Built for Ohio’s
Learning Standards for Science
Stile helps students build scientific understanding and reasoning through connected learning experiences that deepen thinking over time and prepare students for success in high school science and beyond.
Purposeful tasks. Evidence-based revision. Lessons that advance student thinking.
Thoughtfully designed three-dimensional learning
Ohio’s science standards ask students to do more than learn scientific facts. They ask students to develop and revise explanations as they build understanding over time.
That process is at the heart of Stile. Throughout each unit, students return to meaningful scientific questions, use evidence to support their thinking, and revise their explanations as they learn more. This iterative explanation-building is a core part of authentic three-dimensional learning, and it happens within every lesson and across every unit.
Drawing on the strongest elements of our middle school science curriculum, Stile has been tailored for Ohio. The result is a coherent, sequenced program for grades 6–8 that meets the full depth and specificity of Ohio’s Learning Standards for Science.
Real-world phenomena from right here in Ohio
Stile’s phenomena are rooted in real science happening all around the world. But there’s nothing more fascinating than investigating what’s happening right where you live. Stile’s curriculum for Ohio includes brand-new lessons drawn directly from the state.
Ohio’s invasive species
Ohio is under pressure from invasive species that threaten native organisms and disrupt ecosystems statewide.
Students investigate how the spotted lanternfly could harm Ohio ecosystems, analyzing local case studies and species interactions to explain impacts on biodiversity.
Food Chains and Food WebsGrade 77.LS.2
Forever chemicals
Across Ohio, monitoring programs are detecting ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water. These human-made substances persist for decades and build up in people and the environment.
Students analyze how forever chemicals move through a town’s rivers and groundwater, using a simulation to monitor and minimize contamination in the drinking water of a fictional town.
Weather patterns
Each winter, parts of northeast Ohio experience intense snowstorms that form in narrow bands east of Lake Erie, dumping heavy snow over small areas.
Students analyze data from a lake-effect snow event to identify patterns in wind, temperature, and precipitation, and explain how air mass interactions and the Great Lakes produce extreme winter weather.
Prepare your students for the Ohio State Test in Science
Ohio administers the Science OST in Grade 8, measuring students’ mastery of Ohio’s Learning Standards for Science across Earth, life, and physical science. Stile’s curriculum builds the scientific reasoning and content knowledge students need for high school, creating opportunities to think like scientists and prep for assessment question types.
Ohio State Test in Science
Question
Horizontal forces act on two boxes, initially at rest, as shown. The magnitude and direction of the horizontal forces are also shown.
What happens to Box X and Box Y as a result of the forces?
- Box X starts moving, speeding up, and Box Y remains at rest.
- Box X starts moving at constant speed, and Box Y remains at rest.
- Box X starts moving at constant speed, and Box Y starts moving, speeding up.
- Box X starts moving, speeding up, and Box Y starts moving at a constant speed.
Stile Practice Test
Question
A student pushes a box across a flat floor at a constant speed in a straight line. The force diagram shows the forces acting on the box while the student is pushing it.
What happens to the box when the student stops pushing it?
- The box slows down and stops because friction acts opposite to its motion
- The box continues moving at the same constant speed because it is already in motion
- The box stops immediately because there is no longer a push force acting on it
- The box speeds up briefly before stopping because the remaining forces push it forward
Watch a Stile classroom in action
See exactly how a real Stile implementation works in practice. In this case study, teachers share how Stile has saved prep time, boosted student engagement, and made science class the highlight of the day.
Pilot Stile with a team of experts behind you
Stile is all about giving teachers the best possible start. Every Stile pilot comes with hands-on support from a dedicated Teaching and Learning Specialist who understands middle school science and knows how to make curriculum implementation actually work.
They’ll work with your teachers. Learn your context. Help you get the most out of every lesson.
