Website Privacy Policy
Last Modified: February 2026
Update: February 2, 2026: This Privacy Policy has been updated to address additional rights for individuals in the European Union/UK.
Below is the Website Privacy Policy for the amplify.com site (“Privacy Policy”). For purposes of clarity and as further outlined below, this Privacy Policy does not apply to student data. You can visit this page to read about the principles and policy governing student data collected and maintained on behalf of our school customers.
We advise you to read this Privacy Policy in its entirety, including the jurisdiction-specific provisions in the appendix. Our Notice at Collection for California Residents is available in the Notice for our California Customers.
Who We Are / What This Privacy Policy Covers
Amplify Education, Inc. (“Amplify”) recognizes the importance of protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy describes our practices in connection with information that we may collect through your use of this website (the “Site”).
This Privacy Policy does not apply to Amplify’s handling of:
- student data or other information collected from users of Amplify’s products that support classroom instruction and learning, which are governed by our Customer Privacy Policy.
- staff or applicant data that we process in accordance with our staff or applicant privacy notice, respectively.
If you have any question as to what legal agreement or privacy policy controls the collection and use of your information, please contact us using information below in the Contact Us section.
This Privacy Policy is incorporated into and is subject to our Website Terms of Use, which governs your use of the Site.
Our Role: We are the controller of all personal information (as defined below) that we receive through our Site and can be reached by email at privacy@amplify.com or by mail at Amplify Education, Inc., 55 Washington St.#800, Brooklyn, NY, 11201.
1. What personal information do we collect?
When you visit and / or interact with our Site, we may collect the following information about you that, alone or in combination, could be used to identify you or your device (“personal information”):
- Contact Information, such as name, district / school name, professional affiliation, title / role, email address, shipping address, address and phone number.
- Account Information, such as customer user login and password.
- Demographic Information, such as age and gender.
- Information You Submit, such as information voluntarily provided on message boards, feedback sections, and other public areas of the Site.
- Site Activity Information, which is collected when you access and interact with the Site, we and our Service Providers (as defined below) may collect certain information about those visits. For example, we or our Service Providers may receive and record information about your computer and browser, including your IP address, browser type, and other software or hardware information. If you access the Site from a mobile or other device, we may collect a unique device identifier assigned to that device, or other characteristics of the device hardware, operating system and configurations for that device. On certain pages of the Site, we may use third party tools to help us look at mouse movements, clicks, keystrokes, data or text entered, and the pages you visit.
- Location Information, such as state, country and / or zip code, which we use to help us customize your experience, as well as to help us facilitate your privacy rights.
- Audio, electronic, visual, or similar information: such as customer service interactions, call recordings, chat transcripts, files you attach, and email, text, or other correspondence.
If you make a purchase through our online store, you may provide payment and other information directly to our third party e-commerce platform to complete your purchase.
We ask that you not send us, and you not disclose, any government identifiers (such as social security numbers) or information related to racial or ethnic origin, health, or criminal background on or through the Site or otherwise.
2. Where/How do we collect personal information?
Amplify may collect personal information directly from you at various points, including the following:
- Product Information and Newsletters. When you submit a request to obtain information about our products, services or other informational material or subscribe to one of our newsletters, you may be asked to submit information such as name, professional affiliation, email address, company name, address and phone and details on your query or interests in our products and services. This information is collected to help us process your request.
- Customer Support. When you submit a form to contact our customer service, you may be asked to submit information such as name, e-mail, district, customer user login and password and details on your query. In addition, some features of our Site, such as our customer live chat functionality or other customer service systems may allow you to voluntarily provide personal information to us. This information is collected to help us process your request. Please only provide what is needed to facilitate the support request.
- Product Orders. If you use e-commerce areas of our Site to order our products, we request information from you on our order form. To purchase products through the Site, you must provide contact information (such as name and shipping address) and financial information (such as credit card number). This information is used for billing purposes and to fill your orders. We will also use this information to contact you to confirm your order or to inform you of any issues or delays.
- Registration. You may be asked to submit information to use certain parts of the Site (such as posting comments on certain areas of the Site), register for an event or webinar, or view restricted content that may be available on the Site. For instance, you may be asked to provide your name, email address and event or webinar-related preferences to help us process your registration or content request.
- Public Areas and Discussion Forums. Any information you share in public areas, such as message boards or feedback sections, becomes public. Please be careful about what you disclose and do not post any personal information that you expect to keep private.
- Contests and Sweepstakes. When we run a contest or sweepstakes relating to the Site or Amplify, it will be accompanied by a set of rules. The rules for each contest/sweepstakes will specify how the information gathered from you for your entry will be used and disclosed.
As you visit or use our Site, we may collect Site activity information through cookies and similar technologies.
- Cookies, Pixels, and Other Tracking Technologies. Cookies and other tracking technologies (such as pixels, beacons, and Adobe Flash technology) are small data files that are placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. They allow the website or mobile app to remember your actions and preferences over a period of time. We use the following types of cookies:
- Strictly necessary cookies – These are cookies that are required for the operation of our Site. They include, for example, cookies that enable you to log into secure areas of our Site. These cookies are not generally stored beyond the browser session and are less likely to include personal information. This category of cookies cannot be disabled.
- Functionality Cookies – We use these cookies so that we recognize you on our Site and remember your previously selected preferences. These cookies are stored on your device between browsing sessions but expire after a pre-defined period. These cookies enable our Site to “recognize” you when you use our Site, including your preferences such as your preferred language , time, and location. A mix of first party (placed by us) and third-party cookies (placed by third parties) are used.
- Analytics Cookies – These cookies help us and our Service Providers compile statistics and analytics about users of the Site, including Site Activity Information. For example, we use Google Analytics to help us understand how users interact with the Platform. Google Analytics uses cookies to track your interactions with the Site, then collects that information and reports it to us. This information helps us improve the Site so that we can better serve you. To learn more about Google Analytics, visit https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=en. If you wish, you can opt-out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, available on https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
- Advertising Cookies – We use these cookies to collect information about your visit to our Site, the content you viewed, the links you followed and information about your browser, device, and your IP address. We sometimes share some limited aspects of this data with third parties for advertising purposes. We may also share Site Activity Information collected through cookies with our advertising partners. This means that when you visit another website, you may be shown advertising based on your browsing patterns on our Site.
For information on how to opt-out of these technologies, please see What Choices Do You Have? below.
- Social Plugins. Certain areas of our Site permit you to utilize social media functionality, such as the Facebook “Like” or Google “+1” buttons (“Social Plugins”). To use a Social Plugin, you must authorize the third-party provider of that Social Plugin, e.g. Facebook or Google, to access, collect, and/or disclose your information related to your use of that Social Plugin, subject to that company’s privacy policies, which may differ from this Privacy Policy. In addition, such providers may be able to collect information about you, including your activity on the Site, and they may notify your connections on their social networking platform about your use of the Site. Such services may also employ unique identifiers that allow your activity to be monitored across multiple websites for purposes of delivering more targeted advertising to you.
Amplify also receives information from other sources.
- Information from Other Sources. We may supplement any information we collect via this Site with information from publicly or commercially available sources.
3. How do we use personal information?
We may use any personal information and other information we collect from and about you for the following purposes and as described elsewhere in this Privacy Policy:
- To provide and manage the Site. We use the personal information we collect from and about you to provide the Site and features to you, including to measure and improve its services and features, to personalize your experience by delivering relevant content, to deliver marketing messages, to allow you to comment on content, to provide you with customer support, and to respond to inquiries. We may also use and disclose aggregate or anonymous data about your use of and activity on the Site to assist us in this regard and for any other purpose.
- To contact you. Amplify may periodically send promotional materials (e.g., newsletters) or notifications related to the Site and to Amplify’s business to the contact information you provided to us at registration.
- To improve our products and services. We may use your personal information for our business purposes, such as data analysis, audits, developing new products and services, enhancing the Site, improving our services, identifying usage trends, and determining the effectiveness of our promotional campaigns.
- For marketing and advertising. We may use your personal information to help us market our products to you or your school district.
4. To whom do we disclose personal information?
We may disclose any personal information and other information we collect from and about you for the following purposes and as described elsewhere in this Privacy Policy:
- To share with our affiliated education companies. Amplify may share your personal information with Amplify’s affiliated education companies for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.
- To allow service providers to assist us. We may engage third party service providers, agents and partners (“Service Providers”) to perform functions on our behalf, such as analytics, credit card processing, shipping or stocking orders and providing customer service. We may disclose your personal information to such Service Providers to enable them to assist us in these efforts.
- To allow our marketing and advertising partners to assist us. We may engage marketing and advertising partners to help us market and advertise our products and services, including via digital ads sent in connection with your visit to the Site. We may disclose Site Activity information, as well as contact information and other aggregate insights to such partners to enable them to assist us in these efforts.
- To protect the rights of Amplify and our users. There may be instances when Amplify may disclose your personal information, in situations where Amplify has a good faith belief that such disclosure is necessary or appropriate in order to: (i) protect, enforce, or defend the legal rights, privacy, safety, operations, or property of Amplify, our parents, subsidiaries or affiliates or our or their employees, agents and contractors (including enforcement of our agreements, including our terms of use); (ii) protect the rights, safety, privacy, security or property of users of the Site or others; (iii) protect against fraud or for risk management purposes; (iv) comply with the law or legal process, including laws outside your country of residence; (v) respond to requests from public and government authorities, including those outside your country of residence; or (vi) allow us to pursue available remedies or limit the damages that we may sustain.
- To complete a merger or sale of assets. If Amplify sells all or part of its business or makes a sale or transfer of its assets or is otherwise involved in a merger, transfer or other disposition of all or part of its business, assets or stock (including in connection with any bankruptcy or similar proceedings), Amplify may transfer your personal information to the party or parties involved in the transaction.
5. What rights and choices do you have?
Opt-out of Marketing Communications. If you want to stop receiving promotional materials from Amplify, you can follow the unsubscribe instructions at the bottom of each email. There are certain service notification emails that you may not opt-out of, such as notifications of changes to the Site or policies. If you have additional questions, please contact us using information below in the Contact Us section.
Opt-of Cookies and Similar Tracking Technologies. There are a few ways to opt out or delete cookies.
- On Your Browser. Most browsers are initially set to accept cookies, but your browser may permit you to change your settings to notify you of a cookie being set or updated, or to block cookies altogether. Please consult the “Help” section of your browser for more information. Please note that by blocking any or all cookies you may not have access to certain features, content or personalization that may be available through the Site. Please also note that you must opt out separately on each device (including each web browser on each device) that you use to access our Site if you wish to opt out, and if you clear your cookies or if you use a different browser or device, you will need to renew your opt-out preferences.
- Interest-Based Advertising. Some advertisers and marketing companies participate in the self-regulatory programs of the Digital Advertising Alliance (“DAA”) and European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance (“eDAA”) in connection with online interest-based advertising. DAA and eDAA provide consumers with the ability to opt out of receiving interest-based advertising from their program participants at the following links:
What Rights Do You Have?
- Please see section 3 of our supplemental disclosures: “Additional U.S. State Privacy Law Rights” for information about your U.S. privacy rights
- Please see section 4 of our supplemental disclosures: “Notice for European Economic Area and United Kingdom Customers” for information about your EU/UK privacy rights.
6. Security
Amplify uses commercially reasonable administrative, technical, personnel and physical measures to safeguard personal information in its possession against loss, theft and unauthorized use, disclosure or modification.
7. Data retention / Deletion
We will retain your personal information for the period necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy unless a longer retention period is required or allowed by law. Even after we have deleted your personal information from our systems, copies of some information from your account may remain viewable in some circumstances – where, for example, you have shared information with social media platforms and other unaffiliated services. We may also retain backup information related to your account on our servers for some time after cancellation for fraud detection or to comply with applicable law or our internal security policies. Because of the nature of caching technology, your account may not be instantly inaccessible to others, and there may be a delay in the removal of the content from elsewhere on the Internet and from search engines.
8. Data Storage and Transfers
We are a United States Company, and our servers are hosted, managed, and controlled by us in the United States. If you are outside of the United States, we use industry standards to protect your data when it leaves your country of residence and your data will always be protected in accordance with this Privacy Policy, Applicable Laws and our Agreement regardless of the storage location.
Additionally, where we transfer your personal information to service providers outside of the United Kingdom (UK), European Economic Area (EEA), or other region that offers similar protections, we use specific appropriate safeguards to contractually obligate such service providers to protect personal information in accordance with Amplify’s commitment to privacy and security and applicable data protection laws.
If you have questions or wish to obtain more information about the international transfer of your personal information or the implemented safeguards, please contact us using the contact information below.
9. External third-party services
The Site may be linked to sites operated by unaffiliated companies, and may carry advertisements or offer content, functionality, games, newsletters, contests or sweepstakes, or applications developed and maintained by unaffiliated companies. Amplify is not responsible for the privacy practices of unaffiliated companies, and once you leave the Site via a link or enable an unaffiliated service, you are subject to the applicable privacy policy of the unaffiliated service.
10. Updates to this policy
Amplify may modify this Privacy Policy. Please look at the Last Revised Date at the top of this Privacy Policy to see when this Privacy Policy was last revised. Any changes to this Privacy Policy will become effective when we post the revised Privacy Policy on the Site. If you do not wish to be bound by the terms of the revised Privacy Policy, you must discontinue your use of the Site.
11. Contact us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:
Email: privacy@amplify.com
Mail: Amplify Education, Inc.
55 Washington St.#800
Brooklyn, NY, 11201
Phone: (800) 823-1969
Attn: General Counsel
Appendix – Supplemental Disclosures
1. Notice for our California Customers
We retain your personal information for as long as you are an active user of our Site or continue to have an account with us, and in accordance with our legal obligations (which may require us to hold information to provide financial and other reporting and to defend against potential claims). If you are a California resident, please see below for information about your rights pursuant to California law.
Personal Information We Collect |
How We Use Personal Information |
| Contact Information |
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| Account Information |
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| Payment Information |
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| Information You Submit |
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| Site Activity Information |
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| Location Information |
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| Inferences |
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Some of the information described above may be considered “sensitive” under the laws of certain jurisdictions (including payment information and account login credentials (“Sensitive Information”). Whether information is Sensitive Information will depend on the laws of your jurisdiction. We only use Sensitive Information, such as payment information and account credentials for necessary or reasonably expected purposes – specifically, to provide you with our Services (i.e., fulfill purchases and to allow account logins).
Shine the Light
California’s Shine the Light law (Civil Code § 1798.83) permits California residents to request certain information regarding our disclosure of certain categories of personal information to third parties for their own direct marketing purposes in the preceding calendar year. We do not share personal information, as defined by California’s Shine the Light law, with third parties for their own direct marketing purposes.
Notice of Financial Incentive
As part of our services, there may be opportunities for you to complete surveys and questionnaires. As an incentive for completing the survey or questionnaire, you can voluntarily provide your personal information, which in turn enters you into a raffle drawing or enables us to provide you with other benefits, discounts, offers, or deals that may constitute a financial incentive under California law (“Financial Incentive”). The categories of personal information required for us to provide the Financial Incentives include: contact information and any other information that you choose to provide when you complete the survey.
Participation is voluntary and you can opt out at any time before your survey is complete.
The value of the personal information we collect in connection with our Financial Incentives is equivalent to the value of the benefit offered.
2. Additional U.S. State Privacy Law Rights
Residents of certain U.S. states have the following rights, regarding your personal information (each of which are subject to various exceptions and limitations):
- Access. You have the right to request, up to two times every 12 months, that we disclose to you the categories of personal information collected about you, the categories of sources from which the personal information is collected, the categories of personal information sold or shared, the business or commercial purpose for collecting, selling, or sharing the personal information, the categories of third parties with whom personal information was shared, and the specific pieces of personal information collected about you.
- Correct. You have the right to request that we correct inaccurate personal information collected from you.
- Deletion. You can request that we delete your personal information that we maintain about you.
- Opt-out (Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information). Under several U.S. state privacy laws, consumers have the right to opt-out of the “sale” of their personal information (defined very broadly to include situations where we provide personal information to partners who provide advertising services to us) and the “sharing” of personal information in connection with the display of targeted advertising across third party websites. While we do not sell your personal information, we do share it in connection with our advertising efforts. Please also note that we do not knowingly sell or share the Personal Information of minors under 16 years of age.
We also honor the Global Privacy Control, a browser-based opt-out signal. We do not respond to other browser-based signals that do not meet applicable state law requirements, which may include older Do Not Track signals.
- No Discrimination. You have the right not to be discriminated against for exercising these rights.
- Appeals. You have a right to appeal decisions concerning your ability to exercise your consumer rights.
- Submission of Requests. You may exercise the above rights by emailing us at privacy@amplify.com. Note that we may deny certain requests, or fulfill a request only in part, based on our legal rights and obligations. For example, we may retain personal information as permitted by law, such as for tax or other record keeping purposes, to maintain an active account, and to process transactions and facilitate customer requests.
- Authorized Agent. You may designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf. When submitting the request, please ensure the authorized agent identifies himself/herself/itself as an authorized agent and can show written permission from you to represent you. We may contact you directly to confirm that you have authorized the agent to act on your behalf or confirm your identity.
- Verification. Whether you submit a request directly on your own behalf, or through an authorized agent, we will take reasonable steps to verify your identity prior to responding to your requests. The verification steps will vary depending on the sensitivity of the personal information and whether you have an account with us.
3. Notice for European Economic Area and United Kingdom Customers
As detailed at the beginning of our Privacy Policy (under the section titled “Our Role”), Amplify acts as a controller with respect to personal information collected as you interact with our Site.
Lawful Basis for Processing
We rely on the following lawful bases for our processing activities:
- Consent;
- We obtain your consent to collect and process device and usage data via cookies on our Site to understand how individuals use our Site and to help us measure the effectiveness of our advertising and marketing campaigns.
- Pursuant to a contract with the user of our Site;
- We process all categories of personal information that we collect to provide and manage our Site, including payment processing, where this is required in order for us to perform our obligations under our contract with you.
- To comply with our legal obligations;
- We process all categories of personal information that we collect to ensure the safety and security of our Site where we are complying with security requirements under data protection and cyber and information security law.
- We process all categories of personal information that we collect to comply with our legal obligations which includes, for example, to access, retain or share certain personal information where we receive a valid request from a government body, law enforcement body, judicial body regulator or similar, to deal with legal claims and prospective legal claims, and to ensure we are complying with applicable laws.
- When we have a legitimate interest in doing so, which is not outweighed by the risks to the individual. We rely on our legitimate interest to process all categories of personal information:
- to provide, manage, and improve the Site where such activities are not strictly required under our contract, including personalizing your experience on the Site.
- to ensure the safety and security of our Site where this is important but not required under the data protection law or cyber and information security laws.
- to respond to queries or otherwise communicate with you in relation to our Site and the operation of our business where this is not strictly required under a contract with you.
- internal research and certain marketing purposes (e.g. to periodically send newsletters and other promotional materials), which will not be based on Student Data or directed to K–12 students.
Your Data Subject Rights
If you are located in the EEA/UK, you have the following rights, subject to certain exceptions:
- Right of access: You have the right to ask us for confirmation on whether we are processing your personal information and access to that personal information.
- Right to correction: You have the right to have your personal information corrected.
- Right to erasure: You have the right to ask us to delete your personal information.
- Right to withdraw consent: You have the right to withdraw consent that you have provided.
- Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority: You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.
- Right to restriction of processing: You have the right to request the limiting of our processing under limited circumstances.
- Right to data portability: You have the right to receive the personal information that you have provided to us, in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and you have the right to transmit that information to another controller, including to have it transmitted directly, where technically feasible.
- Right to object: You have the right to object to our processing of your personal information
To exercise any of these rights, contact us as set forth in the section entitled “Contact Us” above and specify which European privacy right you intend to exercise. We may require additional information from you to allow us to confirm your identity. Please note that we store information as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, and may continue to retain and use the information even after a data subject request for purposes of our legitimate interests, including to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, prevent fraud, and enforce our agreements.
Complaints
If you have any issues with our compliance, you have the right to lodge a complaint with an EEA or UK supervisory authority. We would, however, appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns before you approach a data protection regulator, and would welcome you directing an inquiry first to us. To do so, please contact us by email at privacy@amplify.com or by mail at Amplify Education, Inc., 55 Washington St.#800, Brooklyn, NY, 11201.
Amplify Classroom and Polypad free and commercial use guidelines
If you’d like to use Amplify’s tools or content in your work, please review these guidelines to determine if your specific use is allowed and whether you need to submit a request for approval.
Overview
Amplify Classroom offers free prebuilt interactive and print-based lessons, interactive lesson-building tools, and Polypad virtual manipulatives. See amplify.com/classroom and polypad.amplify.com for more information.
Amplify Classroom features:
- Activity Builder (labeled “Custom Activities” in the platform): This content-creating and publishing tool enables educators to create their own interactive lessons and edit existing lessons.
- Polypad virtual manipulatives: These virtual manipulatives allow teachers and students to explore concepts, express their creativity, and visualize their thinking. Polypad virtual manipulatives can be embedded directly into lessons via Activity Builder or used as a stand-alone, dynamic workspace.
- Computation Layer: This feature enables educators to further customize lessons created with Activity Builder. Computation Layer is the code that allows components within the lessons to “talk” to one another, enabling users to connect representations; customize content; and provide dynamic, interpretive feedback. Computation Layer is accessible through Activity Builder.
Amplify Classroom includes activities and lessons across many subjects, created by the thousands of educators on our platform. Content created by Amplify is tagged “By Amplify,” “By Amplify Classroom,” or “By Desmos Classroom.”
Amplify also publishes paid core curriculum programs, including Amplify Desmos Math, Amplify Science, Amplify CKLA, Amplify Caminos, and Amplify ELA. These products can be reviewed and purchased by schools or districts interested in comprehensive resources aligned to standards and designed to motivate students. Some of the lessons that are free to use on Amplify Classroom (labeled Try It! lessons) are also part of these paid products. Learn more about our products and request a sample.
Amplify Classroom tools and content (other than paid products) are free for personal, educational, and non-commercial use, subject to our Acceptable Use Policy and Usage Guidelines. These guidelines also permit certain commercial uses. You generally don’t need to submit a request to use our free tools and resources for the permitted purposes covered in these guidelines. As long as you are following our Acceptable Use Policy and Usage Guidelines, as well as making appropriate Attributions and Disclaimers, you are permitted to move forward with your project. To make sure your use is permitted, please read these guidelines thoroughly and in their entirety. If you would like to explore a license for a use not permitted here, please submit this form.
Amplify does not own but partners with Desmos Studio, the maker of a suite of free math tools, including a graphing calculator used by over 75 million people around the world. (See desmos.com for more information.) Please contact Desmos Studio for information on using their content or tools.
Usage guidelines
Please adhere to the following guidelines for using Amplify Classroom tools and content in each of the scenarios set out below. You are required to follow our General Guidelines and Attribution requirements below when making permitted uses. You are responsible for clearing any third party marks and content you use in your applications or publications.
Uses labeled “PERMITTED USES” do not require permission, and you do not need to tell us about them—but we do appreciate hearing from you! Feel free to fill out this form to tell us about how you are using our tools and materials, and the ways in which you are finding them useful.
Uses labeled “CONTACT US” do require permission. If you are interested in such use, please submit this form, and someone from our team will endeavor to follow up with you as soon as possible.
Teaching and education services
This section provides guidelines on using Amplify Classroom for teaching and education services.
| PERMITTED USES | Educators creating, modifying (where permitted), and using Amplify Classroom content for classroom teaching in a school | |
| Public school districts, charter schools, and networks creating, modifying (where permitted) and using Amplify Classroom content for classroom teaching | ||
| Private tutors creating or using Amplify Classroom content in 1:1 or small-group tutoring sessions | ||
| CONTACT US | For-profit school or network of schools implementing Amplify Classroom for the school or network | |
| Education publishers and EdTech organizations (whether for profit or non-profit) using or linking to Amplify Classroom content and tools | ||
| Any organizations or individuals embedding the teaching and learning experience from the Amplify Classroom lessons in their websites or applications (except API/iFrames Polypad integrations permitted below) | ||
| Educators or other individuals authoring lessons for commercial purposes (e.g., to sell on Teachers Pay Teachers and similar websites) | ||
| School districts, states, education publishers or technology providers, educators or any other individual or organization (whether for profit or non-profit) using Amplify Classroom content or platform to create paid curricula, educational courses, assessments, or any materials or curricula for submission for a state adoption list; or for offering, marketing, or sale to any schools or educational agencies or organizations, in or outside of the U.S. | ||
| Instructional/tutoring organizations (whether for profit or non-profit), seeking to use Amplify Classroom for its tutors or instructors |
Print and presentations
This section provides guidelines on including content from Amplify Classroom, such as portions of free lessons or images generated using our tools, in printed materials or presentations.
| PERMITTED USES | Books, including textbooks, up to two thousand copies | |
| Periodicals (newspapers, magazines, journals, etc.) | ||
| Business documents such as company reports, proposals, presentations, etc. | ||
| Academic publications, research papers, Ph.D. theses, and portfolios | ||
| Conferences, presentations and accompanying slides | ||
| CONTACT US | Books, more than two thousand copies, or as cover art for a book | |
| As content within platforms, mobile and tablet applications, PDFs, ebooks, multimedia materials, or other digital resources or products | ||
| Consumer and retail goods or packaging (e.g., shirts, beach towels, shower curtains, mugs, posters, stationery) |
Web and apps
This section provides guidelines for embedding Amplify Classroom tools into your platform.
| PERMITTED USES | ![]() | Individuals and schools embedding Polypad in their materials for instructional use are permitted to do so; for integration options, see below. |
![]() | Organizations (whether for profit or non-profit) offering paid services embedding Polypad with <10k requests per year | |
| CONTACT US | ![]() | Organizations (whether for profit or non-profit) offering paid services embedding Polypad with >10k requests per year |
![]() | Individuals or organizations looking to embed Activity Builder/Computation Layer in their applications | |
![]() | Individuals or organizations looking to embed Amplify Classroom tools in larger applications, more complex integrations, white-labeling, or hosting Amplify’s JS files on their own infrastructure | |
![]() | Polypad links, screenshots, iFrames, or API uses behind a paywall |
Polypad integration options
There are two integration options for using Polypad within your own applications, including:
- Using iFrames hosted by Amplify.
- As a white-labeled JavaScript API that can be self-hosted and embedded in other websites or apps.
Developers can customize the features and behavior through numerous options and event listeners, and interact with the canvas programmatically to build custom functionality.
Visit the Polypad API page to learn more about Polypad API license terms and to generate API Key.
General guidelines
Copyright fair use
Your use of our content may be acceptable under principles of fair use (or other similar concepts in other countries). Under the fair use doctrine of the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, it is permissible to use limited portions of a work for purposes such as commentary, criticism, news reporting, research, and scholarly reports.
Whether a particular use qualifies as fair use depends on a number of factors. For more information see resources from the U.S. Copyright Office, Circular 21, Reproductions of Copyrighted Works by Educators and Librarians, and Fair Use Index. Amplify can’t tell you if your use of this content would be fair use, so you may wish to obtain your own legal advice.
Use of trademarks
Our trademarks are valuable assets of Amplify and its licensors, and we want to ensure our users and partners use them correctly. These trademarks include the Amplify word mark and logo, Polypad word mark, Core Knowledge Foundation word mark and logo, the Lawrence Hall of Science word mark and logo, and the Desmos and Amplify Classroom word marks and logos.
Logos
Our logos can only be used if you have an existing partnership, and you’ve reached out to your Amplify contact to secure formal approval from Amplify’s brand team.
Logos must never be used in a way that implies an endorsement or affiliation with Amplify where such a relationship does not exist.
Please contact media@amplify.com if you need to use an Amplify or Amplify Classroom logo.
Please contact Desmos Studio for Desmos Studio branding guidelines and licensing.
Use of product names and features
If making a use permitted under these guidelines or approved by Amplify, you may use the Amplify name or one of our product names or features in plain text to indicate that your product or service integrates with, or relates to, an Amplify product or service.
However, all references must be honest and accurate, and you can’t incorporate these names into your own name or imply an endorsement by Amplify or any of its licensors.
| REQUIRED | ![]() | Use the complete name “Amplify Classroom” when referencing the platform. |
![]() | Use “Amplify Classroom lessons” when talking about specific lessons authored in the Amplify Classroom platform. | |
![]() | Use “Teacher-created Amplify Classroom lessons” or “[Company name]-authored Amplify Classroom lessons” when talking about a lesson that has been authored by anyone other than Amplify personnel. | |
![]() | Include required attribution and disclaimers. | |
| PROHIBITED | ![]() | Do not imply an endorsement or affiliation with Amplify where such a relationship does not exist. |
Attribution and disclaimers
You are required to include a link to the homepage of Amplify Classroom (amplify.com/classroom) and a prominent disclaimer of affiliation when making permissible uses described above in at least one place in your materials, preferably the cover page or landing page.
Visit Amplify Classroom for free lessons, lesson-building tools, and Polypad virtual manipulatives at amplify.com/classroom. This content is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Amplify or any of its licensors. Amplify®, Amplify Classroom™, and related trademarks are the property of Amplify Education, Inc.
If your current attribution language refers to Desmos Classroom, please update the attribution to “Amplify Classroom” instead of “Desmos Classroom.”
Contact us
Amplify Classroom and Polypad usage inquiry form for uses labeled “Contact Us”
Thank you for your interest in using Amplify Classroom and/or Polypad. If your intended use falls into one of the categories labeled “Contact us,” please fill out this form, so we can determine the appropriate permissions or licenses:
Amplify Classroom and Polypad usage inquiry form for uses labeled “Permitted”
Thank you for your interest in using Amplify Classroom and/or Polypad. If your intended use falls under the “Permitted” categories outlined in our use guidelines, please let us know by filling out the form below. This helps us understand how our tools are being used.
Note: If your intended use falls under one of the “CONTACT US” categories outlined in our use guidelines, please fill out this form.
Amplify Classroom and Polypad Permitted Use Form
Customer Privacy Policy
Last Modified: January 23, 2026 | Update History
Most recent update: This Privacy Policy has been updated to address additional rights for individuals in the European Union/UK.
We advise you to read this Privacy Policy in its entirety, including the jurisdiction-specific provisions in the appendix. Click here to review Our U.S. Notice At Collection.
Customer Privacy Policy: K–12 Schools
Who We Are
Amplify Education, Inc. (“Amplify”) is leading the way in next-generation curriculum and assessment. Amplify’s programs provide teachers with powerful tools that help them understand and respond to the needs of each student and use data in a way that is safe, secure, and effective.
Our Products and Services
Amplify’s products support classroom instruction and learning and include Amplify CKLA, Amplify ELA, Amplify Caminos, Amplify Science, Amplify Desmos Math, Boost Reading, Boost Math, mCLASS, Mathigon, associated professional development and tutoring services, and services at classroom.amplify.com (for creating and assigning activities) and student.amplify.com (for use of the activities or curricula as directed by an instructor), and any other product or service that links to this Privacy Policy (together, the “Products”).
Our Approach to Student Data Privacy
In the course of providing the Products to Schools and their Authorized School Users, Amplify collects, receives, generates, or has access to Student Data (defined below). We consider Student Data to be confidential and we collect and use Student Data solely for educational purposes in connection with providing our Products to, or on behalf of the School as described in this Privacy Policy and our Agreements (defined below). We work to maintain the security and confidentiality of Student Data that we collect or store, and we enable Schools to control the use, access, sharing, and retention of Student Data.
Our Products are geared towards K–12 students (“Students”), and the educators, agents and staff members who use the Products as authorized by their School (“Educators”). Information that directly relates to an identifiable Student (“Student Data”) is owned and controlled by the School, and Amplify receives Student Data as a “school official” under Section 99.31 of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (“FERPA”) for the purpose of providing the Products hereunder. In addition, we rely on the School acknowledging that it is acting as the parent’s agent and consenting on the parent’s behalf to process personal information of Students under the age of 13 (“Child Users”) in accordance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”).
Our collection and use of Student Data is governed by our Agreements with Schools, including this Privacy Policy (“Privacy Policy”), and applicable laws which may include FERPA, COPPA, the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (“PPRA”), as well as other applicable federal, state, and local privacy laws and regulations (“Applicable Laws”). As noted above, with respect to FERPA, Amplify receives Student Data as a “school official” under Section 99.31 of FERPA for the purpose of providing its Products, and such Student Data is owned and controlled by the School.
Schools may provide authorization in two ways:
- by the School agreeing to our Customer Terms and Conditions located at amplify.com/customer-terms or another written agreement between Amplify and the School, as applicable; or
- by an Educator agreeing to the Acceptable Use Policy located at amplify.com/acceptable-use-policy/ (“AUP”) on behalf of the School as outlined in the AUP.
In each case, we collect Student Data and provide these Products solely for the use and benefit of the School and for no other commercial purpose. We require all Schools to review this Privacy Policy, available at amplify.com/customer-privacy, and to make a copy of the Privacy Policy available to the parents or guardians of Child Users.
We also provide limited opportunities for individual users to sign up for an account for use of our Products at-home or otherwise outside of the authorization of a School (“Home Users”). See the Appendix–Supplemental Disclosures for additional information that applies to our Home Users.
What This Privacy Policy Covers
This Customer Privacy Policy (“Privacy Policy”) describes how Amplify collects, uses, and discloses personal information through the provision of Products.
For purposes of this Privacy Policy, “you” and “your” means Authorized Users (defined below).
This Privacy Policy does not apply to Amplify’s handling of:
- information collected from users of Amplify’s company website, which is governed by our Website Privacy Policy.
- job applicant data that we process in accordance with our applicant privacy notice.
There may be different contractual terms or privacy policies in place with some Schools. Such other terms or policies supersede this Privacy Policy for information collected or released under those terms. If you have any questions as to which legal agreement or privacy policy controls the collection and use of your personal information, please contact us using the information provided below. Unless expressly superseded, this Privacy Policy is incorporated into and is subject to the Agreement that governs your use of the Products.
Our Role
Amplify as a processor/service provider: Our School customers are the controllers of Student Data (as well as certain other Educator personal information to the extent required by law or Amplify’s agreement with the School) (together “School Data”).
Amplify acts as a processor/service provider for our School customers with respect to School Data, which means when we use School Data, we do so solely on the instruction of the School. School Data is subject to the School’s privacy policies; therefore, you will need to contact the School directly if you have any questions or would like to exercise your rights with respect to School Data.
Amplify as a controller: We are the controller of all other personal information we collect from non-Student Authorized Users (“Amplify Data”) and can be reached by email at privacy@amplify.com or by mail at Amplify Education, Inc., 55 Washington St.#800, Brooklyn, NY, 11201.
Policy
1. Definitions
Capitalized terms not defined in this section or elsewhere in this Privacy Policy will have the meaning set forth by Applicable Laws.
“Agreement” means the underlying contractual agreement between Amplify and the School.
“Authorized Users” means all users of our Products, including Authorized School Users, parents and legal guardians, and Home Users.
“Authorized School Users” means Students and Educators.
“Local Education Authority” means a local education agency or authority, school district, school network, independent school, or other regional education system.
“Non-Student Data” means information that is linked or linkable to Authorized Users who are not Students.
“School” means the Local Education Authority or State Agency.
“State Agency” means the educational agency primarily responsible for the supervision of public elementary and secondary schools in any of the 50 states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, or other territories and possessions of the United States, as well as a national or regional ministry or department of education in other countries, as applicable.
2. What personal information do we collect?
When you access or use our Products, you may choose to provide us with personal information, including Student Data. This information may be provided to us directly (e.g. when an account is created or through communications with us) or through your interactions with our Products.
Student Data. Below is a list of the categories of Student Data that may be collected by Amplify or its Products, either directly or through the Authorized School User’s use of the various features and configurations of the Products:
- Identifier and Enrollment Data, such as name, email, school / state ID number, username and password, grade level, homeroom, courses, teacher names.
- Why? Most of Amplify’s Products require some basic information about who is in a classroom and who teaches the class—Student or teacher Identifier and Enrollment data. This information is provided to Amplify by the School, either directly from the School’s student information system or via a third party with whom the School contracts to provide that information.
- Demographic Data, such as date of birth, socioeconomic status, race, national origin, and preferred or primary language.
- Why? To support school instructional and reporting requirements, Amplify’s Products allow Schools to view reports and analyze data using Demographic Data. Generally, Demographic Data is provided on a voluntary basis by the School. For example, a School may wish to analyze Student literacy assessment results based on English Language Learner status to better tailor classroom instruction, and in that case, the School may provide Demographic Data to enable that reporting.
- School Records, such as grades, attendance, assessment results, and whether an Individualized Education Plan (IEP or local equivalent) is in place.
- Why? Some of our Products support grading assignments and administering formative, diagnostic, and curriculum-based assessments. Teachers use that information to support Students’ progress in the program or help with instructional decisions. We do not collect specific details from an IEP, nor do we collect protected health information or other sensitive information.
- Schoolwork and Student Generated Content, which includes any information contained in Student assignments and assessments, including information in response to instructional activities and participation in collaborative or interactive features of our Products, such as Student responses to academic questions and Student-written essays, as well as images, video, and audio recordings.
- Why? As part of the digital learning experience, some of our Products may enable Students to write text and create and upload images, video, and audio recordings. For example, in Amplify ELA, students may write essays or submit short-form responses in our platform as part of a lesson on literature. As another example, in Boost Reading, student interactions with reading skills games are recorded to keep track of the student’s progress to level up in the program and to provide visibility to teachers on how students are mastering the skills.
- Teacher Comments and Feedback, such as scores, written comments, or other feedback that Educators may provide about Student responses or student course performance.
- Why? To enable teachers to track the performance and provide feedback to their students.
- Non-Student Data. We may collect the following types of personal information from all other Authorized Users:
- Contact Information, such as name and email address, as well as grade level taught, school name and school location, whether you are an Educator or Home User that creates an account or uses our Products or communicates with us.
- Account Information, such as user login and password, for account creation and access purposes.
- Survey Responses, which you provide in response to surveys or questionnaires.
- Device and Usage Data. Depending on the Product, we may collect certain information about the device used to connect to our Product, such as device type and model, browser configurations, and persistent identifiers, such as IP addresses and unique device identifiers. We may collect device diagnostic information, such as battery level, usage logs, and error logs, as well as usage, viewing, and technical information (e.g., email open rates), such as the number of requests a device makes, to ensure proper system capacity for all Authorized Users. We may collect IP addresses and use that information to approximate device location to support operation of the Product. To the extent that we collect this information, this data is solely used to support operation of the Product and is not linked to Student Data. For purposes of clarity, Amplify does not use Student Data for marketing or advertising purposes (see section 6 of this Privacy Policy for more information about our commitments regarding Student Data).
- Why? We use this information to remember returning users and facilitate ease of login, to customize the function and appearance of the Products, and to improve the learning experience. This information also helps us track product usage for various purposes, including website optimization, to ensure proper system capacity, troubleshoot and fix errors, provide technical assistance and customer support, provide and monitor the effectiveness of our Products, monitor and address security concerns, and compile analytics for product improvement and other internal purposes.
- How? Cookies and Similar Technologies. We collect device and usage data through “cookies,” Web beacons, HTML5 local storage, and other similar technologies, which are used in some of our Products solely to support operation of the Products as described above. While we may use third party cookies and similar technologies for advertising and marketing purposes on our website (in accordance with our Website Privacy Policy), we do not permit such tracking technologies to be present on Student-facing portions of the Products. In particular, we only use the following types of cookies in our Products:
- Strictly necessary cookies – These are cookies that are required for the operation of our websites and applications that host our Products. They include, for example, cookies that enable you to log into secure areas of our Products. These cookies are not generally stored beyond the browser session and are less likely to include personal information. This category of cookies cannot be disabled.
- Functionality Cookies – We use these cookies so that we recognize you on the websites and apps that host our Products and remember your previously selected preferences. These cookies are stored on your device between browsing sessions but expire after a pre-defined period. These cookies enable us to “recognize” you when you use our Products, including your preferences such as your preferred language, time, and location. A mix of first party (placed by us) and third-party cookies (placed by third parties) are used.
- Performance Cookies – These cookies help us and service providers acting on our behalf compile statistics and analytics about users of our Products that are accessed via websites and apps, including Device and Usage Information.
- Learn how to opt out of cookies and similar technologies by reading the “What Rights and Choices Do You Have?” section of this Privacy Policy below.
3. How do we use personal information?
Student Data. Amplify uses Student Data for educational purposes, to provide the Products, and to ensure secure and effective operation of our Products, including:
- to provide and improve our educational Products;
- to support School and Authorized School Users’ activities;
- to ensure secure and effective operation of our Products;
- for purposes requested or authorized by the School or Authorized School User or as otherwise permitted by Applicable Laws;
- for customer support purposes, to respond to the inquiries and fulfill the requests of the School and their Authorized School Users;
- to enforce Product access and security controls; and
- to conduct system audits and improve protections against the misuse of our Products, or to detect and prevent fraud and other harmful activities.
- to enable the adaptive and personalized learning features of the Products.
Non-Student Data. Amplify may use Non-Student Data for the purposes for which Student Data is used as set forth above. In addition, Amplify may use Non-Student Data to provide customized content, advertising and marketing in limited circumstances (e.g. to periodically send newsletters and other promotional materials) directed to Educators and Home Users. For sake of clarity, we do not use Student Data for marketing purposes and we do not direct marketing to Students. Amplify may also use Non-Student Data for internal research and analytics, including generating insights on the use of our Products by Educators in certain Schools so that we can better serve those communities. We will also use Non-Student Data as otherwise required or permitted by law, or as we may notify you at the time of collection. Learn how to opt out of these communications by reading the “What Rights and Choices Do You Have?” section of this Privacy Policy below.
Amplify may use aggregate or de-identified data as described in the Aggregate/De-identified Data section below.
4. To whom do we disclose personal information?
Student Data. We disclose Student Data to third parties only as needed to provide the Products under the Agreement, as directed or permitted by the School or Authorized School User, and as required by law. Such disclosures may include but are not limited to the following:
- to other Authorized School Users of the School entitled to access such data in connection with the Products;
- to our service providers, subprocessors, or vendors who have a legitimate need to access such data in order to assist us in providing or supporting our Products, such as platform, infrastructure, and application software. We contractually bind such parties to protect Student Data in a manner consistent with those practices set forth in this Privacy Policy and in accordance with Applicable Laws. A list of Amplify subprocessors is available at https://www.amplify.com/subprocessors;
- to comply with the law, respond to requests in legal or government enforcement proceedings (such as complying with a subpoena), protect our rights in a legal dispute, or seek assistance of law enforcement in the event of a threat to our rights, security, or property or that of our affiliates, customers, Authorized Users, or others;
- in the event Amplify or all or part of its assets are acquired or transferred to another party, including in connection with any bankruptcy or similar proceedings, provided that successor entity will be required to comply with the privacy protections in this Privacy Policy with respect to information collected under this Privacy Policy, or we will provide the School with notice and an opportunity to opt out of the transfer of such data prior to the transfer; and
- except as restricted by Applicable Laws or contracts with the School, we may also share Student Data with Amplify’s affiliated education companies, provided that such disclosure is solely for the purposes of providing Products and at all times is subject to this Policy.
Non-Student Data. Amplify discloses Non-Student Data for the purposes for which Student Data is used as set forth above. Amplify may also disclose Non-Student Data as otherwise required or permitted, or as disclosed at the time of collection. Please note that we do not share mobile information or opt-in consent with third parties / affiliates for their own marketing or promotional purposes.
5. Aggregate/De-identified data
Amplify may use de-identified or aggregate data for purposes allowed under FERPA and other Applicable Laws, to research, develop, and improve educational sites, services, and applications and to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Amplify Products. Amplify will not attempt to re-identify de-identified data. We may use aggregate information (which is information that has been collected in summary form such that the data cannot be associated with any individual) for analytics and reports. For example, our promotional materials may note the total number of students served by our programs in the prior year, but that information cannot be used to identify any one student. We may also share de-identified or aggregate data with research partners to help us analyze the information for product improvement and development purposes.
Records and information are de-identified when all personal information has been removed or obscured, such that the remaining information does not reasonably identify a specific individual. We de-identify Student Data in compliance with Applicable Laws and in accordance with the guidelines of NIST SP 800-122. Amplify has implemented internal procedures and controls to protect against the re-identification of de-identified Student Data. Amplify does not disclose de-identified data to its research partners unless that party has agreed in writing not to attempt to re-identify such data.
6. Data prohibitions, Advertising, Advertising limitations
Amplify will not:
- sell Student Data to third parties;
- use or disclose Student Data to inform, influence, or enable targeted advertising to a Student based on Student Data or information or data inferred over time from the Student’s usage of the Products;
- use Student Data to develop a profile of a Student for any purpose other than providing the Products to a School or Authorized School User, or as authorized by a parent or legal guardian;
- use Student Data for any commercial purpose other than to provide the Products to the School or Authorized School User, or as permitted by Applicable Laws.
7. External third-party services
This Privacy Policy applies solely to Amplify’s Products and practices. Schools and other Authorized Users may choose to connect or use our Products in conjunction with third-party services and Products. Additionally, our sites and Products may contain links to third-party websites or services . This Privacy Policy does not address, and Amplify is not responsible for, the privacy, information, or other practices of such third parties. Schools should carefully consider which third-party applications to include among the Products and services they provide to Students and vet the privacy and data security standards of those providers.
Authorized Users may be able to log in to our Products using third-party sign-in services such as Clever, ClassLink or Google. These services authenticate your identity and provide you with the option to share certain personal information with us, including your name and email address, to pre-populate our account sign-up form. If you choose to enable a third party to share your third-party account credentials with Amplify, we may obtain personal information via that mechanism. You may configure your accounts on these third-party platform services to control what information they share.
8. Security
Amplify maintains a comprehensive information security program and uses industry standard administrative, technical, operational, and physical measures to safeguard Student Data in its possession against loss, theft and unauthorized use, disclosure, or modification. Amplify performs periodic risk assessments of its information security program and prioritizes the remediation of identified security vulnerabilities. Please see https://amplify.com/security for a detailed description of Amplify’s security program.
In the event Amplify discovers or is notified that Student Data within our possession or control was disclosed to, or acquired by, an unauthorized party, we will investigate the incident, take steps to mitigate the potential impact, and notify the School in accordance with Applicable Laws.
Non-Student Data
Outside of Student Data, Amplify uses commercially reasonable administrative, technical, personnel, and physical measures to safeguard personal information in its possession against loss, theft, and unauthorized use, disclosure or modification.
9. Data Storage and Transfers
We are a United States Company, and our servers are hosted, managed, and controlled by us in the United States. If you are outside of the United States, we use industry standards to protect your data when it leaves your country of residence and your data will always be protected in accordance with this Privacy Policy, Applicable Laws and our Agreement regardless of the storage location.
Additionally, where we transfer your personal information to service providers outside of the United Kingdom (UK), European Economic Area (EEA), or other region that offers similar protections, we use specific appropriate safeguards to contractually obligate such service providers to protect personal information in accordance with Amplify’s commitment to privacy and security and applicable data protection laws.
If you have questions or wish to obtain more information about the international transfer of your personal information or the implemented safeguards, please contact us using the contact information below.
10. Data Retention / Deletion
Student Data
Upon request, we provide the School the opportunity to review and delete the personal information collected from Students. We will retain Student Data for the period necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy and our Agreement with the School. We do not knowingly retain Student Data beyond the time period required to support the School or Authorized School User’s educational purpose, unless authorized by the School or Authorized School User. Upon request, Amplify will return, delete, or destroy Student Data stored by Amplify in accordance with applicable law and customer requirements. We may not be able to delete all data in all circumstances, such as information retained in technical support records, customer service records, back-ups, and similar business records. All such information will be protected in accordance with this Privacy Policy and our Agreement until it has been permanently deleted. Unless otherwise notified by the School, we will delete or de-identify Student Data after termination of our Agreement with the School.
Non-Student Data
Outside of Student Data, we keep personal information as long as it is necessary or relevant for the practices described in this Privacy Policy or as otherwise required by our Agreement with the School, if applicable. We determine the appropriate retention period for personal information on the basis of the amount, nature and sensitivity of the personal information being processed, the potential risk of harm from unauthorized use or disclosure of the personal information, whether we can achieve the purposes of the processing through other means, and on the basis of applicable legal requirements (such as applicable statutes of limitations).
11. What rights and choices do you have?
What Choices Do You Have?
Marketing/Advertising
As noted above, we do not use Student Data for marketing purposes and we do not direct marketing to Students. Amplify does not use third party cookies and similar technologies for advertising and marketing purposes on Student-facing portions of the Products. The choices below apply to Non-Student Authorized Users.
Opt-out of Marketing Communications. If you want to stop receiving promotional materials from Amplify, you can follow the unsubscribe instructions at the bottom of each email or email us at privacy@amplify.com. Amplify does not send marketing communications to Students.
Opt-out of Cookies and Similar Tracking Technologies. With respect to cookies, you may be able to reject cookies through your browser or device controls. Note that you have to opt-out of cookies on each browser or device that you use. If you replace, change, or upgrade your browser or device, or delete your cookies, you may need to use these opt-out tools again. Please be aware that disabling cookies may negatively impact your experience as some features may not work properly. To learn more about browser cookies, including how to manage or delete them, check the “Help,” “Tools,” or similar section of your browser.
What Rights Do You Have?
Individuals in the U.S.
- What Rights Do You Have With Respect to Student Data?
- Review and Correction. FERPA requires schools to provide parents with access to their children’s education records, and parents may request that the school correct records that they believe to be inaccurate or misleading.
- If you are a parent or guardian and would like to review, correct, or update your child’s data stored in our Products, contact your School. Amplify will work with your School to enable your access to and, if applicable, correction of your child’s education records.
- If you have any questions about whom to contact or other questions about your child’s data, you may contact us using the information provided below.
- Other Privacy Rights? Please see section 3 of our supplemental disclosures: “Additional U.S. State Privacy Law Rights” for more information about your U.S. privacy rights
Individuals in the EU/UK
Please see section 4 of our supplemental disclosures: “Notice for European Economic Area and United Kingdom Customers” for more information about your EU/UK privacy rights.
12. COPPA
We do not knowingly collect personal information from a Child User unless and until a School or Educator, with the permission of the School, has authorized us to collect such information to provide the Products. Amplify relies on the School acknowledging that it is acting as the parent’s agent and consenting on the parent’s behalf to process personal information of Child Users in accordance with all applicable provisions of COPPA. To the extent COPPA applies to the information we collect, we process such information for educational purposes only, and no other commercial purpose, at the direction of the School and on the basis of the School’s authorization. If you are a parent or guardian and have questions about your child’s use of the Products and any personal information collected, please direct these questions to your child’s school.
Please refer to the Appendix–Supplemental Disclosures if you are a Home User.
13. Updates to this Privacy Policy
We may change this Privacy Policy in the future. For example, we may update it to comply with new laws or regulations, to conform to industry best practices, or to reflect changes in our product offerings. When these changes do not reflect material changes in our practices with respect to use and/or disclosure of Authorized Users’ personal information, including Student Data, such changes to the Privacy Policy will become effective when we post the revised Privacy Policy on our website. In the event there are material changes in our practices that would result in Authorized Users’ personal information being used in a materially different manner than was disclosed when the information was collected, with respect to Student Data, we will notify the School, and with respect to other information, we will notify you via email and provide an opportunity to opt out before such changes take effect.
14. Contact us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:
Email: privacy@amplify.com
Mail: Amplify Education, Inc.
55 Washington St.#800
Brooklyn, NY, 11201
Phone: (800) 823-1969
Attn: General Counsel
To report a security vulnerability, visit https://amplify.com/report-a-vulnerability/.
Appendix – Supplemental Disclosures
1. Mathigon and Amplify Classroom accounts
While our Products are geared towards Schools we do provide a limited opportunity for Home Users to use the Products at home—outside of the school context. We do not allow persons under the age of 13 (or those under the age of consent in any applicable jurisdiction) to register for an account with us outside the school context.
If you are a Home User, you are prohibited from collecting or providing any personal information from students or minors. You are permitted to access the platform for instructional purposes, but you may not enroll or roster minors, create accounts for minors, or input any personal information of minors into the Product.
Please note that most parts of Mathigon can be used without creating an account or providing any personal information that directly identifies you.
What Rights Do You Have? If you are a Child User who is 13 or older with a legacy Mathigon account (or the parent or guardian of a Child User with a legacy Mathigon account), you may request that we provide for your review, delete from our records, or cease collecting any Child User personal information. To the extent that you are unable to exercise these rights through self-service features within your account with us, please contact us by sending an email to: help@amplify.com and we will provide assistance.
2. U.S. Notice at Collection
| Personal Information We Collect | How We Use Personal Information |
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Student Data, which includes:
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Authorized Users, which includes:
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Some of the information described above may be considered “sensitive” under the laws of certain jurisdictions (i.e., account credentials and race/national origin) (“Sensitive Information”). We use Sensitive Information for necessary or reasonably expected purposes – specifically, to provide you with our Services (i.e., account credentials are used to allow account logins and race/national origin are used for the School’s reporting purposes when voluntarily provided by the School).
We do not sell or share your personal information, as described in California law.
We retain your personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes disclosed in the chart above. Additional information about our retention of Student Data and personal information from other Authorized Users can be found in Section 10 of this Privacy Policy.
Please see the Additional U.S. State Privacy Law Rights section of this appendix for information about your privacy rights pursuant to applicable U.S. law.
Notice of Financial Incentive
From time to time, to support our services, we offer opportunities to complete surveys and questionnaires. As an incentive for completing the survey or questionnaire, you can voluntarily provide personal information as an entry into a raffle drawing or to obtain other benefits, discounts, offers, or deals that may constitute a financial incentive under California law (“Financial Incentive”). The categories of personal information required for us to provide the Financial Incentives include: contact information and any other information that you choose to provide when you complete the survey.
Participation is voluntary and you can opt out at any time before the survey is complete. We do not allow students to participate in our surveys.
The value of the personal information we collect in connection with our Financial Incentives is equivalent to the value of the benefit offered.
3. Additional U.S. State Privacy Law Rights
Note for Requests Relating to Student Data: Because Amplify provides the Products to Schools as a “School Official,” we collect, retain, use, and disclose Student Data only for or on behalf of the School for educational purposes, including the purpose of providing the Products specified in our Agreement with the School and for no other commercial purpose. Accordingly, we act as a “service provider” for the School with respect to School Data. We work with the School to support and assist them in addressing privacy requests relating to School Data. Please reach out to your School directly if you wish to exercise any privacy rights that may be available to you.
For all other requests: With respect to Amplify Data, individuals residing in certain U.S. states have the following rights, regarding your personal information (each of which is subject to various exceptions and limitations):
- Access. You have the right to request, up to two times every 12 months, that we disclose to you the categories of personal information collected about you; the categories of sources from which the personal information is collected; the categories of personal information sold or shared; the business or commercial purpose for collecting, selling, or sharing the personal information; the categories of third parties with whom personal information was shared; and the specific pieces of personal information collected about you.
- Correction. You have the right to request that we correct inaccurate personal information collected from you.
- Deletion. You have the right to request that we delete the personal information that we maintain about you. Even after the deletion of your account, some personal information may remain on our servers, such as in technical support logs, server caches, data backups, or email conversations. These will be automatically deleted after a reasonable amount of time, unless we are legally required to retain information for longer, or unless there is a legitimate business reason (e.g. security and fraud prevention or financial record-keeping). We are not required to delete any information which has been aggregated or de-identified in accordance with Section 5.
- No Discrimination. You have the right not to be discriminated against for exercising these rights.
- Appeals. You have a right to appeal decisions concerning your ability to exercise your consumer rights.
See Submitting Requests section below for details on submitting a request to exercise these rights.
4. Notice for European Economic Area (EEA) and United Kingdom (UK) Customers
As detailed at the beginning of our Privacy Policy (under the section titled “Our Role”), Amplify operates primarily as a processor that collects personal information on behalf of the School, and we act as a controller in limited circumstances where we offer Products outside the school context.
If you represent a School in the EEA or the UK, please note that we process personal information in accordance with this Privacy Policy, our Acceptable Use Policy, and our standard Data Protection Agreement, which sets out our responsibilities when it comes to our processing activities. Schools must send an email to privacy@amplify.com to enter into that DPA.
Lawful Basis for Processing
We rely on the following lawful bases for our processing activities:
- Consent;
- We obtain your consent to use cookies to collect and process device and usage data to understand how individuals use our Products.
- Pursuant to a contract for use of our Products;
- We process School Data to provide our Products (e.g., to create, authenticate and manage your account, to verify your identity, to manage our Products) pursuant to the Agreement between us and the School, as required in order for us to perform our obligations.
- To comply with our legal obligations;
- We process all categories of personal information that we collect to ensure the safety and security of our Products where we are complying with security requirements under data protection and cyber and information security law.
- We process all categories of personal information that we collect to comply with our legal obligations which includes, for example, to access, retain or share certain personal information where we receive a valid request from a government body, law enforcement body, judicial body regulator or similar, to deal with legal claims and prospective legal claims, and to ensure we are complying with applicable laws.
- When we have a legitimate interest in doing so, which is not outweighed by the risks to the individual.
- We process all categories of personal information that we collect to support the provision, effective management, and improvement of our Products where such activities are not strictly required under our contract. This is in our legitimate interests to ensure that we are providing the best possible service.
- We process all categories of personal information that we collect to ensure the safety and security of our services where this is important but not required under the data protection law or cyber and information security laws. This is in our legitimate interests to ensure the security of our services and systems, to prevent threats, abuse or fraudulent or unlawful activity, to promote safety and security and to ensure our Products are used in accordance with our terms and conditions.
- We process the contact information of Non-Student Authorized Users to manage our relationship, including to respond to queries or otherwise communicate with you in relation to our Products and the operation of our business where this is not strictly required under a contract with you. This is in our legitimate interests to communicate with and resolve queries from users of our Products and to ensure that we are providing the best possible service.
We process the contact information and survey data of Non-Student Authorized Users for internal research and marketing purposes in limited circumstances (e.g. to periodically send newsletters and other promotional materials), which will not be based on Student Data or directed to Students. This is in our legitimate interests to understand our customers and prospective customers, understand how our products and services are perceived in the market, to promote our products, and to grow and develop our business.
Your Data Subject Rights
Note for Requests Relating to School Data: Amplify acts as processor to its School customers with respect to all School Data. We work with our School customers to support and assist them in addressing privacy requests relating to School Data. Please reach out to your School directly if you wish to exercise any privacy rights that may be available to you.
For all other Requests – With respect to Amplify Data, you have the following rights if you are in the EEA or UK, subject to certain exceptions:
- Right of access: You have the right to ask us for confirmation on whether we are processing your personal information and access to that personal information.
- Right to correction: You have the right to have your personal information corrected.
- Right to erasure: You have the right to ask us to delete your personal information.
- Right to withdraw consent: You have the right to withdraw consent that you have provided.
- Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority: You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.
- Right to restriction of processing: You have the right to request the limiting of our processing under limited circumstances.
- Right to data portability: You have the right to receive the personal information that you have provided to us, in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and you have the right to transmit that information to another controller, including to have it transmitted directly, where technically feasible.
- Right to object: You have the right to object to our processing of your personal information
See Submitting Requests section below for details on submitting a request to exercise these rights.
5. Submitting Requests
To exercise any of the rights described in sections 2 and 3 of this appendix, email us at privacy@amplify.com and specify which privacy right you intend to exercise. We may require additional information from you to allow us to confirm your identity. The verification steps will vary depending on the sensitivity of the personal information and whether you have an account with us. Please note that your rights may not apply in all cases. For example, we may need to retain your personal information to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, prevent fraud and enforce our agreements. We will inform you if we are not able to fully respond to your requests. You may designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf. When submitting the request, please ensure the authorized agent identifies himself/herself/itself as an authorized agent and can show written permission from you to represent you. We may contact you directly to confirm that you have authorized the agent to act on your behalf or confirm your identity.
Complaints
If you have any issues, you have the right to lodge a complaint with an EEA or UK supervisory authority. We would, however, appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns before you approach a data protection regulator and would welcome you directing an inquiry first to us. To do so, please contact us by email at privacy@amplify.com or by mail at Amplify Education, Inc., 55 Washington St.#800, Brooklyn, NY, 11201.
6. Google APIs
Amplify uses Google’s Application Programming Interface (API) Services to enable Authorized Users to log in to Amplify, import classes and rosters from Google Classroom, create assignments in Google Classroom, and copy, edit, and publish Amplify content using Google Slides. Amplify will use and transfer information received from Google’s API in accordance with Google API Service User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.
Update History:
Update: 6/13/2025: This Policy has been updated to align with product updates and to provide additional context for authorized educational use of Amplify’s Products.
Update 6/27/2024: The Policy has been updated to include an explanation regarding Google APIs in the Appendix — Supplemental Disclosures section.
Update 6/30/2023: This Privacy Policy has been updated to address new state law data privacy requirements.
Website Terms of Use
Description of Site Services; Acceptance of Terms of Use
Welcome to www.amplify.com (together with any successor sites and the Site Services and Company Content (each as defined below), in whole and in part, the “Site”). The Site is operated by Amplify Education, Inc. (“Company” or “we”). The services that Company makes available on or through the Site include education-related articles, information and instructional services, purchasing functionality, support chat functionality and any other features, content, services, functionality and applications offered from time to time by Company on or through the Site (collectively, “Site Services”).
BY ACCESSING OR USING THE SITE, YOU REPRESENT AND WARRANT THAT YOU ARE OF LEGAL AGE TO ENTER INTO THIS TERMS OF USE AGREEMENT (“AGREEMENT”) AND YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT. BY PURCHASING GOODS AND SERVICES ON THE SITE, YOU ARE ACCEPTING THE PRACTICES DESCRIBED IN THIS AGREEMENT AS WELL AS ANY ADDITIONAL TERMS OF USE THAT MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PARTICULAR GOODS AND SERIVICES YOU ARE PURCHASING.
Please read this Agreement carefully. If you are an employee or other representative of a school or other organization who is accessing or using the Site on behalf of such organization, then you are agreeing to this Agreement on behalf of yourself and such organization. We may modify this Agreement at any time in our discretion, and we may provide such modifications to you by any reasonable means, including by posting the revised version of this Agreement on the Site. You can determine when this Agreement was last revised by referring to the “LAST UPDATED” legend at the top of this Agreement. Your access to or use of the Site following any changes to this Agreement will constitute your acceptance of those changes. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any changes to this Agreement shall not apply to any dispute between you and us arising prior to the date on which we posted the revised version of this Agreement incorporating such changes or otherwise notified you of such changes. If you do not agree to be bound by this Agreement, you must not access or use the Site. Your access to and use of certain parts of the Site may require you to accept additional terms and conditions, and may require you to download certain Software or Content (each as defined below).
Jurisdictional Issues
The Site is controlled and operated by Company from the United States, and is not intended to subject Company to the laws or jurisdiction of any state, country or territory other than that of the United States. Company does not represent or warrant that the Site is appropriate or available for use in any particular jurisdiction other than the United States. In choosing to access and use the Site, you do so on your own initiative and at your own risk, and you are responsible for complying with all local laws, rules and regulations. You are also subject to United States export controls and are responsible for any violations of such controls, including any United States embargoes and other federal rules and regulations restricting exports. We may limit the Site’s availability to any person, geographic area or jurisdiction we choose, at any time and in our discretion. Not all products or services described on the Site are available in all states or territories.
Company content
The Site contains information, text, files, images, video, sounds, musical works, computer code, works of authorship, applications, and other materials and content (collectively, “Content”) of Company or its licensors (“Company Content”). The Site (including the Company Content) is protected by copyright, trademark, trade secret and other laws, and as between you and Company, Company owns and retains all rights in the Site. Company hereby grants to you a limited, revocable, non-sublicensable license, during the term of the Agreement, to access, display and perform the Company Content (excluding any computer code) solely for your personal, non-commercial use and solely as necessary to access and use the Site. Except as expressly permitted by Company in this Agreement or on the Site, you may not copy, download, stream, capture, reproduce, duplicate, archive, upload, modify, translate, create derivative works based upon, publish, broadcast, transmit, retransmit, distribute, perform, display, sell or otherwise use or transfer any Content. You may not, either directly or through the use of any device, software, online resource or other means, remove, alter, bypass, avoid, interfere with or circumvent any copyright, trademark or other proprietary notice on the Content or any digital rights management mechanism, device, or other content protection or access control measure associated with the Content.
User content
You may not access or use the Site for any commercial purpose. You are responsible for all Content that you post, upload, transmit, e-mail or otherwise make available on, through or in connection with the Site (collectively, “User Content”). Please choose carefully the Content that you make available on, through or in connection with the Site. Company does not control any Content other than Company Content, and as such you may be exposed to offensive, indecent, inaccurate or otherwise objectionable Content by accessing or using the Site. Company is not responsible or liable for any Content or the conduct of any Site user. If you become aware of any misuse of the Site, please report such misuse immediately to Company at general@amplify.com. Company reserves the right (but has no obligation) to monitor the Site, including for inappropriate Content or conduct, and to remove any Content in Company’s discretion and without liability to you or any third party.
Your proprietary rights
You retain any ownership rights that you have in your User Content. You hereby grant to Company and its affiliates, licensees and authorized users, a perpetual, non-exclusive, fully paid-up and royalty-free, sublicensable (through multiple tiers), transferable (in whole or in part), worldwide license to use, modify, excerpt, adapt, create derivative works and compilations based upon, publicly perform, publicly display, reproduce and distribute such User Content on, through or in connection with the Site and/or any other commercial or non-commercial endeavor of Company or any of its affiliates, including in connection with any distribution or syndication thereof to Third Party Services (as defined below), on and through all media formats now known or hereafter devised, for any and all purposes including promotional, marketing, trade and commercial purposes. The exercise of such rights shall not require any further permission or notice, payment or attribution to you or any third party. Company reserves the right to limit the storage capacity made available for User Content.
You represent and warrant that: (a) you own the User Content made available by you, or otherwise have the right to grant the license set forth in this Section, and (b) the posting of such User Content through or in connection with the Site does not violate the privacy rights, publicity rights, copyrights, contract rights or any other rights of any person or entity. You agree to pay for all royalties, fees and any other monies owing to any person or entity by reason of the use of such User Content.
Use of the site
You agree not to:
- Post, upload or otherwise transmit or link to Content that is: unlawful; threatening; harmful; abusive; pornographic or includes nudity; offensive; harassing; excessively violent; tortious; defamatory; false or misleading; obscene; vulgar; libelous; hateful; or discriminatory.
- Violate the rights of others, including patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright, privacy, publicity, contract or other proprietary rights.
- Harass or harm another person.
- Exploit or endanger a minor.
- Impersonate any person or entity.
- Introduce or engage in activity that involves the use of viruses, bots, worms, Trojan horses, Easter eggs, time bombs, spyware or any other computer code, files or programs that interrupt, destroy or limit the functionality of any computer software or hardware or telecommunications equipment, or otherwise permit the unauthorized access to or use of a computer or a computer network.
- Interfere with, damage, disable, disrupt, impair, create an undue burden on, or gain unauthorized access to the Site or any Account, or Company’s servers or networks;
- Restrict or inhibit any other person from using the Site (including by hacking or defacing the Site). Cover, remove, disable, block or obscure the Site (including advertisements on the Site).
- Use technology or any automated system, such as scripts or bots, to collect user names, passwords, e-mail addresses or any other data from or through the Site, or to circumvent or modify any security technology or software that is part of the Site.
- Send or cause to send (directly or indirectly) unsolicited bulk messages or other unsolicited bulk communications of any kind through the Site. If you do so, you acknowledge you will have caused substantial harm to Company, and that the amount of such harm would be extremely difficult to measure. As a reasonable estimation of such harm, you agree to pay to Company $50.00 for each actual or intended recipient of such communication.
- Modify, adapt, translate, reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble the Site.
- Solicit, collect or request any information for commercial or unlawful purposes.
- Post, upload or otherwise transmit an image or video of another person without that person’s consent.
- Use the Site to advertise, promote or engage in any commercial activity (including engaging in sales, contests or sweepstakes) without Company’s prior written consent.
- Frame or mirror the Site without Company’s express prior written consent.
- Use the Site in a manner inconsistent with any applicable law, rule or regulation.
- Use any robot, spider, site search/retrieval application or other manual or automatic device to retrieve, index, “scrape,” “data mine,” or in any way gather content of the Site or reproduce or circumvent the navigational structure or presentation of the Site without Company’s express prior written consent. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Company grants to the operators of public search engines the permission to use spiders to copy material from the Site for the sole purpose of, and solely to the extent necessary for, creating publicly-available searchable indices of such material, but not caches or archives of such material. Company reserves the right to revoke these exceptions either generally or in specific cases.
- Attempt, facilitate or encourage others to do any of the foregoing.
Company reserves the right to investigate and take appropriate legal action against anyone who, in Company’s discretion, violates this Agreement or attempts to do so, including terminating or suspending a user’s Account or access to or use of the Site, or reporting any User Content or conduct to law enforcement authorities.
You (and not Company) are responsible for obtaining and maintaining all telecommunications, broadband and computer hardware, equipment and services needed to access and use the Site, and for paying all charges related thereto.
User disputes
You are solely responsible for your interactions with other users of the Site, providers of Third Party Services (as defined below) or any other third parties with whom you interact on, through or in connection with the Site.
Purchases
Company may make available products and services for purchase through the Site, and may use third-party suppliers and service providers to enable e-commerce functionality on the Site. You may only purchase products and services that appear on the Site and that are delivered to an address located in the United States. You may only purchase products and services for personal, non-commercial use by you, your educational institution or students of your educational institution. We may limit quantities or refuse any order for any reason or no reason, including if we have reasonable cause to believe an order is for onward sale or resale other than through distribution channels approved by us. We make no promise that products or services available on the Site are appropriate or available for use in locations outside the United States, and purchasing products or services for delivery to or use in territories where their contents are unlawful is prohibited. If you choose to purchase products or services from locations outside the United States, you do so at your own risk. It is your responsibility to ascertain and obey all applicable local, state, federal and international laws (including minimum age requirements) in regard to the possession, use and sale of any product or service made available through the Site.
If you wish to purchase any product or service made available through the Site, you may be asked to supply certain information relevant to your transaction, including your credit card number, the expiration date of your credit card, your billing address and your shipping information. YOU REPRESENT AND WARRANT THAT YOU HAVE THE LEGAL RIGHT TO USE ANY CREDIT CARD(S) USED IN CONNECTION WITH ANY TRANSACTION. By submitting such information, you grant to Company the right to provide such information to third parties for purposes of facilitating the completion of transactions initiated by you or on your behalf. Verification of information may be required prior to the acknowledgement or completion of any transaction. While it is our practice to confirm orders by e-mail, the receipt of an e-mail order confirmation does not constitute our acceptance of an order or our confirmation of an offer to sell a product or service.
Details of the products and services available for purchase are set forth on the Site. All prices are displayed exclusive of all taxes and shipping/freight charges. Available payment methods, methods of shipping and shipping charges (including charges for expedited shipping, if available) are detailed on the Site. Company may also collect and remit sales tax on your purchase as required by United States law. If you are a tax-exempt entity, please enter the appropriate information where requested on your order form and we will not collect sales tax on your purchase.
Generally, credit and debit cards are not charged until we either ship the product(s) or confirm store availability (at which time you will be charged only for the products we have actually shipped along with any applicable taxes and shipping charges). However, we may pre-authorize your order amount with your credit or debit card issuer at the time you place the order, which may have an effect on your available credit line. When paying for a preorder with a debit card, you will be charged at the time you place your preorder. Please contact your credit or debit card issuer for more information. If you ordered a special delivery product, you will be charged once a delivery time is confirmed. For digitally delivered orders, your credit or debit card will be charged at the time that you initiate the download of the product.
All purchases made through the Site are made pursuant to a shipment contract. As a result, risk of loss and title for products purchased through the Site pass to you upon delivery of the products to the carrier. You are responsible for filing any claims with carriers for damaged and/or lost shipments. Please note that all shipping addresses must be compliant with the shipping restrictions contained on the Site.
Products, services and specifications
All products and services described or depicted on the Site, and all related features, content, specifications and prices, are subject to change at any time without notice. Certain weights, measures and similar descriptions are approximate and are provided for convenience purposes only. Packaging may vary from that shown. We make reasonable efforts to accurately display the attributes of our products, including the applicable colors; however, the actual color you see will depend on your computer system, and we cannot guarantee that your computer will accurately display such colors. The inclusion of any product or service on the Site at a particular time does not imply or warrant that such product or service will be available at any time. Occasionally, the manufacture or distribution of a certain product or service may be delayed for a number of reasons. In such event, we will make reasonable efforts to notify you of the delay and keep you informed of the revised delivery schedule. By placing an order, you represent that the products and services ordered will be used only in a lawful manner. All DVDs and similar products are sold for private, non-commercial home use (where no admission fee is charged), non-public performance, or classroom or instructional use only, and may not be duplicated.
Return and exchange policy
Unless otherwise specified in the terms associated with a particular product, you may return or exchange any product purchased through the Site within fourteen (14) days of receipt, by calling our customer service hotline, 1–800–823–1969, in the event that the purchased product is defective or you received the wrong product. Except for the foregoing, you may not return, cancel or exchange any product or service. Certain jurisdictions may provide additional statutory rights. Nothing herein is meant to limit your return or cancellation rights under local law. In the event that a return or exchange is due to an incorrect order or faulty product, we will be responsible for the shipping costs associated with such return. We will ship a replacement product upon receiving your defective or incorrect product and verifying the reason for the return or exchange.
Accuracy of information
We attempt to ensure that information on the Site is complete, accurate and current. Despite our efforts, the information on the Site may occasionally be inaccurate, incomplete or out of date. We make no representation as to the completeness, accuracy or currency of any information on the Site. For example, products or services included on the Site may be unavailable, may have different attributes than those listed, or may carry a different price than that stated on the Site. If an item’s correct price is higher than our stated price, we will, at our discretion, either contact you for instructions before shipping or cancel your order and notify you of such cancellation. Items in your “Shopping Bag” reflect the current price displayed on the item’s product detail page. Please note that this price may differ from the price displayed when the item was first placed in your Shopping Bag. In addition, we may make changes in information about price and availability without notice.
Chemicals, agricultural materials, and other hazardous materials
Certain products made available through the Site may include chemicals, agricultural materials or other material that may be subject to regulations or restrictions with respect to import or export, or to whom we may sell such material or where or how such material may be used. It is your responsibility to read and abide by all warning notices that accompany any products that you purchase. In addition, we reserve the right to request additional information from you, verify your identity, limit sales to certified educational or research institutions, or cancel or delay your order if required by law or if we believe it is necessary or advisable. Due to special shipping and handling requirements, freight companies routinely impose a surcharge on each package of hazardous material shipped. In such event, we will add such surcharge to your order.
Registration and account security
You may have the ability to create an account on or through the Site (an “Account”). If you submit registration information to create an Account, you represent and warrant that all information submitted to Company in connection with such registration is complete and accurate, and that you will update such information if it changes. If you create an Account, you are responsible for all use of your Account, and for maintaining the confidentiality of the information used to access your Account (including user name and password). You agree not to share your user name or password with anyone, or use anyone else’s Account at any time. You agree to notify Company immediately if you suspect any unauthorized use of, or access to, your Account (including your user name and password). You acknowledge that the reuse of your password in connection with accounts on other websites increases the risk that the security of your Account may be compromised.
Third party links and services
The Site may make available, or third parties may provide, links to other websites, applications, resources, advertisements, Content or other products or services created, hosted or made available by third parties (“Third Party Services”), and such third party may use other third parties to provide portions of the Third Party Service to you, such as technology, development or payment services. When you access or use a Third Party Service, you are interacting with the applicable third party, not with Company, and you do so at your own risk. Company is not responsible for and makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the Third Party Services or the providers of such Third Party Services (including the accuracy or completeness of the information provided by such Third Party Service or the privacy practices of any third party). Inclusion of any Third Party Service or a link thereto on the Site does not imply approval or endorsement of such Third Party Service. Company is not responsible or liable for the content or practices of any Third Party Service or third party, even if such Third Party Service links to or is linked by the Site, and even if such Third Party Service is operated by an affiliate of Company or a company otherwise connected with us or the Site
Feedback
Unless we expressly agree otherwise in writing, if you provide us with any ideas, proposals, suggestions or materials (“Feedback”), whether related to the Site or otherwise, you hereby acknowledge and agree that (a) your provision of any Input is gratuitous, unsolicited and without restriction and does not place Company under any fiduciary or other obligation; and (b) any Feedback is not confidential and Company has no confidentiality obligations with respect to such Feedback.. You hereby grant to us a world-wide, royalty-free, fully paid-up, exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, transferable and fully sublicensable (through multiple tiers) license, without additional consideration to you or any third party, to reproduce, distribute, perform and display (publicly or otherwise), adapt, modify and otherwise use and exploit such Feedback, in any format or media now known or hereafter developed, and you hereby represent and warrant that you have all necessary rights to grant the foregoing license. We may use Feedback for any purpose whatsoever without permission or notice, compensation or attribution to you or any third party. You are and remain responsible and liable for the content of any Feedback.
Privacy
Please review the Privacy Policy for the Site, available at http://www.amplify.com/privacy, to learn about our information collection, usage and disclosures practices with respect to information collected by us through the Site. Please note that certain products or services made available by us, other than the Site, may be subject to different privacy policies. In addition, the Site’s Privacy Policy does not address, and we are not responsible or liable for, the information collection, usage and disclosures practices of any third party or Third Party Service.
Disclaimers
THE SITE, USER CONTENT, THIRD PARTY SERVICES, AND ALL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES SOLD THROUGH THE SITE (COLLECTIVELY, THE “SITE PRODUCTS”) ARE MADE AVAILABLE “AS-IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” AND COMPANY DOES NOT GUARANTEE OR PROMISE ANY SPECIFIC RESULTS FROM USE OF THE SITE PRODUCTS. COMPANY AND ITS AFFILIATES EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ANY WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. IN PARTICULAR, COMPANY AND ITS AFFILIATES MAKE NO WARRANTY THAT THE SITE OR USER CONTENT OR THIRD PARTY SERVICES, OR YOUR ACCESS TO OR USE THEREOF, WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE, ERROR-FREE, ACCURATE OR RELIABLE. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL WE BE LIABLE FOR ANY CONSEQUENCES OF ANY UNAUTHORIZED USE OF THE SITE PRODUCTS THAT VIOLATES ANY APPLICABLE LAW OR REGULATION. CERTAIN STATE LAWS DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF CERTAIN DAMAGES. IF THESE LAWS APPLY TO YOU, SOME OR ALL OF THE ABOVE DISCLAIMERS, EXCLUSIONS, OR LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU, AND YOU MIGHT HAVE ADDITIONAL RIGHTS.
Under no circumstances will Company or its affiliates be responsible for any loss or damage, including property damage, personal injury or death, resulting from use of the Site, Products, problems or technical malfunction in connection with use of the Site, Products, attendance at any Company event or the conduct of any Site users, whether online or offline. Your use of the Site, Products is solely your responsibility and at your own risk. The User Content and Third Party Services do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Company or its affiliates.
Limitations on liability
IN NO EVENT WILL COMPANY OR ITS AFFILIATES BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOST PROFIT DAMAGES, ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SITE PRODUCTS, EVEN IF COMPANY OR ONE OF ITS AFFILIATES HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY CONTAINED HEREIN, THE TOTAL LIABILITY OF COMPANY AND ITS AFFILIATES TO YOU FOR ANY CAUSE WHATSOEVER AND REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF THE ACTION, WILL AT ALL TIMES BE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT PAID, IF ANY, BY YOU TO COMPANY FOR THE SITE PRODUCTS.
Indemnity
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Company, its affiliates, subcontractors and other partners, and each of their respective officers, agents, partners and employees, from any losses, costs, expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees), liabilities, claims or demands, due to or arising out of your use of the Site, your breach or alleged breach of this Agreement, your violation or alleged violation of any rights of another, or any Content that you post or otherwise submit on, through or in connection with the Site.
Termination
This Agreement remains in full force and effect while you access or use the Site. If you create an Account, you may terminate your Account at any time, for any reason, by contacting us at general@amplify.com. Company may terminate or suspend your Account and/or your access to or use of the Site at any time, for any or no reason, with or without prior notice or explanation, and without liability. Upon any such suspension or termination, your right to access and use the Site will immediately cease, and Company may immediately deactivate or delete your Account and all files and other information associated with it, and/or bar any further access to such files and other information. Company shall not be liable to you or any third party for any suspension or termination of your Account or of access to or use of the Site or any such files or other information, and shall not be required to make such files and other information available to you after any such suspension or termination. Sections 2, 5, 13, 17, 18, 19, 22, and 26 shall survive any expiration or termination of this Agreement.
U.S. export controls
All software made available in connection with the Site (“Software”) may be subject to United States export controls. No Software may be downloaded from or through the Site or otherwise exported or re-exported in violation of U.S. export laws.
Governing law
The terms of this Agreement are governed by the laws of the State of New York, U.S.A., without regard to its conflicts of law provisions, and regardless of your location.
Arbitration
EXCEPT FOR DISPUTES THAT QUALIFY FOR SMALL CLAIMS COURT, ALL DISPUTES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT, WHETHER BASED IN CONTRACT, TORT, STATUTE, FRAUD, MISREPRESENTATION OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, WILL BE RESOLVED THROUGH FINAL AND BINDING ARBITRATION BEFORE A NEUTRAL ARBITRATOR INSTEAD OF IN A COURT BY A JUDGE OR JURY, AND YOU AGREE THAT COMPANY AND YOU ARE EACH WAIVING THE RIGHT TO TRIAL BY A JURY. YOU AGREE THAT ANY ARBITRATION UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL TAKE PLACE ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS; CLASS ARBITRATIONS AND CLASS ACTIONS ARE NOT PERMITTED AND YOU ARE AGREEING TO GIVE UP THE ABILITY TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS ACTION.
Arbitration procedure
Any arbitration under Section 23 above will be administered by the American Arbitration Association under its Commercial Arbitration Rules and Supplementary Procedures for Consumer-Related Disputes (“Supplementary Procedures”), as amended by this Agreement. The Supplementary Procedures are available online at http://www.adr.org/aaa/ShowPDF?doc=ADRSTG_015820. The arbitrator will conduct hearings, if any, by teleconference or videoconference, rather than by personal appearances, unless the arbitrator determines upon request by you or by us that an in-person hearing is appropriate. Any in-person appearances will be held at a location which is reasonably convenient to both parties with due consideration of their ability to travel and other pertinent circumstances. If the parties are unable to agree on a location, such determination should be made by the AAA or by the arbitrator. The arbitrator’s decision will follow the terms of this Agreement and will be final and binding. The arbitrator will have authority to award temporary, interim or permanent injunctive relief or relief providing for specific performance of this Agreement, but only to the extent necessary to provide relief warranted by the individual claim before the arbitrator. The award rendered by the arbitrator may be confirmed and enforced in any court having jurisdiction thereof. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, nothing in this Agreement will preclude you from bringing issues to the attention of federal, state, or local agencies, and, if the law allows, they can seek relief against us for you.
Employment opportunities
Company may, from time to time, post Company employment opportunities on the Site and/or invite users to submit resumes to Company. If you choose to submit your name, contact information, resume and/or other personal information to Company in response to such employment listings, you are authorizing Company to use this information for all lawful and legitimate hiring, employment and other business purposes. Company also reserves the right, at its discretion, to forward such information to Company’s affiliates for their legitimate business purposes. Nothing in this Agreement or contained on the Site will constitute a promise by Company to review any such information, or to contact, interview, hire or employ any individual who submits such information.
Digital Millennium Copyright Act
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (“DMCA”) provides recourse for copyright owners who believe that material appearing on the Internet infringes their rights under U.S. copyright law. If you believe that any material residing on or linked to from the Site infringes your copyright, please send (or have your agent send) to Company’s Copyright Agent a notification of claimed infringement with all of the following information: (a) identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed, or, if multiple copyrighted works are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works; (b) identification of the claimed infringing material and information reasonably sufficient to permit us to locate the material on the Site (such as the URL(s) of the claimed infringing material); (c) information reasonably sufficient to permit us to contact you, such as an address, telephone number, and, if available, an e-mail address; (d) a statement by you that you have a good-faith belief that the disputed use is not authorized by the copyright owner, the copyright owner’s agent or the law; (e) a statement by you that the above information in your notification is accurate and a statement by you, made under penalty of perjury, that you are the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed or are authorized to act on such owner’s behalf; and (f) your physical or electronic signature. Company’s Copyright Agent for notification of claimed infringement can be reached as follows: Copyright Agent, Amplify Education, Inc., 55 Washington Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201; Facsimile: 212-796-2311; Attn: Legal. Company’s Copyright Agent for notification of claimed infringement can also be reached electronically at: legal@amplify.com. Company reserves the right to terminate infringers’ and suspected infringers’ Accounts or their access to or use of the Site.
Notice for California residents
Under California Civil Code Section 1789.3, California users are entitled to the following consumer rights notice: If you have a question or complaint regarding the Site, please contact us by writing to Amplify Education, Inc., 55 Washington Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 or by calling us at 212–213–8177 or sending a fax to 212–796–2311. California residents may reach the Complaint Assistance Unit of the Division of Consumer Services of the California Department of Consumer Affairs by mail at 1625 North Market Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95834, or by telephone at (916) 445–1254 or (800) 952–5210.
Other terms
This Agreement does not, and shall not be construed to, create any partnership, joint venture, employer-employee, agency or franchisor-franchisee relationship between you and Company. You may not assign, transfer or sublicense any or all of your rights or obligations under this Agreement without our express prior written consent. We may assign, transfer or sublicense any or all of our rights or obligations under this Agreement without restriction. The failure of Company to exercise or enforce any right or provision of this Agreement will not operate as a waiver of such right or provision. The Section titles in this Agreement are for convenience only and have no legal or contractual effect. References to and mentions of the word “include,” “includes,” “including,” or “e.g.” will mean “including, without limitation.” References to “discretion” will mean “sole discretion.” This Agreement operates to the fullest extent permissible by law. If any provision of this Agreement is unlawful, void or unenforceable, that provision is deemed severable from this Agreement and does not affect the validity or enforceability of any remaining provisions. Without limitation, you agree that a printed version of this Agreement and of any notice given in electronic form shall be admissible in judicial or administrative proceedings based upon or relating to this Agreement to the same extent and subject to the same conditions as other business documents and records originally generated and maintained in printed form. Company will not be responsible for failures to fulfill any obligations due to causes beyond its control.
Please contact us at legal@amplify.com with any questions regarding this Agreement.
Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
As a provider of technology solutions to schools, Amplify’s commitment to data privacy and security is essential to our organization. Amplify demonstrates that commitment in part through the physical, technical, and administrative safeguards we maintain to protect student data and other sensitive information entrusted to our care.
Amplify looks forward to working with the security community to find security vulnerabilities and support our efforts to keep our data and systems safe and secure.
Before reporting a vulnerability, please read our program rules, eligibility overview, report submission rules and guidelines, legal terms, and out-of-scope list set out below.
General Rules
- We appreciate reports on any Amplify-owned asset, but only vulnerabilities that prove to be outside of expected behavior are eligible for acceptance.
- Reports involving third party services or providers not under Amplify’s control are out-of-scope for submission.
- Amplify places a high priority on privacy. Vulnerabilities in the areas of inadvertent exposure of our customers’ personally identifiable information (PII) are considered to be of Critical severity.
- We classify vulnerability severity per CVSS (the Common Vulnerability Scoring Standard). These are general guidelines, and the ultimate decision over a reward – whether to give one and in what amount – is a decision that lies entirely within our discretion on a case-by-case basis.
- In order to receive an award for validated reports, you must have a HackerOne account. Please note reward decisions are subject to the discretion of Amplify. Please note these are general guidelines, and that reward decisions are subject to the discretion of Amplify.
- Only interact with test accounts that you created via self sign-up or were provided by Amplify. The use of any credentials outside of these areas for testing purposes, including legacy credentials supplied through the program and leaked credentials from third parties is strictly prohibited.
- Do not contact Amplify’s customer support for questions or to submit a vulnerability report.
- Amplify may, in its sole discretion, disqualify you if you breach this policy or fail to comply with any of the program’s rules and terms.
- Amplify reserves the right to cancel or modify this program without notice at any time.
Eligibility
- You are not eligible for participation if you 1) are employed by Amplify or any of its affiliates 2) are an immediate family member of a person employed by Amplify or any of its affiliates or 3) left the employment of Amplify or its affiliates or subsidiaries within the past (12) months.
- You are not eligible for participation if you have been prohibited in writing from participating in the Bug Bounty Program by Amplify at any time.
- You may not be in violation of any national, state, or local law or regulation with respect to any activities directly or indirectly related to conducting your tests.
- You may not compromise the privacy or safety of our customer and the operation of our services;
- You may not cause harm to Amplify, our customers, or others;
- You must follow the policy guidelines to responsibly disclose vulnerabilities to Amplify.
Vulnerability Submission Rules & Guidelines
- Any testing conducted on customer data or accounts is strictly prohibited and will result in removal from the program.
- If during the course of testing you encounter any sensitive data outside of your test accounts (including student or teacher names, login info, assessment data, activity data, and student work, etc.), please cease testing immediately and report what you have found. DO NOT include any text, screenshots, etc. with PII in the report. This action safeguards both potentially vulnerable data and yourself.
- Do not access, download, or share any data you encounter in your testing.
- Only interact with test accounts that you created or that we provided. The use of any credentials outside of these areas for testing purposes is strictly prohibited.
- Provide detailed reports with reproducible steps. If the report is not detailed enough to reproduce the issue, the issue will not be eligible for a reward.
- In some cases, you may not have all of the context information to assess the impact of a vulnerability. If you’re unsure of the direct impact but are reasonably certain that you have identified a vulnerability, we encourage you to submit a detailed report and state the open questions on impact.
- When duplicate submissions for the same vulnerability occur, we only award the first report that was received, provided that it can be fully reproduced.
- Multiple reports describing the same vulnerability against multiple assets or endpoints must be submitted within a single report.
- Avoid destruction of data and interruption or degradation of our service.
- Proof of Concept (POC) videos that do not include PII are highly recommended to help verify the issue, provide clarity, and save time on triage.
- Please provide timely responses to any follow-up questions and requests for additional information.
- Understand that there could be submissions for which we accept the risk, have other compensating controls, or will not address in the manner expected. When this happens, we will act as transparently as we can to provide you with the necessary context as to how the decision was made.
- Reports submitted using methods that violate policy rules will not be accepted and may result in account suspension from/denial of entrance to the program.
- Please refer to any noted out-of-scope areas listed under Out-of-Scope Vulnerabilities.
Out-of-Scope Vulnerabilities
When reporting vulnerabilities, please consider (1) attack scenario / exploitability, and (2) security impact of the bug. The following issues are considered out-of scope. In addition, please refer to any noted Out of Scope areas listed under the program assets.
- Social engineering (e.g. phishing, vishing, smishing) is prohibited.
- Clickjacking on pages with no sensitive actions.
- Unauthenticated/logout/login CSRF.
- Attacks requiring MITM or physical access to a user’s device.
- Previously known vulnerable libraries without a working Proof of Concept.
- Comma Separated Values (CSV) injection without demonstrating a vulnerability.
- Missing best practices in SSL/TLS configuration.
- Any activity that could lead to the disruption of our service (DoS).
- Content spoofing and text injection issues without showing an attack vector/without being able to modify HTML/CSS.
- XSRF that requires the knowledge of a secret.
- Automated tools that could generate significant traffic and possibly impair the functioning of our services.
- Testing or demonstrating the ability to upload unlimited audio/video files to exhaust resources.
- Leaked credentials from third party providers, including invalid or stale employee credential dumps, and/or leaked personal information of Amplify staff.
- Leaked credentials for Amplify customers not caused by vulnerabilities in our systems.
- Vulnerabilities identified via third party services or providers where Amplify is not the owner.
- Issues that merely result in spam/annoyance without additional impact (e.g sending emails without sufficient rate limiting)
- Attempts to access our offices or data centers.
- Any activity that could contribute to the disruption of our service (DoS). Automated scanning tests should be kept to 10 requests per second or less.
- Self XSS.
- Broken links and/or crashes in general.
- Issues that require unlikely user interaction.
- Issues that do not affect the latest version of modern browsers
- Issues that require physical access to a victim’s computer/device.
- Disclosure of information that does not present a significant risk
- Please refer to any noted out-of-scope areas listed under program assets.
Legal
- Any information you receive or collect about us, our affiliates or any of our users, employees or agents in connection with the Bug Bounty Program (“Confidential Information”) must be kept confidential and only used in connection with the Bug Bounty Program. You may not use, disclose or distribute any such Confidential Information, including without limitation any information regarding your Submission, without our prior written consent. You must get written consent by submitting a disclosure request through the HackerOne platform.
- Researchers must follow HackerOne’s disclosure guidelines. Public disclosure or disclosure to other third parties without the explicit permission of Amplify is prohibited.
- We will not take legal action against you if vulnerabilities are found and responsibly reported in compliance with all of the terms and conditions outlined in this policy.
- Amplify reserves the right to modify the terms and conditions of this program without notice at any time, and your participation in the Program constitutes acceptance of all terms.
Submit Vulnerability Report
Tell us about your experience using an Amplify program or service in the classroom!
Use the form below to let us know how you would like to share your story. You can submit your experiences directly through the form or express interest in participating in serving as a reference or joining a research group, and we’ll be in touch!
If you use the Amplify Texas programming, please select your Texas program after selecting your state in the form below.
Science testimonials
Whether science is just one of the subjects you teach or the subject you teach all day, you do amazing things in your classroom. We want to showcase those moments.
Help us champion science and shine a light on the future of learning by contributing your science testimonials.

