Abstract
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) emphasize that making sense of phenomena in the natural and human-affected world is at the core of all science learning. Teachers should not merely use a phenomenon as a “hook” or confirmation of certain scientific concepts, but use it to anchor their students’ learning throughout a unit of instruction as they engage in three-dimensional learning to make sense of the phenomenon. These phenomena are known as anchoring phenomena. However, for many science teachers who are new to NGSS, identifying anchoring phenomena can be challenging because they often confuse phenomena with questions, models, concepts, learning objectives, investigations, and scientific conclusions. This article introduces the ASET Phenomenon Tool, an instructional tool that guides science teachers in evaluating examples based on eight criteria for three guiding questions: 1) What is a phenomenon? 2) What is an anchoring phenomenon? and 3) Is its implementation student-centered? We describe the application of this tool in science methods courses with preservice science teachers. This tool and the described activity have also been successfully utilized in professional development sessions to enhance the understanding of anchoring phenomena among inservice teachers.