Simply put, quality teaching means quality learning. But there is another key part of the equation: quality curriculum.
Research confirms that the instructional materials used in classrooms play a powerful role in shaping how teachers teach, and how students learn.
Shifting from low-quality or pieced-together materials to well-designed, high-quality instructional materials can significantly improve student achievement. This growing evidence—sometimes described as “the curriculum effect”—is one reason that states and districts across the country are paying closer attention to the quality of the materials they adopt.
So what does high-quality instructional materials actually mean? And what does it look like in a real science classroom?
What does HQIM mean in science education?
High-quality instructional materials (often called HQIM) are curriculum materials intentionally designed to support student learning: aligned to rigorous standards, grounded in research, and built to support teachers.
High-quality instructional materials work alongside teachers, shaping instructional practices in ways that reduce guesswork, support consistency, and free up time and energy. This lets teachers do what they do best: interact with students. HQIM provide a coherent system that supports both teaching and learning over time.
And high-quality science curriculum materials go the extra mile, clearly articulating learning goals, providing guidance for facilitation and discussion, and including embedded opportunities to check for understanding. They also support a range of learners by offering scaffolds, differentiation strategies, and multiple ways for students to engage with content.
How HQIM align with NGSS science standards
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) define what students should know and be able to do in science. At their core, these academic standards emphasize three-dimensional learning, integrating science practices, core ideas, and crosscutting concepts.
In science, HQIM are designed for three-dimensional learning: where students don’t just learn about science, but actively figure out how the natural world works. Three-dimensional learning integrates:
- Science and engineering practices (what scientists do).
- Disciplinary core ideas (what scientists know).
- Crosscutting concepts (how scientific ideas connect).
HQIM are designed from the ground up to weave these dimensions together, rather than adding them on as an afterthought. That coherence helps students build understanding over time, and helps teachers see how each lesson fits into a larger learning story.
What do HQIM look like in a science classroom?
One of the best ways to recognize high-quality instructional content is to look not only at the materials, but also at the students using them.
Instead of memorizing disconnected facts, students taught with HQIM are engaged in the kinds of practices scientists use every day.
In classrooms using HQIM for science, you’ll often see students:
- Investigating real-world phenomena that spark curiosity.
- Asking questions, analyzing data, and building explanations.
- Using evidence from multiple sources—texts, simulations, discussions, and investigations.
- Revisiting ideas over time to deepen understanding.
“It is so encouraging to hear students engaged in conversation and building their ideas off of one another,” says classroom teacher Sarah Loessl of Big Hollow School District 38 in Illinois. “Students finding the confidence to challenge one another and use evidence to support their thinking is so much fun to watch.”
How HQIM support teachers
A key feature of high-quality instructional materials is that they’re designed by teachers, with teachers in mind.
This means materials that:
- Clearly articulate learning goals.
- Provide guidance for facilitation and discussion.
- Include embedded formative assessment opportunities.
- Support a range of learners, including multilingual/English learners and students who need additional scaffolds or challenges.
When materials shoulder this heavy lifting, teachers can spend less time creating from scratch and more time engaging with students.
How can teachers start engaging with HQIM?
Even if curriculum adoption decisions happen at the district level, teachers play a critical role in bringing HQIM to life.
Getting familiar with high-quality instructional materials can start with questions like:
- What are students expected to figure out in this lesson?
- How does this activity connect to a larger phenomenon or question?
- Where are students using evidence to explain their thinking?
- How does the curriculum support discussion, sense-making, and revision of ideas?
Developing a shared understanding of what high-quality science instruction looks like helps everyone—teachers, coaches, and leaders—move in the same direction.
Where does Amplify Science fit in?
Amplify Science is an example of high-quality instructional materials designed specifically for K–8 science and aligned to NGSS science standards.
It’s built around phenomena-based, three-dimensional learning and developed with educators, researchers, and scientists to support both student learning and teacher practice. The goal is coherence, engagement, and understanding that grows over time.
Ready to learn more?
To support educators and leaders in building a shared understanding of HQIM, we’ve created a free science HQIM resource bundle, including:
- A classroom look-fors checklist.
- A three-dimensional learning explainer.
- An NGSS alignment overview.
- A closer look at the HQIM student experience.
- Registration for two upcoming webinars focused on HQIM in science.
Whether you’re new to the concept or ready to deepen your practice, these resources are designed to make high-quality instructional materials highly understandable and accessible to all.
Explore the HQIM bundle and upcoming webinars to learn more.
