May 2024
The Imagine Math and Imagine Math Facts teams have improved the reset process for Back-to-School 2024:
For more details, visit this Help Center article.
May 2024
Based on educator feedback, Imagine Math has added printable vocabulary word lists. With these printable lists for grades 3+, students will be able to practice key math vocabulary terms using the word, its definition, and an explanatory image. Educators can find the printable word lists for grades 3–5, 6–8, and 9–12 in Teacher Resources under “Vocabulary Lists.”
May 2024
The “I Can” statements in Twig Science Elementary have now been color-coded in the digital platform to match the color coding in the print books. “I Can” statements appear at the top of every Full and Fast Track lesson in the student digital experience in both English and Spanish.
This enhancement helps students (and teachers) identify their “I Can” statements easily between their print and digital resources.
May 2024
Educators can now print the lesson instructions for the Full Course, Fast Track, and Leveled Reader lessons in Twig Science Elementary.
May 22, 2024 6:00 am
Published by: District Administration
To address learning gaps and support holistic educational recovery, school districts can reimagine summer school programs by leveraging remaining ESSER funds to design personalized learning experiences, integrating mental health and SEL support, utilizing adaptive learning technologies, providing professional development for teachers, and engaging families.
May include subscriber-only content
May 21, 2024 9:05 am
Teachers spend a lot of their own time finding the right resources to connect with every student. We know it’s a time-consuming task, especially with everything else on their plates. High-quality instructional materials (HQIM) lighten the load, helping ensure consistent, engaging lessons while giving teachers back some much-needed time.
There’s no doubt that effective teaching is incredibly important for student outcomes. According to RAND, educators have the highest impact on student achievement compared to “any other aspects of schooling.” But over the last decade, a growing body of research has also linked positive student outcomes to HQIM.
But what are HQIM? Generally, HQIM are recognized as materials that are aligned to state standards and include evidence-based strategies, inclusive practices, and embedded teacher support.
With the criteria for identifying HQIM within social studies only recently defined, the challenges related to a lack of such materials are particularly apparent. Compared to disciplines such as science, math, and ELA, social studies has been severely undervalued and underfunded — creating a deep-rooted problem. Without solid state- and local-level infrastructure for social studies, teachers have largely been left to their own devices, essentially building their own curriculum. The Fordham Institute reports that up to 79% of social studies teachers find instructional materials from various sources online or create their own — with only 16% using a state-issued textbook.
While there’s no doubt that teachers — and the expertise they bring — are essential to positive learning outcomes, curriculum materials also matter. Study after study supports that HQIM benefit both students and teachers. Think about it, a great chef still needs quality ingredients — and providing teachers with well-structured, standards-aligned materials enables them to spend more time engaging with their students and providing customized learning experiences, ultimately leading to better outcomes.
Definitions of HQIM vary, but at their core they share vital components. At Imagine Learning, all of our core programs are designed to deliver key benchmarks for HQIM.
The C3 (College, Career, and Civic Life) Framework, introduced by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), created a shift in social studies instruction. With an emphasis on inquiry-based learning and the development of critical thinking, the C3 Framework prioritizes deeper understanding and application of skills — empowering students to become active participants in their learning.
Traverse maximizes student learning through content aligned to the C3 Framework and state standards, with reading, inquiry, and research skills woven into and revisited throughout the curriculum. The result? A standards-aligned program that empowers teachers to approach instruction with confidence.
Traverse is built on a unique instructional model driven by inquiry — as emphasized in the C3 Framework — with inquiry tasks developed in collaboration with renowned educators Kathy Swan and Sam Wineburg. This approach empowers students to use their curiosity as fuel for critical thinking and problem-solving and encourages them to actively engage in the learning process.
