Curriculum
We suggest searching by topic or grade level. In some cases, there are full units that include many of the tools from the AST website, in other cases the curriculum starters share examples of puzzling phenomena and model scaffolds you can use as starting places.
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How are you using AST in the classroom?
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On this webpage, you find what we call AST Unit Starter Bundles. As the name suggests, these materials should give…
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Throughout this unit, students investigate the properties of ice cream as a solid and liquid to help address standards about… -
Students investigate a phenomenon where a kitten, “Creamsicle”, with cream fur is born to orange fur parents. Readings and activities… -
Unit guide for STC Land & Water Kit revised to meet Next Generation Science Standards. It reframes the kit around… -
In this 2nd grade unit, students construct their explanations about a puzzling and historical phenomenon: Why did a town next… -
Get your feet wet (pun intended) with NGSS by engaging early elementary students in a 5-lesson sequence exploring where puddles… -
Students use instruments to make different kinds of sounds. They create a variety of instruments from recycled parts and different…
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Students learn about non-contact forces (gravity, magnetism) to explain the different ways a magnetic ring toy works. They use knowledge… -
Students learn how people make/detect sounds and the matter-energy story to explain how a singer shattered a glass. They identify… -
Unit guide for the STC Circuits Kit revised to meet Next Generation Science Standards -
5th Grade Unit Guide Complementing STC Motion & Design kit - Skateboard Jumping Phenomenon -
5th Grade Unit Plan for Microworlds - Food Poisoning Phenomenon -
Magnets & Motors curriculum guide designed for use with 6th graders. Phenomena: Junkyard magnet and shake flashlight -
Includes links to complete 138 page unit guide as well as folders of downloadable and editable documents
Ambitious Teaching—An overview
In this video we illustrate what Ambitious Teaching looks like in classrooms ranging from high school to kindergarten. The practices were developed through collaborations between teachers and researchers, and they are continually evolving as we learn more about how they work with young learners. There are several themes that you’ll see in all examples, such as a focus on puzzling and complex phenomena, opportunities to make sense through talk, making thinking visible, attending to who is participating, using various forms of scaffolding and tools, and much more.
This site is primarily funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through Award #1907471 and #1315995
This site is primarily funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through Award #1907471 and #1315995
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