one integrated strand.

Grades K–2 Skills and Knowledge Strands
Every day students in Grades K–2 complete one full lesson that explicitly and systematically builds foundational reading skills in the Skills Strand, as well as one full lesson that builds robust background knowledge to access complex text in the Knowledge Strand. Through learning in each of these strands, students develop the early literacy skills necessary to help them become confident readers and build the context to understand what they’re reading.

Grades 3–5 Integrated Strand
In Grades 3–5, Knowledge and Skills are integrated in one set of instructional materials. Lessons begin to combine skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater writing emphasis. Students can then use their skills to go on their own independent reading adventures.

Key features

Built out of the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify CKLA delivers explicit instruction in both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in grades K–2 with an integrated approach to explicit instruction in grades 3–5.

Review this Science of Reading toolkit to learn more about the Science of Reading best practices integrated throughout CKLA.

Great reading instruction starts with helping kids develop great decoding skills. By building a solid foundation of phonological awareness and phonics, reading the words on the page becomes automatic so that comprehension and critical thinking can happen. Our instruction is supported by:

  • Step-by-step lessons with multi-sensory approaches, clear lesson objectives, and embedded formative assessments.
  • Decodable books and student readers with ebook and audiobook versions that feature engaging plots and relatable characters.
  • An engaging sound library with fun songs and videos that develop phonological awareness.
  • An interactive Vocab App featuring engaging activities with immediate feedback and automated, customized instruction based on student performance.

Students build grade-appropriate subject-area knowledge and vocabulary in history, science, literature, and the arts while learning to read, write, and think creatively and for themselves. Our instruction is supported by:

  • Knowledge builders that provide a quick overview of each domain with its key ideas.
  • Interactive Read-Alouds designed to build knowledge and vocabulary.
  • Content-rich anchor texts that support students as they tackle increasingly complex text and sharpen their analytical skills.
  • Social and emotional learning paired with lessons in civic responsibility.

Getting students caught up on reading skills requires more than just an extra mini-lesson here or there. It requires targeted and intensive instruction delivered in short bursts. Our intervention component:

  • Assesses and analyzes students’ areas of mastery and growth.
  • Automatically groups students with like needs.
  • Provides educators with ready-to-teach, research-based instructional progressions that last 10-days.
  • Progress monitors students, updates their skill profiles, and reforms groups for the next 10-day period.

Student-led reading practice should be purposeful and connected to the core. In addition to practicing skills directly tied to the skills they’ve been working on during ELA time, Amplify CKLA students have opportunities to interact with adaptive content that addresses their personal gaps and bolsters foundational skills at a pace that supports their individual development.

Our collection of 40+ adaptive games target foundational reading skills and develops them in alignment with Science of Reading principles. Unlike other adaptive games, we ensure students:

  • Practice the right skills at the right time. Our embedded placement tool ensures students receive the content and skill practice most appropriate for their current reading level. From there, students move through our curriculum along their own learning pathway where they encounter personalized content tailored to their evolving skill and grade levels.
  • Progress along a pathway that adapts on multiple dimensions, not just one. For example, a student can work on early first-grade decoding in one game while building more advanced vocabulary knowledge in another.
  • Practice skills in tandem. For example, a student is never forced to master one skill area before proceeding to the next. Instead, we offer students that opportunity to work on multiple skills concurrently.
  • Feel supported with scaffolding, instruction, and practice that adapts based on student performance.
  • Stay engaged by giving them immediate and clear feedback. These results are never punitive. Instead our always-positive feedback is delivered in the context of the game world and is designed to motivate students to keep trying.

From the printed page to the screen, we bring foundational skills and knowledge to life in the classroom.

Download the Amplify CKLA Components guide to see components by grade.

Download the Remote and hybrid learning guide to learn how we support in-person, remote, and hybrid instruction.

Engaging digital experience

The top-rated content of Amplify CKLA is now live with the digital experience that enhances instruction and saves time.

With the digital experience, everything is in one place, making it easier and more engaging than ever to plan lessons, present digital content, and review student work. Click the arrows below to learn more.

With the digital experience, teachers have access to ready-to-use and customizable lesson presentation slides, complete with all the prompts from the print Teacher Guide embedded in the teacher view. As teachers deliver each lesson, students can engage with the content in one cohesive experience—through these CKLA resources: Activity Books, slides, digital components, videos, Student Readers, and more.

The innovative live review tool found in the digital experience enables you to keep an eye on all of your students as they work on drawing, recording audio, uploading and capturing images, and typing or writing in pre-placed textboxes in their Activity Pages. This dynamic tool provides countless classroom management benefits, enabling you to spot and correct common mistakes as they’re happening, praise your students for thoughtful work, and identify students who are not engaged in the task at hand. Simply put, it will give you those valuable “eyes in the back of your head” you’ve warned your students about!

The digital experience integrates with various LMSs, allowing you and your students to access Amplify CKLA with the software you’re already comfortable using.

In the Amplify CKLA student digital experience, your students have one intuitive access point to fully engage with classroom instruction. Through the Student Home, students can easily access digital lessons with slides, Activity Pages, ebooks, videos, and other interactives from one simple dashboard. Students can draw, record audio, upload and capture images, and type or write in pre-placed text boxes in their Activity Pages.

Step 3: Program Resources

Digital navigation walkthrough

Physical materials walkthrough

Step 4: Arizona Review Resources

Arizona resources:

CKLA review resources:

Step 5: Demo Program Access

Explore as a teacher

Before logging in, watch this brief video on navigating the CKLA Teacher Platform.

Ready to explore as a teacher? Follow these instructions:

  • Click the Amplify CKLA Teacher Platform button below.
  • Select Log in with Amplify.
  • Enter the teacher username: t1.scottsdaleunified@demo.tryamplify.net
  • Enter the password: Amplify1-scottsdaleunified
  • Click the CKLA icon.
  • Select a grade level from the drop-down menu at the top of the page.
Amplify CKLA Teacher Platform

Explore as a student

Before logging in, watch this brief video on navigating the CKLA Student Hub.

Ready to explore as a student? Follow these instructions:

  • Click the CKLA Student Hub button below.
  • Select Log in with Amplify.
  • Enter the student username: s1.scottsdaleunified@demo.tryamplify.net
  • Enter the password: Amplify1-scottsdaleunified
  • Click the Hub icon
  • Select a grade level.
CKLA Student Hub

Welcome

Elementary Literacy Program – Family Welcome Letter

Lectoescritura en Español – Carta de bienvenida para las familias

Grade K

Grade 1

Grade 2

Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 5

Inspiring the next generation of Oklahoma scientists, engineers, and curious citizens

Amplify Science is an engaging new core curriculum designed for three-dimensional, phenomena-based learning.

A powerful partnership

Amplify Science was developed by the science education experts at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and the digital learning team at Amplify.

Instructional model

The Amplify Science program is rooted in the proven, research-based pedagogy of Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize. Here’s how each element works:

DO
First-hand investigations are an important part of any science classroom, and Amplify Science has students getting hands-on in every unit—from building models of protein molecules to experimenting with electrical systems.

TALK
Student-to-student discourse and full-class discussions are an integral part of the program. Students are provided with numerous opportunities to engage in meaningful oral scientific argumentation, all while fostering a collaborative classroom environment.

READ
Students read scientific articles, focusing their reading activities on searching for evidence related to their investigation and, importantly, on asking and recording questions as they read through fascinating texts on 21st-century topics.

WRITE
Following real-world practices, students write scientific arguments based on evidence they’ve collected, making clear their reasoning about how a given piece of evidence connects to one of several claims.

VISUALIZE
By manipulating digital simulations and using modeling tools to craft visualizations of their thinking— just as real scientists and engineers do—students take their learning far beyond the confines of what they can physically see in the classroom in an exciting and authentic way.

Oklahoma Instructional Samplers

Video: Oklahoma Spotlight on All Learners (SPED, G & T, EL, DEI)

Kindergarten

Grade 1

Grade 2

Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 5

Grade 6

Grade 7

Grade 8

Resources to support your review

Remote and hybrid learning support

Oklahoma Spotlight Video: Remote and Hybrid Learning

Amplify has launched a new remote learning solution called Amplify Science @Home. Intended to make extended remote learning and hybrid learning easier, Amplify Science@Home includes two useful options for continuing instruction: @Home Videos and @Home Units. 

Amplify Science @Home Videos are recordings of real Amplify Science teachers teaching the lessons. For those teachers who are unable to meet synchronously with their students, the recorded lessons are a great way to keep their students on track and engaged with Amplify Science while at home. These videos will be produced for all K–5 units, and for the first four units of each 6–8 grade level. Their release will be rolling, beginning in August 2021.   

Amplify Science@Home Units are modified versions of Amplify Science units, strategically designed to highlight key activities from the program. The @Home Units take significantly less instructional time than the complete Amplify Science program and allow students to engage with science at home. @Home Units will be developed for all Amplify Science K–8 units. Each @Home unit includes:

  • Teacher overviews explaining how to use the materials, including suggestions for enhancing the @Home Units if synchronous learning or in-class time with students is available.
  • Overviews to send home to families.

Student materials are available in two formats:

  • @Home Slides (PDF/PPT) + Student Sheets (PDF) for students with access to technology at home.
  • Downloadable @Home Packets (PDF) for students without access to technology at home.

Download the remote and hybrid learning guide.

What’s included

Flexible resources that work seamlessly together
Oklahoma Spotlight Video: Instructional Resources: More than a textbook!

Science articles
The middle school science articles serve as sources for evidence collection and were authored by science and literacy experts at the Lawrence Hall of Science.

Student Investigation Notebooks
Available for every unit, the Student Investigation Notebooks provide space for students to:

  • record data.
  • reflect on ideas from texts and investigations.
  • construct explanations and arguments.

Available with full-color article compilations for middle school units.

Digital student experience
Students access the digital simulations and modeling tools, as well as lesson activities and assessments, through the digital student experience. Students can interact with the digital student experience as they:

  • conduct hands-on investigations.
  • engage in active reading and writing activities.
  • participate in discussions.
  • record observations.
  • craft end-of-unit scientific arguments.

Oklahoma Spotlight Video: Spotlight on Simulations

Teacher’s Guides
Available digitally and in print, the Teacher’s Guides contain all of the information teachers need to facilitate classroom instruction, including:

  • Classroom Slides.
  • detailed lesson plans.
  • unit and chapter overview documentation.
  • differentiation strategies.
  • standards alignments.
  • in-context professional development.

Oklahoma Spotlight Video: Classroom Slides

Hands-on materials kits
Hands-on learning is at the heart of Amplify Science. Each unit kit contains:

  • consumable and non-consumable hands-on materials.
  • print classroom display materials.
  • premium print materials for student use (sorting cards, maps, etc).

Scope and sequence

GRADE

UNITS

Kindergarten

  • Needs of Plants and Animals
  • Pushes and Pulls
  • Sunlight and Water

Grade 1

  • Animal and Plant Defenses
  • Light and Sound
  • Spinning Earth

Grade 2

  • Plant and Animal Relationships
  • Properties of Materials
  • Changing Landforms

Grade 3

  • Balancing Forces
  • Inheritance and Traits
  • Environments and Survival
  • Weather and Climate

Grade 4

  • Energy Conversions
  • Vision and Light
  • Earth’s Features
  • Waves, Energy, and Information

Grade 5

  • Patterns of Earth and Sky
  • Modeling Matter
  • The Earth System
  • Ecosystem Restoration

GRADE

UNITS

Grade 6

  • Launch: Microbiome
  • Metabolism
  • Plate Motion
  • Plate Motion Engineering Internship
  • Rock Transformations
  • Ocean, Atmosphere, and Climate
  • Weather Patterns
  • Thermal Energy
  • Phase Change

Grade 7

  • Launch: Harnessing Human Energy
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Populations and Resources
  • Matter Energy and Ecosystems
  • Earth’s Changing Climate
  • Earth’s Changing Climate Engineering Internship
  • Magnetic Fields

Grade 8

  • Launch: Geology on Mars
  • Force and Motion
  • Force and Motion Engineering Internship
  • Light Waves
  • Earth, Moon, and Sun
  • Traits and Reproduction
  • Natural Selection
  • Evolutionary History

Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science coverage

Amplify Science was designed from the ground up to meet the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science (OASS) are closely aligned to the NGSS at K–8. The guidance below is meant to provide support for integrating additional activities that support full coverage of the OASS. You can view the full K–8 OASS correlation here.

Organized by grade level, each section below will outline:

  • additional activities that support 100% alignment to the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science; 
  • the standard being addressed with the activities; 
  • the recommended placement of the activities within a specific Amplify Science unit; and 
  • PDFs of any accompanying materials that are necessary to implement the activities. 

Standard: 1.ESS3.1: Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment.

Recommended placement: Animal and Plant Defenses unit, Chapter 1

Materials: The Student Book Investigating Monarchs from the unit Needs of Plants and Animals

Investigating Monarchs emphasizes the needs of monarch caterpillars and butterflies and shows what happens when these animals are not able to meet their needs. The book first introduces the life cycle of monarchs, explaining that monarch caterpillars must eat milkweed to survive and change into butterflies. Their summer habitat must have milkweed. The butterflies then migrate a long distance, from the United States to a forest in the mountains of Mexico, where they take shelter in the trees. Their winter habitat must have trees. Scientists discovered that the monarch population in Mexico was greatly reduced because people were cutting down the trees. The forest was then protected, but the monarch population did not recover as expected. Scientists in the United States found evidence that this was because fields with milkweed are being replaced by farms and buildings. This book could be read with the class either before or after Chapter 1 of the Animal and Plant Defenses unit, which focuses on what plants and animals need to do to survive. Students could be asked to reflect on what the monarchs need to survive (including food and shelter), and how human activities impacted the monarchs’ ability to meet those needs. After reading the book, students could brainstorm ideas for how to reduce the impact of humans on the local environment.

Standard: MS-PS4-2: Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.

Recommended placement: Metabolism unit, Lesson 3.3, addition to Activity 5 

Materials: “What Eyes Can See” science article

As students investigate metabolism and the body systems, the article “What Eyes Can See” should be assigned to deepen their understanding of information processing and sense receptors and connect that understanding to the emerging idea of the interaction of waves with various materials. The article explores how the only thing we can really see is light. Light travels from a light source to the eye, passing through some materials and bouncing off others. Tiny organs inside the eye called rods and cones absorb energy from light, making vision possible. These interactions between light and materials determine our visible world. 

Instructions:

Download the PDF “What Eyes Can See” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. For example, “Have you ever had an experience where something looked different in one kind of light than in another kind of light? Or where something seemed to appear or disappear when the light changed?”

Standard: MS-PS3-1: Construct and interpret graphical displays of data to describe the relationships of kinetic energy to the mass of an object and to the speed of an object.

Recommended placement: Harnessing Human Energy unit, Lesson 1.4, after Activity 4 

Materials: Force and Motion simulation; Activity instructions and copymasters

In this activity, students use the Force and Motion Simulation to investigate the relationship between kinetic energy, mass, and velocity. 

Instructions

Download the PDF linked above for the Lesson Guide and copymasters needed for the activity. Note that this investigation is typically implemented during the Force and Motion unit. This means the Lesson Guide will contain some incongruous labeling (e.g., unit name), as well as instructions that are out of context and unnecessary for the purposes of addressing this standard at grade 7. We suggest skipping to step 4 of the Instructional Guide to avoid some of this. Your students will get additional exposure to this activity, and indeed the standard as a whole, when they get to the Force and Motion unit in grade 8.

Standards:

  • MS-PS2-3: Ask questions about data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces.
  • MS-PS2-5: Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.

Recommended placement: Force and Motion unit, after Lesson 1.5 

Materials: Flextension PDF

This hands-on activity builds on and reinforces students’ understanding of forces that act at a distance, with a focus on electrostatic force. Students explore electrostatic forces, prompted by a set of challenges that they try to accomplish. Next, students generate scientific questions based on their observations. Electrostatic force is less predictable and consistent than magnetic force, and investigating it can be both challenging and intriguing. The purpose of this lesson is for students to gain firsthand experience with electrostatic force and to gain experience generating scientific questions based on observations. You might choose to include this Flextension if you would like your students to have more exposure to electrostatic force, and if you would like to challenge your students to explore and ask questions about a challenging type of force. 

Instructions:

Download the PDF linked above for a detailed Lesson Guide and the copymasters associated with the activity. Note that this activity is typically implemented as an add-on Flextension during the Magnetic Fields unit. This means that you will see some information that is out of context (e.g., placement information, unit title), but the activity itself also works for the purposes of the Force and Motion unit. If you have any questions, please reach out to our support team via the chat icon in your account or help@amplify.com. 

Explore the Digital Teacher’s Guide

When you’re ready to review, click the orange button below and use your provided login credentials to access the Amplify Science Digital Teacher’s Guide.

Review now

To help familiarize yourself with navigating the digital Teacher’s Guide, watch our navigational guide videos:

Grades K–5:

Grades 6–8:

Looking for help?

Powerful (and free!) pedagogical support

Amplify provides a unique kind of support you won’t find from other publishers. We’ve developed an educational support team of former teachers and administrators who provide pedagogical support for every Amplify curriculum, assessment, and intervention program. This service is completely free for all educators who are using our programs and includes:

  • Guidance for developing lesson plans and intervention plans.
  • Information on where to locate standards and other planning materials.
  • Recommendations and tips for day-to-day teaching with Amplify programs.
  • Support with administering and interpreting assessment data and more.

To reach our pedagogical team, use our live chat within your program, call              (800) 823-1969, or email edsupport@amplify.com

Timely technical and program support

Our technical and program support is included and available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, through a variety of channels, including a live chat program that enables teachers to get immediate help in the middle of the school day.

For your most urgent questions:

  • Use our live chat within your program.
  • Call our toll-free number: (800) 823-1969.

For less urgent questions:

Email support

Contact us

Contact your Oklahoma representative:
Julie Godfrey
Account Executive
jgodfrey@amplify.com
(817) 360-0527

Amplify Science resources for Chicago Public Schools

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S1-04: Connecting with students and caregivers in the science classroom: Ryan Rudkin

Promotional graphic for "science connections", season 1, episode 4, featuring a smiling woman named Ryan Rudkin, themed with science illustrations like atoms and a globe, highlighting how to engage students

In this special episode, our host Eric Cross sits down with veteran middle school teacher Ryan Rudkin. Ryan shares her expertise after almost two decades in the classroom, discussing ways to incorporate aspects of problem-based learning into the K–8 science classroom. Eric and Ryan talk about how to increase parent engagement, involve community members, and add excitement to lessons.

Explore more from Science Connections by visiting our main page.

Download Transcript

Ryan Renee Rudkin (00:00):

I know there’s other goals in mind, you know, standards and test scores. But at the end of the day, I wanna come back and I want them to come back.

Eric Cross (00:35):

My name’s Eric Cross, host of our science podcast, and I am with Ryan Rudkin, middle-school teacher out here in California just to the north up near Sacramento? El Dorado Hills?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (00:46):

Yeah. 20 miles east of Sacramento.

Eric Cross (00:49):

Nice. And I am down here in San Diego. And so Ryan, to start off, what I wanna do is ask you about your origin story, like a superhero. So how did you become a middle-school science teacher to become part of this elite profession of science folks that get to do awesome things with kids?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (01:08):

I would agree with you that it is definitely an elite profession. I got my credential and I thought I was gonna teach third or fourth grade elementary school. And the second day I got called for a sub job for middle school. And I just thought, “We’ll take it,” you know? And by second period, I knew: This is where I belong. The kids, middle school, students are just a species of their own. And you have to appreciate them. And if you do appreciate them, then you’re in the right spot. And I quickly looked at my coursework and I was able to get authorizations in science, history, and English, and I love science. So I chose science. And the rest is history. It’s been a wild ride and I wouldn’t have changed or asked for anything different. I love it.

Eric Cross (02:02):

I definitely agree with you. So, your history—you’ve been in various middle-school classrooms. Can you tell us a little bit about that? What classrooms have you been in? What disciplines of science have you taught or are currently teaching?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (02:14):

I was hired for seventh grade life science, and then I did that for a few years and then I got moved into eighth physical science, and I was there for 12 years. Love eighth grade science. I love eighth graders. Chemistry and physics are my favorite. There’s just so much opportunity for just awesome labs, great conversations, student discourse, all of that. And then the past three years I’ve been in sixth grade and now we’re integrated. So,a sixth grade integrated science and I also teach social studies and a technology design class.

Eric Cross (02:52):

Oh, nice. What do you do in your technology design class? That sounds cool.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (02:56):

Right now it’s mostly internet media and we use WeVideo, it’s an editing-video program, and we produce and put on our school weekly news bulletin. And then we weave in other projects. We do some interdisciplinary projects. Right now my students are working on a mythology God, Goddess, and Monster project that relates to our social studies curriculum. And we’re learning about Greece. So yeah, we just try to give them added projects and they’re using the WeVideo platform. By sixth grade, they’re coming to us now with wonderful skills with all the tech. I mean, if I need help, I ask them like, “How do you do something on Google Docs?” Or, “How do you do something on Drive?” The kids are definitely tech-savvy.

Eric Cross (03:49):

They must love being the teacher in the classroom. They get to—it kind of switches power roles, where they get to teach the teacher something.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (03:56):

Yes. And especially WeVideo, sometimes we’ve had some hiccups, and the kids show everybody, and that’s part of the design class. They’re trying to solve—we’re teaching them how to solve their own problems. So if there’s any kind of issue with anything with the technology, honestly, I usually tell them, “Go ask a friend,” or we kind of shout out, “Hey, who knows how to troubleshoot this?” And the kids are eager to help each other, which is nice.

Eric Cross (04:21):

And they have this authentic experience where they’re actually doing real problem-solving, as opposed to something that we manufactured. Like, those are real things that we have to deal with in life. And that’s exactly like how we solve it, right? We just go ask people! We look it up, and the ahas are genuine too. Throughout!

Ryan Renee Rudkin (04:36):

Yes, especially thinking on the fly. Especially yesterday, I was in the middle of teaching and my laptop froze, and it’s like, “OK, everybodytake a couple minutes, you know, work on this, this, or that while I switch out laptops!” And so I’m modeling, too, how to solve my own problems. And I think it teaches the kids how to do that too.

Eric Cross (04:59):

I’ve always thought it was interesting that when teachers get to teach in real time, how do we handle stress and frustration when it’s really happening? And I think the tech—at times, failure is the real one where you feel this chill or this sweat that kind of comes over you and you’re trying to present or cast or the video won’t play and things like that. I think I’ve done enough times in my years of teaching where now my students know what to do, or they want to come up and help, and we’re good with it. But I remember in the beginning when those things would kind of glitch or go wrong or the wifi goes down, and you’re like, OK, what do we need now?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (05:33):

I think it’s honestly, after the fact, when I think in the moment, I’m not thinking of feeling stressed, but just afterwards, then I’m like, “Oh my gosh, this has just been a wild day.” But yeah, you just have to kind of go with it. And that’s just the beast of middle school. I just added to the list of why we love it.

Eric Cross (05:53):

You said something about interdisciplinary work, and I wanna kind of ask about that. Because it sounds like you’ve had your hand in several different areas of science and grade levels. Working, doing design courses, working with tech. Are there certain lessons that are your favorites to teach? The ones that you really enjoy, or that no matter what, you’re like, “We need to do this; this is such a rich experience for students”?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (06:17):

Yeah. I definitely try to do lessons or activities along the way. I like to do projects at the end of my units. When I taught physics, we did a project and it was mainly an assessment tool called the Wheeling and Dealing. The kids, they would all get a different car. And then they to sell their car. And so they had to pretend to be a car salesman, and they did that with their knowledge of the physics unit. So everything we did on forces and speed and motion. So I like doing culminating projects like that. And you’re kind of tricking them into assessing them.

Eric Cross (06:57):

When I think about your car salesman project, I’m thinking of a bunch of students, but they’re like on Shark Tank, but they’re just littler versions. And they’re doing these sales pitches, but they’re speaking in scientific terms as they’re trying to do it. Do you record these or do they just exist in the classroom?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (07:12):

No…And that was a long time ago, when I taught eighth grade. I wish I had; I wish I had recorded. That was definitely—it was fun, ’cause the kids, they would get their little piece of paper and they—some of ’em didn’t know what car it was. And so they’re like “A Boo… A Boo-gatti? What’s a Boo-gatti?” And then someone from across the room would be like, “Ooh, I want it! Here, I’ll trade you my Ford Focus!” And <laugh> so they would kind of wheel-and-deal which car they would…and then once they got their choice, then they would do the project.

Eric Cross (07:44):

So they’re really embodying this persona of a car salesman. The wheeling and doing back-and-forth and trying to trade a Bugatti for a Ford Focus. <Laugh>

Ryan Renee Rudkin (07:53):

I know. <Laugh> I like to make my class, my learning environment, enjoyable. You know, I gotta be there; they gotta be there. So I know there’s other goals in mind—you know, standards and test scores—but at the end of the day, I wanna come back, and I want them to come back. And I just have that as a priority.

Eric Cross (08:18):

Well, based on the projects that you’re doing and the way that you approach education with students, I can see why middle-school students would want to come back, even if they had the option not to. Just because of the cool things that you’re doing. Now we’re on this—hopefully, fingers crossed—tail end of COVID in the classroom and schools, and I know it’s impacted all of us differently. Has student engagement changed since COVID and if so, how, and what have you done in these last two years to maybe adjust your approach, to continue that engagement and that richness that you provide for your kids?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (08:57):

I definitely—I think for me, I recognize that when the students are in my classroom, I want them to, I dunno, for lack of a better word, just escape the noise at home. And I know we’ve always had students that are going through divorce situations or their dog died, other things, but I think with COVID, it’s definitely been compounded. And just creating a safe place for the kids to want to be and…it’s hard. We’ve had a lot of students that have been out, absent, for various reasons and on quarantine. And they’re struggling with doing work from home, ’cause their parents are stressed and their parents are dealing with their work issues. And so I think just having grace for the kids and just keeping…I don’t know, I guess like I said, I’ve always had student engagement as top of my list.

Eric Cross (10:06):

It sounds like—the things I hear you say really have to do with who these students are as people.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (10:12):

Yeah.

Eric Cross (10:13):

And then as a second, who they are as students. How do relationships fit into your engagement? ‘Cause I’m hearing this connection that you seem to be making with kids as you’re talking about things that are beyond academics: their home life, how they’re impacted.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (10:28):

Yes.

Eric Cross (10:28):

Is there anything that you do to build these relationships, or to connect with your students, to make them feel wanted or feel connected to the classroom or to you?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (10:37):

Yeah, I do. I do a few things to build those connections. And again, this timeframe in their life is so out of their control, their peer relationships, relationships with their parents. And when they’re in my classroom, I want them to feel loved and appreciated. Something I do it’s called Phone Fridays. And in one of the social media groups, someone posted about it, and I’ve been doing it for over a year now, actually. So on Fridays I call parents and give good news. And so I’ll pick maybe one or two students. And it could be academic reasons. It could be behavior, I’ve seen a slight improvement of behavior. Maybe a role model in the classroom. And my goal is to get everybody every trimester. So everybody gets a phone call by the end of the trimester. And it’s funny ’cause sometimes the parents are a little like “Uh-oh”! When they pick up, they see the caller ID, and their school’s calling. ‘Cause Some kids don’t get good calls. So it’s a really—I would say every single parent that I’ve called, I usually get a follow-up email, either to me or my admin, just saying it’s such a cool idea I do this; thank you so much. And yeah, I just call and give good news and just put ’em on the spot. And usually the kids are a little embarrassed, but you can tell, even though they’re kind of—I think they’re faking it, that they’re embarrassed! ‘Cause You know that they got the Phone Friday, and everybody’s like, “Who’s gonna get the phone Friday?!” And so it’s a very big deal in my class.

Eric Cross (12:07):

What a great way to—I mean, it seems like that hits on so many levels. You’re making these positive calls home. You’re praising publicly, which a lot of times can happen where students can get criticized or redirected publicly and then praised privately, which is a lot of times the reverse what we should be doing. But here you are praising them publicly. And then you’re not only building a relationship with yourself, but you’re also connecting them with their parent or whoever is caring for them, because now when they go home, there’s this, “Hey, your teacher called; you’re doing awesome!” So it’s this kind of triangle that’s forming there. I think that’s super-cool and a great thing for teachers to do.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (12:45):

It takes, you know, the last five minutes of my class. I do it every class. And then I have a system. Like I said, I keep track of all the kids. That way, by the end of the trimester I’ve gotten everybody. Sometimes I let the students, whoever I call first, then I let them pick a peer and I tell them, “OK, we have to have a solid reason. Why are we calling?” And a couple times they’ll have a student, like one of my energized ones, they’ll raise their hand. “How About me? How about me?” And I and the kids kind of laugh a little and I said, “Well, how about this? Let’s make a goal. How about next week we’re gonna make a goal and we’re gonna have a reason to call home.” So just working on the kids that need a little push in the right direction. That’s other reasoning to it. But yeah, it’s fun. I love it.

Eric Cross (13:33):

And you have the community. You have this goal setting. We were talking a little earlier about this transition—so you’re becoming this…your school’s going through the IB process, is that right?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (13:44):

Yes.

Eric Cross (13:44):

And we were talking about the ATL skills and one of them is goal-setting management. You already kind of organically do this in your classroom, which is really neat. I know being an IB teacher, a lot of times I find the things that I’ve already been doing and find, “Oh, this is actually an approach to learning!” or “This is something that has a title!” I just thought it was just being helpful! Ah…So the kids are connected. You have this process where you’re calling parents; it’s working; students are involved, so it’s building this community. Now you’re engaging students. Do you have any favorite student engagement tools that you use in your classroom or when you’re teaching that you feel like you get a lot of bang for your buck? There’s so many things out there these days. And so many approaches, tools, web apps. Do you have any favorites that you use?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (14:40):

No. Nothing comes up top of my mind right now. Mostly just projects, like I said. And being excited. I think having my students see me excited about something…and I’m honest when we’re doing something that’s not quite my favorite, then I’m honest about that too. But just having my—like, we just started thermal energy this week and I told my students, I said, “OK guys, I’m gonna weave in some chemistry in there. I’m gonna weave in some particle motion,” and they’re like, “Oh! That’s when you taught eighth grade, huh!” Cause I talk a lot about when I taught eighth grade before. I don’t know, just showing my own enthusiasm, I think, is a good payoff to me. That’s a bang for your buck. Other things…I try to give ’em cool videos and Mark Grober, he’s definitely a favorite of mine I like to show my students. I like to bring in guest speakers from our community. When I taught eighth grade for physics, I always brought in a local CHP officer and they would bring in the radar and lidar guns and the kids would mark off the parking lot and they would calculate their speed. And then they would verify it with the radar gun. Two years ago when I taught math, I brought in a local landscaper company, a father-and-son outfit, and they showed the kids how they would do bids on jobs. And so, relate it to our chapter on volume and area. So just making that connection with real life. Plus it’s just a nice opportunity, too, for the community to come in. With our design class, put on our newscast. And then one of our units in our sixth grade curriculum is weather. And so I brought in a local weatheruh, chief meteorologist. And he actually talked to the students about his job as a meteorologist and then also being on the news and putting on a newscast. So we got him on our green screen and did a little like Mark Finan, you know, little cameo on our newscast for the week for school. So that was kind of cool.

Eric Cross (16:45):

They must have been excited.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (16:47):

Yeah. They’re pretty starstruck by him. So that was pretty fun.

Eric Cross (16:51):

This person was on their local news? So they would know him?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (16:56):

Yeah, he’s on Channel 3 out of Sacramento. Yeah. KCRA Channel 3, Mark Finan.

Eric Cross (17:00):

So all these guest speakers that you have…how do you reach out to these people? And you sound like you get a lot of success. Do you ever get nos? Like if I’m sitting here listening and that inspires me, but you’re getting celebrities and you see a few people…like, how do you reach out to them? And does everybody say yes? How does it go?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (17:21):

Well, usually at my back-to-school night, I always ask the parents if they have a career or hobby that could lend itself to the curriculum. And so sometimes I’ll hear about—students will talk about, like, “My mom’s a doctor.” And so I’ll reach out to parents and just say, “Hey, you know, your kiddo said, you’re a doctor. May I ask what type?” And most of the time the nos that I’ve received are just because of schedule conflicts. You just have to get creative! Look in your community and see what you have. People want to come and talk to kids. I’ve had some presentations that the person is so intelligent and amazing, but they just, weren’t very kid-friendly. I mean, that happens. Butsomeone knows someone. And just ask! I mean, it doesn’t hurt to ask to have ’em come out, come hang out for the day, with my students. Andone time I had a nurse practitioner she was in the cardiac unit. And so she brought in hearts and led a heart dissection with my students. And we did a station set-up. I’ve had elaborate ones like that, or just a mom come in to tell my students about her job as a nutritionist and relate it to our unit on metabolism. And so just did like a little 15-minute Q&A with the kids on nutrition. And I would just say, look at your community and/or post on social media. I always do that. Post in your school’s PTA groups. So the parents know someone, that’s for sure. Or someone’s retired. One time I had—I think he was a grandfather of one of the kids—he was into rocks. And he had a bunch of meteorites <laugh> and brought in his meteorites.

Eric Cross (19:15):

Bring in your rocks!

Ryan Renee Rudkin (19:15):

I know! Right? And he <laugh> just brought in his meteorite collection! I was like, sure, come on in!

Eric Cross (19:23):

That’s one of the things I love about being a middle-school teacher is that my students have such varied interests and I’ll get the Rock Kid every once in a while and he’ll come in and he’ll have all these rocks and crystals. And a lot of times there’s a grandfather that’s responsible for this inherited geologic treasure that they have.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (19:45):

Yeah, something like that—I mean rocks are not my favorites, but I don’t really tell the kids that. I was like, “Sure, yeah, come on in! We can have a whole-day lesson on rocks!”

Eric Cross (19:55):

<Weakly> “This is great!”

Ryan Renee Rudkin (19:58):

Just utilizing your resources. That’s all it’s about.

Eric Cross (20:02):

Well, I think the back-to-school night was really helpful. That’s something that’s super doable. You have a bunch of parents and you just simply ask, “Who do you know? What do you do?” And then just collecting that and then just asking people to come in. I’ve I’ve been reluctant to do it more often than I’ve wanted to, because I haven’t figured out—and maybe you can help me with this—I have three class periods a day plus other class periods that are not necessarily science. And I don’t want to dominate a person’s schedule. Do they tend to be willing to stay all day? Or do you do, one class gets it, and you record it? Like, how do you balance out the speakers with your school schedule?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (20:39):

Mostly they’ll they’ll just come for the whole day. When I taught eighth grade, I had five classes, so that was easy. That was an all-day thing. And then usually I’ll offer to call lunch, have lunch delivered, or snacks during the day. I mean—

Eric Cross (20:53):

Feeding them is key.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (20:54):

Yeah. Just something kind of nice. Donuts in the morning. I mean, you’d be very surprised. Most people that are in the field or retired, like I said, they’re more than willing to come. And even if they have to wait an hour, while you teach another class that doesn’t pertain to it, then they’ll either leave or come back or just hang out in the back and pretend to be a student during that history class that you have.

Eric Cross (21:20):

It’s my own limiting belief where I feel guilty. I don’t think about it. I need to think about it through the perspective that you do, that these people WANT to talk. I just assume everybody’s so busy. But I do know, the times I’ve had speakers come out, at the end of the day, they’re so energized or they’re so happy or they’re so grateful. ‘Cause They’re like, “This is what it’s like to teach every day?” I’m like, “Yeah, this is what it’s like.”

Ryan Renee Rudkin (21:42):

I think too, a lot of parents…usually being being in the stops at elementary. A Lot of parents don’t get the opportunity to come help out in the classroom, because the middle school kids, you know, it’s not very cool or it’s just not needed like in the elementary classes. So a lot of times, like I said, you’d be surprised. A lot of the parents they’re more than happy to come and hang out. And again, some students, they don’t want their mom or dad to be there, but then I talk it up. I’m like, “Everyone’s gonna be so like impressed that your dad’s a doctor,” or “your mom’s a doctor” or —so then I kind of like downplay it. Like, “Oh, whatever, you’re you’re faking it. It’ll be fine. Don’t be embarrassed.” Leading up to their parent coming into the classroom.

Eric Cross (22:36):

Right. Kind of redirect that energy toward something positive. With guest speakers, projects, pacing, all these awesome things that you have going on, how do you find balance as a teacher, as a person? And what encouragement would you give to new or aspiring teachers? We work in a profession that will take as much as you give it. And you fall asleep at night worrying about other people’s kids and we love it. And teachers by personality can just give and give and give and give. But in order for us to last—I’m thinking about those new teachers who are going into it, who are gonna go in and be there before the sun gets up and stay after the sun gets down. How do you maintain balance, taking care of yourself? You’ve been in education for—how long have you been teaching for?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (23:29):

Sixteen. This is my 16th year.

Eric Cross (23:31):

Enough to be that veteran. So how do you find balance? And then, what encouragement would you give to new or aspiring teachers?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (23:39):

I would say each year, pick one or two things to add on. You can’t add on 10 things, even though you’re gonna find 10 things that are awesome. But just make a little list, put ’em in a file, and every year, just get good at what you do and then just add on one or two things. And reflect on what’s not going well that you can get rid of to make room to add something else. Try to be patient with yourself. And don’t reinvent the wheel. There’s so many things out there that you can borrow and make it your own. Again, I think that’s a time-saver, just leaning on your colleagues. And take lots of notes, because then when you do it again next year, you can refresh yourself and, “Oh yeah, this lesson, wasn’t the best…” What can you add in to make it a little bit better? And yeah, I would say just take on one or two things each year. And then by the time you get to, you know, being a veteran, you can do all these awesome things and it’ll feel natural ’cause you’ve been practicing and just adding in one thing at a time. I coached Science Olympiad a bunch of years ago, and Science Olympiad is so rewarding. It’s just so amazing.

Eric Cross (24:59):

What is Science Olympiad, for the people who’ve never heard of it?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (25:03):

Oh, Science Olympiad is so awesome. Google it. I think it’s just ScienceOlympiad.org. It’s 23 different events across all disciplines of science, different topics. And then you have a team of 15 students. And so your 15 students have to cover the 23 events. So for example, if the student’s on the anatomy team, usually there’s a team of two kids they’re gonna study and learn. They provide all the rules and the guidelines. So the students learn and study whatever the parameters are for that year. And then they take a test. And then they compete against other schools. And there’s build events, the engineering events, they can build things like trebuchets matchbox cars or mousetrap cars. Oh gosh, there’s all kinds of things. There’s like a Rube Goldberg device. It changes every year. And it’s so rewarding to see the kids; they pick their area of science that they love. And sometimes you have to put them on an event that they don’t know, and then they end up loving it. It’s so rewarding as a teacher to see these kids that are just on fire and you know that one day they’re gonna go off and do amazing things. They just commit. They commit to their event. And then they blow it outta the water and they win medals and just the recognition…it’s super, it’s just an amazing program.

Eric Cross (26:42):

One of the competitions that’s really low-tech that I’ve taken into my classroom is Write It, Do It. Have you done that one before?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (26:50):

Oh, yes. Yeah. That’s one. Yep.

Eric Cross (26:52):

It’s such a low-tech, simple one to do, but it teaches such great skills. And for those people who haven’t heard of the Write It, Do It project, you create kinda some abstract art out of random crafts. That’s very difficult to describe. You have pipe cleaners and foam and balls and you know, all these different things. And you make it. And then one person on the team is the writer, and they look at it and they write the procedures, and then their teammate, who’s in a different room and doesn’t get to see it, gets all the materials to build it and the procedures, and they have to rebuild it as closely as possible to the actual original. Even though they don’t get to see the original. So they have to rely on their partner’s ability to write procedures step-by-step. And it was fun to watch my students become teammates in that. And they learned how to communicate in a really fun competition. So I expanded it to do it with all of my students as an activity, just to teach them how write descriptively, to write procedurally, to be technical writers. And it’s, it’s fun! It’s fun to see what they build based on what the students say. <Laugh> And it’s also fun to watch them interact with each other, which for seventh graders, usually it’s conflict. <Laugh> But, like, playful conflict. <Laugh> It’s pretty funny to see what they build.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (28:11):

They’re like, “Man, what are you talking about? That doesn’t mean this; it means this!”