Every classroom is unique and every student has the right to thrive and feel represented in their learning materials. That’s why Traverse was designed to support differentiation and help create an equitable learning environment, with:
Traverse is a modern social studies curriculum designed for flexible implementation, with powerful customization features and tools to support teachers and students. Its dynamic and responsive learning experiences reflect the needs of the post-pandemic classroom — built to engage today’s students through a variety of high-quality resources:
Assessment is an integral part of effective instruction — it enables teachers to ascertain whether goals are being met and whether it is necessary to remediate instruction. Traverse features a robust assessment cycle — including formative and summative assessments — and embedded real-time data provide multiple opportunities to monitor student progress.
HQIM alone aren’t enough to improve student outcomes. Teachers need to feel supported in using and delivering the materials through robust teacher support and by participating in ongoing, personalized professional learning.
Traverse’s digital platform offers comprehensive teacher support, designed to be at point of use and chunked into sections for ease of use. These include:
Traverse partners with districts to ensure teachers utilize the program in the most effective way. These inquiry-based sessions can be delivered in-person, online, synchronously, or asynchronously, and are designed to be collaborative.
May 21, 2024 9:04 am
Teachers spend a lot of their own time finding the right resources to connect with every student. We know it’s a time-consuming task, especially with everything else on their plates. High-quality instructional materials (HQIM) lighten the load, helping ensure consistent, engaging lessons while giving teachers back some much-needed time.
As educators and districts recognize the critical role curriculum plays alongside effective teaching, the focus on HQIM has intensified nationally. A growing body of research points at one thing: instructional materials directly impact student outcomes (Kane et al., 2016). But the reality is, not all teachers have access to HQIM or the professional development and support to implement these resources effectively.
But what are HQIM? Generally, HQIM are recognized as materials that are aligned to state standards and include evidence-based strategies, inclusive practices, and embedded teacher support. And when it comes to nurturing positive math identities — the demand for engaging resources has never been higher.
The truth is, math not only prepares students for future careers; it also enhances critical thinking and problem-solving skills essential for everyday life. Recent research shows significant shortcomings in math education, underscoring the urgent need for materials that address learning gaps and prepare students for the complexities of modern careers.
There’s no question that teachers’ expertise is crucial to boosting student outcomes, but mounting evidence shows that materials do matter, with EdReports revealing that only 41% of math materials fully meet standards. Fortunately, we can reverse this trend by giving teachers access to resources that exemplify the principles of HQIM in math.
Definitions of HQIM vary, but at their core they share vital components. At Imagine Learning, all of our core programs are designed to deliver key benchmarks for HQIM.
There’s no doubt about it — standards-aligned materials give all students the opportunity to acquire the necessary skills to progress academically and move into future careers.
Math educators can enjoy peace of mind with Imagine IM, an enhanced IM v.360 program that’s fully aligned with Common Core and state math standards. Given that Illustrative Mathematics CEO and cofounder Bill McCallum was a lead writer of the Common Core State Standards, the curriculum’s adherence to these benchmarks is especially robust and well-founded.
Research-based instruction helps teachers meet the diverse learning needs of their students. Whether through the use of manipulatives or real-world problem-solving, research-based strategies make math easier and improve performance.
That’s why Imagine IM has a problem-based instructional framework that helps structure lessons so students are the ones engaging in mathematics. Activities and routines give teachers opportunities to see what students already know, what they can notice, and what they can figure out before they have concepts and procedures explained to them.
To support student understanding, Imagine IM integrates three key aspects of mathematical rigor: conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and the application of these skills to solve mathematical problems. The result? Students emerge more confident, ready to tackle complex challenges.
In a time when math proficiency is declining, it’s vital that we give every student an equal shot at success. Imagine IM is designed with three key principles in mind to support all learners:
The program emphasizes endurance and perseverance through carefully crafted structures that address the complexity of contexts, numbers, and computations, accommodating different levels of understanding in complex mathematical contexts. Comprehensive supports for multilingual learners ensures all materials are inclusive and unbiased, representing a wide range of cultural identities.