Share your science story!
Use this form to let us know how you would like to share your story. You can submit your experiences (in words, photos, or even videos) directly through the form or express interest in serving as a reference or joining a research group, and we’ll be in touch!
Science of Reading: The Learning Lab course reflection
Create a short video or audio recording (approx. 1-3 minutes) responding to the course prompt. Please fill out the “Consent and release” section if you are willing to let us share your experience.

Tips for recording
Below are some suggested best practices for video and/or audio recordings:
- Lighting is best when the source is facing you; avoid overhead lighting.
- Avoid background noise and echos.
- It’s best to avoid both a busy background and clothing.
- Direct your gaze into the camera as much as possible.
- Record with phone in landscape (long from left to right) ensuring there’s ample open space around your head.
- Do a brief test to check video and audio quality.
- Ask a friend to help with the recording, if needed.
Submit feedback
We want to hear from you!
start.amplify test page
Request a certificate
Once you submit this form, it will take a few days to generate and send your personalized certificate. That email will come directly from support@credential.net.

Get your certificate
STEM Forum on Equity and Inclusion – Science
Once you submit this form, it will take a few days to generate and send your personalized certificate. That email will come directly from support@credential.net.

Get your certificate
STEM Forum on Equity and Inclusion – Math
Once you submit this form, it will take a few days to generate and send your personalized certificate. That email will come directly from support@credential.net

Get your certificate
The Science of Reading: A Defining Movement Book Launch
Once you submit this form, it will take a few days to generate and send your personalized certificate. That email will come directly from support@credential.net

Get your certificate
Reading Reimagined Summit – get your certificate
Once you submit this form, it will take a few days to generate and send your personalized certificate. That email will come directly from support@credential.net.

Get your certificate
STEM Forum – get your certificate
Once you submit this form, it will take a few days to generate and send your personalized certificate. That email will come directly from support@credential.net.

Get your certificate
Science of Reading Symposium
Once you submit this form, it will take a few days to generate and send your personalized certificate. That email will come directly from support@credential.net

Get your certificate
Science of Reading:
The Podcast seeks
student voices
The next season of Science of Reading: The Podcast will be focused on the importance of knowledge-building, so we want to hear from students about their favorite classroom topics!
If you know a student who might want to be a podcast star, use the form below to submit a short video or voice recording of them answering the question: What’s your favorite classroom topic and why?
Recordings should be 30 seconds or less.
Caregivers must complete the “consent and release” section of the form in order for student recordings to be considered.

We want to hear from you!
Request a certificate
Once you submit this form, it will take a few days to generate and send your personalized certificate. That email will come directly from support@credential.net

Get your certificate
Request a certificate
Once you submit this form, it will take a few days to generate and send your personalized certificate. That email will come directly from support@credential.net

Get your certificate
Invest in high-quality professional development.
Amplify’s professional development (PD) provides a variety of learning experiences over multiple years to incrementally develop and apply the knowledge and skills needed for effective and self-sustaining implementation.
Gain insights into effective instructional techniques and develop a deeper understanding of your Amplify program(s) by investing in PD.


