Connect Content with the
NGSS Crosscutting
Concepts
Peter A’Hearn
pahearn@psusd.us
@casciencepete
Crosscutting Concepts
Patterns
Cause and Effect
Scale, Proportion, and Quantity
Systems and System Models
Energy and Matter: Flows, Cycles, and
Conservation
Structure and Function
Stability and Change
Classroom Implications
o What is the benefit to students of
understanding the crosscutting concepts?
o How can you connect classroom
instruction to the crosscutting concepts?
www.Crosscutsymbols.weebly.com
Patterns
Cause and Effect
Scale, Proportion, and Quantity
Systems and System Models
Energy and Matter: Flows, Cycles, and
Conservation
Structure and Function
Stability and Change
Breakfast
You will be assigned a cross cutting concept
Use the questions to help think about how
breakfast connects to the assigned
crosscutting concept.
Choose the question(s) that best help you to
connect to that crosscutting concept.
Construct an explanation about how the
cross cutting concept relates to breakfast.
Use a poster to share your explanation. Use
the symbol for the cross cutting concept on
your poster.
Gallery Walk
With your group visit the posters.
Where you see a connection to a
crosscutting concept other than the
one for that poster, draw the symbol
for that crosscutting concept.
Reflect
How did the questions and the
activity help you think about the
science concepts and the
crosscutting concepts?
Final Thoughts
What did you learn?
What questions do you have?
What other ideas do you have for
connecting students to the NGSS
Crosscutting Concepts?