Imagine IM provides an unparalleled IM v.360 resource for both teachers and students, offering enhanced materials designed to support educators in planning and conducting lessons across diverse instructional settings. With a premium classroom solution tailored specifically to their needs, teachers can refine their skills as facilitators with high-quality, point-of-use supports that streamline their workflow and offer valuable implementation guidance. Exclusive print versions of Teacher Guides and Student Workbooks are seamlessly integrated with digital components, ensuring the integrity of Illustrative Mathematics content in any classroom model.
The curriculum’s instructional routines establish frameworks that enable all students to actively participate in mathematical discussions, fostering fluency in digital tools, problem-solving abilities, and effective communication of reasoning. Through rigorous problem-based design and engaging resources, Imagine IM cultivates a supportive community where students of all backgrounds can build confidence and acquire skills applicable throughout their academic journey, careers, and beyond.
Imagine IM offers opportunities for both formative and summative assessment that empower teachers to measure student understanding and progress toward learning goals.
Teachers are equipped to monitor student progress through digital task statements, section checkpoints, and cool-downs. These provide real-time feedback and data to inform instructional decisions.
Digital assessments allow students to access, record, and submit their questions and answers for a variety of technology-enhanced item types including multiple choice, multiple select, drag-and-drop, cloze, graphing, labeling, constructed response, short essay, and drawing types.
Simply selecting HQIM isn’t enough. Teachers need robust professional learning to support their use in the classroom — that’s why professional learning is a crucial pillar of HQIM.
Imagine IM does more than just introduce educators to the curriculum — it equips them with the tools for implementation success. Virtual and in-person professional learning options meet diverse needs, while the digital platform offers ongoing self-directed professional development, plus insightful narrative and lesson example videos.
May 21, 2024 9:01 am
Teachers spend a lot of their own time finding the right resources to connect with every student. We know it’s a time-consuming task, especially with everything else on their plates. High-quality instructional materials (HQIM) lighten the load, helping ensure consistent, engaging lessons while giving teachers back some much-needed time.
As educators and districts recognize the critical role curriculum plays alongside effective teaching, the focus on HQIM has intensified nationally. A growing body of research points to one thing: instructional materials directly impact student outcomes (Kane et al., 2016). But the reality is, not all teachers have access to HQIM or the professional development and support to implement these resources effectively.|
But what are HQIM? Generally, HQIM are recognized as materials that are aligned to state standards and include evidence-based strategies, inclusive practices, and embedded teacher support.
It’s undeniable that reading and writing proficiency is essential in today’s world. But over the last few years, a growing body of research has indicated that students across the US are struggling, with one-third of fourth-graders and a quarter of eighth-graders unable to read at a basic level as of 2019. Since then, results have declined further, and whether a result of post-pandemic learning loss or other factors, it’s clear that if results are to increase, something needs to change.
Study after study shows that the answer may lie in curriculum materials, because students don’t just learn from their teachers, content matters too. In ELA, the use of HQIM is evidenced to accelerate student learning, and when given access to such materials, teachers are less likely to source and create their own materials — a practice that can lead to inconsistent learning across classrooms. But how do districts, schools, and teachers identify HQIM? At Imagine Learning, all of our core programs are designed to deliver key benchmarks for HQIM.
Definitions of HQIM vary, but at their core they share vital components. At Imagine Learning, all of our core programs are designed to deliver key benchmarks for HQIM.
Giving teachers direct access to premium, expertly aligned materials is one of the best ways of ensuring that they can help prepare students for any career path. That’s why Imagine Learning EL Education is carefully designed to hit standards for college and career readiness and life success, teaching and assessing all strands and standards of the Common Core ELA standards at every grade level.
An ELA curriculum rooted in best-practice pedagogy — which involves teaching methods that are widely recognized and supported by scientific evidence as effective — is essential for enhancing literacy outcomes. Imagine Learning EL Education is based on the Science of Reading, which advocates for structured phonics to ensure students can read challenging texts at their grade level and meet literacy objectives.
