Why FOSS works for Illinois

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 Illinois. 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 Illinois 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 Illinois 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 Illinois.

Addison School District 4

Aptaksic-Tripp CCSchool District 102

Barrington Comm Unit School District 220

Belvidere Comm Unit School District 100

Carmi White County CUSchool District 5

CCSchool District 62

Crete Monee CUSchool District 201

Crystal Lake CCSchool District 47

Decatur School District 61

Dunlap CUSchool District 323

Evanston CCSchool District 65

Gavin School District 37

Geneseo CUSchool District 228

Homer CCSchool District 33

Kirby School District 140

Lincolnshire-Prairieview School District103

Mount Prospect School District 57

Murphysboro CUSchool District 186

Recommended Scope & Sequence

See how FOSS is aligned to NGSS Performance Expectations for each module and course in the chart below.

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

Water & Climate

3-ESS2-1 | 3-ESS2-2 | 3-ESS3-1

Motion

3-PS2-1 | 3-PS2-2 | 3-PS2-3 | 3-PS2-4 | 3-5-ETS1-1 | 3-5-ETS1-2 | 3-5-ETS1-3

Structures of Life

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

Soils, Rocks, and Landforms

4-ESS1-1 | 4-ESS2-1 | 4-ESS2-2 | 4-ESS3-2 | 3-5-ETS1-2

Energy

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

Senses and Survival

4-LS1-1 | 4-LS1-2 | 3-5-ETS1-1

5

Earth & Sun

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

Mixtures & Solutions

5-PS1-1 | 5-PS1-2 | 5-PS1-3 | 5-PS1-4 | 5-ESS3-1 | 3-5-ETS1-2

Living Systems

5-PS3-1 | 5-LS1-1 | 5-LS2-1 | 5-ESS2-1 | 5-ESS3-1 | 3-5-ETS1-3

FOSS Next Generation Middle School

Grade

6 – 8

Integrated Middle Grades

Weather and Water

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

Diversity of Life

MS-LS1-1 | MS-LS1-2 | MS-LS1-3 | MS-LS1-4 | MS-LS1-5 | MS-LS1-6 | MS-LS1-7 | MS-LS3-2

Human Systems Interactions*

MS-LS1-1 | MS-LS1-3 | MS-LS1-7 | MS-LS1-8

Chemical Interactions

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

Earth History

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

Populations and Ecosystems

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

Heredity and Adaptation*

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

Electromagnetic Force*

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

Gravity and Kinetic Energy*

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

Waves*

MS-PS4-1 | MS-PS4-2 | MS-PS4-3 | MS-ETS1-1 | MS-ETS1-2 | MS-ETS1-3 | MS-ETS1-4

Planetary Science

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

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 Illinois resources below and see for yourself why FOSS is the Full Option Science System that works for Illinois teachers and students.

FOSS Pathways:

NGSS Correlations Grade 3-5

View Resource

FOSS Next Generation:

NGSS Correlations Grades K-5

View Resource

FOSS Next Generation:

NGSS Correlations Grades 6-8

View Resource