Science Instruction for ELLs

Next Generation Science Standards

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are K-12 science standards aligned across disciplines and grades to provide all students an internationally bench-marked science education.  The NGSS are a parallel initiative to the Common Core, but are not part of the CCSS.

Teaching Science to Diverse Populations and Related Case Studies

The Next Generation Science Standards include guidance (Appendix D) on implementation with diverse populations such as English language learners.

The ELL case study focuses on a 2nd-grade classroom learning about soil in an Earth Science lesson. (Read more about each document in our Research and Reports section.)

Recommended Resources

Peep and the Big Wide World: Bilingual Activities & STEM Curriculum

Public television producer WGBH has launched a bilingual website and preschool curriculum based on Peep and the Big Wide World, the Award-winning STEM series for 3-5 year olds following a newly hatched chicken named Peep and his friends Chirp and Quack (a robin and a duck) on their daily adventures. Each half-hour episode contains two stories which highlight specific science concepts, plus two live-action shorts presenting real kids playing and experimenting with these concepts in their own big wide worlds.

The accompanying site includes bilingual games, videos, apps, a 6-unit STEM curriculum, professional development video modules for early childhood educators, and science resources and activity ideas for families.  The website is also available in Spanish.