This teacher's science workbook provides 10 lessons and accompanying projects to integrate 3rd-5th grade science topics with public speaking, critical thinking, and group collaboration. The workbook places an emphasis on the importance of nurturing creative and innovative thinkers in the science classroom and using projects and activities to accomplish this goal. The 10 projects focus on evolution and earth science and connect science to social issues, such as conservation and responsible energy. Projects include creating a city of the future using responsible energy and proving that dinosaurs existed by considering various theories and evidence. Most of the projects have hands-on components, but they also rely heavily on verbal and writing skills, which could be a benefit or a consideration.

The workbook is organized around communication modalities to teach students different approaches to share their learning in the science classroom. Communication modes include oral presentations, debates, group discussion, exhibition, essay and research paper. Each project includes a suggested calendar, teacher mini-lessons and student worksheets related to the scientific content, as well as group roles and responsibilities and grading rubrics. The activities are designed for advanced learners, and teachers should expect to modify activities and/or provide more support for different groups of students, including additional content instruction and helping students with project planning, organization and execution. This workbook can be a helpful resource for teachers to enrich specific science units by finding activities that relate to their curriculum, but they should expect to use this as a supplement and not as the core curriculum.

• Provides sufficient and varied types of practice problems to maximize understanding and generalization of the targeted skill/concept
• Manufacturer claims alignment with Common Core/Known Standards
• Presents educational concepts accurately
• Explains answers so students can learn from mistakes
• Better for teaching the skill to new or struggling learners
• Better for practicing or refreshing the skill
• Skills are practiced through authentic, meaningful problems (not just rote practice)

• Appropriate for a broad age range to use and enjoy
• Subject matter and problems are relevant, interesting and authentic to students
• Includes reward stickers
• Visually stimulating and appealing (uses student-centered pictures, colors, and themes)
• Graphics and overall feel of the workbook is appropriate for the target age range
• Relative to most workbooks, fun to use from a child's perspective
• Offers ongoing, progressive challenge
• Overall - Enjoyable. Given the option, students would choose this option

• Provides teaching guidance for adults to support the child and set appropriate goals
• Student should be able to use independently after first use
• Specific topics/lessons are easy to find
• Presents information in multiple formats (voice over, pictures and text, etc.)
• Overall - Easy to use

• Abstract Reasoning
• Directions may be confusing for students using independently
• Attention
• Age inappropriate amount of work which could overwhelm or discourage students
• Directions may be confusing for students using independently
• Organization
• Age inappropriate amount of work which could overwhelm or discourage students
• Directions may be confusing for students using independently
• Reading Basics
• Directions may be confusing for students using independently
• Verbal Reasoning
• Directions may be confusing for students using independently

Each book in the 10 Performance-Based Projects series provides 10 ready-made projects designed to help students achieve higher levels of thinking and develop 21st-century skills. Projects are aligned to the Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards, allowing students to explore and be creative as well as gain enduring understanding. Each project represents a type of performance assessment, including portfolios, oral presentations, research papers, and exhibitions. Included for each project is a suggested calendar to allow teacher scheduling, mini-lessons that allow students to build capacity and gain understanding, as well as multiple rubrics to objectively assess student performance. The lessons are presented in an easy-to-follow format, enabling teachers to implement projects immediately.