I’m currently working with a school district to support the adoption of some new K-5 science materials so this report from WestEd titled Science Instructional Materials: Selection and Modification provides some nice guidance as the committee starts to examine materials.

The report includes results from surveys and one of my favorites in the image (figure 2) showing “When planning lessons for science, what materials do you draw from most?”

There are also surveys showing what the top reasons are for making modifications to science materials.

The report also boils things down into a Top Three Priority Topics for Professional Learning:

1. Differentiating Instruction
2. Literacy in Science
3. Science Pedagogy (Independent of given instructional materials)

If you are engaged in a science instructional materials review, will be, or are someone who supports this work then I think this report will be very helpful. It seems to touch on many important topics that don’t always come up from a district perspective when considering adoption processes.