Why FOSS works for North Carolina
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 North Carolina. 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
Want to know how FOSS can work for you?
Complete the form and a representative will provide you with information.
Why North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina.
Victory Christian Center School
Mountain Island Charter School
Metrolina Christian Academy
Carolina Day School
Cabarrus Country School
Catawba County School District
Harnett County School District
Winston-Salem Forsyth County School District
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School District
Forest Park Elementary School
Iredell-Statesville School District
Lincoln County School District
New Hanover County Schools
Wake County Public School System
Rea Farms Steam Academy
Spring Hill Middle School
Carmel Christian School
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
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
1-ESS1-1 | 1-ESS1-2
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
2-ESS1-1 | 2-ESS2-1 | 2-ESS2-2 | 2-ESS2-3 | 2-PS1-1
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 North Carolina resources below and see for yourself why FOSS is the Full Option Science System that works for North Carolina teachers and students.
FOSS Next Generation: North Carolina
Correlations Grades 6-8