Next Generation Science Standards Phenomena Library
Explore Human-Crafted NGSS Assessments
Discover our comprehensive collection of NGSS-aligned phenomena designed to bring the three dimensions of science learning to life. From elementary through high school, our standards-based assessments help students engage in authentic sensemaking through carefully crafted performance expectations.
Browse by Grade Band & Performance Expectation
Our NGSS phenomena library covers all grade bands with carefully designed assessments that align to specific performance expectations. Click any standard below to explore authentic, real-world phenomena that engage students in three-dimensional learning.
3-ESS2-1
3-ESS2-1 Earth's Systems
Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.
3-ESS2-2
3-ESS2-2 Earth's Systems
Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world.
3-ESS2-3
3-ESS2-3 Earth's Systems
Plan and conduct an investigation to determine the connections between weather and water processes in Earth systems.
3-ESS3-1
3-ESS3-1 Earth and Human Activity
Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard.
3-LS1-1
3-LS1-1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death.
3-LS2-1
3-LS2-1 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive.
3-LS3-1
3-LS3-1 Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms.
3-LS3-2
3-LS3-2 Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment.
3-LS4-1
3-LS4-1 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
Analyze and interpret data from fossils to provide evidence of the organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago.
3-LS4-2
3-LS4-2 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
Use evidence to construct an explanation for how the variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing.
3-LS4-3
3-LS4-3 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.
3-LS4-4
3-LS4-4 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when the environment changes and the types of plants and animals that live there may change.
3-PS2-1
3-PS2-1 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.
3-PS2-2
3-PS2-2 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
Make observations and/or measurements of an object's motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion.
3-PS2-3
3-PS2-3 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
Ask questions to determine cause and effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other.
3-PS2-4
3-PS2-4 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
Define a simple design problem that can be solved by applying scientific ideas about magnets.
4-ESS1-1
4-ESS1-1 Earth's Place in the Universe
Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock layers to support an explanation for changes in a landscape over time.
4-ESS2-1
4-ESS2-1 Earth's Place in the Universe
Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation.
4-ESS2-2
4-ESS2-2 Earth's Systems
Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth's features.
4-ESS3-1
4-ESS3-1 Earth and Human Activity
Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment.
4-ESS3-2
4-ESS3-2 Earth and Human Activity
Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.
4-LS1-1
4-LS1-1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
4-LS1-2
4-LS1-2 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
Use a model to describe that animals receive different types of information through their senses, process the information in their brain, and respond to the information in different ways.
4-PS3-1
4-PS3-1 Energy
Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the energy of that object.
4-PS3-2
4-PS3-2 Energy
Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.
4-PS3-3
4-PS3-3 Energy
Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when objects collide.
4-PS3-4
4-PS3-4 Energy
Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.
4-PS4-1
4-PS4-1 Waves and their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer
Develop a model of waves to describe patterns in terms of amplitude and wavelength and that waves can cause objects to move.
4-PS4-2
4-PS4-2 Waves and their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer
Develop a model to describe that light reflecting from objects and entering the eye allows objects to be seen.
4-PS4-3
4-PS4-3 Waves and their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer
Generate and compare multiple solutions that use patterns to transfer information.
5-ESS1-1
5-ESS1-1 Earth's Place in the Universe
Support an argument that differences in the apparent brightness of the sun compared to other stars is due to their relative distances from the Earth.
5-ESS1-2
5-ESS1-2 Earth's Place in the Universe
Represent data in graphical displays to reveal patterns of daily changes in length and direction of shadows, day and night, and the seasonal appearance of some stars in the night sky.
5-ESS2-1
5-ESS2-1 Earth's System
Develop a model using an example to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interact.
5-ESS2-2
5-ESS2-2 Earth's System
Describe and graph the amounts of salt water and fresh water in various reservoirs to provide evidence about the distribution of water on Earth.
5-ESS3-1
5-ESS3-1 Earth and Human Activity
Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth's resources and environment.
5-LS1-1
5-LS1-1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
Support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water.
5-LS2-1
5-LS2-1 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamic
Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.
5-PS1-1
5-PS1-1 Matter and its Interactions
Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen.
5-PS1-2
5-PS1-2 Matter and its Interactions
Measure and graph quantities to provide evidence that regardless of the type of change that occurs when heating, cooling, or mixing substances, the total weight of matter is conserved.