The foundation for long-lasting and sustainable change
Partner with us to plan long-lasting and sustainable change for your school or district. Change achieved deliberately is much more likely to stick and get results. We can support you through this journey to drive your professional improvement, enrich your instructional practice, and increase student impact.
Professional learning journey

PrepareYou’ll understand research-based practices to support new program implementation. Prepare learning experiences will help shift literacy and math instruction in areas such as the Science of Reading and/or problem-based approaches to math. |
BeginYou’ll build the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to begin teaching with your Amplify program(s). Program-aligned packages will support those who are new to Amplify’s programs. |
PracticeYou’ll refine instrucional skills, expand knowledge of your Amplify program(s), and explore more advanced insturctional strategies. Program-aligned packages will support those who have experience using Amplify’s programs. |
AdvanceYou’ll deepen understanding of content and pedagogy and build-in house capacity to support a robust, sustainable implementation. Program-aligned offerings will support advanced implementation, build capacity for instructional leaders, certify in-house trainers to deliver Launch sessions, and more. |
Learn more about our curated catalog of packages and sessions to support each stage of your learning journey.
Empower teachers to continuously improve.
Professional development helps teachers stay motivated and inspired to grow professionally. Demonstrate your commitment to your staff by empowering them with professional development packages that include on-site or virtual Launch, Strengthen, or Coach sessions, all of which will orient you and your team to the full features of Amplify programs.
You can also personalize your learning experience by adding enhancement sessions to base packages.


Launch
Launch sessions introduce Amplify programs and support strong implementation.
After learning about the program’s foundational principles and key features, you’ll practice administering the program within a collaborative environment.

Strengthen
Strengthen sessions deepen understanding of the program. Session offerings are targeted and meant to take your practice—and your students’ learning—to the next level.
Offered as part of core packages, as well as enhancements, Strengthen sessions are intended to effectively address your students’ needs. Examples include:
- A focus on data analysis.
- Examining student writing.
- Targeted intervention instruction.

Coach
Coach sessions elevate instructional practice and help meet teachers’ and schools’ specific needs.
Partner with an Amplify coach who will support you in planning a day tailored to meet the needs of teachers and/or leaders. Your customized session will leverage our menu of support, which can include:
- Lesson modeling by an Amplify facilitator.
- Classroom observations and debriefs.
- Grade-level planning.
Coach sessions are customized to you with an Amplify facilitator.
Commit to sustainable change for long-term impact.
Learning may ebb and flow between phases depending on your teachers’ and leaders’ needs, experiences, and professional goals. Amplify PD aims to continually grow, develop, and refine instructional practices to support student learning and achievement.


Frequently asked questions
We value your partnership and aim to provide you with the highest quality learning experiences. Check out our frequently asked PD questions below, along with responses.
Additional learning
Once you become an Amplify customer, you’ll have access to many opportunities to continue learning how to get the most out of your Amplify program(s).
To get a sense of our support, check out some of our free resources:
- Featured blog posts on the Amplify blog
- Webinars or other online events
- Video content on Youtube


Biliteracy supports
Sessions are available to support educators teaching with both Amplify ELAR and Amplify SLAR core programs, or both mCLASS Texas Edition and mCLASS Lectura Texas assessment programs.
Facilitated in both English and Spanish, these specialized sessions should be scheduled for biliteracy teachers using both curriculums and/or assessments. Substitute a biliteracy session for the six-hour initial training in your package, or add these sessions on to your package for your biliteracy teachers.
Order and payment support
If you’re ready to submit your price quote, purchase order, or payment, please visit our Ordering Support site for more information.


Community of collaboration
Connect with fellow Science of Reading, math, or science advocates in one of our public Facebook groups. Join a community or tune into one of our podcasts today:
- Science of Reading: The Podcast and The Community
- Science Connections: The Podcast and The Community
Amplify customers can join our exclusive, program-specific Facebook communities to ask pedagogical questions, share Amplify teaching hacks, and more!
Our experts
We are educators supporting educators. Every member of Amplify’s national team of highly experienced and qualified facilitators is a former educator with years of hands-on classroom and/or administrative experience. Our facilitators are passionate about supporting educators in the implementation of their Amplify programs and creating transformational change for all students.

Get in touch with a PD expert
We’re here to provide answers and guidance as you explore your PD journey. Fill out the form to connect with us and discover how Amplify PD can enhance your educational journey.
Ready to register?
Coming soon! Please select one preferred date and time to register for our session(s) beginning February 2023.
Need to reschedule?
Should you need to reschedule, please select an available date and time, then select the “reschedule” option before submitting the form.
Keep checking back. Registration links are coming soon!
Need help?
If you’ve attempted to sign up and all sessions are full, please submit this form to be connected with your Amplify professional development partner.
Introducing the 2024 Science of Reading Star Awards

There’s more than one way to name a star. You can honor someone you admire by symbolically attaching their name to a star in the night sky…or you can nominate a teacher you admire or a district lighting the way for students for Amplify’s third annual Science of Reading Star Awards!
As we like to say, it takes a constellation of people to help children learn to read—from district leadership to student families, and from inside the classroom to out there the real world. It also takes science—specifically, the science of teaching reading. And it takes leaders who can successfully lead their district in the shift to a curriculum grounded in the Science of Reading, educators who thoughtfully connect students and their families to the impact of the Science of Reading, and teachers who artfully use evidence-based reading instruction to light the way for their students.
We want to celebrate all of these Science of Reading stars!
That’s why we created the Science of Reading Star Awards. Read on for more information about them, including how to nominate someone (or an entire school or district) for the awards. (And if you’re already ready to nominate a star, go right ahead!)
Honoring stellar educators, leaders, schools, and districts in the Science of Reading
We launched this awards program in 2021—a year when schools, educators, and students were still working to bounce back from pandemic challenges and into a new normal. Even then, educators drove change, leading their school communities on a journey to the Science of Reading.
Our awards program honors educators who advocate for and champion the Science of Reading in their classrooms, schools, and districts. They generate buy-in. They inspire their peers and students. They successfully bring research-based materials, phonics instruction, and foundational literacy skills into their approaches—and have remarkable gains to show for it.
These award-worthy educators can include/have included:
- Teachers who’ve connected with their students and served as role models for their colleagues by applying the Science of Reading.
- Principals or district leaders who’ve supervised a successful shift to the Science of Reading in many classrooms across several grades.
- Schools or districts that are driving changes and seeing incredible results using the Science of Reading.
Meet (and learn from) some of our previous winners!
Javonna L. Mack, Lead Content Teacher, Caddo Parish Schools, LA
Award: Changemaker
How did it feel to be selected as a Star Award finalist?
I was and am still over-the-moon excited about being selected as an Amplify Changemaker Star Award finalist. I was very humbled by becoming the winner. It is an amazing feeling of accomplishment when you receive awards. It has become a hallmark of the hard work I have done in my district to support our push in the Science of Reading.
Do you have any advice for educators submitting to the Science of Reading Star Awards for the first time?
Make sure to tell your story. Be clear and concise. Remember to be reflective of all the ways that you have supported your district. I advise that you speak with your peers and gain feedback as to the ways that you have impacted the work they do. Detail your support. Be unique and track and celebrate your achievements.
Shennoy Barnett, Kindergarten Teacher, Johnston County Public Schools, NC
Award: Data Dynamo
How did it feel to be selected as a Star Award finalist?
It was an amazing feeling even to be considered as a semi-finalist, and an even greater one to be selected as a winner, given that it was my first year using the tool.
Do you have any advice for educators submitting to the Science of Reading Star Awards for the first time?
Your hard work and dedication with your students through [the] Science of Reading will tell your story. Even if you are not selected as a finalist, you are still a winner as you are using an amazing tool and touching the lives of your students.
Anila Nayak, Instructional Coach, Intervention Teacher, Los Angeles Unified School District, CA
Award: Science of Reading Superstar Teacher
How did it feel to be selected as a Star Award finalist?
I felt exhilarated at first and later responsible for sharing my learning about how best to teach children to read. It certainly made me more energized to work harder and continue to improve my practice. The award validated my efforts and steered my obsession to become an efficient and knowledgeable reading teacher.
Do you have any advice for educators submitting to the Science of Reading Star Awards for the first time?
Write your compelling narrative about the impact you make each day in the lives of young readers who need you most. You have the tools to reach students who may be struggling but just have not been reached yet. Tell about how you evolved into an expert despite challenges and how learning about the best ways to teach is an absolutely rich experience. After all, you are impacting so many students through your work. Show your pride, because you are doing important work. The Awards journey opens you up to a community of experts and makes you feel a part of new horizons; you get to listen to many experts and read about the new knowledge that is impacting our understanding of how literacy grows.
You can meet all of our 2023 winners here. Their stories and perspectives may help you discover how you can drive change in your classroom, school, and district with the Science of Reading!
Nominate a Science of Reading star!
Inspired? Now think of the educators in your world—especially those devoted to literacy. Do you know someone who has transformed their classroom and empowered their students with the Science of Reading? (And yes, this person might be you!) How about a school or district that has established strong evidence-based practices and seen incredible results? We also have new categories this year to honor both the traditional and less traditional Science of Reading champions!
Submit your nomination for the 2024 Science of Reading Star Awards by Feb. 15!
All award winners will receive:
- Free enrollment in Foundations to the Science of Reading online course.
- A spotlight on an episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast.
- Honorary Amplify Ambassadorship.
- Science of Reading starter library.
- Tons of swag!
The grand prize winner in the District and School categories will receive a regional event hosted by Amplify. The grand prize winner in the Individual category will be given full conference registration and associated travel costs to NCTE in Boston, in Nov. 2024.
Learn more:
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE RESTRICTED OR PROHIBITED BY LAW.
These Terms and Conditions (the “T&Cs”) apply to each sweepstakes offered by Amplify Education, Inc. (the “Sponsor”) on a webpage, email, or other document that links to these T&Cs (the “Entry Page”). For detailed rules for each sweepstakes, please review the sweepstakes rules on the Entry Page (such rules, the “Sweepstakes Rules”). These Terms and Conditions, together with the Sweepstakes Rules, will comprise the “Official Rules” for the sweepstakes.
To enter
Fill out the entry form on the Entry Page. Limit of one (1) entry per person using only one (1) email address for each drawing conducted during the sweepstakes period. Eligibility of individual entries will be at the sole discretion of the Sponsor, for any reason or for no reason, though specific reasons for disqualification may include use of inappropriate language. Entries generated by script, macro, mechanical or other automated means and entries by any means which subvert the entry process are void. Multiple entries received from any person in excess of the stated limitation will be void. Sponsor is not responsible for incomplete, lost, late, stolen, misdirected, damaged, illegible entries, for address changes of entrants, or for malfunctions of electronic or telephone equipment, computer hardware or software, failure of any entry to be received on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to any entrant’s or any other person’s computer or other property related to or resulting from participation in the sweepstakes, or for other problems related to electronic entries. All entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be returned.
Eligibility
In addition to any eligibility restrictions contained in the Sweepstakes Rules, each sweepstakes is open only to individual legal residents of the states of the United States or the District of Columbia, except for residents of Rhode Island, who are at least 13 years of age or older as of the time of entry.
- Minors – Parents and Guardians: An eligible person under the age of majority in such person’s jurisdiction must have his/her parent’s or legal guardian’s consent to enter this sweepstakes. The parent(s) or legal guardian(s) of an entrant under the legal age of majority in his/her jurisdiction of residence (a) will ensure that the entrant in respect of whom they agree to the Official Rules will comply with the Official Rules; and (b) warrants that he/she agrees to the Official Rules and gives the consents contained herein, including permission for his/her child/ward to participate in this sweepstakes. The parents(s) or legal guardian(s) of each such entrant agrees to indemnify the Released Parties (as defined below) for and against: (i) any claims made by the entrant, his or her legal guardian(s), or any member of his or her family against the Released Parties in connection with this sweepstakes; and (ii) any losses (including any liability) caused by any conduct of the entrant that is inconsistent with the Official Rules.
- Teachers/School Personnel: By entering this sweepstakes, you represent and warrant that your participation in this sweepstakes complies with your school, institution, school board and school district policies. Any entry submitted in violation of such policies may result in disqualification. Verification: Amplify reserves the right to verify an individual’s eligibility, compliance with applicable policies in the case of teachers and school personnel and, if applicable, a parent’s or legal guardian’s consent to enter the sweepstakes by requesting proof of identity, compliance, or eligibility in the form acceptable to Amplify. Failure to provide such proof may result in disqualification, such that entrant will no longer be eligible to participate in the sweepstakes and will have no recourse or other opportunity to submit an entry.
- Entrant: In the event of a dispute regarding any entry, the entry will be deemed made by the authorized account holder of the e-mail address submitted at the time of entry (i.e., the natural person who is assigned to an email address by an Internet access provider, online service provider or other organization responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address).
- Ineligibility: Employees of Amplify, its advertising and promotion agencies, its contest administration agents, and each of Amplify’s and such agencies’ respective parent companies, subsidiaries and affiliates (all of the foregoing, the “Sweepstakes Entities”), and such employees’ immediate family and household members, are not eligible.
Drawing
Winners will be selected on the date(s) specified in the Sweepstakes Rules (the “Drawing Dates”). Each winner be selected in a random drawing, from all eligible entries received since the beginning of the sweepstakes period or the prior Drawing Date, as applicable. Winner does not need to be present to win. The drawing(s) will be conducted by Sponsor or its designee, the judge of the sweepstakes, whose decisions are final and binding on all matters relating to the sweepstakes. Winner will be required to sign and return an affidavit of eligibility/liability and publicity release, or the prize will be forfeited and an alternate winner selected.
Prize and odds of winning
The Prizes and number to be awarded are specified in the Sweepstakes Rules. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Prizes will be awarded. No prize substitutions, upgrades or cash equivalents, except at the sole discretion of the Sponsor if an advertised prize becomes unavailable. Prizes are non-transferable. All taxes, if any, associated with the prize are the winner’s sole responsibility.
General
By entering, entrants agree to: (1) release the Sponsor, its agents, and any platforms used to conduct the sweepstakes, such as Facebook, Twitter, or others (each, a “Platform” and together with Sponsor and its agents, the “Released Parties”), from all liability, injuries, loss and/or damage of any kind arising from their participation in the sweepstakes and the acceptance, possession and use/misuse of any prize; (2) to be bound by the Official Rules and the decisions of the judge; and (3) to be contacted by Sponsor by mail, telephone and/or email regarding the sweepstakes. The sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, any Platforms used to promote it. By accepting a prize, winner consents to the use of his/her name and likeness for advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation in all media worldwide (except where prohibited by law). The sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. If for any reason the sweepstakes is not capable of running as planned, including due to an infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this sweepstakes, Sponsor and its agents reserve the right, at their sole discretion, to modify, suspend or terminate the sweepstakes, and select the winner from all eligible entries received prior to the termination and/or to disqualify any individual who is responsible or who tampers with the entry process. This sweepstakes is governed by the laws of the State of New York, with venue in New York County, New York, and all claims must be resolved in the state or federal courts in New York County, New York.
Removal for future mailings
To have your name and address removed from Sponsor’s future mailings, please select the unsubscribe link in any email you receive from Sponsor. Sponsor will process your request within 60 days.
Winner’s name
For the name of the winner, email mail@amplify.com or send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to be postmarked within 15 days and received within 30 days of the relevant Drawing Date to: Amplify, Marketing Department, Winner’s Name, 55 Washington Street, Suite 800, Brooklyn, NY 11201.
Sponsor
Amplify Education, Inc., 55 Washington Street, Suite 800, Brooklyn, New York 11201.
Get your certificate
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Educator Spotlight submission
Do you love using Amplify programs? Do you have helpful program implementation tips that you’d like to share with your fellow educators? Or, do you know a teacher who deserves to be celebrated for their work with their Amplify program(s)? Share your advice with us or tell us about an amazing Amplify educator. We’ll share your submission in an upcoming newsletter and social media post!
If you have any questions, please email educatornewsletter@amplify.com.

Submit your spotlight
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Texas State Reviewers: Welcome to Amplify ELAR Skills and Amplify SLAR Habilidades y Destrezas!
Thank you for taking the time to review Amplify’s English and Spanish Phonics programs for Texas. This site will allow you to easily access grade-level teacher and student resources submitted for review. Simply click the program you wish to review below to get started.
Feedback: Amplify’s materials on this website have been submitted to the Texas State Board of Education for review as part of their annual IMRA (Instructional Materials Review and Approval) process. During this process, Amplify is accepting feedback and will make additional edits to address surfacing issues. Your feedback is appreciated as we ensure a product of the highest quality. Please submit feedback and/or error reports by visiting sboe.texas.gov/imra.

Amplify Texas ELAR Skills K-3
TEKS Breakout Correlations
- Adjusted Pathways Document
- Appendices Grade 3
- Assessment Guide
- Corrective Feedback Planning Tool
- Curriculum Maps
- Data Analysis and Progress Monitoring Grade 3
- Enhancing Observations for Leaders (Coach Observation Tracker)
- Fluency Packet
- GEL Resources
- Intervention Toolkit – follow these steps to access:
- Click HERE to access the site
- Click ‘Log in with Amplify’
- Enter Username and Password:
- Username: texasreviewer2024.teacher
- Password: AmplifyNumber1
- Pacing Guides
- Unit Assessment Tracker Grade 3
- Program Overview for Leaders
- Skills Unit Internalization Template
- Skills Lesson Internalization Template
- Support for All Learners
- My Weekly Reflection
- Amplify Hub – follow these steps to access:
- Click HERE to access the site
- Click ‘Log in with Amplify’
- Enter Username and Password:
- Teacher
- Username: texasreviewer2024.teacher
- Password: AmplifyNumber1
- Student
- Username: texasreviewer2024.student
- Password: AmplifyNumber1
- Teacher
Grade K
Essential Program Materials:
Grade 1
Essential Program Materials:
Grade 2
Essential Program Materials:
Grade 3
Amplify Texas SLAR Habilidades y Destrezas K-2
TEKS Breakout Correlations
- Adjusted Pathways Document
- Year at a Glance
- Assessment Guide
- Corrective Feedback Planning Tool
- Curriculum Maps / Mapa curricular: Habilidades y Destrezas
- Bilingual Planning Tools
- Enhancing Observations for Leaders (Observation Tracker)
- Fluency Packet / Paquete de fluidez: Guía del maestro
- Writing Evaluation Rubric
- Pacing Guides / Guía de clases
- Program Overview for Leaders
- Support for All Learners
- My Weekly Reflection
- Dictation: General Description / Dictado: descripción general
- Skills Unit Internalization Template / Planificación de la unidad
- Skills Lesson Internalization Template / Planificación de la lección
- Click HERE to access the site
- Click Log in with Amplify
- Enter Username and Password:
- Teacher
- Username: texasreviewer2024.teacher
- Password: AmplifyNumber1
- Student
- Username: texasreviewer2024.student
- Password: AmplifyNumber1
- Teacher
Essential K-2 program materials:
- Image Cards / Tarjetas de imágenes
- Large Letter Cards / Tarjetas grandes de letras
- Small Letter Cards / Tarjetas pequeñas de letras
- Vocabulary Book – Teacher Guide / Libro de vocabulario: Guía del maestro
- Vocabulary Book – Activity Book / Libro de vocabulario: Cuaderno del estudiante
- Cursive Activity Book
Grado K
- Teacher Guide / Guía del maestro
- Activity Book / Cuaderno de actividades
- Big Book / Libro grande
- Editable Lesson Slides / Diapositivas de lecciones – Unit Sample
- Poetry Lesson 1 / Poesía Lección 1
- Poetry Lesson 1 Poem / Poesía Lección 1 Poema
- Digital Components (Projectables)/ Componentes digitales
- Large Syllable Cards / Tarjetas grandes de sílabas
- Take-Home Letter (English)
- Teacher Guide / Guía del maestro
- Activity Book / Cuaderno de actividades
- Big Book / Libro grande
- Editable Lesson Slides / Diapositivas de lecciones – Unit Sample
- Digital Compenents (Projectables)/ Componentes digitales
- Large Syllable Cards / Tarjetas grandes de sílabas
- Small Syllable Cards / Tarjetas pequeñas de sílabas
- Take-Home Letter (English)
- Teacher Guide / Guía del maestro
- Activity Book / Cuaderno de actividades
- Big Book / Libro grande
- Editable Lesson Slides / Diapositivas de lecciones – Unit Sample
- Poetry Lesson 2 / Poesía Lección 2
- Poetry Lesson 2 Poem / Poesía Lección 2 Poema
- Digital Components (Projectables)/ Componentes digitales
- Large Syllable Cards / Tarjetas grandes de sílabas
- Small Syllable Cards / Tarjetas pequeñas de sílabas
- Take-Home Letter (English)
- Teacher Guide / Guía del maestro
- Activity Book / Cuaderno de actividades
- Reader / Libro de lectura
- Big Book / Libro grande
- Editable Lesson Slides / Diapositivas de lecciones – Unit Sample
- Digital Components (Projectables)/ Componentes digitales
- Large Syllable Cards / Tarjetas grandes de sílabas
- Small Syllable Cards / Tarjetas pequeñas de sílabas
- Take-Home Letter (English)
- Teacher Guide / Guía del maestro
- Activity Book / Cuaderno de actividades
- Reader / Libro de lectura
- Big Book / Libro grande
- Editable Lesson Slides / Diapositivas de lecciones – Unit Sample
- Poetry Lesson 3 / Poesía Lección 3
- Poetry Lesson 3 Poem / Poesía Lección 3 Poema
- Digital Components (Projectables)/ Componentes digitales
- Large Syllable Cards / Tarjetas grandes de sílabas
- Small Syllable Cards / Tarjetas pequeñas de sílabas
- Take-Home Letter (English)
- Teacher Guide / Guía del maestro
- Activity Book / Cuaderno de actividades
- Reader / Libro de lectura
- Big Book / Libro grande
- Editable Lesson Slides / Diapositivas de lecciones – Unit Sample
- Digital Components (Projectables)/ Componentes digitales
- Large Syllable Cards / Tarjetas grandes de sílabas
- Small Syllable Cards / Tarjetas pequeñas de sílabas
- Take-Home Letter (English)
- Teacher Guide / Guía del maestro
- Activity Book / Cuaderno de actividades
- Reader / Libro de lectura
- Big Book / Libro grande
- Editable Lesson Slides / Diapositivas de lecciones – Unit Sample
- Digital Components (Projectables)/ Componentes digitales
- Large Syllable Cards / Tarjetas grandes de sílabas
- Small Syllable Cards / Tarjetas pequeñas de sílabas
- Take-Home Letter (English)
- Teacher Guide / Guía del maestro
- Activity Book / Cuaderno de actividades
- Reader / Libro de lectura
- Big Book / Libro grande
- Editable Lesson Slides / Diapositivas de lecciones – Unit Sample
- Poetry Lesson 4 / Poesía Lección 4
- Poetry Lesson 4 Poem / Poesía Lección 4 Poema
- Digital Components (Projectables)/ Componentes digitales
- Large Syllable Cards / Tarjetas grandes de sílabas
- Small Syllable Cards / Tarjetas pequeñas de sílabas
- Take-Home Letter (English)
Grado 1
- Teacher Guide / Guía del maestro
- Activity Book / Cuaderno de actividades
- Reader / Libro de lectura
- Big Book / Libro grande
- Editable Lesson Slides / Diapositivas de lecciones – Unit Sample
- Poetry Lesson 1 / Poesía Lección 1
- Poetry Lesson 1 Poem / Poesía Lección 1 Poema
- Digital Components (Projectables)/ Componentes digitales
- Large Syllable Cards / Tarjetas grandes de sílibas
- Take-Home Letter (English)
- Teacher Guide / Guía del maestro
- Activity Book / Cuaderno de actividades
- Reader / Libro de lectura
- Big Book / Libro grande
- Editable Lesson Slides / Diapositivas de lecciones – Unit Sample
- Digital Components(Projectables)/ Componentes digitales
- Small Syllable Cards / Tarjetas pequeñas de sílabas
- Take-Home Letter (English)
- Teacher Guide / Guía del maestro
- Activity Book / Cuaderno de actividades
- Reader / Libro de lectura
- Big Book / Libro grande
- Editable Lesson Slides / Diapositivas de lecciones – Unit Sample
- Poetry Lesson 2 / Poesía Lección 2
- Poetry Lesson 2 Poem / Poesía Lección 2 Poema
- Digital Components (Projectables)/ Componentes digitales
- Large Syllable Cards / Tarjetas grandes de sílabas
- Small Syllable Cards / Tarjetas pequeñas de sílabas
- Take-Home Letter (English)
- Teacher Guide / Guía del maestro
- Activity Book / Cuaderno de actividades
- Reader / Libro de lectura
- Big Book / Libro grande
- Editable Lesson Slides / Diapositivas de lecciones – Unit Sample
- Poetry Lesson 3 / Poesía Lección 3
- Poetry Lesson 3 Poem / Poesía Lección 3 Poema
- Digital Components (Projectables)/ Componentes digitales
- Large Syllable Cards / Tarjetas grandes de sílabas
- Small Syllable Cards / Tarjetas pequeñas de sílabas
- Take-Home Letter (English)
- Teacher Guide / Guía del maestro
- Activity Book / Cuaderno de actividades
- Reader / Libro de lectura
- Editable Lesson Slides / Diapositivas de lecciones – Unit Sample
- Digital Components (Projectables)/ Componentes digitales
- Large Syllable Cards / Tarjetas grandes de sílabas
- Small Syllable Cards / Tarjetas pequeñas de sílabas
- Take-Home Letter (English)
- Teacher Guide / Guía del maestro
- Activity Book / Cuaderno de actividades
- Reader / Libro de lectura
- Editable Lesson Slides / Diapositivas de lecciones – Unit Sample
- Digital Components (Projectables)/ Componentes digitales
- Large Syllable Cards / Tarjetas grandes de sílabas
- Small Syllable Cards / Tarjetas pequeñas de sílabas
- Take-Home Letter (English)
- Teacher Guide / Guía del maestro
- Activity Book / Cuaderno de actividades
- Reader / Libro de lectura
- Editable Lesson Slides / Diapositivas de lecciones – Unit Sample
- Digital Components (Projectables)/ Componentes digitales
- Large Syllable Cards / Tarjetas grandes de sílabas
- Small Syllable Cards / Tarjetas pequeñas de sílabas
- Take-Home Letter (English)
- Teacher Guide / Guía del maestro
- Activity Book / Cuaderno de actividades
- Reader / Libro de lectura
- Editable Lesson Slides / Diapositivas de lecciones – Unit Sample
- Poetry Lesson 4 / Poesía Lección 4
- Poetry Lesson 4 Poem / Poesía Lección 4 Poema
- Digital Components (Portables)/ Componentes digitales
- Take-Home Letter (English)
Grado 2
- Teacher Guide / Guía del maestro
- Activity Book / Cuaderno de actividades
- Reader / Libro de lectura
- Editable Lesson Slides / Diapositivas de lecciones – Unit Sample
- Digital Components (Projectables)/ Componentes digitales
- Large Syllable Cards / Tarjetas grandes de sílabas
- Small Syllable Cards / Tarjetas pequeñas de sílabas
- Take-Home Letter (English)
- Teacher Guide / Guía del maestro
- Activity Book / Cuaderno de actividades
- Reader / Libro de lectura
- Editable Lesson Slides / Diapositivas de lecciones – Unit Sample
- Poetry Lesson 1 / Poesía Lección 1
- Poetry Lesson 1 Poem / Poesía Lección 1 Poema
- Digital Components (Projectables)/ Componentes digitales
- Take-Home Letter (English)
- Teacher Guide / Guía del maestro
- Activity Book / Cuaderno de actividades
- Reader / Libro de lectura
- Editable Lesson Slides / Diapositivas de lecciones – Unit Sample
- Poetry Lesson 2 / Poesía Lección 2
- Poetry Lesson 2 Poem / Poesía Lección 2 Poema
- Digital Components (Projectables)/ Componentes digitales
- Take-Home Letter (English)
- Teacher Guide / Guía del maestro
- Activity Book / Cuaderno de actividades
- Reader / Libro de lectura
- Editable Lesson Slides / Diapositivas de lecciones – Unit Sample
- Poetry Lesson 3 / Poesía Lección 3
- Poetry Lesson 3 Poem / Poesía Lección 3 Poema
- Digital Components (Projectables)/ Componentes digitales
- Large Syllable Cards / Tarjetas grandes de sílabas
- Take-Home Letter (English)
- Teacher Guide / Guía del maestro
- Activity Book / Cuaderno de actividades
- Reader / Libro de lectura
- Editable Lesson Slides / Diapositivas de lecciones – Unit Sample
- Poetry Lesson 4 / Poesía Lección 4
- Poetry Lesson 4 Poem / Poesía Lección 4 Poema
- Digital Components (Projectables)/ Componentes digitales
- Take-Home Letter (English)
Get your certificate
Our K–12 international education programs inspire students around the world.
At Amplify, we believe that every teacher and student deserves access to high-quality materials. That’s why we collaborate with international schools to meet their core curriculum, assessment, and intervention needs.
By providing solutions grounded in research and evidence-based practices, Amplify is making an impact on international K–12 education.
We are making an impact around the globe.
6
continents
80+
countries
900+
schools worldwide
700,000+
students globally
Amplify international education programs
The following programs are available internationally.
Amplify professional learning
From live, in-person training and coaching to online courses and virtual professional development, we offer a range of support to fit schools’ needs and educators’ busy schedules. Professional development offerings include the following:
- Launch sessions
- Strengthen sessions
- Coach sessions
- Custom packages

Custom development
We collaborate with governments and government agencies to localize and customize our high-quality instructional materials to ensure they align with specific education standards and frameworks.
Get in touch with our sales team to discuss how we can help your organization.
License our digital tools.
Explore Amplify’s digital tools and how they can make your programs more engaging and digital-forward.
Publishers can license the Amplify teaching and learning digital platform, which offers robust digital functionality—including digital manipulatives—that can transform print-based instructional programs into interactive, collaborative, and engaging digital experiences for teachers and students.
If you want to use our platform for commercial purposes, please contact our team.

Amplify international education support
Amplify aims to provide the best customer support throughout each stage of your journey, whether you are exploring our programs for the first time or are a long-term partner.
Below, you’ll find a quick guide on the international purchase process and expected timelines.
Simple steps to get your order processed quickly:




To ensure that there are no delays, we advise you to place your order 3–4 months prior to your first day of school. This should allow enough time for shipping and digital set up.

Purchasing
Our international sales team can answer your questions about our programs and services. Please fill out the form to speak with your account executive.
FILL OUT FORM

Ordering and payment
We want your purchasing experience to be as seamless as possible. Visit our customer portal to learn more about your payment options.
Please be sure to include:
- A signed PO. Don’t forget to add your PO number.
- A copy of your Price Quote.
- A copy of your Tax-Exemption Certificate.
You can also email your documents to IncomingPO@amplify.com.

Shipping physical materials
- Submit your logistics and product quantities on the Order Management Page (OMP).
- Track shipment(s) with the Shipment Status Page (SSP).

Enrollment and licensing
Please note that our team needs to review your school’s rosters for accuracy and completeness:
- This process can take up to 12 business days.
- You will be notified when the licensing process is complete!
Frequently asked questions
Payment processing time can vary, depending on chosen payment method, as well as banking institution. Please allow at least 10 business days for it to be processed. For additional support contact internationalsalessuport@amplify.com.
For digital licenses, you will need to submit your digital logistics information, which includes your school’s rosters data. Our technical onboarding team then needs to verify it for accuracy and completeness. (They might contact you, should they need any clarification.) The digital setup process can take up to four weeks to be completed. For help along the way, please use our Amplify Onboarding Hub.
To avoid delays, please submit your logistics information and product quantities on the Order Management Page as early as possible. Note that international shipping time varies from one country to another due to many factors, including different customs procedures. We are therefore unable to estimate and guarantee delivery time in each case. Amplify offers two international shipping options: 1. Your materials can be shipped from the U.S. directly to you, which will incur an international shipping and handling fee of 25% on the physical products ordered. 2. Alternatively, Amplify can ship your materials to a U.S. freight forwarder, and you can manage the shipping.
Note that setup communications will be sent to the contact person listed on the quote. This email is sometimes routed to the spam folder, so please check there as well. If you do not receive a link within five business days, please reach out to the customer care and support team.
Get support
Our dedicated team members will assist you with purchasing, order fulfillment, enrollment and licensing, and more!
Our support hours are Monday through Friday,
11 a.m.–11 p.m. GMT.

New to our programs? Our international sales support team is here to help!
Email us:
International events
Join us for an upcoming event, webinar, or podcast. You can browse all of our events by month, or use the filter to find events close to you.

Join us for an Oklahoma Amplify Science workshop
These fun and informative workshops will give you a sneak peak into Amplify Science for grades K-8. Enjoy dinner with your colleagues and Amplify Science team, preview the program, walk away with free samples, and maybe even a door prize!
Space is limited—register today!
In-person workshops
Agenda
4:00 p.m. Registration
4:30 p.m. Workshop
5:30 p.m. Dinner and door prizes
Tuesday, September 29
Stride Bank Center
301 S. Independence Street
Enid, OK 73701
Wednesday, September 30
Hampton Inn & Suites Stillwater West
615 S. Country Club Road
Stillwater, OK 74074
Thursday, October 1
Science Museum
2020 Remington Place
Oklahoma City, OK 73111
Tuesday, October 20
Oklahoma Aquarium
300 Aquarium Drive
Jenks, OK 74037
Thursday, October 22
Sam Noble Museum
University of Oklahoma
2401 Chautauqua Avenue
Norman, OK 73072
Virtual workshops
Agenda
4:00 p.m. Workshop begins
4:45 p.m. Q&A
5:00 p.m. Dinner gift card and door prizes
Wednesday, October 21
4:00 p.m. CDT
Tuesday, October 27
4:00 p.m. CDT
Wednesday, October 28
4:00 p.m. CDT
Thursday, October 29
4:00 p.m. CDT
Submit the form to register for an event!
The fine print
While we’ve made every effort to ensure that this invitation is consistent with the gift and ethics rules adopted by most jurisdictions, we recognize that many public officials are subject to rules that do not permit acceptance of this offer or require approval of other officials at your agency. If you do plan to attend our event, please ensure that acceptance of our invitation is fully compliant with your local rules regarding travel, lodging, and meals for events with vendors. Please let us know if we can provide any additional information to support your determination.

Join us!
Meet like-minded educators Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut magna aliqua.
March 2–4
The US Grant Hotel, San Diego
About the event
Join us for two days of interactive and inspirational talks with math education leaders from around the country to discuss where math education is headed. Meet like-minded K–12 leaders as well as change-makers from major universities, EdTech companies, and professional learning organizations dedicated to improving teacher experiences and student outcomes in mathematics.
We’re hosting an optional pre-conference workshop featuring Patrick Callahan and Chris Weber on Monday, March 2. The pre-conference starts at 12 p.m.
What to expect:
- Two full days of keynote and breakout sessions covering a variety of K–12 math topics
- Sessions led by district leaders sharing their work to raise math achievement
- Evening networking events
- Engaging speakers with a variety of expertise
- Insights you can put to use in your district immediately

Meet a few of our speakers
Use this version when there are multiple presenters.

Jason Zimba
Founding Partner of Student Achievement Partners
Lead writer of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics

Sunil Singh
Founding Partner of Student Achievement Partners
Lead writer of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics

Christina Lincoln-Moore
Founding Partner of Student Achievement Partners
Lead writer of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics
Meet our featured presenter
Use this version when there is only one presenter, rather than many.

Natalie Wexler
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Quis ipsum suspendisse ultrices gravida dictum fusce. Convallis posuere morbi leo urna molestie. In metus vulputate eu scelerisque felis imperdiet proin fermentum leo.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Quis ipsum suspendisse ultrices gravida dictum fusce.
Event agenda
Monday, March 2
Arrivals
Pre-conference workshop featuring Chris Weber and Patrick Callahan
Sessions begin at 1 p.m. Pacific and include:
- Adult and Student Mindsets and Math Supports
- Enhanced Mathematics
3:00 p.m. Hotel check-in available
6:00 p.m. Welcome reception and dinner
Tuesday, March 3
8:30 a.m. Sessions begin
Sessions include:
- Math milestones with Jason Zimba
- Unfinished learning with Phil Daro
- Powerful moments in math class with Mike Flynn
- Utilizing math history to embrace equity, failure, and authentic problem-solving in leadership communities with Sunil Singh
- Radical change in high school mathematics: Addressing wicked problems of tracking, acceleration, and curricular change with Mike Steele
6:30 p.m. Evening event
Wednesday, March 4
8:30 a.m. Sessions begin
Sessions include:
- Embedding problem-solving into your curriculum with Fawn Nguyen
- Writing in mathematics: The power of mathematics explanations with Jessica Balli
- Talk Number 2 Me: Mathematics and mindfulness with Christina Lincoln-Moore
- Writing in mathematics: The power of mathematical explanations with Patrick Callahan
4:00 p.m. Departures
Submit the form to register for the event!
Note: this is a Hubspot form but, when this page is used, we will be using Gravity forms. I put in an HS form now since the CSS has not been added.

The fine print
While we’ve made every effort to ensure that this invitation is consistent with the gift and ethics rules adopted by most jurisdictions, we recognize that many public officials are subject to rules that do not permit acceptance of this offer or require approval of other officials at your agency. If you do plan to attend our event, please ensure that acceptance of our invitation is fully compliant with your local rules regarding travel, lodging, and meals for events with vendors. Please let us know if we can provide any additional information to support your determination.

Join us!
Amplify Science: Wisconsin professional learning workshop
Join UC Berkeley’s Lawerence Hall of Science for a day of professional learning to support your implementation of Amplify Science. Workshop sessions and breakouts will benefit both those just starting in Amplify Science and those already well along their implementation journey. Teams are encouraged to attend!
When: April 29, 2020
8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Where: Pyle Center
Rooms 325/326
702 Langdon Street
Madison, WI 53706
About the event
Overview of the day:
- Welcome and introductions
- Unpacking storylines
- Morning breakouts: Coherence in Amplify Science
- Lunch provided
- Afternoon breakouts: Planning for strategic implementation of the Amplify Science Assessment system
- Reflections and closing

Submit this form to register for the event!

Join us!
Meet like-minded educators Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut magna aliqua.
March 2–4
The US Grant Hotel, San Diego
About the event
Join us for two days of interactive and inspirational talks with math education leaders from around the country to discuss where math education is headed. Meet like-minded K–12 leaders as well as change-makers from major universities, EdTech companies, and professional learning organizations dedicated to improving teacher experiences and student outcomes in mathematics.
We’re hosting an optional pre-conference workshop featuring Patrick Callahan and Chris Weber on Monday, March 2. The pre-conference starts at 12 p.m.
What to expect:
- Two full days of keynote and breakout sessions covering a variety of K–12 math topics
- Sessions led by district leaders sharing their work to raise math achievement
- Evening networking events
- Engaging speakers with a variety of expertise
- Insights you can put to use in your district immediately

Meet a few of our speakers
Use this version when there are multiple presenters.
Jason Zimba
Founding Partner of Student Achievement Partners
Lead writer of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics
Sunil Singh
Founding Partner of Student Achievement Partners
Lead writer of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics
Meet our featured presenter
Use this version when there is only one presenter, rather than many.

Natalie Wexler
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Quis ipsum suspendisse ultrices gravida dictum fusce. Convallis posuere morbi leo urna molestie. In metus vulputate eu scelerisque felis imperdiet proin fermentum leo.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Quis ipsum suspendisse ultrices gravida dictum fusce.
Event agenda
Monday, March 2
Arrivals
Pre-conference workshop featuring Chris Weber and Patrick Callahan
Sessions begin at 1 p.m. Pacific and include:
- Adult and Student Mindsets and Math Supports
- Enhanced Mathematics
3:00 p.m. Hotel check-in available
6:00 p.m. Welcome reception and dinner
Tuesday, March 3
8:30 a.m. Sessions begin
Sessions include:
- Math milestones with Jason Zimba
- Unfinished learning with Phil Daro
- Powerful moments in math class with Mike Flynn
- Utilizing math history to embrace equity, failure, and authentic problem-solving in leadership communities with Sunil Singh
- Radical change in high school mathematics: Addressing wicked problems of tracking, acceleration, and curricular change with Mike Steele
6:30 p.m. Evening event
Wednesday, March 4
8:30 a.m. Sessions begin
Sessions include:
- Embedding problem-solving into your curriculum with Fawn Nguyen
- Writing in mathematics: The power of mathematics explanations with Jessica Balli
- Talk Number 2 Me: Mathematics and mindfulness with Christina Lincoln-Moore
- Writing in mathematics: The power of mathematical explanations with Patrick Callahan
4:00 p.m. Departures
Submit the form to register for the event!
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Welcome, New York City reviewers
On this site, you will find the following information to assist you as you review Amplify Science: a guided tour to help you navigate both our K–5 and 6–8 programs, an overview video of our 6–8 program, a Getting Started guide, a program guide, unit maps and correlations to New York State standards for each of the units Amplify is submitting to the New York City Department of Education for review.
Amplify Science was developed by the science education experts at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and the digital learning team at Amplify.
Getting started
Welcome to Amplify Science, a breakthrough curriculum designed from the ground up for new science standards and three-dimensional learning. Amplify is pleased to submit our next-generation K–8 science curriculum for review as a core instructional resource to the New York City Department of Education. We recommend watching the below video and walking through the Guided Tour for the level you are reviewing to get started.
Watch the video

View the guided tour
Learn how to navigate our online curriculum by clicking through the guided tour for the level(s) you’re reviewing:
Units for review
Amplify Science has kindergarten through eighth grade units available for review.
Please note: for the K–5 units, the teacher accesses the digital curriculum for daily instruction (or a printed version of the teacher guide), while students use a variety of print and hands-on materials. When lessons call for students to access simulations and other digital tools (about once a week in grades 2–5), they will share devices and be logged-in via teacher credentials.
For the 6–8 program, both teachers and students access the digital curriculum, with students requiring devices for about 50 percent of lessons (either on shared devices or 1:1). Printed teacher guides and student notebooks are also available as downloadable PDFs in the program, or printed and bound from Amplify.
To access the digital curriculum, simply click on the link below to access the unit(s) you will be reviewing and related materials. View Technology Requirements.

Pushes and Pulls
Resources
- Getting Started guide for grades K–5 (pdf)
- Program guide for grades K–5 (pdf)
- Unit map and standards (pdf)
- Amplify K–5 scope and sequence (pdf)
- Amplify K–5 one-pager (pdf)
Review the Getting Started Guide and take the Guided Tour before logging in.

Animal and Plant Defenses
Resources
- Getting Started guide for grades K–5 (pdf)
- Program guide for grades K–5 (pdf)
- Unit map and standards (pdf)
- Amplify K–5 scope and sequence (pdf)
- Amplify K–5 one-pager (pdf)
Review the Getting Started Guide and take the Guided Tour before logging in.

Weather and Climate
Resources
- Getting Started guide for grades K–5 (pdf)
- Program guide for grades K–5 (pdf)
- Unit map and standards (pdf)
- Amplify K–5 scope and sequence (pdf)
- Amplify K–5 one-pager (pdf)
Review the Getting Started Guide and take the Guided Tour before logging in.

Earth’s Features
Resources
- Getting Started guide for grades K–5 (pdf)
- Program guide for grades K–5 (pdf)
- Unit map and standards (pdf)
- Amplify K–5 scope and sequence (pdf)
- Amplify K–5 one-pager (pdf)
Review the Getting Started Guide and take the Guided Tour before logging in.

Modeling Matter
Resources
- Getting Started guide for grades K–5 (pdf)
- Program guide for grades K–5 (pdf)
- Unit map and standards (pdf)
- Amplify K–5 scope and sequence (pdf)
- Amplify K–5 one-pager (pdf)
Review the Getting Started Guide and take the Guided Tour before logging in.

Chemical Reactions

Earth, Moon, and Sun

Evolutionary History

Populations and Resources
A powerful partnership
Amplify Science was developed by the science education experts at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and the digital learning team at Amplify.

