Science Curriculum Map

Map your science curriculum for the year, organizing phenomena-based units, three-dimensional learning, and science practices across the school year with coherent connections between disciplinary core ideas.

ScienceElementary (K–5)Middle School (6–8)High School (9–12)

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When to use this template

  • Annual science curriculum planning for a full course
  • Three-dimensional NGSS curriculum mapping across grade levels
  • Department alignment for consistent science curriculum delivery
  • When phenomena-based teaching needs explicit mapping across the school year
  • New course development or NGSS adoption

Template sections

Identify the course, the standards framework, and the major disciplinary core ideas for the year.

Course name and grade:

Standards framework (NGSS, or equivalent):

Disciplinary core ideas covered:

Science domains (physical, life, earth/space, engineering):

Big questions or overarching phenomena for the year:

Map each unit with its anchoring phenomenon and key disciplinary core ideas.

Unit 1: Phenomenon (what students observe), DCIs addressed, weeks:

Unit 2:

...

Connections between phenomena across units:

Seasonal or calendar-dependent phenomena (timing rationale):

Map disciplinary core ideas, science practices, and crosscutting concepts across units.

DCI by unit:

Science practice(s) primary in each unit:

Crosscutting concepts by unit:

Where practices are introduced vs. developed vs. independently applied:

Crosscutting concepts that thread across multiple units:

Map the major investigations, labs, and hands-on experiences across the year.

Major investigations by unit (type, materials, duration):

Safety units (when and what lab safety instruction):

Field investigations or outdoor learning:

Technology-supported investigations:

Materials to reserve or prepare in advance:

Map NGSS performance expectations to units and plan assessment approaches.

Performance expectations by unit:

Summative assessment approach per unit:

Formative assessment tools across the year:

Science argument and CER opportunities by unit:

End-of-year performance task:

Map engineering design challenges and connections to real-world applications.

Engineering design units or challenges:

Real-world application connections by unit:

Cross-disciplinary connections (math, ELA, social studies):

Community or environmental connections:

The Flip Perspective

Science curriculum maps work when they make three-dimensional learning visible across the year, not just content coverage. This map shows which phenomena anchor each unit, how science practices develop with increasing independence, and which crosscutting concepts thread across multiple units as genuine analytical tools.

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Adapting this Template

For Science

Science Map pairs well with lab work: the structured phases keep inquiry focused while leaving room for student-driven investigation.

About the Science Map framework

Science curriculum mapping in a three-dimensional framework (NGSS or equivalent) requires thinking about curriculum differently than traditional content-coverage models. The question is not just "what do I cover?" but "what phenomena will students investigate, what science practices will they develop, and what crosscutting concepts will give their thinking coherence across units?"

Three-dimensional coherence: Every unit in a coherently mapped science curriculum should develop all three dimensions: disciplinary core ideas (content), science and engineering practices (investigation, reasoning, communication), and crosscutting concepts (patterns, cause and effect, systems). The curriculum map should show how these dimensions develop across the year, not just which content appears in which unit.

Phenomenon sequencing: Science curriculum units should be organized around anchoring phenomena, real observable events that students investigate to build understanding. The curriculum map should identify the phenomenon for each unit and show how investigation of successive phenomena builds an increasingly sophisticated understanding of core ideas.

Practice progression: Science practices should be developed across multiple units, with increasing sophistication and independence. A curriculum map should show when each practice is introduced, where it is developed, and where students are expected to use it independently. Students do not learn to design investigations in a single unit; they develop this practice across the year.

Crosscutting concept threads: Crosscutting concepts (systems, patterns, scale, cause and effect, etc.) are most effective when they recur across units as genuine analytical tools. A curriculum map should identify which crosscutting concepts thread through multiple units, so students develop them as durable ways of thinking about the natural world.

Safety and lab planning: A science curriculum map should include safety planning, identifying which units require lab safety instruction, what materials need advance preparation, and when and where lab experiences occur across the year.

Year-Long Map

Map your entire course across 36 weeks, organizing units, standards coverage, and major assessments so you can see the full year at a glance and spot gaps before the school year begins.

Scope & Sequence

Document the breadth and order of your curriculum: what you will teach (scope) and in what sequence, to ensure coherent vertical alignment and consistent coverage across classrooms or grade levels.

Science Unit

Design a science unit anchored in phenomena and driving questions, where students use science practices to investigate, explain, and apply concepts instead of memorizing facts.

Inquiry Unit

Build a unit around student-generated questions and investigation cycles. Students develop their own lines of inquiry, gather evidence, and construct understanding through structured exploration.

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Frequently asked questions

Some phenomena naturally span physical, life, and earth science domains. When this happens, choose the sequence that best builds the foundational understanding needed for subsequent units. Students who understand energy before they study ecology can make connections that deepen both.
Identify which practices are featured prominently in each unit and plan the progression explicitly. Students should not be designing investigations independently in Unit 1 but should be doing so with minimal scaffolding by the end of the year. Map the release of responsibility for each practice.
Engineering design works best when it follows and applies science content rather than preceding it. Place engineering design challenges after units where students learn the relevant disciplinary core ideas, so they are designing with scientific knowledge, not just general problem-solving.
Schedule explicit safety instruction before any unit requiring lab work or chemical handling. Map the specific safety topics (eye protection, chemical handling, fire safety) to the units that require them. Do not assume students learned safety protocol in a prior year; teach it explicitly in context.
Coordinate explicitly with your colleagues. Science units that involve data analysis connect to the math curriculum's statistics strand. Science units that involve argumentation connect to the ELA curriculum's argument writing instruction. These connections are most powerful when they are planned, not accidental.
Science and active learning are natural partners. Your curriculum map can designate which units center on lab investigations, which on field observations, and which on engineering design challenges. Planning these at the map level ensures students build inquiry skills progressively across the year rather than repeating the same type of activity. Use this map for the big picture and Flip to generate the individual lessons that bring each investigation to life.
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