5-PS1-3
5-PS1-3 Matter and its Interactions
Make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties.
5-PS1-4
5-PS1-4 Matter and its Interactions
Conduct an investigation to determine whether the mixing of two or more substances results in new substances.
5-PS2-1
5-PS2-1 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
Support an argument that the gravitational force exerted by Earth on objects is directed down.
5-PS3-1
5-PS3-1 Energy
Use models to describe that energy in animals' food (used for body repair, growth, and motion and to maintain body warmth) was once energy from the sun.
MS-ESS1-1
MS-ESS1-1 Earth’s Place in the Universe
Develop and use a model of the Earth-sun-moon system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the sun and moon, and seasons.
MS-ESS1-2
MS-ESS1-2 Earth’s Place in the Universe
Develop and use a model to describe the role of gravity in the motions within galaxies and the solar system.
MS-ESS1-3
MS-ESS1-3 Earth’s Place in the Universe
Analyze and interpret data to determine scale properties of objects in the solar system.
MS-ESS1-4
MS-ESS1-4 Earth’s Place in the Universe
Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata for how the geologic time scale is used to organize Earth’s 4.6-billion-year-old history.
MS-ESS2-1
MS-ESS2-1 Earth’s Systems
Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth’s materials and the flow of energy that drives this process.
MS-ESS2-2
MS-ESS2-2 Earth’s Systems
Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth’s surface at varying time and spatial scales.
MS-ESS2-3
MS-ESS2-3 Earth’s Systems
Analyze and interpret data on the distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes, and seafloor structures to provide evidence of the past plate motions.
MS-ESS2-4
MS-ESS2-4 Earth’s Systems
Develop a model to describe the cycling of water through Earth’s systems driven by energy from the sun and the force of gravity.
MS-ESS2-5
MS-ESS2-5 Earth’s Systems
Collect data to provide evidence for how the motions and complex interactions of air masses results in changes in weather conditions.
MS-ESS2-6
MS-ESS2-6 Earth’s Systems
Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates.
MS-ESS3-1
MS-ESS3-1 Earth and Human Activity
Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth’s mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes.
MS-ESS3-2
MS-ESS3-2 Earth and Human Activity
Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects.
MS-ESS3-3
MS-ESS3-3 Earth and Human Activity
Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.*
MS-ESS3-4
MS-ESS3-4 Earth and Human Activity
Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems.
MS-ESS3-5
MS-ESS3-5 Earth and Human Activity
Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.
MS-LS1-1
MS-LS1-1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
Conduct an investigation to provide evidence that living things are made of cells; either one cell or many different numbers and types of cells.
MS-LS1-2
MS-LS1-2 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
Develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell as a whole and ways parts of cells contribute to the function.
MS-LS1-3
MS-LS1-3 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
Use arguments supported by evidence for how the body is a system of interacting subsystems composed of groups of cells.
MS-LS1-4
MS-LS1-4 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
Use argument based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support an explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants respectively.
MS-LS1-5
MS-LS1-5 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms.
MS-LS1-6
MS-LS1-6 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms.
MS-LS1-7
MS-LS1-7 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
Develop a model to describe how food is rearranged through chemical reactions forming new molecules that support growth and/or release energy as this matter moves through an organism.
MS-LS1-8
MS-LS1-8 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
Gather and synthesize information that sensory receptors respond to stimuli by sending messages to the brain for immediate behavior or storage as memories.
MS-LS2-1
MS-LS2-1 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.
MS-LS2-2
MS-LS2-2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems.
MS-LS2-3
MS-LS2-3 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
MS-LS2-4
MS-LS2-4 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.
MS-LS2-5
MS-LS2-5 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.*
MS-LS3-1
MS-LS3-1 Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
Develop and use a model to describe why structural changes to genes (mutations) located on chromosomes may affect proteins and may result in harmful, beneficial, or neutral effects to the structure and function of the organism.
MS-LS3-2
MS-LS3-2 Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
Develop and use a model to describe why asexual reproduction results in offspring with identical genetic information and sexual reproduction results in offspring with genetic variation.