Back to school 2020–21 updates
Back to school 2020 is coming! Click here for more information on all of the improvements and new features we’re adding to Amplify Science for the new school year.
Program introduction
Onboarding: what to expect
Welcome to Amplify Science! To help you know what’s coming next, we created the following outline of the steps of the onboarding process. You can use it as a reference.
Administrators receive launch email
- Share the information with teachers
- Submit the shipping survey sent to your email
Log In
- Go to learning.amplify.com
- Click on Log in with Clever or Google
- Enter your FCPS credentials
- Demo Account for full access to Amplify Curriculum without access to personalized class rosters:
- Go to learning.amplify.com
- Click on login with Amplify
- Username: t.Fayette2020@tryamplify.net
- Password: AmplifyNumber1
Ensure you have received all materials and components
- Teachers have access to a series of “Unboxing your materials kit” videos. If you’re interested in watching those, click here.
Check out the professional learning opportunities and/or access the Getting Started Resources below.
If you need assistance, please see the help resources or reach out to your Educational Partnerships Manager or PD manager at caffleck@amplify.com, pworks@amplify.com with any questions.
K–5 resources
To ensure your first day using Amplify Science in the classroom is as seamless and smooth as possible, we recommend reviewing the following checklist before the first day of school.
What’s coming to my school?
Each unit of Amplify Science comes with a hands-on materials kit. Each hands-on materials kit arrives in one to three boxes and contains:
- Consumable materials for two uses of 25 or 36 students (depending on school purchase)
- Non-consumable materials
- Classroom wall materials
- Premium print materials (card sorts, vocabulary rings, etc.).
- 18 copies of each Student Book (5 titles each unit, K–1 will receive 5 big books per unit)
- A blackline master of the Student Investigation Notebook
You can find complete materials lists for each unit in the following PDF. This information is also available in the digital Teacher’s Guide within the program.
Onboarding videos
Our team has created a series of short videos to help get you started with Amplify Science:
What’s online?
Planning strategies
How to log in and navigate
NGSS introduction
Planning guides
As you prepare to plan for a unit, download our planning guides to help walk you through the most important resources to locate in either the print or digital Teacher’s Guide to help you plan:
Additional resources
If you’re interested in learning more about each unit’s anchor phenomena, the Student Books in each unit, and more program features, download the resources below:
- Guided tour
- Spanish-language supports in grades K–5
- Phenomena in grades K–5
- Student Books in grades K–5
- Simulations in grades 4–8
- Scope and Sequence
Share your science story!
Use this form to let us know how you would like to share your story. You can submit your experiences (in words, photos, or even videos) directly through the form or express interest in serving as a reference or joining a research group, and we’ll be in touch!
K-8 Symposium on Early Literacy
Once you submit this form, it will take a few days to generate and send your personalized certificate. That email will come directly from support@credential.net

Get your certificate
Welcome!
As the 2021-2022 school year continues to pose new challenges, you’re likely thinking about making your classroom responsive to student needs due to the covid-19 pandemic.
- CLRT in Amplify Science
- SEL in Amplify Science
- Responsive Relaunch Introduction Video
- Responsive Relaunch NYC Brief
Got additional questions? Use Zoom to attend office hours with Nadya Awadallah, the DOE’s Elementary Science Lead on Fridays from 12-1pm.
Meeting ID: 835 9458 3142
Passcode: 263518
NYC Newsletters
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- October 2020
Educator Spotlight Submission
Calling all NYC DOE educators! Do you know an educator who has gone above and beyond? Would you like to highlight your teaching experience for others? Submit nominations here to see them featured as a spotlight in a future edition of our monthly newsletter and on our Instagram pages!
Introduction
This page includes planning, implementation, and professional learning resources for NYC schools using Amplify Science. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the categories in the navigation bar on the left side of the page so that you’ll be able to easily find what you need.
Most New York City educators come here looking for specific information, but if you’re new to Amplify Science, we recommend you read through the program guide to learn a little about the program.
New to Amplify? – Start HERE!
Teachers and Administrators
Step 1: Review the Amplify Science Navigation Essentials K-5 Video
Step 2: Review your Scope and sequence/course structure calendar
Step 3: Review the Unpacking the Kit Videos listed below to understand what’s in your unit 1 kit
Step 4: Access your unique log in information to log-in to the Amplify Science Curriculum outlined below under Login support
Step 5: Log into the platform and access our Program Hub. Select Using this site for self study for a complete suite of training videos and resources for an initial orientation video series
Step 6: Log into the curriculum and begin studying the Unit Map and Teacher’s Guide resources and begin planning your first lesson. Print out the NYC Program Guide for essential program information.
Step 7: Administrator’s ONLY – Review the K-5 Admin Orientation presentation for an overview on the program. Review materials under Admin Resources.
NOTE: Should you need any additional guidance on how to get started with prep (or anything else!), please feel free to get in touch with our pedagogical support team. They are available Monday-Friday from 7AM-7PM EST. You can reach them via the chat icon in the lower right- hand corner of your screen when logged in, through email (help@amplify.com), or via phone (800-823-1969).
Getting started resources
NYC Resource Site overview – quick links
Login support
- Login video: classroom teacher login via Amplify
- Classroom teachers: Login with Amplify or TeachHub (district preferred login method)
- Cluster teachers: Login with Amplify
- K-5 administrators: Login with Amplify or TeachHub (district preferred login method)
- K-5 students: Shared student logins login with Amplify
- Other staff (co-teachers, ICT, etc.): Administrator instructions for creating a Shared Teacher Login
Materials
- Materials lists – lists of kit contents by unit
K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 - Spanish materials lists – lists of Spanish print kit contents by unit
K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 - Kit-level packing detail (chart) – high-level information regarding kits including dimensions, weights, etc.
Unpacking your first Amplify Science classroom kit
All Amplify Science units coming with kits that include hands-on and print materials. The number of boxes (sometimes referred to as “tubs”) varies depending on the unit.
- Kindergarten: Needs of Plants and Animals
- Grade 1: Plant and Animal Defenses
- Grade 2: Animal and Plant Relationships
- Grade 3: Balancing Forces
- Grade 4: Energy Conversion
- Grade 5: Patterns of Earth and Sky
21-22 Login Update
The temporary login credentials for fall ’21 have been deactivated.
Please make sure you check out the Getting started resources > Login support below for instructions around teacher and the NYC shared student logins.
If there are any issues, please confirm with your STARS programmer that your classes are finalized and then contact the Amplify Help Desk at help@amplify.com or at 1-800-823-1969.
Planning and implementation resources
Use our NYC Field Trip List to plan an engaging field trip for your students!
Use the resources below to plan out your year and ensure you are teaching each standard to mastery.
- K–5 Course Structure Calendar
- Planning and Implementation Guide – Kindergarten
- Planning and Implementation Guide – Grade 1
- Planning and Implementation Guide – Grade 2
- Planning and Implementation Guide – Grade 3
- Planning and Implementation Guide – Grade 4
- Planning and Implementation Guide – Grade 5
NYC DOE Supplemental Guiding Documents: Curriculum Gaps
- Grade K Curriculum Gaps
- Grade 3 Curriculum Gaps
- “Where do we find water on Earth?” slideshow (Unit 3, L. 1 of 2)
- Water Cycle Lesson (Unit 3, L. 2 of 2)
- Grade 4 Curriculum Gaps
- Water Cycle Powerpoint (Ch.1, L. 1)
Admin resources
- Implementation Rubric
- Look-for Tool (1 page)
- Look-for Tool (3 pages)
- NYC Resource Site overview – quick links
- Introduction to Amplify Science for Administrators K-5 Webinar
- 2021 Fall Administrators’ Orientation: Introduction to K-5 Amplify Science Participant notebook and presentation
- 2021 Spring Utilizing the Amplify Science Assessment System Webinar
- 2020 Summer New Administrator Orientation Agenda, Presentation, Webinar, and Participant Notebook
- 2020 Summer Returning Administrator Orientation Agenda, Presentation, and Webinar
Remote and hybrid learning resources
In response to the shifts towards remote learning, Amplify has created resources for using our programs remotely. Please visit our Program Hub accessible via your Teacher Platform for all of our hybrid and remote learning supports which includes guidance for teachers and parents/guardians.
Additionally, please see below where you’ll find the recordings from our recently held webinars on our remote learning resources and some best practices for implementing Amplify Science in a distance learning setting.
Resource guides
On-demand remote learning videos
Professional Learning Opportunities
Interested in attending training? Check out and sign up for this year’s PL offerings here!
All 2021-2022 PL session materials will be uploaded below under Professional learning resources.
Amplify Science Back-to-School Recorded Webinars – Amplify held a series of national office hours throughout the summer and fall to share information about our new resources to support remote and hybrid learning– including recommendations about what to prioritize from your curriculum and essential refresher topics, such as how to navigate your program and find the best planning resources. Feel free to watch all recorded sessions at your convenience.
21-22 Professional learning resources
Fall 2021 materials:
- Make Science Accessible for All Learners K-2 Presentation
- Three-Dimensional Learning in Amplify Science: Kindergarten Agenda, K Presentation, Participant notebook, and Webinar
Summer 2021 materials:
- Exploring the Amplify Science K-2 Presentation pt.1, pt. 2, pt. 3, and Participant notebook
- Exploring the Amplify Science K-2 Curriculum Webinar: Digging Deeper Presentation and Participant notebook
Fall 2021 materials:
- Make Science Accessible for All Learners K-2 Presentation
- Three-Dimensional Learning in Amplify Science: 1st Grade Agenda, Grade 1 Presentation, Participant notebook, and Webinar,
Summer 2021 materials:
- Exploring the Amplify Science K-2 Presentation pt.1, pt. 2, pt. 3, and Participant notebook
- Exploring the Amplify Science K-2 Curriculum Webinar: Digging Deeper Presentation and Participant notebook
Fall 2021 materials:
- Make Science Accessible for All Learners K-2 Presentation
- Three-Dimensional Learning in Amplify Science: 2nd Grade Agenda, Grade 2 Presentation, Participant notebook, and Webinar
Summer 2021 materials:
- Exploring the Amplify Science K-2 Presentation pt.1, pt. 2, pt. 3, and Participant notebook
- Exploring the Amplify Science K-2 Curriculum Webinar: Digging Deeper Presentation and Participant notebook
Fall 2021 materials:
- Make Science Accessible for All Learners 3-5 Presentation
- Three-Dimensional Learning in Amplify Science: 3rd Grade Agenda, Grade 3 Presentation, Participant notebook, and Webinar
Summer 2021 materials:
- Exploring the Amplify Science 3-5 Curriculum Presentation pt.1, pt. 2, pt. 3, and Participant notebook
- Exploring the Amplify Science 3-5 Curriculum Webinar: Digging Deeper Presentation and Participant notebook
Fall 2021 materials:
- Make Science Accessible for All Learners 3-5 Presentation
- Three-Dimensional Learning in Amplify Science: 4th Grade Agenda, Grade 4 Presentation, Participant notebook, and Webinar
Summer 2021 materials:
- Exploring the Amplify Science 3-5 Curriculum Presentation pt.1, pt. 2, pt. 3, and Participant notebook
- Exploring the Amplify Science 3-5 Curriculum Webinar: Digging Deeper Presentation and Participant notebook
Fall 2021 materials:
- Make Science Accessible for All Learners 3-5 Presentation
- Three-Dimensional Learning in Amplify Science: 5th Grade Agenda, Grade 5 Presentation, Participant notebook, and Webinar
Summer 2021 materials:
- Exploring the Amplify Science 3-5 Curriculum Presentation pt.1, pt. 2, pt. 3, and Participant notebook
- Exploring the Amplify Science 3-5 Curriculum Webinar: Digging Deeper Presentation and Participant notebook
20-21 Professional learning resources
Winter 2021 materials:
- K-2 Introduction to Amplify Science Webinar, Agenda and Presentation
- Unit 3: Supporting Diverse Learner Needs Webinar, Agenda, K Presentation, and Participant workspace
- Unit 3: Focusing on the Assessment System Webinar, Agenda and K Presentation
- Supporting ELLs in the Amplify Science Classroom Agenda, Presentation, and Webinar
- Analyzing Student Assessment Data Agenda and K Presentation
Fall 2020 materials:
- Accessing Complex Texts Webinar, Agenda, K Presentation, and Participant Notebook
- Unit 2: Understanding the Storyline & Coherence Webinar, Agenda, Presentation, Planning Doc, and Note catcher (Election Day PL)
- Unit 2: Guided Unit Internalization with @Home Resources Presentation and Planning Doc (Election Day PL)
- Teaching with Technology Webinar with Agenda and K Presentation
- Amplify@Home Planning Tool – Teaching with Technology
- The Amplify Science Approach: Practicing Multiple-Modalities & 3-Dimensional LearningWebinar with Agenda and Grade K Presentation
- Practicing Multiple-Modalities & 3-Dimensional Learning Participant Notebook
- Academic Discourse & Questioning Strategies in the Amplify Science ClassroomAgenda and Grade K Presentation
- Academic Discourse & Questioning Strategies Participant Materials
Summer 2020 materials:
- Remote and Hybrid LearningAgenda with K Presentation
- Amplify@Home Planning Tool and Amplify@Home Note Catcher
- Grades K-1 Utilizing Program Assessments Effectively Webinar
- Reaching All Learners for Grades K-1 Webinar
- Kindergarten New Teacher Orientation Webinar with Participant Notebook
- Kindergarten Returning Teacher Remote Learning: Guided Planning Workshop Webinar
Winter 2021 materials:
- K-2 Introduction to Amplify Science Webinar, Agenda and Presentation
- Unit 3: Supporting Diverse Learner Needs Webinar, Agenda, 1st Grade Presentation, and Participant workspace
- Supporting ELLs in the Amplify Science Classroom Agenda, Presentation, and Webinar
- Unit 3: Focusing on the Assessment System Webinar, Agenda and 1st Grade Presentation
- Analyzing Student Assessment Data Agenda and 1st Grade Presentation
Fall 2020 materials:
- Accessing Complex Texts Webinar, Agenda, 1st Grade Presentation, and Participant Notebook
- Unit 2: Understanding the Storyline & Coherence Agenda, Presentation, Planning Doc, and Note catcher (Election Day PL)
- Unit 2: Guided Unit Internalization with @Home Resources Presentation and Planning Doc (Election Day PL)
- Teaching with Technology Webinar with Agenda and Grade 1 Presentation
- Amplify@Home Planning Tool – Teaching with Technology
- The Amplify Science Approach: Practicing Multiple-Modalities & 3-Dimensional LearningAgenda and Grade 1 Presentation
- Practicing Multiple-Modalities & 3-Dimensional Learning Participant Notebook
- Academic Discourse & Questioning Strategies in the Amplify Science ClassroomWebinar, Agenda and Grade 1 Presentation
- Academic Discourse & Questioning Strategies Participant Materials
Summer 2020 materials:
- Remote and Hybrid LearningAgenda with Grade 1 Presentation
- Amplify@Home Planning Tool and Amplify@Home Note Catcher
- Grades K-1 Utilizing Program Assessments Effectively Webinar
- Reaching All Learners for Grades K-1 recorded webinar
- Grade 1 New Teacher Orientation Webinar with Participant Notebook
- Grade 1 Returning Teacher Remote Learning: Guided Planning Workshop Webinar
Winter 2021 materials:
- K-2 Introduction to Amplify Science Webinar, Agenda and Presentation
- Unit 3: Supporting Diverse Learner Needs Webinar, Agenda, 2nd Grade Presentation, and Participant workspace
- Unit 3: Focusing on the Assessment System Webinar, Agenda and 2nd Grade Presentation
- Supporting ELLs in the Amplify Science Classroom Agenda and Presentation
- Analyzing Student Assessment Data Agenda and 2nd Grade Presentation
Fall 2020 materials:
- Accessing Complex Texts Agenda, 2nd Grade Presentation, and Participant Notebook
- Unit 2: Understanding the Storyline & Coherence Agenda, Presentation, Planning Doc, and Note catcher (Election Day PL)
- Unit 2: Guided Unit Internalization with @Home Resources Presentation and Planning Doc (Election Day PL)
- Teaching with TechnologyWebinar with Agenda and Grade 2 Presentation
- Amplify@Home Planning Tool – Teaching with Technology
- The Amplify Science Approach: Practicing Multiple-Modalities & 3-Dimensional LearningWebinar with Agenda and Grade 2 Presentation
- Practicing Multiple-Modalities & 3-Dimensional Learning Participant Notebook
- Academic Discourse & Questioning Strategies in the Amplify Science ClassroomWebinar with Agenda and Grade 2 Presentation
- Academic Discourse & Questioning Strategies Participant Materials
Summer 2020 materials:
- Remote and Hybrid LearningAgenda with Grade 2 Presentation
- Amplify@Home Planning Tool and Amplify@Home Note Catcher
- K-5 New Teacher Orientation with Participant Notebook
- Grades 2-3 Utilizing Program Assessments Effectively Webinar
- Reaching All Learners for Grades 2-3 Webinar
- Grade 2 Returning Teacher Remote Learning: Guided Planning Workshop Webinar
Spring 2021 materials:
- Unit 4: Focusing on Evidence of Learning for New Teachers Webinar
Winter 2021 materials:
- Grades 3-5 Introduction to Amplify Science Agenda and Presentation
- Unit 3: Supporting Diverse Learner Needs Webinar, Agenda, 3rd Grade Presentation, and Participant workspace
- Unit 3: Focusing on the Assessment System Webinar, Agenda and 3rd Grade Presentation
- Supporting ELLs in the Amplify Science Classroom Agenda and Presentation
- Analyzing Student Assessment Data Agenda and 3rd Grade Presentation
Fall 2020 materials:
- Progress Builds and Embedded Assessments Webinar
- Accessing Complex Texts Agenda, 3rd Grade Presentation, and Participant Notebook
- Unit 2: Understanding the Storyline & Coherence Agenda, Presentation, Planning Doc, and Note catcher (Election Day PL)
- Unit 2: Guided Unit Internalization with @Home Resources Presentation and Planning Doc (Election Day PL)
- Teaching with TechnologyWebinar with Agenda and Grade 3 Presentation
- Amplify@Home Planning Tool – Teaching with Technology
- The Amplify Science Approach: Practicing Multiple-Modalities & 3-Dimensional LearningAgenda and Grade 3 Presentation
- Practicing Multiple-Modalities & 3-Dimensional Learning Participant Notebook
- Academic Discourse & Questioning Strategies in the Amplify Science ClassroomWebinar, Agenda and Grade 3 Presentation
- Academic Discourse & Questioning Strategies Participant Materials
Summer 2020 materials:
- Remote and Hybrid LearningAgenda with Grade 3 Presentation
- Amplify@Home Planning Tool and Amplify@Home Note Catcher
- Grade 3 New Teacher Orientation Webinar with Participant Notebook
- Grades 2-3 Utilizing Program Assessments Effectively Webinar
- Reaching All Learners for Grades 2-3 Webinar
- Grade 3 Returning Teacher Remote Learning: Guided Planning Workshop Webinar
Winter 2021 materials:
- Grades 3-5 Introduction to Amplify Science Agenda and Presentation
- Unit 3: Supporting Diverse Learner Needs Agenda, 4th Grade Presentation, and Participant workspace
- Supporting ELLs in the Amplify Science Classroom Agenda, Presentation, and Webinar
- Unit 3: Focusing on the Assessment System Webinar, Agenda and 4th Grade Presentation
- Analyzing Student Assessment Data Agenda and 4th Grade Presentation
Fall 2020 materials:
- Accessing Complex Texts Webinar, Agenda, 4th Grade Presentation, and Participant Notebook
- Unit 2: Understanding the Storyline & Coherence Agenda, Presentation, Planning Doc, and Note catcher (Election Day PL)
- Unit 2: Guided Unit Internalization with @Home Resources Webinar, Presentation and Planning Doc (Election Day PL)
- Teaching with TechnologyWebinar, Agenda and Grade 4 Presentation
- Amplify@Home Planning Tool – Teaching with Technology
- The Amplify Science Approach: Practicing Multiple-Modalities & 3-Dimensional LearningWebinar with Agenda and Grade 4 Presentation
- Practicing Multiple-Modalities & 3-Dimensional Learning Participant Notebook
- Academic Discourse & Questioning Strategies in the Amplify Science ClassroomAgenda and Grade 4 Presentation
- Academic Discourse & Questioning Strategies Participant Materials
Summer 2020 materials:
- Remote and Hybrid LearningAgenda with Grade 4 Presentation
- Amplify@Home Planning Tool and Amplify@Home Note Catcher
- Grade 4 New Teacher Orientation Webinar with Participant Notebook
- Grades 4-5 Utilizing Program Assessments Effectively Webinar
- Reaching All Learners for Grades 4-5 Webinar
- Grade 4 Returning Teacher Remote Learning: Guided Planning Workshop Webinar
Winter 2021 materials:
- Grades 3-5 Introduction to Amplify Science Agenda and Presentation
- Unit 3: Supporting Diverse Learner Needs Webinar, Agenda, 5th Grade Presentation, and Participant workspace
- Unit 3: Focusing on the Assessment System Webinar, Agenda and 5th Grade Presentation
- Analyzing Student Assessment Data Webinar, Agenda, 5th Grade Presentation, and Webinar
- Supporting ELLs in the Amplify Science Classroom Agenda and Presentation
Fall 2020 materials:
- Teaching with TechnologyAgenda and Grade 5 Presentation
- Amplify@Home Planning Tool – Teaching with Technology
- The Amplify Science Approach: Practicing Multiple-Modalities & 3-Dimensional LearningWebinar with Agenda and Grade 5 Presentation
- Practicing Multiple-Modalities & 3-Dimensional Learning Participant Notebook
- Academic Discourse & Questioning Strategies in the Amplify Science ClassroomWebinar, Agenda and Grade 5 Presentation
- Academic Discourse & Questioning Strategies Participant Materials
Summer 2020 materials:
- Remote and Hybrid LearningAgenda with Grade 5 Presentation
- Amplify@Home Planning Tool and Amplify@Home Note Catcher
- Grade 5 New Teacher Orientation Webinar with Participant Notebook
- Grades 4-5 Utilizing Program Assessments Effectively Webinar
- Reaching All Learners for Grades 4-5 Webinar
- Grade 5 Returning Teacher Remote Learning: Guided Planning Workshop Webinar
19-20 Professional learning resources
Summer 2019 materials:
- Needs of Plants and Animals (Year 1 schools)
- Needs of Plants and Animals (Year 2 schools)
Fall 2019 materials:
- Pushes and Pulls (Year 1 schools) with Participant Notebook
- Pushes and Pulls (Year 2 schools) with Participant Notebook
Spring 2020 materials:
- Reaching ALL Learners: Utilizing Program Assessments Effectively in Grades K & 1 – Participant Notebook
Summer 2019 materials:
- Animal and Plant Defenses (Year 1 schools)
- Animal and Plant Defenses (Year 2 schools)
Fall 2019 materials:
- Light and Sound (Year 1 schools) with Participant Notebook
- Light and Sound (Year 2 schools) with Participant Notebook
Spring 2020 materials:
- Reaching ALL Learners: Utilizing Program Assessments Effectively in Grades K & 1 – Participant Notebook
Summer 2019 materials:
- Plant and Animal Relationships (Year 1 schools)
- Plant and Animal Relationships (Year 2 schools)
Fall 2019 materials:
- Properties of Materials (Year 1 schools) with Participant Notebook
- Properties of Materials (Year 2 schools) with Participant Notebook
Spring 2020 materials:
- Reaching ALL Learners: Utilizing Program Assessments Effectively in Grades 2 & 3 – Participant Notebook
Summer 2019 materials:
- Balancing Forces (Year 1 schools)
- Balancing Forces (Year 2 schools)
Fall 2019 materials:
- Inheritance and Traits (Year 1 schools) with Participant Notebook
- Inheritance and Traits (Year 2 schools) with Participant Notebook
Spring 2020 materials:
- Reaching ALL Learners: Utilizing Program Assessments Effectively in Grades 2 & 3 – Participant Notebook
Summer 2019 materials:
- Energy Conversions (Year 1 schools)
- Energy Conversions (Year 2 schools)
Fall 2019 materials:
- Vision and Light (Year 1 schools) with Participant Notebook
- Vision and Light (Year 2 schools) with Participant Notebook
Summer 2019 materials:
- Patterns of Earth and Sky (Year 1 schools)
- Patterns of Earth and Sky (Year 2 schools)
Fall 2019 materials;
- Modeling Matter (Year 1 schools) with Participant Notebook
- Modeling Matter (Year 2 schools) with Participant Notebook
Caregiver Resources
Caregiver letters – information about Next Generation Science Standards by grade level
Questions
For general questions about the Amplify program (navigation, pedagogy, login), please reach out:
Email – scihelp@amplify.com
Phone – call toll-free at (800) 823-1969, Monday to Friday 7 a.m.–7 p.m. ET
Amplify Chat – click the Amplify Chat icon within the individual teacher account
Invest in high-quality professional development
Amplify’s professional development provides a variety of learning experiences over multiple years to incrementally develop and apply the knowledge and skills needed for effective and self-sustaining implementation.
Gain insights into effective instructional techniques, and develop a deeper understanding of your Amplify program(s) by investing in professional development.


The foundation for long-lasting and sustainable change
Partner with members of our professional learning team to plan long-lasting and sustainable change for your school or district. Change is more likely to stick and get results with deliberate planning. We can support your through this journey to drive your professional improvement, enrich your instructional practice, and increase student impact.
Professional learning journey
Every school and district is unique. That’s why we offer flexible delivery options to best meet your specific needs and objectives.
Our professional development programs come in packages or individual sessions, available both on-site and virtually, to help you get the most out of your Amplify program(s).
You can also customize your learning experience by adding extra sessions, such as Science of Reading, supporting multiliterate learners, and a problem-based approach to math, to build on your base package.


Empower teachers to continuously improve
Professional development helps teachers stay motivated and inspired to grow professionally. Demonstrate your commitment to your staff by empowering them with professional development packages that include on-site or virtual Launch, Strengthen, or Coach sessions, all of which will orient you and your team to the full features of Amplify programs.
You can also personalize your learning experience by adding enhancement sessions to base packages.


Launch
On-site and virtual Launch sessions introduce Amplify programs and support strong implementation. Self-paced, online courses are also available for select Amplify programs and include an on-demand subscription for 12-months.
After learning about the program’s foundational principles and key features, you’ll practice administering it within a collaborative environment.

Strengthen
On-site and virtual Strengthen sessions deepen understanding of the program. Session offerings are targeted and meant to take your practice—and your students’ learning—to the next level.
Offered as part of core packages, as well as enhancements, Strengthen sessions are intended to effectively address your students’ needs. Examples include:
- A focus on data analysis.
- Examining student writing.
- Targeted intervention instruction.

Coach
On-site and virtual Coach sessions are tailored to elevate instructional practices and meet the unique needs of teachers and/or leaders.
Partner with an Amplify coach who will support you in planning customized sessions leveraging our menu of supports, which can include:
- Lesson modeling by an Amplify facilitator.
- Classroom observations and debriefs.
- Grade-level planning.
Commit to sustainable change for long-term impact
Learning may ebb and flow between phases depending on your teachers’ and leaders’ needs, experiences, and professional goals. Amplify professional development aims to continually grow, develop, and refine instructional practices to support student learning and achievement.


Frequently asked questions
We value your partnership and aim to provide you with the highest quality learning experiences. Check out our frequently asked PD questions below, along with responses.
Additional learning
Once you become an Amplify customer, you’ll have access to many opportunities to continue learning how to get the most out of your Amplify program(s).
To get a sense of our support, check out some of our free resources:
- Featured blog posts on the Amplify blog
- Webinars or other online events
- Video content on Youtube


Biliteracy supports
Facilitated in both English and Spanish, specialized biliteracy sessions should be scheduled for teachers using both curricula and/or assessments. Sessions are available to support the use of both Amplify CKLA and Amplify Caminos core programs or mCLASSⓇ DIBELSⓇ 8th Edition and Lectura assessment programs. Substitute a biliteracy session for the 6-hour initial training in your package, or add these sessions on to your package for your biliteracy teachers.
Speak to our team to learn more!
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If you’re ready to submit your price quote, purchase order, or payment, visit our Ordering Support site for more information.


Community of collaboration
Connect with fellow Science of Reading or science advocates in one of our public Facebook groups. Join a community or tune into one of our podcasts today:
- Science of Reading: The Community and The Podcast
- Science Connections: The Community and The Podcast
- Beyond My Years podcast: Listen to chronicles from the classroom.
Amplify customers can join our exclusive, program-specific Facebook communities to ask pedagogical questions, share Amplify teaching hacks, and more!
Get in touch with a PD expert
Amplify Desmos Math for KIPP
We’re thrilled that you’re reviewing Amplify Desmos Math for use with your students.
We’re confident you’ll find this to be a powerful and effective program for getting all your students talking and thinking about math concepts together.
Michael Kasloff
Regional Vice President, Strategic Sales
Expect more from your math program.

For students
Every student feels connected and a part of the conversation when participating in an Amplify Desmos Math lesson. And when students are actively engaged with the content, they achieve more.

For teachers
The program delivers what math educators want and need:
- Standards-aligned print and digital lessons that capture students’ interest every day
- The right mix of informal and substantive diagnostic and summative assessments
- Differentiation support
- Extensive practice in print and digital
- Multilingual learner support

For leaders
The program delivers what school and district leaders want and need:
- A coherent core program based on the industry-leading IM K–12 Math™ by Illustrative Mathematics®
- A comprehensive suite of usage and performance reports to identify school- and district-wide trends
- A team from Amplify dedicated to making your implementation a success
What’s included
We’ve taken the power of Desmos’ technology and lessons and added beautiful, easy-to-use print and digital components to make a game-changing program that makes teaching a breeze.
Student materials
- Student Editions (2 volumes)
- Digital lessons, practice, assessment, and differentiation, built with Desmos technology
Program components subject to change.
Teacher materials
- Teacher Edition (2 volumes)
- Digital tools and support
- Classroom monitoring and management
- Reporting
- Assessment customization
- Differentiation, including just-in-time prerequisite supports
- Additional practice and Assessment blackline masters (print and digital)
Program components subject to change.
Start your review
Ready to explore the program? Watch our quick walkthrough video and follow these simple instructions to access your demo account.
- Preview K–5 digital lessons here.
- Download the draft K–5 scope and sequence here.
- Preview digital lessons for grades 6–Algebra 1 here.
- You can also preview both the student edition and teacher edition of a grade 3 lesson in print.
View our help articles on running your first lesson and the Teacher dashboard for more information.

mCLASS Math (Assessment)
All digital (grades K–6)
The all new mCLASS Math is an online screener and diagnostic. It provides granular data, targeted grouping suggestions, teacher-led activities and places students in Boost Math.
Click here to view the mCLASS Math scope and sequence and skills coverage across grades K–6. To the right, preview a sample item and program overview information.
Contact us
Support is always within reach. Our team is dedicated to supporting KIPP and can be reached at any time by emailing or calling us directly.
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Michael Kasloff Regional Vice President, Strategic Sales 862-215-4505 mkasloff@amplify.com |
S1-05: How does coding fit in the science classroom? A conversation with Aryanna Trejo of Code.org

In this episode, Eric sits down with Aryanna Trejo, a professional learning specialist of Code.org. Aryanna shares her journey from working as an elementary teacher in New York City and Los Angeles to teaching other educators at Code.org. Eric and Aryanna chat about computer literacy within the science classroom, problem-solving skills, and ways to model productive struggle for students. Aryanna also shares ways to teach coding and computer literacy in schools, no matter the classroom’s technology level. Explore more from Science Connections by visiting our main page.
Aryanna Trejo (00:00):
I would hear teachers saying things like, “Well, I just can’t do coding; this is too hard for me; the time has passed.” And I would ask them, “Would you say that to your student about math or English?” And they would always sheepishly go, “No.” And I’d say, “Well, be as kind to yourself as you would be to your student.”
Eric Cross (00:19):
Welcome to Science Connections. I’m your host, Eric Cross. My guest today is Aryanna Trejo. Aryanna is a member of the professional learning team at Code.org. Before joining Code.org, Aryanna led computer science professional development for elementary school teachers, and served as an instructional coach for new educators. She also taught fourth and fifth grade in both New York City and in Los Angeles. In this episode, we discuss Aryanna’s journey to Code.org, where she helps educators connect coding to real life, how to use a rubber duck to solve problems, and how coding and computer science principles can be taught to students in areas without access to the internet…or even a computer. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Aryanna Trejo. So I was born and raised here, and I saw that you went to UC San Diego.
Aryanna Trejo (01:11):
I did, I did. I actually just put a deposit down on an apartment in University Heights, ’cause I’m moving back.
Eric Cross (01:16):
You’re coming back?
Aryanna Trejo (01:17):
I’m coming back. Yeah.
Eric Cross (01:19):
So if you need a classroom to visit….
Aryanna Trejo (01:21):
I would love to do more classroom observations!
Eric Cross (01:24):
Are we doing this? Let’s do—we’re making this happen.
Aryanna Trejo (01:26):
We are. Yeah. So I’ll be there. I’m moving there in April. I actually grew up in Orange County too, so I’m like a very diehard SoCal person.
Eric Cross (01:35):
So I feel like I know the answer to, hopefully—Tupac or Biggie? ‘Cause you’re on the East Coast, and you’re on the West Coast.
Aryanna Trejo (01:40):
Yeah. I like Tupac, but I have more Biggie songs committed to memory. Which is not a lot. I have “Juicy” and “Hypnotized” memorized.
Eric Cross (01:53):
All right. So you’re just memorizing, and you have the Biggie songs memorized, but not the Tupac ones.
Aryanna Trejo (01:58):
No, but I do love Tupac songs. You know, it’s like, Biggie has the flow, but Tupac has the lyrics. Nobody’s—they both have something really amazing about them.
Eric Cross (02:06):
You know, I can respect that you broke it down into both of their strengths.
Aryanna Trejo (02:11):
Thanks for buttering me up before this interview. And not….
Eric Cross (02:15):
<laugh> Oh, we already started.
Aryanna Trejo (02:16):
Huh? We already started?
Eric Cross (02:17):
We’re already started. Yeah. We’re already into this.
Aryanna Trejo (02:19):
We’re into it.
Eric Cross (02:21):
You were in the classroom, fourth and fifth grade, and you were doing TFA.
Aryanna Trejo (02:26):
I did. I did Teach For America. I was 2012, New York City Corps. Right after graduation. ‘Cause I graduated UC San Diego in 2012. So graduation was on June 17th, and I touched down at JFK on June 19th.
Eric Cross (02:40):
Even though I wasn’t in TFA, I know a lot of the fellows that are in it. And there’s just some phenomenal teachers in there. How long were you doing elementary school when you were teaching?
Aryanna Trejo (02:49):
Yeah, I taught for—well, I did, three years of teaching fourth grade. Then there happened to be an instructional coach opening in my fourth year. I took that, did some instructional coaching within the same network, and then I moved back to LA and I taught fifth grade for a year.
Eric Cross (03:11):
- And what was it like now? Did you go to Code.org right after the classroom?
Aryanna Trejo (03:17):
No, I didn’t. No. I transitioned after teaching fifth grade for a year in downtown Los Angeles, in the Pico-Union neighborhood. I ended up getting this email out of the blue from someone who had actually found me through the Teach for America job site. ‘Cause I was hitting the pavement; I was really looking to transition out of the classroom. And she invited me to interview with this company called 9 Dots. And they taught computer science to kids K–6 throughout Los Angeles and Compton. And I was like, “Sure, no problem. Let’s do it.” So I interviewed, I got the job, and yeah, that’s how I transitioned to 9 Dots. And then after almost four years there, I transitioned to Code.org, with the same person. Actually, she moved over to Code.org first, and then she helped me get this job.
Eric Cross (04:07):
Oh, that’s happened a lot—like, that relationship kinda carries over.
Aryanna Trejo (04:11):
Yeah. We’re meant to be coworkers.
Eric Cross (04:13):
Yeah. Are you still? Is she still there? Are you both still together?
Aryanna Trejo (04:17):
Yeah, we’re on the same team and it’s nice. I saw her last night for Happy Hour, with another coworker who’s in LA. So we’re tight. And she’s a wonderful, wonderful mentor to me.
Eric Cross (04:28):
That’s great. Did you have computer-science background, when you were doing elementary school teaching? Did you have—
Aryanna Trejo (04:34):
No. <laugh> Not at all. When I was teaching in New York City, I had like four desktop computers in my classroom, and we rarely used them. Which was such a shame. And then when I moved to Los Angeles and taught fifth grade there, we were a one-to-one school, and the joys of that are just amazing. It was just really wonderful to, you know, get the students used to typing on the computer, using different software to submit their assignments. Getting creative—as creative as you can get—with Google Slides. You know, to show off what they know. And stuff like that. That’s all I had, though. And you know, when I transitioned to 9 Dots I was like, “Sure, why not? Let’s give a shot.” And I learned a lot. It was really interesting, yeah.
Eric Cross (05:26):
And so now at Code.org you are…well, so my journey with Code.org, I’ve been in the classroom for eight years. Still in the classroom as of…an hour ago, I was there. <Laugh> And I use Code.org, and I feel like I’ve checked it periodically, and I feel like it’s evolved over the gaps. And I’ve seen it. It’s become more robust in the things that they offer, over the years I’ve been an educator. Just to kind of…could you give a thumbnail sketch? Like, what is Code.org? Who’s it for? Who’s the target audience? What resources are there?
Aryanna Trejo (06:00):
Yeah. So it’s for everyone. It is a nonprofit that provides curriculum and training and a platform for teachers and students. We provide curriculum for K through 12. It’s completely free. And it comes with lesson plans, slideshows, all that. We focus specifically on underrepresented groups. So we have targeted measures for Black students, for Native American students, for students who identify as female. That’s a huge part of our mission. But we’re really working to expand access to computer science to as many students as we can.
Eric Cross (06:41):
One of the things I’m hearing in your story is you were teaching in Compton; you were in Bronx, New York. One of the reasons why I got into the classroom is because of educators, and the impact they made on me in exposing me to science and technologies I’d never had access to. And that intentionality, that you’re going about it…are there…not just the code, but how you bring that across to different groups…are there strategies, or are there ways to connect this idea of coding to diverse groups and diverse audiences? Or is it kind of, the curriculum applies for everyone? ‘Cause in science, when I’m teaching, I’m always trying to make what I’m doing relevant to the backgrounds of my students.
Aryanna Trejo (07:28):
Sure.
Eric Cross (07:28):
So I’m teaching biology, and I’m trying to make this kind of connection. Sometimes it’s more organic; sometimes it feels kind of forced. Because it’s just not always a nice fit. But it sounds like Code.org is really about inclusion. And in the numbers that I’ve seen for representation, in especially computer science software engineers, the groups that you’re focusing on are not necessarily represented in the professional workforce. At least disproportionately.
Aryanna Trejo (07:54):
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, that’s correct.
Eric Cross (07:57):
And so how do you go about being intentional about reaching groups that we don’t see in, you know, the Silicon Valley software engineers? How do you start that? Like, at a young age, do you look for specific schools in specific areas to say, “We are going to bring this to the school. We’re going out to these populations of the cities”? Because we’re just not seeing…you know, on the map, we’re not seeing anybody really doing anything with coding here. Or we’re not seeing the numbers come out of these areas, out of these cities, of students who are going into STEM or going into computer science fields.
Aryanna Trejo (08:41):
Yeah. I don’t necessarily work on the recruitment side of it, is the issue, in my position. But I do work on the professional learning, that is brought out to teachers. And we have a huge focus on equity throughout the workshops that we create from K–12. It’s something we’re really passionate about. We definitely aim to prepare teachers to teach computer science. That’s a huge part of it. Knowing the content, but also thinking through, “What does recruitment look like at your school to make sure that the demographics of your classroom match the demographics of your entire school?” Also, thinking through, “How can we make sure that female students feel included in your classroom? How can we make sure that we are, giving students creativity to think about, or we are setting students up to be creative and think about the problems that are in their community, and how they can use computer science to solve them, or at least work towards them?”
Eric Cross (09:39):
So solving real-world problems and that inclusion aspect…are there things like…you were saying “female or students who identify as female”…are there things that teachers can do to ensure that they’re being more inclusive? Or to recruit, or encourage more female students to take part? One of the things I was thinking of, that I’ve seen, is I’ve seen coding kind of camps.
Aryanna Trejo (10:06):
Sure.
Eric Cross (10:08):
That were specifically for a female audience. And that seemed to help with recruitment. Is that something that you see on your side?
Aryanna Trejo (10:16):
That’s not something that we set up, no. But the curriculum that I work with is CS Principles. And it’s offered as an Advanced Placement course, as well as an AP class. So that’s a curriculum that’s designed for students who are in grades 10 through 12. And so at that point, we can really talk to teachers and ask them what the recruitment strategy is. But in terms of strategies that teachers can use to recruit those students…I mean, I’ve heard over and over from lots of different teachers who identify as female that they didn’t think that computer science was for them, until they saw a role model in that position. And so just being a role model for those students is really wonderful.
Eric Cross (11:00):
And I see it too, with—like, we do “Draw a Scientist” activity, which is like a popular science thing—
Aryanna Trejo (11:05):
Sure, yeah, I’m familiar.
Eric Cross (11:05):
But it’s the same thing, right? Like, it fleshes out. My students don’t draw themselves as scientists. They draw what they perceive, based on what television says. I imagine with computer science, it’s probably really similar, when you think about “What’s a software engineer look like?” Do students tend to draw themselves? Or is it even a mystery? Because I don’t even know what a software engineer looks like.
Aryanna Trejo (11:28):
Yeah, absolutely. Well, one of the things we love to do with our professional learning workshops is talk about understanding yourself, your identities, how they show up in the classroom as biases. And, you know, things like stereotype threat. We see that as really important to understand, and think through, and consider, before you step into the classroom. So that you’re not, you know, coddling certain groups of students because you don’t believe that they are able to be successful in computer science. Holding all the students to the same expectations and believing that they can succeed. And computer science, I think a lot of the times people have this conception of it being this utopian, bias-less, technocratic field. When in reality, everything has bias. And people talk about algorithmic bias and facial recognition, but also the people who created computers and computer languages have their own bias that comes through. And I think it’s really important to show students that. So that they can, one, know what they’re working with, and two, make sure that they can create products that reduce that bias.
Eric Cross (12:50):
It’s like…it’s not objective, just because we’re creating software. Like, once it gets to a point of being so sophisticated…I think, like, AI software, right? With facial recognition? And we’re seeing more and more articles come out about, you know, predicting trends based on historical data.
Aryanna Trejo (13:12):
Sure.
Eric Cross (13:13):
But then, the trends and things that they’re seeing tend to target things that have happened in the past. But it also doesn’t take into consideration a lot of other factors that can lead to certain groups or populations being identified. And I’ve seen some articles lately about how your code is really just representation of what you put into it. And like you just said, your bias—if you have that, conscious or unconscious—you’re gonna put that into your code. And the input is gonna be an impact, is gonna impact the output.
Aryanna Trejo (13:44):
Yeah, absolutely. Or even just—and I’m ashamed to say this, ’cause this is an idea that came to me just recently, through an article that I read—but computers themselves have bias. The hardware assumes that you have vision, that you can see the screen, that you are able-bodied, that you can use your hands to work the keyboard, the mouse, et cetera, and that you don’t have to use assistive technology. You know, there are small things like that, where we think that technology, like I said, is this utopian, futuristic science…but there are biases throughout.
Eric Cross (14:19):
You’re absolutely right. I’ve never even—I’ve never even considered that. Even though I do use assistive tech, and figure it out, I’ve never thought from the ground up, the process is built for an able-bodied, sighted, hearing person.
Aryanna Trejo (14:31):
Exactly.
Eric Cross (14:32):
To be able to engage with the hardware. And then these other things, these tertiary things that we kind of add on, so that you can do this, but it’s not designed from the ground up for people who are, you know, different audiences, physically. So I’m glad you brought that up, though. Now I’ve seen—and I haven’t done this—but I know Hour of Code is a big thing. And this is something that’s ongoing. Can you talk a little bit about what Hour of Code is? I know it’s, it’s a big thing for the classroom teachers.
Aryanna Trejo (15:08):
Yeah. So Hour of Code is really exciting, and it’s just blossomed from something small to something tremendous. This year is gonna be the 10th Hour of Code. So what it is, is it happens during CS Education Week in December, during Grace Hopper’s—or to honor Grace Hopper’s birthday. She was a computer scientist and Navy Admiral. And basically the aim of it is to get as many students on the computer doing an hour of code, and demystify what coding is. You know, to do seed-planting. To show teachers that this is something that you can facilitate for your students. And also to show students like, “Hey, computer science is something you can absolutely do. Not just for an hour, but more if you want.” So, yeah. Now it’s worldwide, and it’s really exciting.
Eric Cross (15:58):
That’s awesome. And I think about teachers and I still hear the apologetic—when I’m helping teachers in the classroom with education technology—the self-deprecating “I’m a dinosaur; I’m not good with tech,” which is never true. Like, they’re better than they even realize. And I feel like sometimes there’s still a stigma, too. It’s like <laugh> The Simpsons’ Comic Book Store Guy. The condescending tech support person—
Aryanna Trejo (16:27):
Sure.
Eric Cross (16:28):
—who has that tone. And so I feel like some people have been so negatively impacted by that person. So I know when I’m helping people, I actually try to go full-spectrum the other side. But I’m thinking about teachers’ barrier to entry. Sometimes code is like, “Whoa.” And I don’t teach computer science. Do you see those barriers to entry, or at least the perception of them? And then, what’s the reality for like someone listening, and going, “I’m a fourth grade teacher,” or “I’m a humanities teacher in ninth grade.” What’s the perception that you see, versus reality, with the teachers that you train? Is it much more accessible than we think? Or is there a level of sophistication that you have to have coming into it?
Aryanna Trejo (17:10):
No, not at all. I know computer science, and that says a lot! <Laugh> You know, I know my own corner of computer science. And you know, that’s me being self-deprecating, too. But I think learning computer science has helped me in so many different ways that I wasn’t expecting. I recently took the GRE in hopes of, you know, getting back into grad school. And I think just the way that computer science teaches you to search for bugs in your code, or errors, and kind of tirelessly look at a problem from multiple different angles, I was able to carry that into the math that I was doing. And I noticed just a huge difference in the way that I approached it, and the way that I was open to it. But you asked a great question, in regards to the barriers to technology. In my position at 9 Dots, I was working directly with teachers to lead professional development with them. Sometimes it would be a full day; sometimes it would be an hour after school. And the one thing that I always had in my back pocket that was really useful is that I would hear teachers saying things like, “Well, I just can’t do coding; this is too hard for me; the time has passed.” And I would ask them, “Would you say that to your student about math or English?” And they would always sheepishly go, “No.” And I’d say, “Well, be as kind to yourself as you would be to your student.” You know, it takes some patience and nobody’s gonna get it perfect 100 percent of the time. Have I banged my head against the wall trying to solve one tiny little syntax error in my code? Absolutely! But it feels absolutely phenomenal to fix that. And I was an English major in undergrad, and I had never done computer science before. So it’s something that becomes really satisfying.
Eric Cross (19:07):
Yeah, I imagine. I had someone—a trainer or a presenter—one time bring up the fact that our students rarely get to see us learn in real time.
Aryanna Trejo (19:19):
Yeah.
Eric Cross (19:19):
So we don’t get to ever really model failure. I mean, unless we’re in a classroom situation <laughs> in our failures, with classroom management. Then they see it, they see it! But they don’t get to see us model learning failure. And I don’t mean like failure—and yes, I know, “first attempt is learning,” and “no such thing as failure”—that’s not what I’m talking about. But just when we’re not successful with our code, and then we experience real-time frustration.
Aryanna Trejo (19:42):
Yep.
Eric Cross (19:42):
And they said that is actually a great learning experience for your students to watch you go through productive struggle. And that was really liberating for me. Because now I’m in the classroom, and I’m trying to go through it with my students, and the beautiful thing was, they started helping me. We were all trying to solve the problem. And then we had this authentic problem-solving experience. I think it was like a Scratch program, where we were trying to solve, trying to embed it somewhere, or something. And then, in the background of the class: “Mr. Cross! I got it! I figured it out!” And it was this really neat bonding experience. And I felt that—your ears get red, and you get hot, ’cause you’re not—
Aryanna Trejo (20:19):
Oh yeah.
Eric Cross (20:20):
You don’t know it! And you’re in front of 36 kids! And I said, “OK, I need to tell them how I feel.”
Aryanna Trejo (20:25):
Yeah.
Eric Cross (20:26):
So I said, “Now I feel really frustrated.” Like, “I want to go through this, and here’s my thoughts.” ‘Cause I knew that it would be helpful if they saw and would hear my thoughts. So I just did a quick think-aloud and I said, “In my head, <laugh> I want to just quit,” I said, “But I realize that this is the part where my learning’s happening. So I just want you all to hear what’s going on in my brain.” And now I feel like when I’m doing coding with my students, and it’s just basic coding, I feel much more comfortable, like, not knowing. But I needed someone to release me from that “I have to be the expert in everything” to do it.
Aryanna Trejo (21:06):
And teachers are used to being the experts. Right? And they should be. And coding is just such a different landscape. But I think once you kind of give over to the power of tinkering, I think it’s really gratifying. I love being able to…you can revise a sentence, and then read your paragraph back to yourself in English, and say, “OK, I get it.” But there’s something so gratifying about changing a line of code or a block and then being able to hit play and watch your program come to life, and say, “Hmm, that’s not quite what I wanted. Let’s try something different.”
Eric Cross (21:39):
I love your connection to tinkering. ‘Cause—I had never thought about it—’cause I love tinkering with my hands. But I always think about physical things. But coding is exactly that. It’s tinkering.
Aryanna Trejo (21:47):
It’s exactly that.
Eric Cross (21:47):
That’s exactly what it is.
Aryanna Trejo (21:49):
And a lot of it is, for me, especially when I’m trying something new, it’s guess-and-check. It’s like, “OK, that didn’t work. What if I add a semicolon here? Will it finally work? Or what if I add a ‘for’ loop? Will this get me what I want?” And it’s wonderful because you have that with students as well. Like, you have that record of their thinking, and you can ask them to go step-by-step and tell you, you know, “First, I added this, because I wanted the program to do this,” and so on and so forth. And so you have that record, but you can always get rid of it. Students often wanna get completely get rid of it. That’s something that I’ve noticed a lot as I’ve taught computer science. But, once you can get them to target the specific parts of the program, tinker with that, and continue, that’s a really wonderful learning space. There was also something you said about modeling failure. I love the fact that in computer science you can model failure for your students. You said to your students, “I’m getting frustrated.” I love that, because I never got that in math. Nobody ever showed me what it was like to be frustrated with graphing a parabola. Right? Like, my math teachers were always like, “Doot, doot, doot, here you go, you’re done!” <Laugh> And I would get so frustrated, because it didn’t come that easily to me. And I think there’s two parts to that. So there’s modeling the learning and the thinking and the productive struggle, but also there’s the identity of being a computer scientist and modeling what that looks like. So for me, when I get really frustrated with a program, I walk away. I take five minutes. I take a deep breath. I say, “I’m not gonna think about it in these five minutes.” And I come back to it. And I think once you start teaching computer science, you can facilitate that for students. And there’s so many different strategies that they can pick up. They can pick up rubber ducking, which is where they pick up a rubber duck or a similar object, and they talk to it as if they were a partner and talk through their code. And oftentimes, as you’re rubber ducking, you’re gonna find that error, because you’re explaining it to someone who’s a stand-in for a novice. And rubber ducking is a well-known strategy for computer scientists who make it their career. You know, there’s pair programming. Some students love pair programming; some students hate it. But the students start to build this identity about how they problem-solve. And how they approach failure. And I just love that.
Eric Cross (24:31):
I’m writing this down. Because the rubber-ducking strategy, I love. I just imagine my seventh graders, a bunch of 13-year-olds with, like, rubber on the desk. And not necessarily in coding, but I was thinking in my science class. And they’re working through a challenge, and they’re all looking at this duck, and they’re talking to it. But I just love the the idea of externalizing your thought process and talking through it yourself so that you can hopefully arrive at a conclusion. But it’s such a great practice, and this is something that’s been around for a long time, apparently. So.
Aryanna Trejo (24:59):
Yeah. Yeah. It’s a real thing. And you know, you can go low-fi. It doesn’t have to be a rubber duck. You can have students talk to their pencils or their imaginary friends. That’s not the issue; the issue is, you know, talking to somebody.
Eric Cross (25:10):
I know you support teachers. But I just wanted to…I was just curious about your typical day, what that’s like. And then what you do, how you support ’em.
Aryanna Trejo (25:15):
So, at my previous job at 9 Dots, I was in there with the teachers in the classrooms. I was coaching our internal staff who went out to co-teach with teachers. And I loved that. And I had such a great impact on a local scale. But now at Code.org, I have a much broader impact. But I don’t get to interface with—that’s such a tech-y word!—I don’t get to interact with—
Eric Cross (25:42):
You work at Code.org! You get to—
Aryanna Trejo (25:42):
I know! But I’m a teacher at heart, forever, right? That’s my identity that I forged when I was 22 years old. And a typical day looks like opening up my computer, taking a look at my calendar. I often have meetings to talk about, different things that we’re doing to support our facilitators who go out to our teachers and lead their workshops for them. I recently worked on a product that was designed for CS principles, teachers, to onboard to the course if they weren’t able to get into an in-person workshop. And it’s completely self-paced, so it gives teachers an on-ramp into the course. And now I’m working on some in-person workshop agendas. So I feel really wonderful that my work is going out to thousands of teachers. But at the same time, I really, really miss talking to teachers. Because that’s something that energizes me so much.
Eric Cross (26:46):
When should students start learning computer science? I feel like we see it in this kind of narrow lane. Like, this is computer science if you make an app. Can it be more than that? As far as like the benefit of computer science? And—I guess two-part question—when should students, one, start being exposed to it? And then two, what are some of the benefits beyond just, “I wanna just make an app”?
Aryanna Trejo (27:08):
I taught coding to kindergartners. It can start as early as you as you want it to. And it doesn’t necessarily need to be on the computer. A lot of students that I worked with didn’t have computers at home, were interacting with computers for the first time. And that’s a huge barrier, of course, to a lot of teachers. But there are so many unplugged lessons that you can do to start to start to have students think about algorithms, which is just a series of steps to complete to solve a problem. As long as a student can use a computer, I think they can do computer science. There are products out there like codeSpark, where students—and Code.org has these products too—where students are moving an avatar around a board, kind of like a quadrant to…you know, they feed the directions to a computer and then the computer enacts it for them. And with that, they can learn algorithms. You know, that is computer science. And a lot of people don’t see it that way, but it really is. And it starts to set students up for more complex thinking as they move on.
Eric Cross (28:13):
One of the biggest underserved communities, geographically, are students in rural areas.
Aryanna Trejo (28:20):
Yep.
Eric Cross (28:21):
They can be reservations; they can be places just not an urban area. Is there a way to serve our communities of students and bring these skills in an unplugged way?
Aryanna Trejo (28:32):
Yeah. Yeah. If you typed in “unplugged computer science lessons” to Google, you’ll have a ton of hits. And there are so many students out there—not just in rural areas. But there’s incarcerated students. It hurts my heart to even say those words, but in urban areas too. Like in my classroom, where I only had four desktop computers. Access is a real struggle. And there’s things, like I said, instead of moving an avatar around a grid on the computer, I used to have an actual mat that I would take out to my kindergarten classrooms, lay it out, and it would have a grid on it. And we’d have one of the students act as the avatar and the rest of the students would give them directions to get to a different point on the grid. And there, you’re building an algorithm or just a series of steps. Like I said, it’s not some fancy term to solve a problem. And there’s multiple ways to solve that problem, too. And I think investigating that can be a really good way to stretch those lessons.
Eric Cross (29:32):
It almost sounds like an oxymoron, but this low-tech computer science strategy. Develop these skills and then transfer that once you have access to the tools.
Aryanna Trejo (29:39):
Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. And I think it’s a good way for students who need kinesthetic means to start to understand something, or just different learning styles, to start transferring that over.
Eric Cross (29:53):
I probably have students in the classroom where those kinesthetic moving things would help be a great way—or WILL be a great way—for them to learn the principles and the fundamentals of coding. Instead of only giving the option to just do the computer, actually giving them some choice. Or giving them a way to be able to manipulate things. We’re still in the system of education that’s still very siloed. It’s been the same way for a hundred years. We got math and then we got science and we got English. I’m wondering, how can a teacher fit this into their daily lessons? And then, do you have any experiences or stories or things that you’ve seen, just really creative ways that you’ve seen teachers incorporate this? Outside the norm of, “This is a computer science class; we’re just gonna code.” But have you seen it branch out? In the trainings that you’ve done?
Aryanna Trejo (30:40):
I’ve seen examples of that. I’ve seen a teacher use Scratch to demonstrate different climates of California, and show the different climates. This past year for Hour of Code, my friend Amy—the one who helped me move to 9 Dots and at Code.org—she created this incredible tutorial called Poetry Bot. And it was a way to get students to match the mood of the poem to some of the elements that were happening in the stage. So they would have different backgrounds show up at different parts of the poem. When the words would show up, they would have different sprites show up. They would have, sometimes, sounds. Or the text would show up with different animations. So there are cross-curricular opportunities everywhere, if you can be creative enough to find them, or if you beg, borrow, steal from other educators who are doing this incredible work out there.
Eric Cross (31:36):
Yeah. I say this all the time, but I’m an educational DJ, not an MC.
Aryanna Trejo (31:44):
Oh yeah.
Eric Cross (31:45):
So MCs write their lyrics and DJs remix with things that other people have done.
Aryanna Trejo (31:48):
Absolutely.
Eric Cross (31:48):
I was like, I’m a DJ. I was like, all day. Sometimes I’ll write a lyric, once or twice, but most of the time I’m remixing things. So teachers, if you’ve been out there and you got an awesome interdisciplinary thing, or you’ve incorporated coding and it’s something that’s traditionally not seen, please send it to us. Share it with us.
Aryanna Trejo (32:03):
Yeah. And there are so many different places where you can find that. We have a forum for Code.org, but there’s also CSTA, the Computer Science Teachers Association. You can join your local chapter and get to know other computer science teachers out there.
Eric Cross (32:19):
I guess…to wrap up, I’ve been using Scratch programming, the MIT website. My students do the basic animated name, CS First, stuff. But over the years, I’ve noticed that my students are coming in with a higher level of sophistication in Scratch to where now the differentiation…some of my students are just doing very basic…and then I have other students who’ve created full-on video games with complex…like, you look at their Scratch page and it’s just an amazing amount of blocks and integrations and things that they have. Is there anything on Code.org that could be a next step? That takes them beyond, maybe like the visuals? And if so, what would be a good next step, to take students to advance them to another platform? There’s so many coding languages out there, I feel like. Or I might not even be thinking about that the right way.
Aryanna Trejo (33:20):
No, I think you are. You know, we have three different curricula out on our website right now. We have CS Fundamentals, which is probably more in line with what you’re talking about. We have a free CS Discoveries curriculum, and that is designed for, grades, I believe, 6 through 10. And that would be a really good entry point, for both teachers and for students.
Eric Cross (33:44):
There’s a lot of new stuff that I hadn’t seen yet, a few years ago.
Aryanna Trejo (33:49):
Yeah.
Eric Cross (33:49):
So I was really excited.
Aryanna Trejo (33:50):
One thing that I do know is that CS Discovery has just added an artificial intelligence slash machine-learning unit, that you can just pick up and give to your students. You don’t have to go in order with CS Discoveries, like you do with CS Principles. And I’ve gone through some of those lessons. They are really rad. And I would’ve loved to have learned that when I was in middle school or high school. So yeah, we’re constantly thinking of how we can make things one, relevant to our students, and two relevant to what’s going on in the world.
Eric Cross (34:20):
So would I be overselling it if I said, “If you go through this, you’ll be able to create an AI or a neural net to do all your homework”?
Aryanna Trejo (34:26):
You would be overselling it.
Eric Cross (34:27):
I would be? OK. So what I’ll do is, I’ll wait until the end of the school year, and then introduce it, and then by the time they’ve realized it’s not true, they’ll be eighth graders.
Aryanna Trejo (34:35):
There you go. Good old bait-and-switch.
Eric Cross (34:37):
You’re amazing. Thank you for serving teachers, and for being part of such a great organization that puts out great stuff. So much free curricula for teachers to be able to use. Especially nowadays we hunt and scour the internet for those types of things. And to be able to bring computer literacy into the classroom, and with your focus of serving communities of underrepresented groups, it feels good to know that not only is it high-quality material, but it’s also trying to raise everyone up. Because ultimately when we have more people trying to solve a common problem, we come up with better solutions. And I was talking to somebody who was a materials engineer somewhere in Europe, and he said one of the things about the U.S., As he was critiquing me on this flight, critiquing the U.S., He said, “One of the things about your country is that you have a heterogeneous group of people who, in a group, when you have multiple perspectives attacking a problem, you come up with more novel solutions.” He says, “That’s one of the great things, is that there’s not necessarily just a hive mind.” And I think that that’s one of the great things. We uplift different communities, and we uplift women, people of color, people who, have backgrounds that parents didn’t go to college but have these amazing qualities and strengths. And we put everybody focusing on the same issue. We come up with novel solutions that we wouldn’t have come up with if only select groups were trying to look at it and solve it. And so—.
Aryanna Trejo (36:22):
Yeah.
Eric Cross (36:23):
And we couldn’t do that without organizations like yours, that help empower teachers. So.
Aryanna Trejo (36:27):
Yeah! You really said it.
You’re coming to my classroom when you’re back in San Diego?
Aryanna Trejo (36:31):
Yeah! I totally will. Yeah. Let’s make it happen.
Eric Cross (36:34):
Last question. If you think back in your schooling, your own schooling, K through college, is there a person or a teacher that had a big impact on you? Or a learning experience that had an impact on you? And it could be, you know, positive or negative. But something that impacted you, even to this day, that stands out to you, that you remember?
Aryanna Trejo (36:56):
This is a big diversion from the topics that we’re talking about. But in grades 10 through 12, my drama teacher, Mr. Byler, who I still talk with, was such a huge impression on me. Really wonderful. And I couldn’t tell you the teaching moves that he did that were wonderful. I don’t know much about his management. But I can tell you that he gave me space to be confident, and grow into myself, through drama productions. They were high school productions, so they weren’t amazing. But I just really came into myself in high school, because I had the confidence to get on stage. And he was just such a wonderful mentor to all of us. So, props to Mr. Byler.
Eric Cross (37:39):
Shout out to Mr. Byler for creating space for Aryanna to fly! Thanks for making time, after your workday, to talk with us and to share Code.org with teachers.
Aryanna Trejo (37:54):
Of course. Happy to.
Eric Cross (37:59):
Thanks so much for joining me and Aryanna today. We want to hear more about you. If you have any great lessons or ways to keep student engagement high, please email us at stem@amplify.com. Make sure to click subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. And join our brand new Facebook group, Science Connections: The Community for some extra content.
Stay connected!
Join our community and get new episodes every other Tuesday!
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Meet the guest
Aryanna is a member of the Code.org Professional Learning Team. Before joining Code.org, Aryanna led computer science professional development for K-6 teachers and served as an instructional coach for new educators. She also taught fourth and fifth grade in New York City and Los Angeles. In her spare time, Aryanna loves taking advantage of the California sunshine, creating wheel-thrown pottery, and hanging out with her dog Lola.

