About Common Sense Privacy Ratings
Warning Full evaluation
ExploreLearning Gizmos: Science Grades 9-12
- Privacy policies do indicate a version or effective date.
- Personal information is not sold or rented to third parties.
- Personal information is not shared for third-party marketing.
- Unclear whether this product displays personalised advertising.
- Unclear whether data are collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
- Unclear whether this product uses a user's information to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
- Unclear whether this product creates and uses data profiles for personalised advertisements.
The strength of these Gizmos lies in their ability to connect kids to the otherwise impossible through digital means. The Student Exploration Sheets (worksheets) are well-designed, and they force students to explore in a guided, step-by-step way. Still, completing them could feel tiresome -- kids might get frustrated as the directions are found only on the worksheets. Because of this, these activities are best done individually or in pairs; kids will need a computer and a printed worksheet. The Gizmos aren't designed for kids to simply "click around" -- they'll actually need to follow the directions. The five-question online assessments serve as a good culminating check for understanding. You can also display the Gizmos for the whole class, which can be useful in previewing directions or sharing results. The teacher guides, available for each Gizmo, provide specific teaching and content suggestions.
Because the teacher dashboard allows only class-level interaction, differentiating Gizmos for individual students isn't possible through the site. Still, with extra in-class directions, you can use the site as an extension for kids who have mastered other in-class topics. Gizmos can also be used to review and reinforce, but probably only when coupled with direct teacher support. ELLs and other students who struggle with reading comprehension may need extra support.
Continue reading Show lessKey Standards Supported
Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
- HS-LS4-2
Construct an explanation based on evidence that the process of evolution primarily results from four factors: (1) the potential for a species to increase in number, (2) the heritable genetic variation of individuals in a species due to mutation and sexual reproduction, (3) competition for limited resources, and (4) the proliferation of those organisms that are better able to survive and reproduce in the environment.
- HS-LS4-3
Apply concepts of statistics and probability to support explanations that organisms with an advantageous heritable trait tend to increase in proportion to organisms lacking this trait.
- HS-LS4-4
Construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection leads to adaptation of populations.
- HS-LS4-5
Evaluate the evidence supporting claims that changes in environmental conditions may result in: (1) increases in the number of individuals of some species, (2) the emergence of new species over time, and (3) the extinction of other species.
Earth and Human Activity
- HS-ESS3-5
Analyze geoscience data and the results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and associated future impacts to Earth systems.
Earth’s Place in the Universe
- HS-ESS1-1
Develop a model based on evidence to illustrate the life span of the sun and the role of nuclear fusion in the sun’s core to release energy that eventually reaches Earth in the form of radiation.
- HS-ESS1-4
Use mathematical or computational representations to predict the motion of orbiting objects in the solar system.
- HS-ESS1-5
Evaluate evidence of the past and current movements of continental and oceanic crust and the theory of plate tectonics to explain the ages of crustal rocks.
Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
- HS-LS2-1
Use mathematical and/or computational representations to support explanations of factors that affect carrying capacity of ecosystems at different scales.
- HS-LS2-2
Use mathematical representations to support and revise explanations based on evidence about factors affecting biodiversity and populations in ecosystems of different scales.
- HS-LS2-4
Use mathematical representations to support claims for the cycling of matter and flow of energy among organisms in an ecosystem.
- HS-LS2-5
Develop a model to illustrate the role of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in the cycling of carbon among the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere.
- HS-LS2-6
Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem.
- HS-LS2-7
Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.
Energy
- HS-PS3-1
Create a computational model to calculate the change in the energy of one component in a system when the change in energy of the other component(s) and energy flows in and out of the system are known.
- HS-PS3-2
Develop and use models to illustrate that energy at the macroscopic scale can be accounted for as a combination of energy associated with the motions of particles (objects) and energy associated with the relative position of particles (objects).
- HS-PS3-3
Design, build, and refine a device that works within given constraints to convert one form of energy into another form of energy.
- HS-PS3-4
Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that the transfer of thermal energy when two components of different temperature are combined within a closed system results in a more uniform energy distribution among the components in the system (second law of thermodynamics).
- HS-PS3-5
Develop and use a model of two objects interacting through electric or magnetic fields to illustrate the forces between objects and the changes in energy of the objects due to the interaction.
From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
- HS-LS1-2
Develop and use a model to illustrate the hierarchical organization of interacting systems that provide specific functions within multicellular organisms.
- HS-LS1-3
Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis.
- HS-LS1-4
Use a model to illustrate the role of cellular division (mitosis) and differentiation in producing and maintaining complex organisms.
- HS-LS1-5
Use a model to illustrate how photosynthesis transforms light energy into stored chemical energy.
- HS-LS1-6
Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for how carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen from sugar molecules may combine with other elements to form amino acids and/or other large carbon-based molecules.
- HS-LS1-7
Use a model to illustrate that cellular respiration is a chemical process whereby the bonds of food molecules and oxygen molecules are broken and the bonds in new compounds are formed resulting in a net transfer of energy.
Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
- HS-LS3-1
Ask questions to clarify relationships about the role of DNA and chromosomes in coding the instructions for characteristic traits passed from parents to offspring.
- HS-LS3-3
Apply concepts of statistics and probability to explain the variation and distribution of expressed traits in a population.
Matter and Its Interactions
- HS-PS1-1
Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms.
- HS-PS1-2
Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, and knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties.
- HS-PS1-5
Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation about the effects of changing the temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the rate at which a reaction occurs.
- HS-PS1-6
Refine the design of a chemical system by specifying a change in conditions that would produce increased amounts of products at equilibrium.
- HS-PS1-7
Use mathematical representations to support the claim that atoms, and therefore mass, are conserved during a chemical reaction.
- HS-PS1-8
Develop models to illustrate the changes in the composition of the nucleus of the atom and the energy released during the processes of fission, fusion, and radioactive decay.
Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
- HS-PS2-1
Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration.
- HS-PS2-2
Use mathematical representations to support the claim that the total momentum of a system of objects is conserved when there is no net force on the system.
- HS-PS2-3
Apply scientific and engineering ideas to design, evaluate, and refine a device that minimizes the force on a macroscopic object during a collision.
- HS-PS2-4
Use mathematical representations of Newton’s Law of Gravitation and Coulomb’s Law to describe and predict the gravitational and electrostatic forces between objects.
- HS-PS2-5
Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that an electric current can produce a magnetic field and that a changing magnetic field can produce an electric current.
Community Rating
Privacy Rating
Continue reading about this tool's privacy practices, including data collection, sharing, and security.
Explore Our Favorite Tools
-
STEAM Games, Apps, and SitesMultidisciplinary tech that'll get inventive students thinking, tinkering, experimenting, engineering, and creating.Grades 2–12Arts, Math, Science
-
Climate Change Resources for Students and TeachersExplore climate change's causes, effects, and solutions.Grades K–12Science
-
Terrific Websites for ScienceStudents observe, experiment, and make conclusions with these stellar picks.Grades K–12ScienceCritical Thinking