Why FOSS works for California
Phenomena-based science with an eye to the future
FOSS incorporates local and relevant phenomena in a way that addresses standards and instills science literacy that will serve students and their communities well for a lifetime.
FOSS is built around phenomena that students can observe firsthand and relate to the world they know in California. Phenomena are organized into coherent storylines for the teacher, empowering them to engage students as they explore.
Benefits of Local and Relevant Phenomena
- Leverages students’ prior knowledge
- Offers direct access and connection to their world
- Levels the playing field for all students
- Allows student-generated questioning and experimentation
- Ensures developmentally appropriate phenomena
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Why California Districts Choose FOSS
FOSS gives students the opportunity to think and act like scientists and engineers. UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science developed FOSS for California to present science the way students learn it, as they experience phenomena firsthand through active investigation. It’s why FOSS is proven to measurably improve test scores in districts across the country and in local districts in California.
Los Angeles Unified School District
Oakland Unified Public Schools
Lagunita Elementary School District
Redwood City Schools
Oak View Union School District
Capistrano Unified School District
South Bay Union School District
Salinas Union High School District
Southern Kern Unified School District
Sierra Sands Unified School District
Santa Cruz City School District
Ravenswood City School District
San Luis Coastal Unified School District
Ukiah Unified School District
Grass Valley Unified School District
Santa Rosa Unified School District
Soquel Union Elementary School District
Alameda Unified School District
Recommended Scope & Sequence
See how FOSS is aligned to NGSS Performance Expectations for each module and course in the chart below.
FOSS Next Generation PreK-5
Grade
Earth Science
Physical Science
Life Science
PK
SC1.1 | SC1.2 | SC2.1 | SC2.2 | SC3.1 | SC4.1 | SC5.1
K
K-ESS2-1 | K-ESS2-2 | K-ESS3-1 | K-ESS3-2 | K-PS3-1 | K-LS1-1 | K-2 ETS1-2
K-PS2-1 | K-PS2-2 | K-PS3-1 | K-PS3-2 | K-ESS3-3 | K-2 ETS1-1 | K-2 ETS1-2 | K-2 ETS1-3
K-LS1-1 | K-ESS2-2 | K-ESS3-1
1
