SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As schools start the 2026–27 school year, Green Ninja has officially released seven redesigned New Generation Science Units for grades 6–8.
The units were developed in response to a significant national need. Only 31% of eighth-grade students performed at or above NAEP Proficient in science in 2024, while 38% performed below NAEP Basic. These figures are accurate according to the official 2024 NAEP science results.
Green Ninja’s redesigned units help teachers facilitate rigorous, NGSS-aligned science while giving more students the support they need to participate meaningfully.
The units were developed with particular attention to early-career science teachers and students who are still building grade-level skills, have been affected by systemic barriers or limited resources, or benefit from additional scaffolding and literacy support. During field testing, 60% of participating teachers reported serving students performing below grade level.
For teachers, a consistent lesson structure, clearer teacher and student materials, and guidance provided at the point of instruction make project-based science easier to navigate and implement.
For students, accessible readings, built-in scaffolds and a repeated do-talk-read-write cycle create multiple ways to investigate real-world phenomena, discuss ideas, interpret evidence and communicate scientific understanding. These supports lower barriers to learning without reducing the rigor of grade-level science.
Insight Ninja assessments are embedded directly within the units, making formative assessment easier to administer during instruction. Teachers can quickly identify patterns and misconceptions in open-ended responses and receive suggested next steps for targeted support—without spending hours manually reviewing answers.
“Overall, I found this to be an amazing tool—it saves me a lot of time and helps me actually understand where my students are, not just whether they got the right answer,” said Trevor Roberts, a middle school science teacher and Insight Ninja field test participant.
Teachers can explore the seven New Generation Science Units, embedded Insight Ninja assessments and more than 300 ready-to-teach lessons through a free 30-day trial at www.greenninja.org.
About Green Ninja
Green Ninja is a comprehensive middle school science curriculum designed to empower students as leaders of positive change. Developed by a team of experts at San José State University, including founder Dr. Eugene Cordero, Green Ninja began as a National Science Foundation-funded project to enhance climate literacy.
Today, Green Ninja connects learners to real-world issues through project-based learning while giving teachers the guidance they need to make rigorous science accessible to more students. Each unit culminates in a project that challenges students to apply their learning to an issue affecting their local community, helping them build academic confidence and develop as leaders.
Vanessa Mwangi, vanessa@greenninja.org