Benchmarks for Core Disciplines
Standards provide benchmarks for what students should know and be able to do by grade level. PLT’s real-world, multidisciplinary lessons help students reach those benchmarks. They focus on practices and concepts that enable student success in core discipline areas. PLT helps you meet academic standards by:
- Identifying standards and connections for each activity.
- Providing lesson plans that are based on rigorous content and the application of knowledge through higher-order thinking skills.
- Emphasizing hands-on, student-centered learning activities.
- Grounding student learning in real-world applications. Supporting differentiated instruction to reach diverse students.
The Standards
Each US state defines its own education standards and curriculum mandates for schools, so exact curriculum connections vary by jurisdiction. However, many states use national standards as the foundation for their state-specific standards. All PLT activities are built around the national standards explored below. And many PLT resources, including our flagship guide, Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide, include detailed connections to standards like NGSS and Common Core.
PLT and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
PLT activities apply NGSS benchmarks to engage in the three dimensions of science— Science & Engineering Practices, Disciplinary Core Ideas, and Crosscutting Concepts —and offer phenomenon-based learning that promotes inquiry and problem-solving.
NGSS Correlated Activities
PLT and Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
Multidisciplinary activities promote critical thinking and problem-solving. PLT connects to CCSS for English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics in which students read stories, explore complex text, collect and measure data, and more.
CCSS Correlated Activities
Young Children
PLT’s activities for early learning meet benchmarks for science, English Language Arts (ELA), math, and social studies, and programs such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Head Start, and nature-based preschool.
Activities for Young Children
C3 Framework for Social Studies
PLT activities connect to the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies with interdisciplinary approaches to inquiry, such as investigating solutions to current social, economic, and environmental challenges.
C3 Framework for Social Studies (C3)
How PLT supports STEM
Teaching skills in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is crucial for preparing students for their future. PLT focuses on core STEM skills that include elements of leadership, inquiry, creativity, and problem-based learning.
Explore PLT STEM Skills
5E Instructional Model
PLT’s E-Units are organized around the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) 5E Instructional Model—engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate. PLT E-Units are designed to facilitate the process of conceptual change.
Learn moreMaterials Correlated to the Standards
Make Learning Fun with Hands-On Activities
Nonformal is essential! After-school programs, boy and girl scouts, 4-H clubs, and more, help learns flourish outside of the classroom.
Alignment to Youth Programs