As the school year winds down, InnerOrbit can help you wrap up instruction, reflect on student growth, and gather data to plan for next year. Whether you’re finishing assessments or looking ahead, this guide is for you!
1. Use Intervention Activities to Strengthen 1D → 2D Connections
As you review end-of-year data, you may notice students know the content (1D) and are ready to strengthen connections to a SEP or CCC (2D). Intervention Activities help solidify that 1D → 2D leap before next year.
Why this matters:
Reinforces key SEPs and CCCs tied to performance expectations
Responds directly to patterns in your reports
Supports whole-class or small-group instruction
Builds a stronger foundation for full 3D sensemaking
What it is:
Intervention Activities are teacher-facilitated lessons designed to strengthen connections between content knowledge (1D) and a specific Science and Engineering Practice (SEP) or Crosscutting Concept (CCC). Each activity targets dimension-level growth while maintaining grade-level rigor.
How to use it:
For step-by-step instructions, see our How to Navigate Intervention Activities (BETA) help article.
2. Use Data to Drive PLC Conversations and Plan for Next Year
Why this matters:
The end of the year is the perfect time to pause and reflect. Which standards did students master? What misconceptions remain? What adjustments should we make for next year? InnerOrbit provides powerful tools—like Inventories and Reports—to make those reflections actionable.
Three Options:
💡 Option 1: Use InnerOrbit Inventories
What it is:
InnerOrbit Inventories offer multi-standard, multi-dimensional assessments to measure end-of-year mastery across the NGSS. Use this data to:
Evaluate where students are with key standards
Compare performance across rosters or class periods
Drive PLC discussions and instructional planning
How to use it:
Assign an Inventory to your students
Review data in the Assignment and Dimensions Reports
Use results to identify strengths and gaps across DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs
📖 Learn more: Using Inventories to Track Dimensional Mastery
🗣️ Use our PLC Data Chat Protocol to structure your conversation.
💡 Option 2: Create a Post-Test to Measure Growth
Why this matters:
Seeing how students approach earlier content reinforces growth, highlights misconceptions, and reveals instructional impact.
What it is:
Duplicate an assessment from earlier in the year and assign it again as a post-test. Then compare results to measure growth.
How to:
Duplicate the assessment using the "Make a Copy to Modify" feature
Rename it (e.g., “Post-Test – Energy Transfer”)
Assign it to students
📖 For step-by-step guidance, read: Creating and Assigning Retake Assessments
💡 Pro Tip: Use the Dimensions Report filter to compare compare pre/post-test performance.
📈 For next steps, read: I've analyzed my data on InnerOrbit...now what?
💡 Option 3: Review Your Dimensions Report
Why this matters:
The Dimensions Report breaks performance down by NGSS dimension, allowing you to pinpoint specific areas (DCIs, SEPs, CCCs) where review is needed.
What it is:
Use this report as your go-to tool to inform targeted end-of-year review sessions or small-group interventions.
How to use it:
Identify one dimension your students struggled with
Choose an aligned InnerOrbit phenomenon and questions
Plan mini-activities using the chart below:
Activities for each dimension:
DCI Review | SEP Review | CCC Review |
Select an InnerOrbit Phenomenon + 1D content-focused questions | Select an InnerOrbit Phenomenon + 2D SEP-focused questions | Select an InnerOrbit Phenomenon + 2D CCC-focused questions |
Select an InnerOrbit Phenomenon + STEM Teaching Tools SEP Prompts | Select an InnerOrbit Phenomenon + STEM Teaching Tools CCC Prompts |
📖 Learn more: The Dimensions Report
💡 Explore: InnerOrbit Question Types
🖨️ Want to print questions for a station review? See: How to Print an Assessment
3. Scaffolded Free Response Activity
Got short periods or odd schedules at the end of the year? Free response questions are perfect for reinforcing scientific thinking without needing full lesson plans.
Why this matters:
Free-response questions allow students to demonstrate sensemaking in a low-stakes, collaborative environment. They promote NGSS-aligned reasoning and build student confidence as they tackle complex phenomena.
What it is:
A whole-class or small-group scaffolded activity using free-response questions to reinforce targeted standards.
How to:
Use your Dimensions Report to select a DCI students struggled with
Find a phenomenon on InnerOrbit aligned to that DCI
Choose 1–2 free response questions
Project the question and work through it as a class or in small groups
Discuss, refine, and share reasoning
✏️ Student Reflection Prompt:
"What strategies or skills helped you solve this question now that you didn’t use earlier in the year?"
📖 Want to build your own? Read: How can I create my own questions with InnerOrbit's phenomena?
4. Student-Led Mini-Workshop Stations
Why this matters:
When students take the lead in their learning, they practice communication, metacognition, and deep understanding. This activity allows students to become the "experts," reinforcing what they've learned while supporting their peers' learning too.
What it is:
Students (individually or in pairs) create a “station” to teach or showcase a concept or phenomenon they’ve explored this year or found especially interesting.
Each station includes:
A unique, student-researched phenomenon
A clear explanation of what the phenomenon is and how it connects to something they've learned this year
As classmates rotate through the stations, they respond on sticky notes or a digital form using these sentence stems:
"Something I learned was…"
"One question I have is…"
"One connection I made was…"
Need more help?
For additional assistance, click on "Send us a message" in the site chat or email us support@innerorbit.com.