Twig Science Module Earns Prestigious WestEd NGSS Design Badge

Twig Science Middle School's Volcano Hunters module was awarded the WestEd NGSS Design Badge

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Aug. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Imagine Learning, the largest provider of digital curriculum solutions in the U.S., serving over 15 million students in more than half the school districts nationwide, has been awarded its first prestigious NGSS Design Badge from WestEd for the Volcano Hunters module of its Twig Science Middle School program.

WestEd, a nonpartisan research, development, and service agency, works with education and other communities to promote excellence, achieve equity, and improve learning for children, youth, and adults. The NGSS Design Badge is awarded to top-rated science lessons and units designed for the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Only 4% of units reviewed by WestEd have been awarded the esteemed NGSS Design Badge. The NGSS Design Badge provides an easy way for educators to be assured that units, like the Twig Science Middle School Volcano Hunters unit, are designed for the NGSS and that publishers and developers are creating materials that are high quality and designed for NGSS.

Volcano Hunters is part of Twig Science Middle School, a phenomena-based program designed for the NGSS. In the module, students use visual media, datasets, maps, and hands-on exploration to figure out why some mountainous areas have volcanoes and others do not. They apply the three dimensions of the NGSS as they analyze real-life data from active volcanoes, assess threat levels, and devise a plan to protect people from the dangers of eruptions. A preview of the Volcano Hunters module can be found here.

"We are honored to be acknowledged by WestEd for our work on the Volcano Hunters module," shared Natasha Stillwell, President of Imagine Learning Studios UK and a Twig Science program author. "The teams that work on our Twig Science program are incredibly talented and innovative, and focused on creating only the highest quality of science education curricula for our students and educators."

Educational materials with the highest rating on the EQuIP Rubric for Science earn the NGSS Design Badge. Having a science unit achieve this distinction for design "reflects the degree to which the innovations represented by the standards are a foundational aspect of both the organization and content of the instructional materials." Educators can use this distinction to help in their science curricula selection along with considering other third-party organizations that review materials for alignment and usability of the standards.

About Imagine Learning

Imagine Learning provides digital-first PreK–12 solutions for core instruction, supplemental and intervention, online courses, and virtual instruction. Our mission is to ignite learning breakthroughs with forward-thinking solutions at the
intersection of people, curricula, and technology. Imagine Learning serves over 15 million students—partnering with over half of districts nationwide. 

Twig Science provides comprehensive coverage of science standards through engaging hands-on and digital investigations where Pre-K–8 students take on the roles of real-world scientists and engineers. Twig Science challenges all students to become creative problem solvers, making sense of real-world phenomena. Learn more about Imagine Learning at imaginelearning.com and learn more about Twig Science here. 

SOURCE Imagine Learning LLC