1-ESS1-1 | 1-ESS1-2 | K-ESS2-1 | K-ESS3-3 | 2-PS1-1 | K-2 ETS1-1 | K-2 ETS1-2 | K-2 ETS1-3
1-PS4-1 | 1-PS4-2 | 1-PS4-3 | 1-PS4-4 | K-2 ETS1-1 | K-2 ETS1-2 | K-2 ETS1-3
1-LS1-1 | 1-LS1-2 | 1-LS3-1 | K-2 ETS1-2
2
2-ESS1-1 | 2-ESS2-1 | 2-ESS2-2 | 2-ESS2-3 | 2-PS1-1 | 2-PS1-2 | K-2 ETS1-1 | K-2 ETS1-2 | K-2 ETS1-3
2-PS1-1 | 2-PS1-2 | 2-PS1-3 | 2-PS1-4 | K-2 ETS1-1 | K-2 ETS1-2 | K-2 ETS1-3
3-LS1-1 | 2-LS2-1 | 2-LS2-2 | 2-LS4-1 | K-2 ETS1-1 | K-2 ETS1-2 | K-2 ETS1-3
3
3-ESS2-1 | 3-ESS2-2 | 3-ESS3-1 | 2-ESS2-3 | 2-PS1-1 | 3-5 ETS1-1 | 3-5 ETS1-2 | 3-5 ETS1-3
3-PS2-1 | 3-PS2-2 | 3-PS2-3 | 3-PS2-4 | 3-5 ETS1-1 | 3-5 ETS1-2 | 3-5 ETS1-3
3-LS1-1 | 3-LS2-1 | 3-LS3-1 | 3-LS3-2 | 3-LS4-1 | 3-LS4-2 | 3-LS4-3 | 3-LS4-4
4
4-ESS1-1 | 4-ESS2-1 | 4-ESS2-2 | 4-ESS3-1 | 4-ESS3-2 | 3-5 ETS1-1 | 3-5 ETS1-2
3-PS2-3 | 4-PS3-1 | 4-PS3-2 | 4-PS3-3 | 4-PS3-4 | 4-PS4-1 | 4-PS4-2 | 4-PS4-3 | 3-5 ETS1-1 | 3-5 ETS1-2 | 3-5 ETS1-3
4-LS1-1 | 4-LS1-2 | 3-LS4-2 | 3-LS4-4 | 5-ESS3-1
5
5-ESS1-1 | 5-ESS1-2 | 5-ESS2-1 | 5-ESS2-2 | 5-ESS3-1 | 5-PS1-1 | 5-PS2-1 | 3-5 ETS1-2 | 3-5 ETS1-3
5-PS1-1 | 5-PS1-2 | 5-PS1-3 | 5-PS1-4 | 3-5 ETS1-1 | 3-5 ETS1-2 | 3-5 ETS1-3
5-LS1-1 | 5-LS2-1 | 4-LS1-2 | 5-PS3-1 | 5-ESS2-1 | 5-ESS3-1
FOSS Next Generation Middle School
Grade
6 – 8
Integrated Middle Grades
MS-PS1-4 | MS-PS3-3 | MS-PS3-4 | MS-PS3-5 | MS-ESS1-1 | MS-ESS2-4 | MS-ESS2-5 | MS-ESS2-6 | MS-ESS3-2 | MS-ESS3-3 | MS-ESS3-4 | MS-ESS3-5 | MS-ETS1-1 | MS-ETS1-2 | MS-ETS1-3 | MS-ETS1-4
MS-LS1-1 | MS-LS1-2 | MS-LS1-3 | MS-LS1-4 | MS-LS1-5 | MS-LS1-6 | MS-LS1-7 | MS-LS3-2
MS-PS1-1 | MS-PS1-2 | MS-PS1-3 | MS-PS1-4 | MS-PS1-5 | MS-PS1-6 | MS-PS3-3 | MS-PS3-4 | MS-PS3-5 | MS-ETS1-1 | MS-ETS1-2 | MS-ETS1-3 | MS-ETS1-4
MS-ESS1-4 | MS-ESS2-1 | MS-ESS2-2 | MSESS2-3 | MS-ESS3-1 | MS-ESS3-2 | MS-ESS3-3 | MS-ESS3-4 | MS-ESS3-5 | MS-LS4-1
MS-LS1-6 | MS-LS1-7 | MS-LS2-1 | MSLS2-2 | MS-LS2-3 | MS-LS2-4 | MS-LS2-5 | MS-PS3-4 | MSESS3-3 | MS-ESS3-4 | MS-ETS1-1 | MS-ETS1-2
MS-LS3-1 | MS-LS3-2 | MS-LS4-1 | MS-LS4-2 | MS-LS4-3 | MS-LS4-4 | MS-LS4-5 | MS-LS4-6 | MS-ESS1-4
MS-PS2-2 | MS-PS2-3 | MS-PS2-5 | MS-PS3-2 | MS-PS3-5 | MS-ESS3-4 | MS-ETS1-1 | MS-ETS1-2 | MS-ETS1-3 | MS-ETS1-4
MS-PS2-1 | MS-PS2-2 | MS-PS2-4 | MS-PS2-5 | MS-PS3-1 | MS-PS3-2 | MS-PS3-5 | MS-ESS1-2 | MS-ETS1-1 | MS-ETS1-2 | MS-ETS1-3 | MS-ETS1-4
MS-PS2-4 | MS-PS4-2 | MS-ESS1-1 | MS-ESS1-2 | MS-ESS1-3 | MS-ESS1-4 | MS-ESS2-2 | MS-ESS2-4 | MS-ESS3-1 | MS-ESS3-2 | MS-ESS3-3 | MS-ESS3-4 | MS-ETS1-1