About Science Connections
Welcome to Science Connections! Science is changing before our eyes, now more than ever. So…how do we help kids figure that out? We will bring on educators, scientists, and more to discuss the importance of high-quality science instruction. In this episode, hear from our host Eric Cross about his work engaging students as a K-8 science teacher. Listen here!
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S4 – 01. Joyful math teaching with Kanchan Kant

This season on the Math Teacher Lounge podcast, we follow the theme “joyful math” and uncover its meaning.
In this episode, Kanchan Kant joins Bethany Lockhart Johnson and Dan Meyer to discuss the key, early investment she makes at the start of the school year to ensure her math teaching will be joyful for herself and for her students for the rest of the year.
Explore more from Math Teacher Lounge by visiting our main page.
Dan Meyer (00:00):
Okay, we are recording. Hey folks. Welcome back to Math Teacher Lounge. (laugh)
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:06):
Hardly off to a rocking start.
Dan Meyer (00:06):
Yeah. Yeah. <laugh> Did you like my energy there? Hey folks. Welcome back to Math Teacher Lounge. It’s a new season with your host Dan Meyer. And…
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:15):
I’m Bethany, Lockhart Johnson. How’s your summer Dan?
Dan Meyer (00:22):
Summer for me feels really hectic as we prepare, here at Amplify, for the new school year, and everyone’s starting these new math programs. So I’ve been feeling quite amped up, like usual in the summer. But also, my kids started big kid school. So I’ve been seeing the educational system from the role of a parent and all the anxieties and I worry, will I be my kids’ teacher’s most annoying parent <laugh> … So what kind of math curriculum you using? Oh, have you heard of core counting? Can I lead a math center? What’s this worksheet about? I’m really worried my kids are just overall gonna hate my vibe when I come around their classes. Uh, <laugh> so lots going on with me.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:06):
It’s already happening for me and I have a toddler.
Dan Meyer (01:10):
<laugh> There we go. Anyway, that’s what I’m up to. That’s how I’m feeling. I’m curious how you’re doing. We haven’t chatted in a while. We’re excited about the podcast, but it’s been a bit, you know? Bethany got a break from me and my antics over the summer. So, how are we finding you here, as we ramp up to the new season?
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:24):
Uhhhh. Well, let me just tell you, I have a toddler. That’s kind of all I need to say. Except that’s not all I will say. Of course, I’ll say more. I am exploring, I’m dipping my toe into the extracurricular toddler activities; the music classes of the toddler world, the creative movement of the toddler world. And yeah, I have lots of opinions and lots of things to say about the teachers. And I’m like, Ugh, I can’t wait to be room mom. And just like…<laugh>
Dan Meyer (01:55):
Just let it rip, you know?
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:57):
I have opinions on everything and just hope I don’t get kicked out of the class.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (02:05):
It’s been an eventfully recharging summer and we are ready for this new season. And in fact, we’re so ready that we decided that we were gonna mix up this season. Just a, just a tiny bit. Shall I explain Dan?
Dan Meyer (02:21):
Yeah. Let’s do it.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (02:22):
So we have loved all the different topics that we have explored in the Math Teacher Lounge world, but we kind of feel like we need to do some more deep dives. So for this season and the foreseeable seasons …
Dan Meyer (02:38):
We’ll see how it goes.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (02:38):
Let’s stick with this season. For this season. We’re going to be exploring a singular theme.
Dan Meyer (02:46):
We’re not bouncing around. Yep. We’re not bouncing around from a guest to guest going on whatever shiny thing in the river bed catches our eye. We’re gonna take one theme and see where it goes. What we working with here this season?
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (02:57):
This season, we are going to be exploring the idea of joyful math, joyful math. And Dan, the question I have for you is, is the term joyful math one that you use on the regular?
Dan Meyer (03:10):
No, it definitely is not. I think that joy and math are very rarely, you know, connected in the popular mind. Number one, and number two, you know, I’m kind of an ornery fellow, so that’s not my natural kind of description of math. But we decided that it feels like an important one at the moment, because a lot of math teaching–a lot of teaching in general, math teaching in particular–math teaching is often not a joyful discipline for students, where, you know, I’ve done some research where you look at what people type into Google. And I looked at like, what they…why am I bad at X? And I looked at that for where X is math, where it’s science, where it’s reading, where it’s history. And it was just wild to see how many more hits there are out there on the Internet for “why am I bad at math?” People don’t really associate math with joy, but also we’re looking at joyful math in terms of joyful math teaching. Math teaching, teaching in general, is a tough field at the moment with a lot of teachers leaving teaching. And those who remain are having a lot of soul searching and thinking about, why am I here and how do I sustain this work? And in an environment that seems hostile to my interests or my talents, or work-life balance. And so that’ll be the theme that we’re gonna kind of uncover over the course of our season, talking to various interesting guests, including one today about, yeah, joyful math teaching and joyful math.
Dan Meyer (04:43):
And to help us think about what joyful math teaching looks like, we figured we’d first look at what UN-joyful math teaching looks like. It happens to be the case that we’ve been in a pandemic as you might be aware, and teaching has been challenging. And the NEA, our National Education Association, surveyed its member teachers and asked them the following question … Gave a list of issues that school employees have experienced and asked, for each one indicate how serious of a problem this is for you. This is a survey where more than half of members said they are more likely to leave or retire sooner than planned because of the pandemic. And this is almost double the numbers from July, 2020. It’s really hard to keep track of teacher departures and unfilled vacancies across states. So I don’t wanna like blow this up out of proportion, but it does indicate some real challenges in teaching. So Bethany, I was curious, what do you think like at the top of the list, like what kinds of factors, issues facing educators would you imagine there are?
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (05:48):
So if I’m to understand you correctly, these are reasons someone is not actively experiencing joy in the profession of teaching. Like why would they leave?
Dan Meyer (05:58):
Exactly.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (05:59):
Well, the number one thing that came to mind for me, well, okay. Wait, wait, one other caveat I need to ask about, you said specifically pandemic-related or just in general, because if it’s pandemic-related, then I think, well, there’s health issues, right? That people are concerned about, but in general, the thing that came to mind was a lack of support from administration districts, lack of funding, and overcrowding in classrooms. Like, you know, I saw somebody had 40 students in their classroom. So those are the two things that I can imagine like top on someone’s list that would make them experience less than a joyful day.
Dan Meyer (06:44):
Yeah. There’s a bunch of you’re kind of identifying here. So number seven on the list is lack of respect from parents and the public, which is like 76% of teachers call that out as serious for them. Others that you kind of circled around in terms of resources go like, not enough planning or unstructured time in the job kind of ties into resources. Yeah. But there’s others that are on the list that I’m curious, you wanna take on the swing at it, given what I’ve said here,
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (07:15):
I feel like too much being asked of them, like being asked to wear too many hats, like they’re being asked to not only teach their class, but also cover all the vacancies and supervise recess and, you know, make a delicious, nutritious lunch. That’s what came to mind. Am am I close?
Dan Meyer (07:33):
Yeah. Number four on the list, unfilled job openings leading to more work for remaining staff. People covering, you know, not just the kind of external to teaching work like you’re describing, but also just taking on like losing your prep period, to take on a class that has been unfilled for all kinds of reasons. Yeah.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (07:54):
Yeah. I’ve only gotten the fourth. Give me one clue, one clue about …
Dan Meyer (07:59):
So, I mean like, so number one is general stress from the coronavirus pandemic, you know, which I feel like …
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (08:06):
I mentioned that.
Dan Meyer (08:07):
I’ll give you that one. Yep, yep, sure. And then number two, close behind, is feeling burned out, which I think ties into what you’re describing as well. I’m giving Bethany credit on that one. The third one is very different from the ones you’ve been describing. I think I cannot in good faith give you even partial credit for this one. I’ll just say it. Student…
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (08:28):
Wait! Dan, this is not how you give clues.
Dan Meyer (08:31):
Here’s a clue. It’s student absences due to COVID19. It’s really hard to deal student absences. That’s your clue.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (08:40):
That wasn’t a clue that you told me.
Dan Meyer (08:43):
Yeah, let’s see. I think that’s largely it. There’s also pay is too low, is on the list; student behavioral issues, on the list. And I think that about covers it. So all of that, that basket of items has led to more than half of teachers in this survey, saying that they’re more likely to leave or retire from education sooner than planned. And I don’t know. I think we all know teachers who have bailed.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (09:08):
I’ve never played a board game with you, Dan, but if we ever play a board game, we’re gonna work on your clue giving, ’cause I want to keep guessing. And you just told me.
Dan Meyer (09:22):
Yeah. Yeah.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (09:22):
In all seriousness, the <laugh>. In all seriousness, I think yes, the stress of the pandemic and students being absent, what some folks are calling unfinished learning, all of those pieces do play into it. But a lot of those things that you’re mentioning on the list are things that are not unique to the pandemic, right? Like those are things that I feel like there is some modicum of control that we could have over shifting the way the culture of the teaching profession is going so that we could create a more joyful experience for educators, administrators, and students.
Dan Meyer (10:03):
Yeah. Good call out. That’s exactly right. We could tax the people who are not in the classrooms more and increase the pay to classroom teachers. You know, there we go.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (10:11):
Oh. Bingo. Why didn’t we ask you sooner Dan, for your wisdom.
Dan Meyer (10:15):
Yeah. I’m … solved by Dan. Yeah, good point though. So I read that and yeah, I think that there’s been some … people have critiqued the NEA for being very alarmist about teacher departures as the year has ramped up. It has not been quite the flood of departing teachers as was predicted and thank heavens for that, but we should still be very bummed if teachers are unhappy and wanting to leave and feel like they can’t leave. That is definitely not good. So we were really excited to bring to the table, someone who is just a very joyful teacher and one in a very intentional way. Someone who has a lot of discipline in how she approaches the job and the students in it and tries to create a joyful environment for herself, Kanchan Kant. Kanchan is a math and computer science teacher at Newton North High School in Newton, Massachusetts. She’s been sharing her love for math with her students for the past four years, while also being instrumental in setting the culture and ethos of the math department at her school in her role as the assistant department head. We welcome you on the show Kanchan to help us understand joy and math teaching. Thanks for being here.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (11:29):
Welcome!
Kanchan Kant (11:30):
Thank you for having me. I really appreciate it.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (11:33):
One of my friends, her son was asked as his first math homework assignment to write out his math bio. And I loved that idea because we got to hear a little bit about your bio from like a broader perspective. But if we were to ask about your math bio, I will speak for myself to say like, automatically certain images flash into my mind, right? To think about my relationship, my evolving relationship with math. But I’m so curious if I was to ask you, what’s your math bio? How did you become the person, mathematically speaking, that you are today? Would you mind sharing a bit about that?
Kanchan Kant (12:10):
Of course I would love to. So I was born and raised in India and I belong to a family which considers mathematics to be extremely important to succeed in life. My father used to have me add and subtract license plates since I was four years old, when we were out and about. I loved math in school, it just made like complete sense to me. It was logical and you know, it was my favorite subject. I loved it all through high school. I had a confidence speed breaker in undergrad. When in my second semester I almost failed the engineering math course that I took. That was the first time math felt like too much and not like my best friend, which it was supposed to be. So it was a while before I could summon the courage to take on another math course in college.
Kanchan Kant (12:56):
But once I did that, it was like old times. I realized I had to persevere through the challenging bits. And once I did that, it started to make sense again. And through my journey, as an educator speaking to people from various backgrounds and like coming to the United States, I realized that math is challenging for everyone at one time or another. For some people that is elementary school. And for some others, it is college or even later. Either way does not mean that you are not a math person. When I was in college, I felt I was not a math person. Whereas my sister, my very own sister said the same thing about math in middle school. Both of us use math every day. And we are definitely, definitely math people. So for me to be a math person is to persevere, to approach problem-solving in a logical manner, and to find the joy in the process ,as well as the answer.
Dan Meyer (13:47):
That’s wonderful. Yeah. A lot of people, have a moment where they feel like almost betrayed by what they thought was a close friend of theirs, with math, where it’s like, wait, I thought we were tight. You know, I thought we were cool. You and me. And there’s that moment. And I wonder if that’s been a useful moment for you to, you know, bring back now and then as a teacher with students who might feel that even, you know, in high school or in a secondary school as a kid.
Kanchan Kant (14:15):
Absolutely. Like when I talk to students and tell them, yes, I had difficulty in math too. It has not always been easy for men and there are still things I struggle with sometimes, then it’s like more modeling for them that you have to persevere, you should persevere. And once you do that, it makes sense and you can feel successful. So, almost every year I end up sharing the story with my students.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (14:38):
There’s so much value in that, right? That you are sharing that vulnerability with students. And to say your relationship with mathematics has not been, you know, smooth sailing the whole way through. There were times when you had to work harder than others.
Dan Meyer (14:55):
Yeah. Really fun to hear about you and your father as well. I tried to ask my five-year-old to do some skip counting the other day, like, okay, cool, you’re hot stuff. You can count, you know, up by ones, but what about by twos? And the moment really fell flat. And I watched myself becoming the kind of parent who is whose enthusiasm for math is one day resented by his children. I feel a lot of, yeah, I felt your anxiety Kanchan, with math itself. And now I feel anxiety as like someone who loves math and loves to teach math and may one day alienate the people closest to him. <laugh>
Kanchan Kant (15:31):
I don’t like that future. I have a three-month-old. I do not like this future of mine. If I have to go through what you’re going through. Uh, oh, <laugh>
Dan Meyer (15:38):
You got this. So Kanchan, you’re going back to the classroom coming up here at the time of this recording. It’s a few weeks out. And we’re thinking about like the kind of ways that math teachers sustain a disposition that is joyful. How are you feeling right now, as far as going back to class after this summer? Are you feeling excited, anxious, some combo, tell us about it.
Kanchan Kant (16:01):
I would say combo, but more excited than anxious. I was on maternity leave, as I mentioned, before the school year ended, and I missed the students dearly. Like, my students are what gives me hope in the darkest times. They are thoughtful. They’re empathetic. They’re so eager to learn. And very soon into my teaching career, I realized that if I take the time to get to know my students and make them feel safe and seen in my class, teaching them math would be so much easier and so much more fun. So I’m a little worried about this being like fourth year into the pandemic, but let’s see. Last year I felt the students were finding it difficult to interact with and work with their classmates because they had not been doing it for so long. So I’m hoping this year would go a little better and I’m really looking forward to working with them and building community and see how it goes.
Dan Meyer (16:53):
So if I’m understanding you correctly, you are feeling very well recharged here. You had basically an extended summer with this maternity leave, basically just like a lot of rest and relaxation over the last, like several months. Um, if I get you here. So anyway, I’m glad for that for you. And, yeah. I also hear you on the difficulties of teaching post pandemic or mid pandemic. Anyway, thanks for sharing that.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (17:19):
What I love is I hear you being so intentional, like thinking about those relationships and thinking about that community that you want to build, you know? How do you hope that you’re gonna cultivate joy in your teaching this year? I mean like, are there certain routines or disciplines that you specifically call forth or that you think other teachers should think about?
Kanchan Kant (17:41):
So at the start of every school year, I dedicate like about three to four weeks to set up the classroom culture, both social and academic. I call my classroom a learning community. We start with community circles, we do icebreaker activities, group building and all those kinds of things. But most importantly, we do a lot of collective problem solving. So I try to present students with problems, which can be solved using multiple strategies and have multiple entry points, basically they are low floor, high ceiling problems. These could be stretch problems that they have seen before, like concepts that they already know or logical puzzles, or just wrapping their heads around different problems. Then I have students share their strategies. The more strategies they have on the board, the more successful I think the problem was. Every year, inevitably, students come up with strategies that I’ve never ever seen before for the same problems that I do.
Kanchan Kant (18:35):
And so I have students come up to the board, they would share their strategies. If they’re not ready for that, they would walk me through their strategies. And I would write their name on the board with different colored markers and everything. Basically to give them choice and agency. It also shows them that the process of doing the problem is so much more important than just getting the right answer and that it is okay to make mistakes in our learning community. I use a lot of vertical whiteboards, some concepts and problems align so well with the vertical surfaces, especially when students can explore together, learn from each other. So I do a lot of that. As for routines, I would say consistency is the key. I consistently reinforce that I want to hear multiple strategies, that it is okay to make mistakes. I am willing to learn from you as much as you’re willing to learn from me. So all like that consistency in culture more than the routines, is I feel important to bring that joy.
Dan Meyer (19:29):
That’s super interesting. Thanks for that. So I’ve heard, I hear two common objections or two common concerns to using rich tasks or doing problem solving. And I think I heard like answers to those two common reservations within what you described there, but I wonder if we can kind of bring it to the surface. And so one of the reservations is around the time that those problems take and another is that teachers often feel like, well, I might be surprised, you know, I might not know what to do with what a student does. And I thought I was hearing like some very interesting answers to both of those kinds of reservations from you, but would you just surface those up if you have some.
Kanchan Kant (20:09):
So in terms of time, I feel if I spend the time at the beginning of the year, setting up that community and doing those problems, it makes learning the math and learning the concepts much more faster throughout the rest of the year. And even when I am trying, like, even throughout the year, if we are doing a warm up problem, as I call it, which has multiple strategies, that’s gonna clarify so many more concepts when we talk about those five, 10 strategies of doing the same problem, then going through multiple problems to clarify those concepts. So for me, it actually saves time instead of taking more time.
Dan Meyer (20:43):
Hmm. That’s super interesting. It’s an investment I’m hearing from you that, yeah, you might not be hitting the curriculum quite as hard early on, but that all of a sudden you’re in the spring and it’s like, oh wow, we’ve been moving so much faster through territory that has been more challenging. What would you say to you know, comfort concerned educators or to address the concern that I don’t know what I’ll do with these five, 10 different strategies. You say, I always see strategies that I’ve never anticipated. Like, it’s a good thing, you know, like you’re happy about that. I think that’s a very intimidating thing for lots of educators. What would you say to that?
Kanchan Kant (21:19):
I think like, for me, it’s a good kind of discomfort. That means like a student is teaching me something, which is actually doing two things. One modeling for them that I’m willing to learn and that I don’t know everything. And two, also telling them that they’re mathematicians. They know what they’re doing. They’re not just receivers of math, they’re actually creating it. So for me, that is very, very important.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (21:43):
I love that so much. When you think about your students and you’re about to start this new school year, how do you hope your students will experience math in your classroom?
Kanchan Kant (21:53):
So I hope my students can see the beauty and joy of math. They can see that math is a way to see the world and not as something we have to do to get through school. So my hope for my classroom is that we can learn to problem-solve and persevere through problems and learn from each other and not just get through the curriculum. Because like, I think math is a wonderful way to learn these skills, which are so important when you get out of high school. Most importantly, I just wanna make sure that my students see themselves as mathematicians. And like one of the things that like I have to share with you that, because one of my highlights for the year has to be the Desmos art project. I do it every year for the past three years, I think since I’ve started teaching sophomores. And I do it as a unit assessment for functions and my students design something that is meaningful to them, using all the different kinds of functions and colors and shading and everything that you can think of in Desmos.
Kanchan Kant (22:49):
Thank you so much for that though. It is such a cool way for me to see them do that. Like I have seen such amazing creations. One of my students once made a scaled working model of a solar system wherein the planets were rotating at relative speed. The Saturn had rings and they were like asteroids and everything. And then it was beautifully done. Then there was another one who did a very, very detailed whale scenery, her reasoning. I wanna be a Marine biologist and I wanna study whales. So this is what is meaningful to me. So like that one project is just a culmination of everything that I want students to see in math and in my classroom. And like I do more of those kinds of things, but that is one thing that it’s one of the highlights of my year.
Dan Meyer (23:32):
That’s awesome. I love hearing that. Yeah. Shout out to the team at Desmos Studio for building and continuing to develop a tool list that so good for art and animation, even, in addition to some mathematics with a more computational kind. Yeah, that’s really exciting. What’s interesting to me is that you teach high school, and I think that like students at that age have a very well-defined sense of what math is and who they are as mathematicians. And then along you come, you know, and like offer this really interesting disruption, you know, in their sophomore year of high school that like, oh, this can be totally different, this relationship who I am. And that’s just really exciting. I imagine it’s a very surprising year. I would imagine that first month, I would imagine is a very surprising month for a lot of your sophomores.
Kanchan Kant (24:20):
Yeah, it is. I mean, that’s why I take that time to build that community because then that sets the tone and the relationship that we’re gonna have for the rest of the year. Students get to know how to work with each other. They get to know each other, that whole piece is like super important because of that.
Dan Meyer (24:35):
Yeah. That’s awesome. So here’s the thing, like we’re exploring these ideas about joyful math teaching and what it will take to cultivate restore, reclaim joy in math, teaching this next year. And you’ve offered us these really interesting ideas some, some very, you know, philosophical and some technical about how you spend time in ways that lead to joy in the spring for you and your students. Love that. We don’t want to as hosts, as researchers, investigators of this joyful math teaching idea, we don’t wanna say it’s all up to teachers to change their mindset, to do different technical practices, and that will lead to joy. We also wanna be really attentive to the environment that surrounds you, the people who are around to support you, the policy makers, the social structures that influence your joy in very significant ways. So what we would love to know from you is, how are you supported by the greater educational community in keeping your joy in your work? I’m thinking, especially about administrators, you know, front office, staff, parents, even, can you name a few ways for those sorts of people who listen to this podcast, how they can cultivate a math teacher’s joy this coming year?
Kanchan Kant (25:54):
I would say trust. I think more than anything, educators want administrators, parents, the greater educational community, to trust them to be professionals and experts in what they do. That does not mean that we don’t want to learn, that we don’t want feedback, that we don’t wanna get better. It just means that we keep the wellbeing of our students as our top priority. And we would like to be trusted to do just that. Also just keeping in mind that whether we like it or not, we are still adjusting to the new normal while recovering from the worst of the pandemic times. A lot of us are recovering from trauma, a lot of our students are recovering from trauma, and we need time and space for our social and emotional wellbeing.
Dan Meyer (26:35):
Yeah. I’m really curious, Kanchan, you’ve done a lot of work in your area with your grading team and in thinking about equitable and biased resistant instruction. I’m curious how you see those efforts lining up with creating joyful math learning conditions for all students, not just students from a dominant culture of math doing, let’s say.
Kanchan Kant (26:55):
For me, creating an equitable environment in a classroom is most important because once you have that, that’s when you have the relationships, that’s when you have the culture, that’s when all students actually thrive. So to that end, our school and our department has been doing a lot of work around grading practices. We actually assess how we grade students, where the bias is, what we can do to make them more bias resistant. Should we move to mastery based grading? Like that’s something I’ve been experimenting with for the past two years. Through the pandemic, I started doing mastery based grading so that my students can get more opportunities to show that they have learned the content. And so like just little things which help bridge the opportunity gap. I would say another project that our school undertakes is called the calculus project wherein we have students in Black, Latinx, and low income families sign up for that and are recommended for that. And then we do summer classes and yearlong support to preview the material for next year, not as a remedial class, but to actually set students up for success in AP classes for the coming year. So we have the community buildup. We have the courses we have like math support. It’s a very beautiful thing actually. And I’ve been working with that program for four years now. So yeah, so those are my ways of creating more equity in our school.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (28:19):
That’s so beautiful and I deeply, deeply wish you had been my high school math teacher. And I have to say that the theme that I kind of keep hearing is this intentionality. How you are so intentional about your work, not just with what your students are learning, but how they’re learning it, how they are engaging with this subject and how they are building their own relationship. You talked a little bit about your relationship over the years with mathematics, but how are your students building that relationship? And so I’m just very appreciative of you sharing that with us and with our listeners. And we are so excited to have learned a little bit about, like, I feel like I got a little mini peek into your classroom.
Kanchan Kant (29:03):
Thank you.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (29:04):
And can I say that if you are listening to this prior to October at NCTM Los Angeles, you will get to hear Kanchan Kant speak at Shadow Con. Can I give that away, Dan? Is that, is that …
Dan Meyer (29:23):
You can drop that. Yeah, It’s pretty top secret.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (29:26):
Can I drop it?
Dan Meyer (29:27):
Yeah. Do it. Yeah.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (29:28):
Dan and I will be in the audience cheering you on. It’s been a joy to learn with and from you, and we are so excited to just, you know, kind of keep marinating on some of these ideas about how we can continue to be intentional about creating joyful math spaces for our students. Thank you so much for joining us today.
Kanchan Kant (29:49):
Thank you so much. It was a real pleasure.
Dan Meyer (29:57):
So Bethany, I loved hearing Kanchan talk about both her, just her joyful personality, but how she cultivates joy through craft and technique through, you know, through the various ways she interacts with students in intentional ways, that those make the job more joyful for her. And I thought it was really interesting to hear her talk about how autonomy is the thing that she needs most in her job environment to feel like she can be joyful in her work. In that context, I saw … something on Twitter popped up for me in my, you know, my many Twitter wanderings. This is a segment we might call, Dan finds something on Twitter and shares it with Bethany. Which we’ll tighten that up a little bit, but I’m sending this over to you right now, and I’d love to know as you check this out, what you’re seeing and what you’re thinking and we’ll chat about how it relates to our interview here in a moment.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (30:47):
All right. I’m ready, send it over. It’s opening. So this appears to be a document by the way, outlining, maybe it’s a district, maybe it’s administration, they’re outlining expectation type and expectation guidelines. Hmm. Okay. And these are lesson plan expectations. Expectation type. Timeliness. Plans are due no later than 6 p.m.. Friday prior to the week of instruction. Comprehensive, all activities for the week for all subjects taught should be included and complete by due date and time. Plans should have at minimum, the following, see template for detail. Okay. So then it goes through the things that the plans need to have, the topic title, target, the objective, the activities, the sequence, the display agendas to be displayed backward design. Okay. So basically <laugh>, we were just talking about, overwhelm. And when I see this document, listeners, have you ever received something from your administrator or anyone, let’s take it more broadly, that is requesting something of you that would take so much time to complete and be so out of touch with your lived reality that it really genuinely sucks the joy out of the experience.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (32:25):
So the first thing that I see that this document, and again, the goal of whichever district’s plan this is, is that these expectations will lead–now, mind you, I am a fan of like, you know, looking ahead, I’m not a like, oh, hey, what am I gonna teach in five minutes? No, but the idea that then it lays out all of the things in such detail that you’re gonna be teaching feels like one of those pacing guides where, oh, move on to the next page, whether or not your students have any sort of sense making whatsoever. So my first thought is, oh, sad. I have to stay here. I’ll be there past 6 p.m. But I’m gonna be there trying to make the plans for the next week based on what I think my students have learned. Hmm it’s sounds like a little bit of a bummer. Dan, what did you think when you saw this and did I do a fair description of what it is?
Dan Meyer (33:25):
No, it’s, it’s a tough one to describe, ’cause it’s basically a wall of text and commands from an administrator who like, I just have to imagine has just like acres and acres of teachers trying to beat down their door to teach at this school, if this is how you’re gonna treat your teachers. I mean just, yeah. The idea of having a week… I’m with you, you don’t wanna just like, just jump in by the seat of your pants, but the idea of having a full week of lessons for every section you teach, every prep you teach, planned and submitted with every minute, basically morseled out to different goals. It says down here, you gotta like, for all of these, download a CSV of grades and whatnot and attach those. It’s the sort of thing, like you said, there are some edicts that you get from administration where you just have to laugh or just like, you have definitely missed like what I am willing to do here. It’s so far beyond. Yeah. I can’t imagine it. And it just felt like, yeah, it was a great way to get teachers like Kanchan to feel like a real lack of autonomy. Like it’s this would not work. I don’t think.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (34:33):
And it’s not even like willing to do. Like, let’s say you’re even willing to produce it. Let’s say that me, the rule follower is like, okay. I’m gonna attempt to meet these demands. One, most teachers were just, you know, they probably would put baloney down there anyway. Not saying that I would, but I’m saying like, it’s clearly just a hoop that they’re having to jump through and two…
Dan Meyer (35:04):
Yeah. Compliance, right?
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (35:05):
Yeah. Compliance, compliance. There you go. And two, yeah, it feels like it’s about control and not trusting the teacher. And I love that. Kanchan said that trust is what she needs. Right? You’re hiring me. Yes. I still have lots to learn, but you’re trusting me and you’re creating an environment where I can continue to learn from and with my students. And if I was being asked to submit this tome every Friday before six, that is predicting, what does it say, anticipating the steps necessary for student mastery? You know, I kind of feel like maybe it’s like that one or two teachers where maybe they feel like, oh, I don’t trust that teacher or that teacher isn’t doing a good job, whatever. We better do this for all of the teachers, but then it’s not gonna change the practices of that one teacher and all the other teachers are gonna be resentful.
Dan Meyer (36:00):
Like if there was like feedback that came back to you on, you know, on lesson plans or there was some like something that was very constructive or productive, like maybe that would be different, but it really just feels like these are gonna go into a digital drawer somewhere and not be looked at, at all.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (36:15):
Yes. The digital drawer. Like I’m gonna send you this report and then nothing is going to happen with it. Except that four hours of my time. Well, you wouldn’t do it, but <laugh>…
Dan Meyer (36:29):
You’ve worn me down. You’ve worn me down. I’m now putty in your hands and more compliant for the next thing. And I also just wanna shout out the administrator today, who I emailed asking about like a teacher participating in a project and this administrator said, I have a standing policy not to email teachers over summer break, which you know, as administrators out there doing just the good work, you know, trusting teachers, watching out for them, trying to be a force multiplier for teachers, making the road wider, the way easier for teachers. So shout out to y’all doing the out there. Really appreciate that.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (37:04):
Okay. Wait, wait. About that email thing, quick question. Did you ever check your email over the summer?
Dan Meyer (37:11):
Uh, yeah. That’s one way in which I was the, you know, I just love email, you know? Oh. Someone wanted to reach out. Oh, oh, Banana Republic wants to tell me about new clothes that are on offer. <laugh> I mean like, it’s just, I love those personal emails. So yeah, I did check my email over the summer.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (37:26):
Somebody emailed me recently and they emailed me at like two in the morning. And because I currently have a toddler, I received the email at four in the morning because you know, the best thing to help myself fall back asleep is to hop on my phone, right? Like I’m already up trying to get my toddler back to sleep. I might as well start scrolling. Anyway, so the person had this little thing at the bottom of their email and it said, I have, something to the effect of, I have really like wonky work hours. I may be sending this outside of the like more standard nine to five. But please don’t feel pressure in any way to respond outside of your time. Would you appreciate that, seeing that or does it make you feel like you should respond? ‘Cause I almost responded at four in the morning, and maybe that says something about …
Dan Meyer (38:15):
They’re telling you not to respond.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (38:16):
I know it was helpful.
Dan Meyer (38:18):
It says don’t, but you’re like, what if they’re saying that because they really expect me to respond and this is one of many ways that you and I are different. I’m always happy to see that.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (38:29):
Do you respond? I’ve texted you in the evening because you know I have some wonky hours. Do you respond to things, like where’s your boundary there? Or when you were in the classroom, where was your boundary there? Did parents have your phone number?
Dan Meyer (38:43):
No. I gave kids my cell phone number for a couple years and it was a wobbly experiment. But parents will email, you know, back and forth with you. And I think the best thing to like … I love just like adding some friction, some latency into the kind of the chain, you know, like I hate going like back and forth, like da, da, da, da, and then like respond and then da, da da respond. And it just like goes back and forth. So just like just sitting back for an hour or two hours, you know, not responding, just let someone cool down, calm down. Email just gets you more email. That’s like if you send an email, you are just making it more likely to get more email. It’s a, you know, it’s a problem.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (39:20):
Are you one of the zero people?
Dan Meyer (39:23):
My inbox is at zero. Most days before work.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (39:26):
You’re joking!
Dan Meyer (39:28):
I end work every day with inbox, at zero.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (39:31):
You’re joking!
Dan Meyer (39:32):
That’s just, you know.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (39:33):
Who are you?
Dan Meyer (39:34):
You know, you should take my life coaching, Bethany. I’ll give you a discount since we’re math teacher, lunch pals. But, um yeah. I can help.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (39:44):
Thank you for qualifying where our pal-dom lives. I wouldn’t even tell you how many are in my inbox. Point is, if you are actively starting the school year, we celebrate you and we are here and over the next few months, we’re gonna be diving into joyful math and that definition’s gonna keep evolving. But I wanna say something that is making me feel a little joyful, Dan. You ready?
Dan Meyer (40:15):
Tell me.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (40:16):
You and I, in person, at NCTM, the National Council for Teachers and Mathematics. It’s coming up and we are going to be recording Math Teacher Lounge, live. Live, in person! And I hear there’s gonna be like a t-shirt cannon and there’s gonna be, you know, like musicians marching through the aisles or something.
Dan Meyer (40:46):
A marching band?
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (40:46):
A marching band!
Dan Meyer (40:46):
Trained animals. Yeah.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (40:48):
But the point is, I’m so excited, Dan. And you know, when I see you, I might just, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you, Dan. I’d love to give you a big old embrace.
Dan Meyer (41:04):
You might just, you might just cry. Yeah. Yeah. It’ll be great. Yeah. It’s gonna be awesome for you folks to see me and Bethany have a real awkward first hug since the pandemic. And, uh, but it’s gonna be a blast to hang with us in person. We’ll have some special guests, probably, some interesting segments. You folks should stop on by at NCTM, if you’re gonna be there. Highly recommended.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (41:29):
Now, we will be broadcasting that episode. You’re gonna get to hear … we’re gonna record it live. It’s gonna happen. In the meantime, you can find us at MTLshow on Twitter, or you can find us in our Facebook group, Math Teacher Lounge. We can’t wait to hear from you. And we’d love to hear what makes math joyful for you? Where can we add a little bit more joy to you this, this season? So thrilled to be back. Thanks for listening.
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Meet the guest
As a math and computer science teacher at Newton North High School, Newton, MA, Kanchan has been sharing her love for math with her students for the past four years. Kanchan is instrumental in setting the culture and ethos of the mathematics department at her school in her role as the Assistant Department Head. Kanchan also leads the Math Department Grading Team and has been instrumental in making grading policies which are more equitable and bias resistant. In her new role as a Transformative Leaders of Massachusetts Fellow in collaboration with Springpoint and Barr Foundation, Kanchan looks forward to making equity and joy of learning the foundation of many more classrooms.


About Math Teacher Lounge: The podcast
Math Teacher Lounge is a biweekly podcast created specifically for K–12 math educators. In each episode co-hosts Bethany Lockhart Johnson (@lockhartedu) and Dan Meyer (@ddmeyer) chat with guests, taking a deep dive into the math and educational topics you care about.
Join the Math Teacher Lounge Facebook group to continue the conversation, view exclusive content, interact with fellow educators, participate in giveaways, and more!
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Benchmark windows
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- Middle of the Year Benchmarks:
- End of the Year Benchmarks:
Remote assessment
mCLASS Texas Edition can be administered in many ways, including remotely. This site will give guidance on the various ways to administer mCLASS Texas Edition to best support your students in any learning environment.
FAQs

Welcome LAUSD CKLA teachers!
On this site, you’ll find teacher tips, videos, and classroom photos to guide your implementation of Amplify’s CKLA® curriculum.
Want to submit your own tip? Share your ideas in the LAUSD Schoology group.
Classroom Materials
Thank you for choosing to pilot our elementary core ELA solutions. To support you in preparing for and familiarizing yourself with your grade-level resources for CKLA and Caminos, please review the Classroom Material Handbook. This handbook will provide additional information about your programs, implementation training, and classroom materials.
This handbook is not intended to be printed in its entirety; select and print applicable grade-level pages including inventory lists.