Eric Cross (28:16):

<Laugh> I know part of me feels guilty, but not enough to stop the project. ‘Cause I know for some of ’em, it’s gonna be a really trial by fire being able to practice their skills with writing procedures.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (28:27):

But they’re learning among themselves how to provide more details and to be more thorough with their writing and and their thoughts, put their thoughts onto paper. So yeah, that’s a funny event. Definitely.

Eric Cross (28:41):

Earlier you had mentioned something about connecting your kids with kids and students outside of your classroom. What is it that you do with that? Because I thought that was a really cool project. Can you speak to that a little bit?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (28:57):

Yes, I’ve done—they haven’t had it in a few years, but there’s something called the Pringles Challenge. And if you Google that, I’m sure it’s on the Internet still. So you sign your class up, or your classes, and you get partnered with another school somewhere in the U.S., someplace else. And you decide individually teams, whatever they build. And they make a package to ship a single Pringle chip through the mail. And then you actually mail a Pringle chip through the mail. And then your partner team or partner school, they send their chips to you and then you open everything and then you can take pictures and video. And then there was a whole scoring process where you would score when you receive the chips. And then you input all the data on the website so you can see like how your—and most schools would trade pictures, so that the kids found out how their chip survived. March Mammal Madness is so much fun. Again, Google that.

Eric Cross (30:01):

Did you say March Mammal Madness?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (30:02):

Yes.

Eric Cross (30:03):

Like March Madness, with mammals?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (30:05):

Yes.

Eric Cross (30:05):

  1. What is this?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (30:06):

It starts up in March. And you can sign your students up. And that one—it’s not too interactive with other schools, but this is opportunity to get the kids interacting within your site or within your district. Or if you have teacher friends at other schools. There’s like 60…I think it’s 64 animals? And they have this massive bracket that they post. And then you can have the students, I did it—it would be very time-consuming to have the kids individually research each animal. So I just gave one animal per student and so as a class we researched all the animals and then, I think it’s every three days or so, they have these bouts. And it’s all posted on YouTube. Google it. It’s kind of fun.

Eric Cross (30:56):

I’ve already got the website up, ready to go! Folks, everybody who needs to Google this: <articulates carefully> March Mammal Madness. And is it Arizona State University? Is that the main site, ASU?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (31:04):

Yes.

Eric Cross (31:04):

So people, listen to this. Check it out. March Mammal Madness. Look, I’m doing this! I’m already,—you’ve already sold me on this.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (31:14):

It is so much fun, oh my gosh. And then, then the kids—each round, they pick their pick, just like basketball. They do their picks and then you wait for the video. And they do it live on—I think it’s live on Instagram, or the next day on YouTube. And then the kids get all excited. And then usually the kids, whatever animal they got as their research animal, they’re rooting for that one to win, the whole thing.

Eric Cross (31:42):

But we still have time; we still have time to—

Ryan Renee Rudkin (31:45):

You can jump in anytime. Even if it’s already started, you can jump into it. It usually lasts—I believe it’s a two-week from beginning to end. When they do the first round, the wild card, and then all the way to the winner, I believe it’s a two-week process. Oh, maybe three, actually.

Eric Cross (31:59):

I’m already seeing this lead-up to the video being watched in class to see…I’m already thinking about like, “How do I prevent my students from finding the video?” Or like, “When does it go live so that I could be the one to show them so they didn’t go find it early?”

Ryan Renee Rudkin (32:13):

It takes time out of the class, but I believe it’s one of those things where you have to just…it takes 10 minutes out of the class, but it’s important. So when they each round and then the next day, they release the YouTube video. Last year, when it got down to the final round, we were on spring break. And so I told my students, “You guys, let’s do some optional Zooms. And so I had a bunch of kids log on and we all watched the videos together. So that was kind of fun. And then this year, the other thing, the first time I’ve ever done this and it’s going really well is—on social media, I was talking with one of the teachers from Ohio who teaches science and she and I decided we’re gonna do penpals for our students this year. Paper-And-Pen penpals. So that’s been a lot of fun. We just partnered up all the students, her students and my students, and once a month we send and receive the letters to each other. So that’s been a really cool experience.

Eric Cross (33:14):

If you keep doing that, and you need more teachers to be involved, can my students be penpals with your students?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (33:20):

Yeah!

Eric Cross (33:20):

If you open it up to more people? I think that, to get a letter, old-school? Letter in the mail? It would be so exciting.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (33:28):

It is. We mail them, the teacher and I, we just put them all together in one package. But yeah, it’s an actual handwritten letter.

Eric Cross (33:37):

The only letters I feel like I get in the mail now are bills.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (33:42):

Right? Exactly.

Eric Cross (33:42):

But I feel like the digital version of that is if someone calls me, it’s probably bad news. I don’t know if I’m the only one that’s like that, but I’m like, “Who’s calling me? Why aren’t you texting me? What’s going on? Text me first, then call! I need to know who’s going on, and if you’re unknown, you’re going to voicemail.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (34:00):

Exactly. The penpals has been a lot of fun.

Eric Cross (34:03):

You’ve been in education for a while. You’re on the other side of what it’s like to be a student in the classroom. Which can be surreal in itself, when we think about our own experiences as being a student. Is there a teacher or a learning experience that’s had an impact on you while you were a student in school that really stands out to you? And you can interpret the question however you want. But is there someone that’s memorable or an experience that’s memorable that you still carry with you today?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (34:32):

Definitely. My favorite teacher, and we actually still keep in contact on social media is Mrs. Sheldon. She was my fifth and sixth grade teacher. I had the pleasure when I was in elementary school, I was in an all-day contained GATE class—Gifted and Talented Education class. I vividly remember doing so many amazing projects. We built this big, giant—she brought in a big ol’, like, TV box. It was big, big, big. And you could stick like three kids inside there, standing up shoulder-to-shoulder. And we built this big dragon. The head, and we had the whole rest of the class in a big sheet behind us, and we would do a little parade around the school. And she had that thing for years after. They had to repair it every year, and they would do the little parade around school. She did a lot of traveling and when we would go on vacation and then come back, that was always the big deal: “Where did Mrs Sheldon go?” And she had sand from Egypt and pictures from the rainforest. And later when I became a teacher and then I looked her up and we reconnected I did ask her, “Did you go to those places? Or did you, like, lie about it? <Laugh> To get us engaged?

Eric Cross (35:52):

You went for the real questions!

Ryan Renee Rudkin (35:54):

I did. And she laughed and thought that was funny. And she did travel for real. But yeah, she’s an amazing woman. We still keep in contact. And I remember, you know, little things…like we would be out there doing our PE time and she’d have her long skirt, you know, dress on, with her tennies, and she’s out there playing kickball with us. Just a very kindhearted, smart, amazing woman. I’m very fortunate and I’m grateful that we are able to keep in contact. Love social media for that reason. So.

Eric Cross (36:33):

Yeah. And that’s Miss Sheldon?

Ryan Renee Rudkin (36:35):

Mrs. Sheldon. Marlene Sheldon. Yeah.

Eric Cross (36:37):

Shout-Out to Marlene Sheldon influencing the next generation of teachers, with engagement with your world travels and all those different things.

Eric Cross (37:04):

Ryan, thank you so much for one, serving our students. And in the classroom, our middle-school students who need us. I think that middle school especially, elementary school, those years are when students are really starting to decide, “What am I good at?” And the experiences that we create for our students really shape what they believe they can do. These really cool, engaging experiences, these projects that you’re giving them, whether they’re doing these car sales, Shark Tanks, or they’re doing penpals, or you have guest speakers, or they’re designing planets. These are things that students don’t forget. And then when they move on to higher grades, they remember more than anything, I think, how they felt about something. And it sounds like you’re crafting these awesome experiences. And so I just wanna thank you for your time. I know as a teacher it’s very short. And I thank you for being on the podcast with us.

Ryan Renee Rudkin (38:04):

Thank you. This has been a great experience. I just—I really enjoy my students. And I feel very, very grateful and very blessed for finding where I belong.

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What Ryan Rudkin says about science

“I like to make my class and my learning environment enjoyable. I know there’s other goals in mind… but at the end of the day, I want to come back and I want [students] to come back. It’s so rewarding as a teacher to see these kids that are just on fire… and you know that one day they’re going to go off and do amazing things. ”

– Ryan Renee Rudkin

Middle school science teacher

Meet the guest

Ryan Rudkin is a middle school science educator near Sacremento, California. Although she originally thought she would teach elementary students, Ryan connected with middle school and never looked back. Now in her 16th year in the classroom, Ryan also supports teachers in her district with professional development. Ryan’s favorite part of teaching science is seeing students grapple with concepts and explore phenomena.

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About Science Connections: The podcast

Welcome to Science Connections: The Podcast! Science is changing before our eyes, now more than ever. So…how do we help kids figure that out? We will bring on educators, scientists, and more to discuss the importance of high-quality science instruction. In this episode, hear from our host Eric Cross about his work engaging students as a K-8 science teacher.

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See what an interactive 21st-century science curriculum looks like.

In Amplify Science, students take on the role of a scientist or engineer to actively investigate compelling phenomena through engaging hands-on activities, immersive digital simulations, comprehensive reading and writing activities, and lively classroom discussions.

This video library will give you a sense of what Amplify Science looks like in the classroom.

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Immersive experiences

Watch how Amplify Science integrates hands-on learning and digital modeling tools to support three-dimensional (3D) learning in elementary and middle school.

Inspiring curiosity with hands-on investigations

Grades K-5: As part of Amplify Science’s Animal and Plant Relationships unit, students take on the role of plant scientists. In this video, second-grade students from Chicago Public Schools are engaging with a hands-on model in which they simulate animal dispersal of seeds, measure how many seeds were dispersed to places where the seeds are likely to grow, and analyze their results.

Grades 6-8: As part of Amplify Science’s Populations and Resources unit, students take on the role of ecologists. In this video, sixth-grade students from Denver Public Schools are conducting a hands-on investigation involving yeast to test the effects of the availability of food on the size of a population.

Collecting evidence with simulations and modeling tools

Grades K-5: As part of Amplify Science’s Earth’s Features unit, students take on the role of geologists. In this video, fourth-grade students from Chicago Public Schools are using digital modeling tools to investigate how fossils and rocks can be used to make inferences about past environments.

Grades 6-8: As part of Amplify Science’s Chemical Reactions unit, students take on the role of chemists. In this video, seventh-grade students from Chicago Public Schools are using a digital simulation to find and observe substances that do and do not react when mixed together.

Explore a unit

Literacy connections

Watch how Amplify Science integrates literacy and discourse to support three-dimensional (3D) learning in elementary and middle school.

Making cross-curricular connections with literacy

Grades K-5: As part of Amplify Science’s Animal and Plant Relationships unit, students take on the role of plant scientists. In this video, second-grade students from Chicago Public Schools use Student Books to gather information, practice reading skills, and respond to writing prompts to construct evidence-based arguments.

Grades 6-8: As part of Amplify Science’s Matter and Energy in Ecosystems unit, students take on the role of ecologists. In this video, sixth-grade students from Denver Public Schools are reading science articles, then responding to writing prompts to create arguments using evidence.

Talking like scientists

Grades K-5: As part of Amplify Science’s Weather and Climate unit, students take on the role of meteorologist. In this video, third-grade students from Chicago Public Schools are discussing the data they collected, as well as which Science and Engineering Practices they used during the lesson.

Grades 6-8: As part of Amplify Science’s Matter and Energy in Ecosystems unit, students take on the role of ecologists. In this video, sixth-grade students from Denver Public Schools are using evidence to support their claims as part of a classroom discussion.

Explore our impact and efficacy

Hear from teachers.

Hear from teachers, administrators, and students across the country who are using Amplify Science in their classrooms right now.

A week in the life

Grades K-5: We asked Keniesha Charleston, a second-grade teacher from Chicago Public Schools, to talk through an example of what one week of using Amplify Science is like in her classroom.

Grades 6-8: We asked Amy Trujillo, a sixth-grade teacher from Denver Public Schools, to talk through an example of what one week of using Amplify Science is like in her classroom.

From the classroom

Grades K-5: Hear from elementary school teachers, administrators, and students about the impact of using Amplify Science in their districts.

Grades 6-8: Hear from middle school teachers, administrators, and students about the impact of using Amplify Science in their districts.

Access a free sample

Ready to take a closer look at Amplify Science? No problem. Just complete the form for instant digital access to two sample units.

Una computadora portátil muestra un programa científico titulado "Equilibrio de fuerzas" con capítulos de lecciones sobre trenes. Frente a la computadora portátil, hay una guía para maestros encuadernada en espiral con imágenes y títulos coincidentes.

Texas Public Reviewers: Welcome to Amplify Texas ELAR/SLAR 2nd Edition!

Thank you for taking the time to review Amplify Texas ELAR 2nd Edition and Amplify Texas SLAR 2nd Edition. This site provides the login steps and tools you need to review the programs.

After you’ve followed the steps below to log in, watch the short orientation videos to help you navigate the Amplify Texas ELAR/SLAR 2nd Edition platform.  

The helpful Navigation Guides with live links and other documents to guide your review can be found below as well.  

A grid of six illustrated scenes featuring: space exploration, Salem witch trial, ancient civilization, farm animals, recycling in nature, and a globe on a stand.

Login credentials:

Login screen for Amplify with options to log in via Google, Amplify, Clever, District SSO, QR code, plus links for help and new account sign up.

Step 1

Go to learning.amplify.com and select Log in with Amplify.

Enter the username and password:

Username: elar_slar_2e_public@tryamplify.com
Password: AmplifyNumber1

Step 2

Select TX ELAR Submission (English) or TX SLAR Submission (Spanish) under Your Programs.

Dashboard for an educator reviewer shows a welcome message, a notice for upcoming recommendations, and two buttons for TX ELAR and TX SLAR Submission 2026 programs.
Screenshot showing "Amplify Texas ELAR/SLAR 2nd Edition" with tabs for ELAR in English and SLAR in Spanish, and a highlighted section marked with the number 3.

Step 3

Select ELAR Second Edition or SLAR segunda edición to access the program you will be reviewing.

Step 4

Once you’re in the program, select a grade level to explore the digital curriculum.

Screenshot of the Amplify Texas ELAR Second Edition interface, part of the Amplify Texas elementary literacy program, showing grade level options: Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2, and Grade 3. An orange number 4 is highlighted on the left.

Orientation videos

View these short introductory videos to help you navigate the Amplify Texas ELAR/SLAR 2nd edition platform.

ELAR Grade K–2 Orientation Video

SLAR Grade K-2 Orientation Video

ELAR Grade 3 Orientation Video

SLAR Grade 3-5 Orientation Video

ELAR Grade 4–5 Orientation Video

ELAR Navigation Guides

Tip: Be sure you’re logged into the Amplify Texas ELAR/SLAR platform (steps above) before clicking on the links in these documents.

SLAR Navigation Guides

Tip: Be sure you’re logged into the Amplify Texas ELAR/SLAR platform (steps above) before clicking on the links in these documents.

ELAR Component Lists

Access the full list of components for Amplify Texas ELAR 2nd Edition by clicking the links below.

SLAR Component Lists

Access the full list of components for Amplify Texas SLAR segunda edición clicking the links below.

Texas State Reviewers: Welcome to Amplify Texas ELAR/SLAR 2nd Edition!

Thank you for taking the time to review Amplify Texas ELAR 2nd Edition and Amplify Texas SLAR Texas 2nd Edition. This site provides the login steps and tools you need to review the programs.

After you’ve followed the steps below to log in, watch the short orientation videos linked below to help you navigate the Amplify Texas ELAR/SLAR 2nd Edition platform.  

The helpful Navigation Guides with live links and other documents to guide your review can be found below as well.  

A grid of six illustrated scenes featuring: space exploration, Salem witch trial, ancient civilization, farm animals, recycling in nature, and a globe on a stand.

Login credentials:

Login screen for Amplify with options to log in via Google, Amplify, Clever, District SSO, QR code, plus links for help and new account sign up.

Step 1

Go to learning.amplify.com and select Log in with Amplify.

Enter the username and password:

Username: elar_slar_2e_reviewers@tryamplify.com
Password: AmplifyNumber1

Step 2

Select TX ELAR Submission (English) or TX SLAR Submission (Spanish) under Your Programs.

Dashboard for an educator reviewer shows a welcome message, a notice for upcoming recommendations, and two buttons for TX ELAR and TX SLAR Submission 2026 programs.
Screenshot showing "Amplify Texas ELAR/SLAR 2nd Edition" with tabs for ELAR in English and SLAR in Spanish, and a highlighted section marked with the number 3.

Step 3

Select ELAR Second Edition or SLAR segunda edición to access the program you will be reviewing.

Step 4

Once you’re in the program, select a grade level to explore the digital curriculum.

Screenshot of a web page showing "Amplify Texas ELAR Second Edition" with clickable options for Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2, and Grade 3. An orange section and a number 4 icon are visible.

Orientation videos

View these short introductory videos to help you navigate the Amplify Texas ELAR/SLAR 2nd edition platform.

ELAR Grade K–2 Orientation Video

SLAR Grade K-2 Orientation Video

ELAR Grade 3 Orientation Video

SLAR Grade 3-5 Orientation Video

ELAR Grade 4–5 Orientation Video

ELAR Navigation Guides

Tip: Be sure you’re logged into the Amplify Texas ELAR/SLAR platform (steps above) before clicking on the links in these documents.

SLAR Navigation Guides

Tip: Be sure you’re logged into the Amplify Texas ELAR/SLAR platform (steps above) before clicking on the links in these documents.

ELAR Components List

Access the full list of components for Amplify Texas ELAR 2nd Edition by clicking the links below.

SLAR Components List

Access the full list of components for Amplify Texas SLAR segunda edición by clicking the links below.

Welcome, New York City Educators!

Welcome! This site contains supporting resources for the New York City Department of Education’s Amplify Science adoption for grades K–8.

What’s new?

A person wearing safety goggles examines a glass of water. The background includes illustrations of space exploration, a rocket, a polar bear, and weather symbols such as clouds and raindrops.

NYC Resources

Two young girls, smiling and looking at a tablet together in a colorful classroom, engaged in an online reading program.

Getting Started

Login support, materials lists, program overviews, and more!

Teacher looking at tablet with student

Implementation Planning and Instruc…

NYC companion lessons, planning and implementation guides, and more!

A teacher assisting elementary students with their schoolwork in a classroom.

NYC Spotlight

Access monthly newsletters and nominate a fellow educator!

Professional Learning Resources

Professional learning resources to support New York City educators. Interested in attending training? Contact your instructional lead for next steps.

two girls working on science projects
Screenshot of the amplify science video collection webpage showing an interface with various educational program options and video categories.

PD Library

Learn more about Amplify Science through short, engaging video collections.

Screenshot of the amplify science program hub website showing resource sections like pd library, professional learning resources, and additional unit materials.

Program Hub

Features learning resources, training videos, and Hands-on Investigation Videos….

Amplify Science California supports you every step of the way on your journey to the California NGSS.

PD Recording

Access recordings of previous PD sessions for NYC.

Assessment Videos for Leaders

See overview of the new Amplify NYC Benchmarks here.

Archived PD Supports

Professional learning recordings

  • Click here to access the professional learning recordings and materials.
  • Would you like to purchase school based professional learning? Contact Michael Kasloff and Carly Kriss at mkasloff@amplify.com and ckriss@amplify.com.

Archived professional learning resources

Responsive Classroom Resources

Amplify Science supports creating a responsive classroom environment. Click below to explore resources to help aid your responsive launch.

Inspiring the next generation of Massachusetts scientists, engineers, and curious citizens

Amplify Science is an engaging new core curriculum designed for three-dimensional, phenomena-based learning.

Collage of four images: a jungle illustration with a giraffe, students using computers, a boy studying with classmates, and an animated hillside with kites flying.

A powerful partnership

Amplify Science was developed by the science education experts at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and the digital learning team at Amplify. This partnership extends to 2032, allowing us to continuously improve our program and provide our customers with the most up-to-date enhancements, free of charge. Get a glimpse at our latest back-to-school updates here.

Instructional model

The Amplify Science program is rooted in the proven, research-based pedagogy of Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize. Here’s how each element works:

Three blue panels describing educational activities: "hands-on science" with lab experiments, "discuss" with collaborative learning, and "read" with literacy in science articles.

Phenomena-based approach

In each Amplify Science unit, students take on the roles of scientists or engineers in order to investigate a real-world problem. Students work to define the problem and collect and make sense of evidence. Once the context is clear, students collect evidence from multiple sources and through a variety of modalities. At the end of the unit, students are presented with a brand new problem, giving them an opportunity to apply what they’ve learned over the course of the unit to a new context. This represents a shift from asking students to learn about science to supporting students in figuring out the science.

Flowchart of a learning unit divided into four chapters, showing stages of student engagement from introduction to application, with assessments indicated at various points.

Resources to support your review

Scope and Sequence

GRADE

Kindergarten

UNITS

  • Needs of Plants and Animals
  • Pushes and Pulls
  • Sunlight and Water

Grade 1

  • Needs of Plants and Animals
  • Pushes and Pulls
  • Sunlight and Water

Grade 2

  • Plant and Animal Relationships
  • Properties of Materials
  • Changing Landforms

Grade 3

  • Balancing Forces
  • Inheritance and Traits
  • Environments and Survival
  • Weather and Climate

Grade 4

  • Energy Conversions
  • Vision and Light
  • Earth’s Features
  • Waves, Energy, and Information

Grade 5

  • Patterns of Earth and Sky
  • Modeling Matter
  • The Earth System
  • Ecosystem Restoration

Flexible implementation

One of the key features of Amplify Science is the flexibility that it offers. We give students authentic opportunities to experience the full breadth of what it means to be a scientist or engineer. Just as scientists gather evidence from many types of sources, so do students in our program. Like scientists, students gather evidence not just from physical models, but also from digital models, texts, videos, photographs, maps, data sets, and even their peers!
Simply put, real scientists don’t just get messy—they read, write, analyze, hypothesize, model, test, and communicate with purpose, too.

Illustration of the indirect effects of overfishing on northern benguela jelly populations displayed on a laptop screen.

Student Books
Beginning and young readers have unique developmental needs, and science instruction should support these students in reading more independently as they progress through sections of content, the school year, and each grade. One way Amplify Science meets these needs is by strategically deploying different modes of reading throughout each unit: Read-Aloud, Shared Reading, and Partner Reading.

A collage of various educational book covers related to science and math, featuring illustrated themes like sports, nature, and energy.

Student Investigation Notebooks

Available for every unit, the Student Investigation Notebooks provide space for students to:

  • record data.
  • reflect on ideas from texts and investigations.
  • construct explanations and arguments.
Collection of educational books from 'amplify science' on topics including ocean atmosphere, matter and energy ecosystems, and insect interactions, displayed in various angles.

Digital student experience

Students access the digital simulations and Modeling Tools, as well as lesson activities and assessments, through the digital student experience. Students can interact with the digital student experience as they:

  • conduct hands-on investigations.
  • engage in Active Reading and writing activities.
  • participate in discussions.
  • record observations.
  • craft end-of-unit scientific arguments.

Dive into a quick example of our powerful simulations

Grades K–5 simulation

A digital illustration showcasing a laptop and a tablet displaying complex data analysis software interfaces with graphs and heatmaps.

Hands-on materials kits

Hands-on learning is at the heart of Amplify Science and is integrated
into every unit. Students actively take on the roles of scientists and engineers as they gather evidence, think critically, solve problems, and develop and defend claims about the world around them.

Check out this 2-minute video to see an Amplify Science hands-on investigation in action.

Each unit kit contains:

  • consumable and non-consumable hands-on materials.
  • print classroom display materials.
  • premium print materials for student use (sorting cards, maps, etc.).
A perforated rectangular board, three small containers with different powders, a black battery holder with red wires, and three colored alligator clips are arranged on a white background.

Teaching support

Available digitally and in print, the Teacher’s Guides contain all of the information teachers need to facilitate classroom instruction, including:

  • detailed lesson plans.
  • unit and chapter overview documentation.
  • differentiation strategies.
  • standards alignments.
  • in-context professional development.
A laptop displaying the Geology on Mars webpage sits beside a book titled "Geology on Mars," both featuring the same cover image of Mars and a spacecraft, perfect for enhancing three-dimensional learning in any science classroom.

Massachusetts Academic Standards in Science coverage

Amplify Science was designed from the ground up to meet the NGSS, a set of standards that closely align with the Massachusetts Learning Standards for Science coverage. Most grade levels’ respective set of Amplify Science units therefore address the necessary MASS (see correlation). 

For grades K, 1, 2, 3, and 5, teachers should plan to also use the resources provided in the sections below to achieve full coverage of the appropriate standards before their students move on to the next grade band. Organized by grade level, each section outlines:

  • companion lesson materials that were written to support 100% alignment to the Massachusetts Learning Standards for Science coverage when used with the core Amplify Science units for the grade level
  • the standard being addressed with each companion lesson; and
  • the recommended placement of each companion lesson within a specific Amplify Science unit

Standard: K-PS1-1(MA). Investigate and communicate the idea that different kinds of materials can be solid or liquid depending on temperature.

Recommended placement: Following Lesson 5.6 of Sunlight and Weather

Resources: After students finish reflecting on their unit-long exploration of energy and temperature, play and discuss this read-aloud video of the student book Can you Change it Back?, which is featured in the grade 2 unit Properties of Materials. You might also consider borrowing the physical books from a grade 2 colleague’s Properties of Materials kit and reading it as a class instead of or in addition to playing the video.

Using the book, you will introduce students to the idea that heating and cooling can cause changes to materials. In the book, students are presented with a variety of materials and asked to predict whether a certain change caused by heating or cooling is reversible or irreversible.

Companion lesson: “Seasonal Changes”

Standard: 1-ESS1-2– Analyze provided data to identify relationships among seasonal patterns of change, including relative sunrise and sunset time changes, seasonal temperature and rainfall or snowfall patterns, and seasonal changes to the environment.

Recommended placement: Following Lesson 5.1 of Spinning Earth

Resources: Season Changes Classroom Slides and Student Sheet

Companion lesson: “Properties and Weight”

Standard: 2-PS1-3– Analyze a variety of evidence to conclude that when a chunk of material is cut or broken into pieces, each piece is still the same material and, however small each piece is, has weight. Show that the material properties of a small set of pieces do not change when the pieces are used to build larger objects.

Recommended placement: Following Lesson 4.4 of Properties of Materials.

Resources: Weight and Properties Classroom Slides, Resources, and Student Sheet

Companion lesson 1: Extinct Insects

Standard: 3-LS4-1: Use fossils to describe types of organisms and their environments that existed long ago and compare those to living organisms and their environments. Recognize that most kinds of plants and animals that once lived on Earth are no longer found anywhere.

Recommended placement: Following Lesson 2.3 of Environments and Survival

Resources: Extinct Insects Classroom Slides and Student Sheet

Companion lesson 2: Friction

Standard: 3-PS2-1: Provide evidence to explain the effect of multiple forces, including friction, on an object. Include balanced forces that do not change the motion of the object and unbalanced forces that do change the motion of the object.

Recommended placement: Following Lesson 1.1 of Balancing Forces

Resources: Friction Classroom Slides, Resources, and Student Sheet

Companion lesson 1: Composters

Standard: 5-LS2-2(MA)– Compare at least two designs for a composter to determine which is most likely to encourage decomposition of materials.

Recommended placement: Following Lesson 3.7 of Ecosystem Restoration

Resources: Composters Classroom Slides and Student Sheet

Companion lesson 2: Properties of Materials

Standard: 5-PS1-3 (MA) – Make observations and measurements of substances to describe characteristic properties of each, including color, hardness, reflectivity, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, response to magnetic forces, and solubility.

Recommended placement: Following Lesson 1.3 of Modeling Matter

Resources: Properties of Materials Classroom Slides, Resources, Articles, Copymaster, and Student Sheet

Companion lesson 3: Water Filters

Standard: 5-ESS3-2(MA)– Test a simple system designed to filter particulates out of water and propose one change to the design to improve it.

Recommended placement: Following Lesson 5.6 of The Earth System

Resources: Water Filters Classroom Slides and Student Sheet

Benchmark Assessments

Amplify’s Benchmark Assessments are designed to help teachers measure student progress toward the three dimensions—Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs), and Crosscutting Concepts(CCCs)—and performance expectations (PEs) of the NGSS. The assessments provide important insight into how students are progressing toward mastery of different standards ahead of high-stakes, end-of-year assessments.

The Benchmark Assessments are built to be delivered after specific units in the recommended Amplify Science scope and sequence.* They are given three or four times per year, depending on the grade level. The benchmarks are intended to show progress at various points in time across a school year, and are therefore not summative in nature. Digital items and item clusters are also tagged to specific NGSS standards, allowing customization to align with other course sequences. The assessments are available via the following platforms:

Print
PDF files: For administering Benchmark Assessments on paper

Digital platforms

  • Illuminate
  • SchoolCity
  • Otus
  • QTI (“Question and Test Interoperability”) files
    Not sure whether QTI files are compatible with your assessment platform? Contact your school IT or assessment platform representative for more information.
    Please note that Amplify is able to provide access to the QTI files themselves, but is not able to support the integration process. Your assessment platform provider should be able to assist with QTI file integration.

Remote and hybrid learning support

A child sits at a desk using a laptop. Next to the desk is a bookshelf with books, a fishbowl, and a soccer ball.

See an example of our remote and hybrid learning support below:

Intended to make extended remote and hybrid learning easier, Amplify Science @Home includes two useful options for continuing instruction: @Home Videos and @Home Units.
Amplify Science @Home Videos are recordings of real Amplify Science teachers teaching the lessons. For those teachers who are unable to meet synchronously with their students, the recorded lessons are a great way to keep their students on track and engaged with Amplify Science while at home.

Amplify Science @Home Units are modified versions of Amplify Science units, strategically designed to highlight key activities from the program. The @Home Units take significantly less instructional time than the complete Amplify Science program and allow students to engage with science at home. Each @Home unit includes:

  • Teacher overviews explaining how to use the materials, including suggestions for enhancing the @Home Units if synchronous learning or in-class time with students is available
  • Overviews to send home to families

Student materials will be available in two formats:

  • @Home Slides (PDF/PPT) + Student Sheets (PDF) for students with access to technology at home
  • Downloadable @Home Packets (PDF) for students without access to technology at home

Download the remote and hybrid learning guide

Explore the digital Teacher’s Guide

To familiarize yourself with navigation of the digital Teacher’s Guide, watch our navigational guide videos:

Grades K–5:

Looking for help?

Powerful (and free!) pedagogical support

Amplify provides a unique kind of support you won’t find from other publishers. We’ve developed an educational support team of former teachers and administrators who provide pedagogical support for every Amplify curriculum, assessment, and intervention program. This service is completely free for all educators who are using our programs and includes:

  • Guidance for developing lesson plans and intervention plans.
  • Information on where to locate standards and other planning materials.
  • Recommendations and tips for day-to-day teaching with Amplify programs.
  • Support with administering and interpreting assessment data and more.

Timely technical and program support

Our technical and program support is included and available Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, through a variety of channels, including a live chat program that enables teachers to get immediate help in the middle of the school day.

Ready to dive in?

Contact your Massachusetts representative:

Tracy Yefimenko
518-466-3497
tyefimenko@amplify.com

Welcome, Granite SD, to Amplify CKLA!

Thank you for taking the time to review Amplify’s core ELA program for K–5. Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts® (CKLA) is a state-approved core ELA curriculum designated as a primary core program that fully meets the Science of Reading requirements outlined in SB 127.

Amplify CKLA, developed in partnership with the Core Knowledge Foundation, was designed to help teachers implement Science of Reading principles and evidence-based instructional practices. Scroll down to learn how CKLA is uniquely designed to help all your students make learning leaps in literacy.

Step 1: Program Introduction

Welcome to Amplify CKLA! Before you dive into our materials, watch the video below to learn about the big picture behind Amplify CKLA’s pedagogy.

In this video, Susan Lambert (Chief Academic Officer and host of Science of Reading: The Podcast) shares why Amplify CKLA was created, how it is built on the Science of Reading, and the impact it’s making across the country.

Step 2: Program Overview

Amplify CKLA is different for a reason. Watch the overview video below to learn about these differences and why educators love them.

In this video, you’ll get an in-depth look at the program’s overall structure and organization, the design behind our proven lessons, and the materials included to support teaching and learning.

The Amplify CKLA Program Guide also provides an in-depth view of how Amplify CKLA works, how it’s structured, and why it’s uniquely capable of helping you bring reading instruction based on the Science of Reading to your classroom.

Evidence-based design

Amplify CKLA is rooted in Science of Reading research. Mirroring Scarborough’s Rope, Amplify CKLA delivers a combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge-building.

  • In Grades K–2, dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction are taught simultaneously through two distinct instructional strands.
  • In Grades 3–5, dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction are woven together and delivered through one integrated strand.

Grades K–2 Skills and Knowledge Strands
Every day students in Grades K–2 complete one full lesson that explicitly and systematically builds foundational reading skills in the Skills Strand, as well as one full lesson that builds robust background knowledge to access complex text in the Knowledge Strand. Through learning in each of these strands, students develop the early literacy skills necessary to help them become confident readers and build the context to understand what they’re reading.

Grades 3–5 Integrated Strand
In Grades 3–5, Knowledge and Skills are integrated in one set of instructional materials. Lessons begin to combine skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater writing emphasis. Students can then use their skills to go on their own independent reading adventures.

Key features

For each Amplify CKLA key feature below, click the drop down arrow to learn more.

Built out of the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify CKLA delivers explicit instruction in both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in grades K–2 with an integrated approach to explicit instruction in grades 3–5.

Review this Science of Reading toolkit to learn more about the Science of Reading best practices integrated throughout CKLA.

Amplify CKLA aligns with the instructional principles recommended by Orton Gillingham and LETRS.

  • Structured–Concepts are taught through consistent routines
  • Sequential–Concepts are taught in a logical, well-planned sequence
  • Systematic–Phonemes are taught from simplest to most complex
  • Explicit–Decoding and encoding concepts are taught directly and explicitly
  • Multi-sensory–Instruction is delivered through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile pathways
  • Cumulative–Concepts are applied in decodable, connected texts with constant review and reinforcement

Watch this video to learn more!

Additionally, great reading instruction starts with helping kids develop great decoding skills. Our instruction is supported by:

The Science of Reading reveals knowledge as an essential pillar of reading comprehension and lifelong literacy. Hear from author Natalie Wexler and CKLA customers on edWebinar about the importance of knowledge-building in reading instruction.

Students build grade-appropriate subject-area knowledge and vocabulary in history, science, literature, and the arts while learning to read, write, and think creatively and for themselves. Our instruction is supported by:

  • Knowledge builders that provide a quick overview of each domain with its key ideas.
  • Interactive Read-Alouds designed to build knowledge and vocabulary.
  • Content-rich anchor texts that support students as they tackle increasingly complex text and sharpen their analytical skills.
  • Social and emotional learning paired with lessons in civic responsibility.

Amplify CKLA not only received an all-green rating from the rigorous evaluators at EdReports, but it was also recently recognized by the Knowledge Matters Campaign as a high-quality literacy program that excels in building knowledge. Our shared message: background knowledge is essential to literacy and learning.

Read our EdReports review
Read our Knowledge Matters review

Student-led reading practice should be purposeful and connected to the core. That’s why Amplify createdBoost Reading. As an optional add-on to Amplify CKLA, students have the opportunity to practice skills directly tied to the skills they’ve been working on during core reading time. Boost Reading also adapts to each student to address their personal gaps and bolsters foundational skills at a pace that supports their individual development.

Boost Reading’s collection of 40+ adaptive games target foundational reading skills and develops them in alignment with Science of Reading principles. Unlike other adaptive games, we ensure students:

  • Practice the right skills at the right time. Our embedded placement tool ensures students receive the content and skill practice most appropriate for their current reading level. From there, students move through our curriculum along their own learning pathway where they encounter personalized content tailored to their evolving skill and grade levels.
  • Progress along a pathway that adapts on multiple dimensions, not just one. For example, a student can work on early first-grade decoding in one game while building more advanced vocabulary knowledge in another.
  • Practice skills in tandem. For example, a student is never forced to master one skill area before proceeding to the next. Instead, we offer students that opportunity to work on multiple skills concurrently.
  • Feel supported with scaffolding, instruction, and practice that adapts based on student performance.
  • Stay engaged by giving them immediate and clear feedback. These results are never punitive. Instead our always-positive feedback is delivered in the context of the game world and is designed to motivate students to keep trying.

Click the buttons below to learn more:

What is Boost Reading?
How does Boost Reading work with CKLA?

Step 3: Program Resources

Easy-to-use print materials

Amplify CKLA’s easy-to-use materials bring foundational skills and knowledge to life in the classroom.

Download the Amplify CKLA Components guide to see components by grade and watch the print materials walkthrough below.

Engaging CKLA digital experience

The top-rated content of Amplify CKLA is now live with the digital experience that enhances instruction and saves time.

With the digital experience, everything is in one place, making it easier and more engaging than ever to plan lessons, present digital content, and review student work. Click the arrows below to learn more.

With the digital experience, teachers have access to ready-to-use and customizable lesson presentation slides, complete with all the prompts from the print Teacher Guide embedded in the teacher view. As teachers deliver each lesson, students can engage with the content in one cohesive experience—through these CKLA resources: Activity Books, slides, digital components, videos, Student Readers, and more.

The innovative live review tool found in the digital experience enables you to keep an eye on all of your students as they work on drawing, recording audio, uploading and capturing images, and typing or writing in pre-placed textboxes in their Activity Pages. This dynamic tool provides countless classroom management benefits, enabling you to spot and correct common mistakes as they’re happening, praise your students for thoughtful work, and identify students who are not engaged in the task at hand. Simply put, it will give you those valuable “eyes in the back of your head” you’ve warned your students about!

The digital experience integrates with various LMSs, allowing you and your students to access Amplify CKLA with the software you’re already comfortable using.

In the Amplify CKLA student digital experience, your students have one intuitive access point to fully engage with classroom instruction. Through the Student Home, students can easily access digital lessons with slides, Activity Pages, ebooks, videos, and other interactives from one simple dashboard. Students can draw, record audio, upload and capture images, and type or write in pre-placed text boxes in their Activity Pages.

CKLA review resources

Step 4: State Review Resources

Step 5: Program Access

Explore as a teacher

Before logging in, watch this brief video on navigating the CKLA Teacher Platform.

Ready to explore as a teacher? Follow these instructions:

  • Click the Amplify CKLA Teacher Platform button below.
  • Select Log in with Amplify.
  • Enter the teacher username: t1.graniteckla@demo.tryamplify.net
  • Enter the teacher password: Amplify1-graniteckla
  • Choose CKLA from the “Your Programs” menu on Educator Home.
  • Select a grade level from the drop-down menu at the top of the page.
Amplify CKLA Teacher Platform

Oregon Enhanced ELA State Review for K–5

To view this protected page, enter the password below:



Welcome, New York City Educators!

Welcome! This site contains supporting resources for the New York City Public Schools Amplify Science implementation for grades K–8.

Resources for Getting Started

Click here for support for getting started with Amplify Science for New York City — including login support, materials lists, program overviews and more!

What’s new?

A person wearing safety goggles examines a glass of water. The background includes illustrations of space exploration, a rocket, a polar bear, and weather symbols such as clouds and raindrops.

NYC Resources

Two young girls, smiling and looking at a tablet together in a colorful classroom, engaged in an online reading program.

Getting Started

Login support, materials lists, program overviews, and more!

Teacher looking at tablet with student

Implementation Planning and Instruc…

NYC companion lessons, planning and implementation guides, and more!

A teacher assisting elementary students with their schoolwork in a classroom.

Monthly Round Up

Access monthly updates to Amplify Science and timely resources!

Professional Learning Resources

Professional learning resources to support New York City educators. Interested in attending training? Contact your instructional lead for next steps.

two girls working on science projects
Screenshot of the amplify science video collection webpage showing an interface with various educational program options and video categories.

PD Library

Learn more about Amplify Science through short, engaging video collections.

Screenshot of the amplify science program hub website showing resource sections like pd library, professional learning resources, and additional unit materials.

Program Hub

Features learning resources, training videos, and Hands-on Investigation Videos….