*Half-length courses
Physical Science content
Earth Science content
Life Science content
Engineering content
Alternate PreK-5 Scope & Sequence
FOSS Pathways PreK-5
Grade
Earth Science
Physical Science
Life Science
PK
Observing Nature
Foundation for LS1.A, LS1.C, PS1.A, ESS3.C
K
Trees & Weather
K-LS1-1 | K-ESS2-1 | K-ESS2-2 | K-ESS3-1 | K-ESS3-2 | K-PS3-1
Materials & Forces
K-PS2-1 | K-PS2-2 | K-PS3-1 | K-PS3-2 | K-ESS3-3 | K-2-ETS1-1 | K-2-ETS1-2 | K-2-ETS1-3
Animals Two by Two
K-LS1-1 | K-ESS2-2 | K-ESS3-1
1
Changes in the Sky
1-ESS1-1 | 1-ESS1-2
Sound & Light
1-PS4-1 | 1-PS4-2 | 1-PS4-3 | 1-PS4-4 | K-2-ETS1-1 | K-2 ETS1-2 | K-2-ETS1-3
Plants & Animals
1-LS1-1 | 1-LS1-2 | 1-LS3-1 | K-2-ETS1-2
2
Water and Landforms
2-ESS1-1 | 2-ESS2-1 | 2-ESS2-2 | 2-ESS2-3 | 2-PS1-1
Solids & Liquids
2-PS1-1 | 2-PS1-2 | 2-PS1-3 | 2-PS1-4 | K-2-ETS1-1 | K-2-ETS1-2 | K-2-ETS1-3
Insects & Plants
2-LS2-1 | 2-LS2-2 | 2-LS4-1 | K-2-ETS1-2
3
3-ESS2-1 | 3-ESS2-2 | 3-ESS3-1
3-PS2-1 | 3-PS2-2 | 3-PS2-3 | 3-PS2-4 | 3-5-ETS1-1 | 3-5-ETS1-2 | 3-5-ETS1-3
3-LS1-1 | 3-LS2-1 | 3-LS3-1 | 3-LS3-2 | 3-LS4-1 | 3-LS4-2 | 3-LS4-3 | 3-LS4-4
4
4-ESS1-1 | 4-ESS2-1 | 4-ESS2-2 | 4-ESS3-2 | 3-5-ETS1-2
4-PS3-1 | 4-PS3-2 | 4-PS3-3 | 4-PS3-4 | 4-PS4-1 | 4-PS4-2 | 4-PS4-3 | 4-ESS3-1 | 3-5-ETS1-1 | 3-5-ETS1-2 | 3-5-ETS1-3
4-LS1-1 | 4-LS1-2 | 3-5-ETS1-1
5
5-ESS1-1 | 5-ESS1-2 | 5-ESS2-1 | 5-ESS2-2 | 5-ESS3-1 | 5-PS1-1 | 5-PS2-1 | 3-5-ETS1-1 | 3-5-ETS1-2
5-PS1-1 | 5-PS1-2 | 5-PS1-3 | 5-PS1-4 | 5-ESS3-1 | 3-5-ETS1-2
5-PS3-1 | 5-LS1-1 | 5-LS2-1 | 5-ESS2-1 | 5-ESS3-1 | 3-5-ETS1-3
Resources
The FOSS curriculum is designed as a laddered series of experiences that cumulatively develop not just knowledge, but scientific thinking across all three dimensions. You’ll find that the research-based FOSS curriculum with complete equipment kits is ideal for your elementary and middle school classroom. Review the California resources below and see for yourself why FOSS is the Full Option Science System that works for California teachers and students.
FOSS Pathways: California
NGSS Correlations Grades 3-5
FOSS Next Generation: California
Scope and Sequence TK-8
FOSS Next Generation: California
NGSS Standards Map and Correlations K-5
FOSS Next Generation: California
NGSS Standards Map and Correlations 6-8
FOSS Next Generation:
PK-5 Module Description Brochure
FOSS Next Generation:
6-8 Module Description Brochure