Abstract
While the vision for science education through A Framework for K-12 Science Education (NRC 2012) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) continues to take hold in classrooms across the nation, computational modeling is becoming increasingly essential in school and society. Computational models, or "representations of phenomena that can be simulated by a computer", are reshaping the way science is practiced in increasingly diverse classrooms, as all students, including multilingual learners (MLs), can use computational models to develop and test explanations of phenomena. However, teachers lack high-quality science curricula that integrate computational modeling in purposeful ways and with explicit attention to student diversity. Here, Haas et al share their approach to integrating computational modeling across a yearlong, fifth grade NGSS-designed curriculum. First, they highlight the affordances of computational modeling with MLs. Then, they illustrate how these benefits are evident in the four science units that make up their curriculum. Finally, they conclude with recommendations, which address differentiation and assessment, for teachers interested in integrating computational modeling into their own science units.