Amplify Science California supports you every step of the way on your journey to the California NGSS.

PD Recording

Access recordings of previous PD sessions for NYC.

Assessment Videos for Leaders

See overview of the new Amplify NYC Benchmarks here.

Archived PD Supports

Professional learning recordings

  • Click here to access the professional learning recordings and materials.
  • Would you like to purchase school based professional learning? Contact Michael Kasloff and Carly Kriss at mkasloff@amplify.com and ckriss@amplify.com.

Archived professional learning resources

Responsive Classroom Resources

Amplify Science supports creating a responsive classroom environment. Click below to explore resources to help aid your responsive launch.

Welcome to Grade 7

Disciplinary Core Idea: Ecosystems (MS-LS2)

Look below to learn more about our Matter and Energy in Ecosystems unit and to find select lessons and instructional materials related to the teaching and learning of this disciplinary core idea.

Collage of four images: underwater digital art, two students conducting a science experiment, hands constructing a structure from red straws, and an abstract painting of colorful figures.

About this unit

Matter and Energy in Ecosystems is the last of nine units taught at this grade level. During this unit, students take on the role of ecologists and figure out why a sealed biodome mysteriously crashed despite following the advice of experts.

Review Step 1: Watch this video >

This video explains just a few of the topics students learn about throughout the entire year.

Review Step 2: Download the Unit Guide

Before diving into the lessons below, use review this guide to get a big picture understanding of how this unit is organized, the key questions that guide learning, and how the storyline develops across chapters.

Lessons about Ecosystems

Amplify Science California is a multi-modal program, not a traditional textbook. Therefore, multiple components are utilized in the teaching and learning of the NGSS standards.

Review Step 3: Watch this video >

This video explains the instructional materials used to teach.

Review Step 4: Download lessons and instructional materials

Scroll down to find select lessons and instructional materials used in teaching Ecosystems. Below each description, you’ll find links to download the PDFs your committee requested.

A spiral-bound teacher’s guide and a laptop displaying an online curriculum titled “Matter and Energy in Ecosystems: Biodome Collapse” from Amplify Science.
Teacher’s Reference Guide

Available digitally and in print, our unit-specific reference guides are chock full of helpful resources, including scientific background knowledge, planning information and resources, color-coded 3-D Statements, detailed lesson plans, tips for delivering instruction, and differentiation strategies.

A laptop displays a PowerPoint presentation in presenter view, with slides about observing objects in plastic containers and related sensory instructions.
Classroom Slides

These customizable PowerPoints are available for every lesson of the program and make delivering instruction a snap with visual prompts, colorful activity instructions, investigation set-up videos and animations, and suggested teacher talk in the notes section of each slide.

Assorted craft supplies including a bottle of rubbing alcohol, plastic containers, colorful beads, small dropper bottles, plastic cups, and clear plastic spoons on a white background.
Materials Kits

Our kits include enough non-consumable materials to support 200 student uses. In other words, you have enough materials to support all five periods and small groups of 4-5 students each. Plus, our unit-specific kits mean you just grab the tub you need and then put it all back with ease.

Educational graphic depicting the energy flow in an ecosystem, showing sun, producers, consumers, and decomposers with corresponding actions like eat, cycle, and decompose.
Simulations and Practice Tools

Our digital Simulations and Practice Tools are powerful resources for exploration, data collection, and student collaboration. They allow students the ability to explore scientific concepts that might otherwise be invisible or impossible to see with the naked eye.

Collection of educational books from 'amplify science' on topics including ocean atmosphere, matter and energy ecosystems, and insect interactions, displayed in various angles.
Consumable Notebooks

Available for every unit, our Student Investigation Notebooks contain instructions for activities and space for students to record data and observations, reflect on ideas from texts and investigations, and construct explanations and arguments.

Notebook for this unit

Cover of a science textbook showing a girl doing an experiment, surrounded by animals, jellyfish, a rocket, and scientific symbols, with the title "Amplify Science.
Student Edition Hardcover

This durable Student Edition is grade-level specific and contains all of the articles that students refer to throughout the year. Districts may choose to pair these traditional student texts with our digital student experience or new 2-volume consumable notebook set.

Line drawing of a person using a laptop, with headphones and a line illustration of a rocket launching above their head, symbolizing creativity or inspiration in Boost Reading.
Coming Soon

Unlike other publishers, we don’t make you wait until your next adoption to get the latest and greatest from Amplify. We’re always launching new and exciting features. What’s more, we’ll push them out to you even after you adopt us!

See what’s coming for 2020-2021

In addition to reviewing the “printed” resources above, we invite you to explore our program digitally.

Watch the video to the right plus the ones below showing you how to navigate our digital platform. Then following the instructions below. >

  • Click the orange button below to access the platform.
  • Choose Teacher to continue.
  • Select Grade 7 from the drop-down menu.
  • Click on the Matter and Energy in Ecosystems unit to find your program materials.
Access the digital platform now

Navigating a Core Unit

Core units introduce a real-world problem and support students as they figure out the anchoring phenomenon and gain an understanding of the unit’s DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs.

Navigating Classwork and Reporting

Classwork is our new online grading tool that gives you quick and easy access to unreviewed work, student portfolios of work, and automatically generated differentiation groups.

Other resources

Educational materials on a laptop and textbook titled "matter and energy in ecosystems: biome collapse" displayed with visuals of ecosystems.

Matter and Energy in Ecosystems

Get a big picture overview of this unit with an at-a-glance view of each chapter…

Low-poly landscape with trees and mushrooms. A fox sniffs the ground, a rabbit sits nearby, and mountains and sun are in the background.

Grade 7 NGSS Alignment

See how our program addresses 100% of the NGSS Standards.

Science activity kit featuring books "Earthworms Underground" and "What's Going On with the Weather?", balloons, plant seeds, propellers, and other educational materials.

Grade 7 English components

Take a closer look at our grade 7 print components.

Image of Grade 8 Amplify Science Spanish Materials kit. Includes lesson cards, vocabulary cards (e.g., "atributo," "población," "especie descendiente," "habitable"), and images of butterflies.

Grade 7 Spanish components

Learn more about what components are available in Spanish.

Welcome to Grade K

BACK TO MAIN TK–5 PAGE

Amplify Science California is so effective you can cover 100% of the NGSS in half the time of other programs.

You can breathe a sigh of relief knowing all you need is:

  • 66 days per year
  • 2 lessons per week
  • 45 minutes per lesson
Four images of children engaged in science experiments: growing plants, using liquids, a girl in safety goggles mixing substances, and playing with a physics kit.

What students learn

Lauren Learner loves science. Watch this video to find out what she learns in second grade. >

When you’re ready:

  • Find a summary of each unit below including each unit’s student role and anchor phenomenon.
  • Click on the orange “See how the unit works” link to download a helpful Unit Guide. These guides make great companions to busy reviewers looking for a big-picture understanding of how each unit works.
An illustration from Needs of Plants and Animals unit

Unit 1

Needs of Plants and Animals

Student role: Scientists

Phenomenon: There are no monarch caterpillars in the Mariposa Grove community garden ever since vegetables were planted.

See how this unit works

An illustration from the Pushes and Pulls unit

Unit 2

Pushes and Pulls

Student role: Pinball engineers

Phenomenon: Pinball machines allow people to control the direction and strength of forces on a ball.

See how this unit works

An illustration from the Sunlight and Weather unit

Unit 3

Sunlight and Weather

Student role: Weather scientists

Phenomenon: Students at one school are too cold during morning recess, while students at another are too hot during afternoon recess.

See how this unit works

How teachers teach

Tom Teacher feels confident delivering 3-D instruction with our resources by his side. Watch this video to learn more. >

When you’re ready:

  • Scroll down and take a closer look at your classroom resources.
  • Click on the orange links below each component to see grade-specific samples.
Most adopted curriculum for the NGSS California

Classroom Slides

These customizable PowerPoints are available for every lesson of the program and make delivering instruction a snap with visual prompts, colorful activity instructions, investigation set-up videos and animations, and suggested teacher talk in the notes section of each slide.

Video introduction to Classroom Slides

Sample Classroom Slides

Sample Classroom Slides (Spanish)

Teacher’s guide and digital screen displaying the needs of plants and animals: milkweed monarchs educational material with illustrations of insects.

Teacher’s Reference Guide

Available digitally and in print, our unit-specific reference guides are chock full of helpful resources, including scientific background knowledge, planning information and resources, color-coded 3-D Statements, detailed lesson plans, tips for delivering instruction, and differentiation strategies.

Login to platform below to access

Amplify Science California supports 3-D learning with more materials than any other program.

Materials Kits

Our kits include enough non-consumable materials to support a class of 36 students and enough consumable items to support 72 students. In other words, each kit can last two years! Plus, our unit-specific kits mean you just grab the tub you need and then put it all back with ease.

List of investigations by unit

List of materials by unit

Illustrations of two children’s book covers displayed on a tablet, titled Un día ocupado en Villa Empuja and A Busy Day in Pushville, showing a street scene.

Big Books and Student Books

Students are never asked to read alone. Rather, books are read to, with, and by students with ample scaffolding and support provided by the teacher. Big Books are read aloud or together with the class to introduce ideas. Student Books allow for small-group reading and reading in pairs.

Sample Student Book (Spanish)

List of Student Books by unit

Sample Student Book

Two amplify science textbooks, one in spanish and one in english, displaying pinball machine diagrams on their covers.

Consumable Notebooks

Available for every unit, our Student Investigation Notebooks contain instructions for activities and space for students to record data and observations, reflect on ideas from texts and investigations, and construct explanations and arguments.

Sample Student Investigation Notebook

Sample Student Investigation Notebook (Spanish)

Amplify Science California and Mystery Science work together to help you transition to the California NGSS.

Mystery Science

Our exclusive partnership with Mystery Science means you get our NGSS core curriculum plus two years of free access to Mystery Doug and his extensive library of captivating videos that deepen students’ understanding of each unit’s phenomenon.

Mystery Science lesson alignment

Line drawing of a person using a laptop, with headphones and a line illustration of a rocket launching above their head, symbolizing creativity or inspiration in Boost Reading.

Coming Soon

Unlike other publishers, we don’t make you wait until your next adoption to get the latest and greatest from Amplify. We’re always launching new and exciting features. What’s more, we’ll push them out to you even after you adopt us!

See what’s coming for 2020-2021

Navigating the program

Watch this video showing you how to navigate our digital platform. Then following the instructions below. >

  • Click the orange button below to access the platform.
  • Choose the resources you’d like to review.
  • Pick your grade level from the drop-down menu.
  • Scroll down to find additional grade-level resources.
Access the digital platform now
A woman sits at a desk in a classroom, working on a laptop with an open binder and papers in front of her.

[VIDEO] TG Walkthrough

Watch this video to get familiar with the organization of our printed TG.

Printed teacher’s guide and laptop displaying the "Needs of Plants and Animals: Milkweed and Monarchs" science unit cover and lesson modules on a white surface.

[Grade K] Needs of Plants and Anima…

Get a big picture overview of this unit with an at-a-glance view of each chapter…

A teacher’s guide titled “Pushes and Pulls: Designing a Pinball Machine” is shown next to a laptop displaying related digital lesson content.

[Grade K] Pushes and Pulls

Get a big picture overview of this unit with an at-a-glance view of each chapter…

A spiral-bound teacher’s guide and a laptop display a digital curriculum titled “Sunlight and Weather: Solving Playground Problems,” with colorful illustrations of children and weather scenes.

[Grade K] Sunlight and Weather

Get a big picture overview of this unit with an at-a-glance view of each chapter…

Science learning materials including books, plant seedlings, balloons, a windmill kit, rubber bands, and other small experiment tools arranged on a white surface.

[Grade K] English components

Take a closer look at our grade 2 print components.

Two children's books, one in Spanish and one in English, with illustrated covers showing a street scene and families walking in a town.

[Grade K–5] Spanish components

Learn more about what components are available in Spanish.

A young girl wearing safety goggles stretches a gooey substance from a cup in a kitchen or classroom setting.

[Grade K] NGSS Alignment

See how our program addresses 100% of the NGSS Standards.

Una mujer adulta está ayudando a un niño con sus tareas escolares en un escritorio en un salón de clases.

[Grades K–2] Pilot support brochure

Welcome to Grade 1

BACK TO MAIN TK–5 PAGE

Amplify Science California is so effective you can cover 100% of the NGSS in half the time of other programs.

You can breathe a sigh of relief knowing all you need is:

  • 66 days per year
  • 2 lessons per week
  • 45 minutes per lesson
A collage shows children demonstrating Earth's rotation with a globe, an Earth-sun diagram, a hand holding a spiked ball, and a light experiment with a lamp, paper, and a screen.

What students learn

Lauren Learner loves science. Watch this video to find out what she learns in firstgrade. >

When you’re ready:

  • Find a summary of each unit below including each unit’s student role and anchor phenomenon.
  • Click on the orange “See how the unit works” link to download a helpful Unit Guide. These guides make great companions to busy reviewers looking for a big-picture understanding of how each unit works.
Illustration of sea turtles swimming among seaweed in the ocean, with a large shark in the background.

Unit 1

Animal and Plant Defenses

Student role: Marine scientists

Phenomenon: Spruce the Sea Turtle will soon be released back into the ocean, where she will survive despite predators.

See how this unit works

Two hands holding a paper with a drawing of a pyramid and a tree, illuminated by a flashlight, projecting another shadow of the image on the wall.

Unit 2

Light and Sound

Student role: Light and sound engineers

Phenomenon: A puppet show company uses light and sound to depict realistic scenes in puppet shows.

See how this unit works

Illustration showing an urban landscape divided into night on the left with a moon and stars, and day on the right with a sun, clouds, and an airplane.

Unit 3

Spinning Earth

Student role: Sky scientists

Phenomenon: The sky looks different to Sai and his grandma when they talk on the phone at night.

See how this unit works

How teachers teach

Tom Teacher feels confident delivering 3-D instruction with our resources by his side. Watch this video to learn more. >

When you’re ready:

  • Scroll down and take a closer look at your classroom resources.
  • Click on the orange links below each component to see grade-specific samples.
A laptop displays a PowerPoint presentation in presenter view, with slides about observing objects in plastic containers and related sensory instructions.
Classroom Slides

These customizable PowerPoints are available for every lesson of the program and make delivering instruction a snap with visual prompts, colorful activity instructions, investigation set-up videos and animations, and suggested teacher talk in the notes section of each slide.

A spiral-bound teacher’s guide and a laptop displaying an online curriculum titled “Matter and Energy in Ecosystems: Biodome Collapse” from Amplify Science.
Teacher’s Reference Guide

Available digitally and in print, our unit-specific reference guides are chock full of helpful resources, including scientific background knowledge, planning information and resources, color-coded 3-D Statements, detailed lesson plans, tips for delivering instruction, and differentiation strategies.

Login to platform below to access

Assorted party supplies including tissue paper, plastic cups, poker chips, metal rings, black brushes, toothpicks, pink candy, and a black napkin holder arranged on a white surface.
Materials Kits

Our kits include enough non-consumable materials to support a class of 36 students and enough consumable items to support 72 students. In other words, each kit can last two years! Plus, our unit-specific kits mean you just grab the tub you need and then put it all back with ease.

Two children stand in a jungle with plants, rocks, and frogs on the covers of two science books titled "Modelos de ranas" and "Frog Models.
Big Books and Student Books

Students are never asked to read alone. Rather, books are read to, with, and by students with ample scaffolding and support provided by the teacher. Big Books are read aloud or together with the class to introduce ideas. Student Books allow for small-group reading and reading in pairs.

Two science workbooks, one in Spanish and one in English, titled "Animal and Plant Defenses," featuring illustrated animals with spikes and shells on the covers.
Consumable Notebooks

Available for every unit, our Student Investigation Notebooks contain instructions for activities and space for students to record data and observations, reflect on ideas from texts and investigations, and construct explanations and arguments.

A man wearing glasses and a maroon shirt smiles at the camera on a laptop screen with the words "MYSTERY doug" and a speech bubble saying "Doug.
Mystery Science

Our exclusive partnership with Mystery Science means you get our NGSS core curriculum plus two years of free access to Mystery Doug and his extensive library of captivating videos that deepen students’ understanding of each unit’s phenomenon.

Mystery Science lesson alignment

A person with headphones works on a laptop; a line from their head transforms into a rocket, symbolizing imagination, innovation, and the foundational skills essential for multilingual learners.
Coming Soon

Unlike other publishers, we don’t make you wait until your next adoption to get the latest and greatest from Amplify. We’re always launching new and exciting features. What’s more, we’ll push them out to you even after you adopt us!

See what’s coming for 2020-2021

Navigating the program

Watch this video showing you how to navigate our digital platform. Then following the instructions below. >

  • Click the orange button below to access the platform.
  • Choose the resources you’d like to review.
  • Pick your grade level from the drop-down menu.
  • Scroll down to find additional grade-level resources.
Access the digital platform now
A woman sits at a desk in a classroom, working on a laptop with an open binder and papers in front of her.

[VIDEO] TG Walkthrough

Watch this video to get familiar with the organization of our printed TG.

A digital resource titled "Animal and Plant Defenses: Spikes, Shells, and Camouflage" is displayed on a tablet and a laptop, showing educational chapters and illustrations.

[Grade 1] Animal and Plant Defenses

Get a big picture overview of this unit with an at-a-glance view of each chapter…

A printed teacher’s guide and a laptop display both show the “Light and Sound: Puppet-Theater Engineers” curriculum from Amplify Science.

[Grade 1] Light and Sound

Get a big picture overview of this unit with an at-a-glance view of each chapter…

A spiral-bound teacher's guide and a laptop screen both display "Spinning Earth: Investigating Patterns in the Sky" educational materials with illustrated covers and chapter thumbnails.

[Grade 1] Spinning Earth

Get a big picture overview of this unit with an at-a-glance view of each chapter…

A collection of science learning materials including books, balloons, seeds, windmill parts, and other educational tools arranged on a white surface.

[Grade 1] English components

Take a closer look at our grade 1 print components.

Two children stand in a jungle with plants, rocks, and frogs on the covers of two science books titled "Modelos de ranas" and "Frog Models.

[Grade 1] Spanish components

Learn more about what components are available in Spanish.

Two children stand indoors; one holds a globe while the other points at it. A drawing of a sun is taped to the wall in the background.

[Grade 5] NGSS Alignment

See how our program addresses 100% of the NGSS Standards.

Una mujer adulta está ayudando a un niño con sus tareas escolares en un escritorio en un salón de clases.

[Grades K–2] Pilot support brochure

Welcome, Utah K-8 reviewers!

To view this protected page, enter the password below:



Welcome to Boost Reading: Remote Learning Edition!

Amplify is committed to helping school and district partners make instructional resources like Boost Reading: Remote Edition available to students who may be unable to attend school. 

This site contains all the resources you’ll need to get started using Boost Reading: Remote Edition with your students as soon as possible. We’re confident that as a community, we can continue to support learning to read remotely.

Are you an mCLASS® user? Click here to get started.

Colorful cartoon animals and objects surround a circular portal with a purple glowing ring, featuring silhouetted figures in its center.

Getting started

What you need to know about Boost Reading

Boost Reading is a student-driven, digital literacy program that provides students with differentiated and adaptive practice in all key areas of literacy instruction. Teachers have access to rich data insights into student usage and progress they can use to inform remote instruction.

 

How does it work with other programs?

Boost Reading is a great complement to any core or assessment program, especially Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) and mCLASS.

 

 

When and how to use Boost Reading

We recommend students use the program independently for 30-45 minutes a week. This implementation model has led to student growth, especially for dual language learners.

 

Students will need access to one of the following devices: Windows Devices with Windows 7+, Chromebooks with Chrome OS, and Mac devices with OS 10.11+ or iOS 11+.

 

How do I get started with Amplify Reading?

Good news! Amplify Reading has already been enabled within your mCLASS and Acadience Reading accounts. To get started with the program, you’ve got only two steps left: creating your class code and setting up your devices.

 

  • [Video] How to access Amplify Reading from within mCLASS and Acadience Reading
  • [Video] How to enable class login
  • [Video] How to create shortcuts on devices
  • [PDF] Amplify Reading launch packet

 

Note: Amplify Reading works on most classroom devices, including Windows Devices with Windows 7+, Chromebooks with Chrome OS, and Mac devices with OS 10.11+ or iOS 11+.

What else can you tell me about Amplify Reading?

As students engage in skill practice, their paths through the game world adapt to meet their unique learning needs. Amplify Reading includes more than 40 standards-aligned games that build language, foundational skills, and comprehension skills, while also developing:

  • Phonological awareness
  • Phonics
  • Vocabulary
  • Text analysis
  • Comprehension
  • Microcomprehension (i.e., the smaller aspects of comprehension that make up the reader’s mental model of a text)

 

Some additional resources that you might find helpful:

 

How do I get started with Boost Reading?

Good news! You and your students now have access to Boost Reading. To get started, you’ll need to sign in with your Amplify credentials at mclass.devamplify.wpengine.com. Next, you’ll want to distribute Boost Reading credentials to your students.

 

Where do I find my credentials?

You should have received an email from noreply@devamplify.wpengine.com with your new account information. If you do not see it in your inbox, please check your spam folder.

 

How to download and distribute student credentials:

 

How to support login at home:

You can direct parents to the following videos for an overview of the program and how to get started.

 

After students start playing, you can check in on their progress via your teacher dashboard. 

 

 

Printable extension activities

Consider sending the following activities home with your students as part of their weekly Boost Reading routine. Each printable activity has instructions in both English and Spanish.

Packet 1

Access support

Intercom chat

Our Intercom feature gives you the ability to chat with customer support, technical support, and pedagogical support teams in real time directly from the digital platform. This ensures that issues that arise in the classroom can be addressed as quickly as possible. Support teams can be reached from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. EDT, Monday through Friday.

Email

Our customer support, technical support, and pedagogical support teams can be reached by email at help@devamplify.wpengine.com from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. EDT, Monday through Friday.

Learn more

Review the resources below to dive deeper into what makes Boost Reading unique.

 

 

Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community to discuss the latest in reading research and instructional practices.

Learn more

Welcome to your Amplify Desmos Math Pilot!

We’re thrilled to welcome you to the Amplify family, and we look forward to making your experience with Amplify Desmos Math successful from day one.

On this site, you’ll find resources, tips, videos, and other helpful information designed to support you throughout your pilot experience.

A man in a plaid shirt sits at a desk with a laptop and a pencil holder, with educational posters and drawings on the wall behind him.

Tips for getting started

It takes time to learn any new program and get used to its patterns and flow—time that you aren’t always afforded in a pilot situation. Based on our work with pilot teachers who are now happy users, we can tell you with 100% confidence that it gets easier. In no time, you’ll be preparing and delivering all your lessons with ease.

As you get comfortable with the organization of each unit and the ways one lesson flows into the next, you’ll find the following resources helpful.

Helpful links for getting started

Topic

Description

Link

Introduction to the program

Getting to know Amplify Desmos Math

Program Overview brochure
K–5 Lesson Walkthrough (video)
6–A1 Lesson Walkthrough (video) 
Lesson structure (K–1, 2–5, 6–A1)

Accessing Amplify Classroom

Logging in and navigating the platform

Accessing Amplify Desmos Math (video)
Educator Home navigation

Preparing to teach a lesson

Manipulatives (kits and virtual) and Centers Kits

Exploring ready-to-go Centers materials and unleashing your creativity with the world’s best manipulatives

Materials and classroom setup
Unboxing your Centers Kits (K–5)
Exploring Polypad Virtual Manipulatives

How to use the Teacher Dashboard

Getting started with and using the Teacher Dashboard

Using the Teacher Dashboard
Try It: Teacher Dashboard

Advanced topics: Snapshots, Students uploading images, Giving students feedback, Companion and Projector Mode, Sketch Everywhere tool

Fluency Practice

A learner’s guide for using our adaptive digital fluency resource

Getting started with Fluency Practice
Accessing Fluency Practice

Assessments

Guidance for understanding assessment resources

Assessment overview
Admin reports
mCLASS®Beginning-of-Year Screener (video)

Differentiation and practice

Resources available to support student learning

Differentiation and practice

Support resources you may want to use during your pilot

Resource

Description

Link

Help articles and PD videos

Access articles, videos, and step-by-step guides to help answer your questions and guide you through your Amplify Desmos Math implementation. See Amplify Desmos Math in action in real classrooms.

Help Articles support page
Amplify Desmos Math PD Library

Unit Zero (K–5)

Get teachers and students familiar with the routines and structure of Amplify Desmos Math. Unit Zero is a set of five optional lessons and resources designed to support the first five days before Unit 1.

Unit Zero overview

In each grade-level collection on learning.amplify.com before Unit 1

Caregiver Hub

Get families involved in the process of learning math by sharing the link to our Caregiver Hub in your home communications, offering access to subunit summaries and practice.

amplify.com/caregiver-hub/

In-the-moment instructional suggestions

Answer questions that frequently arise when teachers shift to a problem-based approach, with these cards that include tips on how to respond to common challenges while teaching.

Instructional support cards

The Five Instructional Shifts of Problem-Based Learning

Read this ebook describing what the five main shifts look and feel like as you infuse a more student-centered approach into your math instruction.

Ebook

Instructional and math language routine cards

Use routines to create a powerful, practical force for establishing a classroom learning community and engaging students in conversations during math. Facilitation guides and routine cards provide instructions for routines you can use in your math classroom.

Facilitation guides for routines in Amplify Desmos Math

K–5 routines cards
6–A1 routines cards

Infusing Problem-Based Learning Into Math Classrooms

A quick guide to starting the shift to problem-based learning, this ebook includes a host of resources from the Amplify math Symposium and the Math Teacher Lounge Podcast.

Ebook

Making the Shift to Problem-Based Learning

In this ebook, we’ll go through what problem-based learning is, why it’s becoming so critical to math instruction, and how to start making the shift with a form of professional learning: Learning Labs.

Ebook

Asset-Based Assessment

This ebook summarizes what asset-based assessment is and how it benefits students.

Ebook
A man with short dark hair wearing a white shirt is smiling at the camera, with yellow geometric shapes in the background.

Want to learn more from Amplify experts?

Amplify offers a wide variety of learning opportunities outside our pilot meeting times: 

Our math webinar library hosts all our past sessions.

Our Events page is where you can search for and register to attend upcoming math webinars.

The Amplify Blog is a great resource for helpful articles and research-based information.

Oklahoma ELA Review for grades K–5

Thank you for taking the time to review Amplify’s core ELA program for K–5.

Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) is a cutting-edge and effective core ELA program for students in grades K–5. It was developed in partnership with the Core Knowledge Foundation, was specifically designed to help teachers implement Science of Reading principles, and features proven evidence-based instructional practices.

Getting started

On this site, you’ll find a variety of resources designed to support your review and evaluation of the program. Before you start scrolling, watch the video below to learn about CKLA.

Curriculum background

Pedagogical overview

In the video below, Amplify’s Chief Academic Officer Susan Lambert shares the big picture of Amplify CKLA, explaining why it was created and the impact it’s making across the country.

Program overview

In the video below, learn about CKLA’s structure and materials, as well the research behind the curriculum.

Program features

Built on the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify CKLA delivers explicit instruction in both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in grades K–2, with an integrated approach to explicit instruction in grades 3–5.

Review this Science of Reading toolkit to learn more about the Science of Reading best practices integrated throughout CKLA.

When students build a solid foundation of phonological awareness and phonics, reading words on the page becomes automatic so that comprehension and critical thinking can happen.

  • Step-by-step lessons with multisensory approaches, clear lesson objectives, and embedded formative assessments.
  • Decodable books and Student Readers with ebook and audiobook versions that feature engaging plots and relatable characters.
  • An engaging sound library with fun songs and videos that develop phonological awareness.
  • An interactive App featuring engaging activities with immediate feedback and automated, customized instruction based on student performance.

Students build grade-appropriate subject-area knowledge and vocabulary in history, science, literature, and the arts while learning to read, write, and think creatively and for themselves. Our instruction is supported by:

  • Knowledge Builders that provide a quick overview of each domain with its key ideas.
  • Interactive Read-Alouds designed to build knowledge and vocabulary.
  • Content-rich anchor texts that support students as they tackle increasingly complex text and sharpen their analytical skills.

Getting students caught up on reading skills requires more than just an extra mini-lesson here or there. It requires targeted and intensive instruction delivered in short bursts. Our intervention component:

  • Assesses and analyzes students’ areas of mastery and growth.
  • Automatically groups students with like needs.
  • Provides educators with ready-to-teach, research-based instructional progressions that last 10 days.
  • Progress monitors students, updates their skill profiles, and reforms groups for the next 10-day period.

Student-led reading practice should be purposeful and connected to the core. In addition to practicing skills directly tied to the skills they’ve been working on during ELA time, Amplify CKLA students have opportunities to interact with adaptive content that addresses their personal gaps and bolsters foundational skills at a pace that supports their individual development.

Our collection of 40+ adaptive games targets foundational reading skills and develops them in alignment with Science of Reading principles. Unlike other adaptive games, ours ensure students:

  • Practice the right skills at the right time. Our embedded placement tool ensures students receive the content and skill practice most appropriate for their current reading level. From there, students move through our curriculum along their own learning pathway, where they encounter personalized content tailored to their evolving skill and grade levels.
  • Progress along a pathway that adapts on multiple dimensions, not just one. For example, a student can work on early first-grade decoding in one game while building more advanced vocabulary knowledge in another.
  • Practice skills in tandem. For example, a student is never forced to master one skill area before proceeding to the next. Instead, we offer students the opportunity to work on multiple skills concurrently.
  • Feel supported with scaffolding, instruction, and practice that adapts based on student performance.
  • Stay engaged by giving them immediate and clear feedback. These results are never punitive. Instead, our always-positive feedback is delivered in the context of the game world and is designed to motivate students to keep trying.

From the printed page to the screen, we bring foundational skills and knowledge of the world to your young learners, and make the transition from classroom to home learning seamless.

Download the Amplify CKLA Components guide to see components by grade.

Download the Remote and hybrid learning guide to learn how we support in-person, remote, and hybrid instruction.

Digital experience overview

In the video below, learn about CKLA’s digital tools for teachers and students across both classroom and asynchronous environments.

Curriculum review

Digital navigation walkthrough

Physical materials walkthrough

Access the program

Explore as a teacher

Before logging in, watch this brief video on navigating the CKLA Teacher Resource Site.

Ready to explore as a teacher? Follow these instructions:

  • Click the CKLA Teacher Resource Site button below.
  • Select Log in with Amplify.
  • Enter the teacher username and password found on the login flyer PDF provided to you.
  • Click the CKLA Teacher Resource icon.
  • Select a grade level.
CKLA Teacher Resource Site

Explore as a student

Before logging in, watch this brief video on navigating the CKLA Student Hub.

Ready to explore as a student? Follow these instructions:

  • Click the CKLA Student Hub button below.
  • Select Log in with Amplify.
  • Enter the student username and password found on the login flyer PDF provided to you.
  • Click the CKLA Student Hub icon.
  • Select a grade level.
CKLA Student Hub

Check out these additional resources

Oklahoma submission resources:

CKLA review resources:

CKLA Review for Arizona

Thank you for taking the time to review Amplify’s core ELA program for K–5.

Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) is a cutting-edge and effective core ELA program for students in grades K–5. It was developed in partnership with the Core Knowledge Foundation, was specifically designed to help teachers implement Science of Reading principles, and features proven evidence-based instructional practices.

Step 1: Program Introduction

Welcome to Amplify CKLA! Before you dive into our materials, watch the video below to learn about the big picture behind Amplify CKLA’s pedagogy.

In this video, Susan Lambert (Chief Academic Officer and host of Science of Reading: The Podcast) shares why Amplify CKLA was created, how it is built on the Science of Reading, and the impact it’s making across the country.

Step 2: Program Overview

Amplify CKLA is different for a reason. Watch the overview video below to learn about these differences and why educators love them.

In this video, you’ll get an in-depth look at the program’s overall structure and organization, the design behind our proven lessons, and the materials included to support teaching and learning.

The Amplify CKLA Program Guide also provides an in-depth view of how Amplify CKLA works, how it’s structured, and why it’s uniquely capable of helping you bring reading instruction based on the Science of Reading to your classroom.

Evidence-based design

Amplify CKLA is rooted in Science of Reading research. Mirroring Scarborough’s Rope, Amplify CKLA delivers a combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge-building.

  • In Grades K–2, dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction are taught simultaneously through two distinct instructional strands.
  • In Grades 3–5, dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction are woven together and delivered through one integrated strand.

Grades K–2 Skills and Knowledge Strands
Every day students in Grades K–2 complete one full lesson that explicitly and systematically builds foundational reading skills in the Skills Strand, as well as one full lesson that builds robust background knowledge to access complex text in the Knowledge Strand. Through learning in each of these strands, students develop the early literacy skills necessary to help them become confident readers and build the context to understand what they’re reading.

Grades 3–5 Integrated Strand
In Grades 3–5, Knowledge and Skills are integrated in one set of instructional materials. Lessons begin to combine skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater writing emphasis. Students can then use their skills to go on their own independent reading adventures.

Key features

Built out of the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify CKLA delivers explicit instruction in both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in grades K–2 with an integrated approach to explicit instruction in grades 3–5.

Review this Science of Reading toolkit to learn more about the Science of Reading best practices integrated throughout CKLA.

Great reading instruction starts with helping kids develop great decoding skills. By building a solid foundation of phonological awareness and phonics, reading the words on the page becomes automatic so that comprehension and critical thinking can happen. Our instruction is supported by:

  • Step-by-step lessons with multi-sensory approaches, clear lesson objectives, and embedded formative assessments.
  • Decodable books and student readers with ebook and audiobook versions that feature engaging plots and relatable characters.
  • An engaging sound library with fun songs and videos that develop phonological awareness.
  • An interactive Vocab App featuring engaging activities with immediate feedback and automated, customized instruction based on student performance.

Students build grade-appropriate subject-area knowledge and vocabulary in history, science, literature, and the arts while learning to read, write, and think creatively and for themselves. Our instruction is supported by:

  • Knowledge builders that provide a quick overview of each domain with its key ideas.
  • Interactive Read-Alouds designed to build knowledge and vocabulary.
  • Content-rich anchor texts that support students as they tackle increasingly complex text and sharpen their analytical skills.
  • Lessons in civic responsibility.

Getting students caught up on reading skills requires more than just an extra mini-lesson here or there. It requires targeted and intensive instruction delivered in short bursts. Our intervention component:

  • Assesses and analyzes students’ areas of mastery and growth.
  • Automatically groups students with like needs.
  • Provides educators with ready-to-teach, research-based instructional progressions that last 10-days.
  • Progress monitors students, updates their skill profiles, and reforms groups for the next 10-day period.

Student-led reading practice should be purposeful and connected to the core. In addition to practicing skills directly tied to the skills they’ve been working on during ELA time, Amplify CKLA students have opportunities to interact with adaptive content that addresses their personal gaps and bolsters foundational skills at a pace that supports their individual development.

Our collection of 40+ adaptive games target foundational reading skills and develops them in alignment with Science of Reading principles. Unlike other adaptive games, we ensure students:

  • Practice the right skills at the right time. Our embedded placement tool ensures students receive the content and skill practice most appropriate for their current reading level. From there, students move through our curriculum along their own learning pathway where they encounter personalized content tailored to their evolving skill and grade levels.
  • Progress along a pathway that adapts on multiple dimensions, not just one. For example, a student can work on early first-grade decoding in one game while building more advanced vocabulary knowledge in another.
  • Practice skills in tandem. For example, a student is never forced to master one skill area before proceeding to the next. Instead, we offer students that opportunity to work on multiple skills concurrently.
  • Feel supported with scaffolding, instruction, and practice that adapts based on student performance.
  • Stay engaged by giving them immediate and clear feedback. These results are never punitive. Instead our always-positive feedback is delivered in the context of the game world and is designed to motivate students to keep trying.

From the printed page to the screen, we bring foundational skills and knowledge to life in the classroom.

Download the Amplify CKLA Components guide to see components by grade.

Download the Remote and hybrid learning guide to learn how we support in-person, remote, and hybrid instruction.

Engaging digital experience

The top-rated content of Amplify CKLA is now live with the digital experience that enhances instruction and saves time.

With the digital experience, everything is in one place, making it easier and more engaging than ever to plan lessons, present digital content, and review student work.

With the digital experience, teachers have access to ready-to-use and customizable lesson presentation slides, complete with all the prompts from the print Teacher Guide embedded in the teacher view. As teachers deliver each lesson, students can engage with the content in one cohesive experience—through these CKLA resources: Activity Books, slides, digital components, videos, Student Readers, and more.

The innovative live review tool found in the digital experience enables you to keep an eye on all of your students as they work on drawing, recording audio, uploading and capturing images, and typing or writing in pre-placed textboxes in their Activity Pages. This dynamic tool provides countless classroom management benefits, enabling you to spot and correct common mistakes as they’re happening, praise your students for thoughtful work, and identify students who are not engaged in the task at hand. Simply put, it will give you those valuable “eyes in the back of your head” you’ve warned your students about!

The digital experience integrates with various LMSs, allowing you and your students to access Amplify CKLA with the software you’re already comfortable using.

In the Amplify CKLA student digital experience, your students have one intuitive access point to fully engage with classroom instruction. Through the Student Home, students can easily access digital lessons with slides, Activity Pages, ebooks, videos, and other interactives from one simple dashboard. Students can draw, record audio, upload and capture images, and type or write in pre-placed text boxes in their Activity Pages.

Step 3: Program Resources

Digital navigation walkthrough

Physical materials walkthrough

Step 4: Arizona Review Resources

Arizona resources:

CKLA review resources:

Welcome!

As the 2021-2022 school year continues to pose new challenges, you’re likely thinking about making your classroom responsive to student needs due to the covid-19 pandemic.

Got additional questions? Use Zoom to attend office hours with Nadya Awadallah, the DOE’s Elementary Science Lead on Fridays from 12-1pm.

Meeting ID: 835 9458 3142

Passcode: 263518

NYC Newsletters

Educator Spotlight Submission

Calling all NYC DOE educators! Do you know an educator who has gone above and beyond? Would you like to highlight your teaching experience for others? Submit nominations here to see them featured as a spotlight in a future edition of our monthly newsletter and on our Instagram pages!

Introduction

This page includes planning, implementation, and professional learning resources for NYC schools using Amplify Science. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the categories in the navigation bar on the left side of the page so that you’ll be able to easily find what you need.

Most New York City educators come here looking for specific information, but if you’re new to Amplify Science, we recommend you read through the program guide to learn a little about the program. 

New to Amplify? – Start HERE!

Teachers and Administrators 

Step 1: Review the Amplify Science Navigation Essentials K-5 Video 

Step 2: Review your Scope and sequence/course structure calendar

Step 3: Review the Unpacking the Kit Videos listed below to understand what’s in your unit 1 kit

Step 4: Access your unique log in information to log-in to the Amplify Science Curriculum outlined below under Login support

Step 5: Log into the platform and access our Program Hub.  Select Using this site for self study for a complete suite of training videos and resources for an initial orientation video series

Step 6: Log into the curriculum and begin studying the Unit Map and Teacher’s Guide resources and begin planning your first lesson. Print out the NYC Program Guide for essential program information.

Step 7: Administrator’s ONLY – Review the K-5 Admin Orientation presentation for an overview on the program. Review materials under Admin Resources. 

NOTE: Should you need any additional guidance on how to get started with prep (or anything else!), please feel free to get in touch with our pedagogical support team. They are available Monday-Friday from 7AM-7PM EST. You can reach them via the chat icon in the lower right- hand corner of your screen when logged in, through email (help@amplify.com), or via phone (800-823-1969).

Getting started resources

NYC Resource Site overview – quick links

Technology requirements

Login support

Materials

  • Materials lists – lists of kit contents by unit
    K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
  • Spanish materials lists – lists of Spanish print kit contents by unit
    K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
  • Kit-level packing detail (chart) – high-level information regarding kits including dimensions, weights, etc. 

Unpacking your first Amplify Science classroom kit

All Amplify Science units coming with kits that include hands-on and print materials. The number of boxes (sometimes referred to as “tubs”) varies depending on the unit.

21-22 Login Update

The temporary login credentials for fall ’21 have been deactivated. 

