A curiosity-driven K–8 science curriculum
Amplify Science is a K–8 phenomena-based science curriculum that blends hands-on investigations, literacy-rich activities, and interactive digital tools. The result? Elementary and middle school students who think, read, write, and argue like real scientists and problem-solvers.
Amplify Science for grades K–8 has been rated all green by EdReports.
Our approach
Each unit storyline of Amplify Science engages all learners in a relevant, real-world problem in which they assume the role of a scientist to investigate scientific phenomena, engage in collaboration and discussion, and develop models or explanations to arrive at solutions.
A research-backed approach to three-dimensional learning
Developed in partnership with UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, our Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize approach provides students with multiple entry points that enable them to build their conceptual understanding.
- The proven pedagogy is firmly grounded in the latest research around science teaching and learning.
- Flexible access offers five distinct ways for students to engage with and master core concepts.
- Measurable results show the Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize approach has been proven to support and enhance science learning.
Students take on roles of scientists and engineers.
In each unit of our elementary science curriculum and middle school science curriculum, students assume the role of a scientist or engineer to investigate a realistic problem. These problems provide relevant contexts through which students investigate real-world phenomena that are deeply and seamlessly integrated throughout the unit. By positioning students as engineers or scientists, they are actively engaged in designing innovative solutions, solving problems, and making sense of the world around them.
Authentic 3D learning brought to life
Amplify Science integrates the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and equivalent state standards into every lesson, moving beyond surface-level coverage to provide a deep, cohesive learning experience.
- Science and Engineering Practices: Students engage directly with science and engineering practices to solve real-world problems.
- Disciplinary Core Ideas: Learners actively figure out core ideas rather than just memorizing facts.
- Crosscutting Concepts: Carefully structured lessons help students apply overarching scientific themes across different disciplines.
Developed by science education experts
Amplify Science was developed by The Lawrence Hall of Science at UC Berkeley in partnership with Amplify. It reflects state-of-the-art practices in science teaching and learning, laying the foundation for our high-quality instructional materials. (HQIM).
A flexible, blended program
Amplify Science combines hands-on activities, print materials, and interactive digital tools to support high-quality instruction in any environment.
- Teacher-led flexibility: Empowers educators to customize instruction based on their specific classroom preferences.
- Highly adaptable: Gives schools the ability to implement the program based on their specific technology preferences and resources.
What’s included
Amplify Science combines print, hands-on, and digital resources to support rich investigation, discussion, reading, and writing.
Teacher’s Guides
Available in print and digitally, the Teacher’s Guides contain all the information teachers need to facilitate classroom instruction, including:
- Detailed lesson plans and planning tools.
- Unit and chapter overviews with science background.
- Differentiation strategies.
- Standards alignments.
- In-context professional development.
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.
Hands-on Unit Materials Kits
Hands-on learning is at the heart of Amplify Science. Each Unit Materials Kit contains:
- Consumable and non-consumable hands-on materials.
- Print classroom display materials.
- Premium print materials for student use (sorting cards, maps, etc.).
Big Books (K–1)
Big Books combine early literacy and science, helping students use reading strategies to learn new science concepts. Each Big Book provides:
- Large text features that make it easy to model how to read informational text.
- Oversize images that allow the whole class to see and interpret scientific visuals.
- Clear print that helps young students naturally identify sight words during Read Alouds.
Student Books
Age-appropriate Student Books allow students to:
- Engage with content-rich texts.
- Obtain evidence.
- Develop research and close-reading skills.
- Construct arguments and explanations.
Simulations and Modeling Tools
Developed exclusively for the Amplify Science program, engaging simulations and Modeling Tools:
- Serve as venues for exploration.
- Enable data collection.
- Allow students to explore Crosscutting Concepts.
Teacher’s Guides
Available in print and digitally, the Teacher’s Guides contain all the information teachers need to facilitate classroom instruction, including:
- Detailed lesson plans and planning tools.
- Unit and chapter overviews with science background.
- Differentiation strategies.
- Standards alignments.
- In-context professional development.
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.
- Read compelling science articles.
Hands-on Unit Materials Kits
Hands-on learning is at the heart of Amplify Science. Each Unit Materials Kit contains:
- Consumable and non-consumable hands-on materials.
- Print classroom display materials.
- Premium print materials for student use (sorting cards, maps, etc.).
Digital student experience
Students access the digital interactives, 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.
Science articles
Authored by experts at the Lawrence Hall of Science, our middle school science articles empower students to collect evidence and engage deeply with scientific concepts.
Amplify Science impact
Schools that implement Amplify Science see a transformation in both student achievement and classroom engagement.
- Science learning gains: Amplify Science students significantly outperform their peers on measures of NGSS-focused three-dimensional learning, raising their average percentile rank by as many as 14 points.