MS-LS4-1
MS-LS4-1 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
Analyze and interpret data for patterns in the fossil record that document the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of life forms throughout the history of life on Earth under the assumption that natural laws operate today as in the past.
MS-LS4-2
MS-LS4-2 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
Apply scientific ideas to construct an explanation for the anatomical similarities and differences among modern organisms and between modern and fossil organisms to infer evolutionary relationships.
MS-LS4-3
MS-LS4-3 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
Analyze displays of pictorial data to compare patterns of similarities in the embryological development across multiple species to identify relationships not evident in the fully formed anatomy.
MS-LS4-4
MS-LS4-4 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
Construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals’ probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment.
MS-LS4-5
MS-LS4-5 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
Gather and synthesize information about the technologies that have changed the way humans influence the inheritance of desired traits in organisms.
MS-LS4-6
MS-LS4-6 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
Use mathematical representations to support explanations of how natural selection may lead to increases and decreases of specific traits in populations over time.
MS-PS1-1
MS-PS1-1 Matter and Its Interactions
Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures.
MS-PS1-2
MS-PS1-2 Matter and Its Interactions
Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.
MS-PS1-3
MS-PS1-3 Matter and Its Interactions
Gather and make sense of information to describe that synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society.
MS-PS1-4
MS-PS1-4 Matter and Its Interactions
Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.
MS-PS1-5
MS-PS1-5 Matter and Its Interactions
Develop and use a model to describe how the total number of atoms does not change in a chemical reaction and thus mass is conserved.
MS-PS1-6
MS-PS1-6 Matter and Its Interactions
Undertake a design project to construct, test, and modify a device that either releases or absorbs thermal energy by chemical processes.*
MS-PS1-7
MS-PS1-7 Matter and its Interactions
Use evidence to illustrate that density is a property that can be used to identify samples of matter.
MS-PS1-8
MS-PS1-8 Matter and its Interactions
Plan and conduct an investigation to demonstrate that mixtures are combinations of substances.
MS-PS2-1
MS-PS2-1 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
Apply Newton’s Third Law to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding objects.*
MS-PS2-2
MS-PS2-2 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.
MS-PS2-3
MS-PS2-3 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
Ask questions about data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces.
MS-PS2-4
MS-PS2-4 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
Construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions are attractive and depend on the masses of interacting objects.
MS-PS2-5
MS-PS2-5 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.
MS-PS3-1
MS-PS3-1 Energy
Construct and interpret graphical displays of data to describe the relationships of kinetic energy to the mass of an object and to the speed of an object.
MS-PS3-2
MS-PS3-2 Energy
Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system.
MS-PS3-3
MS-PS3-3 Energy
Apply scientific principles to design, construct, and test a device that either minimizes or maximizes thermal energy transfer.*
MS-PS3-4
MS-PS3-4 Energy
Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.
MS-PS3-5
MS-PS3-5 Energy
Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when the kinetic energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object.
MS-PS3-6
MS-PS3-6 Energy
Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred by electric currents. [
MS-PS4-1
MS-PS4-1 Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer
Use mathematical representations to describe a simple model for waves that includes how the amplitude of a wave is related to the energy in a wave.
MS-PS4-2
MS-PS4-2 Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer
Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.
MS-PS4-3
MS-PS4-3 Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer
Integrate qualitative scientific and technical information to support the claim that digitized signals are a more reliable way to encode and transmit information than analog signals.
HS-ESS1-1
HS-ESS1-1 Earth's Place in the Universe
Develop a model based on evidence to illustrate the life span of the sun and the role of nuclear fusion in the sun’s core to release energy in the form of radiation
HS-ESS1-2
HS-ESS1-2 Earth's Place in the Universe
Construct an explanation of the Big Bang theory based on astronomical evidence of light spectra, motion of distant galaxies, and composition of matter in the universe
HS-ESS1-3
HS-ESS1-3 Earth's Place in the Universe
Communicate scientific ideas about the way stars, over their life cycle, produce elements
HS-ESS1-4
HS-ESS1-4 Earth's Place in the Universe
Use mathematical or computational representations to predict the motion of orbiting objects in the solar system
HS-ESS1-5
HS-ESS1-5 Earth's Place in the Universe
Evaluate evidence of the past and current movements of continental and oceanic crust and the theory of plate tectonics to explain the ages of crustal rocks
HS-ESS1-6
HS-ESS1-6 Earth's Place in the Universe
Apply scientific reasoning and evidence from ancient Earth materials, meteorites, and other planetary surfaces to construct an account of Earth’s formation and early history
HS-ESS1-7
HS-ESS1-7 Earth's Place in the Universe
Construct an explanation using evidence to support the claim that the phases of the moon, eclipses, tides and seasons change cyclically.