Please make sure you check out the Getting started resources > Login support below for instructions around teacher and the NYC shared student logins.

If there are any issues, please confirm with your STARS programmer that your classes are finalized and then contact the Amplify Help Desk at help@amplify.com or at 1-800-823-1969.

Planning and implementation resources

Use our NYC Field Trip List to plan an engaging field trip for your students!

Use the resources below to plan out your year and ensure you are teaching each standard to mastery.

NYC DOE Supplemental Guiding Documents: Curriculum Gaps

Admin resources

Remote and hybrid learning resources

In response to the shifts towards remote learning, Amplify has created resources for using our programs remotely. Please visit our Program Hub accessible via your Teacher Platform for all of our hybrid and remote learning supports which includes guidance for teachers and parents/guardians.

Additionally, please see below where you’ll find the recordings from our recently held webinars on our remote learning resources and some best practices for implementing Amplify Science in a distance learning setting.

Resource guides

  1. K-8 Remote and hybrid learning guide

On-demand remote learning videos

Professional Learning Opportunities

Interested in attending training? Check out and sign up for this year’s PL offerings here!

All 2021-2022 PL session materials will be uploaded below under Professional learning resources.

Amplify Science Back-to-School Recorded Webinars – Amplify held a series of national office hours throughout the summer and fall to share information about our new resources to support remote and hybrid learning– including recommendations about what to prioritize from your curriculum and essential refresher topics, such as how to navigate your program and find the best planning resources. Feel free to watch all recorded sessions at your convenience.

21-22 Professional learning resources

Fall 2021 materials:

Summer 2021 materials:

Fall 2021 materials:

Summer 2021 materials:

Fall 2021 materials:

Summer 2021 materials:

Fall 2021 materials:

Summer 2021 materials:

Fall 2021 materials:

Summer 2021 materials:

Fall 2021 materials:

Summer 2021 materials:

20-21 Professional learning resources

Winter 2021 materials:

Fall 2020 materials:

Summer 2020 materials:

Winter 2021 materials:

Fall 2020 materials:

Summer 2020 materials:

Winter 2021 materials:

Fall 2020 materials:

Summer 2020 materials:

  • K-5 New Teacher Orientation with Participant Notebook
  • Grades 2-3 Utilizing Program Assessments Effectively Webinar
  • Reaching All Learners for Grades 2-3 Webinar
  • Grade 2 Returning Teacher Remote Learning: Guided Planning Workshop Webinar

Spring 2021 materials:

  • Unit 4: Focusing on Evidence of Learning for New Teachers Webinar

Winter 2021 materials:

Fall 2020 materials:

Summer 2020 materials:

  • Grade 3 New Teacher Orientation Webinar with Participant Notebook
  • Grades 2-3 Utilizing Program Assessments Effectively Webinar
  • Reaching All Learners for Grades 2-3 Webinar
  • Grade 3 Returning Teacher Remote Learning: Guided Planning Workshop Webinar

Winter 2021 materials:

Fall 2020 materials:

Summer 2020 materials:

  • Grade 4 New Teacher Orientation Webinar with Participant Notebook
  • Grades 4-5 Utilizing Program Assessments Effectively Webinar
  • Reaching All Learners for Grades 4-5 Webinar
  • Grade 4 Returning Teacher Remote Learning: Guided Planning Workshop Webinar

Winter 2021 materials:

Fall 2020 materials:

Summer 2020 materials:

  • Grade 5 New Teacher Orientation Webinar with Participant Notebook
  • Grades 4-5 Utilizing Program Assessments Effectively Webinar
  • Reaching All Learners for Grades 4-5 Webinar
  • Grade 5 Returning Teacher Remote Learning: Guided Planning Workshop Webinar

19-20 Professional learning resources

Summer 2019 materials:

Fall 2019 materials:

Spring 2020 materials:

  • Reaching ALL Learners: Utilizing Program Assessments Effectively in Grades K & 1 – Participant Notebook

Summer 2019 materials:

Fall 2019 materials:

Spring 2020 materials:

  • Reaching ALL Learners: Utilizing Program Assessments Effectively in Grades K & 1 – Participant Notebook

Summer 2019 materials:

Fall 2019 materials:

Spring 2020 materials:

  • Reaching ALL Learners: Utilizing Program Assessments Effectively in Grades 2 & 3 – Participant Notebook

Summer 2019 materials:

Fall 2019 materials:

Spring 2020 materials:

  • Reaching ALL Learners: Utilizing Program Assessments Effectively in Grades 2 & 3 – Participant Notebook

Summer 2019 materials:

Fall 2019 materials:

Summer 2019 materials:

Fall 2019 materials;

Caregiver Resources

Caregiver letters – information about Next Generation Science Standards by grade level

K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Caregiver Hub

Questions

Amplify Science K–5 FAQs

For general questions about the Amplify program (navigation, pedagogy, login), please reach out:

Email – scihelp@amplify.com
Phone – call toll-free at (800) 823-1969, Monday to Friday 7 a.m.–7 p.m. ET

Amplify Chat – click the Amplify Chat icon within the individual teacher account

Get to know Amplify ELA

Start by taking a look at the Amplify ELA Program Guide, where you’ll find:

  • Grade-level overviews for grades 6–8 (pages 11–31)
  • Amplify ELA pedagogy (page 10)
  • Sample lesson routine (page 38)
  • Amplify ELA foundations (pp 70-80)

Want to go deeper or look at Amplify ELA’s approach to writing, vocabulary, grammar, and differentiation? Check out the Table of Contents for all this and much more! 

Navigating the curriculum

Amplify ELA is a truly blended curriculum, designed specifically for grades 6–8. The program includes instructional guidance and student materials for a year of instruction, with lessons and activities that keep students engaged every day. Materials can be accessed either digitally or through print materials, depending on what your class needs.

Navigating in print

  1. Watch this video exploring the print resources available for students and teachers in Amplify ELA.
  2. Follow this link to open an ebook version of the print materials for your grade level and explore Unit A (the first unit).

Navigating digital

  1. Watch this video exploring the digital curriculum platform and the many resources available for teachers and students.
  2. Log in to the curriculum at learning.amplify.com using the demo account and password provided by your Sales rep.
  3. Once you have finished the tour, try out the scavenger hunt below!

Amplify ELA Scavenger Hunt

Download now

Inside a lesson

1. Overview & planning

Screenshot of an educational webpage for "Lesson 2: Your Movie Crew" on Amplify ELA, showing lesson navigation, overview, and a stylized illustration of a masked figure.

The Lesson Brief equips teachers with the tools they need to plan instruction. It begins with an Overview, which describes the big ideas students will grapple with and summarizes the lesson’s sequence of activities. Next, there is a Preparation section, which points out key moments and materials to prepare. The Preparation section also describes the location and content of the lesson’s Exit Ticket.

The Lesson Brief also includes: the Lesson Objective, which details the reading, writing, and/or speaking and listening objectives; Words to Use, which points out key vocabulary from the reading; Skills & Standards, which lists the focus and coverage standards; and Differentiation, which describes differentiated supports and provides additional suggestions for modifying activities.

2. Vocab App

The Vocab App helps students master vocabulary words through game-like activities based on morphology, analogy, synonyms/ antonyms, and deciphering meaning. These activities help students develop dictionary skills by focusing on parts of speech, etymology, and multiple meanings. There are also activities for ELL-appropriate words from the unit’s texts, asking students to match an English definition, Spanish translation, context sentence, audio pronunciation, and visual definition. These activities also align to vocabulary standards.

Vocab App (Teacher View)

3. Work Visually

Visualization activities are an essential part of Amplify ELA, as they open the door to more comprehensive understanding of complex texts. In these learning experiences, students break apart the text in visual ways or use visual cues to “see” key details as they construct meaning.

In this early lesson from grade 7, students unpack propaganda images and short videos from the Chinese Cultural Revolution to build their understanding of the setting before beginning the memoir Red Scarf Girl.

Other units include visualization activities such as using an app to “see” the evidence for and against scientific theories, making storyboards and planning visual adaptations of texts to “read like a movie director,” and comparing and contrasting illustrations with key textual moments.

4. Author Videos & Dramatic Readings

Students benefit from using listening comprehension skills as they build fluency with complex texts. In these close reading experiences, students listen to the text, perform the text out loud, or watch a dramatic reading of the text.

In this lesson, students listen and watch as author Ji-Li Jiang reads the opening prologue of her memoir, Red Scarf Girl. Her facial expressions, tone of voice, and emphasis help students develop early ideas about what matters to this narrator.

Additional author videos and dramatic readings are embedded in other units. In Unit 8D: Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, students watch WordPlay Shakespeare videos where actors perform each selected scene next to the text of that excerpt. In Unit 8B: Liberty & Equality, two members of the Marvel cinematic universe—Chadwick Boseman and Elizabeth Olsen—offer masterful performances of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave and A Confederate Girl’s Diary.

5. Reading/eReader

Reading standards establish high expectations for all students, even as they enter the middle grades at a variety of reading levels. In Amplify ELA lessons, students access universal supports embedded in the eReader (and built into the print versions of the text) to help them participate fully in grade-level activities.

Point-of-use vocab in print: The print Student Edition places key vocabulary words and their relevant definitions in the text margin to support students and keep them reading.

Reveal: By clicking on these pre-selected words, students access short contextual definitions for key and challenging vocabulary.

Highlight, Bookmark, and Notes: The digital highlighting, bookmarking, and annotation tools allow students to save and review any text notes from any lesson.

Text size and line spacing: Students can adjust text size and line spacing to find what works best for them

6. Writing

Two or three times a week, students complete their reading work by developing a piece of writing to refine their reading analysis. They write for 10–15 minutes, focusing on one claim in response to a prompt, and using evidence from the text in support of their claim.

In this lesson, students build on their discussion of the setting and their analysis of the passage to determine the author’s point of view at the start of her memoir.

Differentiated supports: Five levels of differentiated supports can be assigned in the moment or in advance to help every student work productively. Levels can be assigned ahead of time (by simply dragging and dropping students into groups) and students remain in their assigned levels until they’re changed by the teacher. For more information on differentiation in Amplify ELA, click here.

Automated Writing Evaluation: The Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) tool has been developed in conjunction with Amplify’s regular writing activities, which ask students to use textual evidence to develop one focused idea or claim about the text and communicate that idea clearly and effectively to an audience. AWE is a tool designed to help teachers understand, track, and support student skill progress with these key foundational skills, which are a strong indicator of a student’s analytic writing proficiency. AWE provides auto scores for Focus and Conventions, allowing teachers to prioritize their assessment of a student’s progress with Use of Evidence, a skill that is relatively new for many middle-grade students.

7. Share

Establishing a supportive writing community in the classroom helps students develop their voices as writers. Each writing activity is coupled with a sharing session, where clear routines and student-facing feedback protocols support students as they share and respond to each other’s writing. Here, students try out their writing with an audience of their peers to figure out how to express their ideas in a clear and convincing way. In addition, these sharing sessions allow students to learn from the range of perspectives in the classroom.

Clear and consistent Response Starters ensure that students provide feedback that targets key skills and focuses on where a student is using a skill effectively, fostering an effective and supportive feedback environment.

8. Solos

Solos are an important part of the ELA curriculum, and are designed to be completed as homework—but not every student has a computer at home. However, most students DO have access to a mobile device. The new Mobile Solos give every student access to this part of the curriculum, protecting valuable classroom time for lessons and group activities.

Navigating the first unit

Dig into Unit A

It’s time to continue your journey by exploring the first unit!

  1. Choose a 6th-, 7th-, or 8th-grade Unit A.
  2. Find the Print Materials for your grade level’s Unit A and review the unit overview. (password: middle678school)
  3. Log in to the curriculum and navigate to your chosen unit.
  • Scroll down to the unit guide. Open each section and read it.
  • Read the background and context document in the Materials section.
  • Go to Sub-unit 3 and read the Sub-unit Overview.
  • Choose two lessons to explore further.
  • Open the first lesson and read the Lesson Overview. Be sure to open and read each section in the Lesson Overview.
    • Open each activity tab and read the teacher Instructional Guide. Familiarize yourself with the entire lesson and note where students are building reading and writing skills
    • Repeat with the second lesson.

Diving Deeper

Check out Amplify ELA’s professional learning website, featuring self-guided training modules and videos to help you with planning and pacing, navigation, and learning key curriculum features. 

You can log in using your Amplify credentials or the demo account and password provided by your sales rep.  

Additional support

As you continue to explore the curriculum, you may also want to take a look at the Amplify ELA Resources Website, which is full of additional information on the program. If you have any questions, please contact us through the Amplify Help section.

And you’ll find even more information by watching this session from our Literacy Symposium, in which Sarah Kitzmiller from the Niswonger Foundation and Teddy Redding from Amplify discuss some of the challenges of the 2020–21 school year. 

Amplify’s Literacy Symposium session: Focusing on the Fundamentals to Start the Year Right

You may choose to view other sessions from the Literacy Symposium as well, all accessible from the schedule menu in the top left corner. 

This webinar also offers valuable insight, with Baltimore City middle school ELA teacher Lucas Drerup describing his experiences with Amplify ELA and discussing how he brings middle school ELA to life, even in a remote teaching setting. 

How to bring middle school ELA to life: A teacher’s perspective

Support

Boost Reading for mCLASS® partners

We’re thrilled you’re considering giving Boost Reading a try! This site contains all the resources you’ll need to learn more about the program and to get started using it to support remote learning or classroom instruction. We’re confident you’re going to love how Boost Reading puts your mCLASS data to work.

Colorful cartoon animals and objects surround a circular portal with a purple glowing ring, featuring silhouetted figures in its center.

Resources to support your use of the program

What is Boost Reading?

Boost Reading is a digital reading program that complements ELA programs with adaptive and targeted practice in foundational reading skills. While it can be used on its own, Boost Reading also integrates with mCLASS, which means that you get extra benefits like automatic rostering and placement in the program based on a student’s mCLASS composite score. From that point forward, the program takes every student on a personalized journey that addresses gaps and bolsters foundational skills at a pace that supports their individual development.

A laptop and tablet displaying mClass with Boost Reading software, featuring fun, colorful graphics of a school and nature scene on the laptop, and a user interface for progress tracking on the tablet.
Digital progress report showing reading skills for Taylor in Grade 2. Trouble spots highlighted for decoding VC and CVC words. Progress bars and teacher options visible.

How do I get started with Boost Reading?

Good news! Boost Reading has already been enabled within your mCLASS account. To get started with the program, you’ve got only two steps left: adjusting your student login settings and setting up your student devices. The resource below will walk you through how to do both.

After students start playing, you can check on their progress via your teacher dashboard.

How do I get families started with Boost Reading?

We will be releasing more resources to support at-home usage of Boost Reading, as well as communication between educators, students and parents/guardians. To start, you can direct parents to the following video and letters for an overview of the program and how to get started.

When and how to use Boost Reading
We recommend students use the program independently for 30-45 minutes a week. This implementation model has led to student growth, especially for dual language learners.

Students will need access to one of the following devices: Windows Devices with Windows 7+, Chromebooks with Chrome OS, and Mac devices with OS 10.11+ or iOS 11+.

Una pantalla de computadora portátil que muestra una cuadrícula de íconos de juegos educativos, incluidos títulos como "Word Slide", "Field Observer", "Grumpy Goblins" y "Curioso Crossing".

What else can you tell me about Boost Reading?

Review the resources below to dive deeper into what makes Boost Reading such a unique and powerful companion to mCLASS.

Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community to discuss the latest in reading research and instructional practices.

Where to get support

Intercom chat

Our Intercom feature gives you the ability to chat with customer support, technical support, and pedagogical support teams in real time directly from the digital platform. This ensures that issues that arise in the classroom can be addressed as quickly as possible. Support teams can be reached from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. EDT, Monday through Friday.

Interface of an educational website on animal and plant defenses, featuring chapter tiles with illustrations, and a chat support window labeled 'Hi Teacher' offering new conversation options.

Email

Our customer support, technical support, and pedagogical support teams can be reached by email at help@amplify.com from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. EDT, Monday through Friday.

A brightly lit open office space with people working at desks, using computers. Plants are placed around the room, and a large screen is visible on the wall.

Puyallup 6–8 Science Review | Amplify

To view this protected page, enter the password below:



Welcome to Amplify CKLA® for grades K–5!

On this site, you’ll find resources to guide you in your review.

When you’re ready to explore the material, select a grade and click the “Review” button at the bottom of this page.

About the program

Rich, engaging content is at the center of Amplify CKLA instruction. Students build subject area knowledge in history, science, literature, and the arts by learning to read and write. High-quality instructional materials simplify your planning and provide the support and resources you need.

Every day in grades K–2, students complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge. In grades 3–5, students start to master the basic skills of reading, further opening up their worlds.

Hear from educators like you

Hear from teachers, administrators, and students across the country who are using Amplify CKLA in their classrooms right now.

Resources to support your review

Download the resources below before you review the program to better understand the program structure, components, digital resources, and more.

Program walkthrough

Before you explore the program, watch this overview to get familiar with the program, its components, and ways to find resources for you and your students online.

Lesson walkthrough videos

Kindergarten
Before you explore the program, follow along as a kindergarten class goes through a Amplify CKLA Skills Strand lesson on tricky words.

Grade 1
In this Knowledge Strand lesson, students achieve reading proficiency with complex read-alouds, exposure to background knowledge, vocabulary practice, text-based discussions, and writing activities.

Grade 4
Curious how the two strands are integrated in grades 3–5? Watch students journey through a Quest for the Core™ lesson in which fourth graders work in teams, combining research, writing, and presentation skills to become master inventors.

Start your review

To digitally complete your review, you can explore teacher and student materials for every grade:

Skills Strand
Knowledge Strand
Knowledge Strand
Skills Strand
Knowledge Strand

Amplify CKLA includes rich, diverse multimedia resources. Below you’ll find a sample of our Knowledge Builder videos and the Sound Library for foundational skills.

In Grades 3–5, we offer various multimedia resources, as well as supplemental reading resources like Novel Guides.

If you’d like to review the full program, request physical samples, or speak to a product expert for more information, fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch.

Request more information

A powerful partnership

Amplify Science was developed by the science education experts at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and the digital learning team at Amplify. This partnership extends to 2032, allowing us to continuously improve our program and provide our customers with the most up-to-date enhancements, free of charge. Get a glimpse at our latest back-to-school updates here.

Instructional model

The Amplify Science program is rooted in the proven, research-based pedagogy of Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize. Here’s how each element works:

Three blue panels describing educational activities: "hands-on science" with lab experiments, "discuss" with collaborative learning, and "read" with literacy in science articles.

Phenomena-based approach

In each Amplify Science unit, students take on the roles of scientists or engineers in order to investigate a real-world problem. Students work to define the problem and collect and make sense of evidence. Once the context is clear, students collect evidence from multiple sources and through a variety of modalities. At the end of the unit, students are presented with a brand new problem, giving them an opportunity to apply what they’ve learned over the course of the unit to a new context. This represents a shift from asking students to learn about science to supporting students in figuring out the science.

Flowchart of a learning unit divided into four chapters, showing stages of student engagement from introduction to application, with assessments indicated at various points.

Resources to support your review

Remote and hybrid learning support

A child sits at a desk using a laptop. Next to the desk is a bookshelf with books, a fishbowl, and a soccer ball.

See an example of our remote and hybrid learning support below:

This fall, Amplify launched a new remote learning solution called Amplify Science@Home. Intended to make extended remote and hybrid learning easier, Amplify Science @Home includes two useful options for continuing instruction: @Home Videos and @Home Units.
Amplify Science @Home Videos are recordings of real Amplify Science teachers teaching the lessons. For those teachers who are unable to meet synchronously with their students, the recorded lessons are a great way to keep their students on track and engaged with Amplify Science while at home. These videos will be produced for all K–5 units, and for the first four units of each 6–8 grade level. Their release will be rolling, beginning in August.

Amplify Science @Home Units are modified versions of Amplify Science units, strategically designed to highlight key activities from the program. The @Home Units take significantly less instructional time than the complete Amplify Science program and allow students to engage with science at home. @Home Units will be developed for all Amplify Science K–8 units. Each @Home unit includes:

  • Teacher overviews explaining how to use the materials, including suggestions for enhancing the @Home Units if synchronous learning or in-class time with students is available
  • Overviews to send home to families

Student materials will be available in two formats:

  • @Home Slides (PDF/PPT) + Student Sheets (PDF) for students with access to technology at home
  • Downloadable @Home Packets (PDF) for students without access to technology at home

Download the remote and hybrid learning guide

Benchmark Assessments

Amplify’s Benchmark Assessments are designed to help teachers measure student progress toward the three dimensions—Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs), and Crosscutting Concepts(CCCs)—and performance expectations (PEs) of the NGSS. The assessments provide important insight into how students are progressing toward mastery of different standards ahead of high-stakes, end-of-year assessments.

The Benchmark Assessments are built to be delivered after specific units in the recommended Amplify Science scope and sequence.* They are given three or four times per year, depending on the grade level. The benchmarks are intended to show progress at various points in time across a school year, and are therefore not summative in nature. Digital items and item clusters are also tagged to specific NGSS standards, allowing customization to align with other course sequences. The assessments are available via the following platforms:

Print
PDF files: For administering Benchmark Assessments on paper

Digital platforms

  • Illuminate
  • SchoolCity
  • Otus
  • QTI (“Question and Test Interoperability”) files
    Not sure whether QTI files are compatible with your assessment platform? Contact your school IT or assessment platform representative for more information.
    Please note that Amplify is able to provide access to the QTI files themselves, but is not able to support the integration process. Your assessment platform provider should be able to assist with QTI file integration.

Flexible implementation

One of the key features of Amplify Science is the flexibility that it offers. We give students authentic opportunities to experience the full breadth of what it means to be a scientist or engineer. Just as scientists gather evidence from many types of sources, so do students in our program. Like scientists, students gather evidence not just from physical models, but also from digital models, texts, videos, photographs, maps, data sets, and even their peers!
Simply put, real scientists don’t just get messy—they read, write, analyze, hypothesize, model, test, and communicate with purpose, too.

Science articles

The middle school science articles serve as sources for evidence collection and were authored by science and literacy experts at the Lawrence Hall of Science.

Illustration of the indirect effects of overfishing on northern benguela jelly populations displayed on a laptop screen.

Student Books
Beginning and young readers have unique developmental needs, and science instruction should support these students in reading more independently as they progress through sections of content, the school year, and each grade. One way Amplify Science meets these needs is by strategically deploying different modes of reading throughout each unit: Read-Aloud, Shared Reading, and Partner Reading.

A collage of various educational book covers related to science and math, featuring illustrated themes like sports, nature, and energy.

Student Investigation Notebooks

Available for every unit, the Student Investigation Notebooks provide space for students to:

  • record data.
  • reflect on ideas from texts and investigations.
  • construct explanations and arguments.

Available with full-color article compilations for middle school units.

Collection of educational books from 'amplify science' on topics including ocean atmosphere, matter and energy ecosystems, and insect interactions, displayed in various angles.

Digital student experience

Students access the digital simulations and Modeling Tools, as well as lesson activities and assessments, through the digital student experience. Students can interact with the digital student experience as they:

  • conduct hands-on investigations.
  • engage in Active Reading and writing activities.
  • participate in discussions.
  • record observations.
  • craft end-of-unit scientific arguments.

Dive into a quick example of our powerful simulations

A digital illustration showcasing a laptop and a tablet displaying complex data analysis software interfaces with graphs and heatmaps.

Hands-on materials kits

Hands-on learning is at the heart of Amplify Science and is integrated
into every unit. Students actively take on the roles of scientists and engineers as they gather evidence, think critically, solve problems, and develop and defend claims about the world around them.

Check out these 2-minute videos to see an Amplify Science hands-on investigation in action.

Each unit kit contains:

  • consumable and non-consumable hands-on materials.
  • print classroom display materials.
  • premium print materials for student use (sorting cards, maps, etc.).
A perforated rectangular board, three small containers with different powders, a black battery holder with red wires, and three colored alligator clips are arranged on a white background.

Teacher’s Guides

Available digitally and in print, the Teacher’s Guides contain all of the information teachers need to facilitate classroom instruction, including:

  • detailed lesson plans.
  • unit and chapter overview documentation.
  • differentiation strategies.
  • standards alignments.
  • in-context professional development.
A laptop displaying the Geology on Mars webpage sits beside a book titled "Geology on Mars," both featuring the same cover image of Mars and a spacecraft, perfect for enhancing three-dimensional learning in any science classroom.

Scope and Sequence

GRADE UNITS
Kindergarten
  • Needs of Plants and Animals
  • Pushes and Pulls
  • Sunlight and Water
Grade 1
  • Animal and Plant Defenses
  • Light and Sound
  • Spinning Earth
Grade 2
  • Plant and Animal Relationships
  • Properties of Materials
  • Changing Landforms
Grade 3
  • Balancing Forces
  • Inheritance and Traits
  • Environments and Survival
  • Weather and Climate
Grade 4
  • Energy Conversions
  • Vision and Light
  • Earth’s Features
  • Waves, Energy, and Information
Grade 5
  • Patterns of Earth and Sky
  • Modeling Matter
  • The Earth System
  • Ecosystem Restoration
GRADE UNITS
Grade 6: Earth Science
  • Launch: Geology on Mars
  • Plate Motion
  • Plate Motion: Engineering Internship
  • Rock Transformations
  • Earth, Moon, and Sun
  • Ocean, Atmosphere, and Climate
  • Weather Patterns
  • Earth’s Changing Climate
  • Earth’s Changing Climate: Engineering Internship
Grade 7: Life Science
  • Launch: Microbiome
  • Metabolism
  • Metabolism: Engineering Internship
  • Traits and Reproduction
  • Populations and Resources
  • Matter and Energy in Ecosystems
  • Natural Selection
  • Natural Selection: Engineering Internship
  • Evolutionary History
Grade 8: Physical Science 
  • Launch: Harnessing Human Energy
  • Force and Motion
  • Force and Motion: Engineering Internship
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Thermal Energy
  • Phase Change
  • Phase Change: Engineering Internship
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Light Waves

Minnesota Academic Standards in Science coverage

Amplify Science was designed from the ground up to meet the NGSS, a set of standards that closely align with the K–8 Minnesota Academic Standards in Science (MASS). Therefore, most grade levels’ respective set of Amplify Science units address the necessary MASS (see K–5 reverse alignment and/or correlations for K–5 and 6–8). However, for grades 2–4, teachers should also use the resources provided in the sections below to achieve full coverage of the appropriate standards before their students move on to the next grade level. Organized by grade level, each section outlines:

  • companion lesson materials that were written to support 100% alignment to the Minnesota Academic Standards in Science when used with the core Amplify Science units for the grade level
  • the standard being addressed with each companion lesson; and
  • the recommended placement of each companion lesson within a specific Amplify Science unit 

Companion lesson: “Shelter”

Standard: 1P.4.2.2.1 Communicate solutions that use materials to provide shelter, food, or warmth needs for communities including Minnesota American Indian tribes and communities.* (P: 8, CC: 2, CI: PS1, ETS2)

Recommended placement: Following Lesson 5.1 of Spinning Earth

Materials: Shelter Classroom Slides and Student Sheet

Companion lesson: “Describing Climates”

Standard: 2E.4.2.1.2 Obtain and use information from multiple sources, including electronic sources, to describe climates in different regions of the world.** (P: 8, CC: 1, CI: ESS2)

Recommended placement: Following Lesson 4.5 of Changing Landforms

Materials: Describing Climates Classroom Slides and Student Sheet

Note: Students will further investigate the content in this standard, and revisit the book used in this companion lesson, in 3rd grade (Weather and Climate unit)

Companion lesson 1: Light and Vision

Standard: 3P.3.1.1.1 Develop a model to describe that light reflecting from objects and entering the eye allows objects to be seen. (P: 2, CC: 2, CI: PS4)

Recommended placement: Following Lesson 4.5 of Environments and Survival

Materials: Light and Vision Part 1 Classroom Slides and Student Sheet; Light and Vision Part 2 Classroom Slides and Student Sheet 

Note: Students will further investigate the content in this standard, and revisit the book used in this companion lesson, in 4th grade (Vision and Light unit)

Companion lesson 2: Studying Stars

Standard: 3E.4.2.2.1 Gather information and communicate how Minnesota American Indian Tribes and communities and other cultures use patterns in stars to make predictions and plans. (P 8, CC: 1, CI: ESS1) 

Recommended placement: Following Lesson 4.4 of Weather and Climate

Materials: Studying Stars Classroom Slides and Student Sheet

Note: Students will further investigate the content in this standard, and revisit the book used in this companion lesson, in 5th grade (Patterns of Earth and Sky unit)

Companion lesson 1: Salt Water and Freshwater

Standard: 4E.2.2.1.1 Interpret charts, maps and/or graphs of the amounts of salt water and fresh water in various reservoirs to provide evidence about the distribution of water on Earth.** (P: 5, CC: 4, CI: ESS2) 

Recommended placement: Following Lesson 2.6 of Earth’s’ Features

Materials: Salt Water and Freshwater Classroom Slides and Student Sheet

Note: Students will further investigate the content in this standard, and revisit the book used in this companion lesson, in 5th grade (The Earth System unit)

Companion lesson 2: How Raindrops Form

Standard: 4E.1.1.1.2 Ask questions about how water moves through the Earth system and identify the type of question. (P: 1, CC: 5, CI: ESS2) 

Recommended placement: Following Lesson 4.5 of Earth’s’ Features

Materials: How Raindrops Form Classroom Slides and Student Sheet

Note: Students will further investigate the content in this standard, and revisit the book used in this companion lesson, in 5th grade (The Earth System unit)

Explore the digital Teacher’s Guide

To familiarize yourself with navigation of the digital Teacher’s Guide, watch our navigational guide videos:

Grades K–5:

Grades 6–8:

Looking for help?

Powerful (and free!) pedagogical support

Amplify provides a unique kind of support you won’t find from other publishers. We’ve developed an educational support team of former teachers and administrators who provide pedagogical support for every Amplify curriculum, assessment, and intervention program. This service is completely free for all educators who are using our programs and includes:

  • Guidance for developing lesson plans and intervention plans.
  • Information on where to locate standards and other planning materials.
  • Recommendations and tips for day-to-day teaching with Amplify programs.
  • Support with administering and interpreting assessment data and more.

Timely technical and program support

Our technical and program support is included and available Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, through a variety of channels, including a live chat program that enables teachers to get immediate help in the middle of the school day.

Ready to dive in?

Contact your Minnesota representative:
Kristi Stengel
Account Executive
kstengel@amplify.com
(612) 306-3941

Tammy Sigwarth
Account Executive
tsigwarth@amplify.com
(563) 663-0056

A powerful partnership

Amplify Science was developed by the science education experts at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and the digital learning team at Amplify.

The word "Amplify" is written in orange bold letters with a period at the end against a white background.
The logo for The Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley, features blue text on a light background and is recognized by educators using Amplify Science for middle school science programs.

Back to school 2020–21 updates

Back to school 2020 is coming! Click here for more information on all of the improvements and new features we’re adding to Amplify Science for the new school year.

Program introduction

Onboarding: what to expect

Welcome to Amplify Science! To help you know what’s coming next, we created the following outline of the steps of the onboarding process. You can use it as a reference.

Administrators receive launch email

  • Share the information with teachers
  • Submit the shipping survey sent to your email

Log In

  • Go to learning.amplify.com
  • Click on Log in with Clever or Google 
  • Enter your FCPS credentials
  • Demo Account for full access to Amplify Curriculum without access to personalized class rosters:
    • Go to learning.amplify.com
    • Click on login with Amplify
    • Username: t.Fayette2020@tryamplify.net
    • Password:  AmplifyNumber1

Ensure you have received all materials and components

  • Teachers have access to a series of “Unboxing your materials kit” videos. If you’re interested in watching those, click here.

Check out the professional learning opportunities and/or access the Getting Started Resources below.

If you need assistance, please see the help resources or reach out to your Educational Partnerships Manager or PD manager at caffleck@amplify.com, pworks@amplify.com with any questions.

K–5 resources

To ensure your first day using Amplify Science in the classroom is as seamless and smooth as possible, we recommend reviewing the following checklist before the first day of school.

A graphic with the text "Pre-launch checklist for teachers" and an orange "Download PDF" button below. An icon of a checklist with a down arrow is on the left.

What’s coming to my school?

Each unit of Amplify Science comes with a hands-on materials kit. Each hands-on materials kit arrives in one to three boxes and contains:

  • Consumable materials for two uses of 25 or 36 students (depending on school purchase)
  • Non-consumable materials
  • Classroom wall materials
  • Premium print materials (card sorts, vocabulary rings, etc.).
  • 18 copies of each Student Book (5 titles each unit, K–1 will receive 5 big books per unit)
  • A blackline master of the Student Investigation Notebook

You can find complete materials lists for each unit in the following PDF. This information is also available in the digital Teacher’s Guide within the program.

Button for downloading a PDF of a K-5 materials list. An icon of a document with a downward arrow is on the left.

Onboarding videos

Our team has created a series of short videos to help get you started with Amplify Science:

What’s online?

Planning strategies

How to log in and navigate

NGSS introduction

Planning guides

As you prepare to plan for a unit, download our planning guides to help walk you through the most important resources to locate in either the print or digital Teacher’s Guide to help you plan:

    Additional resources

    If you’re interested in learning more about each unit’s anchor phenomena, the Student Books in each unit, and more program features, download the resources below:

      Welcome to Amplify Science 6–8!

      Amplify Science is an engaging core curriculum designed for three-dimensional, phenomena-based learning.

      With Amplify Science, Detroit students don’t just passively learn about science concepts. Instead, they take on the role of scientists and engineers to actively investigate and figure out real-world phenomena. They do this through a blend of cohesive and compelling storylines, hands-on investigations, collaborative discussions, literacy-rich activities, and interactive digital tools.

      What is Amplify Science?

      The Lawrence Hall of Science

      Developed by the science education experts at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and the digital learning team at Amplify, our program features:

      • A phenomena-based approach where students construct a complex understanding of each unit’s anchor phenomenon.
      • A blend of cohesive storylines, hands-on investigations, rich discussions, literacy-rich activities, and digital tools.
      • Carefully crafted units, chapters, lessons, and activities designed to deliver true three-dimensional learning.
      • An instructional design that supports all learners in accessing all standards.

      Proven to work

      WestEd Randomized
      Control Trial for Grade 1

      Read More

      WestEd Randomized
      Control Trial for Grade 7

      Read More

      Amplify Science NE
      Grades K–5

      Read More

      Instructional model

      The Amplify Science program is rooted in the proven, research-based pedagogy of Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize. Here’s how each element works:

      Do

      First-hand investigations are an important part of any science classroom, and Amplify Science has students getting hands-on in every unit—from building models of protein molecules to experimenting with electrical systems.

      Talk

      Student-to-student discourse and full-class discussions are an integral part of the program. Students are provided with numerous opportunities to engage in meaningful oral scientific argumentation, all while fostering a collaborative classroom environment.

      Read

      Students read scientific articles, focusing their reading activities on searching for evidence related to their investigation and, importantly, on asking and recording questions as they read through fascinating texts on 21st-century topics.

      Write

      Following real-world practices, students write scientific arguments based on evidence they’ve collected, making clear their reasoning about how a given piece of evidence connects to one of several claims.

      Visualize

      By manipulating digital simulations and using modeling tools to craft visualizations of their thinking— just as real scientists and engineers
      do—students take their learning far beyond the confines of what they can physically see in the classroom in an exciting and authentic way.

      Program structure

      Our cyclical lesson design ensures students receive multiple exposures to concepts through a variety of modalities. As they progress through the lessons within a unit, students build and deepen their understanding, increasing their ability to develop and refine complex explanations of the unit’s phenomenon.

      It’s this proven program structure and lesson design that enables Amplify Science to address 100% of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and support students in mastering the Pennsylvania Science Standards.

      Flowchart depicting a critical thinking process with four circular nodes connected by arrows, each node representing a step: posing a real-world problem, exploring evidence, elaborating concepts, and evaluating claims.

      Unit types

      While every unit delivers three-dimensional learning experiences and engages students in gathering evidence from a rich collection of sources, each unit also serves a unique instructional purpose.

      In grades 6–8:

      • One unit is a launch unit.
      • Three units are core units.
      • Two units are engineering internships.

      Launch units are the first units taught in each year of Amplify Science. The goal of the Launch unit is to introduce students to norms, routines, and practices that will be built on throughout the year, including argumentation, active reading, and using the program’s technology. For example, rather than taking the time to explain the process of active reading in every unit in a given year, it is explained thoroughly in the Launch unit, thereby preparing students to read actively in all subsequent units.

      Core units establish the context of the unit by introducing students to a real-world problem. As students move through lessons in a Core unit, they figure out the unit’s anchoring phenomenon, gain an understanding of the unit’s disciplinary core ideas and science and engineering practices, and make linkages across topics through the crosscutting concepts. Each Core unit culminates with a Science Seminar and final writing activity.

      Engineering Internship units invite students to design solutions for real-world problems as interns for a fictional company called Futura. Students figure out how to help those in need, from tsunami victims in Sri Lanka to premature babies, through the application of engineering practices. In the process, they apply and deepen their learning from Core units.

      Unit sequence

      Our lessons follow a structure that is grounded in regular routines while still being flexible enough to allow for a variety of learning experiences.

      In fact, our multi-modal instruction offers more opportunities for students to construct meaning, and practice and apply concepts than any other program. What’s more, our modular design means our units can be flexibly arranged to support your instructional goals.

      Three columns listing education curriculum topics for grades 6, 7, and 8, focusing on science themes such as microbiomes, mars geology, and harnessing human energy.

      Program components

      Available digitally and in print, our unit-specific reference guides are chock-full of helpful resources, including scientific background knowledge, planning information and resources, color-coded 3D Statements, detailed lesson plans, tips for delivering instruction, and differentiation strategies.

      Amplify Science TG

      Hands-on learning is an essential part of Amplify Science, and is integrated into every unit. Students actively participate in science, playing the roles of scientists and engineers as they gather evidence, think critically, solve problems, and develop and defend claims about the world around them. Every unit includes hands-on investigations that are critical to achieving the unit’s learning goals.

      A young person wearing gloves looks through a microscope at a table with laboratory supplies, including bottles, slides, and a tray, against a plain blue background.

      More hands-on with Flextensions:
      Hands-on Flextensions are additional, optional investigations that are included at logical points in the learning progression and give students an opportunity to dig deeper if time permits. These activities offer teachers flexibility to choose to dedicate more time to hands-on learning. Materials referenced in Hands-on Flextension activities will either be included in the unit kit or are easily sourced. Supporting resources such as student worksheets will be included as downloadable PDF files.

      Our kits include enough materials to support 200 student uses. In other words, teachers can easily support all five periods and small groups of 4-5 students each. Plus, our unit-specific kits mean teachers just grab the tub they need and then put it all back with ease.

      Assorted office and household items displayed on a white background, including rubber bands, binder clips, cardboard, and sports balls.

      Our digital Simulations and Practice Tools are powerful resources for exploration, data collection, and student collaboration. They allow students the ability to explore scientific concepts that might otherwise be invisible or impossible to see with the naked eye.

      Available for every unit, our Student Investigation Notebooks contain instructions for activities and space for students to record data and observations, reflect on ideas from texts and investigations, and construct explanations and arguments.

      In grades 6–8, one copy of the Student Investigation Notebook is included in each unit’s materials kit for use as a blackline master. Each notebook is also available as a downloadable PDF on the Unit Guide page of the digital Teacher’s Guide.

      Two booklets titled "El clima cambiante de la Tierra: la desaparición del hielo" and "Earth’s Changing Climate: Vanishing Ice" with landscape illustrations on the covers.

      These customizable PowerPoints are available for every lesson of the program and make delivering instruction a snap with visual prompts, colorful activity instructions, investigation set-up videos and animations, and suggested teacher talk in the notes section of each slide.

      Amplify Science Classroom Slides

      Explore your print samples

      With your Amplify Science print samples, you’ll find unit-specific Teacher’s References Guides and Student Investigation Notebooks for each grade level.

      A note about the Teacher’s Reference Guides:

      It’s important that your committee sees the full breadth and depth of our instruction. For that reason, we provided a copy of each of our unit-specific Teacher Reference Guides.