Teacher tips
More teacher tips
You may be looking for tools to help make instruction in CKLA even easier. Here’s a guide on where to find the top tools for CKLA instruction, followed by some logistics about the new materials you’ll be receiving.
The 4.5-minute video below provides a walk-thru of the main resources found online for every unit, including tips on finding and using them. Want to find just a particular piece? I’ve time-stamped it for you! Feel free to skip ahead.
- What’s on the CKLA Hub
- What’s on the Teacher Resource Site
- ELD supports
- Caminos materials
- Assessments
- Supports for struggling students
A strong literacy program is about more than just a reading program or an assessment tool—it brings together curriculum, instruction, regular practice, differentiation, and assessments that measure where students are, where they need to go, and what is needed to promote ongoing success. CKLA, Amplify Reading, and mCLASS® work together to build strong readers.
Instead of pulling resources from different places and wondering what students need, you can use CKLA, Amplify Reading, and mCLASS to support students in all different types of settings. The chart below shares more about the connections between DIBELS® 8 measures, CKLA instruction, and activities in Amplify Reading.
| D8 measure | Amplify CKLA instructional activity | Amplify reading activity |
|---|---|---|
| Phonemic Segmentation Fluency (PSF) | Phonological Awareness/Phonemic Awareness | Zoom Boom, Gem & Nye, Wordbots, Cut It Out, All Aboard!, eReader |
| Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF) | Phonics: Basic Code, Letter-Sound Correspondence, Chaining, Decoding | Picky Goblins, Grumpy Goblins, Hangry Goblins, Word City, Curioso Crossing, Word Slide, Sort It Out, Rhyme Time, Tongue Twist, Food Truck, Read All About It, eReader |
| Word Reading Fluency (WRF) | Phonics: Advanced Code, Tricky Words, Reading, Wiggle Cards, Chaining, Decoding | Word City, Curioso Crossing, Word Slide, Sort It Out, Rhyme Time, Tongue Twist, Food Truck, Read All About It, eReader |
| Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) | Reading, Fluency Assessments, Fluency Packets | Curioso Crossing, Story Lab |
| Maze | Reading Comprehension Activities | Comprehension Processes: Because This, That, CodeX, Connect It!, Director’s Cut, Message in a Bottle, Show Off, Sloppy Scrolls, Storyboard, Super Match, Unmask That, Reader Comprehension: Best Buddy, Book Club, City Planner, Curious Cases, Debate-a-Ball, Field Observer, Newsflash, Picture This, Poet’s Path, Storybox, Tube Tales, What’s the Big Idea, Wild Planet, Yearbook, eReader Maze Assessment: Mind the Gap |
We can even take this a step further and use CKLA Connect within the mCLASS platform! CKLA Connect matches small groups with targeted Amplify CKLA lessons based on their mCLASS assessment data, helping you get the data you need with powerful reporting and instant recommendations of which Amplify CKLA activities can be used to reteach or remediate specific skills.
Check out the below video to learn more about the CKLA Connect feature and how to access it.
We partnered with some of the most prominent cognitive scientists and leading experts in education to bring you a content-rich, systematic, and engaging curriculum that ensures all LAUSD students have a chance to make significant leaps in their literacy journey.
This guide will help your campus personnel and classroom teachers receive and organize the materials included in your shipment.
Want to see some example lessons? Here are two videos that show a primary and upper elementary example. There are many more examples that teachers have posted from Amplify partner districts. Check us out in the Schoology group for more ideas.
CKLA’s unique knowledge-centered approach allows students to explore great civilizations, meet remarkable people, and examine world-changing events and ideas—all while developing as proficient readers, writers and conversationalists. CKLA introduces students to characters with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, ages, races, religions, and more.
Daily read-alouds and authentic texts give students the chance to dive deeper into the knowledge needed for strong comprehension. Want to know more about why read-alouds are so important? Check out this article from the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
ReadWorks articles support the Amplify CKLA Knowledge Sequence in deepening students’ content knowledge and helping them to develop rich vocabulary. Experiencing the world through different lenses allows students to connect ideas across topics. These articles enhance comprehension and expand student knowledge. There are ReadWorks articles for every domain and unit.
To see which ReadWorks articles align with your Amplify CKLA pilot unit, refer to the About ReadWorks page on the CKLA Hub, or watch this quick video for more.
Share your ideas
Submit a tip
Have ideas you’d like to share with others? We can’t wait to hear them!
Share your ideas in the LAUSD Schoology group for an opportunity to be featured on the LAUSD CKLA teacher tip page.


Submit a photo
Captured pictures to support your tip(s)? We can’t wait to see them!
Submit a photo* by in the LAUSD Schoology group.
Within your post, please include:
- A header (quick title)
- A description of what’s happening in the photo and any additional support to use the tools shown.
*Please review the Photo release permissions in the Help section below.
Pictures! LAUSD classrooms

Animal classifications
Check out @MrsSidneyEdu’s classroom completing animal habitat dioramas!

Decoding games
Students in @MrsSichko’s class have fun practicing decoding while playing games.

Poetry on display
Beautiful poetry created by students in @m_medina’s class for Red Ribbon week!

Building empathy and perspectives
Students in @IndianaAreaSD create projects anchored in text that’s fun and engaging in many ways!

Analyzing poetry
Watch student growth happen as students learn about poetry and begin to create their own at @WilsonES_IASD.

Building skills in upper grades
Building skills in CKLA goes beyond Grade 4! See how students learn about affixes at @CarollES_AISD.

Velcro sound spelling cards
This Grade 2 teacher is attaching velcro sound spelling cards to the Consonants Code Flip Book (CCFB).
Looking for help?
Live chat!
Login to learning.amplify.com ask a question or share feedback with an Amplify team member, view your chat history, or search for help articles in the live chat.
Reach out to our customer support (technical) or educational support (pedagogical) teams:
- Phone: Call our toll-free number (800) 823-1969.
- Email: Send an email to help@amplify.com or edsupport@amplify.com.

Photo release permissions
By submitting photo/video(s), you hereby grant to the Company (Amplify Education, Inc.) the right to use Your picture, voice, statements and/or likeness for advertising, educational, or promotional purposes in any and all media worldwide without limitation, and without payment, consideration or notice. In addition, you hereby irrevocably authorize the Company to copy, exhibit, publish or distribute any and all of Your picture, voice, statements and/or likeness, including in composite or artistic forms and media, for purposes of advertising and promotional programs or for any other lawful purpose.You hereby release and waive any claims, damages or actions against the Company in connection with its use of Your picture, voice, statements and/or likeness. You also waive the opportunity and right to inspect or approve the finished Materials, including written copy, that includes any of Your picture, voice, statements and/or likeness, as well as any advertising or promotional materials that include the Materials or Your picture, voice, statements and/or likeness.
Welcome West Virginia middle school educators!
We’re honored that you’re considering Amplify ELA for grades 6-8. Below you’ll find resources to guide you in your review including:
- An overview and introductory video.
- Program resources to break down the program structure and its components.
- Step-by-step digital review of all teacher and student materials.
- Additional resources and an opportunity to request physical samples and access to multimedia resources.
West Virginia alignment coming soon!
Overview
Amplify ELA is a blended curriculum designed for middle school students and teachers, featuring:
- An engaging digital program with comprehensive print materials, including Teacher Editions, Student Editions, and Writing Journals for grades 6–8.
- A year’s worth of instruction for each grade.
- Complex, content-rich literary and informational texts.
- Differentiation that supports all students with reading complex texts, and an interactive eReader with an array of multimedia tools.
- Embedded assessments that allow for uninterrupted instructional time.
- The Amplify Library—a digital collection of over 700 full-length texts.
Before you explore the program on your own, watch the program walkthrough to the right.
Access and equity
We have a responsibility to provide ELA instruction that gives every student the same opportunity to succeed and excel

Program resources
Download these resources before reviewing the program to better understand program structure, components, digital resources, and more.


Start your review
Follow these steps to complete your digital review of the teacher and student materials for each grade level. Once you’ve completed your digital review, complete the form at the bottom of the page for physical samples and full access to the multimedia resources.
Review step 1: See Amplify ELA in action
Hear from teachers, administrators, and students across the country who are using Amplify ELA in their classrooms right now.
Review step 2: Watch this Amplify ELA overview
Before you explore the program, watch this overview to get familiar with the program and ways to find resources for you and your students online.
Review step 3: Start exploring
To complete your review digitally, click the orange button below to explore the digital platform. You’ll have access to two full units for every grade.
When you explore the digital platform, a quick guided tour will familiarize you with navigation of the program and its features.
While you can access all of the print resources from the digital platform, we’ve collected a few exemplars for each grade level:
Grade 6: Summer of the Mariposas
Grade 7: Poetry & Poe
Grade 8: Space Race

Review step 4: Check out these additional resources to support your review
Request more information
You can request physical samples or full access to the digital resources by submitting the form to the right, or if you have any questions reach out directly to your sales representative, Melissa Webb.
Melissa Webb
Account Executive
mwebb@amplify.com
(304) 552-0234

Leadership and literacy brunch with Natalie Wexler
with Amplify and Riverside USD
Thursday, February 27, 2020
9:30–11:30 a.m. PST
Location:
Benjamin Franklin Elementary School – Library
19661 Orange Terrace Parkway
Riverside, CA 92508
Registration deadline: Space is limited at this free event! RSVP by February 20 to secure your spot.
Who should attend: Supervisors, ELA and reading directors, curriculum coordinators, and principals.
About the event
Join us for a free brunch, author talk, and book signing with education writer and author Natalie Wexler on February 27 from 9:30–12 a.m.
During our time together, Natalie will discuss the latest research around reading, writing, and engagement in elementary school, along with the key findings of her book The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It (2019).
As our guest, you’ll:
- Meet and hear from education writer and author Natalie Wexler.
- Mingle with other district leaders from Riverside USD and surrounding areas.
- Enjoy a delicious brunch with colleagues.
- Leave with a signed copy of Natalie Wexler’s book The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It (2019).
Agenda:
9:30 a.m.: Arrive, check in, and visit our brunch buffet.
10–11 a.m.: Hear from Natalie Wexler
11–11:15 a.m.: Q&A with Natlie Wexler
11:15–11:30 a.m.: Book signing

Meet our featured presenter

Natalie Wexler
Natalie Wexler is an education writer and the author of The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It (2019). She is also the co-author, with Judith C. Hochman, of The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades (2017) and a senior contributor to Forbes. Her articles and essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and other publications. Before turning to education, Wexler worked as a freelance writer and essayist on a variety of topics, and as a lawyer and legal historian. She lives in Washington, D.C.
Submit this form to register for the event!

Leadership and literacy brunch with Natalie Wexler
with Amplify and Riverside USD
Thursday, February 27, 2020
9:30–11:30 a.m. PST
Location:
Benjamin Franklin Elementary School – Library
19661 Orange Terrace Parkway
Riverside, CA 92508
Registration deadline: Space is limited at this free event! RSVP by February 20 to secure your spot.
Who should attend: Supervisors, ELA and reading directors, curriculum coordinators, and principals.
About the event
Join us for a free brunch, author talk, and book signing with education writer and author Natalie Wexler on February 27 from 9:30–12 a.m.
During our time together, Natalie will discuss the latest research around reading, writing, and engagement in elementary school, along with the key findings of her book The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It (2019).
As our guest, you’ll:
- Meet and hear from education writer and author Natalie Wexler.
- Mingle with other district leaders from Riverside USD and surrounding areas.
- Enjoy a delicious brunch with colleagues.
- Leave with a signed copy of Natalie Wexler’s book The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It (2019).
Agenda:
9:30 a.m.: Arrive, check in, and visit our brunch buffet.
10–11 a.m.: Hear from Natalie Wexler
11–11:15 a.m.: Q&A with Natlie Wexler
11:15–11:30 a.m.: Book signing
Meet our featured presenter

Natalie Wexler
Natalie Wexler is an education writer and the author of The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It (2019). She is also the co-author, with Judith C. Hochman, of The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades (2017) and a senior contributor to Forbes. Her articles and essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and other publications. Before turning to education, Wexler worked as a freelance writer and essayist on a variety of topics, and as a lawyer and legal historian. She lives in Washington, D.C.
Submit this form to register for the event!
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Celebrating our 2026 Activity Builder Spotlight Contest winners
Teachers in our community have built over a million activities in Amplify Classroom, and our annual Activity Builder Spotlight Contest helps educators across the globe discover these resources. Each year, teachers submit custom activities in one of two categories: Beginner (for users just starting their activity-building journey) or Pro (for those who’ve mastered Computation Layer or embedded advanced graphs to create student interactions). Our community votes on their favorites, and winners receive a prize plus permanent placement in our Featured Collection.
Meet this year’s winners! Try these incredible teacher-created activities in your classroom, or copy and edit them to fit your grade level(s) or unique classroom needs:
Fractions NF5-13 by Krystal Centinello
Beginner category
Students build conceptual understanding by interpreting a fraction as the division of the numerator by the denominator.
Balance This by Wes Overton
Beginner category
Using an interactive balance scale, students experiment with properties of equality and learn to solve equations with variables on both sides.
Exploring Expressions and Like Terms With Coins! by Michael Felias
Beginner category
By sorting coins and calculating their total value, students discover what expressions are and how to combine like terms.
The Accumulator Function by Pablo Garcia
Beginner category
This activity prepares students for the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus and applications of integration by introducing accumulator functions.
Bike Jumps! by Michael Bostick
Beginner category
This modeling activity introduces lines, parabolas, and rates of change through the context of bike jumps.
SWEEP! – Coding Introduction by Nathaniel Heading
Pro submission
This introduction to coding for beginners builds foundational skills in sequential thinking, functions, and loops.
Combining Like Terms (With Algebra Tiles) by Kayla Skidmore
Pro submission
Through visual algebra tiles, students learn to model expressions and practice combining like terms.
Coordinate Plane Darts by Richard Hung
Pro category
Students sharpen their coordinate graphing skills through an engaging game of darts! The teacher dashboard will show a checkmark if students score at least one point in three rounds.
Metroid Trig by Matthew Stack
Pro category
Students apply trigonometric ratios and the Pythagorean Theorem to calculate side lengths of right triangles.
Bath Time! by Bryn Humberstone
Pro category
This activity takes students through real-world application of linear graphs exploring the relationship between bath volume and time.
Thinking about joining other Amplify Classroom users and building your own activity? Our on-demand Lesson Building Toolkit has bite-size tutorials to get you started.
Apply for the 2026 Science of Reading Star Awards!

When you look up at the night sky, you see some stars that shine especially bright. They guide travelers, inspire wonder, and illuminate galaxies.
That’s how we think of the literacy educators who champion the Science of Reading. They brighten the path for countless students and light their way to lifelong literacy.
Making the shift to the Science of Reading is no small feat. It requires thoughtful engagement, systematic implementation, and the courage to change long-standing practices. Most importantly, it requires every part of an educational system to work in cosmic alignment for student success.
That’s why the Amplify Science of Reading Star Awards honor outstanding educators, schools, and districts who have transformed their classrooms with the Science of Reading.
We’re excited to celebrate another constellation of remarkable leaders in literacy development—and to invite you to be a part of it.
Leaders in early literacy skills at all levels
Successful Science of Reading implementation happens when everyone is on board. That means: classroom teachers mastering evidence-based teaching techniques, principals supporting school-wide initiatives, districts providing professional development, and entire communities supporting the shift.
Because this transformation requires such coordinated effort, our Science of Reading Star Awards recognize excellence across every level of education, with categories that reflect this multi-level approach.
Individual categories
- Teachers who exemplify Science of Reading principles in daily instruction
- Instructional coaches driving literacy transformation
- Administrators leading successful reading initiatives
School categories
- Schools demonstrating significant reading growth through Science of Reading implementation
- Educational teams working together to strengthen early literacy skills
District categories
- Districts orchestrating system-wide literacy development improvements
- Large-scale Science of Reading transformations with measurable results
How our educator awards honor the winners
All award winners receive a comprehensive package designed to support their leadership and amplify their impact. Recognition includes:
- Honorary Amplify Ambassadorship, which provides access to our community of literacy leaders.
- Your story featured on our website and social media.
- Science of Reading starter library of resources to continue your journey.
- Enrollment in Science of Reading: The Learning Lab (for you and a friend).
- Tons of swag, of course!
Grand prize winners in the District and School categories will also get access to an exclusive library of professional development resources. The grand prize winner in the Individual category will be our guest, all expenses paid, at the Reading League’s 10th annual conference in Chicago next fall.
How to nominate the literacy stars in your sky
Do you know educators whose Science of Reading work deserves recognition—like our 2025 winners? A school team that has transformed reading outcomes? A district that has successfully implemented evidence-based literacy practices system-wide?
These are the stars guiding us toward a future where every child can read with confidence and joy. Help us get to know them!
We are accepting nominations through Feb. 13, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET. Submit your nomination today!
More to explore
S5-05. Math technology & hacks for math anxiety: research-based tips for caregivers

We’ve been very lucky to have so many prolific and brilliant researchers on this season of Math Teacher Lounge, and our next guest is no exception.
Listen as we sit down with Dr. Marjorie Schaeffer to discuss what causes math anxiety, math hacks, and how the right math technology can make an incredible impact in children and caregivers coping with math anxiety.
Listen today and don’t forget to grab your MTL study guide to track your learning and make the most of this episode!
Marjorie Schaeffer (00:00):
I think the most important thing we know from literature right now is that high math-anxious parents, when they interact with their children, their children learn less math over the course of the school year.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:12):
Welcome back to Math Teacher Lounge. I’m Bethany Lockhart Johnson.
Dan Meyer (00:15):
And I’m Dan Meyer.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:16):
We’re onto Episode 5, Dan, of our series on math anxiety. And I wanna say it feels so lovely to imagine all of these people out there doing work to help combat math anxiety. I dunno, it just makes me feel excited about the possibilities. This work is out there; it’s happening! Kids and teachers and caregivers are being impacted by these conversations. Not just — I mean, I don’t just mean the conversations we’re having on Math Teacher Lounge, but I mean, that these researchers are doing. Like, yes, we can change this!
Dan Meyer (00:53):
This is great. Yeah. We have people who are extremely smart, who have dedicated their professional lives to studying math anxiety and resolving it. And each of them that we’ve chatted with — they share lots of ideas in common, but I’ve loved how they each have their own different flavor or take or area of emphasis on a problem that hits everybody everywhere. It’s in your home, with kids and caregivers. It’s in schools. It’s in our places of teacher preparation and professional learning. Every place is a place where we can focus on resolving issues of math anxiety. It’s exciting.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:26):
Yeah, I feel like … if there could be a course in — we all know that our teacher prep programs, in MOST teacher prep programs, there’s not nearly enough math methods or time to cover <laugh> — it’s like ready, set, go! And depending on who your mentor teacher is or what your math methods course … I mean, it can totally shape the way that you are prepared or really not prepared for going out there to teach math! And so I love that we’re having these conversations.
Dan Meyer (01:55):
What I love about today’s conversation is, one, it’s got a little bit of a technology flavor, so there’s that. But I also love, it’s got one of my favorite features about change, which is that it focuses on change to action, change to routine, rather than change to belief. Rather than saying like, “OK, everybody! Everybody stop thinking bad beliefs about math and transmitting them to your kids!” Instead, it says, “What we’ll do is just, hey, we’ll set that aside for a second and we’re gonna do a certain thing every day and watch as those actions make your beliefs change.” That to me is extremely cool. And I think it has a higher likelihood of success than just, like, me telling parents, “Hey, stop thinking these thoughts!”
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (02:37):
“Ready, set, stop being anxious!”
Dan Meyer (02:39):
Exactly. Exactly. So it’s an exciting conversation we’re gonna have here.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (02:43):
Right. So it’s not a, you know, “wave the wand and all of a sudden, you’re not anxious about math anymore.” But these incremental changes, these incremental conversations, this validation, can really, really impact change. I’m with you on it, Dan. I hear what you’re saying.
Dan Meyer (03:01):
To help us talk through all of these ideas and more, we’re joined by Dr. Marjorie Schaeffer, Assistant Professor of Psychology at St. Mary’s College in Indiana.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (03:10):
Enjoy. <Jaunty music> So, yes, Dan, we are so excited to welcome Marjorie Schaeffer. She’s Assistant Professor of Psychology at St. Mary’s College. Dr. Schaeffer, we’re so excited you’re here. Hello!
Marjorie Schaeffer (03:28):
Thank you so much for inviting me.
Dan Meyer (03:29):
Yeah. We are super-lucky to have had so many prolific and brilliant researchers about math anxiety on our show. You’ll be no exception. And every time, we love to find out about how you came to study math anxiety, which winds up being a really interesting glimpse into your backstory bio. So tell us, what is the route by which you came toward studying math anxiety?
Marjorie Schaeffer (03:51):
Oh, I love that question. I’m really interested in how the attitudes and beliefs of parents and teachers influence children, especially around math. And I actually became interested in this idea in college, when no Child Left Behind was actually first starting to be implemented in schools with high-stakes standardized testing. So much so that I actually did my thesis on this thinking about, “Do children understand the importance of high-stakes testing? Do they have anxiety around that idea?” And so that was really my first foray into the anxiety literature. And that was kind of the entry point into math anxiety for me.
Dan Meyer (04:28):
So you started by studying a very high-stakes assessment, like our students connecting with this. And the assessment is once per year. And classroom instruction is every day. So how did you move from the assessments to the everyday instruction?
Marjorie Schaeffer (04:44):
That’s a great question. So, after college, I actually taught kindergarten. And so from that, I saw the day-to-day impact of instruction and the day-to-day impact of children’s individual attitudes and beliefs. And so I really became interested in thinking about, “How do we understand why some children are really successful from the instruction happening in classrooms and why other children need a little bit more support?” And so math anxiety was one way for me to really think about the individual differences I saw in my kindergarten classroom.
Dan Meyer (05:18):
It feels like you headed … you went farther upstream, is what it feels like. Where assessment … there’s like some kind of anxiety around assessment, let’s say. And then you ventured farther up the stream to classroom instruction and then still farther into kids’ homes. It seems like your research invokes a lot of curiosity about the sources of a kind of amorphous, flowing phenomenon called math anxiety. And I’d love to hear a bit about what you know about how caregivers transfer, transmit — whatever the word is — math anxiety to their kids.
Marjorie Schaeffer (05:55):
For parents … we think that the attitudes and beliefs of parents matter. And we see that for lots of areas, not just math anxiety. But I think math anxiety, we see that really clearly. And so, we can think about it both in terms of what kind of input parents provide. So, how do families talk about math with their children? What kind of support do they provide around homework? And those are ones that I think are a little obvious. But we can also think about the offhanded comments that parents say to children when they’re talking about math generally. Right? So, we see lots of memes going around, talking about how hard math homework is. And so, I think when parents say offhanded comments like, “I’m not a math person,” or “We’re just bad at math,” that communicates values to children. I think the most important thing we know from literature right now is that high math-anxious parents, when they interact with their children, their children learn less math over the course of the school year. And this specific mechanism by which that happens is still an area for a lot of research. And so some people think it’s about input. So maybe if I’m math anxious, I’m avoiding math. And so, when I have an option to read a picture book that has math content, I focus on the colors instead. And so, my child is actually getting less math than other children. We can also think it’s about these messages that are provided. So, when I talk about math, I send the message to my child, it’s not for them, and therefore the child wants to engage in it less. And some of my work looks at things like expectations and values. So, thinking about, “Do math-anxious families actually value math less than other families unintentionally?” And so, we have some support for this idea that they expect less of their children. And so maybe when they struggle, they respond in different ways than a family who’s lower in math anxiety.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (07:53):
This is so fascinating to me. I also was a kindergarten teacher. And I remember a mom who just … she had such like palpable math anxiety. And during one of our conversations, she was talking about these homework sessions with her daughter. And I may have mentioned this on the podcast before. But she was talking about how every night they would sit together and they would do all this math. They’d do, like, extra math together. And it always ended in tears. And despite her math anxiety, she didn’t want her daughter to experience the math anxiety that she did. So she was trying to pile it on, so her daughter was more proficient and comfortable. And instead, it was perpetuating this anxiety about it. And so, it’s a phenomenon then, right? Even if a parent is saying, like you said, maybe completely unwilling, this mother was actually trying to do the opposite. She was trying to help, you know, imbue the love and comfort with math. Right?
Marjorie Schaeffer (09:01):
Absolutely. This is why I think in my research, it’s really important that we find low-stakes, low-stress ways for high math-anxious families to do math. They absolutely can support their children in doing math. But they need a little support. We want it to be a fun, low-stakes environment, right? So maybe that’s the connection back to high-stakes testing, that I want children to have fun math experiences.
Dan Meyer (09:28):
Yeah. This is challenging, because it feels like the more caregivers know about math anxiety, and its pernicious effects on students, and how easily transmitted it is, one could become quite anxious about math anxiety. And, you know, no one makes great decisions when they’re anxious. So if I’m recalling our various episodes we’ve done, we’ve heard from people say, “Well, you need to validate students’ math anxiety. This is not something to just ignore or brush past. But also, not validate it in a way that says, you know, ‘This is OK and generational and inevitable.’” Which presents parents with a very thin path to follow, it seems like. So I love what you’re saying about how we gotta just de-stress the whole process.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (10:11):
You’re avoiding the whole, “I wasn’t a math person either” kind of thing. <laugh>
Dan Meyer (10:15):
Right, right, right. Yeah. So I’d love to know more. We’re excited about the technology that you have studied and helped develop, presumably, called Bedtime Math, anapp for caregivers. And I’d love to know more about what that is and what it offers parents who know enough about math to know that they don’t want to transmit math anxiety to their children, but also want to support. So what does that offer them?
Marjorie Schaeffer (10:39):
So Bedtime Math is an app. It’s freely available on iTunes or the Apple Store or Google Play. And what it’s designed to do is to provide a nightly topical passage. So one of my favorites is the one about Groundhogs Day. And so it talks a little bit about the history of Groundhogs Day, and then it asks math-related follow-up questions. So starting at a preschool level, going through late fifth grade. And it’s really meant for parents to pick the one that meets their children where they are. And so the preschool-level question asks children to pretend to be a groundhog and walk to the left and walk to the right. So a skill that families might not think about as being math, but we actually think that IS part of understanding math. Understanding left and right directionality. And then the next question can ask questions like, “If it took the groundhog three seconds to climb out of the hole, and then two more seconds to see its shadow, how much time did it take all together?” So a simple addition problem, but it’s phrased in a fun way. And so the hope is that for high math-anxious families, these interactions are fun and playful. They don’t look like fights over homework. They’re just conversations that families can have around topics that are naturally interesting to children. And our hope is that when families have lots of these positive low-stakes interactions, they actually can see that we can talk about math in unstressful ways. In lots of ways, right? We can also do this at the grocery store. We can also do this while we’re cooking in the kitchen. It doesn’t just have to be fights over homework.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (12:14):
And I actually have the Bedtime Math — one of the Bedtime Math books. And I was so excited to find out that there’s an app. And I think one of the things that I loved about the book is that these are invitations, right? They’re exactly that. Low pressure <laugh>, and they’re invitations to have a conversation. And if we were just to tell parents, “Oh, just count!” or, “Hey, just count wherever you go!” You know? No. It’s, in a way, I think, like you said, it’s retraining the parents on what math could look like. Like, “Oh, I didn’t even think we could just kind of have this conversation and we’re actually doing math together.”
Marjorie Schaeffer (12:55):
Yes, absolutely. I absolutely agree. We want it to be fun and playful and not stressful. And we want it to also be things that are meaningful to children’s lives. So these are topics children are interested in. It’s not that we are using flashcards or making children practice math facts over and over again. These are things children should wanna do that can naturally fit into a child’s routine. So almost all families read books before bed, and what we hope is that math can also be a part of the nighttime routine.
Dan Meyer (13:27):
There’s something really subtle here going on that I just wanna name and ask a question about. First of all, it’s cool that you started with studying high-stakes stuff and now you are developing low-stakes stuff. And I’m really curious what makes a thing low-stakes? Like, a few things I’m hearing from you is that there’s, like … I have a small child that I read literature to on a nightly basis. And I feel very anxiety-free doing that. And it’s almost as though, because each of the — tasks is the wrong word for this, but experiences — involve some reading, it puts me, the parent, in a mode that is comfortable and familiar to me. I’m curious: Are there other, as you design, what, one per day for a year? All these different experiences. What are some of the principles that you lean on that help make a thing low-stakes for kids and for parents?
Marjorie Schaeffer (14:17):
Yeah, that’s a great question. So one thing we wanted to be really intentional about is that our app doesn’t look like a lot of traditional apps. There isn’t noises that go off. You don’t enter an answer. And so one of the things that we thought made it low-stakes is that while there is a right or wrong answer — there is a correct answer — we aren’t giving children upsetting feedback. Instead, what we wanna encourage families to do is, if you struggle to remember how many seconds it took the groundhog to come out of the hole, you can work through that with a parent. So it doesn’t feel like you’re getting negative feedback; you’re being told you’re bad at math; you did it wrong. Instead, you’re just getting natural support moving forward. And so that’s one thing we wanted to be really intentional about, was that it wasn’t going to be a negative experience for children. And we are trying to build on all of the positive interactions families are having around nightly book reading. So many ways this can look very similar. You get to read another story that’s topical and hopefully interesting. And then do these little questions together. And so for a lot of families, their children don’t actually really look at the question. It almost feels like the parent is just asking them on their own. Like, they just came up with it. They just wanted to know what would happen to the groundhog. If there were three more groundhogs? How many groundhogs would we have all together? Not like it’s gonna be like homework or other parts.
Dan Meyer (15:38):
So my understanding is that there isn’t a blank into which people type a number in, press “submit” for evaluation, receive the red X, the green check. That’s a key part of the design here.
Marjorie Schaeffer (15:50):
Yes, absolutely. And for research purposes, we would’ve loved to know what families were saying. But we think it’s really important that it’s fun, interactive, that families are working together to get to the right answer, that it’s not a test for children.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (16:03):
In your research, when you were — maybe you could walk us through the study a little bit. But I’m also curious if you heard from parents that it was carrying over beyond the bedtime routine. Because I would imagine, if I am building these skills and reading these questions and learning that I could talk to my kid like this about math in a fun way, that’s gonna happen then, like you said, when I’m in the grocery store. Or when I’m waiting in line for at the bank. Or whatever, you know? People go into banks now still, right?
Marjorie Schaeffer (16:35):
Yeah, absolutely. So in our study, we recruited almost 600 families and we randomly assigned them. So they had an equal chance of getting both our math app and what we call our control app. And that’s really just a math app without the math. We think of it as a reading control app. And that’s because we wanna make sure that families are having a similar experience, that it’s not just that having high-quality, fun interactions with your child is actually impacting children’s math achievement. And so what we then did is followed those children over the course of early elementary school. And so we worked with them in schools in the fall and spring of first, second, and third grade, really to look at their math learning. And so what we find is that children of high math-anxious adults, when they have the reading app, so what we think of as what’s happening in the real world, we see that really classic gap between children of high math-anxious adults and children of low math-anxious adults. So if you have a high math-anxious parent, you’re learning about three months less math over the course of first grade. But for children who receive this math app, we see this gap as closed. Those children look no different than a low math-anxious parent. And so that’s leading us to think that we’ve helped families talk about math in fundamentally different ways. We did a little bit of just talking to families to see a little bit about what might be going on. And a lot of families do report exactly what you’re describing, where they say this did help them talk about math in different ways they were doing it other times.
Dan Meyer (18:10):
That’s a really extraordinary study design. I don’t know … I love that you folks gave the control group not nothing. Like it’s possible that just parents and kids bonding over a thing regularly would be enough to provoke some kind of academic gain. But you gave the control group a thing that had them interacting socially, bonding, and still this large common gap between high-anxious and low-anxious parents, their kids shrunk together. Is that what I’m gathering here?
Marjorie Schaeffer (18:41):
Yeah, absolutely. So we’re basically seeing we can no longer, when we look at children’s data, say that parents’ math anxiety explains individual differences. So these children look really similar. They’re learning more than children who has a high math-anxious parent and just got our reading control app.
Dan Meyer (19:01):
just diving into the study a little bit more here, what is the time commitment? Or, did you guide parents to say, “All right, we’re gonna do this do this delightful story about a badger for an hour”? Or did people do it for five minutes? And what was the time commitment, roughly, for people?
Marjorie Schaeffer (19:17):
So we tell families to do it however they see fit. Because it is an app, we are able to get some sense of how long, and we are talking about three to six minutes for many families. For a lot of families, they’re reading a paragraph, the paragraph and a half, and then answering one or two questions. They’re not going through every possible question. They’re just doing a little bit, really meeting their kids where they are.
Dan Meyer (19:39):
Roughly how many times per week was that?
Marjorie Schaeffer (19:41):
So we asked families to do it as much as it fit. But we’re seeing about two and a half on average in the first year. And so families are fitting it in a couple of nights a week. It’s not every night.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (19:52):
So what it sounds like you’re saying is what really was powerful about this app is that it was the space and time and prompts between the caregiver and the child, that chance to really sit down and have some of these meaningful and positive math interactions. How did it shift those relationships?
Marjorie Schaeffer (20:12):
So one of the things I think that makes the app effective is the changing of expectations. After a year, families are really using the app a lot less. And I think that’s OK, that they have found other ways to incorporate math into their lives. And we find that we don’t see an impact on their math anxiety, that they aren’t becoming less math anxious from this experience. Which I think makes sense, because they have had a lifetime of math anxiety. But we do see a change in parents’ expectations and value of math. So they expect their children will be better at math, and they also report that math is more important in their children’s lives. And so I think that’s an important part of it, which is, we can change these values for families, even if we aren’t able to change the math anxiety of the adults in children’s lives.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (21:01):
I want to for a second before — because I’m loving this idea of the app, and I’m excited to find out more ways to cultivate these conversations in my home and also share this with other folks. Because even folks who don’t even maybe realize they have math anxiety … like you said, so often it’s unconscious. So often we’re putting these little snippets into our everyday conversation, like, “Oh yeah, I’m not a math person.” And we don’t even realize how much is impacting our kiddos and ourselves, right? So I am really curious: What do you think … in your research, what were some other takeaways that you feel like are really strategies that we can think about for combating math anxiety in general?
Marjorie Schaeffer (21:47):
So I’m particularly interested in thinking about how math-anxious adults can help tone down their anxiety so that they can have high-quality interactions with their children, that they interact with. And so one of the big takeaways for my research, I think, is that math-anxious families can help their children with math. They just need support. And so I think there are lots of ways for that support to look like. One, I think it can be an app, but I also think reading a little bit about math can be really helpful. So it’s not new. So the first time you aren’t thinking about some of these ideas is as your child has their homework open in front of you. And so you can process your own feelings separately before you have to do it with a child. I also think reminding parents that math is everywhere and that math is actually lots of things that we all love to do. Math isn’t just calculus. Not that calculus isn’t wonderful. But that math is measuring, math is counting ducks at the park. Math is talking about how many times did I go down this slide. And talking about math in this way, I think reminds families that they are great at that. That even if maybe they’ve had bad math experiences before, they can do math. Especially the way their preschool or early childhood, early elementary school student needs them to. And I think that can then set the foundation for being really successful later.
Dan Meyer (23:13):
So is your research then, your subsequent studies, your line of inquiry, is moving more towards how to support parents, then? Is that what I’m hearing?
Marjorie Schaeffer (23:22):
Yeah. So I’m really interested in both understanding how the math anxiety of parents and teachers influences children. And so math anxiety is really common and we know that it’s particularly common in early elementary school teachers. And so it’s very likely that children are interacting with a highly math-anxious adult. And so I’m really interested in thinking about how we can support those individuals in doing it. And so both, I think, things like Bedtime Math, which provide fun, unscripted ways to do that, but I’m also interested in the teacher equivalent. So, thinking about whether having things like a math coach can help teachers have more positive experiences with math. So if you see someone else play math games with your students, can that help you do it as well?
Dan Meyer (24:09):
It makes me wonder a lot about an app for teachers or an app for parents, one that’s not designed to be co-consumed with kids and their parents. But what that would look like … yeah, that’s really interesting.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (24:21):
If we have a parent who, let’s say they have a third grader, fourth grader, fifth grader, or a middle schooler, right? Outside of early education. And they say, “OK, but what do I do? I’m with my kiddo; I don’t remember this math.” And they’re realizing that their anxiety may be influencing their kiddos’ disposition of mathematics, Or maybe they’re just in the midst of the battle <laugh>. What would you say to those folks, especially if it’s math that maybe they’re not comfortable with?
Marjorie Schaeffer (24:56):
One, I think we should like tone down the stress, right? Remind ourselves that it’s homework and homework feels really high-stakes, but these other outcomes are really high-stakes too, right? And so I’m really interested in the idea that can we help parents feel more comfortable about math by watching their own children teach it to them. So what’s a concept that the fourth grader actually feels really good about? And can they remind their parent how to do it? Can, together, they problem-solve the math homework? And so it’s not just on the parent to give the child the right answer. We know that’s a recipe for communicating some negative things about math. But instead, help the parent-child pair figure it out together. So what are some resources we can do? Can we look it up on the internet together? Can we write an email to the teacher together? Can we think about what are other problems that maybe we know how to do, and therefore we can use that same model here? So I want parents to feel like they are not solely responsible for it. That they can help figure it out with their child together. And so it’s a fun interaction.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (26:02):
I love that. I love that.
Dan Meyer (26:03):
Yeah. Yeah. That’s wonderful. Yeah. A conviction that I have, and I think it’s true, is that any math that we’re learning at middle school, the attraction can be dialed down to a degree that a very small child, or a parent who has a very small child’s understanding of math, can appreciate. So instead of calculation, estimation. Instead of proof, just make a claim about something. And it makes me wonder about a companion to the work that’s happening in schools that parents feel inadequate to support, that students might not want to teach their parents. But which they could both, on a daily basis, say, “Here’s a way we can engage in this at a level that is comfortable to both of us.” Just dreaming out loud here. No question asked. No response needed. I just love your work. And made me wonder about that. Can you let me know your thoughts about technology? It is very rare that we have someone on the call who is an academic and very well-versed in research, but who also is published not just in in papers and textbooks, but also in digital media. It’s consumed by lots of people. So I am trusting that you have opinions about how math looks in technology. And I wonder if you’d offer some thoughts about how it goes, right? How it goes wrong from your own eyes.
Marjorie Schaeffer (27:14):
OK. That’s a great question. I think that we need more research. I first wanna say that I think that technology has really exploded in the last few years. How children have access to technology and screen times has really changed. And what we need is high-quality research happening. That said, I think that all of the things we know from child-development research still apply to technology. And so we know that children learn best when they are engaging in interactions with their parents. And so when families can use technology together, or at least can talk about what’s happening, it can be really effective. I also think technology, especially math apps, are best at teaching concrete skills with very clear answers. So I think practicing math facts is a great use of technology. So I love that Sushi math app where you solve multiplication problems and then get to quickly pull the sushi off the cart, right? But for higher-level questions, where we’re thinking about word problems or where what we’re helping to teach students is complex thinking, apps have a harder time doing that. Because students can often figure out the answer without engaging in the thinking that we are hoping that they’ll learn. And so I think technology absolutely has a piece. I think technology is helpful for parents. I think the logistics of helping parents live their lives is a good reason to use technology. But I think we need to be conscious of what it’s replacing. And so I think a world in which we think fourth graders can learn math only from apps is not realistic. But absolutely apps can be a great supplement to what’s already happening in the classroom.
Dan Meyer (28:56):
Yeah, that’s super-helpful. We have done a lot of work in digital curriculum here at Amplify, and often face the question on a daily basis, “Should this math be digital or on paper? Should we have the students stand up and talk or type something?” And those decisions are way too crucial and way more sensitive than a lot of the app-based education gives credit to. So appreciate your perspective there.
Marjorie Schaeffer (29:22):
OK. And I don’t think there’s one answer, or one answer for all classrooms. I think it’s like always a balancing act. I do think that one of the reasons our work is successful is because the parent-child interaction. And we want parents to learn from these experiences. And I think the same thing is true for for teachers.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (29:41):
Dr. Schaeffer, thank you so much for being with us today and for sharing about your research, and again, for inviting us to reconsider ways that we can develop a more positive relationship with math. And that parent or caregiver or teacher relationship with a child, we’re seeing just how incredibly impactful that is. And I really appreciate your work and your voice on this. Thank you so much for your time.
Dan Meyer (30:07):
Thank you.
Marjorie Schaeffer (30:08):
Thank you for having me.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (30:12):
Thank you again, Dr. Schaeffer, and thank you all for listening to our conversation. You can check out the show notes for more on Dr. Schaeffer’s work and to see a link to the app that we shared about Bedtime Math.
Dan Meyer (30:25):
Please keep in touch with us on Facebook at Math Teacher Lounge Community, and on Twitter at MTLShow.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (30:32):
We would love to hear … you’ve been listening to this series; we’re dipping our toe into all these aspects of math anxiety. Is there something that you’re still wondering about? Something you wanna share about your own story with math anxiety?
Dan Meyer (30:43):
And if you haven’t already, if this is your first exposure to the Math Teacher Lounge podcast, please subscribe to Math Teacher Lounge, wherever you get your fine podcast products. And if you like what you’re hearing, please rate us! Leave us a review. You’ll help more listeners find the show.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (31:01):
And let a friend know. But you know, it’s, it’s nice and cozy here in the Lounge, right? There’s no pressure. We’re hanging out. It’s all about learning. We’re learning together. We’re glad you’re here and we want others in your community to join us in the Lounge as well. You can find more information on all of Amplify’s shows at our podcast hub. Go to amplifycom.wpengine.com/hub. Next time on Math Teacher Lounge, we’re gonna be chatting about where we are today that we weren’t a few months ago in this topic.
Dan Meyer (31:31):
We’ll be chatting about this last series about math anxiety, and trading our favorite insights and observations from the run of the season.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (31:41):
I just love this series, Dan. And thanks, all, for listening. We really appreciate having you in the Lounge.
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Meet the guest
Marjorie Schaeffer is an assistant professor of psychological sciences at Saint Mary’s College. She received her Ph.D in developmental psychology from the University of Chicago. Marjorie is interested in the role parents and teachers play in the development of children’s math attitudes and performance. She is specifically interested in the impact of expectations and anxiety and on children’s academic performance. Her work has been published in outlets including Science, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, and Developmental Science.


About Math Teacher Lounge
Math Teacher Lounge is a biweekly podcast created specifically for K–12 math educators. In each episode co-hosts Bethany Lockhart Johnson (@lockhartedu) and Dan Meyer (@ddmeyer) chat with guests, taking a deep dive into the math and educational topics you care about.
Join the Math Teacher Lounge Facebook group to continue the conversation, view exclusive content, interact with fellow educators, participate in giveaways, and more!
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Why choose Amplify?
For many years, districts across Texas have relied on Amplify as a trusted partner for their curriculum, instruction, and professional development needs. Backed by a strong regional team with deep Texas experience, our services have been thoroughly vetted for quality and expertise across the state supporting urban, suburban, and rural districts. Our partners can continue to count on the Amplify team for comprehensive support that is tailored to their unique district and campus needs. Amplify looks forward to walking alongside your district and school leaders as well as your teachers with coaching that ultimately drives the work forward to positively impact teaching and learning.
What LIFT supports:
Curriculum adoption support
Conduct needs assessments and prepare for SBOE-approved HQIM or Bluebonnet adoption.
Professional learning and skill-building
Build instructional capacity through research-based training and coaching for leaders and teachers.
Observation and feedback systems
Design and refine feedback cycles that elevate classroom practice and instructional leadership.
Implementation training and PLCs
Establish sustainable systems for lesson internalization, data-driven collaboration, and student-focused improvement.
Learn more on TEA’s LIFT website.
Additional LASO Cycle 4 Support
In addition to LIFT, Amplify is an approved provider for the following LASO Cycle 4 Grants:
- LIFT Add-On: School Improvement PLC Support (LIFT SI PLC)
- School Improvement Curriculum and Instruction Support Grant (SI CISG)
- Blended Learning Grant (BLG) (LIFT-BLG Supplemental Application submitted with updates to SAPL by 11/10)

Amplify Science Virtual Booth (6–8)
Since we’re unable to meet with you at spring events, we’d like to bring our conference experience to you!
We know a virtual booth is a little different than what you’re used to at conferences, but we tried our best to replicate an in-person experience for you—including:
- videos from real Amplify Science classrooms
- program information about phenomena-based storylines, hands-on investigations, digital simulations, and more!
- remote professional learning opportunities
- access to a free sample unit of Amplify Science

What is Amplify Science?
Built from the ground up for the Next Generation Science Standards at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, Amplify Science is a comprehensive program that blends literacy-rich activities, hands-on investigations, and interactive digital tools to empower students to think, read, write, and argue like 21st-century scientists and engineers. Highly adaptable and user-friendly, the program gives schools and individual teachers flexibility with their technology resources and preferences.
The program is backed by gold-standard research and is currently used by thousands of teachers across the US.
The Amplify Science 6–8 curriculum has earned an all-green rating from EdReports.
See Amplify Science in action
In Amplify Science, students take on the role of a scientist or engineer to actively investigate compelling phenomena-based storylines through engaging hands-on investigations, immersive digital simulations, comprehensive reading and writing activities, and lively classroom discussions. But you don’t have to just take our word for it. Hear what teachers and students using the program around the country have to say about it.
See what Amplify Science looks like in the classroom with more videos that highlight:
- Hands-on investigations
- Literacy integration
- Simulations and modeling tools
- Classroom discussions
- A Week in the Life of an Amplify Science teacher
Dig deeper into the curriculum
If we were meeting with you in person, we’d give you some print brochures that would tell you about things like phenomena-based storylines, hands-on investigations, and digital simulations. But since we can’t do that, here are the digital versions of those brochures. All you need to do is choose your grade level or domain.
Free, on-demand professional development
Access free, on-demand professional development from the Lawrence Hall of Science and Amplify Science teachers! Learning design experts from The Hall explore evidence in the era of NGSS and phenomena-based science instruction, while real classroom teachers share tips and best practices surrounding remote learning.
Test drive the program
Click submit to access a free sample unit from our middle school curriculum.
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Amplify Science 6–8 Review Toolkit
Simplify your science curriculum review journey with the Amplify Science Review Toolkit. Within this Toolkit, you’ll find program overview information, classroom videos, evaluation rubrics, and a free sample unit.
Amplify Science for grades K–8 has been rated all-green by EdReports. Read the review on EdReports.
What is Amplify Science?
A collaboration between the curriculum experts at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and instructional technology experts at Amplify, Amplify Science is a comprehensive program that blends literacy-rich activities, hands-on investigations, and interactive digital tools. Amplify Science empowers students to think, read, write, and argue like 21st-century scientists and engineers. Highly adaptable and user-friendly, the program gives schools and individual teachers flexibility with their technology resources and preferences.
The program is backed by gold-standard research and is currently used by thousands of teachers across the US.
See Amplify Science in action
Amplify Science in Action: a week in the life (6–8)
What does a week in the life of an Amplify Science teacher look like? We asked Amy Trujillo, a sixth-grade teacher from Denver Public Schools, to talk through an example of what one week of using Amplify Science is like in her classroom.
In Amplify Science, students take on the role of a scientist or engineer to actively investigate compelling phenomena through engaging hands-on investigations, immersive digital simulations, comprehensive reading and writing activities, and lively classroom discussions.
See what Amplify Science looks like in a classroom with more topical videos:
Dig deeper into the curriculum
Amplify Science is rooted in the research-based Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize model of learning. Students engage with science and engineering practices, figure out disciplinary core ideas, and utilize and apply crosscutting concepts in multiple modalities across thoughtful, structured lessons, all centered around engaging anchor phenomena. Learn more about how a unique mix of activities and modalities provide students with multiple points of entry into the instruction.
- Program structure and pacing
- Phenomena and unit storylines
- Hands-on investigations
- Digital Simulations
Attend a webinar
Join the Lawrence Hall of Science for a series of free webinars! Curriculum experts will explore why embedded engineering and phenomena-based science instruction deliver results, with examples from Amplify Science.
Webinars are scheduled throughout the spring, and you can always sign to watch a recording if you’re unable to attend live.
Review rubrics
Using an evaluation rubric to review? Take a look at our filled-out TIME and EQuIP rubrics.
Test drive the program
Click submit to access a free sample unit from our middle school curriculum.
South Carolina ELA review for grades 6–8
South Carolina ELA Review for grades 6–8
Thank you for taking the time to review Amplify’s core ELA program for 6–8.
Amplify ELA is a cutting-edge and effective program that engages middle schools students through a unique blend of digital and print lessons, dynamic texts, lively discussions, and interactive Quests.

