CSEL Science: Alignment with Phenomenon and Three-Dimensional Learning

CSEL Science is aligned with the principles of phenomenon-based and three-dimensional learning as outlined in the Framework for K–12 Science Education (National Research Council, 2012) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States, 2013). The Kinetic and Potential Energy module illustrates how these instructional approaches are integrated throughout the curriculum.

NGSS Three-Dimensional Learning

NGSS three-dimensional learning integrates three dimensions: science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts.

Science and Engineering Practices 

Students plan and conduct investigations over multiple sessions. In Session 3.1: Roller Coaster Rescue, students describe the problem presented in a dramatic "science scene" and then discuss potential changes that could improve a roller coaster’s design. In Session 3.4: Elastic Energy in Action, students stretch rubber bands by different amounts and measure how far a cup moves, directly testing how elastic potential energy affects kinetic energy and energy transfer (Session 3.4, pp. 2–5). In Session 3.5: Drop Heights and Energy Insights, students drop ping-pong balls from increasing heights and measure the bounce height to investigate how gravitational potential energy changes with elevation (Session 3.5, pp. 2–5). In Session 3.6: Crash Science, students roll cars of different masses down a ramp and measure the collision outcomes to explore how mass affects energy transfer (pp. 2–6). Across these investigations, students analyze and interpret data by recording measurements, comparing trials, identifying patterns, and using evidence to support claims. In the culminating session, Session 3.7: Solving the Roller Coaster Problem, students use a digital roller coaster simulation to model the system, adjust variables such as mass and height, review energy bar graphs, and test solutions that enable the coaster to complete the loops (Session 3.7, pp. 3–7). Students construct explanations and communicate their reasoning orally and in writing, using academic science vocabulary.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

The module centers on core ideas from MS-PS3: Energy. Students develop clear definitions of kinetic and potential energy using repeated real-world examples, including roller coasters, balls at different heights, stretched rubber bands, and moving cars. Students investigate the conservation of energy by tracking how energy transforms from potential to kinetic and how it transfers between objects during collisions and interactions. Gravity, mass, and height are explicitly connected to changes in energy and motion.

Cross-cutting Concepts

Students apply crosscutting concepts throughout the module. They track energy and matter as they flow through systems, and these quantities remain conserved. Cause-and-effect relationships are explored by changing variables such as height, mass, and stretch distance. Students reason about systems and system models, including roller coaster systems and experimental setups, and identify patterns of repeated energy transformations across contexts.

Module 3: Kinetic and Potential Energy aligns with the following NGSS standards: 

• MS-PS3-1: 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: 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-PS3-5: 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.
  

Example pages with Descriptions from Module 3

CSEL Science’s Inquiry-based Learning Approach

The Kinetic and Potential Energy module also illustrates CSEL Science’s inquiry-based learning approach. Students encounter a problem: a roller coaster cannot complete its loops. This problem gives students a reason to investigate how energy works in a system. Across the module, students explore focused questions such as how height, mass, speed, and elasticity affect energy and motion. They conduct hands-on investigations with rubber bands, dropped balls, and collisions; record and compare data; identify patterns; and use evidence to support claims. In the culminating session, students use a digital roller coaster simulation to test changes to the system and explain how those changes affect the coaster’s motion. This sequence supports sustained sensemaking: students build understanding over time, revise their ideas as they gather evidence, and use scientific models and data to explain a meaningful real-world problem.

Project-based Learning

In addition to strong alignment with phenomenon-based learning and NGSS three-dimensional learning, Session 5: Roller Coaster Rescue reflects core principles of high-quality project-based learning (PBL).