SACRAMENTO, CA, Nov. 13, 2018 – Leading school science supplier Carolina Biological announced that California selected its science curriculum for adoption as one of 29 approved new teaching materials for the state’s science classrooms. The California Department of Education (CDE) set a high bar for publishers, requiring new science resources to support a student-driven, hands-on, and phenomena-based vision of the California Next Generation Science Standards (CA NGSS). After reviewing 34 programs in depth, the state formally adopted 29 of the new K-8 science instructional materials, including Carolina’s Building Blocks of Science™ 3D for students in grades K-5. This is the first time in more than a decade that the state has adopted new resources to help elementary and middle school teachers succeed in teaching students the latest science standards.
Adoption recommendations were made by a special committee, appointed by the CDE. The list of adopted science programs is posted on its website. Schools are not required to buy state-adopted resources, but if administrators or teachers choose to purchase them, the process is a lot faster and easier, since the resources have already passed CA’s extensive screening process.
Almost 20 expert science publishers, including Carolina, submitted for consideration new print and digital science materials that were written specifically to align with the state’s new standards. Carolina’s three-dimensional science investigation-based program turns students into scientists during short 30-minute investigations that easily fit into the school day for grades K-5. Delivering more than 900 digital science resources for teachers and students, the program consists of phenomena-rich investigations and meaningful engineering design challenges that put the experience in students’ hands. Carolina’s Building Blocks of Science 3D makes science engaging as students work in groups to drive their own investigations of science phenomena and learn through hands-on physical experiments and digital simulations.
“Carolina is excited that our Building Blocks of Science 3D met the highest standards and expectations set by the California Department of Education, resulting in adoption of our program,” said Jim Parrish, President and CEO at Carolina Biological Supply Company. “Science education changed dramatically a couple of years ago, when CA led the country in implementing new standards and created its own new Science Framework. Carolina’s Building Blocks of Science 3D was specifically designed to help teachers address California’s Science Framework and the CA NGSS.”
Building Blocks of Science 3D
Carolina’s Building Blocks of Science 3D hands-on unit kits are for students in grades K to 5. This complete, phenomena-based program integrates engineering into every grade and includes everything teachers need for their entire class for every lesson with hands-on materials, print, and digital simulations and components for one all-inclusive price. The program is a core curriculum that combines interactive investigations, literacy components, and more than 900 digital resources to teach students science content and investigative skills. The program’s 99 digital simulations give a straightforward and quick way for teachers to assess student understanding. The custom-created simulations are directly tied to the phenomena in the short 30-minute investigations of each unit.
Students investigate real-world science phenomena. The CA Science Framework and new standards require students to be able to use what they know to make sense of phenomena and solve problems. The program meets this core need by providing challenging opportunities for them to apply their knowledge, as they build essential sense-making and problem-solving skills, in the process of demonstrating understanding.
CA NGSS Brings Positive Changes
The incorporation of the CA NGSS in schools brought many positive changes to science education and the creation of new instructional resources for CA teachers. The standards call for phenomena-based, hands-on science investigations by students. Students are actively engaged in hands-on activities and note-booking throughout Carolina’s programs in every lesson.
Science content overall was shifted and assigned to different grades. There are new topics, such as waves. Engineering is a requirement of the new standards, with engineering-specific core ideas. To fully address these standards, engineering and science concepts should be taught together, not separately. Carolina integrated engineering into lessons together with science topics into its program.
A shift from teacher-led to student-led learning in science increases students’ responsibility as they advance in grade levels. It is ideal to hear kids talking and buzz in the classroom. Teachers now want to see groups of kids all on task talking, engaged in discourse, working, engaged in what they are doing. They can float around their room and talk with a group, knowing others are still on task. Teachers seat kids together to work in pairs or fours and facilitate and encourage collaboration and discourse among students.
Innovator in Science Education
Carolina is an innovator in science education with programs that support teachers with everything they need to teach all students. Clear directions for each activity help teachers who are teaching new topics to quickly get started. Guiding questions are provided to help move through investigations. Tips, different ways to teach, addressing misconceptions, and differentiation strategies are also provided. Carolina’s Gold Standard Support to proactively help educators be successful with its science curriculum is included at no additional charge with Building Blocks of Science 3D and Carolina’s other digital core science programs for grades K-8.
For information, visit www.carolina.com/bbsca, call (800) 334-5551, or e-mail cascience@carolina.com.
Carolina Biological Supply Company
From its beginnings in 1927, Carolina (www.carolina.com) has grown to become the leading supplier of biological and other science teaching materials in the world. Headquartered in Burlington, NC, Carolina serves customers worldwide, including teachers, students, and professionals in science and health-related fields. The company is still privately owned by descendants of the founder, geology and biology professor Dr. Thomas E. Powell Jr.
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