With our content-based approach to literacy, ELA looks like:
There’s no doubt about it, literacy is the thread that binds all disciplines together. It’s a crucial skill for success in any discipline or career. That’s why our curriculum is crafted with inclusive practices at its core — so that every student has the tools to thrive.
Experience an ELA program that:
Imagine Learning EL Education’s platform empowers educators to focus more on teaching and less on planning. Rich resources and instructional supports make for streamlined lesson planning, with robust data and reporting tools to tailor instruction to each student’s needs.
Engaging, complex texts based on compelling real-world content are structured to develop literacy skills across grades K–8. Lessons consistently focus on mastering academic standards in reading, writing, speaking, and listening, ensuring comprehensive literacy development. The result? Students who write the narrative of their own learning journeys.
Assessment serves a dual purpose: to empower and motivate students while ensuring they meet rigorous learning standards. Continuous assessment involves setting clear long-term and supporting targets, employing strategies to monitor student progress, and adapting instruction accordingly, ensuring that students aren’t just passive recipients of information but active participants in their educational journey.
Imagine Learning EL Education features:
Pedagogical strategies are constantly evolving — that’s why it’s important for teachers to be supported with robust professional learning opportunities.
Imagine Learning EL Education includes:
May 21, 2024 8:54 am
Teachers spend a lot of their own time finding the right resources to connect with every student. We know it’s a time-consuming task, especially with everything else on their plates. High-quality instructional materials (HQIM) lighten the load, helping ensure consistent, engaging lessons while giving teachers back some much-needed time.
As educators and districts recognize the critical role curriculum plays alongside effective teaching, the focus on HQIM has intensified nationally. A growing body of research points to one thing: instructional materials directly impact student outcomes (Kane et al., 2016). But the reality is, not all teachers have access to HQIM or the professional development and support to implement these resources effectively.
But what are HQIM? Generally, HQIM are recognized as materials that are aligned to state standards and include evidence-based strategies, inclusive practices, and embedded teacher support. As demands for STEM-related skills grow, so does the focus on HQIM, with educators seeking greater clarity on what actually counts as high-quality materials in science instruction.
In the realm of science education, implementing HQIM is fraught with specific challenges. Science education is a fast-evolving discipline, and advancements in knowledge and best practices can quickly outpace current materials. This gap often means that teachers spend considerable time sourcing or crafting their own resources, which according to Education Elements, may not always be rigorously vetted or aligned with educational standards, leading to inconsistencies in instructional quality. This is where an HQIM science curriculum comes into play.
The Twig Science Middle School module Volcano Hunters was awarded the NGSS Design Badge by NextGenScience at WestEd.
Twig Science program components were approved as HQIM by the Indiana Department of Education.
A study showed a 3.5% increase in students meeting or exceeding the Grade 5 California Science Test (CAST) standards compared to non-user schools.
Twig Science received the highest marks from Learning List* on its alignment to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) — 100% alignment across K–8!
Definitions of HQIM vary, but at their core they share vital components. At Imagine Learning, all of our core programs are designed to deliver key benchmarks for HQIM.
To effectively implement HQIM in science education, it’s crucial to first understand the role of standards-aligned content. Standards alignment ensures that the materials meet established benchmarks such as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) or 3-D state standards, which are designed to provide students with a comprehensive and coherent understanding of science.
Having access to the highest-quality, vetted materials allows educators to focus on pedagogy, rather than sourcing content — and in turn, helps them feel better prepared and capable. Twig Science was designed with teacher confidence in mind — crafted specifically to hit the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and/or 3-D state standards across Grades Pre-K–8.
Following best-practice pedagogy ensures that teaching methods are based on the most effective, research-backed approaches to learning. By emphasizing evidence-based teaching methods, we can help students develop a robust understanding of scientific concepts and, ultimately, contribute to a more scientifically literate society.
That’s why Twig Science’s phenomena-based instructional design excels in meeting 3-D standards. With Module Anchor Phenomena that spark curiosity from the get-go, hands-on activities, and digital interactives — educators have everything they need to lead scientific breakthroughs.
