Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) require that 6th grade students design a project that maximizes
or minimizes energy transfer, plan an investigation of how certain variables interact in energy transfer,
as well as construct and present arguments related to the cause and effect of energy transfer. Before they
can accomplish these tasks, it is essential to help them develop foundational knowledge of the key crosscutting
concepts that energy takes many forms and can be converted from one form to another. In addition, much of the
reading available is either written at an elementary school level or a high-school level, making it either
over-simplified, or too high for many 6th graders reading at-level to access.
Furthermore, students have a broad range of needs and learning styles, so incorporating Principles of Universal Design
and designing for accessibility were important considerations. With that in mind, another goal of this project was to test the
capabilities of Adobe Captivate for creating accessible lessons.
This eLearning has two main goals, so the content is broken into two main modules, one for each goal.
Each module contains knowldege checks to focus learners attention and allow them to assess their own
progress. Once learners complete the modules, they unlock the lesson quiz.
The lesson has several grade-level and accessibility features. To ensure that I kept the writing as close to 6th grade
reading level as possible, I ran each section through the readability tool on webfx.com. Also, I presented the text in
manageable chunks to reduce the cognitive load. To ensure that students with visual processing disorders could still
access the material, I included narration for the entire project. It can be muted for those who do not need or want it.
For students with orthopedic disabilities who find it difficult to use a mouse, most of the lesson can be navigated
easily by keyboard. In order to make use of the SCORM quiz reporting functionality, I chose to use the in-built quiz
slides; however, this makes the keyboard navigation of the quiz more difficult.
Throughout the lesson, the concepts build in complexity, and students have the opportunity to practice key concepts
before arriving at the quiz. Customized feedback reinforces students' learning. Students who successfully complete the
lesson and quiz will have a good foundation for undertaking projects that meet the NGSS requirements.
Explore the Energy lesson