Why FOSS works for New Jersey
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 New Jersey. 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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey.
Berkeley TWP School District
Somerset Hills School District
Bordentown Regional School District
Burlington TWP School District
Cranford TWP School District
Denville TWP School District
East Brunswick Public Schools
East Hanover TWP School District
Egg Harbor City School District
Elizabeth School District
Frenchtown Boro School District
Kingwood TWP School District
Garfield School District
Guttenberg School District
Haddonfield School District
Rockaway TWP School District
Hillside TWP School District
Linden School District
Lodi School District
Washington TWP School District
North Hanover TWP School District
Mendham Borough School District
Milford Borough School District
New Brunswick Public School District
New Providence School District
Newark Public Schools
Oakland Public School Districts
Orange Township School District
Parsippany-Troy Hills TWP District
Paterson School District
Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District
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
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
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
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 New Jersey resources below and see for yourself why FOSS is the Full Option Science System that works for New Jersey teachers and students.
FOSS Pathways:
NGSS Correlations Grade 3-5
FOSS Next Generation:
NGSS Correlations Grades K-5
FOSS Next Generation:
NGSS Correlations Grades 6-8