Amplify Science resources for Richmond Public Schools

Overview

• Amplify Science K-5: Program Overview
• Amplify Science K-5: Teacher’s Guide Navigation
• Recommended Scope and Sequence for Grades 3–5

Supporting literacy development

• Literacy-rich science instruction in K–5

Planning resources

Planning Guides

• 3rd Grade RPS Curriculum Guide
• 4th Grade RPS Curriculum Guide
• 5th Grade RPS Curriculum Guide
• 3rd Grade Planning Guide*
• 4th Grade Planning Guide*
• 5th Grade Planning Guide*
  • *Sequence of units does not match RPS’ scope and sequence.

Look-for-tools

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

• Elementary unit materials lists

Unpacking videos

• Grade 3: Balancing Forces
• Grade 4: Energy Conversions
• Grade 5: Patterns of Earth and Sky

• Grade 3 companion lesson
• Grade 4 companion lesson

Overview

• Amplify Science 6-8: Program Overview
• Amplify Science 6-8: Teacher’s Guide Navigation
• Recommended Scope and Sequence for Grades 6–8

Supporting literacy development

• Active Reading in Grades 6–8

Planning resources

Planning/Pacing Guides

• 6th Grade/Integrated Life Science RPS Curriculum Guide
• 7th Grade/Physical Science RPS Curriculum Guide
• 6-8 Pacing Guide
• Grade 6-8 Planning Guide*
  • *Sequence of units does not match RPS’ scope and sequence.

Look-for-tools

• Amplify Science: Getting started look-for-tool (K-8)

Planning support documents

• Using the RPS/Amplify LPP
• Using the Amplify Unpacking Document
• Unpacking Template

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

• Middle school unit materials lists

Unpacking videos

• Middle school: Metabolism
• Middle school: Plate Motion
• Middle school: Force and motion

6th grade Integrated

• Metabolism: Reading “How You Are Like a Sneezing Iguana” (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)
• Metabolism: Plant Growth Investigations (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)
• Metabolism: Reading “How Do Trees Grow So Huge Without Eating?” (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)
• Populations and Resources: Reading “The Amazing Variety of Life in a Coral Reef” (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)
• Weather Patterns: Reading “What Makes Water Move?” (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)

7th grade Integrated/Physical science

• Harnessing Human Energy: Investigating Electrical Devices (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)
• Harnessing Human Energy: Investigating Non-Touching Forces (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)
• Harnessing Human Energy: Reading About Non-Touching Forces (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)
• Thermal Energy: Designing Hot and Cold Packs (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)
• Phase Change: Reading “Icy Heat” (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)
• Chemical Reactions: Identifying Substances (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)
• Chemical Reactions: Mixtures, Properties, and Separation (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)
• Magnetic Fields, Water Wheel Design (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)

Additional units

• Ocean, Atmosphere, and Climate: Investigating Deep Ocean Currents (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)

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.