HS-ESS2-1
HS-ESS2-1 Earth's Systems
Develop a model to illustrate how Earth’s internal and surface processes operate at different spatial and temporal scales to form continental and ocean-floor features
HS-ESS2-2
HS-ESS2-2 Earth's Systems
Analyze geoscience data to make the claim that one change to Earth’s surface can create feedbacks that cause changes to other Earth systems
HS-ESS2-3
HS-ESS2-3 Earth's Systems
Develop a model based on evidence of Earth’s interior to describe the cycling of matter by thermal convection
HS-ESS2-4
HS-ESS2-4 Earth's Systems
Use a model to describe how variations in the flow of energy into and out of Earth’s systems result in changes in climate
HS-ESS2-5
HS-ESS2-5 Earth's Systems
Plan and conduct an investigation of the properties of water and its effects on Earth materials and surface processes
HS-ESS2-6
HS-ESS2-6 Earth's Systems
Develop a quantitative model to describe the cycling of carbon among the hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere
HS-ESS2-7
HS-ESS2-7 Earth's Systems
Construct an argument wbased on evidence about the simultaneous coevolution of Earth’s systems and life on Earth
HS-ESS2-8
HS-ESS2-8 Changes in weather conditions.
Evaluate data and communicate information to explain how the movement and interactions of air masses result in changes in weather conditions.
HS-ESS3-1
HS-ESS3-1 Earth and Human Activity
Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity
HS-ESS3-2
HS-ESS3-2 Earth and Human Activity
Evaluate competing design solutions for developing, managing, and utilizing energy and mineral resources based on cost-benefit ratios *
HS-ESS3-3
HS-ESS3-3 Earth and Human Activity
Create a computational simulation to illustrate the relationships among management of natural resources, the sustainability of human populations, and biodiversity
HS-ESS3-4
HS-ESS3-4 Earth and Human Activity
Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems *
HS-ESS3-5
HS-ESS3-5 Earth and Human Activity
Analyze geoscience data and the results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and associated future impacts to Earth systems
HS-ESS3-6
HS-ESS3-6 Earth and Human Activity
Use a computational representation to illustrate the relationships among Earth systems and how those relationships are being modified due to human activity
HS-LS1-1
HS-LS1-1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the structure of DNA determines the structure of proteins which carry out the essential functions of life through systems of specialized cells
HS-LS1-2
HS-LS1-2 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
Develop and use a model to illustrate the hierarchical organization of interacting systems that provide specific functions within multicellular organisms
HS-LS1-3
HS-LS1-3 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis
HS-LS1-4
HS-LS1-4 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
Use a model to illustrate the role of cellular division (mitosis) and differentiation in producing and maintaining complex organisms
HS-LS1-5
HS-LS1-5 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
Use a model to illustrate how photosynthesis transforms light energy into stored chemical energy
HS-LS1-6
HS-LS1-6 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for how carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen from sugar molecules may combine with other elements to form amino acids and/ or other large carbon-based molecules
HS-LS1-7
HS-LS1-7 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
Use a model to illustrate that cellular respiration is a chemical process whereby the bonds of food molecules and oxygen molecules are broken and the bonds in new compounds are formed resulting in a net transfer of energy
HS-LS1-8
HS-LS1-8 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
Use models to illustrate how human reproduction and development maintains continuity of life.
