Question Types
InnerOrbit offers five question types. Each question type is aligned to 1, 2, or 3 dimensions of the Next Generation Science Standards:
Prior Knowledge (1D) – aligned to Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) from the previous grade band
Core Content (1D) – aligned to Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) from the current grade band
Content and Concepts (2D) – aligned to Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) and Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs) from the current grade band
Content and Practices (2D) – aligned to Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) and Science & Engineering Practices (SEPs) from the current grade band
Sensemaking (3D) – aligned to Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs), and Science & Engineering Practices (SEPs) from the current grade band
For more information on the three dimensions of the NGSS, see this article.
Filtering Questions by Type
The easiest way to find questions is by searching for a standard and filtering by question type(s) on InnerOrbit's "Explore" page.
Choosing Questions for Your Students
We recommend the first assessments of a unit be composed of mostly, if not entirely, one-dimensional questions. This will give the best sense of students' prior knowledge and foundational understanding of the DCIs.
Then, the proportion of two-dimensional questions may gradually increase throughout the unit, leading up to three-dimensional sensemaking questions for the final end-of-unit assessment.
Depending on where you are in your unit, you may also want to modify existing assessments or build custom assessments targeting specific dimensions of the NGSS.
For a more in-depth walkthrough with an example, see the video below.
Need more help? Send us a message on the site chat (purple bubble on bottom right corner) or email support@innerorbit.com.