- Research-based multimodal approach: The Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize model supports learners with varying needs, fostering an accessible environment in which all students can actively engage.
- Proven literacy growth: The program’s integrated approach drives significant gains in science vocabulary and reading comprehension, with students moving up as many as 18 percentile points compared with “business-as-usual” instruction.
Why choose Amplify Science
Amplify Science uses a phenomena-based approach to empower all learners. The program’s multimodal instruction ensures every student develops the critical thinking skills they need to become real-world problem-solvers.
- Fully integrates NGSS and corresponding state standards by having students solve real-world problems in the role of scientist or engineer
- Uses five distinct instructional modalities that are seamlessly woven together to create immersive, hands-on, and literacy-rich learning experiences
- Was authored in collaboration with experts at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and is proven to benefit all learners
- Received the highest all-green rating across all three evaluated gateways for grades K–8: Alignment, Coherence, and Usability
- Is a highly adaptable program that integrates print and hands-on materials with the intentional use of interactive digital tools to promote active learning
Other programs
- Prioritize shallow content coverage over the deep, phenomenon-based investigations required to master core concepts
- Often rely on fragmented activities that lack consistent literacy integration or high-fidelity tools to visualize invisible phenomena
- May lack university-led development or have limited independent research validating their instructional approach
- May have unverified ratings or do not meet expectations across all three EdReports gateways
- Often use static videos or PDFs that do not allow for active student exploration and the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills
Explore more programs.
Our programs are designed to support and complement one another. Learn more about our related programs.
Support and resources
Frequently asked questions about Amplify Science
From standards alignment to classroom flexibility, explore our frequently asked questions to see how Amplify Science provides the high-quality instruction, immersive learning experiences, and teacher support needed to foster a new generation of scientists, engineers, and problem-solvers.
Amplify Science is a K–8 phenomena-based science curriculum that blends hands-on investigations, literacy-rich activities, and interactive digital tools. Developed by UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science in partnership with Amplify, it helps elementary and middle school students think, read, write, and argue like real scientists and engineers.
Three-dimensional learning means students simultaneously engage with the three dimensions of the NGSS—Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs), and Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs)—and state standards that are aligned with them, rather than memorizing facts in isolation. Amplify Science delivers this by designing every lesson so students figure out real-world phenomena using scientific practices, with Crosscutting Concepts serving as connecting lenses across the entire unit.
Amplify Science is phenomena based because every unit anchors learning in a real-world phenomenon that challenges students who are adopting the role of scientists or engineers to explain. Students collect evidence across multiple modalities, build increasingly sophisticated explanations, and apply their understanding to a new context at the unit’s end.
EdReports has rated Amplify Science all green across grades K–8, making it the first science program to earn that distinction. This independent review confirms the curriculum meets rigorous criteria for NGSS alignment, three-dimensional learning, and instructional usability at every grade level.
Amplify Science includes Teacher’s Guides, Student Investigation Notebooks, Hands-on Unit Materials Kits, Student Books or science articles, digital simulations and Modeling Tools, Classroom Slides, and a full suite of formative and summative assessments. Together, these flexible blended resources support high-quality instruction in both digital and non-digital classroom environments.
Amplify Science aligns to the NGSS by embedding Disciplinary Core Ideas, Science and Engineering Practices, and Crosscutting Concepts into every lesson—not as a retrofit, but by design. Each unit was built from the ground up to ensure comprehensive coverage of the NGSS and state standards like them.
Amplify Science is backed by years of research from UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and independent efficacy studies. Evidence shows that students using the curriculum significantly outperform peers in three-dimensional learning, science vocabulary, and reading comprehension. These positive impacts are consistent across a wide range of student populations, including multilingual/English learners (ML/ELs).
Amplify Science supports teachers with detailed lesson plans, in-context professional development embedded directly in the Teacher’s Guide, Classroom Slides ready for every lesson, and a PD Library of on-demand training resources. Amplify’s dedicated learning specialists also offer flexible on-site, virtual, or hybrid professional development sessions.
Amplify Science supports all learners through Universal Design for Learning principles, with every lesson including a Differentiation Brief that outlines embedded scaffolds, potential challenges, and targeted strategies for multilingual/English learners (ML/ELs), students with disabilities, advanced learners, and others—ensuring all students have multiple entry points to engage meaningfully with science content.
Yes, Amplify Science is designed for both digital and non-digital classrooms. Print Teacher’s Guides, Student Investigation Notebooks, and Hands-on Unit Materials Kits support offline instruction, while downloadable offline guides and Classroom Slides ensure teachers without reliable internet access can still deliver Amplify Science’s rigorous, phenomena-based content.