HS-LS2-1
HS-LS2-1 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
Use mathematical and/or computational representations to support explanations of factors that affect carrying capacity of ecosystems at different scales
HS-LS2-2
HS-LS2-2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
Use mathematical representations to support and revise explanations based on evidence about factors affecting biodiversity and populations in ecosystems of different scales
HS-LS2-3
HS-LS2-3 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for the cycling of matter and flow of energy in aerobic and anaerobic conditions
HS-LS2-4
HS-LS2-4 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
Use mathematical representations to support claims for the cycling of matter and flow of energy among organisms in an ecosystem
HS-LS2-5
HS-LS2-5 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
Develop a model to illustrate the role of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in the cycling of carbon among the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere
HS-LS2-6
HS-LS2-6 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem
HS-LS2-7
HS-LS2-7 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity *
HS-LS2-8
HS-LS2-8 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
Evaluate the evidence for the role of group behavior on individual and species’ chances to survive and reproduce
HS-LS3-1
HS-LS3-1 Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
Ask questions to clarify relationships about the role of DNA and chromosomes in coding the instructions for characteristic traits passed from parents to offspring
HS-LS3-2
HS-LS3-2 Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
Make and defend a claim based on evidence that inheritable genetic variations may result from: (1) new genetic combinations through meiosis, (2) viable errors occurring during replication, and/or (3) mutations caused by environmental factors
HS-LS3-3
HS-LS3-3 Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
Apply concepts of statistics and probability to explain the variation and distribution of expressed traits in a population
HS-LS4-1
HS-LS4-1 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
Communicate scientific information that common ancestry and biological evolution are supported by multiple lines of empirical evidence
HS-LS4-2
HS-LS4-2 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
Construct an explanation based on evidence that the process of evolution primarily results from four factors: (1) the potential for a species to increase in number, (2) the heritable genetic variation of individuals in a species due to mutation and sexual reproduction, (3) competition for limited resources, and (4) the proliferation of those organisms that are better able to survive and reproduce in the environment
HS-LS4-3
HS-LS4-3 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
Apply concepts of statistics and probability to support explanations that organisms with an advantageous heritable trait tend to increase in proportion to organisms lacking this trait
HS-LS4-4
HS-LS4-4 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
Construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection leads to adaptation of populations
HS-LS4-5
HS-LS4-5 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
Evaluate the evidence supporting claims that changes in environmental conditions may result in: (1) increases in the number of individuals of some species, (2) the emergence of new species over time, and (3) the extinction of other species
HS-LS4-6
HS-LS4-6 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
Create or revise a simulation to test a solution to mitigate adverse impacts of human activity on biodiversity *
HS-PS1-1
HS-PS1-1 Matter and its Interactions
Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms
HS-PS1-10
HS-PS1-10 Matters and Interactions
Use evidence to support claims regarding the formation, properties and behaviors of solutions at bulk scales.
HS-PS1-11
HS-PS1-11 Matters and Interactions
Plan and conduct an investigation to compare properties and behaviors of acids and bases.
HS-PS1-2
HS-PS1-2 Matter and its Interactions
Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, and knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties
HS-PS1-3
HS-PS1-3 Matter and its Interactions
Plan and conduct an investigation to gather evidence to compare the structure of substances at the bulk scale to infer the strength of electrical forces between particles
HS-PS1-4
HS-PS1-4 Matter and its Interactions
Develop a model to illustrate that the release or absorption of energy from a chemical reaction system depends upon the changes in total bond energy
HS-PS1-5
HS-PS1-5 Matter and its Interactions
Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation about the effects of changing the temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the rate at which a reaction occurs
HS-PS1-6
HS-PS1-6 Matter and its Interactions
Refine the design of a chemical system by specifying a change in conditions that would produce increased amounts of products at equilibrium *
HS-PS1-7
HS-PS1-7 Matter and its Interactions
Use mathematical representations to support the claim that atoms, and therefore mass, are conserved during a chemical reaction
HS-PS1-8
HS-PS1-8 Matter and its Interactions
Develop models to illustrate the changes in the composition of the nucleus of the atom and the energy released during the processes of fission, fusion, and radioactive decay
HS-PS1-9
HS-PS1-9 Matters and Interactions
Analyze data to support the claim that the combined gas law describes the relationships among volume, pressure, and temperature for a sample of an ideal gas.