      Rest assured that teachers do not use these robust reference guides for day-to-day teaching. For that, we have a hands-free TG!

      Three laptop screens displaying educational content on earth's energy system, including diagrams and text annotations.
      • Teacher Reference Guide: Unlike a typical TG that requires a series of supplemental books to support it, our encyclopedic reference guide is chock-full of everything a teacher needs to fully implement our program and the NGSS.
      • Ready-to-Teach Lesson Slides: For daily instruction, teachers need their hands free. That’s why we created ready-to-teach lesson slides for every single lesson. What’s more, they are editable and include suggested teacher talk and point-of-use differentiation and other instructional tips. Click to learn more.

      A note about the Materials Kits:

      Hands-on learning is at the heart of Amplify Science, and is integrated into every unit. In order to make hands-on learning more manageable for busy teachers, Amplify Science materials are organized into unit-specific kits.

      Stacked storage bins with labels, arranged neatly; caption notes they are a sample and may not reflect actual quantities or sizes.

      Our unit-specific kits:

      • Include more materials — We give teachers enough materials to support 200 student uses.
      • Are more manageable — Unlike other programs that require large groups of students to share limited sets of materials, our kits include enough to support small groups of 4–5 students.
      • Include supportive videos — Each hands-on activity provides clear instructions for the teacher, with more complex activities supported by video demonstrations and illustrations.

      At your request, we did not include our materials kits with our submissions samples. However, we did provide grade-specific lists of all materials included in each kit, which you can also find with the links below.

      Access your digital samples

      Explore as a teacher

      Follow these instructions to explore the Amplify Science digital platform as a teacher.

      • Click the Access Amplify Science Platform button below and bookmark it.
      • Select Log in with Amplify.
      • Enter the username: t1.dps68sci@demo.tryamplify.net
      • Enter the password: Amplify1-dps68sci
      • Click the Science icon.
      • Click on the Grade Menu in the top center of the screen and select any grade.
      • Select any unit.
      Access Amplify Science Platform

      To help familiarize yourself with navigating the digital platform, watch the below navigational video.

      Spanish-language support

      Amplify Science is committed to providing support to meet the needs of all learners, including multiple access points for Spanish-speaking students. Developed in conjunction with Spanish-language experts and classroom teachers, several components are available in Spanish across the Amplify Science curriculum.

      Spanish-language materials include:

      COMPONENTTEACHER/STUDENT
      Student Investigation NotebooksStudent
      Science articlesStudent
      Video TranscriptsStudent
      Digital simulation translation keysStudent
      Printed classroom materials
      Unit and chapter questions, key concepts, vocabulary cards, etc.      		Teacher
      CopymastersTeacher
      AssessmentsTeacher
      Digital student experience license
      This license gives students access to the student resources in Spanish, including instructional text, articles, and assessments. Teachers can control student access to Spanish-language content through the digital Teacher’s Guide.      		Teacher
      Spanish teacher support license
      This license includes teacher talk, projections, downloadable PDFs of all print resources, and video transcripts and closed captioning in Spanish.      		Teacher

      Explore as a student

      Follow these instructions to explore the Amplify Science digital platform as a student.

      • Click the Access Amplify Science Platform button below and bookmark it.
      • Select Log in with Amplify.
      • Enter the username: s1.dpsscience@demo.tryamplify.net
      • Enter the password: Amplify1-dpsscience
      • Click the Science icon.
      • Click on the Grade Menu in the top center of the screen and select any grade.
      • Select any unit.
      Access Amplify Science Platform

      Resources to support your review

      What’s New for Amplify Science 6–8!

      Denver Public Schools (DPS), check out what’s new from Amplify Science 6-8!  The first part of this site will take you through the updates that have been made to Amplify Science. The second will be a refresher of Amplify Science for any new users in DPS. With Amplify Science, DPS students don’t just passively learn about science concepts. Instead, they take on the role of scientists and engineers to actively investigate and figure out real-world phenomena. With culturally sustaining pedagogy, Amplify Science strives to make sure every student feels included in the science classroom.

      Two students collaborating on a project using a laptop in a classroom filled with other students working in the background.

      Update: The Digital Experience

      The digital experience allows students to engage with digital lessons and provides teachers with everything they need in one place—ready-to-use slides-based lessons, seamlessly integrated teacher prompts and guidance, robust PD resources, and more. It’s now easier and more engaging than ever to plan lessons, present digital content, and review student work. To learn more, click here.

      Update: The PD Library

      All professional development (PD) content is consolidated into the PD Library, a one-stop hub for all your self-paced PD needs. As a result, the “Professional Learning Resources” tile will no longer be available on the main Amplify Science Program Hub page. The rest of the non-PD content in the Program Hub will remain as is, including the on-demand resources.

      Update: Educator & Student Home expansion

      Educator and Student Home landing pages will now be available for all Amplify Science users. This Home page provides a central location to access all Amplify programs in one place and a customized stream based on your activity.

      Your Amplify Science grades 6–8 students will no longer access My Work for assignments, scores, and teacher feedback. Instead, they’ll find it all on Student Home, the page they already land on when logging in to Amplify Science.

      Keep in mind: Amplify Science middle school teachers will continue to have access to Classwork.

      Update: Caregiver Hub

      Throughout the school year, teachers can share the Amplify Science Caregiver Hub with students’ families. This site provides curriculum details, an overview of what caregivers can expect throughout the school year, and resources they can use with students at home.

      What is Amplify Science?

      The Lawrence Hall of Science

      Developed by the science education experts at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and the digital learning team at Amplify, our program features:

      • A phenomena-based approach where students construct a complex understanding of each unit’s anchor phenomenon.
      • A blend of cohesive storylines, hands-on investigations, rich discussions, literacy-rich activities, and digital tools.
      • Carefully crafted units, chapters, lessons, and activities designed to deliver true three-dimensional learning.
      • An instructional design that supports all learners in accessing all standards.
      Aerial view of the lawrence hall of science at the university of california, berkeley, showcasing the building and surrounding trees with a foggy city backdrop.

      Proven to work

      WestEd Randomized
      Control Trial for Grade 1

      Read More

      WestEd Randomized
      Control Trial for Grade 7

      Read More

      Amplify Science NE
      Grades K–5

      Read More

      Instructional model

      The Amplify Science program is rooted in the proven, research-based pedagogy of Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize. Here’s how each element works:

      Do

      First-hand investigations are an important part of any science classroom, and Amplify Science has students getting hands-on in every unit—from building models of protein molecules to experimenting with electrical systems.

      Talk

      Student-to-student discourse and full-class discussions are an integral part of the program. Students are provided with numerous opportunities to engage in meaningful oral scientific argumentation, all while fostering a collaborative classroom environment.

      Read

      Students read scientific articles, focusing their reading activities on searching for evidence related to their investigation and, importantly, on asking and recording questions as they read through fascinating texts on 21st-century topics.

      Write

      Following real-world practices, students write scientific arguments based on evidence they’ve collected, making clear their reasoning about how a given piece of evidence connects to one of several claims.

      Visualize

      By manipulating digital simulations and using modeling tools to craft visualizations of their thinking— just as real scientists and engineers
      do—students take their learning far beyond the confines of what they can physically see in the classroom in an exciting and authentic way.

      Program structure

      Our cyclical lesson design ensures students receive multiple exposures to concepts through a variety of modalities. As they progress through the lessons within a unit, students build and deepen their understanding, increasing their ability to develop and refine complex explanations of the unit’s phenomenon.

      It’s this proven program structure and lesson design that enables Amplify Science to address 100% of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and support students in mastering the Pennsylvania Science Standards.

      Flowchart depicting a critical thinking process with four circular nodes connected by arrows, each node representing a step: posing a real-world problem, exploring evidence, elaborating concepts, and evaluating claims.

      Unit types

      While every unit delivers three-dimensional learning experiences and engages students in gathering evidence from a rich collection of sources, each unit also serves a unique instructional purpose.

      In grades 6–8:

      • One unit is a launch unit.
      • Three units are core units.
      • Two units are engineering internships.

      Launch units are the first units taught in each year of Amplify Science. The goal of the Launch unit is to introduce students to norms, routines, and practices that will be built on throughout the year, including argumentation, active reading, and using the program’s technology. For example, rather than taking the time to explain the process of active reading in every unit in a given year, it is explained thoroughly in the Launch unit, thereby preparing students to read actively in all subsequent units.

      Core units establish the context of the unit by introducing students to a real-world problem. As students move through lessons in a Core unit, they figure out the unit’s anchoring phenomenon, gain an understanding of the unit’s disciplinary core ideas and science and engineering practices, and make linkages across topics through the crosscutting concepts. Each Core unit culminates with a Science Seminar and final writing activity.

      Engineering Internship units invite students to design solutions for real-world problems as interns for a fictional company called Futura. Students figure out how to help those in need, from tsunami victims in Sri Lanka to premature babies, through the application of engineering practices. In the process, they apply and deepen their learning from Core units.

      DPS Scope and Sequence

      Our lessons follow a structure that is grounded in regular routines while still being flexible enough to allow for a variety of learning experiences.

      In fact, our multi-modal instruction offers more opportunities for students to construct meaning, and practice and apply concepts than any other program. What’s more, our modular design means our units can be flexibly arranged to support your instructional goals.

      Un gráfico que muestra los cursos de ciencias para los grados 6 a 8. Cada grado tiene una lista de clases categorizadas como Launch, GROW y GOAT, con el título de cada curso y la duración en minutos o días.

      Program components

      Available digitally and in print, our unit-specific reference guides are chock-full of helpful resources, including scientific background knowledge, planning information and resources, color-coded 3D Statements, detailed lesson plans, tips for delivering instruction, and differentiation strategies.

      Amplify Science TG

      Hands-on learning is an essential part of Amplify Science, and is integrated into every unit. Students actively participate in science, playing the roles of scientists and engineers as they gather evidence, think critically, solve problems, and develop and defend claims about the world around them. Every unit includes hands-on investigations that are critical to achieving the unit’s learning goals.

      A young person wearing gloves looks through a microscope at a table with laboratory supplies, including bottles, slides, and a tray, against a plain blue background.

      More hands-on with Flextensions:
      Hands-on Flextensions are additional, optional investigations that are included at logical points in the learning progression and give students an opportunity to dig deeper if time permits. These activities offer teachers flexibility to choose to dedicate more time to hands-on learning. Materials referenced in Hands-on Flextension activities will either be included in the unit kit or are easily sourced. Supporting resources such as student worksheets will be included as downloadable PDF files.

      Our kits include enough materials to support 200 student uses. In other words, teachers can easily support all five periods and small groups of 4-5 students each. Plus, our unit-specific kits mean teachers just grab the tub they need and then put it all back with ease.

      Assorted office and household items displayed on a white background, including rubber bands, binder clips, cardboard, and sports balls.

      Our digital Simulations and Practice Tools are powerful resources for exploration, data collection, and student collaboration. They allow students the ability to explore scientific concepts that might otherwise be invisible or impossible to see with the naked eye.

      Available for every unit, our Student Investigation Notebooks contain instructions for activities and space for students to record data and observations, reflect on ideas from texts and investigations, and construct explanations and arguments.

      In grades 6–8, one copy of the Student Investigation Notebook is included in each unit’s materials kit for use as a blackline master. Each notebook is also available as a downloadable PDF on the Unit Guide page of the digital Teacher’s Guide.

      Two booklets titled "El clima cambiante de la Tierra: la desaparición del hielo" and "Earth’s Changing Climate: Vanishing Ice" with landscape illustrations on the covers.

      These customizable PowerPoints are available for every lesson of the program and make delivering instruction a snap with visual prompts, colorful activity instructions, investigation set-up videos and animations, and suggested teacher talk in the notes section of each slide.

      Amplify Science Classroom Slides

      Explore your print samples

      With your Amplify Science print samples, you’ll find unit-specific Teacher’s References Guides, Student Investigation Notebooks, and sets of Student Books for each grade level.

      A note about the Teacher Reference Guides:

      It’s important that you see the full breadth and depth of our instruction. For that reason, we provide a copy of each of our unit-specific Teacher Reference Guides.

      Rest assured that teachers do not use these robust reference guides for day-to-day teaching. For that, we have a hands-free Teacher’s Guide!

      Three laptop screens displaying educational content on earth's energy system, including diagrams and text annotations.
      • Teacher Reference Guide: Unlike a typical TG that requires a series of supplemental books to support it, our encyclopedic reference guide is chock-full of everything a teacher needs to fully implement our program and the NGSS.
      • Ready-to-Teach Lesson Slides: For daily instruction, teachers need their hands free. That’s why we created ready-to-teach lesson slides for every single lesson. What’s more, they are editable and include suggested teacher talk and point-of-use differentiation and other instructional tips. Click to learn more.

      A note about the Materials Kits:

      Hands-on learning is at the heart of Amplify Science, and is integrated into every unit. In order to make hands-on learning more manageable for busy teachers, Amplify Science materials are organized into unit-specific kits.

      Stacked storage bins with labels, arranged neatly; caption notes they are a sample and may not reflect actual quantities or sizes.

      Our unit-specific kits:

      • Include more materials — We give teachers enough materials to support 200 student uses.
      • Are more manageable — Unlike other programs that require large groups of students to share limited sets of materials, our kits include enough to support small groups of 4–5 students.
      • Include supportive videos — Each hands-on activity provides clear instructions for the teacher, with more complex activities supported by video demonstrations and illustrations.

      At your request, we did not include our materials kits with our submissions samples. However, we did provide grade-specific lists of all materials included in each kit, which you can also find with the links below.

      Access your digital samples

      Explore as a teacher

      Follow these instructions to explore the Amplify Science digital platform as a teacher.

      • Click the Access Amplify Science Platform button below and bookmark it.
      • Select Log in with Amplify.
      • Enter the username: t1.dps68sci@demo.tryamplify.net
      • Enter the password: Amplify1-dps68sci
      • Click the Science icon.
      • Click on the Grade Menu in the top center of the screen and select any grade.
      • Select any unit.
      Access Amplify Science Platform

      To help familiarize yourself with navigating the digital platform, watch the below navigational video.

      Spanish-language support

      Amplify Science is committed to providing support to meet the needs of all learners, including multiple access points for Spanish-speaking students. Developed in conjunction with Spanish-language experts and classroom teachers, several components are available in Spanish across the Amplify Science curriculum.

      Spanish-language materials include:

      COMPONENTTEACHER/STUDENT
      Student Investigation NotebooksStudent
      Science articlesStudent
      Video TranscriptsStudent
      Digital simulation translation keysStudent
      Printed classroom materials
      Unit and chapter questions, key concepts, vocabulary cards, etc.      		Teacher
      CopymastersTeacher
      AssessmentsTeacher
      Digital student experience license
      This license gives students access to the student resources in Spanish, including instructional text, articles, and assessments. Teachers can control student access to Spanish-language content through the digital Teacher’s Guide.      		Teacher
      Spanish teacher support license
      This license includes teacher talk, projections, downloadable PDFs of all print resources, and video transcripts and closed captioning in Spanish.      		Teacher

      Resources to support your review

      Contact Us

      If you have any further questions as your review Amplify Science, please contact:

      Monty Lammers

      Senior Account Executive

      719-964-4501

      mlammers@amplify.com

      Amplify Science Overview Video

      Amplify Science 6–8 Form F Citation Video

      Spanish Resources

      List of Amplify Science Spanish resources designed to support multilingual/English learner classrooms and all multilingual models.

      NM Form F Correlations

      Access your digital samples

      For your digital review of Amplify Science 6–8, follow these steps:

      • Locate your Digital Review Flyer in the binder included with your print samples
      • Click the “Log in to 6-8 Amplify Science” button below
      • Enter the unique credentials found on your Digital Review Flyer
      • Start exploring!
      Log in to Amplify Science 6–8

      Don’t forget to view the Amplify Science 6–8 Form F Citation Video above for navigation tips!

      Technical Requirements & Support

      Technical Requirements for Amplify Science 

      For technical/digital support, contact:

      Violet Wanta, VP Product Core Platform
      Cell Phone: 203-980-2076
      Email: vwanta@amplify.com

      Program Knowledge & Additional Support

      For program questions or additional support, contact:

       Matt Reed, VP Science
       Cell Phone: 347-668-4537
       Email: mreed@amplify.com

      Amplify Science Overview Video

      Ampify Science K–5 Form F Citation Video

      NM Form F Correlations

      Spanish Resources

      Amplify Science Spanish resources designed to support multilingual/English learner classrooms and all multilingual models.

      Access your digital samples

      For your digital review of Amplify Science K–5, follow these steps:

      • Locate your Digital Review Flyer in the binder included with your print samples
      • Click the ‘Login to K–5 Amplify Science’ button below
      • Enter the unique credentials found on your Digital Review Flyer
      • Start exploring!
      Login to K–5 Amplify Science

      Don’t forget to view the K–5 Form F Citation Video above for navigation tips!

      Technical Requirements & Support

      Technical Requirements for Amplify Science 

      For technical/digital support, contact:

      Violet Wanta, VP Product Core Platform
      Cell Phone: 203-980-2076
      Email: vwanta@amplify.com

      Program Knowledge & Additional Support

      For program questions or additional support, contact:

       Matt Reed, VP Science
       Cell Phone: 347-668-4537
       Email: mreed@amplify.com

      Spanish supports for Amplify Science

      Amplify Science is committed to providing support to meet the needs of all learners, and includes multiple access points for Spanish-speaking students. Developed in conjunction with Spanish-language experts and classroom teachers, multiple components are available in Spanish across the Amplify Science curriculum.

      Illustration of a village with houses, fields and mountains under a cloudy sky with waves of wind or rain.

      Elementary school

      COMPONENTTEACHER/STUDENT
      Student Investigation NotebookStudent
      Student BooksStudent
      Big Books (Grades K–1)Teacher
      Assessments and copymasters (included in the Unit Materials Notebook)Teacher
      Printed classroom materials (Unit and chapter questions, key concepts, vocabulary cards, etc.)Teacher
      COMPONENTTEACHER/STUDENT
      Student Books with Spanish audio (delivered as part of the digital classroom library add-on license)Student
      Unit Materials notebook, which is located on the Unit Guide and contains all copymasters, print assessments, app guides (i.e. instructions), and video transcripts.Teacher
      ProjectionsTeacher
      All model teacher talkTeacher
      Downloadable PDFs of all print materialsTeacher
      CopymastersTeacher
      Videos, including closed captionsTeacher and student
      Digital Apps (i.e. Sims, Modeling Tools, etc.)Teacher and student
      Completed Argumentation Wall DiagramTeacher

      Middle school

      COMPONENT
      TEACHER/STUDENT

      Student Investigation Notebooks with Article Compilations

      Student

      Video transcripts and Digital simulation translation key Included in the Unit Materials Notebook

      Teacher

      Assessments and copymasters Included in the Unit Materials Notebook

      Teacher

      Printed classroom materials

      Teacher

      Unit and chapter questions, key concepts, vocabulary cards, etc.

      Teacher
      COMPONENT
      TEACHER/STUDENT

      Spanish Student Experience License. Includes access to:

      • Instructional text
      • Articles for download
      • Assessments
      • Videos with audio and closed captions

      Student

      Spanish Teacher Support License. Includes access to:

      • Unit Materials Notebook (located on the Unit Guide and contains all copymasters, print assessments, Active Reading Guidelines, app guides (i.e. instructions), and video transcripts)
      • Projections
      • All model teacher talk
      • Downloadable PDFs of all print materials
      • Copymasters
      • Videos, including closed captions
      • Digital Apps, on a rolling basis (i.e. Sims, Modeling Tools, etc.)
      • Student-view of lesson instructions
      • Completed Argumentation Wall Diagram

      Teacher

      Welcome, K–5 Atlanta Public Schools!

      To view this protected page, enter the password below:



      Review Materials

      Teacher Reference Guides

      It’s important that your committee sees the full breadth and depth of our instruction. For that reason, we provided a copy of each of our unit-specific Teacher Reference Guides. Before you panic, rest assured that teachers do not use these robust reference guides for day-to-day teaching. For that, we have a hands-free TG!

      Amplify Science lesson slides

      • Teacher Reference Guide: Unlike a typical TG that requires a series of supplemental books to support it, our encyclopedic reference guide is chock-full of everything a teacher needs to fully implement our program and the NGSS.
      • Ready-to-Teach Digital Lessons: For daily instruction, teachers need their hands free. That’s why we created ready-to-teach lesson slides for every single lesson What’s more, they are editable and include suggested teacher talk and point-of-use differentiation and other instructional tips. Read this help article to learn more.

      Hands-on kits

      Every unit of our program includes a dedicated hands-on materials kit. Due to the amount of materials involved, we provided your committee two sample kits per grade level. Our unit-specific kits make material management easy for teachers—they grab the tub they need and then put it all back with ease. Plus, items needed for multiple units are duplicated and found in each tub.

      Amplify Science hands-on kits

      Our unit-specific kits:

      • Include more materials — We give you enough non-consumable materials to support 200 student uses.
      • Are more manageable — Unlike other programs that require large groups of students to share limited sets of materials, our kits include enough to support small groups of 4–5 students.
      • Include supportive videos — Each hands-on activity provides clear instructions for the teacher, with more complex activities supported by video demonstrations and illustrations.

      Overview

      Developed by UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, our program features:

      • A phenomena-based approach where students construct a more complex understanding of each unit’s anchor phenomenon.
      • A blend of cohesive storylines, hands-on investigations, rich discussions, literacy-rich activities, and digital tools.
      • Cohesive units, chapters, lessons, and activities designed to deliver true 3-dimensional learning.
      • An instructional design that supports all learners in accessing all standards.

       

      Hands-on investigations

      Literacy integration

      Simulations and modeling tools

      Classroom discussions

      EdReports All-Green

      Amplify Science for grades K–8 has been rated all-green by EdReports.

      Read the review on EdReports.

      Program structure

      Our cyclical lesson design ensures students receive multiple exposures to concepts through a variety of modalities.

      As they progress through the lessons within a unit, students build and deepen their understanding, increasing their ability to develop and refine complex explanations of the unit’s phenomenon. It’s this proven program structure and lesson design that enables Amplify Science to address 100% of the NGSS in fewer days than other programs.

      Navigating an Engineering Internship (Part 2)

      This Part 2 video demonstrates how to use the Futura Workspace to manage the immersive experience of the Engineering Internship units. This includes guidance on how to create student groups, how to review student work, and how to send students targeted feedback on their designs.

      Unit sequence

      Our lessons follow a structure that is grounded in regular routines while still being flexible enough to allow for a variety of learning experiences.

      In fact, our multi-modal instruction offers more opportunities for students to construct meaning, and practice and apply concepts than any other program. What’s more, our modular design means our units can be flexibly arranged to support your instructional goals.

      Unit 1

      Microbiome

      Domain: Life Science

      Unit type: Launch

      Student role: Microbiological researchers

      Phenomenon: The presence of 100 trillion microorganisms living on and in the human body may keep the body healthy.  

      Unit 2

      Metabolism

      Domain: Life Science

      Unit type: Core

      Student role: Medical researchers

      Phenomenon: Elisa, a young patient, feels tired all the time.  

      See how this unit works

      Unit 3

      Metabolism Engineering Internship

      Domains: Life Science, Engineering Design

      Unit type: Engineering internship

      Student role: Food engineers

      Phenomenon: Designing health bars with different molecular compositions can effectively meet the metabolic needs of patients or rescue workers.  

      Unit 4

      Traits and Reproduction

      Domain: Life Science

      Unit type: Core

      Student role: Biomedical students

      Phenomenon: Darwin’s bark spider offspring have different silk flexibility traits, even though they have the same parents.  

      See how this unit works

      Unit 5

      Thermal Energy

      Domain: Physical Science

      Unit type: Core

      Student role: Thermal scientists

      Phenomenon: One of two proposed heating systems for Riverdale School will best heat the school.  

      See how this unit works   

      Unit 6

      Ocean, Atmosphere, and Climate

      Domains: Earth and Space Science, Physical Science

      Unit type: Core

      Student role: Climatologists

      Phenomenon: During El Niño years, the air temperature in Christchurch, New Zealand is cooler than usual.  

      Unit 7

      Weather Patterns

      Domains: Earth and Space Science, Physical Science

      Unit type: Core

      Student role: Forensic meteorologists

      Phenomenon: In recent years, rainstorms in Galetown have been unusually severe.  

      See how this unit works

      Unit 8

      Earth’s Changing Climate

      Domains: Earth and Space Science, Life Science

      Unit type: Core

      Student role: Climatologists

      Phenomenon: The ice on Earth’s surface is melting.  

      See how this unit works

      Unit 9

      Earth’s Changing Climate Engineering Internship

      Domains: Earth and Space Science, Engineering Design

      Unit type: Engineering internship

      Student role: Civil engineers

      Phenomenon: Designing rooftops with different modifications can reduce a city’s impact on climate change.  

      Unit 1

      Geology on Mars

      Domain: Earth and Space Science

      Unit type: Launch

      Student role: Planetary geologists

      Phenomenon: Analyzing data about landforms on Mars can provide evidence that Mars may have once been habitable.  

      Unit 2

      Plate Motion

      Domain: Earth and Space Science

      Unit type: Core

      Student role: Geologists

      Phenomenon: Mesosaurus fossils have been found on continents separated by thousands of kilometers of ocean, even though the Mesosaurus species once lived all together.  

      See how this unit works

      Unit 3

      Plate Motion Engineering Internship

      Domains: Earth and Space Science, Engineering Design

      Unit type: Engineering internship

      Student role: Mechanical engineering interns

      Phenomenon: Patterns in earthquake data can be used to design an effective tsunami warning system.    

      Unit 4

      Rock Transformations

      Domain: Earth and Space Science

      Unit type: Core

      Student role: Geologists

      Phenomenon: Rock samples from the Great Plains and from the Rocky Mountains — regions hundreds of miles apart — look very different, but have surprisingly similar mineral compositions.   

      See how this unit works

      Unit 5

      Phase Change

      Domains: Physical Science, Earth and Space Science

      Unit type: Core

      Student role: Chemists

      Phenomenon: A methane lake on Titan no longer appears in images taken by a space probe two years apart.  

      See how this unit works

      Unit 6

      Phase Change Engineering Internship

      Domains: Engineering Design, Physical Science

      Unit type: Engineering internship

      Student role: Chemical engineering interns

      Phenomenon: Designing portable baby incubators with different combinations of phase change materials can keep babies at a healthy temperature.  

      Unit 7

      Chemical Reactions

      Domains: Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science

      Unit type: Core

      Student role: Forensic chemists

      Phenomenon: A mysterious brown substance has been detected in the tap water of Westfield.  

      See how this unit works

      Unit 8

      Populations and Resources

      Domains: Life Science, Earth and Space Science

      Unit type: Core

      Student role: Biologists

      Phenomenon: The size of the moon jelly population in Glacier Sea has increased.  

      See how this unit works  

      Unit 9

      Matter and Energy in Ecosystems

      Domains: Life Science, Earth and Space Science, Physical Science

      Unit type: Core

      Student role: Ecologists

      Phenomenon: The biodome ecosystem has collapsed.  

      See how this unit works 

      Unit 1

      Harnessing Human Energy

      Domains: Physical Science, Earth and Space Science, Engineering Design

      Unit type: Launch

      Student role: Energy scientists

      Phenomenon: Rescue workers can use their own human kinetic energy to power the electrical devices they use during rescue missions.   

      Unit 2

      Force and Motion

      Domain: Physical Science

      Unit type: Core

      Student role: Physicists

      Phenomenon: The asteroid sample-collecting pod failed to dock at the space station as planned.  

      See how this unit works

      Unit 3

      Force and Motion Engineering Internship

      Domains: Engineering Design, Physical Science

      Unit type: Engineering internship

      Student role: Mechanical engineering interns

      Phenomenon: Designing emergency supply delivery pods with different structures can maintain the integrity of the supply pods and their contents.  

      Unit 4

      Magnetic Fields

      Domain: Physical Science

      Unit type: Core

      Student role: Physicists

      Phenomenon: During a test launch, a spacecraft traveled much faster than expected.  

      Unit 5

      Light Waves

      Domains: Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science

      Unit type: Core

      Student role: Spectroscopists

      Phenomenon: The rate of skin cancer is higher in Australia than in other parts of the world.  

      See how this unit works

      Unit 6

      Earth, Moon, and Sun

      Domains: Earth and Space Science, Physical Science

      Unit type: Core

      Student role: Astronomers

      Phenomenon: An astrophotographer can only take pictures of specific features on the Moon at certain times.  

      Unit 7

      Natural Selection

      Domains: Life Science, Earth and Space Science

      Unit type: Core

      Student role: Biologists

      Phenomenon: The newt population in Oregon State Park has become more poisonous over time.  

      See how this unit works

      Unit 8

      Metabolism Engineering Internship

      Domains: Life Science, Engineering Design

      Unit type: Engineering internship

      Student role: Food engineers

      Phenomenon: Designing health bars with different molecular compositions can effectively meet the metabolic needs of patients or rescue workers.  

      Unit 9

      Evolutionary History

      Domains: Life Science, Earth and Space Science

      Unit type: Core

      Student role: Paleontologists

      Phenomenon: A mystery fossil at the Natural History Museum has similarities with both wolves and whales.    

      See how this unit works

      Access program

      Watch the video to the right plus the ones below showing you how to navigate our digital platform. When you’re ready, follow the instructions below to log into our live demo account.

      • Click the orange button below to access the platform.
      • To explore as a teacher, enter this username (t1.washoemssci@demo.tryamplify.net) and this password ( Amplify1-washoemssci).
      • To explore as a student, enter this username (s1.washoemssci@demo.tryamplify.net) and this password ( Amplify1-washoemssci).
      • Choose your grade level from the drop-down menu.

       

      Access the digital platform now

      Navigating an Engineering Internship (Part 1)

      This Part 1 video demonstrates how Engineering Internship units invite students to design solutions for real-world problems as interns for a fictional company called Futura. In the process, they apply and deepen their learning from Core units.

      Navigating an Engineering Internship (Part 2)

      This Part 2 video demonstrates how to use the Futura Workspace to manage the immersive experience of the Engineering Internship units. This includes guidance on how to create student groups, how to review student work, and how to send students targeted feedback on their designs.

      Navigating our reporting tools

      Teachers of Amplify Science grades 6–8 have access to a feature called Reporting. When unit assessments are administered digitally, the Reporting tool enables teachers to analyze student performance on the unit assessments.

      Differentiation post-assessment

      Every core unit of Amplify Science 6–8 features a formal formative assessment opportunity at the mid-way point, or Critical Juncture, of the unit, which provides an important opportunity for differentiation.

      Resources

      Two middle school girls use a Student Investigation Notebook to take on the role of scientists and engineers

      Course structure for 6–8

      Take a closer look at how the program is organized.

      Unit phenomena for 6–8

      Take a closer look at the middle school unit phenomena featured in each grade level.
      A young person wearing gloves looks through a microscope at a table with laboratory supplies, including bottles, slides, and a tray, against a plain blue background.

      Investigations for 6–8

      Explore the types of investigations that take place in middle school classrooms.
      Amplify Science California supports 3-D learning with more materials than any other program.

      Kit-provided components for 6–8

      See what components come in our materials kits!

      Teacher-provided components for 6–8

      See a list of typical classroom items provided by teachers.
      A laptop screen displaying a map with three ecosystem options, each illustrated by different animal icons and accompanied by relevant data lists.

      Sims for 4–8

      Take a closer look at the digital Simulations included at each grade level.

      Active reading in 6–8

      Learn how we support students in learning how to interact with scientific texts.
      Estudiantes sentados en escritorios, concentrados en escribir en cuadernos y trabajar en computadoras portátiles en un salón de clases.

      Approaches to assessment in 6–8

      Learn about our middle school embedded assessments.

      Welcome to Physical Science

      BACK TO MAIN 6–8 PAGE

      Amplify Science California is so effective you can cover 100% of the NGSS in fewer lessons than other programs.
       
      Plus, you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing we give you enough materials to support 200 students. In fact, our material kits:

      • Support small groups of 4-5 students.
      • Make organization and finding materials easy.
      • Last longer with only one of the nine kits requiring refills.
      A collage of four images: a magnet illustration, hands with a compass and balls, hands holding a bar magnet and ruler, and a graphic of Earth with compass needles.

      What students learn

      Lauren Learner loves science. Watch this video to find out what she learns in second grade. >

      When you’re ready:

      • Find a summary of each unit below including each unit’s student role and anchor phenomenon.
      • Click on the orange “See how the unit works” link to download a helpful Unit Guide. These guides make great companions to busy reviewers looking for a big-picture understanding of how each unit works.
      An illustration from the Harnessing Human Energy unit

      Unit 1

      Harnessing Human Energy

      Student role: Energy scientists

      Phenomenon: Rescue workers can use their own human kinetic energy to power electrical devices used during rescue missions.

      An illustration from the Force and Motion unit

      Unit 2

      Force and Motion

      Student role: Physicists

      Phenomenon: The asteroid sample-collecting pod collided with the docking station and failed to dock as planned.

      See how this unit works

      An illustration from the Force and Motion: Engineering Internship unit

      Unit 3

      Force and Motion Engineering Internship

      Student role: Mechanical engineering interns

      Phenomenon: Designing emergency supply delivery pods with different structures can better protect pods and their contents.

      An illustration from the Magnetic Fields unit

      Unit 4

      Magnetic Fields

      Student role: Physicists

      Phenomenon: During its third magnetic spacecraft launcher test, a model spacecraft far exceeded its target speed.

      An illustration from the Thermal Energy unit

      Unit 5

      Thermal Energy

      Student role: Thermal scientists

      Phenomenon: Riverdale School needs a new heating system. Only one of two proposed systems is the best choice.

      See how this unit works

      An illustration from the Phase Change unit

      Unit 6

      Phase Change

      Student role: Chemists

      Phenomenon: A methane lake on Titan no longer appears in images taken by a space probe two years apart.

      See how this unit works

      An illustration from the Phase Change: Engineering Internship unit

      Unit 7

      Phase Change Engineering Internship

      Student role: Chemical engineering interns

      Phenomenon: Designing portable baby incubators with different phase change materials helps keep babies’ temperatures healthy.

      An illustration from the Chemical Reactions unit

      Unit 8

      Chemical Reactions

      Student role: Forensic chemists

      Phenomenon: A mysterious reddish-brown substance has been detected in the tap water of Westfield.

      See how this unit works

      An illustration from the Light Waves unit

      Unit 9

      Light Waves

      Student role: Spectroscopists

      Phenomenon: The rate of skin cancer in Australia is higher than other parts of the world despite getting the same or less sunlight.

      See how this unit works

      How teachers teach

      Tom Teacher feels confident delivering 3-D instruction with our resources by his side. Watch this video to learn more. >

      When you’re ready:

      • Scroll down and take a closer look at your classroom resources.
      • Click on the orange links below each component to see grade-specific samples.
      Most adopted curriculum for the NGSS California

      Classroom Slides

      These customizable PowerPoints are available for every lesson of the program and make delivering instruction a snap with visual prompts, colorful activity instructions, investigation set-up videos and animations, and suggested teacher talk in the notes section of each slide.

      Video introduction to Classroom Slides

      An educational website open on a laptop displaying a lesson about force and motion: docking failure in space alongside a teacher guide notebook.

      Teacher’s Reference Guide

      Available digitally and in print, our unit-specific reference guides are chock full of helpful resources, including scientific background knowledge, planning information and resources, color-coded 3-D Statements, detailed lesson plans, tips for delivering instruction, and differentiation strategies.

      Login to platform below to access

      Amplify Science California supports 3-D learning with more materials than any other program.

      Materials Kits

      Our kits include enough non-consumable materials to support 200 student uses. In other words, you have enough materials to support all five periods and small groups of 4-5 students each. Plus, our unit-specific kits mean you just grab the tub you need and then put it all back with ease.

      A digital simulation from Amplify Science

      Simulations and Practice Tools

      Our digital Simulations and Practice Tools are powerful resources for exploration, data collection, and student collaboration. They allow students the ability to explore scientific concepts that might otherwise be invisible or impossible to see with the naked eye.

      Video overview of digital tools

      An open book with two pages displaying illustrations of a space docking failure incident, titled in both spanish and english.

      Consumable Notebooks

      Available for every unit, our Student Investigation Notebooks contain instructions for activities and space for students to record data and observations, reflect on ideas from texts and investigations, and construct explanations and arguments.

      Sample Student Investigation Notebook

      Sample Student Investigation Notebook (Spanish)

      Cover of amplify science california student edition grade 8 integrated featuring illustrations of space, animals, and scientific diagrams.

      Student Edition Hardcover

      This durable Student Edition is grade-level specific and contains all of the articles that students refer to throughout the year. Districts may choose to pair these traditional student texts with our digital student experience or new 2-volume consumable notebook set.

      Line drawing of a person using a laptop, with headphones and a line illustration of a rocket launching above their head, symbolizing creativity or inspiration in Boost Reading.


      Coming Soon

      Unlike other publishers, we don’t make you wait until your next adoption to get the latest and greatest from Amplify. We’re always launching new and exciting features. What’s more, we’ll push them out to you even after you adopt us!

      See what’s coming for 2020-2021

      Navigating the program

      Watch this video showing you how to navigate our digital platform. Then following the instructions below. >

      • Click the orange button below to access the platform.
      • Choose the resources you’d like to review.
      • Pick your grade level from the drop-down menu.
      • Scroll down to find additional grade-level resources.
      Access the digital platform now

      Navigating a Launch Unit

      Launch units are the first units taught in each year of the program. The goal of a Launch unit is to introduce students to norms, routines, and practices that will be built on throughout the year.

      Navigating an Engineering Internship

      Engineering Internship units invite students to design solutions for real-world problems as interns for a fictional company called Futura. In the process, they apply and deepen their learning from Core units.

      Navigating a Core Unit

      Core units introduce a real-world problem and support students as they figure out the anchoring phenomenon and gain an understanding of the unit’s DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs.

      Navigating Classwork and Reporting

      Classwork is our new online grading tool that gives you quick and easy access to unreviewed work, student portfolios of work, and automatically generated differentiation groups.

      Welcome to Life Science

      BACK TO MAIN 6–8 PAGE

      Amplify Science California is so effective you can cover 100% of the NGSS in half the time of other programs.

      Plus, you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing we give you enough materials to support 200 students. In fact, our material kits:

      • Support small groups of 4-5 students.
      • Make organization and finding materials easy.
      • Last longer with only one of the nine kits requiring refills.
      Collage of four images: underwater digital art, two students conducting a science experiment, hands constructing a structure from red straws, and an abstract painting of colorful figures.

      What students learn

      Lauren Learner loves science. Watch this video to find out what she learns in second grade. >

      When you’re ready:

      • Find a summary of each unit below including each unit’s student role and anchor phenomenon.
      • Click on the orange “See how the unit works” link to download a helpful Unit Guide. These guides make great companions to busy reviewers looking for a big-picture understanding of how each unit works.
      An illustration from the Microbiome unit

      Unit 1

      Microbiome

      Student role: Microbiological researchers

      Phenomenon: The presence of 100 trillion microorganisms living on and in the human body keeps the body healthy.

      An illustration from the Metabolism unit

      Unit 2

      Metabolism

      Student role: Medical students

      Phenomenon: Elisa, a teenager, is tired all the time. In fact, she can’t get through the day without feeling exhausted.

      See how this unit works

      An illustration from the Metabolism: Engineering Internship unit

      Unit 3

      Metabolism Engineering Internship

      Student role: Food engineers

      Phenomenon: Health bars with different molecular compositions meet the metabolic needs of patients or rescue workers.

      An image from the Traits and Reproduction unit

      Unit 4

      Traits and Reproduction

      Student role: Biomedical students

      Phenomenon: Darwin’s bark spider offspring have different silk flexibility traits, even though they have the same parents.

      An illustration of a whale with jellyfish and turtles from Amplify Science

      Unit 5

      Populations and Resources

      Student role: Biologists

      Phenomenon: The size of the moon jelly population in the fictional Glacier Sea has experienced a puzzling increase.

      See how this unit works

      An illustration from the Matter and Energy unit

      Unit 6

      Matter and Energy in Ecosystems

      Student role: Ecologists

      Phenomenon: A sealed biodome built by a group of Econauts mysteriously crashed despite following the advice of experts.

