Science storylines structure a unit of study around a coherent sequence of lessons where students engage in the practices of science to make sense of phenomena or solve problems. Generally, a storyline begins with an anchoring phenomenon or event—a real-world occurrence that captures students' curiosity, raises questions, and is linked to a suite of core disciplinary ideas. Each step in the storyline helps students make sense of multiple science ideas that ultimately lead to both a high-quality explanation of the anchoring event as well as a general understanding of science concepts and practices.
For more information about science storylines, check out:
Nordine, J., Krajcik, J., Fortus, D., & Neumann, K. (2019). Using storylines to support three-dimensional learning in project-based science. Science Scope, 42(6), 86-93.
Reiser, B. J., Novak, M., McGill, T. A., & Penuel, W. R. (2021). Storyline units: An instructional model to support coherence from the students’ perspective. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 32(7), 805-829.