Every student deserves a chance to explore and excel in science, no matter where their strengths lie. Twig Science was built in collaboration with experts from SCALE Science at WestEd (previously known as Stanford University’s SCALE) to embed instructional design routines within Twig Science that support equitable access to science for all students. With scaffolds for English Learners, Stanford UL-SCALE language routines, plus strategies and platform functions that support additional needs, educators have everything they need to meet their students where they’re at.
Both teacher and student experiences influence the effectiveness of science materials. Tailored resources help teachers deliver lessons smoothly and adapt to various needs, while relatable content boosts scientific understanding.
Twig Science’s powerful online platform integrates digital and print resources, complete with presenter tools, automated rostering, and single sign-on. Teachers remain in full control thanks to flexible resources with differentiated instruction supports and Fast Track for elementary levels. Meanwhile, students engage with Twig Books and Twig Journals — vibrant, multimedia textbooks and workbooks available in both digital and print formats, plus theater-quality videos and digital interactives that bring phenomena to life.
If teachers lack insights into student learning, how can they identify which needs to address? Accurate measurement of student progress is key to improving scientific outcomes and deepening student knowledge.
The Twig Science Assessment System was developed in partnership with the SCALE Science at WestEd team. It’s designed to be a three-dimensional assessment system that lets teachers evaluate student attainment of the three dimensions and Performance Expectations (PEs) of the NGSS. From pre-explorations to measure what students already know to formative and summative tasks, Twig Science offers a range of assessment strategies with embedded data reporting tools for tracking progress.
But it doesn’t stop there — since 2014, Twig Science has collaborated with Imperial College London, one of the world’s leading universities, to ensure the validity of our scientific foundations and bring real-world connections to science.
Science education is rapidly evolving, making it challenging for teachers to keep up with the latest pedagogical strategies and best practices.
Twig Science addresses these challenges head-on by integrating relevant, up-to-date professional learning and easy-to-use training resources into our curriculum. Professional learning is tailored to empower educators with the skills to implement effective instructional practices, For example, each module includes a short introductory film, detailed background information to enhance teacher knowledge, and digital guides focused on Science and Engineering Practices and Crosscutting Concepts.
Wherever they’re at in the program, Twig Science ensures that every teacher can leverage our multifaceted curriculum to its fullest potential, enhancing both teaching effectiveness and student learning outcomes.
*Learning List provides independent reviews of K–12 instructional materials and online courses. To see Learning List’s professional reviews and alignment reports for our products, go to Learninglist.com
Examine this Flipbook on Civic Responsibilities.
Genre: Video | Creator: USA.gov | Date: 2018
The video “First Time Voter,” from USA.gov, provides information about how to register to vote.
Have students identify one line from First Time Voter that they particularly noticed. Have them use this line to write a Life-A-Line poem. Students should:
Use this additional sourcing information to further contextualize the source in order to deepen students’ analysis and evaluation.
This video from USA.gov provides some basic information on how to register to vote, especially if doing so for the first time. It lists the requirements for registering as well as how to go about voting once you’re registered.
Per the USA.gov website, this video’s purpose is to get first-time voters ready to vote by giving them key information they’ll need in order to participate in this civic duty. The video’s purpose is also to emphasize the need to conduct further research into what the state requirements are where a voter lives.
First-time voters, or voters registering in a new state, are the targeted audience for this video. Additionally, American citizens or immigrants to the country who are not currently able to vote may be interested in the video’s content.
Although the video addresses the different state requirements for both registering to vote and actually casting a ballot, it leaves out what specifically those requirements are.
Use the following information to provide reading comprehension support.
The video about first-time voter registration infuses graphic images and text to support the audio. Have students reflect on these artistic choices, naming the specific techniques that helped them best remember information from the video.
This short video contains a lot of information. Students might get confused about the different processes related to voting. Urge them to think in terms of the video’s three main ideas: eligibility, registration, and voting.
To extend discussions, consider asking the following questions.