Getting started
On this site, you’ll find a variety of resources designed to support your review and evaluation of the program. Before you start scrolling, watch the video below to learn about Amplify ELA’s alignment to South Carolina’s literacy initiatives as well as where to find key program resources.
South Carolina review documents
Please use the provided Amplify credentials to access the ELA content cited below.
What is Amplify ELA 6-8?
Amplify ELA helps students develop the essential skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening, and features:
- Complex, content-rich literary and informational texts.
- Differentiated supports throughout the program that allow every student to engage deeply with the same complex texts, and an interactive eReader with an array of multimedia tools.
- Embedded assessments that allow for uninterrupted instructional time.
- Comprehensive print materials, including Teacher Editions, Student Editions, and Writing Journals for grades 6–8.
- The Amplify Library—a digital collection of more than 700 full-length texts.
In the videos below, hear about current educators’ experiences with Amplify ELA and the positive impact it has made in their classrooms.
Why Review ELA 6-8?
Amplify ELA’s hybrid curriculum empowers teachers to decide when and how their students use technology without the worry of compromising learning. Whether implemented in high tech or low tech classrooms, teachers can easily and confidently provide 100% standards coverage.
Amplify ELA’s structured yet flexible lessons are grounded in regular routines while still allowing for a variety of learning experiences and continuous student engagement.
There is never a dull moment on a middle school campus. For that reason, some schools appreciate having a flexible pacing option. Our abridged lesson pathways ensure full coverage of the standards in just 100 lessons.
Amplify ELA features high-quality lessons grounded in great books, with powerful multimedia tools to immerse young adolescents in reading, writing, and speaking.
Our rich and relevant texts are more than just excerpts. With more than 700 full titles in our digital library plus a variety of Novel Guides, Amplify ELA engages and inspires middle schoolers with great works, including poetry, rhetoric, and Spanish selections. This extensive booklist can be customized to meet individual district needs and preferences.
Amplify ELA Novel Guides provide middle school teachers with flexible study guides for the books they most want to teach and provide students with lean, targeted instruction that follows the pedagogy in core units. The diverse selection of books in this series presents a range of genres and themes, from mystery to non-fiction and from social justice to identity and courage.
All Novel Guides are housed in the Amplify Library as downloadable and printable PDFs. They’re designed to be used flexibly and include suggestions for implementation.
A selection of these guides are also available as digital units, accessible by teacher and student and fully aligned to the corresponding print novel guide. The digital versions of these Novel Guides allow all students to read the text, complete activities, and submit work through Amplify’s curriculum application.
Based on individual student needs and performance measures within Amplify ELA reports, teachers are able to select the differentiation level that’s best for each student. When students reach an activity, the platform delivers the assigned differentiation, allowing all students to experience the same lesson with supports tailored to their unique needs.
- Our close reading apps bring texts to life for students. Students zoom in on specific moments of the text and trace characters’ emotions throughout a text, gather evidence to build a case, and create storyboards that render their understanding of a text.
- The Vocab App strengthens vocabulary skills with fun and fully differentiated adaptive games, repeated encounters with new words across multiple contexts, and an interactive stats page that helps students track their own progress.
- Quests are fun, week-long explorations that help students practice analytical reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills while building a strong classroom community. In each Quest, students step into the world of the text they have been reading. They interact with different complex texts in multiple formats and media, gather evidence from these texts and interactions with classmates, and work together to achieve the Quest goal.
With Amplify ELA, your students will benefit from embedded assessments that maximize instructional time and allow them to keep learning without the disruption of step-away performance tests.
In addition, as students complete activities within lessons and units, Amplify ELA teacher and admin reports provide a continuously updated picture of how each student is progressing with key skills and standards. Data is gathered from daily learning moments, allowing you to keep teaching while building a clear understanding of student performance.
Providing feedback has never been easier. With Classwork, teachers can review student writing and multiple choice answers and easily add scores and comments (and even emojis) all in one place, giving students the immediate feedback they need to further develop their confidence and literacy skills.
Digital navigation walkthrough
Access the resources
Ready to explore as a teacher? Follow these instructions:
- Visit learning.amplify.com
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter the username: t.southcarolina@tryamplify.net
- Enter the password: AmplifyNumber1
- Select Amplify ELA
Ready to explore as a student? Follow these instructions:
- Visit learning.amplify.com
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter the username: s.southcarolina@tryamplify.net
- Enter the password: AmplifyNumber1
Amplify literacy success K-8
See our Science of Reading solutions in action! Click here to see a real example of how one Ohio district is implementing and educating their K–8 community on the Science of Reading as a response to Ohio’s Plan to Raise Literacy Achievement Initiative.
Additional resources
Amplify ELA review resources:
Georgia ELA State Review for 6–8
A powerful partnership
Amplify Science was developed by the science education experts at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and the digital learning team at Amplify.

Back to school 2020–21 updates
Back to school 2020 is coming! Click here for more information on all of the improvements and new features we’re adding to Amplify Science for the new school year.
Program introduction
Onboarding: what to expect
Welcome to Amplify Science! To help you know what’s coming next, we created the following outline of the steps of the onboarding process. You can use it as a reference.
Administrators receive launch email
- Share the information with teachers
- Submit the shipping survey sent to your email
Log In
- Go to learning.amplify.com
- Click on Log in with Clever or Google
- Enter your FCPS credentials
- Demo Account for full access to Amplify Curriculum without access to personalized class rosters:
- Go to learning.amplify.com
- Click on login with Amplify
- Username: t.Fayette2020@tryamplify.net
- Password: AmplifyNumber1
Ensure you have received all materials and components
- Teachers have access to a series of “Unboxing your materials kit” videos. If you’re interested in watching those, click here.
Check out the professional learning opportunities and/or access the Getting Started Resources below.
If you need assistance, please see the help resources or reach out to your Educational Partnerships Manager or PD manager at caffleck@amplify.com, pworks@amplify.com with any questions.
6–8 resources
To ensure your first day using Amplify Science in the classroom is as seamless and smooth as possible, we recommend reviewing the following checklist before the first day of school.
What’s coming to my school?
Each unit of Amplify Science comes with a hands-on materials kit. Each hands-on materials kit arrives in one to three boxes and contains:
- Consumable materials for five uses of 40 students
- Non-consumable materials
- Classroom wall materials
- Premium print materials (card sorts, vocabulary rings, etc.).
You can find complete materials lists for each unit in the following PDF. This information is also available in the digital Teacher’s Guide within the program.
Onboarding videos
Our team has created a series of short videos to help get you started with Amplify Science:
What’s online?
Planning strategies
How to log in and navigate
NGSS introduction
Introduction to Classwork
Planning guide
As you prepare to plan for a unit, download our planning guide to help walk you through the most important resources to locate in either the print or digital Teacher’s Guide to help you plan.
Additional resources
- If you’re interested in learning more about each unit’s anchor phenomena and more program features, download the resources below:
Welcome, Amplify ELA families!
We’re excited to welcome you and your student to the Amplify ELA program for the new school year, and to provide you with exceptional learning opportunities through ELA. We’ve assembled the following resources and guides to help you support your student and enable them to have the most productive experience with our platform throughout the year.
Para la versión en español, haga clic aquí.

What is Amplify ELA?
Amplify ELA helps students in grades 6–8 read and understand complex texts that encourage them to grapple with interesting ideas and find relevance for themselves. Amplify ELA is a blended program that includes both digital and print materials, but can also be used as a print-only version. Students using Amplify ELA read text passages closely, interpret what they find, discuss their thinking with peers, and develop their ideas in writing. The lesson structure is easy to follow, but flexible enough to allow for a variety of learning experiences and varied enough to keep students engaged.
Features include:
- Functionality that allows individual students to work at their own level while also being challenged appropriately.
- Built-in tools that allow teachers to track and respond to student work.
- The digital Amplify Library, which contains more than 700 downloadable, full-length fiction and nonfiction books.
- The Vocab App, which uses game-like activities to help students master keywords from the program’s texts. (Students using print materials will see keywords highlighted.)
- Independent writing assignments called Solos, available on mobile devices.
- Interactive projects called Quests that accompany certain units to provide additional practice with analytical reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.
Getting started
How you can support the child in your care:
- If possible, read with your student daily; even 15 minutes of reading together each day can make a huge impact. You can read aloud sections of the text together—many middle grade students enjoy performing sections of dialogue by taking on the role of a character in a play, or adding some dramatic flair to a poem with which they are working. If your student struggles with reading aloud, you might try reading the text to them with expression, then having them read it back to you. For additional practice, there are an array of fluency activities in the program’s Flex Days. Ask your student to help you find these activities.
- Find moments to discuss what they are reading and discovering. Examples of questions you could ask: What stood out to you from what you read today? Were any sentences or words confusing? What was most surprising? What do you think the writer was trying to communicate? Do you agree with the writer’s ideas or descriptions? What connections can you make between what you are reading and your own life, or other issues you’ve heard about?
- Listen to your student read their written responses or have them share with a friend over the phone or video chat.
- Browse the Amplify Library with your student to find books they’ll enjoy and be able to read fluently and independently.
- Review this Protecting Kids Online website by the Federal Trade Commission addressing digital safety.
Accessing texts in the Amplify Library
We encourage students to utilize the core texts from the Amplify Library while at home! Please follow these steps to download a text for offline reading:
1. Navigate to the Program & Apps menu at the top of your screen and scroll through to find the Amplify Library icon. When you select it, the Amplify Library will open in a new tab.

2. If prompted, follow the directions to set up a pin for the Amplify Library; otherwise, proceed to the next step.

3. In the upper right corner of your screen, search for the book you would like to download. Example: The Secret of the Yellow Death: A True Story of Medical Sleuthing.

4. Select the Download button.

5. If you lose connection while still in the Amplify Library, you can continue to access and read the downloaded book(s). If the page refreshes without internet access, or you try to login on another device without internet access, you will lose access to the downloaded book(s) until the internet connection is restored.
To retrieve your downloaded texts:
- In the Amplify Library app, open the My Library drop-down menu in the upper left corner.
- Select Downloaded.
- Choose the text you wish to read from all of your pre-downloaded texts.

Materials overview
Not every school will operate the same way, but students attending schools that have both the print and digital editions of the program will likely have the following print materials at home:
- Student Edition: This includes all of the readings and activities necessary for instruction throughout the year. Students can read the selections both digitally and in print, annotating in either format. The lessons in the print Student Edition reflect each digital lesson, but have been modified to work effectively in print.
- Writing Journals: This provides space for students to respond to Writing Prompts and complete other written assignments.
In the case that students are without access to devices or the internet, they can continue to complete key reading and writing assignments using the print Student Editions and student Writing Journals.
Teachers can also access, print, and mail student Novel Guides for up to 12 commonly taught novels. Six of these novels are available in the Amplify Library, and most should be available in a public library.
Unit overviews
Below are quick overviews of each unit your student will be working through in their grade throughout the year. Included along with each unit is a downloadable guide that provides a more in-depth look at what content is covered and how you can help your student advance their understanding of the topics.
- Unit 6A: Dahl & Narrative
- Students begin with narrative writing to quickly boost their writing production, learn the foundational skill of focus, and become comfortable with key classroom habits and routines they will use all year. Students then apply their new observational focus to some lively readings from Roald Dahl’s memoir Boy and learn how to work closely with textual evidence.
- Unit 6B: Mysteries & Investigations
- Students read like an investigator to embark on a multi-genre study of the mesmerizing world of scientific and investigative sleuthing. At the end of the unit, students write an essay explaining which trait is most useful to problem-solving investigators.
- Unit 6C: The Chocolate Collection
- The Aztecs used it as currency. Robert Falcon Scott took it to the Antarctic. The Nazis made it into a bomb designed to kill Churchill. The 3,700-year-long history of chocolate is full of twists and turns, making it a rich and rewarding research topic. In this unit, students explore primary source documents and conduct independent research to better understand the strange and wonderful range of roles that chocolate has played for centuries around the world.
- Unit 6D: The Greeks
- Greek myths help us understand not only ancient Greek culture but also the world around us and our role in it. Drawing on the routines and skills established in previous units, these lessons ask students to move from considering the state of a single person—themselves or a character—to contemplating broader questions concerning the role people play in the world and the communities they inhabit within it.
- Unit 6E: Summer of Mariposas
- The borderlands between the United States and Mexico are the place of legends, both true and fictional. Summer of the Mariposas, by Guadalupe Garcia McCall, plants a retelling of the Odyssey into this setting, launching five sisters on an adventure into a world of heroes and evildoers derived from Aztec myths and Latinx legends. On the journey, the sisters reconcile the dissolution of their parent’s marriage and find new strength in their identity and connection to Aztec lineage. Students consider how McCall uses the structure of the hero’s journey to celebrate women, heritage, and a broad definition of family. Students also have the opportunity to compare these characters’ fictional journey into Mexico to a description of one boy’s true journey into the United States.
- Unit 6F: The Titanic Collection
- In this research unit, students learn to tell the difference between primary, secondary, and tertiary sources; determine if a given source is reliable; and understand the ethical uses of information. Students then construct their own research questions and explore the internet for answers. They also take on the role of a passenger from the Titanic’s manifest to consider gender and class issues as they research and write narrative accounts from the point of view of their passenger.
- Unit 6G: Beginning Story Writing
- In this unit, students get to practice their creative writing skills and learn the elements of storytelling and character development, as well as the importance of vivid language. Students gain a sense of ownership over their writing as they experiment with the impact of their authorial choices on sentences, language, character traits, and plot twists.
- Grade 6: Grammar
- In this unit, students complete self-guided grammar instruction and practice that teachers assign to them throughout the year. Sub-units are organized by key grammar topics, so teachers can assign the content that best meets their student’s needs while making sure students work with the key grammar topics for their grades.
- Unit 7A: Red Scarf Girl & Narrative
- In this study of a highly engaging memoir of a young woman growing up in China during the Cultural Revolution, students quickly learn the history and politics of this tumultuous period by focusing on the story of someone living through the upheaval. As students follow her journey through a world turned upside down, they will track the changes in her feelings and motivations over time.
- Unit 7B: Character & Conflict
- By reading the play A Raisin in the Sun and the short story “Sucker,” students explore how people facing hardships can inflict unintentional harm on the people around them. The two narratives work together to provide opportunities for students to analyze characters’ responses to conflict and the author’s development of ideas over the course of a piece of fiction.
- Unit 7C: Brain Science
- Could you survive an iron rod through your skull? Phineas Gage did, and his gruesome-but-true story allows students to build background information and analyze other informational texts, including the contemporary The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat and the relevant Demystifying the Adolescent Brain.
- Unit 7D: Poetry & Poe
- Poe’s texts always offer so much to notice, decipher, talk about—and creep us out. Since things are not always what they seem, students must use close reading skills to question whether they should believe what Poe’s narrator is telling them … or not.
- Unit 7E: The Frida & Diego Collection
- Mexico’s most famous and provocative artists, Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, were an extraordinary couple who lived in extraordinary times. They were both soul mates and complete opposites. Their multifaceted lives and work offer students rich and fascinating subjects to study as they examine primary source documents and conduct independent research.
- Unit 7F: The Gold Rush Collection
- In this research unit, students choose from a large collection of primary and secondary sources to learn about the wide range of people who took part in the California Gold Rush. They also take on the role of someone who lived during the gold rush and write journal entries from their perspective.
- Unit 7G: Intermediate Story Writing
- In this unit, students get to practice their creative writing skills and learn the elements of storytelling and character development, as well as the importance of vivid language. Students gain a sense of ownership over their writing as they experiment with the impact of their authorial choices on sentences, language, character traits, and plot twists.
- Grade 7: Grammar
- In this unit, students complete self-guided grammar instruction and practice that teachers assign to them throughout the year. Sub-units are organized by key grammar topics, so teachers can assign the content that best meets their student’s needs while making sure students work with the key grammar topics for their grades.
- Unit 8A: Perspectives & Narrative
- This unit aims to teach students to read like writers. They practice paying attention to the craft of writing and to the moves a good writer makes to shape the way we see a scene or feel about a character—to stir us up, surprise us, or leave us wondering what will happen next. Students closely read examples of rich, layered narrative nonfiction, analyze the techniques each author uses to make their writing resonate, and practice applying these techniques to their own narrative writing.
- Unit 8B: Liberty & Equality
- In this unit, students look at the words of a range of creators—from poet Walt Whitman to abolitionist Frederick Douglass to President Abraham Lincoln—to see how their writing contributed to an extreme shift in social organization: a whole new concept of what it means for people to be considered “equal.” They also study multiple perspectives on the Civil War, including the memoir of a girl who was enslaved, a confederate girl’s diary, and a nonfiction account of the young boys who served as soldiers during the war.
- Unit 8C: Science & Science Fiction
- Students read Gris Grimly’s Frankenstein, a graphic novel that adds captivating illustrations to an abridgment of the 1818 edition of Mary Shelley’s book. Paired with Shelley’s text, Grimly’s haunting—and, at times, horrific—representations of Frankenstein’s creature push students to wrestle with some of the text’s central themes: the source of humanity and the root of evil. Students then write an essay in which, after arguing both sides of the question, they determine whether or not Frankenstein’s creature should ultimately be considered human.
- Unit 8D: Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet
- Romeo and Juliet combines romance with action, offering a wide range of themes and scenes for students to read about and act out. Your middle schoolers are at the right age to identify with the lovers’ strong feelings—and also old enough to think critically about the choices Romeo and Juliet make.
- Unit 8E: Holocaust: Memory & Meaning
- This unit uses a range of primary source articles, images, and videos, as well as literary nonfiction and graphic nonfiction, to study what made the atrocities of the Holocaust possible. Students investigate how propaganda was generated and employed to create a political environment that ultimately corrupted a society. The Olympics are seen through the lens of an international propaganda campaign, providing cover for Nazis to begin eliminating non-Aryans from their culture. The final sub-unit examines the outcomes of Nazi doctrine and the impact on Jewish victims and survivors.
- Unit 8F: The Space Race Collection
- In this unit, students to put their research and close-reading skills to the test to distinguish between reliable and unreliable sources, explore primary documents, and conduct independent research to better understand the space race that took place between two of the world’s superpowers. This dramatic story offers students a rich research topic to explore as they build information literacy skills, learn how to construct their own research questions, and explore the internet for answers.
- Grade 8: Grammar
- In this unit, students complete self-guided grammar instruction and practice that teachers assign to them throughout the year. Sub-units are organized by key grammar topics, so teachers can assign the content that best meets their student’s needs while making sure students work with the key grammar topics for their grades.
- Unit 8G: Advanced Story Writing
- In this unit, students get to practice their creative writing skills. They’ll learn the elements of storytelling and character development, and the power of vivid language to grab readers and pull them into a story.
Additional activities
Quests:
You may notice your student working with peers on the same interactive project over several days, trying to solve a mystery or explain a historical event. That’s what happens when a teacher assigns a Quest: an in-depth week-long exploration that requires collaboration and deepens engagement with texts and topics.
Vocab App:
The Vocab App helps students master vocabulary words through game-like activities that challenge them to think through morphology, analogy, and synonyms/antonyms, and to decipher meaning through context.
Have a question about Amplify ELA?
Visit our help library to search for articles with answers to your program questions.
For additional curriculum support, please contact your student’s teacher.
Virtual STEM Forum on Remote Learning

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Amplify Science Virtual Booth (6–8)
Since we’re unable to meet with you at spring events, we’d like to bring our conference experience to you!
We know a virtual booth is a little different than what you’re used to at conferences, but we tried our best to replicate an in-person experience for you—including:
- videos from real Amplify Science classrooms
- program information about phenomena-based storylines, hands-on investigations, digital simulations, and more!
- remote professional learning opportunities
- access to a free sample unit of Amplify Science

What is Amplify Science?
Built from the ground up for the Next Generation Science Standards at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, Amplify Science is a comprehensive program that blends literacy-rich activities, hands-on investigations, and interactive digital tools to empower students to think, read, write, and argue like 21st-century scientists and engineers. Highly adaptable and user-friendly, the program gives schools and individual teachers flexibility with their technology resources and preferences.
The program is backed by gold-standard research and is currently used by thousands of teachers across the US.

The Amplify Science 6–8 curriculum has earned an all-green rating from EdReports.
See Amplify Science in action
In Amplify Science, students take on the role of a scientist or engineer to actively investigate compelling phenomena-based storylines through engaging hands-on investigations, immersive digital simulations, comprehensive reading and writing activities, and lively classroom discussions. But you don’t have to just take our word for it. Hear what teachers and students using the program around the country have to say about it.
See what Amplify Science looks like in the classroom with more videos that highlight:
- Hands-on investigations
- Literacy integration
- Simulations and modeling tools
- Classroom discussions
- A Week in the Life of an Amplify Science teacher
Dig deeper into the curriculum
If we were meeting with you in person, we’d give you some print brochures that would tell you about things like phenomena-based storylines, hands-on investigations, and digital simulations. But since we can’t do that, here are the digital versions of those brochures. All you need to do is choose your grade level or domain.
Free, on-demand professional development
Access free, on-demand professional development from the Lawrence Hall of Science and Amplify Science teachers! Learning design experts from The Hall explore evidence in the era of NGSS and phenomena-based science instruction, while real classroom teachers share tips and best practices surrounding remote learning.
Test drive the program
Click submit to access a free sample unit from our elementary curriculum.
Amplify Science Virtual Booth (K–5)
Since we’re unable to meet with you at spring events, we’d like to bring our conference experience to you!
We know a virtual booth is a little different than what you’re used to at conferences, but we tried our best to replicate an in-person experience for you—including:
- videos from real Amplify Science classrooms
- program information about phenomena-based storylines, hands-on investigations, digital simulations, and more!
- remote professional learning opportunities
- access to a free sample unit of Amplify Science

What is Amplify Science?
Built from the ground up for the Next Generation Science Standards at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, Amplify Science is a comprehensive program that blends literacy-rich activities, hands-on investigations, and interactive digital tools to empower students to think, read, write, and argue like 21st-century scientists and engineers. Highly adaptable and user-friendly, the program gives schools and individual teachers flexibility with their technology resources and preferences.
The program is backed by gold-standard research and is currently used by thousands of classrooms across the US.
See Amplify Science in action
In Amplify Science, students take on the role of a scientist or engineer to actively investigate compelling phenomena-based storyline through engaging hands-on investigations, immersive digital simulations, comprehensive reading and writing activities, and lively classroom discussions. But you don’t have to just take our word for it. Hear what teachers and students using the program around the country have to say about it.
See what Amplify Science looks like in the classroom with more videos that highlight:
- Hands-on investigations
- Literacy integration
- Simulations and modeling tools
- Classroom discussions
- Science vocabulary
- A Week in the Life of an Amplify Science teacher
Dig deeper into the curriculum
If we were meeting with you in person, we’d give you some print brochures that would tell you about things like phenomena-based storylines, hands-on investigations, and digital simulations. But since we can’t do that, here are the digital versions of those brochures. All you need to do is choose your grade level.
Free, on-demand professional development
Access free, on-demand professional development from the Lawrence Hall of Science and Amplify Science teachers! Learning design experts from The Hall explore evidence in the era of NGSS and phenomena-based science instruction, while real classroom teachers share tips and best practices surrounding remote learning.
Test drive the program
Click submit to access a free sample unit from our elementary curriculum.
Amplify Science Resources for NYC (6-8)
This page has been archived. For the latest information, please visit the NYC Resource Site.

Welcome!
As the 2021-2022 school year kicks into full gear, you’re likely thinking about making your classroom responsive to student needs due to the covid-19 pandemic.
- CLRT in Amplify Science
- SEL in Amplify Science
- Responsive Relaunch Introduction Video
- Responsive Relaunch NYC Brief
Got additional questions? Use Zoom to attend office hours with Adaliz Gonzalez, the DOE’s Middle School Science Lead on Thursdays from 3-4pm.
Meeting ID: 852 2280 0969
Passcode: 528986
A powerful partnership
Amplify Science was developed by the science education experts at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and the digital learning team at Amplify.

NYC Newsletters
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- October 2020
Educator Spotlight Submission
Calling all NYC DOE educators! Do you know an educator who has gone above and beyond? Would you like to highlight your teaching experience for others? Submit nominations here to see them featured as a spotlight in a future edition of our monthly newsletter and on our Instagram pages!
Introduction
This page includes planning, implementation, and professional learning resources for NYC schools using Amplify Science. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the categories in the navigation bar on the left side of the page, so that you’ll be able to easily find what you need.
Most New York City educators come here looking for specific information, but if you’re new to Amplify Science, we recommend you read through the program guide to learn a little about the program.
New to Amplify? – Start HERE!
Teachers and Administrators
Step 1: Review the Amplify Science Overview Video.
Step 2: Review the NYC Scope and sequence for 21-22 school year.
Step 3: Review the Unpacking the Kit Videos listed below to understand what’s in your unit 1 kit.
Step 4: Access your unique Log-in information to log-in to the Amplify Science Curriculum outlined below under Login support
Step 5: Log into the platform and access our Program Hub. Select Using this site for self study for a complete suite of training videos and resources for an initial orientation video series.
Step 6: Log into the curriculum and begin studying the Unit Map and Teacher’s Guide resources and begin planning your first lesson. Print out the NYC Program Guide for essential program information.
Step 7: Administrator’s ONLY – Review the new administrator orientation presentation for an overview of the program. Review other materials under Admin Resources.
NOTE: Should you need any additional guidance on how to get started with prep (or anything else!), please feel free to get in touch with our pedagogical support team. They are available Monday-Friday from 7AM-7PM EST. You can reach them via the chat icon in the lower right- hand corner of your screen when logged in, through email (help@amplify.com), or via phone (800-823-1969).
Getting started resources
- NYC Resource Site overview – quick links
- Tech requirements
- Classroom Technology Quick Start Guide – a one-page guide to using Amplify Science in a variety of technology environments
Login Support
- Login video: Classroom teacher login with Amplify
- 6-8 science teacher: Login with Amplify or TeachHub (district preferred login method)
- 6-8 administrator: Login with Amplify or TeachHub (district preferred login method)
- 6-8 students: Login with Amplify or TeachHub (district preferred login method)
- Other staff (co-teachers, ICT, etc.): Administrator instructions for creating a Shared Teacher Login
- How to reset student(s) password
- How to log my class out of a shared device
- Clever class logout instructions
Materials
Unpacking your first Amplify Science classroom kit
- Unpacking kit video: Metabolism
- Unpacking kit video: Plate Motion
- Unpacking kit video: Force and Motion video
21-22 Login Update
The temporary login credentials for fall ’21 have been deactivated.
Please make sure you check out the Getting started resources > Login Support below for instructions around teacher and student logins. If there are any issues, please confirm with your STARS programmer that your classes are assigned correctly and then contact our Amplify Help Desk at help@amplify.com or at 1-800-823-1969 for further assistance.
Implementation resources
21-22 NYC Scope and Sequence and Pacing Guide
Use our NYC Field Trip List to plan an engaging field trip for your students!
NYC Companion Lesson Guides
The format of the NYC Companion Lessons is similar to other Amplify Science lessons. Some companion lessons are designed to require more than a single class period to teach, so each lesson includes pacing suggestions. Science Background sections support teachers with the science content introduced in the lessons. For students’ written work, possible student responses are included at the end of each lesson guide.
The Lesson Guides are available in the last section of each unit’s print Teacher’s Guide and can be downloaded from the tables in the downloads section below.
NYC Companion Lesson Copymasters
Each NYC Companion Lesson has an accompanying Copymaster (for creating student sheets) that can be copied and distributed to students or used as a visual reference. The NYC Companion Lessons require students to have physical copies of the student sheets. The copymasters are available to download as printable PDF files from the tables in the downloads section below.
Grade 6 Lesson guides and Copymasters
- Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 2.2
- Time frame: 60 minutes (can spread across multiple class periods)
- NYSP–12SLS: PE: MS-PS3-6, DCI: PS3.B
- Links (click to download):
- Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 3.3
- Time frame: Two 45-minute class periods
- NYSP–12SLS: PE: MS-PS2-3, MS-PS2-5, DCI: PS2.B
- Links (click to download):
- Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 3.3 and after Investigating Non-Touching Forces
- Time frame: 60 minutes (first and second reads can be spread across two class periods)
- NYSP–12SLS: PE: MS-PS2-5, MS-PS2-3, DCI: PS2.B
- Links (click to download):
- Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 2.5
- Time frame: 105 minutes (can be spread across multiple class periods)
- NYSP–12SLS: PE: MS-PS1-6, DCI: PS1.B
- Links (click to download):
- Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 3.4
- Time frame: 60 minutes (first and second reads can be spread across two class periods)
- NYSP–12SLS: PE: MS-LS2-5, DCI: LS2.C, LS4.D
- Links (click to download):
- Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 1.3
- Time frame: 60 minutes (first and second reads can be spread across two class periods)
- NYSP–12SLS: PE: MS-ESS2-4, DCI: ESS2.C
- Links (click to download):
- Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 3.3*
- Time frame: 90 minutes (can be spread across multiple class periods)
- NYSP–12SLS: PE: MS-PS1-7, MS-ESS2-6, DCI: PS1.A, ESS2.C
- Links (click to download):
*Note: The homework assignment for Ocean, Atmosphere, and Climate Lesson 3.3 (reading the article “Deep Ocean Currents: Driven by Density”) should be assigned after the Investigating Deep Ocean Currents companion lesson rather than after Lesson 3.3.
Grade 7 Lesson Guides and Copymasters
- Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 3.2
- Time frame: 60 minutes (first and second reads can be spread across two class periods)
- NYSP–12SLS: PE: MS-LS1-3, DCI: PS3.D, LS1.A
- Links (click to download):
- Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 3.3 or later
- Time frame: Three 45-minute class periods, each several days apart
- NYSP–12SLS: PE: MS-LS1-8, DCI: LS1.D
- Links (click to download):
- Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 3.5
- Time frame: 60 minutes (first and second reads can be spread across two class periods)
- NYSP–12SLS: PE: MS-LS1-6, MS-LS1-7, DCI: LS1.C, PS3.D
- Links (click to download):
- Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 2.2
- Time frame: 60 minutes (first and second reads can be spread across two class periods)
- NYSP–12SLS: PE: MS-PS1-4, DCI: PS3.A
- Links (click to download):
- Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 1.3
- Time frame: 60 minutes
- NYSP–12SLS: PE: MS-PS1-7, DCI: PS1.A
- Links (click to download):
- Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 2.3, 2.4, or 2.5
- Time frame: Two 45-minute class periods
- NYSP–PE: MS-PS1-8, MS-PS1-2 DCI: PS1.A, PS1.B
- Links (click to download):
Grade 8 Lesson Guides and Copymaster
- Companion lesson: Insert after Lesson 2.2
- Time frame: 90 minutes (can be spread across multiple class periods)
- NYSP–12SLS: PE: MS-PS3-2, MS-PS3-5
- Links (click to download):
NYC Companion Kits
Materials needed to teach Amplify Science lessons are provided in a kit for each unit. While some materials used in the NYC Companion Lessons are also found in a unit’s kit, materials specific to the companion lessons are provided in NYC Companion Kits. The contents of each kit and any additional materials needed to teach the companion lessons are listed in the PDFs provided below. Please select your grade to view or download the list.
NYC Student Editions (print)
The NYC Student Editions are durable student references that compile all reading material required for a grade level, including the articles students read for NYC Companion Lessons. Students reading in the Student Edition should annotate the text directly with sticky notes to achieve the full benefits of Active Reading. The Active Reading approach was designed as an interactive process in which students highlight and annotate digital or hard copies of articles directly. Printable versions of the articles are available in the downloads section below.
- Harnessing Human Energy: Printable article: “Magnetic Force and Rainbow Trout”
- Harnessing Human Energy: Printable article: “Gravity and Bats”
- Harnessing Human Energy: Printable article: “Electrostatic Force and Bees”
- Populations and Resources: Printable article: “The Amazing Variety of Life in a Coral Reef”
- Weather Patterns: Printable article: “What Makes Water Move?”
- Metabolism: Printable article: “How You Are Like a Sneezing Iguana”
- Metabolism: Printable article: “How Do Trees Grow So Huge Without Eating?”
- Phase Change: Printable article: “Icy Heat”
- Chemical Reactions: Printable article: “This Is Not an Oxygen Tank”
It is recommended that NYC teachers insert this additional lesson between Lessons 3.1 and 3.2 in order to have students complete a reading assignment in class along with an additional Sim activity.
- Lesson: Earth, Moon and Sun: Modeling Seasons
- Lesson Placement: Insert between Lessons 3.1 and 3.2*
- Links (click to download):
*If teaching this Modeling Seasons lesson, do not assign reading “The Endless Summer of the Arctic Tern” article for homework in Lesson 3.1. However, students should still model a lunar eclipse with the Modeling Tool for homework, as they will be revisiting and revising this model in Lesson 3.3.
NYC Investigation Notebooks (for teacher download)
- Harnessing Human Energy*
- Thermal Energy*
- Populations and Resources*
- Matter and Energy in Ecosystems
- Weather Patterns*
- Ocean, Atmosphere, and Climate*
- Earth’s Changing Climate
* includes NYC Companion Lesson Copymaster(s)
- Microbiome
- Metabolism*
- Phase Change*
- Chemical Reactions*
- Plate Motion
- Engineering Internship: Plate Motion
- Rock Transformations
- Engineering Internship: Earth’s Changing Climate
* includes NYC Companion Lesson Copymaster(s)
- Geology on Mars
- Earth, Moon, and Sun
- Force and Motion
- Engineering Internship: Force and Motion
- Magnetic Fields*
- Light Waves
- Traits and Reproduction
- Natural Selection
- Evolutionary History
* includes NYC Companion Lesson Copymaster(s)
Admin resources
- Getting started checklist
- Implementation rubric
- Look-for tool
- NEW Administrator data reports overview
- NYC Resource Site overview – quick links
- 2021 Grade 6-8 Instructional Leaders: Analyzing Student Assessment Data Agenda and Presentation
- 2021 Grade 6-8 Administrators: Utilizing the Amplify Science Assessment System Agenda and Presentation
- 2020 New Administrator Orientation Presentation with Participant Notebook
- 2020 Returning Administrator Orientation Agenda
- 2020 Amplify Science Remote & Hybrid Resources for Administrators Webinar
- 2020 Supporting Multilingual Learners for Administrators Webinar
- 2020 Accessing Complex Texts: Administrators Webinar
- 2020 Academic Discourse and Questioning Strategies: Administrators Webinar
- 2021 Planning For Next Year: Administrators Agenda, Participant Notebook, and Presentation
- 2021 Planning For Next Year: Instructional Leads Agenda, Participant Notebook, and Presentation
Remote and hybrid learning resources
In response to the shifts towards remote learning, Amplify has created resources for using our programs remotely. Please visit our Program Hub accessible via your Teacher Platform for all of our hybrid and remote learning supports which includes guidance for teachers and parents/guardians.
Additionally, please see below where you’ll find the recordings from our recently held webinars on our remote learning resources and some best practices for implementing Amplify Science in a distance learning setting.
Resource guides
- 20-21 Scope and sequence/pacing guide
- K-8 Remote and hybrid learning guide
- 6-8 Planning Tool for @Home Resources
Professional learning opportunities
Interested in attending training? Check out and sign up for this year’s PL offerings here!
Election Day 21-22 PL
Grade 6 Guided Planning Presentation and Webinar
Grade 7 Guided Planning Presentation and Webinar
Grade 8 Guided Planning Presentation and Webinar
Grades 6-8 Unpacking Phenomena Presentation and Webinar
All 2020-2021 PL session materials can be found below under Professional learning resources.
Amplify Science Back-to-School Recorded Webinars – Amplify held a series of national office hours throughout the summer and fall to share information about our new resources to support remote and hybrid learning– including recommendations about what to prioritize from your curriculum and essential refresher topics, such as how to navigate your program and find the best planning resources. Feel free to watch all recorded sessions at your convenience.
Archived Professional Learning Resources
Winter 2022
- Guided Planning: Unit Internalization Agenda, Participant notebook, and Presentation
Spring 2021
- Planning For Next Year Agenda, Participant notebook, and Grade 6 Presentation
Winter 2021
- Guided Planning: Matter and Energy in Ecosystems Agenda, Participant notebook, and Grade 6 Presentation
- Engaging English Learners in 3-D Learning Agenda, Participant notebook, and Grade 6 Presentation
- Accessing Complex Text in Amplify Science Agenda, Participant notebook, and Grade 6 Presentation
- Applying Reading and Writing Strategies in Amplify Science Agenda, Participant notebook, and Grade 6 Presentation
Fall 2020
- Grade 6: Academic Discourse and Questioning Strategies Webinar
- Accessing Complex Texts: Ocean, Atmosphere, and Climate Webinar
- Grade 6: Ocean, Atmosphere, and Climate Guided Unit Internalization Presentation and Planning document
- Grades 6-8: Supporting Students with Special Needs in Remote Learning Presentation with Participant Notebook
- Grade 6: Supporting Multilingual Learners Webinar
- Grade 6: Thermal Energy Guided Unit Internalization Presentation and Participant Notebook with @Home Resources (Election Day PL)
- Grades 6-8 Navigating Program Essentials: Agenda, Presentation, Participant Notebook
- Grade 6: Progress Builds & Embedded Assessments Webinar
- Grade 6: Amplify Science Remote & Hybrid Resources Webinar
Summer 2020
- Returning Teachers: Guided Planning Workshop Remote and Hybrid LearningAgenda,Presentation, and Webinar
- 6-8 New Teacher Institute Agenda: Day One and Day Two with Participant Notebook
Summer 2019- Harnessing Human Energy and Thermal Energy
Fall 2019- Population and Resources with Participant Notebook
Winter 2022
- Guided Planning: Unit Internalization Agenda, Participant notebook, and Presentation
Spring 2021
- Planning For Next Year Agenda, Participant notebook, and Grade 7 Presentation
Winter 2021
- Engaging English Learners in 3-D Learning Agenda, Participant notebook, and Grade 7 Presentation
- Accessing Complex Text in Amplify Science Agenda, Participant notebook, and Grade 7 Presentation
- Applying Reading and Writing Strategies in Amplify Science Agenda, Participant notebook, and Grade 7 Presentation
Fall 2020
- Grade 7: Academic Discourse and Questioning Strategies Webinar
- Accessing Complex Texts: Phase Change Webinar
- Grade 7: Phase Change Guided Unit Internalization Presentation and Planning document
- Grades 6-8: Supporting Students with Special Needs in Remote Learning Presentation with Participant Notebook
- Grade 7: Supporting Multilingual Learners Webinar
- Grade 7: Metabolism Guided Unit Internalization Presentation and Participant Notebook with @Home Resources (Election Day PL)
- Grades 6-8 Navigating Program Essentials Agenda, Presentation, Participant Notebook
- Grade 7: Progress Builds & Embedded Assessments Webinar
- Grade 7: Amplify Science Remote & Hybrid Resources Webinar
Summer 2020
- Returning Teachers: Guided Planning Workshop Remote and Hybrid LearningAgenda,Presentation, and Webinar
- 6-8 New Teacher Institute Agenda, Day One and Day Two with Participant Notebook
Summer 2019 – Microbiome and Metabolism
Fall 2019 – Phase Change with Participant Notebook
Winter 2022
- Guided Planning: Unit Internalization Agenda, Participant notebook, and Presentation
Spring 2021
- Planning For Next Year Agenda, Participant notebook, and Grade 8 Presentation
Winter 2021
- Guided Planning: Traits and Reproduction Agenda, Participant notebook, and Grade 8 Presentation
- Engaging English Learners in 3-D Learning Agenda, Participant notebook, and Grade 8 Presentation
- Accessing Complex Text in Amplify Science Agenda, Participant notebook, and Grade 8 Presentation
- Applying Reading and Writing Strategies in Amplify Science Agenda, Participant notebook, and Grade 8 Presentation
Fall 2020
- Grade 8: Academic Discourse and Questioning Strategies Webinar
- Accessing Complex Texts: Earth, Moon, and Sun Webinar
- Grades 6-8: Unpacking the Engineering Internship Presentation and Participant Notebook
- Grades 6-8: Supporting Students with Special Needs in Remote Learning Presentation with Participant Notebook
- Grade 8: Supporting Multilingual Learners Webinar
- Grade 8: Force and Motion Guided Unit Internalization Presentation and Participant Notebook with @Home Resources (Election Day PL)
- Grades 6-8 Navigating Program Essentials Agenda, Presentation, Participant Notebook
- Grade 8: Progress Builds & Embedded Assessments Webinar
- Grade 8: Amplify Science Remote & Hybrid Resources Webinar
Summer 2020
- Returning Teachers: Guided Planning Workshop Remote and Hybrid LearningAgenda, Presentation, and Webinar
- 6-8 New Teacher Institute Agenda: Day One and Day Two with Participant Notebook
Summer 2019 – Geology on Mars and Earth, Moon, Sun
Fall 2019 – Force and Motion with Participant Notebook
Caregiver resources
Questions
For general questions about the Amplify program (navigation, pedagogy, login), please reach out:
Email – scihelp@amplify.com
Phone – call toll-free at (800) 823-1969, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m.–7 p.m. ET
Amplify Chat – click the Amplify Chat icon within the individual teacher account
Amplify Science 6–8 Review Toolkit
Simplify your NGSS curriculum review journey with the Amplify Science Review Toolkit. Within this Toolkit, you’ll find program overview information, classroom videos, evaluation rubrics, and a free sample unit.
Amplify Science for grades K–8 has been rated all-green by EdReports. Read the review on EdReports.

What is Amplify Science?
Built from the ground up for the Next Generation Science Standards at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, Amplify Science is a comprehensive program that blends literacy-rich activities, hands-on investigations, and interactive digital tools to empower students to think, read, write, and argue like 21st-century scientists and engineers. Highly adaptable and user-friendly, the program gives schools and individual teachers flexibility with their technology resources and preferences.
The program is backed by gold-standard research and is currently used by thousands of teachers across the US.
See Amplify Science in action
Amplify Science in Action: a week in the life (6–8)
What does a week in the life of an Amplify Science teacher look like? We asked Amy Trujillo, a sixth-grade teacher from Denver Public Schools, to talk through an example of what one week of using Amplify Science is like in her classroom.
In Amplify Science, students take on the role of a scientist or engineer to actively investigate compelling phenomena through engaging hands-on investigations, immersive digital simulations, comprehensive reading and writing activities, and lively classroom discussions.
See what Amplify Science looks like in a classroom with more topical videos:
Dig deeper into the curriculum
Amplify Science is rooted in the research-based Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize model of learning. Students engage with science and engineering practices, figure out disciplinary core ideas, and utilize and apply crosscutting concepts in multiple modalities across thoughtful, structured lessons, all centered around engaging anchor phenomena. Learn more about how a unique mix of activities and modalities provide students with multiple points of entry into the instruction.
- Program structure and pacing
- Phenomena and unit storylines
- Hands-on investigations
- Digital Simulations
Attend a webinar
Join the Lawrence Hall of Science for a series of free webinars! Curriculum experts will explore why embedded engineering and phenomena-based science instruction deliver results, with examples from Amplify Science.
Webinars are scheduled throughout the spring, and you can always sign to watch a recording if you’re unable to attend live.
Review rubrics
Using an evaluation rubric to review? Take a look at our filled-out TIME and EQuIP rubrics.
Test drive the program
Click submit to access a free sample unit from our middle school curriculum.
Amplify Science K–5 Review Toolkit
Simplify your NGSS curriculum review journey with the Amplify Science Review Toolkit. Within this Toolkit, you’ll find program overview information, classroom videos, evaluation rubrics, and a free sample unit.

What is Amplify Science?
Built from the ground up for the Next Generation Science Standards at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, Amplify Science is a comprehensive program that blends literacy-rich activities, hands-on investigations, and interactive digital tools to empower students to think, read, write, and argue like 21st-century scientists and engineers. Highly adaptable and user-friendly, the program gives schools and individual teachers flexibility with their technology resources and preferences.
The program is backed by gold-standard research and is currently used by thousands of teachers across the US.
See Amplify Science in action
Amplify Science in Action: a week in the life (K–5)
What does a week in the life of an Amplify Science teacher look like? We asked Keneisha Charleston, a second-grade teacher from Chicago Public Schools, to talk through an example of what one week of using Amplify Science is like in her classroom.
In Amplify Science, students take on the role of a scientist or engineer to actively investigate compelling phenomena through engaging hands-on investigations, immersive digital simulations, comprehensive reading and writing activities, and lively classroom discussions.
See what Amplify Science looks like in a classroom with more topical videos:
- Hands-on investigations
- Literacy integration
- Simulations and modeling tools
- Classroom discussions
- Science vocabulary
Dig deeper into the curriculum
Amplify Science is rooted in the research-based Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize model of learning. Students engage with science and engineering practices, figure out disciplinary core ideas, and utilize and apply crosscutting concepts in multiple modalities across thoughtful, structured lessons, all centered around engaging anchor phenomena. Learn more about how a unique mix of activities and modalities provide students with multiple points of entry into the instruction.
- Program overview
- Phenomena and unit storyline
- Hands-on investigations
- Literacy Rich Science Instruction
- Digital Simulations
Attend a webinar
Join the Lawrence Hall of Science for a series of free webinars! Curriculum experts will explore why embedded engineering and phenomena-based science instruction deliver results, with examples from Amplify Science.
Webinars are scheduled throughout the spring, and you can always sign to watch a recording if you’re unable to attend live.
Review rubrics
Using an evaluation rubric to review? Take a look at our filled-out TIME and EQuIP rubrics.
Test drive the program
Click submit to access a free sample unit from our elementary curriculum.
What is Amplify Science?
Built from the ground up for the Next Generation Science Standards at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, Amplify Science is a comprehensive program that blends literacy-rich activities, hands-on investigations, and interactive digital tools to empower students to think, read, write, and argue like 21st-century scientists and engineers. Highly adaptable and user-friendly, the program gives schools and individual teachers flexibility with their technology resources and preferences.
The program is backed by gold-standard research and is currently used by thousands of teachers across the US.
See Amplify Science in action
Amplify Science in Action: a week in the life (6–8)
What does a week in the life of an Amplify Science teacher look like? We asked Amy Trujillo, a sixth-grade teacher from Denver Public Schools, to talk through an example of what one week of using Amplify Science is like in her classroom.
In Amplify Science, students take on the role of a scientist or engineer to actively investigate compelling phenomena through engaging hands-on investigations, immersive digital simulations, comprehensive reading and writing activities, and lively classroom discussions.
See what Amplify Science looks like in a classroom with more topical videos:
Dig deeper into the curriculum
Amplify Science is rooted in the research-based Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize model of learning. Students engage with science and engineering practices, figure out disciplinary core ideas, and utilize and apply crosscutting concepts in multiple modalities across thoughtful, structured lessons, all centered around engaging anchor phenomena. Learn more about how a unique mix of activities and modalities provide students with multiple points of entry into the instruction.
- Program structure and pacing
- Phenomena and unit storylines
- Hands-on investigations
- Digital Simulations
Attend a webinar
Join the Lawrence Hall of Science for a series of free webinars! Curriculum experts will explore why embedded engineering and phenomena-based science instruction deliver results, with examples from Amplify Science.
Webinars are scheduled throughout the spring, and you can always sign to watch a recording if you’re unable to attend live.
Review rubrics
Using an evaluation rubric to review? Take a look at our filled-out TIME and EQuIP rubrics.
Test drive the program
Click submit to access a free sample unit from our middle school curriculum.
Amplify customer support hub
Quickly find support for every step of your journey, whether you’re new to our programs or a long-time partner. Our support hub offers personalized, responsive assistance to drive strong implementation and boost student outcomes.
Round-the-clock help resources
Access comprehensive support anytime, anywhere with our 24/7 Help Center. Find articles, answers, and quick links with ease in this collection of resources.
For system status updates, click on Amplify System Status.

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Products available for TCLAS Decision 3B

mCLASS® Texas Edition provides a full K–6 assessment solution, enabling you to leverage and connect valuable student data from the beginning of their literacy journey to later grades, reflecting a reliable and valid view of every student’s progression. Learn more

Part of the new mCLASS Español suite, mCLASS Lectura K-6 is a full authentic dual language assessment and instruction solution which provides complete parity between English and Spanish-speaking students. Learn more

Amplify Reading is a K–8 student-driven literacy program that provides both remediation and enrichment for all students, leveraging the power of compelling storytelling to engage students in personalized reading instruction and practice. Learn more
mCLASS® Intervention is a staff-led reading intervention for K–6 that performs data analysis and lesson sequencing with Tier 2 and Tier 3 small-group intervention to get struggling readers back on track. Learn More

Amplify ELAR Texas 6-8 features multicultural literature and high-quality multimedia lessons grounded in the TEKS – and was designed for the way middle schoolers learn today. Learn more
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Elk Grove Science K5
Getting started with Amplify Science California
Dear Elk Grove K–5 teachers,
Welcome to the Amplify Science California family! Below you’ll find everything you need to successfully kick off your science instruction this year.
– Your California team

Program introduction
Onboarding videos
To start using Amplify Science California quickly in your classroom, check out the following onboarding videos. They cover what you need to know to get started fast, from unpacking materials to quickly start using Amplify Science in your classroom and navigating the digital Teacher’s Reference Guide.
Program pacing
Hands-on materials kit
The following videos give you a quick look into our Amplify Science California classroom kits. For each grade level, you’ll find a “How to unpack your kit” video for the first unit of the program.

- Kindergarten: Needs of Plants and Animals unpacking video
- Grade 1: Animal and Plant Defenses unpacking video
- Grade 2: Plant and Animal Relationships unpacking video
- Grade 3: Balancing Forces unpacking video
- Grade 4: Energy Conversions unpacking video
- Grade 5: Patterns of Earth and Sky unpacking video
Teacher digital resources
Watch this video to understand the basic organization of the digital teacher experience and how to navigate the platform.
Want some practice? Download this exploration guide to practice toggling between teacher view, presentation view, and student view.
Our new digital experience also makes it easy to assign work through our LMS integrations.
Our new digital experience also makes it easy to view student work in real time.
Student digital resources
Watch this video to take a peek at the various student digital resources available to your class.
Use this Student Login Click Path document to support students and families logging in from home.
Essential resources
Your Teacher’s Reference Guide is a tremendously rich resource. It’s also packed! That’s why teachers getting started with Amplify Science love our condensed Unit Guides, lesson planners, and device calendars.
Unit Guides
These short and sweet guides provide a big picture overview of each unit’s phenomenon and storyline, the key questions that guide learning, and how the storyline develops from chapter to chapter. We even spoil the big reveal at the end by pointing out ahead of time what students figure out throughout the unit.

