ThinkCERCA offers a wide variety of New York State Learning Standards-aligned lessons that can easily integrate into your curriculum. These lessons include differentiated sets of applied writing lessons as well as direct instruction lessons to introduce or review key, subject-specific literacy concepts with your students. These lessons provide great support for students preparing for New York Regents Exams. The following science sets and lessons are organized by discipline for quick inclusion into units and address a key question for collaborative discussion and debate:

• Physical Setting/Physics
• Physical Setting/Earth Science
• Living Environment
• Physical Setting/Chemistry

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Discipline: Physical Setting/Physics

Differentiated lesson sets (CERCA Sets) and suggested direct instruction lesson pairings (Minilessons) for teaching standards-aligned key skills and concepts

Discipline: Physical Setting/Earth Science

Differentiated lesson sets (CERCA Sets) and suggested direct instruction lesson pairings (Minilessons) for teaching standards-aligned key skills and concepts

The Water Cycle: How does the water cycle work? (RST.3, WHST.1)

• Suggested Pairing: Developing and Using Models (RST.3)

Weather Prediction: To what extent can new technologies in weather predictions reduce the damage of natural disasters? (RST.1, WHST.1)

• Suggested Pairing: Developing and Using Models (RST.3)

Energy Policy: Which energy policy would make the United States most environmentally friendly? (RST.1, WHST.1)

• Suggested Pairing: Evidence (RI.8)

Food and Our Environment: How do personal food choices make an impact on the environment? (RST.6, WHST.1)

• Suggested Pairing: Author's Purpose (RI.6)

Space Exploration: How do scientists study our universe even when they cannot visit all of it? (RST.8, WHST.2)

• Suggested Pairing: Asking Questions and Defining Problems (RST.1)

Fossil Records: How have fossil records changed our understanding of Earth? (RST.8, WHST.1)

• Suggested Pairing: Analyzing and Interpreting Data (RST.1)

Personal Energy Use: What choices can an individual make to have an impact on energy use? (RST.6, WHST.1)

• Suggested Pairing: Reading Charts and Graphs (RST.7)

Water Purification: Should scientists focus their research efforts on water purification or methods for reducing water pollution?  (RST.8, WHST.1)

• Suggested Pairing: Evidence (RI.8)

Water and Erosion: How have water and erosion shaped the surface of Earth? (RST.7, WHST.2)

• Suggested Pairing: Reading Charts and Graphs (RST.7)

The Carbon Cycle: Why is the carbon cycle important to the health of Earth? (RST.5, WHST.1)

• Suggested Pairing: Structure and Organization (RI.5)

Human Impact on Oceans: What are the causes and potential solutions to problems humans have brought to our oceans? (RST.8, WHST.2)

• Suggested Pairing: Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information (RST.1)

Gravity: What makes gravity an important force on Earth and in space?  (RST.1, WHST.2)

• Suggested Pairing: Central Idea (RI.8)

Plate Tectonics: How have plate tectonics changed the face of the Earth over time? (RST.1, WHST.1)

• Suggested Pairing: Developing and Using Models (RST.3)

Discipline: Living Environment

Differentiated lesson sets (CERCA Sets) and suggested direct instruction lesson pairings (Minilessons) for teaching standards-aligned key skills and concepts

Animal Migration: How and why do animals migrate? (RST.7, WHST.2)

• Suggested Pairing: Reading Charts and Graphs (RST.7)

Evolution: How do animals adapt as their environments change? (RST.1, WHST.1)

• Suggested Pairing: Central Idea (RI.1)

The Human Nervous System: How does the human nervous system work? (RST.2, WHST.2)

• Suggested Pairing: Summarizing (RI.2)

Homeostasis: How does the human body maintain homeostasis? (RST.4, WHST.2)

• Suggested Pairing: Words and Details (RI.4)

Human and Animal Interactions: What positive and negative effects do human activities have on endangered animals? (RST.2, WHST.1)

• Suggested Pairing: Analyzing and Interpreting Data (RST.1)

Human Impact on Insect Biodiversity: What positive and negative effects do humans have on insect populations? (RST.2, WHST.2)

• Suggested Pairing: Summarizing (RI.2)

Genetics: How has health care changed as a result of genetic research? (RST.4, WHST.1)

• Suggested Pairing: Words and Details (RI.4)

Food Science: What are the possible benefits and drawbacks of genetically modified foods? (RST.8, WHST.1)

• Suggested Pairing: Why Do We Make Arguments? (RI.1)

The Food Chain: How do human interactions interrupt the food chain? (RST.5, WHST.2)

• Suggested Pairing: Structure and Organization (RI.5)

Microorganisms in Our Environment: How do microorganisms in our environment impact our lives? (RST.7, WHST.1)

• Suggested Pairing: Reading Charts and Graphs (RST.7)

The Future of Farming: How can we prepare to farm in a world with a changing climate? (RST.4, WHST.2)

• Suggested Pairing: Words and Details (RI.4)

Metamorphosis: How do certain species experience metamorphosis? (RST.5, WHST.2)

• Suggested Pairing: Reading Charts and Graphs (RST.7)

Discipline: Physical Setting/Chemistry

Differentiated lesson sets (CERCA Sets) and suggested direct instruction lesson pairings (Minilessons) for teaching standards-aligned key skills and concepts

Structure and Purpose: How do the unique structures of certain types of matter make them useful for specific purposes? (RST.9, WHST.2)

• Suggested Pairing: Analyzing and Interpreting Data (RST.1)

The Chemistry of Cooking: How do cooks use chemistry to get the desired results in their food? (RST.3, WHST.1)

• Suggested Pairing: Introduction to Science and Engineering Practices (RST.1)

A Better Battery: How are scientists and engineers addressing the need for increasingly powerful, long-lasting, and safe batteries? (RST.5, WHST.2)

• Suggested Pairing: Developing Effective Paragraphs (RI.5)

Radiation: Should people be concerned about everyday radiation exposure? (RST.1, WHST.1)

• Suggested Pairing: Evidence (RI.8)