      See how this unit works

      Cartoon image of a yellow dinosaur among green dinosaurs, all with meat and vegetables on their backs, standing in a grassy landscape.

      Unit 7

      Natural Selection

      Student role: Biologists

      Phenomenon: The rough-skinned newt population in Oregon State Park has become more poisonous over time.

      See how this unit works

      An illustration from the Natural Selection: Engineering Internship unit

      Unit 8

      Natural Selection Engineering Internship

      Student role: Clinical engineers

      Phenomenon: Designing malaria treatment plans that use different combinations of drugs can reduce drug resistance development.

      An illustration from the Evolutionary History unit

      Unit 9

      Evolutionary History

      Student role: Paleontologists

      Phenomenon: A mystery fossil at the Natural History Museum has similarities with both wolves and whales.

      See how this unit works

      How teachers teach

      Tom Teacher feels confident delivering 3-D instruction with our resources by his side. Watch this video to learn more. >

      When you’re ready:

      • Scroll down and take a closer look at your classroom resources.
      • Click on the orange links below each component to see grade-specific samples.
      Most adopted curriculum for the NGSS California

      Classroom Slides

      These customizable PowerPoints are available for every lesson of the program and make delivering instruction a snap with visual prompts, colorful activity instructions, investigation set-up videos and animations, and suggested teacher talk in the notes section of each slide.

      Video introduction to Classroom Slides

      An open teacher's guide and a laptop displaying an educational website on metabolism, featuring colorful chapter thumbnails.

      Teacher’s Reference Guide

      Available digitally and in print, our unit-specific reference guides are chock full of helpful resources, including scientific background knowledge, planning information and resources, color-coded 3-D Statements, detailed lesson plans, tips for delivering instruction, and differentiation strategies.

      Login to platform below to access

      Assorted laboratory supplies including beakers, measuring cylinders, test tubes, pipettes, thermometers, and chemical reagents on a white background.

      Materials Kits

      Our kits include enough non-consumable materials to support 200 student uses. In other words, you have enough materials to support all five periods and small groups of 4-5 students each. Plus, our unit-specific kits mean you just grab the tub you need and then put it all back with ease.

      A digital simulation from Amplify Science

      Simulations and Practice Tools

      Our digital Simulations and Practice Tools are powerful resources for exploration, data collection, and student collaboration. They allow students the ability to explore scientific concepts that might otherwise be invisible or impossible to see with the naked eye.

      Video overview of digital tools

      Two textbooks titled amplify science, one in spanish and english, featuring a spider on web the cover.

      Consumable Notebooks

      Available for every unit, our Student Investigation Notebooks contain instructions for activities and space for students to record data and observations, reflect on ideas from texts and investigations, and construct explanations and arguments.

      Sample Student Investigation Notebook

      Sample Student Investigation Notebook (Spanish)

      Illustration for amplify science textbook cover, featuring a woman scientist with various science symbols like dna, parrot, rocket, and dinosaur on stylized background.

      Student Edition Hardcover

      This durable Student Edition is grade-level specific and contains all of the articles that students refer to throughout the year. Districts may choose to pair these traditional student texts with our digital student experience or new 2-volume consumable notebook set.

      Line drawing of a person using a laptop, with headphones and a line illustration of a rocket launching above their head, symbolizing creativity or inspiration in Boost Reading.


      Coming Soon

      Unlike other publishers, we don’t make you wait until your next adoption to get the latest and greatest from Amplify. We’re always launching new and exciting features. What’s more, we’ll push them out to you even after you adopt us!

      See what’s coming for 2020-2021

      Navigating the program

      Watch this video showing you how to navigate our digital platform. Then following the instructions below. >

      • Click the orange button below to access the platform.
      • Choose the resources you’d like to review.
      • Pick your grade level from the drop-down menu.
      • Scroll down to find additional grade-level resources.
      Access the digital platform now

      Navigating a Launch Unit

      Launch units are the first units taught in each year of the program. The goal of a Launch unit is to introduce students to norms, routines, and practices that will be built on throughout the year.

      Navigating an Engineering Internship

      Engineering Internship units invite students to design solutions for real-world problems as interns for a fictional company called Futura. In the process, they apply and deepen their learning from Core units.

      Navigating a Core Unit

      Core units introduce a real-world problem and support students as they figure out the anchoring phenomenon and gain an understanding of the unit’s DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs.

      Navigating Classwork and Reporting

      Classwork is our new online grading tool that gives you quick and easy access to unreviewed work, student portfolios of work, and automatically generated differentiation groups.

      Welcome to Grade 8

      BACK TO MAIN 6–8 PAGE

      Amplify Science California is so effective you can cover 100% of the NGSS in fewer lessons than other programs.
       
      Plus, you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing we give you enough materials to support 200 students. In fact, our material kits:

      • Support small groups of 4-5 students.
      • Make organization and finding materials easy.
      • Last longer with only one of the nine kits requiring refills.
      Collage of four images: a spaceship in space, hands using a glue gun on crafts, a solar panel connected to bulbs, and an illustration of a person surfing with neon effects.

      What students learn

      Lauren Learner loves science. Watch this video to find out what she learns in eigth grade. >

      When you’re ready:

      • Find a summary of each unit below including each unit’s student role and anchor phenomenon.
      • Click on the orange “See how the unit works” link to download a helpful Unit Guide. These guides make great companions to busy reviewers looking for a big-picture understanding of how each unit works.
      An illustration from the Harnessing Human Energy unit

      Unit 1

      Harnessing Human Energy

      Student role: Energy scientists

      Phenomenon: Rescue workers can use their own human kinetic energy to power electrical devices used during rescue missions.

      An illustration from the Force and Motion unit

      Unit 2

      Force and Motion

      Student role: Physicists

      Phenomenon: The asteroid sample-collecting pod collided with the docking station and failed to dock as planned.

      See how this unit works

      An illustration from the Force and Motion: Engineering Internship unit

      Unit 3

      Force and Motion Engineering Internship

      Student role: Mechanical engineering interns

      Phenomenon: Designing emergency supply delivery pods with different structures can better protect pods and their contents.

      An illustration from the Magnetic Fields unit

      Unit 4

      Magnetic Fields

      Student role: Physicists

      Phenomenon: During its third magnetic spacecraft launcher test, a model spacecraft far exceeded its target speed.

      An illustration from the Light Waves unit

      Unit 5

      Light Waves

      Student role: Spectroscopists

      Phenomenon: The rate of skin cancer in Australia is higher than other parts of the world despite getting the same or less sunlight.

      See how this unit works

      An illustration from the Earth, Moon, and Sun unit

      Unit 6

      Earth, Moon, and Sun

      Student role: Astronomers

      Phenomenon: Pictures of specific features on the Moon can only be taken by an astrophotographer at certain times.

      See how this unit works

      Cartoon image of a yellow dinosaur among green dinosaurs, all with meat and vegetables on their backs, standing in a grassy landscape.

      Unit 7

      Natural Selection

      Student role: Biologists

      Phenomenon: The rough-skinned newt population in Oregon State Park has become more poisonous over time.

      See how this unit works

      An illustration from the Natural Selection: Engineering Internship unit

      Unit 8

      Natural Selection Engineering Internship

      Student role: Clinical engineers

      Phenomenon: Designing malaria treatment plans that use different combinations of drugs can reduce drug resistance development.

      An illustration from the Evolutionary History unit

      Unit 9

      Evolutionary History

      Student role: Paleontologists

      Phenomenon: A mystery fossil at the Natural History Museum has similarities with both wolves and whales.

      See how this unit works

      How teachers teach

      Tom Teacher feels confident delivering 3-D instruction with our resources by his side. Watch this video to learn more. >

      When you’re ready:

      • Scroll down and take a closer look at your classroom resources.
      • Click on the orange links below each component to see grade-specific samples.
      Most adopted curriculum for the NGSS California

      Classroom Slides

      These customizable PowerPoints are available for every lesson of the program and make delivering instruction a snap with visual prompts, colorful activity instructions, investigation set-up videos and animations, and suggested teacher talk in the notes section of each slide.

      Video introduction to Classroom Slides

      Sample Classroom Slides

      An educational website open on a laptop displaying a lesson about “ force and motion: docking failure in space” alongside a teacher’s guide notebook.

      Teacher’s Reference Guide

      Available digitally and in print, our unit-specific reference guides are chock full of helpful resources, including scientific background knowledge, planning information and resources, color-coded 3-D Statements, detailed lesson plans, tips for delivering instruction, and differentiation strategies.

      Login to platform below to access

      Amplify Science California supports 3-D learning with more materials than any other program.

      Materials Kits

      Our kits include enough non-consumable materials to support 200 student uses. In other words, you have enough materials to support all five periods and small groups of 4-5 students each. Plus, our unit-specific kits mean you just grab the tub you need and then put it all back with ease.

      List of investigations by unit

      List of materials by unit

      A digital simulation from Amplify Science

      Simulations and Practice Tools

      Our digital Simulations and Practice Tools are powerful resources for exploration, data collection, and student collaboration. They allow students the ability to explore scientific concepts that might otherwise be invisible or impossible to see with the naked eye.

      Video overview of digital tools

      List of digital tools by unit

      Device calendars by unit

      Open book displaying a bilingual spread about space docking failures, with illustrations of a spacecraft near the moon on a black background.

      Consumable Notebooks

      Available for every unit, our Student Investigation Notebooks contain instructions for activities and space for students to record data and observations, reflect on ideas from texts and investigations, and construct explanations and arguments.

      Sample Student Investigation Notebook

      Sample Student Investigation Notebook (Spanish)

      Illustration on a textbook cover showing various science themes, including an astronaut, wildlife, and cells, titled

      Student Edition Hardcover

      This durable Student Edition is grade-level specific and contains all of the articles that students refer to throughout the year. Districts may choose to pair these traditional student texts with our digital student experience or new 2-volume consumable notebook set.

      Line drawing of a person using a laptop, with headphones and a line illustration of a rocket launching above their head, symbolizing creativity or inspiration in Boost Reading.


      Coming Soon

      Unlike other publishers, we don’t make you wait until your next adoption to get the latest and greatest from Amplify. We’re always launching new and exciting features. What’s more, we’ll push them out to you even after you adopt us!

      See what’s coming for 2020-2021

      Navigating the program

      Watch the video to the right plus the ones below showing you how to navigate our digital platform. Then following the instructions below. >

      • Click the orange button below to access the platform.
      • Choose the resources you’d like to review.
      • Pick your grade level from the drop-down menu.
      • Scroll down to find additional grade-level resources.
      Access the digital platform now

      Navigating a Launch Unit

      Launch units are the first units taught in each year of the program. The goal of a Launch unit is to introduce students to norms, routines, and practices that will be built on throughout the year.

      Navigating an Engineering Internship

      Engineering Internship units invite students to design solutions for real-world problems as interns for a fictional company called Futura. In the process, they apply and deepen their learning from Core units.

      Navigating a Core Unit

      Core units introduce a real-world problem and support students as they figure out the anchoring phenomenon and gain an understanding of the unit’s DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs.

      Navigating Classwork and Reporting

      Classwork is our new online grading tool that gives you quick and easy access to unreviewed work, student portfolios of work, and automatically generated differentiation groups.

      Welcome to Grade 5

      BACK TO MAIN TK–5 PAGE

      Amplify Science California is so effective you can cover 100% of the NGSS in half the time of other programs.

      You can breathe a sigh of relief knowing all you need is:

      • 88 days per year
      • 2-3 lessons per week
      • 45 minutes per lesson
      Four science-themed images: hand holding a globe and white sphere, two kids doing an experiment, a night sky with constellations, and a hand watering plants in clear containers.

      What students learn

      Lauren Learner loves science. Watch this video to find out what she learns in fifth grade. >

      When you’re ready:

      • Find a summary of each unit below including each unit’s student role and anchor phenomenon.
      • Click on the orange “See how the unit works” link to download a helpful Unit Guide. These guides make great companions to busy reviewers looking for a big-picture understanding of how each unit works.
      Illustration of the Earth orbiting the Sun. The Earth's orbital path is indicated by a dashed blue line and a white arrow showing its direction. The background is a star-filled space.

      Unit 1

      Patterns of Earth and Sky

      Student role: Astronomers

      Phenomenon: An ancient artifact depicts what we see in the sky at different times of the day, but it appears to be missing a piece.

      See how this unit works

      Red and white capsules scattered on a vibrant red and white background.

      Unit 2

      Modeling Matter

      Student role: Food scientists

      Phenomenon: Some ingredients dissolve in a salad dressing while others, like oil and vinegar, appear to separate.

      See how this unit works

      Illustration of a pixelated green mountain cliff deconstructing into a digital grid, with red dots floating over a tranquil sea and flying white birds.

      Unit 3

      The Earth System

      Student role: Water resource engineers

      Phenomenon: East Ferris, a city on one side of the fictional Ferris Island, is experiencing a water shortage, while West Ferris is not.

      See how this unit works

      Illustration of a jungle scene featuring a cheetah and a sloth among dense green foliage and various colorful plants.

      Unit 4

      Ecosystem Restoration

      Student role: Ecologists

      Phenomenon: The jaguars, sloths, and cecropia trees in a reforested section of a Costa Rican rain forest are not growing or thriving.

      See how this unit works

      How teachers teach

      Tom Teacher feels confident delivering 3-D instruction with our resources by his side. Watch this video to learn more. >

      When you’re ready:

      • Scroll down and take a closer look at your classroom resources.
      • Click on the orange links below each component to see grade-specific samples.
      A laptop displays a PowerPoint presentation in presenter view, with slides about observing objects in plastic containers and related sensory instructions.

      Classroom Slides

      These customizable PowerPoints are available for every lesson of the program and make delivering instruction a snap with visual prompts, colorful activity instructions, investigation set-up videos and animations, and suggested teacher talk in the notes section of each slide.

      Video introduction to Classroom Slides

      Sample Classroom Slides

      Sample Classroom Slides (Spanish)

      A spiral-bound teacher's guide titled "Modeling Matter: The Chemistry of Food" is shown next to a laptop displaying related digital content.

      Teacher’s Reference Guide

      Available digitally and in print, our unit-specific reference guides are chock full of helpful resources, including scientific background knowledge, planning information and resources, color-coded 3-D Statements, detailed lesson plans, tips for delivering instruction, and differentiation strategies.

      Login to platform below to access

      Assorted household and craft items including food products, plastic utensils, cups, red fabric, cotton balls, popsicle sticks, ping pong balls, and various containers arranged on a white background.

      Materials Kits

      Our kits include enough non-consumable materials to support a class of 36 students and enough consumable items to support 72 students. In other words, each kit can last two years! Plus, our unit-specific kits mean you just grab the tub you need and then put it all back with ease.

      List of investigations by unit

      List of materials by unit

      Two children's books titled "Beber las lágrimas de Cleopatra" and "Drinking Cleopatra's Tears" feature an illustration of a girl drinking water outside, with a house in the background.

      Student Books

      Our award-winning Student Books include content-rich nonfiction and informational texts designed to introduce concepts and also deepen understanding. Books are read to, with, and by students with ample scaffolding and support provided by the teacher in whole-class, small-groups, and student pairs.

      List of Student Books by unit

      Sample Student Book

      Sample Student Book (Spanish)

      A computer screen displays an illustration of four plants under sunlight, each emitting colored streams and coins, with soil and roots visible below.

      Practice Tools

      Our digital Simulations and Practice Tools are powerful resources for exploration and data collection, and allow students the ability to explore scientific concepts that might otherwise be invisible or impossible to see with the naked eye.

      Video overview of digital tools

      List of digital tools by unit

      Device calendars by unit

      Two Amplify Science investigation notebooks, one in Spanish and one in English, both featuring an illustrated landscape of a mountain, water, and sky on the covers.

      Consumable Notebooks

      Available for every unit, our Student Investigation Notebooks contain instructions for activities and space for students to record data and observations, reflect on ideas from texts and investigations, and construct explanations and arguments.

      Sample Student Investigation Notebook

      Sample Student Investigation Notebook (Spanish)

      A man wearing glasses and a maroon shirt smiles at the camera on a laptop screen with the words "MYSTERY doug" and a speech bubble saying "Doug.

      Mystery Science

      Our exclusive partnership with Mystery Science means you get our NGSS core curriculum plus two years of free access to Mystery Doug and his extensive library of captivating videos that deepen students’ understanding of each unit’s phenomenon.

      Mystery Science lesson alignment

      A person with headphones works on a laptop; a line from their head transforms into a rocket, symbolizing imagination, innovation, and the foundational skills essential for multilingual learners.


      Coming Soon

      Unlike other publishers, we don’t make you wait until your next adoption to get the latest and greatest from Amplify. We’re always launching new and exciting features. What’s more, we’ll push them out to you even after you adopt us!

      See what’s coming for 2020-2021

      Navigating the program

      Watch this video showing you how to navigate our digital platform. Then following the instructions below. >

      • Click the orange button below to access the platform.
      • Choose the resources you’d like to review.
      • Pick your grade level from the drop-down menu.
      • Scroll down to find additional grade-level resources.
      Access the digital platform now
      A woman sits at a desk in a classroom, working on a laptop with an open binder and papers in front of her.

      [VIDEO] TG Walkthrough

      Watch this video to get familiar with the organization of our printed TG.

      A teacher’s guide and a laptop displaying the “Patterns of Earth and Sky: Analyzing Stars on Ancient Artifacts” digital science curriculum interface.

      [Grade 5] Patterns of Earth and Sky

      Get a big picture overview of this unit with an at-a-glance view of each chapter…

      A spiral-bound teacher’s guide titled "Modeling Matter: The Chemistry of Food" next to a laptop displaying related educational content.

      [Grade 5] Modeling Matter

      Get a big picture overview of this unit with an at-a-glance view of each chapter…

      A laptop displays an educational website titled "The Earth System" with lesson modules; a printed Teacher’s Guide with a similar cover design is shown beside it.

      [Grade 5] The Earth System

      Get a big picture overview of this unit with an at-a-glance view of each chapter…

      The image shows a printed teacher’s guide and a laptop displaying an online educational resource, both titled "Ecosystem Restoration: Matter and Energy in a Rain Forest" with a jaguar illustration.

      [Grade 5] Ecosystem Restoration

      Get a big picture overview of this unit with an at-a-glance view of each chapter…

      A collection of science learning materials including books, balloons, seeds, windmill parts, and other educational tools arranged on a white surface.

      [Grade 5] English components

      Take a closer look at our grade 2 print components.

      Two children's books titled "Beber las lágrimas de Cleopatra" and "Drinking Cleopatra's Tears" feature an illustration of a girl drinking water outside, with a house in the background.

      [Grade K–5] Spanish components

      Learn more about what components are available in Spanish.

      Two children wearing safety goggles conduct a science experiment, using plastic spoons to mix substances in clear cups at a table with a red tray.

      [Grade 5] NGSS Alignment

      See how our program addresses 100% of the NGSS Standards.

      Cuatro niños reunidos alrededor de una mesa en un salón de clases, mirando de cerca un objeto que uno de ellos sostiene. Hay libros, papeles y materiales educativos sobre la mesa.

      [Grades 3–5] Pilot support brochure

      Welcome to Grade 4

      BACK TO MAIN TK–5 PAGE

      Amplify Science California is so effective you can cover 100% of the NGSS in half the time of other programs.

      You can breathe a sigh of relief knowing all you need is:

      • 88 days per year
      • 2-3 lessons per week
      • 45 minutes per lesson
      Students engage in various science experiments, including testing conductivity with a lamp, playing with slime, examining objects, and using sand trays.

      What students learn

      Lauren Learner loves science. Watch this video to find out what she learns in second grade. >

      When you’re ready:

      • Find a summary of each unit below including each unit’s student role and anchor phenomenon.
      • Click on the orange “See how the unit works” link to download a helpful Unit Guide. These guides make great companions to busy reviewers looking for a big-picture understanding of how each unit works.
      Illustration of a nighttime cityscape with illuminated windows and streetlights, a visible moon, and stars in the sky. A solitary figure stands out in one of the windows.

      Unit 1

      Energy Conversions


      Student role: System engineers


      Phenomenon: The fictional town of Ergstown experiences frequent blackouts. Their electrical system seems to be failing.

      See how this unit works

      A gecko prepares to catch a cricket under a streetlight at night. The yellow arrows illustrate the lamplight hitting the cricket and reflecting in the gecko's eyes.

      Unit 2

      Vision and Light


      Student role: Conservation biologists

      Phenomenon: The population of Tokay geckos in a rain forest in the Philippines has decreased since the installation of new highway lights.

      See how this unit works

      Illustration of a rocky coastline with angular cliffs in reddish tones on the left and a body of blue water below.

      Unit 3

      Earth’s Features


      Student role: Geologists


      Phenomenon: A mysterious fossil is discovered in a canyon within the fictional Desert Rocks National Park.

      See how this unit works

      Two dolphins swim underwater in a blue-tinged environment, facing each other, and one appears to open its mouth slightly.

      Unit 4

      Waves, Energy, and Information

      Student role: Marine scientists


      Phenomenon: Mother dolphins in the fictional Blue Bay National Park communicate with their calves despite the distance between them.

      See how this unit works

      How teachers teach

      Tom Teacher feels confident delivering 3-D instruction with our resources by his side. Watch this video to learn more. >

      When you’re ready:

      • Scroll down and take a closer look at your classroom resources.
      • Click on the orange links below each component to see grade-specific samples.
      A laptop displays a PowerPoint presentation in presenter view, with slides about observing objects in plastic containers and related sensory instructions.

      Classroom Slides

      These customizable PowerPoints are available for every lesson of the program and make delivering instruction a snap with visual prompts, colorful activity instructions, investigation set-up videos and animations, and suggested teacher talk in the notes section of each slide.

      Video introduction to Classroom Slides

      Sample Classroom Slides

      Sample Classroom Slides (Spanish)

      A computer screen displays an educational website titled "Earth's Features" with chapters and illustrations of canyons; a printed teacher’s guide is shown beside it.

      Teacher’s Reference Guide

      Available digitally and in print, our unit-specific reference guides are chock full of helpful resources, including scientific background knowledge, planning information and resources, color-coded 3-D Statements, detailed lesson plans, tips for delivering instruction, and differentiation strategies.

      Login to platform below to access

      A variety of craft materials arranged on a white surface, including cardboard sheets, plastic cups, yarn, binder clips, pink balls, yellow pom-poms, and other assorted supplies.

      Materials Kits

      Our kits include enough non-consumable materials to support a class of 36 students and enough consumable items to support 72 students. In other words, each kit can last two years! Plus, our unit-specific kits mean you just grab the tub you need and then put it all back with ease.

      List of investigations by unit

      List of materials by unit

      Two book covers titled "¡Apagón!" and "BLACKOUT!" show a dark city street with headlights from a car illuminating the scene at night.

      Student Books

      Our award-winning Student Books include content-rich nonfiction and informational texts designed to introduce concepts and also deepen understanding. Books are read to, with, and by students with ample scaffolding and support provided by the teacher in whole-class, small-groups, and student pairs.

      List of Student Books by unit

      Systems

      Energy Past and Present

      Sunlight and Showers

      Blackout!

      It’s All Energy

      A laptop displays a diagram showing the upper river, floodplain, and river delta with labeled cross-sections above a landscape map of a river flowing to the sea.

      Simulations and Practice Tools

      Our digital Simulations and Practice Tools are powerful resources for exploration and data collection, and allow students the ability to explore scientific concepts that might otherwise be invisible or impossible to see with the naked eye.

      Video overview of digital tools

      Device calendars by unit

      List of digital tools by unit

      Two science workbooks, one in Spanish and one in English, titled "Energy Conversions: Blackout in Ergstown" with white covers and orange labels at the bottom.

      Consumable Notebooks

      Available for every unit, our Student Investigation Notebooks contain instructions for activities and space for students to record data and observations, reflect on ideas from texts and investigations, and construct explanations and arguments.

      Sample Student Investigation Notebook

      Sample Student Investigation Notebook (Spanish)

      A man wearing glasses and a maroon shirt smiles at the camera on a laptop screen with the words "MYSTERY doug" and a speech bubble saying "Doug.

      Mystery Science

      Our exclusive partnership with Mystery Science means you get our NGSS core curriculum plus two years of free access to Mystery Doug and his extensive library of captivating videos that deepen students’ understanding of each unit’s phenomenon.

      Mystery Science lesson alignment

      A person with headphones works on a laptop; a line from their head transforms into a rocket, symbolizing imagination, innovation, and the foundational skills essential for multilingual learners.


      Coming Soon

      Unlike other publishers, we don’t make you wait until your next adoption to get the latest and greatest from Amplify. We’re always launching new and exciting features. What’s more, we’ll push them out to you even after you adopt us!

      See what’s coming for 2020-2021

      Navigating the program

      Watch this video showing you how to navigate our digital platform. Then following the instructions below. >

      • Click the orange button below to access the platform.
      • Choose the resources you’d like to review.
      • Pick your grade level from the drop-down menu.
      • Scroll down to find additional grade-level resources.
      Access the digital platform now
      A woman sits at a desk in a classroom, working on a laptop with an open binder and papers in front of her.

      [VIDEO] TG Walkthrough

      Watch this video to get familiar with the organization of our printed TG.

      A spiral-bound teacher’s guide titled “Energy Conversions: Blackout in Ergstown” is shown beside a laptop displaying digital chapters of the same topic.

      [Grade 4] Energy Conversions

      Get a big picture overview of this unit with an at-a-glance view of each chapter…

      A spiral-bound teacher’s guide and a laptop displaying a digital interface, both titled “Vision and Light: Investigating Animal Eyes” from Amplify Science.

      [Grade 4] Vision and Light

      Get a big picture overview of this unit with an at-a-glance view of each chapter…

      A teacher’s guide notebook and a laptop screen display educational materials titled "Earth’s Features: Mystery in Desert Rocks Canyon" with illustrated canyon graphics.

      [Grade 4] Earth’s Features

      Get a big picture overview of this unit with an at-a-glance view of each chapter…

      A collection of science learning materials including books, balloons, seeds, windmill parts, and other educational tools arranged on a white surface.

      [Grade 4] English components

      Take a closer look at our grade 3 program components.

      Two book covers titled "¡Apagón!" and "BLACKOUT!" show a dark city street with headlights from a car illuminating the scene at night.

      [Grade K–5] Spanish components

      Learn more about what components are available in Spanish.

      [Grade 4] NGSS Alignment

      See how our program addresses 100% of the NGSS Standards.

      Cuatro niños reunidos alrededor de una mesa en un salón de clases, mirando de cerca un objeto que uno de ellos sostiene. Hay libros, papeles y materiales educativos sobre la mesa.

      [Grades 3–5] Pilot support brochure

      Welcome to Earth and Space Science

      BACK TO MAIN 6–8 PAGE

      Amplify Science California is so effective you can cover 100% of the NGSS in fewer lessons than other programs.
       
      Plus, you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing we give you enough materials to support 200 students. In fact, our material kits:

      • Support small groups of 4-5 students.
      • Make organization and finding materials easy.
      • Last longer with only one of the nine kits requiring refills.
      A collage of images: top left, digital art of a desert scene; top right, three kids doing a science experiment; bottom left, a hand holding a jar and two others beside; bottom right, digital art of a person and child in a field.

      What students learn

      Lauren Learner loves science. Watch this video to find out what she learns in sixth grade. >

      When you’re ready:

      • Find a summary of each unit below including each unit’s student role and anchor phenomenon.
      • Click on the orange “See how the unit works” link to download a helpful Unit Guide. These guides make great companions to busy reviewers looking for a big-picture understanding of how each unit works.
      A barren, rocky desert landscape with rover tracks leading to a distant vehicle on a hill under a hazy sky.

      Unit 1

      Geology on Mars

      Student role: Planetary geologists

      Phenomenon: Analyzing data about landforms on Mars can provide evidence that Mars may have once been habitable.

      Two prehistoric reptiles with long snouts and tails are near the shore, one on land and one in water, with plants, rocks, and an island in the background.

      Unit 2

      Plate Motion

      Student role: Geologists

      Phenomenon: Mesosaurus fossils have been found on continents separated by thousands of kilometers of ocean.

      See how this unit works

      Geometric design featuring a telescope, mountain, sound waves, and cosmic elements on a purple hexagonal background.

      Unit 3

      Plate Motion Engineering Internship

      Student role: Mechanical engineering interns

      Phenomenon: Patterns in earthquake data can be used to design an effective tsunami warning system.

      Illustration of a cross-section of Earth showing a volcano near the ocean. Trees, mountains, and clouds are visible above, with subterranean layers below.

      Unit 4

      Rock Transformations

      Student role: Geologists


      Phenomenon: Rock samples from different U.S. regions look different, but have similar mineral compositions.

      See how this unit works

      A city skyline at night with a prominent full moon, stars in the sky, and a bridge silhouette on the left.

      Unit 5

      Earth, Moon, and Sun

      Student role: Astronomers

      Phenomenon: Pictures of specific features on the Moon can only be taken by an astrophotographer at certain times.

      See how this unit works

      Abstract artwork depicting a bright sun with blue and orange swirling patterns next to green hills under a sky with shades of blue, orange, and red.

      Unit 6

      Ocean, Atmosphere, and Climate

      Student role: Climatologists

      Phenomenon: During El Niño years, the air temperature in Christchurch, New Zealand is cooler than usual.

      Ilustración de un pueblo con casas, campos y montañas bajo un cielo nublado con olas de viento o lluvia.

      Unit 7

      Weather Patterns

      Student role: Forensic meteorologists

      Phenomenon: The strong storms in Galetown didn’t just begin. They have become more and more severe over the years.

      See how this unit works

      Un oso polar se encuentra sobre un pequeño témpano de hielo en el océano con un sol naranja en el cielo y lejanas montañas heladas al fondo.

      Unit 8

      Earth’s Changing Climate

      Student role: Climatologists

      Phenomenon: The ice on Earth’s surface is melting.

      See how this unit works

      Abstract geometric design in shades of blue and purple featuring a hexagon with icons of a building, wrench, molecules, sun, paint can, and screwdriver.

      Unit 9

      Earth’s Changing Climate Engineering Internship

      Student role: Civil engineers

      Phenomenon: Designing rooftops with different modifications can reduce a city’s impact on climate change.

      How teachers teach

      Tom Teacher feels confident delivering 3-D instruction with our resources by his side. Watch this video to learn more. >

      When you’re ready:

      • Scroll down and take a closer look at your classroom resources.
      • Click on the orange links below each component to see grade-specific samples.
      A laptop displays a PowerPoint presentation in presenter view, with slides about observing objects in plastic containers and related sensory instructions.
      Classroom Slides

      These customizable PowerPoints are available for every lesson of the program and make delivering instruction a snap with visual prompts, colorful activity instructions, investigation set-up videos and animations, and suggested teacher talk in the notes section of each slide.

      Video introduction to Classroom Slides

      A printed teacher’s guide labeled “Plate Motion: Mystery of the Mesosaurus Fossils” is displayed next to a laptop showing the same curriculum’s digital interface.
      Teacher’s Reference Guide

      Available digitally and in print, our unit-specific reference guides are chock full of helpful resources, including scientific background knowledge, planning information and resources, color-coded 3-D Statements, detailed lesson plans, tips for delivering instruction, and differentiation strategies.

      Login to platform below to access

      Assorted rocks, plastic jars, stacks of clear plastic cups, wrapped candies, and scattered dice laid out on a white background.
      Materials Kits

      Our kits include enough non-consumable materials to support 200 student uses. In other words, you have enough materials to support all five periods and small groups of 4-5 students each. Plus, our unit-specific kits mean you just grab the tub you need and then put it all back with ease.

      A laptop screen displaying a map with three ecosystem options, each illustrated by different animal icons and accompanied by relevant data lists.
      Simulations and Practice Tools

      Our digital Simulations and Practice Tools are powerful resources for exploration, data collection, and student collaboration. They allow students the ability to explore scientific concepts that might otherwise be invisible or impossible to see with the naked eye.

      Video overview of digital tools

      Two booklets titled "El clima cambiante de la Tierra: la desaparición del hielo" and "Earth’s Changing Climate: Vanishing Ice" with landscape illustrations on the covers.
      Consumable Notebooks

      Available for every unit, our Student Investigation Notebooks contain instructions for activities and space for students to record data and observations, reflect on ideas from texts and investigations, and construct explanations and arguments.

      Cover of the "Amplify Science" Grade 8 textbook featuring illustrations of space, insects, technology, crowds, and scientific diagrams.
      Student Edition Hardcover

      This durable Student Edition is grade-level specific and contains all of the articles that students refer to throughout the year. Districts may choose to pair these traditional student texts with our digital student experience or new 2-volume consumable notebook set.

      A person with headphones works on a laptop; a line from their head transforms into a rocket, symbolizing imagination, innovation, and the foundational skills essential for multilingual learners.
      Coming Soon

      Unlike other publishers, we don’t make you wait until your next adoption to get the latest and greatest from Amplify. We’re always launching new and exciting features. What’s more, we’ll push them out to you even after you adopt us!

      See what’s coming for 2020-2021

      Navigating the program

      Watch this video showing you how to navigate our digital platform. Then following the instructions below. >

      • Click the orange button below to access the platform.
      • Choose the resources you’d like to review.
      • Pick your grade level from the drop-down menu.
      • Scroll down to find additional grade-level resources.
      Access the digital platform now

      Navigating a Launch Unit

      Launch units are the first units taught in each year of the program. The goal of a Launch unit is to introduce students to norms, routines, and practices that will be built on throughout the year.

      Navigating an Engineering Internship

      Engineering Internship units invite students to design solutions for real-world problems as interns for a fictional company called Futura. In the process, they apply and deepen their learning from Core units.

      Navigating a Core Unit

      Core units introduce a real-world problem and support students as they figure out the anchoring phenomenon and gain an understanding of the unit’s DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs.

      Navigating Classwork and Reporting

      Classwork is our new online grading tool that gives you quick and easy access to unreviewed work, student portfolios of work, and automatically generated differentiation groups.

      Free K12 Teaching Lessons & Resources – Amplify Classroom

      To view this protected page, enter the password below:



      Welcome, Program 6 reviewers, to Amplify CKLA California Transitional Kindergarten!

      We’re honored to introduce you to Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) California Transitional Kindergarten (TK). We’re confident you’ll find this comprehensive program to be a powerful tool for bringing the vision of the California ELA/ELD Framework and the California Preschool/Transitional Kindergarten Learning Foundations (PTKLF) to life in classrooms across the state.

      Please start with the video on the right to learn how to navigate the program and access key features referenced within our submission. Below you’ll find additional resources to support your review.

      Your review samples

      Print samples

      You will receive three boxes of physical samples as part of your review. Box 1 will contain your Reviewer Binder. This binder contains logistical information and printed copies of the Evaluation Criteria Map and Foundations Alignment Map. Boxes 2 and 3 will contain physical samples. As you begin the process of organizing your materials, please refer to the inventory checklist found inside each box as well as within your Reviewer Binder.

      Digital samples

      In order to access your digital samples, you’ll need to log in to our platform using your unique login credentials found on a Digital Access Flyer inside of your Reviewer Binder. Once you have located the flyer:

      • Click the orange button below to access the platform.
      • Click “Log in with Amplify.”
      • Enter the username and password provided on your Digital Review Credential flyer.
      Digital Access

      Navigation tips

      Before you get started, please review these important functionality notes:

      Criteria Map and Standards Maps must be opened on Microsoft Word on your desktop to function as intended. If you open the documents without Microsoft Word on your desktop, citations will be cut off at the bottom of most tables within the document.

      Many of our citations are deep-links to PDFs, meaning they will take you to the right page or the first page in the sequence for the citation in question. To ensure this functionality works, please disable any PDF-viewing extensions or plug-ins such as Adobe Acrobat Pro Browser Extension.

      [Reviewer navigation video] Amplify CKLA California TK

      Category 1: English Language Arts (ELA) content/alignment with Foundations

      Alignment documents

      The links below provide the alignment documents for Amplify CKLA California Transitional Kindergarten.

      Category 2: Program Organization

      Program structure

      Amplify CKLA California Transitional Kindergarten is a comprehensive English language arts curriculum designed to prepare young children for later reading success by building foundational language and literacy skills. Amplify CKLA California TK materials and instruction provide explicit, systematic support for developing young children’s language, literacy, and content knowledge within the context of developmentally-appropriate early childhood settings, incorporating and reflecting the key themes and practices of the CA PTKLF and Framework.

      [Reviewer highlight video] Program organization

      The flexible pacing recommendations of the program provide teachers with options to decide how best to keep students engaged while completing Amplify CKLA California Transitional Kindergarten instruction (e.g., wiggle breaks, hands-on participation, singing songs, brain breaks, etc.).

      [Reviewer highlight video] Lesson organization

      The literacy skills, vocabulary, and content knowledge developed in Amplify CKLA California Transitional Kindergarten are explicitly designed to provide a foundation for the skills and content taught in TK classrooms. The teacher-directed and student-led activities in Amplify CKLA California Transitional Kindergarten reflect all strands of the CA PTKLF foundational language sub-domains:

      • Listening and speaking
      • Foundational literacy skills
      • Reading and writing

      Amplify CKLA California TK domains of instruction are carefully chosen and sequenced to build prerequisite knowledge so that students can use that knowledge as they assimilate new, more complex information. The seven domains in Amplify CKLA California Transitional Kindergarten are:

      • Important People in American History
      • All About Me
      • Families and Communities
      • Classic Tales
      • Plants
      • Animals
      • Habitats

      Amplify CKLA California TK empowers teachers to deliver effective instruction and keeps students engaged with with the following resources:

      • Teacher Guides
      • Flip Books
      • Image Cards
      • Center Cards
      • Activity Pages and Take-Home Pages
      • Nursery Rhymes and Songs Posters
      • Big Book: Classic Tales
      • Trade Books

      Activities are play-based, engaging, challenging, and adaptive for the full range of TK learners. Teacher materials also support teachers and aides in facilitating activities, establishing routines, and identifying effective procedures.

      Scope and sequence

      Click here to view the scope and sequence for Amplify CKLA California Transitional Kindergarten. 

      Category 3: Assessments

      Amplify CKLA California TK assessments are designed to provide a snapshot of whether or not each student is mastering specific Core Content and Language Arts Objectives. The program incorporates multiple methods of assessing what students know and are able to do in each domain. Methods of assessments include:

      • Observational/anecdotal assessments.
      • Reteaching moments with aligned progress monitoring.
      • Portfolio Collections (student work samples).
      • Task assessments.
      • Developmental progression monitoring.

      Amplify CKLA California TK provides tools to facilitate collecting, analyzing, and sharing data on student progress and development. These include:

      • Ready-made data collection forms with scoring guidelines (Not Yet, Progressing, Ready).
      • Caregiver communication letters.

      [Reviewer highlight video] Program alignment to Category 3

      Category 4: Universal Access

      Amplify CKLA California Transitional Kindergarten materials provide students with a range of skills and abilities, with opportunities for participation across all contexts of differentiated instruction in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language.

      Examples include the following:

      • Teacher Guides feature sidebar differentiation tips.
      • Classroom routines, such as taking attendance, rely on both visual and verbal prompts that can be individually tailored to students’ needs.
      • Small-group activities often include suggested rounds of play that increase with difficulty and give teachers the choice to move forward to increase the level of challenge or repeat levels of play that prove challenging.
      • Extension activities involve materials that can be adapted to scaffold students in a variety of ways; teachers can provide more or less structure and input depending on the needs of the students.
      • Differentiation supports grounded in UDL include visuals, realia, multimodal instruction, and other materials relevant to all students.

      Category 5: Instructional Planning and Teacher Support

      Amplify CKLA California TK empowers teachers to deliver effective instruction with various resources. The program provides comprehensive planning and support materials designed to help teachers prepare for and execute lessons effectively and fulfill the requirements of Category 5.

      Teacher materials

      Planning and preparation resources

      Each Teacher Guide contains all the information needed for each day of instruction. The following sections are included in each Teacher Guide:

      • Assessments
      • Introduction
      • Learning Centers
      • Transitions
      • Starting the Day
      • Skills Instruction
      • Listening & Learning Instruction
      • Pausing Points

      The Domain Calendar shows the titles of activities and read-alouds taught on each day of instruction throughout the entire domain during the three main contexts for instruction:

      • Starting the Day
      • Skills
      • Listening & Learning

      Caregiver supports

      The home-school connection letter template provides an easy way to share important information and set expectations with caregivers at the beginning of the school year.