HS-PS2-1
HS-PS2-1 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration
HS-PS2-2
HS-PS2-2 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
Use mathematical representations to support the claim that the total momentum of a system of objects is conserved when there is no net force on the system
HS-PS2-3
HS-PS2-3 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
Apply scientific and engineering ideas to design, evaluate, and refine a device that minimizes the force on a macroscopic object during a collision
HS-PS2-4
HS-PS2-4 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
Use mathematical representations of Newton’s Law of Gravitation and Coulomb’s Law to describe and predict the gravitational and electrostatic forces between objects
HS-PS2-5
HS-PS2-5 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that an electric current can produce a magnetic field and that a changing magnetic field can produce an electric current
HS-PS2-6
HS-PS2-6 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
Communicate scientific and technical information about why the molecular-level structure is important in the functioning of designed materials *
HS-PS3-1
HS-PS3-1 Energy
Create a computational model to calculate the change in the energy of one component in a system when the change in energy of the other component(s) and energy flows in and out of the system are known
HS-PS3-2
HS-PS3-2 Energy
Develop and use models to illustrate that energy at the macroscopic scale can be accounted for as a combination of energy associated with the motions of particles (objects) and energy associated with the relative position of particles (objects)
HS-PS3-3
HS-PS3-3 Energy
Design, build, and refine a device that works within given constraints to convert one form of energy into another form of energy *
HS-PS3-4
HS-PS3-4 Energy
Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that the transfer of thermal energy when two components of different temperature are combined within a closed system results in a more uniform energy distribution among the components in the system (second law of thermodynamics)
HS-PS3-5
HS-PS3-5 Energy
Develop and use a model of two objects interacting through electric or magnetic fields to illustrate the forces between objects and the changes in energy of the objects due to the interaction
HS-PS4-1
HS-PS4-1 Waves and their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer
Use mathematical representations to support a claim regarding relationships among the frequency, wavelength, and speed of waves traveling in various media
HS-PS4-2
HS-PS4-2 Waves and their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer
Evaluate questions about the advantages of using a digital transmission and storage of information
HS-PS4-3
HS-PS4-3 Waves and their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer
Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning behind the idea that electromagnetic radiation can be described either by a wave model or a particle model, and that for some situations one model is more useful than the other
HS-PS4-4
HS-PS4-4 Waves and their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer
Evaluate the validity and reliability of claims in published materials of the effects that different frequencies of electromagnetic radiation have when absorbed by matter
HS-PS4-5
HS-PS4-5 Waves and their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer
Communicate technical information about how some technological devices use the principles of wave behavior and wave interactions with matter to transmit and capture information and energy *
HS-PS4-6
HS-PS4-6 Waves and their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer
Use mathematical models to determine relationships among the size and location of images, size and location of objects, and focal lengths of lenses and mirrors.
What Makes Our Content Different?
Expertly Crafted, Not Auto-Generated
Every question and phenomenon for MS-PS3-1 is thoughtfully designed by educators. Our team ensures each item encourages authentic sensemaking rather than surface-level recall.
Discreetly Tagged for Rich Data
Each question is carefully tagged by dimension (DCI, SEP, CCC) and other criteria, producing detailed reports that highlight where students are thriving and where they need support.
Tailored to Match Your Curriculum
We spend time aligning our questions to different district curricula and instructional needs, so teachers can integrate them seamlessly into their classroom flow.
Actionable, Not Just Informative
Our assessments don’t just give scores — they generate instructionally useful data that helps teachers make smarter, more frequent adjustments.
Try out InnerOrbit
Sign up for a free trial and explore our library of over 9,000 phenomena-driven assessment items, and highly scaffolded NGSS Assessments for grades 3–12.
The Three Tools That Power InnerOrbit
InnerOrbit is built around three interconnected tools that help educators assess, analyze, and support NGSS learning in the classroom. Together, they create a complete system for sensemaking and instructional growth.
Assessments
Discover a library of rigorously designed NGSS assessments that make sensemaking the priority.
- Hundreds of real-world phenomena that spark curiosity
- Thousands of 3D-aligned questions designed for diagnostic, formative, and summative use
- Ready-to-use Pre-Made Assessments for quick classroom deployment
Reports
Turn student work into meaningful, actionable data.
- Performance broken down by dimension (SEP, DCI, CCC)
- Data that aligns with state test results at a 97% rate
- Insightful reporting that supports frequent instructional change
Activities
Support learning with classroom-ready activities that give students hands-on practice with NGSS sensemaking.
- Sensemaking Practice Activity Guides to connect phenomena with classroom discussion
- Structured opportunities for students to practice thinking like scientists
- Activities that reinforce skills for both assessments and state tests