Kindergarten
Grade 1
Grade 2
- Plant and Animal Relationships Unit Guide
- Properties of Materials Unit Guide
- Changing Landforms Unit Guide
Grade 3
- Balancing Forces Unit Guide
- Inheritance and Traits Unit Guide
- Environments and Survival Unit Guide
- Weather and Climate Unit Guide
Grade 4
- Energy Conversions Unit Guide
- Vision and Light Unit Guide
- Earth’s Features Unit Guide
- Waves, Energy, and Information
Grade 5
- Patterns of Earth and Sky Unit Guide
- Modeling Matter Unit Guide
- Earth System Unit Guide
- Ecosystem Restoration Unit Guide
Lesson planners
Our lesson planners give you easy access to direct links to key resources within the program.
Kindergarten
- Needs of Plants and Animals lesson planner
- Pushes and Pulls lesson planner
- Sunlight and Weather lesson planner
Grade 1
- Animal and Plant Defenses lesson planner
- Light and Sound lesson planner
- Spinning Earth lesson planner
Grade 2
- Plant and Animal Relationships lesson planner
- Properties of Materials lesson planner
- Changing Landforms lesson planner
Grade 3
- Balancing Forces lesson planner
- Inheritance and Traits lesson planner
- Environments and Survival lesson planner
- Weather and Climate lesson planner
Grade 4
- Energy Conversions lesson planner
- Vision and Light lesson planner
- Earth’s Features lesson planner
- Waves, Energy, and Information lesson planner
Grade 5
- Patterns of Earth and Sky lesson planner
- Modeling Matter lesson planner
- Earth System lesson planner
- Ecosystem Restoration lesson planner
Teacher-provided materials
Your Amplify Science classroom kit includes a wide variety of consumable and non-consumable items. In fact, each kit contains enough non-consumables to support a class of 36 students working in small groups, and enough consumables to support 72 student uses.
In addition to these provided items, there are some teacher-provided items required in each unit. For a consolidated list of teacher-provided items per unit, download the appropriate PDF below.
- Kindergarten: Teacher-provided materials lists
- Grade 1: Teacher-provided materials lists
- Grade 2: Teacher-provided materials lists
- Grade 3: Teacher-provided materials lists
- Grade 4: Teacher-provided materials lists
- Grade 5: Teacher-provided materials lists
Device calendars
Our at-a-glance device calendars make device management and sharing between grade-level colleagues a breeze. With one calendar per unit (beginning in grade 2), you can easily see which lessons utilize devices.
- Grade 2: Device calendars for all units
- Grade 3: Device calendars for all units
- Grade 4: Device calendars for all units
- Grade 5: Device calendars for all units
Approach to assessment
The Amplify Science California assessment system is grounded in the principle that students benefit from regular and varied opportunities to demonstrate understanding through performance. In practice this means that conceptual understanding is revealed through engagement in the science and engineering practices.
Assessment types at a glance
In your classroom, you’ll be utilizing a variety of formative (F) and summative (S) assessments:
- End-of-Unit Assessment (S): Assessments toward the end of each unit feature a combination of targeted discussions, student-generated models, and written explanations to gauge students’ knowledge and growth.
- Pre-Unit Assessments (F): Discussion, modeling, and written explanations to gauge students’ knowledge.
- On-the-Fly Assessments (OtFA) (F): Multi-dimensional tasks integrated regularly throughout the lessons. OtFA opportunities were designed to help teachers make sense of student activity during a learning experience (e.g., student-to-student talk, writing, and model construction) and to provide evidence of how a student is coming to understand core concepts and developing dexterity with SEPs and CCCs. Three-dimensional assessment opportunities make measuring progress toward NGSS learning goals possible.
- Self-assessments (F): One per chapter; brief opportunities for students to reflect on their own learning, ask questions, and reveal ongoing wonderings about unit content.
- Critical Juncture Assessments (F): Variety of multidimensional performance tasks intended to assess student progress, occurring at the end of each chapter. Examples include writing scientific explanations, engaging in argumentation, developing and using models, and designing engineering solutions. Based on student performance on the assessment, teachers have access to recommendations for targeted student interventions, suggested follow-ups, or differentiating classroom instruction.
- End-of-Unit Assessment (S): Assessments toward the end of each unit feature a combination of targeted discussions, student-generated models, and written explanations to gauge students’ knowledge and growth.
Pre-Unit Assessments
Most Pre-Unit assessments are embedded within an activity of the first lesson of a unit. In kindergarten and grade 1, the Pre-Unit assessment (as well as the End-of-Unit assessment) is oral. In grades 2–5 they are typically written. Refer to the Digital Resources area of the Lesson Brief for materials needed for the assessment activity, such as the Clipboard Assessment Tool (K–1 only), copymasters (grades 2–5 only), and an Assessment Guide that will help you interpret and leverage students’ responses.

If you and your students have Interactive Classroom licenses, students can complete their assessment digitally instead of using the copymaster.

When students complete the assessment pages digitally, you’ll be able to review their work on the View Work page.
Critical Juncture Assessments
Critical Juncture assessments typically occur towards the end of each chapter. The Materials and Preparation section will indicate when there is a Critical Juncture to prepare for, but you can also tell when an activity is designed to be a Critical Juncture assessment by the hummingbird icon that will appear within it. Selecting the hummingbird icon will tell you how to assess students’ understanding with the activity, and how to tailor instruction based on what you find. If you need guidance on the “answers” to the assessment activity, refer to the “Possible Responses” tab.


If you are using Classroom Slides or Interactive Classroom, you’ll see a hummingbird or “Critical Juncture” label in the bottom right corner of one of the slides of the activity.

The notes about assessing understanding and tailoring instruction are located in the notes of that slide (on the right-hand side of the Teacher’s Guide tab in the Interactive Classroom experience; underneath the slide in Classroom Slides).
End-of-Unit Assessments
End-of-Unit assessments are typically the last lesson of a unit. In some units, these are two-part assessments that take place over two lessons. The easiest way to find the End-of-Unit assessment is to skim through the lesson titles. Lessons containing End-of-Unit assessments will always have that noted in the title.

Like the Pre-unit assessment, you can find materials for the End-of-unit assessments in the Digital Resources area of the Lesson Brief.
On-the-Fly Assessments
These embedded assessments leverage the formative opportunities in the learning experience students are already engaged in, such as creating models, analyzing data, actively reading, conducting investigations, and more. Refer to the Critical Juncture section above for guidance on finding information about using them.
Unit-level assessment information
You can find overall information about an individual unit’s assessments in the “Assessment System” resource, which is located within the Teacher References section on the Unit Overview page.

The Assessment System resource contains a comprehensive list of all of the assessment opportunities in the unit, including the assessment’s location, a brief indication of what students are doing in that particular activity, what type of assessment it is, which Disciplinary Core Ideas, science and engineering practices, and cross-cutting concepts it specifically addresses, and the kind of evaluation guidance you can expect for it. If you are in a kindergarten or first grade unit, you will also find information on the Clipboard Assessment Tool (used for supporting oral assessment) in this section.
If you’re interested in focusing on information related to the unit’s Critical Juncture and On-the-Fly assessments in particular, check out the “Embedded Formative Assessments” resource, also located within the Teacher References section on the Unit Overview page.

Three-dimensional assessment connections
All assessment opportunities within Amplify Science California include clear labeling around the Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs), and Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) to help teachers connect formative and summative assessments to specific NGSS dimensions.
Coming soon
Unlike other publishers, we don’t make you wait until your next adoption to get the latest and greatest from Amplify. We’re always launching new and exciting features. In fact, on this page is a list of new features you can look forward to using during the 2023-2024 school year.
FAQs
Program questions
Amplify Science California is a flexible, blended K–8 science curriculum that addresses 100 percent of the Next Generation Science Standards for California and a significant number of the California English Language Development Standards and Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects, and Math. Together, the units deliver three-dimensional instruction across the following disciplines: Life Science, Earth and Space Science, Physical Science, and Engineering Design.
Amplify Science California does indeed feature some powerful and engaging digital components, which are gradually introduced beginning at grade 2. However, as a fully blended and flexible program, Amplify Science California can be (and has been) implemented in a wide variety of scenarios.
All lessons were designed with device sharing in mind, and never assume that every student has a separate device. While 1:1 scenarios are great, they aren’t required. When devices are necessary for students to fully experience a concept, teachers can opt to share devices across pairs or small groups, or simply display the Sim or Modeling Tool to the whole class and allow students to “drive” using your device.
Rather than introducing a concept on Monday, testing for mastery on Friday, and knowing students will forget everything by the next Tuesday, we set out to help students build meaningful and lasting knowledge that they can retain and transfer over the course of the entire unit. We accomplish this by giving students multiple opportunities (a.k.a. “at-bats”) to encounter, explore, and experience a concept. Said another way, Amplify Science California is actually made up of a series of multi-modal “mini-lessons.” This intentional, cyclical, and iterative design mirrors the 5Es, allows teachers the flexibility to speed up or skip ahead once students have demonstrated mastery, and empowers students to learn concepts more deeply than any other program.
Yes. Rather than separating performance expectations into physical science units, earth and space science units, and life science units, Amplify Science California units are organized around anchoring phenomena designed to give students opportunities to dive deeply into certain Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) while also drawing from or applying to others. In organizing the Amplify Science California middle school units, we’ve carefully sequenced these ideas within each grade level to support the development of deep and coherent understanding.
Many real-world phenomena cross the domain boundaries of life, physical, or earth and space science (as well as engineering). Each Amplify Science California unit begins with an intriguing real-world phenomenon that poses a problem that needs to be understood and/or solved. By the end of the unit, students will have analyzed the anchor phenomenon across multiple scientific domains, possibly designed and tested an engineering solution, and applied what they’ve learned in a different context.
For example:
In the Light Waves unit, students investigate the anchoring phenomenon of why Australia has a much higher skin cancer rate than countries at similar latitudes like Brazil. The focus of this unit is on Disciplinary Core Ideas related to wave properties (PS4.A) and electromagnetic radiation (PS4.B). Students explore these physical science ideas deeply within the unit, and also draw on ideas from earth science (e.g., latitudinal variation of the sun’s energy) and life science (e.g., the effect of energy on the DNA in the nucleus of a cell) in order to explain the central phenomenon.
Absolutely. Hands-on learning is at the heart of Amplify Science California. Integrated into every unit are opportunities for students to take on the role of scientists and engineers as they gather evidence, think critically, solve problems, and develop and defend their claims.
In addition, our unique combination of focus and flex activities means teachers have more options, opportunities, and materials to make learning active. Each hands-on activity provides clear instructions for the teacher, with more complex activities supported by video demonstrations and illustrations.
What’s important to remember is that more hands-on doesn’t necessarily mean better, at least according to the California NGSS. That’s because only two of the eight Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) are directly related to hands-on learning.
Just as scientists gather evidence from many types of sources, students in the Amplify Science California program gather evidence not just by making physical models, but also by making and interpreting digital models; reading texts; watching videos; and analyzing photographs, maps, and data sets. By doing do, students are provided with more opportunities than any other program to use all of the practices called out in the California NGSS Framework:
- Asking questions
- Developing and using models
- Planning and carrying out investigations
- Analyzing and interpreting data
- Using mathematics and computational thinking
- Constructing explanations
- Engaging in arguments from evidence
- Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
While all of our units engage students in gathering evidence from a rich collection of sources, the reliance on different types of evidence (and evidence sources) varies according to unit. For instance, some units lend themselves to meaningful hands-on experiences, while in other units the phenomena students are investigating are too slow, too dangerous, or too big to be observed directly. In those units, students rely more heavily on other evidence sources such a physical models or simulations.
Unit types in grades K–5
In each K–5 grade, there is one unit that emphasizes investigation, one that emphasizes modeling, and one that emphasizes design. In addition, in grades 3–5, there is also one unit that emphasizes argumentation.
Unit types in grades 6–8
Each 6–8 grade features three types of units: Launch, Core, and Engineering Internships. Each year has one Launch unit, six Core units, and two Engineering Internships.
For teachers who want to supplement the lessons with even more hands-on activities, optional “flextension” activities are included in many units.
Yes indeed. Amplify Science California integrates all four STEM disciplines—science, technology, engineering, and math, in addition to English Language Arts—throughout the curriculum. In addition, each grade level features specific units that emphasize engineering design.
Yes, the program includes multiple opportunities for summative assessments.
End-of-unit assessments: At grades K–1 these look like targeted conversations, at grades 2–5 we incorporate written responses, and at grades 6–8 we assess through a combination of auto-scored multiple-choice questions and rubric-scored written responses. These summative assessments for each unit are designed to provide valid, reliable, and fair measures of students’ progress and attainment of three-dimensional learning.
Benchmark assessments: Delivered four times per year in grades 3–5 and three times per year in grades 6–8, benchmark assessments report on students’ facilities with each of the grade appropriate DCIs, SEPs, CCCs, and performance expectations of the California NGSS.
Science Seminars and final written arguments (formative and summative components): In grades 6–8, culminating performance tasks for each core unit invite students to figure out a new real-world problem. They collect and analyze evidence, examine a number of claims, and then engage in a full-class discussion where they must state which claims are best supported by the evidence, all while making clear their reasoning that connects the evidence to the claims. After the seminar, students then individually write their final scientific argument, drawing on the DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs they have used over the course of the unit to develop a sophisticated and convincing argument that addresses the problem they’ve been investigating. Rubrics, scoring guides, and examples of student responses at each scoring level are provided to teachers to support the assessment of students’ understanding of concepts and specific practices.
Amplify Science California provides more than enough instructional content to fill 180 days of instruction. However, unlike other programs that expect you to complete 180 discrete lessons, Amplify Science California includes built-in wiggle room.
For example, the typical elementary classroom delivers science instruction only two times per week. Rather than asking teachers to wade through unnecessary content, we designed our program to address 100 percent of the California NGSS in just 66 days at grades K–2 and 88 days at grades 3–5. When it comes to middle school, we address 100 percent of the California NGSS in 146 lessons.
Some classes might last longer than one session due to a number of reasons (e.g., enthusiastic student conversations, challenging topics requiring deeper dives, more time needed to accommodate diverse learners, etc.). Also, teachers might want to supplement Amplify Science California with some of their own favorite lessons. Lastly, we’ve accounted for the inevitable assembly days, class trips, testing schedules, etc. For teachers that want to go deeper or expand upon a unit topic, we also offer a number of additional lessons that are not core to each unit.
Amplify Science California lessons are designed to be completed in the following time frames:
Lessons in grades K–1 are designed for 45 minutes of science instruction.
Lessons in grades 2–5 are designed for 60 minutes of science instruction.
That said, it’s not a problem if you can’t allocate 45 minutes of science instruction every day at K–1, or 60 minutes per day at 2–5. Since there are a total of 66 lessons to address 100 percent of California NGSS at grades K–2, and 88 lessons to address 100 percent of California NGSS at grades 3–5, you can easily teach the lessons in smaller blocks and cover all of the content over the course of the school year.
Each lesson of every Amplify Science California unit includes point-of-use differentiation strategies and embedded teacher and student supports for diverse learners, including English learners, students who need more support, and students who are ready for more challenge. These strategies and methods ensure that all students have access to the same content as their peers.
Two notable categories of suggested modifications are:
- English-learner-specific strategies such as English/Spanish glossaries, native language supports, and provision of cognates and other content-specific language scaffolds are provided in each unit.
- Relatively small alterations and additional scaffolds that provide students with greater access to the content.
These types of scaffolds benefit all learners and include suggestions such as providing graphic organizers, practice with multiple-meaning words, etc.
With Amplify Science California, the use of technology is always purposeful.
For example:
- The curriculum has a strong emphasis on literacy, with students reading and analyzing informational texts, and writing scientific explanations and arguments.
- Digital elements are gradually introduced to students in grades 2–3, with the greatest use of digital elements taking place in grades 4–5, as the phenomena at these grades become more challenging to observe directly.
- The curriculum’s readers and interactive notebook pages are available in both print and digital across all K–5 units.
This curriculum addresses a significant number of the standards as they pertain to science. Throughout each unit, students read science texts, engage in science talk and argumentation, and write evidence-based science explanations. The curriculum supports vocabulary, language, and reading comprehension development. Students also use measurement tools with precision, record and analyze data, make sense of scientific phenomena, and develop solutions to problems experienced in the real world.
Digital questions
Teacher Support notes including sample teacher talk, student responses, pedagogical support, and possible student responses are provided within your student-facing slides. Simply click “Teach” and reference your private Teacher Guide tab. Students will only see the lesson slides that you are presenting.

You, the teacher, must “Start class” to launch the presentation tab. (Remember, without the presentation tab, students would be able to see your teacher notes.)
Clicking “Starting class” also brings students to the correct slide, which is particularly important for young students who are learning to navigate.
Teachers can either press the “End class” button in the bottom right corner of the slide navigation, or they can simply close the presentation tab.
Clicking “End class” also enables students to navigate through the lesson on their own. That means they’ll be able to return to slides and books to review content, to the Sims and Modeling Tools to replay them, or to notebook pages to update their work.
You can click on the “Student preview” option in the bottom right corner (within the menu that opens when you click the three dots) to open a new browser tab where you can preview the student view using your teacher account.
Any work you complete in this student preview (or elsewhere in the teacher experience) will be automatically saved to your account.
Looking for help?
For login or technology issues, please submit an EGUSD Heat ticket. For curriculum and pedagogical questions, please refer to the support resources below.
Powerful (and free!) pedagogical support
Amplify provides a unique kind of support you won’t find from other publishers. We’ve developed an educational support team of former teachers and administrators who provide pedagogical support for every Amplify curriculum, assessment, and intervention program. This service is completely free for all educators who are using our programs and includes:
- Guidance for developing lesson plans and intervention plans.
- Information on where to locate standards and other planning materials.
- Recommendations and tips for day-to-day teaching with Amplify programs.
- Support with administering and interpreting assessment data and more.
To reach our pedagogical team, use our live chat within your program, call (800) 823-1969, or email edsupport@amplify.com
Timely technical and program support
Our technical and program support is included and available from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday, through a variety of channels, including a live chat program that enables teachers to get immediate help in the middle of the school day.
For your most urgent questions:
- Use our live chat within your program.
- Call our toll-free number: (800) 823-1969.
For less urgent questions:
Connect with other teachers
Our Amplify Science Facebook group is a community of Amplify Science educators from across the country. It’s a space to share best practices, ideas, and support on everything from implementation to instruction. Join today.

The Science of Reading Star Awards are back!

If you’re reading this, someone taught you to read! You might remember learning your letters with a standout teacher, or simply curling up with a loved one to point out pictures and sound out words.
No matter who stands out to you, it takes a constellation of people to help children learn to read—both inside classrooms and beyond, and from district leadership to student families.
It also takes science: specifically, the science of teaching reading.
And we want to celebrate Science of Reading stars!
That’s why we created the Science of Reading Star Awards. Read on for more information about them, including how to nominate someone for the 2023 Awards. (If you’re already ready to nominate a star in your community, go right ahead!)
Reading educator awards for teachers who shine.
We launched this awards program in 2021—a year when schools, educators, and students were still working to bounce back from pandemic challenges and into a new normal. Even then, educators drove change, leading their school communities on a journey to the Science of Reading.
Our inaugural award program honored educators who championed and advocated for the Science of Reading in their classrooms, schools, or districts.
They generated buy-in. They inspired their peers and students. They successfully brought research-based instruction, phonics instruction, and foundational literacy skills into their approaches—and had remarkable gains to show for it.
Our 2021 awards, both finalists and winners, celebrated:
- Teachers who directly impacted their students and served as role models for their colleagues by applying the Science of Reading.
Winner: Anila Nayak, instructional coach and reading intervention teacher, Los Angeles Unified School District, California.
She says: “The Science of Reading is becoming my North Star because it’s guiding me to give the best that research has shown for my students.”
- Principals who have supervised the successful shift to the Science of Reading in many classrooms across several grades.
Winner: Cathy Dorbish, principal, Austintown Elementary School, Ohio
She says: “We know our kids come from all different backgrounds, different opportunities, and parents who read or don’t. By teaching them in this manner, we’re leveling the playing field. Those kids who may be economically disadvantaged, [but] they’re going to be readers just like the kids whose parents bought them 100,000 books.”
- District leaders who have driven or are driving change using the Science of Reading.
Winner: Alli Rice, elementary ELA lead, Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools
She says: “Teachers are saying things like ‘I never really thought my kids could have a discussion about the Renaissance during language arts class, but they are doing it.’”
Winner: Brittney Bills, curriculum coordinator, Grand Island Public Schools, Nebraska
She says: “I believe the Science of Reading is about hope. Knowing 95% of students are cognitively able to read at grade level with the right explicit instruction was empowering for me and the teachers I support.”
Nominate a Science of Reading star!
Inspired? Now think of the educators in your world—especially those devoted to literacy. Do you know someone who has transformed their classroom and empowered their students with the Science of Reading? What about someone who’s gone above and beyond core instruction based in the Science of Reading to apply these evidence-based practices in less traditional ways in areas like assessment, intervention, biliteracy, and beyond? (And yes, this person might be you!) We also have new categories this year, to honor both the traditional, and less traditional, Science of Reading champions!
Submit your nomination for the 2023 Science of Reading Star Awards by February 28!
All award winners will receive:
- A free professional development session with Susan Lambert, host of Science of Reading: The Podcast.
- A library of Science of Reading books to guide their journey.
- A subscription to The Reading League Journal.
- A spotlight on an episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast.
The Grand Prize winner will receive full conference registration and associated travel costs to Big Sky Literacy Summit in Big Sky, Montana, Sept. 2023 (dates forthcoming).
Learn more
To hear more from the 2021 winners, you can watch our Amplify Science of Reading Star Award Winners panel, now available as an on-demand webinar, or tune into Science of Reading: The Podcast to hear their conversations with host Susan Lambert.
Their stories and perspectives may help you discover how you can drive change in your classroom, school, and district with the Science of Reading!
Welcome NYC Literacy Collaborative and Division of Multilingual Learners!
Welcome, San Francisco Reviewers!
Desmos Math
Desmos Math 6–8 and Algebra 1 is based on the highly rated IM K–12™ curricula from Illustrative Mathematics. What’s more, our 6–8 curriculum also received a perfect, all-green rating by EdReports.
About Desmos Math
Desmos Math 6–A1 delivers the instructional power of student-centered learning packaged in a lesson format that is teacher-friendly and manageable.
With easy-to-follow instructional supports, implementing a problem-based program becomes more effective and enjoyable for both you and your students. Delivered through the Desmos Classroom digital experience, math class becomes fun and dynamic, with plenty of opportunities for students to talk through their reasoning, work with their peers, and gain new understandings.
Desmos Classroom technology
Math lessons should be powerful in their ability to surface student thinking and spark interesting and productive discussions. The Desmos Classroom platform brings this vision to life. It even includes a complete library of interactive, collaborative lessons made by your math colleagues.

Engaging student experience
Relevant content and interactive math tools create an intuitive and engaging student experience. Plus, working together in real-time allows students to see that communicating their ideas and learning from each other are important parts of math class.

Visibility into student thinking
Imagine having more visibility into your students’ mathematical thinking. Now imagine students have access to this same information. With our collaborative lesson interface and teacher dashboard, students can’t hide. What’s more, they have visibility into the thinking of their peers—exposing them to a wider variety of approaches to solving the same problem.

Ready-to-teach lessons
Each grade-level includes 150 ready-to-teach lessons complete with slides, step-by-step teaching notes, suggested student and teacher responses, tips for incorporating instructional routines, support for developing mathematical language, and links to useful resources. Teachers can also control what slides students see, giving teachers the ability to control the pace of the lesson to suite the needs of the class.

A Lesson with Dr. Dan Meyer
Desmos Math has been extensively tested by math educators across the nation…including Dr. Dan Meyer.
In this 8-minute video, Dr. Dan Meyer puts a Desmos Math lessons to the test, and shares how the Desmos Math teacher tools empower all teacher to deliver engaging and interactive lessons.
Access demo
Ready to explore the program? Follow these instructions to access your demo account.
- Click the Access demo button.
- Click the Sign In link.
- Enter the email address and password provided by your Account Executive.
- Select your grade level.
- Explore any of the eight units.

Contact us
Looking to speak directly with your local Account Executive? Get in touch with a California team member to learn more about Desmos Math or to request a demo account.

CENTRAL VALLEY and CENTRAL COAST
Demitri Gonos
Senior Account Executive
(559) 355-3244

ORANGE and L.A. COUNTIES
Lauren Sherman
Senior Account Executive
(949) 397-5766

SAN BERNARDINO and L.A. COUNTIES
Michael Gruber
Senior Account Executive
(951) 520-6542

SAN DIEGO and IMPERIAL COUNTIES
Kirk Van Wagoner
Senior Account Executive
(760) 696-0709
S2-05: Moving students forward with project-based learning

In this episode, Eric Cross sits with K–5 educator Janis Lodge to chat about building on her own science curriculum to create meaningful project-based learning experiences. Janis shares her work teaching Gifted and Talented Education (GATE), and how to use those practices to help accelerate the learning of all students. Eric and Janis also talk about making time for science within K–5 classrooms. Explore more from Science Connections by visiting our main page.
Janis Lodge (00:00):
To me, the reward of having those kids feel like they accomplished something and the way that they can take ownership of it and go in so many different directions, I cannot take that away from them. That’s such an opportunity that if I have the means to do it, I have to just take it and run with it.
Eric Cross (00:18):
Welcome to Science Connections. I’m your host, Eric Cross. My guest today is Janis Lodge. Janis is a third-grade teacher in Orange County, California, with a specialization in gifted and talented education. Recently, Janis was awarded the Orange County Council for the Gifted and Talented Education Classroom grant. This grant funds a project that provides an extension to her third-grade science unit about environments and survival. Through this project, students will think like a biomimicry engineer as they design a robot that is inspired by an innovation found in nature. In this episode, we discuss how she uses interdisciplinary teaching practices to make time for science learning; why gifted and talented education strategies can benefit all students; and her process for creating a problem-based lesson that ultimately earned her a grant for her classroom. And now, please enjoy my conversation with Janis Lodge. One, welcome! Thanks for being here.
Janis Lodge (01:14):
Of course, I am happy to do it. I’m excited for the opportunity.
Eric Cross (01:17):
Of course! Yeah. Elementary school teachers in science, I feel like there’s so many things to have conversations about. And some of the things that you’ve really focused on, I think, are, really, really important. But I wanna start off with your journey of you becoming a teacher in the classroom. And so, would you kind of give your background, your origin story? How did you end up as a third-grade teacher?
Janis Lodge (01:37):
Well, my story is definitely not a traditional story. Before I was a teacher, I was actually living in Maui, Hawaii. I moved there right after college. I went to Chico State in Northern California. And I got a degree in graphic design. And after I graduated, well, I should give a little bit of a backstory. My last summer before graduating, I spent the whole summer in Maui and I just fell in love with it. So when I graduated, I decided instead of applying for jobs in Northern California, I’m just gonna put some resumes out in Maui and see if I can get a job. And I did. I ended up getting a job doing graphic design and marketing for a kite surf company out there. And I ended up just staying for seven years on the island. And after about seven years, I kind of got a little bit of island fever and decided I wanted to come back to California. I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do, but I just had this calling that I need to do something a little more fulfilling with my life. And I started thinking about different ideas and dreams I had. And I actually started thinking about when I was younger, right? I had this dream. If you were to ask me when I was 10 years old what I wanted to be when I grow up, it would be elementary school teacher.
Eric Cross (02:48):
Really?
Janis Lodge (02:48):
Believe it or not. When I was younger, I transformed my bedroom into a classroom. My stuffed animals were my students. I just thought I’m gonna be the next best teacher ever. And you know, as I went through life and kind of went in different directions, I kind of lost sight of that dream a little bit. But for some reason, when I decided to change careers, I just remembered that. And so I just decided to go get my teaching credential and see if it worked out. And it was probably the best decision I made. I feel like everything just fell perfectly into place. I ended up getting a job at an amazing school, and now, five years later, I’m a third grade teacher.
Eric Cross (03:28):
So one of the questions I have to ask, and talking to elementary school teachers, this comes up a lot: How do you make time for science as an elementary school teacher who’s teaching everything? And let me kind of premise this with, at least for those of us in California, and I’m sure the rest of the states too, but we know this; There’s kind of this pressure with pacing and then even, depending on what school you’re at, math and English tend to get the bulk of things. And maybe there’s this perception also of like, well, I gotta teach math and English, and sometimes science gets put to the back burner for different reasons.
Janis Lodge (03:57):
Well, you’re exactly right. The beginning of the year, we were provided with a pacing from the district. And you know, they try to keep us on track, saying, “You should be starting Unit 2 at this time.” But other than that, there’s really no specific guidelines of how many days we’re supposed to be teaching or for how long. But one kind of secret that I’ve discovered is that I can weave science into the other subjects, specifically with language arts. So quite often what I do is I take a look at the language arts standard, and if it’s identifying the key details and the main idea, well I can do that with the science books used from the curriculum. So I’ll just pull those readers and we’ll do the exact same skill, start with the same standard, but we’ll use the content from science. By doing that, we call that kind of like interdisciplinary study. And the students really enjoy that more, too, because they’re using the same skills but they’re diving deeper into the content.
Eric Cross (04:54):
Right.
Janis Lodge (04:55):
And so also that helps build the background knowledge. So then when it comes to time where, if I want to do a science lab or a science investigation, now they already have that background knowledge ’cause we already dove deep into the reading and they can apply that pretty quickly right away into their lab or whatever activity they’re doing.
Eric Cross (05:12):
Can you give an example maybe of how you might pull out something that might be a skill that you’re trying to develop, maybe in an English content, but you would pull that out in a science lesson, maybe? What would you do?
Janis Lodge (05:25):
We’re actually doing that right now. So we’re in our second unit of science and they’re studying inheritance and traits and they’re looking at different organisms to see how they have adaptations to help them survive in their environment. So coincidentally part of the literacy skills is to look at multiple sources, do research, and summarize and make analysis of what they’re reading. And so we have different varied resources. I have websites; I have books, ebooks, videos, and pictures. And they’re choosing which four sources they want to use. And then, then they’re coming up with a summary at the end and then putting together a Google Slides presentation based on whatever organism that they chose.
Eric Cross (06:05):
Did you have a science background before becoming an elementary school teacher?
Janis Lodge (06:11):
Um, none. Besides what I, you know, took in high school and college.
Eric Cross (06:16):
Did you find it easy to kind of lean into the science, or was it something you just kind of jumped into and said, “All right, I’m gonna get after it”?
Janis Lodge (06:23):
What’s interesting is if, you know, throughout my education, my favorite subjects were English and reading and writing and art. And quite honestly, science wasn’t my favorite subject. But I think because of that, that inspires me to come up with creative ways of presenting the information to them and making it exciting and engaging for them, because I don’t want them to feel that way. I want them to be excited about all subjects. And I think that’s the beauty of combining the different subjects like I mentioned before. Like I say, you know, “What would a scholar do? Think like a wildlife biologist. And like with my project, think like a biomimicry engineer.” And so it kind of shifts their thinking. Like, it’s not just, “Oh, we have to study science.” It’s like, “No, you are the scientist; you are a meteorologist; or you are an author. How would an author write about this? How would an illustrator capture this in a photo or a comic strip?” And so, when you really combine those disciplines, you can take it to another level. So even if science isn’t their favorite subject, like maybe it wasn’t for me growing up, they can still take something they’re passionate about and apply the science content to it and they really resonate with them.
Eric Cross (07:37):
You leaned into your strengths. Which are more like, coming into it, you had all these kind of creative strengths. You have that background as a graphics designer. You were into the arts. But then with those strengths, did that kinda give you more confidence to dive into the science work, because you approached it from your assets that you were already coming to the table with?
Janis Lodge (07:55):
Yeah.You said it perfectly. If you look at it from a different lens, there’s all these different ways you can approach science.
Eric Cross (07:59):
I find it in my own science class, too. We’re all teaching the same standards. But how I approach it is through Eric Cross’s kind of personality and understanding and my angle, and another teacher might do it a different way. But we’re all leading to the same destination.
Janis Lodge (08:14):
Exactly.
Eric Cross (08:15):
That kind of leads me to my next question, and this is having to do with the project that you just alluded to. The biomimicry project. So you did a biomimicry project. Would you consider that like a project based-learning assignment?
Janis Lodge (08:26):
Well, this will be the third year that I’ve taught this unit. And when I wrapped it up last year, it’s through the Amplify Science program, and they do a wonderful job of having a lot of investigations and really thinking like a biomimicry engineer. But the final part of the unit was to design a robot inspired by a giraffe, to eliminate invasive plants in a particular environment. And the project part of it at the end was to create a model using Popsicle sticks and pipe cleaners. And then the other part of it was a digital simulation where they would put in different shape structures of teeth, and kind of reconfigure the shape of the mouth. And then they’d put in what they think is effective, and then the computer would say, oh, you’re 98% successful or 70% successful. And I remember at the end of it the students were like, “OK, well when do we make the robots?” And I thought, “Well, we’re just doing the simulation, or we’re just doing this model out of Popsicle sticks; we’re not actually gonna make a robot.” And they just seemed so disappointed. And that’s kind of how the wheels started turning my head like, “Well, what if they actually could make a robot? The only thing stopping me is I don’t have the materials to do it.” So, shortly after that unit wrapped up, coincidentally I saw the email about this grant opportunity that was being offered through the Orange County Council for Gifted Education. And they said, If you have a project that you wanna get funded that would promote GATE strategies within the classroom, then you can submit this proposal. So that’s how the ball got rolling for that proposal. And I researched different robotics kits and different companies and I found one that was really user-friendly for third graders, and not so difficult for me to learn as well.
Eric Cross (10:10):
You’re a risk taker. Like, I’m already seeing this as I’m talking to you. Is that just who you are or do you have a network? Like what keeps you taking these risks?
Janis Lodge (10:18):
I don’t really consider it a risk, because it’s exciting for me. Like I said, I don’t know that much about robotics, but the idea of learning more and then teaching that to my students is exciting. And you know, there was a little bit of risk ’cause I’m deviating a little bit from the curriculum, from the standard lesson, but to me, the reward of having those kids feel like they accomplished something, and the way that they can take ownership of it and go in so many different directions, and on top of that, develop coding skills and computer science skills and robotic skills, to me it was just like I cannot take that away from them. That’s such an opportunity that if I have the means to do it, I have to just take it and run with it. So I think just being inspired by the potential outcomes of what could happen is what made me take that risk.
Eric Cross (11:05):
Did you just kind of create this from scratch? Did you work with a team of people? How did you come to the point where you were ready to present this for the grant?
Janis Lodge (11:12):
Pretty much from scratch. Like I said, the Amplify unit, it does teach them about robotics that were inspired by nature. So some of the materials that they read, and there’s some videos that show really great examples. There’s like a robotic arm that was inspired by an elephant trunk. There’s a book that shows what this field is, biomimicry engineer, they actually show like what they do in that field. And I thought this is a perfect way to apply it because the curriculum’s already pretty much set it up for me; now I just have to add this one final component to it. And essentially it becomes project-based learning at that point, because they’re taking their knowledge and their skills that they’ve learned up to that point. Even the unit that we’re doing doing right now is building up to it. So it’s kind of that final—instead of giving them a test at the end and saying, “OK, tell me what you learned about inheritance and traits and environments,” they can actually take that knowledge and apply it to an innovation or creation that comes out of their own mind, which is so much more powerful.
Eric Cross (12:11):
Do they connect to any other learning goals as they’re doing these projects?
Janis Lodge (12:15):
Well, I think first and foremost, the 21st century skills that from day one I tell them, the four Cs: collaboration, creativity, communication, and critical thinking. All of those are woven in through this lesson. From the beginning, we talked about the whole engineering design process. So from the beginning, they start with a question and oftentimes that actually can be the hardest for them to think about, “What’s a scientific question or a problem that I wanna solve?” If they’re passionate about, maybe, a sport or the environment or something within their school, I go, “There it is. OK, that’s the problem. How can you design something inspired by nature to solve that problem?” And then, from there they go into the planning and the designing and the testing and then the improving. So going through that engineering design process, I think, is what really makes them feel like they are the engineer going through this. And they can make mistakes. They can take risks. A lot of my students I’ve found are afraid to take risks. They wanna make sure they succeed. And they need that challenge to know that if they do fail, that’s OK. We can just revisit this. We can test it. We can look at it in a different way.
Eric Cross (13:27):
You maybe wonder about, how do you assess something like this?
Janis Lodge (13:30):
I think that’s where all those stages along the way are important. Because I wanna make sure that they have a plan and that it’s based on the knowledge that they’ve gained in the unit. I think one of the other things about project-based learning is the final product of how they demonstrate their mastery. And in my classroom I oftentimes give them a choice of how they’re gonna present that to me. So maybe they’re going to write it out like an essay. Maybe they’re gonna create a Google slide. Maybe they’re gonna make a video. Maybe they’re going to—obviously in this part they will have the model, but they’ll have to have some way to explain it to me. And I think giving them that choice gives them the opportunity to show it in the way that’s meaningful to them.
Eric Cross (14:14):
And are you using like a rubric when you’re grading these assignments? Or, how do you actually grade it?
Janis Lodge (14:20):
Yes. So we have a rubric that’s provided to us for the written component that all the students will do at the end. But I can take that same rubric and see if they’ve applied that to the project. So even the verbiage wouldn’t really need to change. I think it’s still important that the students are able to demonstrate this in written form and so all of them will still complete that written component, but to also give them the opportunity to show that in the modality of their choice. I think is really important too.
Eric Cross (14:48):
Right. And you have some students that feel much more comfortable being able to present orally versus—
Janis Lodge (14:53):
Exactly.
Eric Cross (14:53):
—versus writing versus maybe doing a video. I mean, we see that in middle school and in high school too. Students show their knowledge or their understanding of a topic depending on the medium in different ways, and some better than others. Some may find that they can communicate it a lot better orally, but when pen goes to paper or fingers go to keyboard, you might grade it completely different, ’cause they’re not able to transfer what’s in their mind into writing. And the way you’re doing it, and giving that student choice, they probably have so much more buy-in, I’d imagine, because they get to pick what they get to do.
Janis Lodge (15:21):
Right.
Eric Cross (15:22):
You said something earlier and I wanna come back to it. So you mentioned GATE, and GATE is not something that I hear a lot in my world, but it was something I heard a lot when I was in school. There were kind of all of these perceptions and ideas about GATE. You’re a GATE teacher, correct?
Janis Lodge (15:38):
Right.
Eric Cross (15:39):
What is GATE, and what is it like being a GATE teacher? What are the misconceptions, if any, that you might have heard or come across?
Janis Lodge (15:46):
Well, so GATE stands for Gifted and Talented Education. And first and foremost, I think a misconception is that we’re just kind of doing whatever we want; we come up with our own lessons and teach a totally different curriculum. Which is definitely a myth. Because we start with the exact same standards as any other third grade class that you’d walk into. That’s definitely where we start. But I think in addition to the standards, we also implement what are called GATE standards: So they’re Depth, Complexity, Acceleration, and Novelty. And there’s a lot of tools that we use in the classroom, different strategies. You’ll see things like the prompts of Depth and Complexity. We’ll use things like “think like a disciplinarian”; I’m doing “think like a biomimicry engineer.” But really, all they are are just thinking tools and strategies to elevate students thinking and kind of go below that surface level of the content to dive deeper. It also provides opportunities for acceleration. So for example, our last science unit, it was on magnetic force, and there was a handful of students that just grasped the concepts right away, and they’re ready for something else. They’re ready for more rigor. They need some challenge. And so at that point I can kind of pull that group aside and provide some differentiation for them. And I said, “OK, well, you understand the concept of magnetic force, balanced forces. So now what I want you to do is think about something that you’re really passionate about, and how could you use magnetic force somewhere in that field—again to solve a problem, problem-based learning—and present it to me?” So they create this form, it’s like a “think like a disciplinarian” frame, and one of them was “think like a hockey player.” And he’s trying to think of a way that he can incorporate magnetic force. Anyway, I could go on and on. But basically it’s finding what these students’ passions are. And I do that with all my students. And I should probably preface this by saying that even though these are standards that I implement in my classroom because it’s a GATE classroom, these are practices and tools that can be applied to any learner, at any age. And they really just enrich the education for all students.
Eric Cross (18:02):
So your classroom is, is a mixed classroom. There’s GATE students and then general—
Janis Lodge (18:05):
Right.
Eric Cross (18:07):
—students, non-GATE students, in the same class. It’s interesting because I imagine GATE is kind of scaffolding up to a higher level, but then, you also said something that I’ve noticed when I’m creating scaffolds for my students to support them, who may not be at a grade level, maybe in reading or literacy or math, those same scaffolds can help all students.
Janis Lodge (18:27):
So yeah, I don’t just go, “OK, you’re my GATE students; I’m gonna use these practices on you.” I use it for the whole class. But I’m also surprised by having that mix of these different learning styles. A lot of times students are inspired by other students, or, you know, we have this big thing about one of the prompts is Multiple Perspectives. I try to do that as much as I can, because students are inspired by the ideas of their peers. And quite often, if they hear it from a peer, it could be exactly what I just said, but they heard their student say it in a different way and it just clicks and they’re like, “Wow, I get that.”
Eric Cross (19:00):
I think a lot of teachers struggle or, or maybe feel ill-equipped, to support higher-level students. Did you get trained to be a GATE teacher? First lemme ask that question: Did you get special training for this?
Janis Lodge (19:13):
Yes. I went through a course, I think it was like a six-week certification course, through my district.
Eric Cross (19:19):
OK, so you got a special training, which—I’ve been in the classroom for nine years; I teach at a university as an adjunct professor; but I’ve never been trained on teaching gifted or accelerated students. And I’m kind of wondering now, like, do you feel like it made you a better teacher?
Janis Lodge (19:33):
Absolutely.
Eric Cross (19:34):
And if so, how do I get to do this?
Janis Lodge (19:36):
Well, it’s through the county. I mean, anybody can get trained and certified how to teach this way. But, just like you said, I think coming out of that, my eyes were just open, and my biggest takeaway is that these practices, even though they are designed for gifted and talented, it really kind of reshaped my thinking about how I, number one, present material to the students, that I’m doing it in an engaging way, and I’m not just lecturing at them; there’s opportunities for them to collaborate and communicate and use multiple resources. So, you know, how I’m teaching has changed. And then also, how I’m providing opportunities for them to demonstrate their learning. And a lot of that is project-based learning, because once they have the knowledge and skills they need to do something with it. I mean, that’s really the true definition of innovation, is taking the skills or taking something that you’ve learned, and now go with it. Run with it.
Eric Cross (20:32):
How can we take what you’ve learned and then kind of spread it, so teachers have this in their toolkit, too? Like for me, I have multiple ways to be able to support reading and literacy and math and tools and sentence frames. And my students who have special learning plans, I have a have a lot of tool sets for that. I wanna build my tool sets for this other area for my students who want to continue, who wanna run, or go beyond, or even stretch themselves. I think we need to take some of the things that you’re doing and not make them kind of like this exclusive group, but also let’s share it with everyone, ’cause if everybody can access it—
Janis Lodge (21:03):
I agree.
Eric Cross (21:03):
—we might see a lot more potential or a lot more opportunities for students who might not otherwise have them.
Janis Lodge (21:08):
And one thing: My school, I’m really proud to say that my principal has seen that. You know, he’s like, “Well why are we just keeping this in the GATE classroom?” So he’s working on getting all of our teachers certified.
Eric Cross (21:19):
No, I love what you’re doing and your principal sounds, sounds awesome for doing that and recognizing that this can benefit more students than just the ones who, you know, pass the Raisin Test, I think it’s what it was called when I was taking it, or whatever it is back then.
Janis Lodge (21:31):
Exactly.
Eric Cross (21:32):
We’ve talked about project-based learning, the GATE classroom…I kind of wanna come back to you as we wrap up. Thinking about, like, the jobs that you and I do, and the people that listen to this podcast, we have one of the few jobs that people remember us for a lifetime. And I wanna ask you, who was someone that was maybe inspirational in your educational career, that inspired you, or is maybe one of the most memorable? You might have several…but who is someone that was memorable to you in your career, and why? Why were they memorable to you?
Janis Lodge (22:02):
Yeah. Well, obviously, when I was younger, I was definitely inspired by all my teachers. The fact that I turned my bedroom into a classroom…I just was just in awe of this profession. But I think one that really resonated with me was my junior year in high school. I was taking a newspaper class and the teacher was Mrs. Kavanaugh, and she really taught us everything from writing the articles to the editing, to putting the pages together. And I remember in that class I was working on this program called QuarkXPress. I don’t even know if it exists anymore. But I was just fascinated with putting all these pieces together that we’d worked on for so long and getting the articles, picking the pictures, the illustrations and the titles. And I remember her looking at me saying, “You really enjoy this, don’t you?” And I said, “Yeah.” And she said, “Well, I have a computer graphics elective class that you should take next year.” And I thought, “OK, I’d love to do this, this opportunity to expand my knowledge and my skills.” So because of that, I took the computer graphics class the next year and I just remember throughout the whole time, she was just constantly encouraging me and acknowledging my skills. And I find myself doing that as a teacher as well. ‘Cause that really resonated with me. And it’s funny, this summer I was going through some boxes of some old stuff from high school, and I found this handout that I had made, because I remember my senior year of high school, she said, “Janis, you know what? You’re doing such a great job; we have these new, incoming students coming into the newspaper class, and I’d love for you to actually teach them how to do this pagination on this QuarkXPress program. I want you to put something together and actually teach it to them.” I thought, “Wow, she believes in me that much that she’s gonna let me teach this to the incoming students.” But I think my takeaway from that was that she gave me the opportunity to take those skills and actually do something with them, to apply them right away.
Eric Cross (23:53):
Mrs. Kavanaugh. Miss Kavanaugh. Shout-out to Miss Kavanaugh. As you told that story, I heard you as a teacher because I’m hearing she’s applying these GATE strategies in that situation. That’s what that’s what I heard.
Janis Lodge (24:08):
Yeah, absolutely.
Eric Cross (24:09):
She personalized this learning. She created a specialized opportunity. You presented to a real audience that was authentic. It had this personalization in it and this rigor and this challenge and it made a huge impact. And it’s just amazing to listen to you and hear this come full-circle, and now you’re doing this with little ones. And I just wanna thank you for your time in doing the interview, sharing your story with how you became a teacher, your students, the projects that you do. And just like so many teachers, going the extra mile for your kids and bringing in these really important 21st century skills; they’re gonna be so much better off for it. And I know it makes my job easier when I get them in the classroom, so thank you.
Janis Lodge (24:49):
Yeah. Well, thank you for the opportunity.
Eric Cross (24:51):
My pleasure. Thanks so much for listening and we wanna hear more about you and the educators who inspire you. You can nominate them as a future guest on Science Connections by emailing STEM@amplify.com. That’s S -T-E-M at amplify dot com. And be sure to click subscribe, wherever you listen to podcasts, and join our Facebook group, Science Connections: The Community. Until next time.
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Meet the guest
Janis Lodge is a third grade teacher in Orange County, California. Her career in education started six years ago when she decided to follow her passion of making a positive difference in the lives of young scholars. Prior to teaching, Janis lived in Maui, Hawaii for seven years, working in the field of graphic design, marketing, and hospitality. She has found that her interest in innovation, project-based learning, and inquiry-driven exploration has helped shape her into the educator she is today. STEAM is integrated regularly into her classroom, and her students continually develop 21st century skills through a variety of unique projects. Janis is also a PAL (Peer Assistance Leadership) Advisor for her school, where she helps young leaders (4th-6th graders) cultivate their leadership skills and empowers them to make a positive difference in their school and community. Janis was recently awarded the Orange County Council for the Gifted & Talented Education Classroom Grant, which will provide an extension to the third grade Amplify Science Unit: Environments and Survival.

About Science Connections
Welcome to Science Connections! Science is changing before our eyes, now more than ever. So…how do we help kids figure that out? We will bring on educators, scientists, and more to discuss the importance of high-quality science instruction. In this episode, hear from our host Eric Cross about his work engaging students as a K-8 science teacher. Listen here!
















