      Caregiver letters suggest ways parents and caregivers can support and reinforce learning at home through everyday activities. They also include high-quality texts and nursery rhymes and songs that parents can use to support students’ learning.

      Embedded routine modeling for Amplify K–2 Skills instruction

      New embedded support for Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) and Amplify Caminos 3rd Edition brings expert guidance to the point of instruction. Short instructional modeling videos clarify how critical foundational literacy routines look, sound, and feel, taking the guesswork out of teaching and allowing educators to focus on cultivating more aha moments with students.

      High-impact literacy routines

      Lead K–2 foundational literacy instruction with clarity. These videos model the exact pacing, teaching script, physical cues, and feedback required for critical routines like Introducing the Spelling, Chaining, Blending, and more.

      Just-in-time support

      Embedded at the lesson level in the Amplify Classroom digital platform, modeling videos paired with downloadable routine guides provide immediate, point-of-use support. This eliminates the need to track down resources and ensures that foundational literacy skills are taught with consistency and fidelity across classrooms.

      Parity across programs

      With dedicated modeling videos and routine guides for both Amplify CKLA and Amplify Caminos, every teacher has access to expert guidance for foundational literacy instruction.

      Real-time scaffolding and differentiation

      Moving beyond the what of the lesson helps educators master the how. Each video provides specific scaffolds and strategies to help differentiate instruction and reach all learners in the moment.

      Building math lessons: The playful side you never knew existed

      Two people smiling in separate circles; one has a cartoon corgi icon, the other shows math blocks—perfect for celebrating early literacy skills—all set on a cheerful yellow background.

      When you think of what goes on behind the scenes of building Amplify Classroom lessons, you probably envision carefully calculated math formulas and complicated equations, right?

      Not exactly. Meet Sara Barring and Sean Sweeney from our interaction development team! They create animations and interactions for many of our most popular math lessons, and one day they decided to record some of their work sessions. What began as a simple “Wouldn’t it be fun…” conversation turned into something pretty remarkable: a front row seat to their joyous exploration of math.

      Sean and Sara spend their days bringing math problems to life using Activity Builder, Amplify Classroom’s lesson-building tool. Their goal is to encourage students to explore their own thinking, moving beyond traditional right-and-wrong feedback. Instead of being told “no” when a guess is off, students get visual Responsive Feedback that demonstrates the meaning behind their thinking. In the grade 6 lesson Weight for It, for example, the animation shows them what would happen if the dog actually weighed what they guessed!

      Sean and Sara help create a safe, playful space where making a mistake isn’t a failure, but a visual stepping stone that encourages students to try again. This creative process is exactly what they decided to capture on camera. Their video series, “Graph Time With Sara and Sean,” reveals what happens when pure curiosity guides work in graphing mathematics. Each episode opens the window into a genuine, surprising discovery, showing the magic happens when you stop worrying about perfection. Watching these videos, even those who feel intimidated by math or think math isn’t for them may feel inspired to try it themselves.

      Redefining mistakes as happy accidents

      In any field, the word “mistake” can feel loaded. But for Sara and Sean, the process of creating math animations is less about avoiding mistakes and more about seeing what happens.

      A great thing about working in Activity Builder’s graphing calculator, Sara notes, is that you can immediately see how every adjustment affects the animation. This instant visibility helps shift your perspective—an unexpected result isn’t a failure, but a happy accident. According to Sara, these moments provide a pivot point into a new, unplanned direction.

      Take one episode of “Graph Time” that wouldn’t exist without a happy accident Sean had while trying to create a firework animation for one of our lessons. That “mistake” led to the discovery of unexpected mathematical patterns that the team may not have found otherwise. These patterns seem to magically emerge from simple sine and cosine functions, revealing flower-like designs, perfect circles, and intricate geometric shapes that feel limitless in their variety, proving that mathematical beauty often reveals itself through curious experimentation rather than careful planning.

      Sara and Sean hope to show viewers the reality of their work–with all the struggles, detours, and joy. You might expect someone who creates math animations all day to have their steps carefully mapped out. “We don’t,” Sean says, “and that’s part of what we like about it.”

      The ripple effect: Transforming math culture

      Sara and Sean’s playful approach to building curriculum content creates waves they hope will extend beyond their own creative joy, inspiring a new generation of math explorers.

      For teachers, these videos offer more than just creative techniques—they provide a blueprint for shifting classroom culture. Sean emphasizes that viewers are seeing “the real work they do every day,” providing educators with an authentic model for bringing genuine excitement to mathematical learning. Sara, drawing from her teaching background, recognizes the transformative power of just changing the narrative: “Math gets such a bad rep a lot of the time, so even if Graph Time with Sara and Sean just offers a positive rebrand on some things, I think that’s powerful, too.”

      When students see people having fun with math, through teachers or videos like “Graph Time With Sara and Sean,” they begin to see math as an invitation to explore. Sean and Sara are hoping they can help students find their own magic, making math less about intimidation and more about fun.

      Check out Sara and Sean’s videos to see their graphing creations in action!

      Ready to create your own amazing math adventures? Check out our Lesson Building Toolkit for bite-size tutorials on making your own lesson creations with Amplify Classroom.

      Classroom -TEST PAGE

      To view this protected page, enter the password below:



      S4 – 03: LIVE from NCTM with Bethany and Dan

      Hosts Bethany and Dan, both smiling, in a promotional image for the "Math Teacher Lounge" podcast, Season 4 Episode 3, titled "Live from NCTM!" with an

      In this episode, co-hosts Bethany Lockhart Johnson and Dan Meyer are LIVE with more than one hundred Math Teacher Lounge listeners at the recent National Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference. Listen in as they answer the pressing question: Who is the best teacher in film or television?

      Explore more from Math Teacher Lounge by visiting our main page. 

      Download Transcript

      Presenter (00:00):
      Ladies and gentlemen, from Math Teacher Lounge, we have Bethany Lockhart Johnson and Dan Meyer! <cheering>

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:08):
      Doesn’t go well that the door was locked. Like, I could not get in! <Laugh>

      Dan Meyer (00:12):
      Yeah. Gotcha. All right. We’re gonna sit a little bit. Let’s see how that works—

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:16):
      Hi!

      Dan Meyer (00:16):
      Yeah. I think we’ll stand up? Or whaddaya think, sit…?

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:19):
      Should we stand? Hi.

      Dan Meyer (00:22):
      Hello. Great to see you folks. Yeah, I can hear you.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:25):
      Can you hear me? That’s—I know YOU can me. Can you hear me OK? OK! We’re here. Hello. Thank you for like, lining up and coming out and being here. Thank you!

      Dan Meyer (00:35):
      Means so much to me that you could be here for me, on my show, with Bethany Lockhart Johnson, my co-host. <Audience laughs>

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:40):
      The hour has just started.

      Dan Meyer (00:42):
      We’re just getting going. Yeah. If you folks have heard the podcast, you don’t know how much gets cut out. And it’s like, mostly me just having, you know, anxious nerves and saying something silly and then we cut it out and we can’t do that here today. So it should be real fun for all of us, I think. Yeah.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:55):
      It’s not true. It’s mostly dancing. “Bethany, can you stop talking? Bethany?” Cause it’s mostly—

      Dan Meyer (00:59):
      “It’s my turn. It’s my turn! Bethany <laugh>! I haven’t been heard for a while.”

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:02):
      Dan. We’re at an in-person conference.

      Dan Meyer (01:05):
      In-person BIG conference, I would say. I’d say a big conference. Yeah.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:08):
      And have you been to the Amplify booth?

      Dan Meyer (01:11):
      I have! Have these people? There’s a claw machine with free socks.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:16):
      Yeah. You’re saving me socks, right? That’s what you’re saying. <Laugh> I mean, it’s exciting. How has your conference been so far?

      Dan Meyer (01:21):
      So far it’s been a blast. I feel fed. I feel like the community’s been awesome. How are you feeling about it?

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:29):
      OK. Let’s talk about me for just a second.

      Dan Meyer (01:31):
      Yeah. Talk about you.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:31):
      Last night, Dan, was the very first night that I was away from my toddler. <Audience: Aw!>

      Dan Meyer (01:38):
      Big commitment being here. Thank you.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:40):
      I got super-emotional walking back to the hotel after dinner, and then I got in my room, <laugh> I put on pajamas, and I turned on music. I slept so good!

      Dan Meyer (01:50):
      Yeah. <Audience laughs> Give it up for no kids! <Audience laughs> Hey!

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:55):
      I love him so much. But I slept all the way through the night. Oh, by the way, I ordered room service in the morning.

      Dan Meyer (02:01):
      On Amplify.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (02:01):
      That bill’s coming. But it’s been a great conference and I’m so delighted to be here in person and to get to share energy…and hopefully that’s all we’re sharing today. Y’all got your tests, right? Yep. Sharing energy and community today. Because we know it’s been hard. Hardness. Hard.

      Dan Meyer (02:25):
      Yeah.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (02:26):
      Years. Hard. And to be in person, I know conferences reinvigorate me and I go back into my educational spaces feeling revitalized with new connections and new ideas to try. So yeah, I’ve been excited to be here. And thank you all for being here.

      Dan Meyer (02:40):
      Yep. I don’t care if I get six different strains of Covid here. I’m just thrilled to be here. <Audience laughs> I don’t know if you’ve had the same feeling, though, Bethany, you folks…I’m a little bit confused to some degree about what we’re doing. I just wanna be really transparent. This is my sarcastic voice but I’m being sincere here. It kind of feels like we’re in a little bit of a time capsule. Like we all got in a time capsule in 2019 and, you know, you open it back up and it’s like, OK, so we’re still, you know, talking about X, Y, or Z protocol for establishing classroom routines or whatever. And I’m like, OK! Like, I loved that in 2019! But I do admit, I’m still trying to figure out a little bit like, what are we doing now? What’s our relationship to the world out there? Things are very different. I have had some great sessions that I’ve enjoyed. I’m also like, still waiting for a session to draw a little blood. Do you know what I mean? Like there’s been sessions…no? OK. You’ve been in these sessions where it’s like, “Oh, ow.” Like, and you look down and there’s and there’s blood there. It’s like, I thought I knew what we were up to. Like, I thought I knew what teaching was and how we relate to the world. I dunno, like in any Danny Martin session in 2019, “Take a Knee” was one, where I was like, “Oh, OK. Like, I’m not as hot as I think I am here. Like, I’m part of a system.” That kind of thing for me draws blood. And I haven’t been in one of those yet. Been some great sessions. I’m a little hopeful that today we draw a little blood and think about what we’re doing here, is my hope here, if that’s OK. So Bethany’s gonna moderate that impulse and she’ll be the fun one and I’ll be the blood-drawing one.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (04:05):
      No, I don’t…that metaphor doesn’t speak to me personally. But what I will say is, I get what you’re saying about really wanting to be in that room where there’s like this synergy happening. No promises about that today other than—

      Dan Meyer (04:18):
      I promise. <Audience laughs> Go on.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (04:20):
      Other than I get what you’re saying. I’ll find my own metaphor that does not involve bloodshed, but.

      Dan Meyer (04:25):
      Sure. There’s a lot of ways we we could go about this today. And the one that I’m excited about is, you know, we could like, you know, analyze some results from students, and talk about what went into that. Look at classroom video. Lots of possibilities. But here’s what we’re up to today. Hope you’re into it. Which is, we are here in the heart of the entertainment industry. You know, Tinseltown! Um, the Big Apple! Uh…

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (04:47):
      No!

      Dan Meyer (04:47):
      Come on. What do you got here? Um…

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (04:51):
      It was daytime at night. Like the lights were so bright.

      Dan Meyer (04:54):
      The City of Lights.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (04:55):
      There was a movie premiere outside my hotel room, which I was not invited to, unfortunately. But so what are we doing today?

      Dan Meyer (05:01):
      So here’s what we’re doing. We are gonna settle, once and for all, a question you have not asked yourself yet, perhaps, but will want to know the answer to in a moment. Which is: Who is the best teacher in all of film or television? OK? We’re gonna do that. It’ll be fun. But I hope that in debating this a little bit with a special guest we’ll bring up in a moment, that we will start to uncover some truths about what makes good teaching. How that’s different from teaching as we see it in movies and tv. Why middle-class America wants teachers to look a certain way in movies and tv. What all that means. And it’ll be awesome. I think. I’m hopeful it’ll be awesome. So what we did here is we’ve invited eight people. Eight folks you people may have known. You’ve been in their sessions today, in this conference, perhaps. And asked them: Who’s your fave? Like, we might have our favorites, but we wanted to democratize it a bit. So asked some cool people who you folks like, who are very smart and thoughtful about teaching: Who’s your favorite teacher?

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (05:58):
      A few of whom are in this room. Thank you for your submission.

      Dan Meyer (06:00):
      Thank so much. Yeah. We’ll see what happens here. <laugh>

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (06:03):
      As they shrink down.

      Dan Meyer (06:03):
      Yeah. Might draw some blood that I don’t mean to right now. We’ll see. OK.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (06:06):
      That metaphor, what IS that??

      Dan Meyer (06:07):
      Yeah. Yeah. I love it. I’m still going with it. <laugh> And you folks will be a huge part of this. THE part of this, really. So what will happen is I’ll share with you our first nominees. A few of us will make a case for our favorites, or least favorites, as the case may be sometimes. And then by applause, by acclamation, you folks will decide who wins and advances to the next round. Start with eight, move to four. You folks know math.You know where this goes. OK.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (06:34):
      No, keep going. Keep going.

      Dan Meyer (06:36):
      Two, then one.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (06:36):
      Yeah. Got it.

      Dan Meyer (06:37):
      Then a half of it. No?

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (06:38):
      He had to school me on the making of brackets. But we got it. Yeah.

      Dan Meyer (06:41):
      How brackets work.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (06:41):
      But we got it. March Madness, what?

      Dan Meyer (06:44):
      Yeah, in order to do this right, we had to bring up—all the folks that you’ll see are also former Math Teacher Lounge guests, or like, just fan favorites. And we’re also bringing up a former Math Teacher Lounge guest to help us decide this and debate this in a respectful manner.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (06:59):
      New dad.

      Dan Meyer (07:00):
      New dad.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (07:01):
      You see where my brain’s still at? I miss him. <Laughs>

      Dan Meyer (07:03):
      Friend from San Diego. Really cool teacher.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (07:06):
      Incredible teacher.

      Dan Meyer (07:06):
      Works at Desmos and Amplify. And I just want you to welcome up your friend and mine. Chris Nho!

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (07:11):
      Chris Nho!

      Dan Meyer (07:13):
      Come up, Chris. Let’s go, buddy. We didn’t talk about it, but did you want to do the cornball stuff too?

      Chris Nho (07:22):
      Wow. Would I love to do—

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (07:23):
      And then the door could be locked! And then you have to wait and like, just—

      Chris Nho (07:27):
      Yeah, I’ll skip that part.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (07:28):
      Hi. Welcome. You’re here. We’re here in person.

      Chris Nho (07:30):
      Very glad to be here. Thank you all for having me.

      Dan Meyer (07:33):
      Tell me who you are.

      Chris Nho (07:34):
      My name is Chris Nho. I live in San Diego. I’m a new dad. A three month old, just had. Yeah, she’s actually here at the conference with us in the hotel room. And I promise you she is not by herself. She is with…come on. I was like, “Hey, just gimme one hour. I’ll be right back. I have to do very important work.” But yeah, I think I got invited here because I have opinions and I’m willing to draw…some…blood.

      Dan Meyer (08:02):
      There we go! Two outta three! We’re good on the metaphor now.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (08:06):
      We’re so glad you’re here. If you haven’t listened to the episode where Chris and Molly and some other public math folks share their ideas and ideas of how to take math out into the world, please listen, because we had a blast.

      Dan Meyer (08:19):
      Inspiring work. Really inspiring work. Very cool. Cool. OK. Right on. OK.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (08:23):
      Let’s do this!

      Dan Meyer (08:24):
      Let’s get started here. Yeah! <Audience cheers> Yeah. And we might ask you who your favorite teacher is, who’s missing from our list of eight? We might have forgotten some people. Anyway. All right. So here’s our first two. Our first two are nominated by way of, let’s see, um, Mandy Jansen is a professor at the University of Delaware. Got some awesome talks here this week, a Shadow Con talk last night. She’ll be nominating one. And also, um, Lani Horn is a professor at Vanderbilt, also extremely cool, prolific author and speaker, just all-around great human and friend of teachers everywhere. And she’ll nominate another in this bracket, which is the Northeastern Comedy bracket, Northeastern comedy bracket.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (09:06):
      It just worked out that way.

      Dan Meyer (09:07):
      Yeah. Here it is. Here is Tina Fey in Mean Girls.

      Tina Fey in Mean Girls (09:12):
      “OK. Everybody close your eyes. All right. I want you to raise your hand if you have ever had a girl say something bad about you behind your back. Open your eyes. Now close your eyes again. And this time I want you to raise your hand if you have ever said anything about a friend behind her back. Open up. It’s been some girl-on-girl crime here.”

      Lani Horn (09:52):
      I am nominating Sharon Norbury from Mean Girls as the best movie math teacher. She is an awesome teacher who is always there for her kids. She always sees the best in them. She shows that she can forgive even some pretty bad behavior, if she sees that kids are trying. She’s a strong feminist who makes sure that smart girls don’t dumb themselves down just to impress boys.

      Tina Fey in Mean Girls (10:22):
      “Katie, I know that having a boyfriend may seem like the most important thing in the world right now, but you don’t have to dumb yourself down to get guys to like you.”

      Lani Horn (10:30):
      She’s also super hard-working. She works three jobs. She’s always there for the kids. She plays piano in the talent show and takes them to Mathlete competitions. And she’s also socially aware. And when things go really badly among the girls, she does some pretty creative things to try to get them to be kinder to each other.

      Dan Meyer (10:54):
      OK. That’s one.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (10:55):
      Helen Case.

      Dan Meyer (10:57):
      All right. Settle down. Settle down. Settle down. All right.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (10:59):
      Piano too!

      Dan Meyer (11:00):
      Bethany’s already trying to bias people here. All right. Chill out. Hold on. So next one is Mandy Jansen with Jack Black from School of Rock. Uh-oh. Uh-oh.

      Jack Black in School of Rock (11:09):
      “What was your name?”

      Kid in School of Rock (11:10):
      “Katie.”

      Jack Black in School of Rock (11:11):
      “Katie. What was that thing you were playing today? The big thing.”

      Kid in School of Rock (11:14):
      “Cello.”

      Jack Black in School of Rock (11:15):
      “OK. This is a bass guitar and it’s the exact same thing, but instead of playing like this, you tip it on the side. Chellooooo! You’ve got a bass! <Laugh> Try it on.”

      Mandy Jansen (11:25):
      And I’m nominating for best teacher in a film Jack Black as Dewey Finn playing Mr. Ned Schneebly in the film School of Rock. So why this portrayal? First of all, playing a longterm sub. Those are so hard to find right now. <Audience laughs> Really hard. And then he teaches using class projects. That’s brilliant. Integrated learning. And then love this. He gives students roles and tasks that are differentiated and align to the specific strengths that each student has.

      Kid 2 in School of Rock (12:05):
      “I can also play clarinet, you know!”

      Jack Black in School of Rock (12:06):
      “I’ll find something for you when we get back from lunch. I’ll assign the rest of you killer positions.”

      Mandy Jansen (12:13):
      And the film culminates in a performance of a collaborative song that they all wrote and performed together. And the students experience that collaboration and teamwork and creating something beautiful is much more important than winning first place. And finally, one of the songs that the character sings in the film is “Math is a Wonderful Thing.” Can’t beat that.

      Dan Meyer (12:40):
      All right. That’s tough. That’s tough. So here’s the deal. What we have right now is just a quick minute—so Bethany, you ranked, we all ranked our own faves here outta the list of eight. And Bethany put Jack Black in School of Rock a bit higher than Tina Fey in Mean Girls.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (12:54):
      Missed the piano part though.

      Dan Meyer (12:55):
      And Chris, vice versa here. So Bethany, would you start us off and just make a quick case here for Jack Black versus Tina Fey?

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (13:01):
      OK. So here’s what I’m thinking. There’s been rumor that maybe they’re putting less than credentialed people into classrooms to fill teaching gaps. I mean, just rumor. And so here’s this guy who is a rocker. He is not a substitute. He has no teaching training. And yet he goes in there and it turns out that he has the ability to see students’ potential and to recognize their unique abilities. And like Mandy said, he really tapped into, like, he saw them and said, “No, more is possible for you than what you think is possible.” And there’s like real sub anxiety. When you walk in, you can either be like, happy there’s a sub, but I was usually really nervous. Right? And he goes in and he makes that classroom into a home.

      Dan Meyer (13:53):
      Wow.

      Chris Nho (13:54):
      Wow.

      Dan Meyer (13:56):
      Chris, speak on it. Tina Fey needs you. Chris.

      Chris Nho (13:59):
      Tina Fey. Here we go. I’m gonna argue here that—when was that movie made?

      Dan Meyer (14:03):
      T is for terrific. I is for Interesting.

      Chris Nho (14:06):
      Decades ago. And I’m gonna argue that Tina Fey was very progressive for her time. OK, let’s talk about social emotional learning. Hello. <Audience laughs> Love that. Right? Stand up if, I mean, she’s getting people to talk about their emotions. And there’s a curriculum. But let’s just pause, because that’s not what’s really happening in the classroom right now. So social emotional learning, I think she’s, she’s got that a lot. And then number two, you know, if you remember the plot of Mean Girls a little bit, she gets her name written in that Burn Book. Like she sees what they say about her. Restorative justice. Let’s go. <Audience laughs>.

      Dan Meyer (14:38):
      Whom amongst us. Yes.

      Chris Nho (14:40):
      You write Mr. Nho in the Burn Book?? Well, your grade book is gonna look like a Burn Book! OK? <Audience laughs> Tina Fey, Tina Fey, she was like, “No, you know, know what? I’m actually gonna spend more time with you. You’re gonna become a mathlete.” And Lindsay Lohan discovers—she drops the most iconic line in all of math education. “The limit does not exist.” Thank you, Tina Fey, for that. For that gift.

      Dan Meyer (15:04):
      Bless. Bless you. Tina Fey. Wow.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (15:05):
      Oh, man. Wow.

      Dan Meyer (15:09):
      Let’s see what the people say here. I do wanna just add one quick thing about—it’s interesting to me how often in these movies—just kind of go in a little bit, zoom out just a minute—how often it’s a teacher who has no training as a teacher. <Bethany laughs> I am kind of curious why it is. Like, those are the movies that get hot, that get made. Again, these are all kind of a mirror of the taste of the moviegoing public. You know what I’m saying? Like, these, these are not movies—I wanna believe they are made for me and for us as teachers. But they are not. There’s not enough of us to justify, you know, Jack Black’s, you know, M&M budget or whatever he’s got going on in his trailer or whatever. That needs to be for everybody in middle-class America. So what is it about middle-class America that wants to see teaching as something that anybody can do? Just like, you know, just, just run up there in your van and make it happen.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (15:54):
      Magic magically manifests.

      Dan Meyer (15:56):
      Yeah. Manifest. Yeah. That’s just interesting to me. I just toss that out there as some red meat. Let’s see what the people say here. All right, OK, so you’re ready. Let’s get the bracket going here. The question is Tina Fey versus Jack Black. You had a moment here. Just whisper to someone real fast who you’re going for here real quick. What are you thinking here? <Crowd murmuring> All right. Crowd’s buzzing. Crowd’s buzzing. Would you folks…? All right. Bring it back. Go ahead and make some noise for Tina Fey. <Crowd cheers> OK. OK. Make some noise for Jack Black! <Crowd cheers> Judges say Tina Fey. Tina Fey moves on. All right. All right.

      Chris Nho (16:44):
      Stunned. I’m stunned. I’m speechless.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (16:46):
      Tina Fey moves on. Wow.

      Dan Meyer (16:48):
      This has exceeded my expectations in terms of having some fun, but also getting deep, getting deep and real about teaching. I’m into this right here. Yeah. What’s up?

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (16:54):
      That’s the goal. That’s the goal. OK. You wanted blood? Oooh, this next matchup might just be where that blood comes forth! OK. Stretch. Warm up. Dan Meyer, who’s up next?

      Dan Meyer (17:11):
      We’ve got the animated/animatronic round here in the Southeast. And repping the two contestants here, who do we have? We have Allison Hintz, professor, author outta Washington, as one of the two nominators. And the other nominator is one of my heroes, though we’ll find out very wrong about this nomination, Jenna Laib, who’s in the crowd, and I’m trying not to make eye contact here. <Laugh> And here are the two nominations. A couple minutes each. And then we’ll chat about it. And one of us will probably die. But we’ll see how it goes.

      Allison Hintz (17:50):
      A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, MTL, we began learning from the Jedi Master of Teaching. With the Socratic and experiential approach. With unparalleled mindfulness, compassion, and humility. The best teacher in TV and film, Yoda is. <Audience laughs> Yoda lives the values we share as teachers and learners. He humbly comes alongside us as we construct new knowledge.

      Yoda (18:29):
      “You must unlearn what you have learned.”

      Allison Hintz (18:32):
      Yoda allows us to struggle and sees mistakes as critical to learning.

      Yoda (18:39):
      “The greatest teacher, failure is.”

      Allison Hintz (18:43):
      Yoda values curiosity and reminds us of the beauty and joy of teachers learning from children.

      Yoda (18:52):
      “Truly wonderful, the mind of a child is.”

      Allison Hintz (18:59):
      MTL! Join the Resistance! Let the force flow through you in declaring, the best teacher in TV and film, Yoda is.

      Dan Meyer (19:18):
      Give it up for Allison Hintz! All right! <Audience applauds>

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (19:20):
      Alison! And to have that on hand too, which Is kind of perfect.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (19:26):
      Just to be clear, the helmet is not a part of a Zoom background.

      Dan Meyer (19:29):
      You may evaluate the quality of the nomination based on the costumes of the nominator. That is acceptable. That’s acceptable.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (19:35):
      That is a REAL HELMET.

      Dan Meyer (19:35):
      All right. The next nominator here, this one is from Jenna Laib, math coach, all-around stellar human. Here we go. This is Ms. Frizzle.

      Ms. Frizzle (19:42):
      “Single file, class. Our rotten field trip has only just begun.”

      Jenna Laib (19:47):
      And I think that the best teacher from TV or movies is Ms .Valerie Frizzle from The Magic School Bus. First and foremost, Ms. Frizzle believes in her students. She encourages them to take an active role in their learning, and also to advocate for change in their local community. For example, there’s an episode where there is a logger who’s gonna cut down a rotting log that would benefit the local ecosystem. And the students figure out a way to convince him to leave the log so that all of the animals and the plant life can benefit. She orchestrates really challenging situations for these students, and she allows them the space to ask questions and engage in problem-solving and puzzle their way out of these really, really difficult scenarios. Ms. Frizzle has unmatched pedagogy. She’s bold, she’s innovative, and she’s a major proponent of experiential learning. So these students are heading straight into a storm to learn about weather systems. <Audience laughs> These students are heading into the human body to learn about digestion and disease. They literally get baked into a cake to learn about some chemistry and reactions.

      Children in The Magic School Bus (20:54):
      “What’s happening?” <Audience laughs> “Why is it suddenly getting so hot?” “Maybe it’s because the floor is on fire!” <Audience laughs>

      Jenna Laib (21:02):
      This pedagogy is all led by her outstanding catchphrase, which is:

      Ms. Frizzle (21:06):
      “Take chances; make mistakes; get messy!”

      Jenna Laib (21:14):
      From her pedagogy to the classroom community that she creates, Ms. Frizzle is an inspiration, and that is why I think that she is the best teacher from TV or film. <Audience applauds>

      Dan Meyer (21:25):
      Right on! Give it up for Jenna. Give it up for Jenna. All right. I’m gonna take first pass at this. Chris knows my argument already, so I’m gonna take this here. I see some of you are feeling how I’m feeling on this one. OK, so I don’t have tons to say in favor of Yoda. I think it was all true what Allison said. I think the costume was banging. It was awesome. So there’s all that, but I have more to say against Ms. Frizzle than for Yoda.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (21:48):
      No, no, no. Wait a second!

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (21:49):
      Let’s let it happen. Bethany, I’ve come prepared.

      Dan Meyer (21:54):
      I may have made a misstep here, I realize.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (21:56):
      I’ve come prepared.

      Dan Meyer (21:56):
      So I think Jenna is all correct. I think those clips spoke for themselves. I think that what they add up to, to me, is not “great teacher,” but more “someone who should be locked up.” <Audience laughs> Or at the very minimum, “someone who should be kept away from children.” <Audience laughs> Do not let that woman around children. I mean, check it out. Look, I don’t wanna throw down credentials. I’ve been to grad school, though. I know how this works. When your brain is stressed, you get these—all the cortisol happens. Your working memory shrinks up. You cannot learn when you’re stressed. And those kids, like whatever lesson Ms. Frizzle is teaching by sending them into an oven, I repeat, an oven <audience laughs>, like, they’re not gonna learn anything ’cause their brains are freaking out with stress and fear. OK?

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (22:41):
      “What’s happening??”

      Dan Meyer (22:43):
      “What’s happening? Am I on fire? Well…I’m learning lots, though! Sure is magical!” <Audience laughs> It’s like, “No. Get that woman out of a classroom.” That’s my opening and closing argument. Right? There’s all it is.

      Chris Nho (23:01):
      All right. All right. All right.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (23:02):
      Chris knows.

      Chris Nho (23:03):
      I’ve got, I’ve got lots to say. First off, I think Dan was in charge of the editing of those video clips. So let’s let that be—you know, let the record stand. <Audience laughs>

      Dan Meyer (23:11):
      Where’s the lie though? Where’s the lie?

      Chris Nho (23:14):
      And, you know, second, I think, um—this is the guy up here saying, “I wanna see blood.” You know? And then he has a teacher who literally takes the students into a blood cell and, and you get a little scared! You get a little worried for the students, you know? So I just don’t get it, Dan. This or that. OK? I think Ms. Frizzle—so I actually went to a project-based learning school. I taught at a project-based learning school. And the best thing about it is like, your learning, it doesn’t just stay in this box of math lesson or writing lesson, history lesson. And I think with Ms. Frizzle, like you can’t help but learn things because you are getting baked in a cake. <Audience laughs> Yeah, it is a little scary. And I imagine there’s cortisol and things happening, but guess what? Probably the next episode, they go into their own brains and explore what’s happening. That kind of thing. You know?

      Dan Meyer (24:07):
      The kids that survived, just be clear. <Audience laughs>

      Chris Nho (24:10):
      Yeah. OK. Would I want Nora, my three-month-old, to be babysat by Ms. Frizzle? Maybe not. <Audience laughs> But what I have to say about Yoda is Yoda maybe wins the best tutor award. Give it up for Yoda’s Best Tutor Award.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (24:24):
      Oh, yeah…

      Chris Nho (24:25):
      That ratio’s looking really nice. I could teach the heck outta Luke Skywalker. OK? But 20 little Luke Skywalkers running around. I’m not sure. OK?

      Dan Meyer (24:34):
      Luke did survive the training, though. <Audience laughs> So that’s awfully nice to say about it. All right, Great words from Chris here. I’m still not convinced. We’ll see how you’re convinced here. Would you whisper to someone where you’re leaning here? Frizzle or Yoda? <Audience buzzing>

      Chris Nho (24:47):
      I tried. I tried.

      Dan Meyer (24:53):
      All right. That’s enough of that. Let’s hear it folks. Give it up for Yoda. <Audience cheers> Give it up. Give it up. You. Give. It. Up.

      Chris Nho (25:05):
      Hey, next. Next.

      Dan Meyer (25:06):
      All right. All right, all right. <Mutters> Give it up for Ms. Frizzle. <Audience cheers louder> I dunno, it’s pretty close. Call a tie. Maybe Yoda? Yoda by nose? <Audience laughs> All right. All right. Let’s…let me see who’s it. Let’s get the people advancing here. I’ll keep on moving here.

      Chris Nho (25:26):
      As you’re doing that. Um, Dan ranked Ms. Frizzle last in his personal ranking. And I ranked Ms. Frizzle very high, so we knew this one would be spicy,

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (25:36):
      <laugh> Spicy it was. Are you having a good time so far? <Audience cheers> So while we love seeing these images and we love seeing these video clips, at the core, what are these things about how teachers are portrayed? And how accurate is that to our real lives? I mean, besides the cake part, right? That my chemistry class did often feel like I was on fire. I was so stressed in it. Um, we’re ready?

      Dan Meyer (26:05):
      Yep. Great. We’re ready, we’re up here. So the next two nominees are coming to you folks from Tracy Zager, who is the editor of my book, forthcoming in 2027 at the earliest and 2032 at the latest. And also your very own Zak Champagne from Florida, here in the room. Hey, Zak. Zak, let’s see who the nominations are. I’m gonna skip past that, didn’t work out so well for me. Here it is. This is Marshall Kane from the TV show Community.

      Michael K. Williams in Community (26:32):
      “You two complete your case to the class and let them decide your grades.”

      Joel McHale in Community (26:37):
      “Professor, thank you.”

      Michael K. Williams in Community (26:40):
      “It’s not a favor, Mr. Winger. Man’s gotta have a code.”

      Joel McHale in Community (26:44):
      “Awesome.”

      Zak Champagne (26:46):
      This is a pitch for an underdog. This teacher didn’t stand on desks or encourage his students to follow their musical passions. In fact, this teacher was seen only in a few episodes of my favorite TV show of all time, Community, Community has set at Greendale Community College in Colorado. And in season three, we get to meet Dr. Marshall Kane, a biology professor whose story is an inspiration to anyone who just takes the time to look and listen. Dr. Marshall Kane slowly earned his PhD while in prison, serving a sentence of 25 to life. In his classroom, he inspires students to love biology, question why LEGO has become so complicated, and randomly pairs his students for group projects to ensure no one feels left out. His greatest performance comes when a group of students believe their yam project was intentionally sabotaged. Dr. Kane took this as an opportunity for some trans-disciplinary real-world learning. So yes, at community college, he felt that a middle-school mock trial was the best way to determine who killed the yam. So let’s all pick the underdog and vote for Dr. Marshall Kane. After all, man’s gotta have a code. <Audience goes “oh!” and applauds>

      Dan Meyer (27:53):
      Thank you, Zak.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (27:54):
      I have a code.

      Dan Meyer (27:56):
      Next up is Tracy Zager, nominating an unusual nomination, not a single person, but an ensemble performance. A bunch of people from a movie called Searching for Bobby Fisher. Here we go.

      Rapid-fire movie dialogue (28:11):
      “What’s that?” “Schleimann attack.” “Schleimann attack? Where’d you learn that from, a book?” “No, my teacher taught me.” “Aw, your teacher. Well, forget it. Play like you used to, from the gut. Get your pawns rolling on the queen’s side.”

      Tracy Zager (28:26):
      Hey, Math Teacher Lounge. This is Tracy Zager. I’m excited to share my nominee for the best movie teacher. But I have to admit that when I first got the email, I thought, oh, who am I gonna nominate? Because most movies about teachers are highly problematic. They usually have like a saviorism thing, usually white saviors. And I just felt like I couldn’t suggest any of those. So rather than nominate a movie about a single teacher, I wanted to nominate a movie that taught me something about teaching. And that movie is a deep cut. It’s Searching for Bobby Fischer. It’s a movie about a chess prodigy. And what I love about it is that all of the different adults in the movie are in teacher roles in some way. And the student, Josh, the chess player, is a fully realized character, not an empty pail, who pulls from the strengths of each one of those adults while also dealing with their flaws and humanity. And there’s just beautiful synergy in the way he gets the best out of everybody, but also has to overcome some of the barriers that they put in front of him. So I feel like it’s a much more authentic and humbling, but also inspiring, movie about the power of teaching. So if you haven’t ever seen it, check it out. And I can’t wait to see who the other nominees are. Thanks so much.

      Dan Meyer (29:53):
      Right on. Thank you, Tracy. Wherever you are. <Applause> We’ll move a little quicker here. I’m curious, Bethany, you put Marshall Kane pretty high. I put Bobby Fischer pretty high. What do you have to say about Marshall Kane for us here?

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (30:04):
      Well, I just wanna say two things. One is that, like Zak said, he has this code of conduct that he brings in. And he stays true to it no matter what happens. If you saw him in in Community, you know that he held himself up to such high esteem, but not just himself, his students as well. And he took accountability when he felt he had done wrong, even though, well, that’s controversy. But first—oh, the other thing, rest in peace, Michael K. Williams. Oh my gosh. The actor who plays Marshall K. And the thing that I wanna say most of all about it is that he brings his whole self to the classroom. He was in prison for decades. He brings his whole self and says, “This is who I was. This is who I am today. And this is how we can work together as a community.”

      Dan Meyer (30:58):
      That’s big. I love your comments about code of conduct too. It makes me wish that Ms. Frizzle had a code of conduct also.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (31:05):
      I knew that was coming back!

      Chris Nho (31:06):
      Two slides ago, Dan. That was two slides ago.

      Dan Meyer (31:08):
      Can’t let it go. So yeah, I love what you said there. I have no strong beef here either way. Bobby Fischer’s a movie I have loved dearly and can’t be objective about it. I love that the kid in that movie, more than any other movie here, the kid teaches the adults so much through his innocence and how he challenges them and how they’re treating him. Dig all that so much. Will not, will not begrudge anyone any vote either way here. I do begrudge many of you your vote in previous rounds. <Audience laughs> So let’s just, let’s hear. We’re not gonna ask you folks at all to chitchat. We’re gonna move on this one. So would you folks make some noise here for Marshall Kane in Community? OK. OK. And would you make some noise here for Bobby Fischer, the kid in Bobby Fischer, the ensemble? <Audience cheers, applauds>

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (31:56):
      Marshall Kane.

      Dan Meyer (31:57):
      Marshall Kane takes it. All right. Good job, Marshall Kane! All right. Zak’s feeling good. Moving on to the final four here, Zak, right on. OK. Our last—the Northwest Division here is also the large urban district division here. We have a couple different teachers in sets of large urban schools. They’re nominated, they’re advanced by a couple people here. One is past president of NCTM, Robert Berry. And another is Fawn Nguyen, Southern California phenom. Great teacher and friend of lots of us. Um, let’s see who they nominated here. First from Robert Berry, let’s see, who is it here? Janine Teagues from Abbott Elementary.

      Abbott Elementary dialogue (32:37):
      “Hey, you know what? I’m probably probably gonna be Kenny’s second-grade teacher. Why don’t you just let him get a head start with me today?” “That’d be great.” “Yeah? OK. Hey, Kenny, would you like to be in my group today?” “Not really.” “That’s the spirit.”

      Robert Berry (32:54):
      My nomination is gonna be Quinta Brunson, the Emmy Award-winning Quinta Brunson from Abbott Elementary. Janine Teagues is the character. She exemplifies care not only from an affect way, but she also exemplifies care in the things that she does for her students. While the scenes in the show are entertaining, they do represent the challenges that teachers experience when they’re trying to meet the needs of her students. So she goes, goes all out for her students and finding resources. She accesses other people to get resources for her students. But the care shows up in the way that she is mindful of their needs. And so, for me, when I think about teachers and teaching, sometimes we can talk about pedagogy, but sometimes we also can talk about those kind of intangibles that makes a teacher a great teacher. It is apparent from her students that she cares about them, she supports them, and she goes all out 100% for her students. Janine Teagues, Quinta Brunson is, I think, is my choice of the best teacher on television because of the realism and the representation that she brings to this character of what teaching is about. <Applause>

      Dan Meyer (34:28):
      Right on. Right on. OK. OK. Next up, we’ve got, Fawn Nguyen is nominating Erin Gruwell from Freedom Writers. Here we go.

      Hilary Swank in Freedom Writers movie (34:39):
      “Look, you can either sit in your seats reading those workbooks or you can play a game. Either way, you’re in here till the bell rings. OK? This is called the Line Game. I’m gonna ask you a question. If that question applies to you, you step onto the line and then step back away for the next question. Easy, right? The first question. How many of you have the new Snoop Dog album? <kids move around> OK, back away. Next question. How many of you have seen Boys in the Hood?”

      Fawn Nguyen (35:26):
      We all learn about Miss G and her 150 students in the movie Freedom Writers starring Hilary Swank. All great teachers share a common set of traits. They care deeply about their students, have high expectations of them, and always believing wholeheartedly that they will succeed. Great teachers go above and beyond, not because they extraordinary—as Anne Gruwell would always refer to herself as an ordinary teacher—but because extraordinary things happen to people when we believe in them, give them hope, help them write their own story with a different ending. So what stood out for me with Miss G is the scope of her reach, the ever-expanding sphere of her humanity. The red tape she had placed on the classroom floor for the line game shows just how much we all have in common despite our differences. Her students didn’t just learn from her; they learned from one another. If you’d like to be part of this expanding sphere to give voice and hope, please check out Freedom Writers Foundation dot org.

      Dan Meyer (36:38):
      OK. This right here is a tough one for us. Thank you, Fawn. We collectively ranked—that’s our number one seed and number eight seed, which I hasten to say does not have to do with Erin Gruwell, a person, but the portrayal and the movie. So we don’t have like a whole lot of…there’s not a lot of defense we have to offer here of our eighth seed. And I heard like a kind of a little bit of a murmur over the crowd on Erin Gruwell. So I’m more interested than having a defense back and forth. I’d be curious what you, Bethany, think about what, like, what both movies have to say about like, what teaching is, especially teaching urban schools with black and brown kids and lower-class kids, for instance. They both have, I think, very different things to say about them. Do you have thoughts about that?

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (37:19):
      Well, it’s interesting because there is some overlap in the sense that the arguments that both Fawn and Robert Berry put out, they both care deeply about their students, right? We’re not gonna argue that. They care deeply. And something that I would say about Miss Teagues is there’s something about the way that she sees not only her classroom, her students, but she sees all of the students in the school as her students. And her idea of resource generation is really helping the teachers to generate resources from their community themselves, and to also realize that the students see themselves reflected in the teachers. And I think that—you know, again, this is not about the real person—but the movie portrayal, and we often see kind of this, for Freedom Writers, we often see this like, Great Last Hope whisked in and her personal sacrifices are what makes these students, these brown and black students’ transformation possible. Because of her sacrifices. Including her marriage. Including, you know, three jobs. And it’s just portrayed in a way that I think really celebrates her sacrifices rather than what the students have already brought—they already come into the room bringing so much as they are, already, without her intervention.

      Dan Meyer (38:38):
      I love the portrayal of the teacher as part of a community of teachers. Versus in so many of these movies, it’s the teacher as the only person who gets it, you know, oftentimes coming from outside of the world of teaching and everyone’s against them and wants ’em just to fall in line and do the thing we always do, and they’re the outlier. But in Abbott Elementary, it’s like we all rise and we fall together. And teachers are investing in each other’s success, especially with Gregory the longterm sub. We’re all rooting for his, you know, his flourishing. I love that. And yeah. That’s bigtime.

      Chris Nho (39:09):
      Yeah, I think one interesting thing is that Freedom Writers, when it came out, I think it was like a commercial success.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (39:17):
      Oh, big time. Yeah. It was.

      Chris Nho (39:18):
      It probably influenced a lot of people to try teaching out. So I do wonder what it says about us, right? Like that we want teaching to fit this narrative, and we wanna be those people who could go into a classroom and <puts on “cool voice”> “Y’all listen to Snoop Dog?” and just have that question HIT. <laughter> And you know, I’ve taught in a large urban school district, and I’ve been that person and I’ve seen other people try and be that person. And I think stepping away from it a little bit, just—it’s a reflection of what people want out of teaching and what they think better education looks like.

      Dan Meyer (39:57):
      Yeah, yeah. This idea that, so I’m a middle-class person, let’s say, and like, there’s this idea, like, “I know what I would do if I was going into circumstances of impoverishment.” Like I have—

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (40:06):
      “All they really need is…”

      Dan Meyer (40:07):
      …for me to give ’em some real talk and tell ’em, you know, pull their pants up or whatever, listen to Snoop Dog, that kind of thing. And that will be the key. And that’s not how it is in, you know, in Jack Black in School of Rock or Tina Fey school, which are, you know, coded as largely like upper-class or largely white schools. And in those movies, it’s interesting, like how it’s about students discovering themselves, oftentimes. And the central figures are often students. And the students need to reject an oppressive parent figure or something and find themselves. But no, in Freedom Writers, it’s like, “You need to become more like the middle-class teachers who are coming in here to give you this wisdom.” It’s just interesting. I do find it—a pet peeve of mine is when movies portray teachers as only successful if you endure, for instance, the failure of your marriage, or even in Stand and Deliver, for instance, like Jaime Escalante, they depict him having a heart attack. And, like, the job oughta be…easier. <Audience laughs>

      Chris Nho (41:04):
      Truth.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (41:05):
      That’s the barometer for how much….

      Dan Meyer (41:09):
      Like, no heart attacks and no divorces related to the job, that kind of thing. I do love how in Abbott—one last thing and we’ll vote and Abbott will win <audience laughs>—is like how, like there, there is a lot of degradation in Abbott, but it’s not a divorce or a heart attack—it’s the petty indignities of asking a student, “Do you wanna hang with me?” And a student says, “Nah, not really.” And that just spoke to me like how it’s not cinematic, but teaching, successful teaching, is like a collection of developing an immunity to students saying, “You’re not hot.” <Laugh> You know? And so I love that. I do wish that there was more depiction of students in Abbott Elementary. It’s a lot of adult stuff. Whatever. Give it up for Abbott, if you would, please. Let’s just get this done here. All right. That’s plenty. That’s plenty. Not gonna ask folks about Freedom Writers. OK, let’s move on to— all right, let’s hear it for Freedom Writers! Yeah. OK, cool. We go, yep.

      Chris Nho (42:05):
      Plot twist!

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (42:07):
      OK, let’s see our final four. Cut and paste. Real time. Real time.

      Audience member (42:12):
      Where’s Dolores Umbridge?

      Dan Meyer (42:14):
      Oh….

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (42:16):
      Hey, did you hear that? He said, “Where’s Dolores Umbridge?”

      Dan Meyer (42:20):
      All right. OK.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (42:20):
      See, we missed so many. We could…

      Dan Meyer (42:21):
      So coming up here, we’ve got in the Eastern Conference, Tina Fey and Ms. Frizzle. Y’all know how I feel about that one. Let’s just get this one done. OK, let’s give it up for Tina Fey. Let’s hear it. <Audience cheers> OK. All right. Yes! Let’s give it up for menace to children everywhere, the terror, the Ms. Frizzle. <Audience cheers> One more time for Tina Fey. Let’s hear it. <Audience cheers> One more time for Ms. Frizzle. Let’s hear it. <Audience cheers>

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (42:59):
      Yeah. OK.

      Dan Meyer (43:00):
      It took ’em one round, but they made the right call in the end. <Laugh>

      Chris Nho (43:04):
      All it took was 10 minutes of constant Ms. Frizzle-bashing. <Laugh>

      Dan Meyer (43:09):
      Persevering and problem-solving, that’s my game. Yes. All right. So, do either of you want to influence the audience one way or the other?

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (43:16):
      That’s not how I play, Dan.

      Dan Meyer (43:18):
      Oh, OK. Yeah, that’s true. That’s true. You’re good. On Abbott versus Marshall Kane, should we just let ’em have it? All right. All right. Give it up For Abbott Elementary. Not bad. And for Marshall Kane. OK. OK. I hear Zak and five other people. All right, cool. <laugh> Right on. All right. We got our, we got our finals,

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (43:45):
      We did it. We made it to two. And we know: We left out a lot of people. Right? And honestly, I kind of wish we could poll like everyone. I mean, think you put it on Twitter, right? Like, who would you pick? But I would say we had a pretty solid eight there. I’m excited to see who… Look at the little crown he put, you guys. Come on.

      Dan Meyer (44:05):
      I worked hard for you. For you. <Laugh> Yeah. I liked that it was a good bunch that had a lot of different kinds of qualities…and lack of qualities in some cases. And it allowed us that—I shouldn’t knock her while she’s down, and she IS down, it’s true. <Laugh> And I appreciate the conversation we’ve had, what they have revealed overall about teaching and what the world wants teaching to be versus what it actually is or actually should be. I appreciate that. So let’s settle this here. Give it up, if you would, for Abbott Elementary. <Audience cheers> And give it up for Tina Fey in Mean Girls. <Audience cheers>

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (44:49):
      Wow.

      Dan Meyer (44:51):
      That was close. I almost give that to Tina Fey.

      Audience member (44:55):
      Yeah, we do!

      Dan Meyer (44:55):
      I don’t know. That was a bracket-buster for me right there. Yeah. I lost money in the office pool off that right there. Maybe let’s just find out one more time here. One more time.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (45:03):
      Last time.

      Dan Meyer (45:03):
      Time to summon up all your conviction on one or the other here. No half-measures right now. All right.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (45:07):
      Emmy Award-winning Quinta Brunson.

      Dan Meyer (45:09):
      Yeah, you saw Robert Berry on that, right? He was like, “Oh, I got one more card to play. Emmy Award-winning.” That’s admissible. That’s admissible. We’ll take that. All right. So…give it up for Abbott Elementary, one last time. <Audience cheers> OK. All right. All right. And give it up for Tina Fey in Mean Girls. <Audience cheers>

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (45:30):
      Drumroll, please!

      Chris Nho (45:33):
      Best teacher is….

      Dan Meyer (45:34):
      Tina Fey in Mean Girls! Yeah. Not a bad pick.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (45:39):
      I love it. And I think, too, I think we’re gonna have a little bit of a more reflective lens than we thought we did when we see depictions of teachers in film and television. And, you know, hopefully we’ll see some new tropes come in, right?

      Dan Meyer (45:55):
      Yep. Yeah. Every dollar we spend on movies with lousy teachers is just encouraging these people to make more lousy teacher movies, you know? Awesome. Thank you for being here for a live taping—

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (46:06):
      Thank you for being here.

      Dan Meyer (46:06):
      —of our podcast, Math Teacher Lounge, in a hot room. Appreciate that. Yeah, it’s been fun for us to have you here. Um, super-important, super-important final remark: Bethany loves Oprah and Oprah occasionally, in the show—

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (46:18):
      Is she coming?! Is she here?!

      Dan Meyer (46:19):
      Not here! Not here! Calm down. Calm down. Um, but we do have in Oprah fashion, not something—

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (46:24):
      Oh. Oh, OK. Oh, that’s, that’s OK. Sorry. I got, had really excited for a second. As if the Amplify playing cards, The Amplify t-shirts being chucked at you at high speed—I did try to get a t-shirt cannon, and that was quickly ruled out <laugh>. They didn’t know about my rocket arm, right?

      Dan Meyer (46:46):
      Yeah, you got a cannon. <Laugh>

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (46:47):
      Yeah. Oh, that’s a compliment. Oh, is that a compliment? Thank you, Dan. Thank you. Look under your seat because we have five winners. We wanna thank you for being here in person. We wanna thank the folks who are listening. We wanna thank Amplify. Oh my God. Somebody just pulled off the chair tag. You get to take that chair home with you.

      Dan Meyer (47:08):
      Does anybody have a prize?

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (47:10):
      OK, stand up if you…stand up if you…Yes! Stand up if you have one!

      Dan Meyer (47:16):
      Free set of classroom dry-erase boards, right here. Congratulations.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (47:22):
      And for you who pulled off the chair tag, I don’t know. We gotta we gotta find something for you.

      Dan Meyer (47:27):
      Put that in your backpack.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (47:30):
      Thank you again for being here. Thank you. Amplify. Thank you, Desmos. Thank you. Dan Meyer.

      Dan Meyer (47:36):
      Thank you folks. Chris, thank you buddy.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (47:38):
      Chris! Chris Nho, everybody!

      Dan Meyer (47:40):
      We will be, we will be at—Bethany and I will be at the booth, if you wanna chit-chat and hang out, sign some stuff. Whatever. You wanna have Bethany sign you, she’ll do that. Um, come on down to the Amplify booth and we’ll—

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (47:50):
      We’ll talk to you more about Ms. Frizzle.

      Dan Meyer (47:52):
      Fun and prizes. I will share with my real thoughts about Ms. Frizzle down there. I’d love to see you. Thanks for being here, folks.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson (47:57):
      Thanks for listening. Bye.

      Stay connected!

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      What Dan Meyer says about math teaching

      “Teaching, more than other professions, is a generational profession. The kinds of joyful experiences we offer—or don’t offer—now affect the experiences students that haven’t even been born yet will have years later.”

      – Dan Meyer

      Meet the guests

      Dan Meyer

      Dan Meyer taught high school math to students who didn’t like high school math. He has advocated for better math instruction on CNN, Good Morning America, Everyday With Rachel Ray, and TED.com. He earned his doctorate from Stanford University in math education and is currently the Dean of Research at Desmos, where he explores the future of math, technology, and learning. Dan has worked with teachers internationally and in all 50 United States and was named one of Tech & Learning’s 30 Leaders of the Future.

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson

      Bethany Lockhart Johnson is an elementary school educator and author. Prior to serving as a multiple-subject teacher, she taught theater and dance and now loves incorporating movement and creative play into her classroom. Bethany is committed to helping students find joy in discovering their identities as mathematicians. In addition to her role as a full-time classroom teacher, Bethany is a Student Achievement Partners California Core Advocate and is active in national and local mathematics organizations. Bethany is a member of the Illustrative Mathematics Elementary Curriculum Steering Committee and serves as a consultant, creating materials to support families during distance learning.

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      About Math Teacher Lounge: The podcast

      Math Teacher Lounge is a biweekly podcast created specifically for K–12 math educators. In each episode co-hosts Bethany Lockhart Johnson (@lockhartedu) and Dan Meyer (@ddmeyer) chat with guests, taking a deep dive into the math and educational topics you care about.

      Join the Math Teacher Lounge Facebook group to continue the conversation, view exclusive content, interact with fellow educators, participate in giveaways, and more!

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      Math: Grades 9–12
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      A quadratic equation, ax² + bx + c, appears above a blue and purple table with an arrow pointing from the equation to the table.
      Science: Grades 4–8
      Explore free lessons
      Two low-poly, fictional creatures face off: a green, bird-like animal with spikes and a red, bear-like beast with sharp teeth and orange markings—perfect for sparking imagination using free teaching resources.
      Literacy: Grades K–5
      Explore free lessons
      A card with the letter u0022yu0022 labeled as in u0022mythu0022 next to a speech bubble card showing the phonetic symbol /e/.
      Math: Desmos classics Grades 6–8
      Explore free lessons
      Three raccoons balance on one side of a seesaw, while a 21 lb weight balances the other side on a grassy surface.
      Polypad manipulatives:
      Explore free lessons
      A square divided into seven colorful geometric shapes: two triangles, two parallelograms, one square, and two smaller triangles in green, red, purple, orange, teal, and magenta.
      Create a free account

      More than 300,000 teachers turn to Amplify Classroom for captivating lessons and virtual manipulatives.

      Grade 1 Math

      Leaping Lily Pads

      Grade 6 Science

      Behaviors and Structures Support Survival

      Kindergarten Literacy

      The Boy and the Violin

      Grades K–12

      Polypad manipulatives

      Algebra 1

      Shelley the Snail

      Get your classroom buzzing with our powerful teaching tools.

      Tailor lessons to fit your needs.

      Easily customize premade lessons or create your own with our drag-and-drop lesson builder.

      Share and celebrate student ideas.

      Take snapshots of classwork to foster discussion and highlight student thinking.

      Gain insights into student thinking.

      Monitor your students’ ideas in real time so you can adapt instruction on the fly.

      Control the flow of instruction.

      Pace students to specific parts of the lesson, or pause to explore concepts more deeply.

      What are people saying?

      A purple octopus with eight tentacles, each holding a clam, is shown above a row of number buttons labeled 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. The number 8 is highlighted.

      Martin Joyce

      @martinsean

      Love this #AmplifyClassroom kindergarten activity! First the octopus checks sums of 8 then the sea urchin comes out. Great job. I’ve been wary about making my kids not hate math (no drill n kill) and they’re asking can we do math on the computer before bed. Yes! Cc @ddmeyer

      A user interface with four circular icons—Anonymize, Pace, Sync to Me, and Paused—above a dropdown menu labeled "Sort by Time Entered," designed as a free teaching platform for easy access to lesson plans.

      Traci Jackson

      @traciteacher

      After an audible groan b/c the activity was paused, Ss made sense of ordered pairs through a purposeful #AmplifyClassroom experience! This S pair wrote without any prompting. Great collaboration and learning in 5th grade today!

      Mark Labuda

      @mrmlabuda

      Hands down the best virtual manipulatives I’ve ever come across.

      Screenshot of the Facebook group "Amplify Classroom Educators (formerly Desmos Educators)" with a join group button, highlighting educational images, group details, and access to free teaching resources.

      Join our community

      More than 30,000 educators share advice, lessons, wins, and more in our Amplify Classroom Educators Group. Be a part of the conversation!

      Join now

      Interested in learning about the benefits of being an Amplify customer?

      Learn more

      Amplify Classroom FAQ

      Amplify Classroom (formerly Desmos Classroom) is a free K–12 teaching platform that gives educators access to a library of high-quality, interactive lessons in math, literacy, and science. The platform is built with tools that promote student engagement and collaboration, while giving teachers real-time visibility into student thinking.

      Amplify Classroom supports K–12 educators across math, science, and literacy. The platform offers more than 1,000 free interactive lessons, with content designed to build deeper understanding and student engagement at every grade level.

      No. Teachers can create a free Amplify Classroom account and immediately access teaching tools and hundreds of lessons without a district license or subscription. Paid programs such as Amplify Desmos Math and Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) also run on Amplify Classroom, and you can access that content through the same platform if your school or district subscribes to these programs.

      Some schools and districts require that specific URLs be added to their allowlist before teachers can access Amplify Classroom. A full list of permitted domains can be found at amplify.com/allowlist. Teachers should share this information with their school or district IT team.

      Amplify Classroom offers built-in tools that promote real-time teacher visibility and student engagement. Key features include:

      • Real-time student insights: See student responses and thinking as they happen, all in one easy-to-use teacher dashboard.
      • Teacher pacing controls: Pause a lesson or advance all student screens simultaneously.
      • Select and sequence student work: Highlight student ideas live by selecting and sharing student work during a discussion.
      • Anonymous student sharing: Display student work to the class without showing students’ real names.
      • Lesson customization: Copy and edit pre-built K–12 lessons or build your own from scratch using our drag-and-drop lesson builder.
      • Class management tools: Create and manage multiple classes, add co-teachers, and organize rosters.

      Yes. Teachers can customize our K–12 lessons or even create lessons from scratch to meet their students’ unique needs. This includes adding things like pre-made screens, images, multiple-choice questions, graphs, and more with our drag-and-drop lesson builder.

      Yes. Many teachers use Amplify Classroom to supplement their existing curriculum. The platform can be integrated into any part of a teacher’s day, with a wide library of lessons and tools for core or supplemental instruction.

      For schools seeking a full core curriculum, Amplify also offers paid programs including Amplify Desmos Math and Amplify CKLA, both fully integrated into the platform.

      Yes. Amplify Classroom supports signing in with Google. Teachers can import class rosters directly from Google Classroom to streamline setup. For Amplify customers, Clever integration is available for school and district rostering. You can learn more about our integrations here.

      Amplify Classroom is built to facilitate compliance with applicable student data privacy laws, including FERPA, COPPA and other applicable laws related to the collection and use of student data. To provide Amplify Classroom to students, Amplify receives Student Data as a “school official” in accordance with Section 99.31 of FERPA and COPPA guidance, and operates at the direction of the school. You can read more about this in our Acceptable Use Policy and Customer Privacy Policy.

      Inspiring the next generation of Oklahoma scientists, engineers, and curious citizens

      Amplify Science is an engaging new core curriculum designed for three-dimensional, phenomena-based learning.

      A powerful partnership

      Amplify Science was developed by the science education experts at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and the digital learning team at Amplify.

      Our Instructional Model

      The Amplify Science program is rooted in the proven, research-based pedagogy of Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize. Here’s how each element works:

      DO
      First-hand investigations are an important part of any science classroom, and Amplify Science has students getting hands-on in every unit, from building models of protein molecules to experimenting with electrical systems.

      TALK
      Student-to-student discourse and full class discussions are an integral part of the program. Students are provided with numerous opportunities to engage in meaningful oral scientific argumentation, all while fostering a collaborative classroom environment.

      READ
      Students read scientific articles, focusing their reading activities on searching for evidence related to their investigation, and importantly, on asking and recording questions as they read through fascinating texts on 21st-century topics.

      WRITE
      Following real-world practices, students write scientific arguments based on evidence they’ve collected, making clear their reasoning about how a given piece of evidence connects to one of several claims.

      VISUALIZE
      By manipulating digital simulations and using modeling tools to craft visualizations of their thinking— just as real scientists and engineers do—students take their learning far beyond the confines of what they can physically see in the classroom in an exciting and authentic way.

      Resources to support your review

      Remote and hybrid learning supports

      Oklahoma remote and hybrid overview video

      Amplify has launched a new remote learning solution called Amplify Science@Home. Intended to make extended remote learning and hybrid learning easier, Amplify Science@Home includes two useful options for continuing instruction: @Home Videos and @Home Units. 

      Amplify Science @Home Videos are recordings of real Amplify Science teachers teaching the lessons. For those teachers who are unable to meet synchronously with their students, the recorded lessons are a great way to keep their students on track and engaged with Amplify Science while at home. These videos will be produced for all K–5 units, and for the first four units of each 6–8 grade level. Their release will be rolling, beginning in August.   

      Amplify Science@Home Units are modified versions of Amplify Science units, strategically designed to highlight key activities from the program. The @Home Units take significantly less instructional time than the complete Amplify Science program and allow students to engage with science at home. @Home Units will be developed for all Amplify Science K–8 units. Each @Home unit includes:

      • Teacher overviews explaining how to use the materials, including suggestions for enhancing the @Home Units if synchronous learning or in-class time with students is available.
      • Overviews to send home to families.

      Student materials are available in two formats:

      • @Home Slides (PDF/PPT) + Student Sheets (PDF) for students with access to technology at home.
      • Downloadable @Home Packets (PDF) for students without access to technology at home.

      Download the Remote and hybrid learning guide.

      What’s included

      Flexible resources that work seamlessly together

      Science articles
      The middle school science articles serve as sources for evidence collection and were authored by science and literacy experts at the Lawrence Hall of Science.

      Student Investigation Notebooks
      Available for every unit, the Student Investigation Notebooks provide space for students to:

      • Record data
      • Reflect on ideas from texts and investigations
      • Construct explanations and arguments

      Available with full-color article compilations for middle school units.

      Digital student experience
      Students access the digital simulations and modeling tools, as well as lesson activities and assessments, through the digital student experience. Students can interact with the digital student experience as they:

      • Conduct hands-on investigations
      • Engage in active reading and writing activities
      • Participate in discussions
      • Record observations
      • Craft end-of-unit scientific arguments

      Teacher’s Guides
      Available digitally and in print, the Teacher’s Guides contain all of the information teachers need to facilitate classroom instruction, including:

      • Classroom Slides
      • Detailed lesson plans
      • Unit and chapter overview documentation
      • Differentiation strategies
      • Standards alignments
      • In-context professional development

      Hands-on materials kits
      Hands-on learning is at the heart of Amplify Science. Each unit kit contains:

      • Consumable and non-consumable hands-on materials
      • Print classroom display materials
      • Premium print materials for student use (sorting cards, maps, etc.)

      Scope and sequence

      GRADE
      UNIT
      Kindergarten
      • Needs of Plants and Animals
      • Pushes and Pulls
      • Sunlight and Water
      Grade 1 
      • Animal and Plant Defenses
      • Light and Sound
      • Spinning Earth
      Grade 2 
      • Plant and Animal Relationships
      • Properties of Materials
      • Changing Landforms
      Grade 3 
      • Balancing Forces
      • Inheritance and Traits
      • Environments and Survival
      • Weather and Climate
      Grade 4 
      • Energy Conversions
      • Vision and Light
      • Earth’s Features
      • Waves, Energy, and Information
      Grade 5 
      • Patterns of Earth and Sky
      • Modeling Matter
      • The Earth System
      • Ecosystem Restoration
      Grade
      Units

      Grade 6
      • Launch: Microbiome
      • Metabolism
      • Metabolism Engineering Internship
      • Thermal Energy
      • Plate Motion
      • Plate Motion Engineering Internship
      • Rock Transformations
      • Weather Patterns
      • Ocean, Atmosphere, and Climate

      Grade 7
      • Launch: Harnessing Human Energy
      • Phase Change
      • Phase Change Engineering Internship
      • Magnetic Fields
      • Earth’s Changing Climate
      • Earth’s Changing Climate Engineering Internship
      • Chemical Reactions
      • Populations and Resources
      • Matter and Energy in Ecosystems

      Grade 8
      • Launch: Geology on Mars
      • Earth, Moon, and Sun
      • Light Waves
      • Force and Motion
      • Force and Motion Engineering Internship
      • Traits and Reproduction
      • Natural Selection
      • Natural Selection Engineering Internship
      • Evolutionary History

      Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science coverage

      Amplify Science was designed from the ground up to meet the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science (OASS) are closely aligned to the NGSS at K-8. The guidance below is meant to provide support for integrating additional activities that support full coverage of the OASS. You can view the full K–8 OASS correlation here.

      Organized by grade level, each section below will outline:

      • additional activities that support 100% alignment to the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science; 
      • the standard being addressed with the activities; 
      • the recommended placement of the activities within a specific Amplify Science unit; and 
      • PDFs of any accompanying materials that are necessary to implement the activities. 

      Standard: 1.ESS3.1: Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment.

      Recommended placement: Animal and Plant Defenses unit, Chapter 1

      Materials: The Student Book Investigating Monarchs from the unit Needs of Plants and Animals

      Investigating Monarchs emphasizes the needs of monarch caterpillars and butterflies and shows what happens when these animals are not able to meet their needs. The book first introduces the life cycle of monarchs, explaining that monarch caterpillars must eat milkweed to survive and change into butterflies. Their summer habitat must have milkweed. The butterflies then migrate a long distance, from the United States to a forest in the mountains of Mexico, where they take shelter in the trees. Their winter habitat must have trees. Scientists discovered that the monarch population in Mexico was greatly reduced because people were cutting down the trees. The forest was then protected, but the monarch population did not recover as expected. Scientists in the United States found evidence that this was because fields with milkweed are being replaced by farms and buildings. This book could be read with the class either before or after Chapter 1 of the Animal and Plant Defenses unit, which focuses on what plants and animals need to do to survive. Students could be asked to reflect on what the monarchs need to survive (including food and shelter), and how human activities impacted the monarchs’ ability to meet those needs. After reading the book, students could brainstorm ideas for how to reduce the impact of humans on the local environment.

      Standard: MS-PS4-2: Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.

      Recommended placement: Metabolism unit, Lesson 3.3, addition to Activity 5 

      Materials: “What Eyes Can See” science article

      As students investigate metabolism and the body systems, the article “What Eyes Can See” should be assigned to deepen their understanding of information processing and sense receptors and connect that understanding to the emerging idea of the interaction of waves with various materials. The article explores how the only thing we can really see is light. Light travels from a light source to the eye, passing through some materials and bouncing off others. Tiny organs inside the eye called rods and cones absorb energy from light, making vision possible. These interactions between light and materials determine our visible world. 

      Instructions:

      Download the PDF “What Eyes Can See” above and remind students of the Active Reading Guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. For example, “Have you ever had an experience where something looked different in one kind of light than in another kind of light? Or where something seemed to appear or disappear when the light changed?”

      Standard: MS-PS3-1: Construct and interpret graphical displays of data to describe the relationships of kinetic energy to the mass of an object and to the speed of an object.

      Recommended placement: Harnessing Human Energy unit, Lesson 1.4, after Activity 4 

      Materials: Force and Motion Simulation; Activity instructions and copymasters

      In this activity, students use the Force and Motion Simulation to investigate the relationship between kinetic energy, mass, and velocity. 

      Instructions

      Download the PDF linked above for the Lesson Guide and copymasters needed for the activity. Note that this investigation is typically implemented during the Force and Motion unit. This means the Lesson Guide will contain some incongruous labeling (e.g., unit name), as well as instructions that are out of context and unnecessary for the purposes of addressing this standard at grade 7. We suggest skipping to step 4 of the Instructional Guide to avoid some of this. Your students will get additional exposure to this activity, and indeed the standard as a whole, when they get to the Force and Motion unit in grade 8.

      Standards:

      • MS-PS2-3: Ask questions about data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces.
      • MS-PS2-5: Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.

      Recommended placement: Force and Motion unit, after Lesson 1.5 

      Materials: Flextension PDF

      This hands-on activity builds on and reinforces students’ understanding of forces that act at a distance, with a focus on electrostatic force. Students explore electrostatic forces, prompted by a set of challenges that they try to accomplish. Next, students generate scientific questions based on their observations. Electrostatic force is less predictable and consistent than magnetic force, and investigating it can be both challenging and intriguing. The purpose of this lesson is for students to gain firsthand experience with electrostatic force and to gain experience generating scientific questions based on observations. You might choose to include this Flextension if you would like your students to have more exposure to electrostatic force, and if you would like to challenge your students to explore and ask questions about a challenging type of force. 

      Instructions:

      Download the PDF linked above for a detailed Lesson Guide and the copymasters associated with the activity. Note that this activity is typically implemented as an add-on Flextension during the Magnetic Fields unit. This means that you will see some information that is out of context (e.g., placement information, unit title), but the activity itself also works for the purposes of the Force and Motion unit. If you have any questions, please reach out to our support team via the chat icon in your account or help@amplify.com. 

      Explore the Digital Teacher’s Guide

      When you’re ready to review, click the orange button below and use your provided login credentials to access the Amplify Science Digital Teacher’s Guide.

      Review now

      To help familiarize yourself with navigating the digital Teacher’s Guide, watch our navigational guide videos:

      Grades K–5:

      Grades 6–8:

      Looking for help?

      Powerful (and free!) pedagogical support

      Amplify provides a unique kind of support you won’t find from other publishers. We have developed an educational support team of former teachers and administrators who provide pedagogical support for every Amplify curriculum, assessment, and intervention program. This service is completely free for all educators who are using our programs and includes:

      • Guidance for developing lesson plans and intervention plans
      • Information on where to locate standards and other planning materials
      • Recommendations and tips for day-to-day teaching with Amplify programs
      • Support with administering and interpreting assessment data and more

      To reach our pedagogical team, use our live chat within your program, call (800) 823-1969, or email edsupport@amplify.com

      Timely technical and program support

      Our technical and program support is included and available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, through a variety of channels, including a live chat program that enables teachers to get immediate help in the middle of the school day.

      For your most urgent questions:

      • Use our live chat within your program
      • Call our toll-free number: (800) 823-1969

      For less urgent questions:

      Email support

      Contact us

      Contact your South Carolina team representatives:
      Jeff Rutter
      Field Manager
      jrutter@amplify.com
      (727) 512-8440

      Cathy McMillan
      Senior Account Executive
      cmcmillan@amplify.com
      (904) 465-9904

      Connecticut K-5 ELA: Explore Amplify CKLA (English) and Caminos (Spanish)

      Thank you for visiting Amplify’s Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) and Caminos website designed exclusively for you. We are very excited for you to further explore Amplify CKLA and Amplify Caminos and discover more about our proven, phonics-based literacy programs in English and Spanish.  Begin your journey with the Introduction below and explore Amplify CKLA and Caminos.

      Introduction

      We are excited for you to see how Amplify CKLA and Amplify Caminos provide parallel, high-quality resources in both English and Spanish for all students and multilingual learners across NYC! Both programs are flexible, offering stand-alone foundational skills instruction as well as comprehensive core English Language Arts.

      Amplify CKLA Skills and Caminos Lectoescritura are entirely built on the latest reading science and provide comprehensive instruction in all foundational reading skills. These programs feature:

      • Phonological awareness, phonics, and word recognition
      • Strong, systematic sound-first instruction to support students in learning to decode
      • Language skills, including conventions, spelling, and grammar
      • Reading comprehension
      • Writing instruction

      CKLA and Caminos for grades K–2 provides a two-strand approach – the first strand is the Foundational Skills Strand (as described above) and the second is the Knowledge Strand, in which students build rich background knowledge through multidisciplinary Read-Alouds in both English and Spanish. Additionally, in Grades 3-5, CKLA and Caminos take an Integrated Approach, meaning everything is focused on rich worldly context. 

      We highly encourage you to check out the Grades K-2 Knowledge Strand section of the website and the 3-5 Integrated Approach section to explore these components further, gain access to the engaging, worldly, and diverse texts students and teachers are using in their classrooms daily, and discover so much more!

      Access the program

      Every day in the CKLA/Caminos classroom, students will practice their existing reading skills while stretching themselves toward new goals. In K–2, each day includes dedicated skills time to help you give students a solid foundation. In the upper grades, skills instruction becomes integrated with Knowledge lessons, and students engage with increasingly complex content-rich texts and writing activities.

      Start with the sound

      All instruction starts with phonological awareness, which research has shown to benefit the greatest number of students.

      Students begin by learning to recognize sounds, as well as to articulate them.

      Build to the phoneme

      All instruction starts with phonological awareness, which research has shown to benefit the greatest number of students. Students begin by learning to recognize sounds, as well as to articulate them.

      Crack the code

      Once students can recognize sounds, they learn to form the corresponding letter codes. CKLA starts by teaching the sound-spellings that appear most frequently in English, which lets your students read and write as many words as possible, as soon as possible.

      Grow in complexity

      The lessons continue to challenge students as they progress, introducing complications like multisyllabic words, “tricky words,” and homophones. In each case, students encounter complications as they become ready for them.

      While students are learning how to read, Knowledge Domains give them authentic and engaging reasons to read. Students will use their skills to explore domains that relate to storytelling, science, and the history of our world as seen through the eyes of many different groups. With these domains, you’ll bring the world to your students, showing them how reading can become an exciting, rewarding, and useful part of their lives.

      Build connections and context

      Each CKLA/Caminos Knowledge Domain gives students a base of vocabulary and concepts, building on what they’ve learned in previous domains. This helps students make connections within and across grades, building a base of background knowledge that will help them navigate new and more complex texts.

      Listen and understand

      Students learn to listen and understand before they learn to read. By delivering knowledge through classroom Read-Alouds, we teach students the key comprehension skills they’ll use throughout their reading lives.

      Emphasis on interactivity

      We emphasize interactions with students, challenging them and encouraging them to think about the material rather than simply receive it. Each lesson includes many options for formative assessment and immediate adjustment to your class’s needs.

      Assess what’s important

      End-of-domain digital assessments for Knowledge Domains are fully voice acted, ensuring that each student’s comprehension skills are being authentically tested. This not only helps build student test-taking confidence, but also gives you a more accurate picture of your class.

      Step 1: Watch this video walkthrough of the CKLA/Caminos Teacher Resource Site.

      Step 2: Explore the Teacher Resource Site.

      • Click the CKLA/Caminos Teacher Resource button below.
      • Select Log in with Amplify.
      • Enter your teacher username: t.nyc-ckla-caminosK2@tryamplify.net
      • Enter your password: AmplifyNumber1
      • Toggle to access either English and Spanish
      Access CKLA/Caminos Teacher Resource Site

      Step 3: Watch this video walkthrough of the CKLA/Caminos Student Hub.

      Step 4: Explore the CKLA/Caminos Student Hub for Grades K-2.

      • Click the CKLA/Caminos Student Hub button below.
      • Select Log in with Amplify.
      • Enter your student username: s.nyc-ckla-caminosK2@tryamplify.net
      • Enter your password: AmplifyNumber1
      • Select a grade level.
      Access CKLA/Caminos Student Hub

      By grades 3–5, students have mastered the basics of decoding and are hungry to use what they’ve learned to reach out to the world. Although Read-Alouds remain an important part of lessons, students are also encouraged to practice independent reading starting in grade 3—striking a balance between strong teacher support and developing their autonomy and confidence as readers.

      Writing and Language

      As students progress from K–2, writing activities start to emphasize analysis, creativity, and independent thinking about the material students are learning.

      Core Quests: Transforming the classroom

      Each of the levels in grades 3–5 contains a Core Quest. In these special
      units, all the normal rules of the classroom change, and students engage
      with language in surprising new ways. Here in this grade 5 example, they
      learn to love the dense Shakespearian language of A Midsummer Night’s
      Dream through imagery, close reading, and performance.

      Step 1: Watch this video walkthrough of the CKLA/Caminos Teacher Resource Site.

      Step 2: Explore the CKLA/Caminos Teacher Resource Site for Grades 3-5.

      • Click the CKLA/Caminos Teacher Resource button below.
      • Select Log in with Amplify.
      • Enter your teacher username: t.nyc-ckla-caminos35@tryamplify.net
      • Enter your password: AmplifyNumber1
      • Toggle to access either English and Spanish
      Access CKLA/Caminos Teacher Resource Site

      Step 3: Watch this video walkthrough of the CKLA/Caminos Student Hub.

      Step 4: Explore the CKLA/Caminos Student Hub for Grades 3-5.

      • Click the CKLA/Caminos Student Hub button below.
      • Select Log in with Amplify.
      • Enter your student username: s.nyc-ckla-caminos35@tryamplify.net
      • Enter your password: AmplifyNumber1
      • Select a grade level.
      Access CKLA/Caminos Student Hub

      Key program features

      The student body of our country has been changing, and it’s changing fast. Over 10% K-12 students are english language learners who speak other languages. This skews heavily to primary grades with 15-16% in grades K-3.  In 2021-2022, New York City Public Schools enrolled over 147,000 English language learners across K-12 or about 14% of students.  Over 52% of those students are in elementary schools across the district with 23% in grades K-3. 

      Amplify Caminos uses spiral learning to reinforce every student’s ability to develop skills like reading, writing, speaking, and listening in Spanish that can be transferred to English. As students engage with their lessons, they explore the similarities and differences in grammar, vocabulary, writing, and language use between Spanish and English. This bridge helps students learning two languages to strengthen their knowledge in both. 

      Through cross-curricular content, students explore units that relate to storytelling, science, and the history of our world in a holistic and thoughtful way. With these units, you’ll bring the world to your students, showing them how reading can become an exciting, rewarding, and useful part of their lives.

      Amplify Caminos al Conocimiento Esencial, a Spanish language arts program for Grades K–5 that will inspire and engage your students to become confident readers, writers, and thinkers.

      It is designed to support any biliteracy model, including English as a Second Language (ESL), transitional bilingual programs, dual language strands, and Spanish immersion programs.

      When used in tandem with Amplify CKLA, Amplify Caminos provides an one-to-one English and Spanish solution.

      Built out of the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify CKLA delivers explicit instruction in both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in grades K–2 with an integrated approach to explicit instruction in grades 3–5.

      Review this Science of Reading Toolkit to learn more about the Science of Reading best practices integrated throughout CKLA.

      Great reading instruction starts with helping kids develop great decoding skills. By building a solid foundation of phonological awareness and phonics, reading the words on the page becomes automatic so that comprehension and critical thinking can happen.

      Our instruction is supported by:

      • Step-by-step lessons with multisensory approaches, clear lesson objectives, and embedded formative assessments.
      • Decodable books and student readers with ebook and audiobook versions that feature engaging plots and relatable characters.
      • An engaging sound library with fun songs and videos that develop phonological awareness.
      • An interactive Vocab App featuring engaging activities with immediate feedback and automated, customized instruction based on student performance.

      Students build grade-appropriate subject-area knowledge and vocabulary in history, science, literature, and the arts while learning to read, write, and think creatively and for themselves.

      Our instruction is supported by:

      • Knowledge builders that provide a quick overview of each domain with its key ideas.
      • Interactive read-alouds designed to build knowledge and vocabulary.
      • Content-rich anchor texts that support students as they tackle increasingly complex text and sharpen their analytical skills.
      • Social and emotional learning paired with lessons in civic responsibility.

      From the printed page to the screen, we bring foundational skills and knowledge of the world to your young learners, and make the transition from classroom to home learning seamless.

      Download the Amplify CKLA Components Guide to see components by grade.

      Additional materials to support your review

      Inspiring the next generation of Massachusetts scientists, engineers, and curious citizens

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