Phenomena Sensemaking Card Deck
36 cards that turn sensemaking into moves you can use tomorrow — built from Making Sense of Sensemaking and tagged to the NGSS dimensions. Available in a Classroom edition and a PD / Multi-Classroom license.
36 cards that turn sensemaking into moves you can use tomorrow.
Built from the framework in Making Sense of Sensemaking, this deck gives K-12 science teachers a practical tool for planning lessons, guiding discussions, and grounding PLC conversations. Four suits — Curiosity, Evidence, Collaboration, and Teaching Moves — and every card is tagged with the NGSS dimensions it activates (SEP, DCI, CCC).
Your purchase includes three formats:
- Print-and-Teach Pages — full-page cards, no cutting; print and go.
- Printable Card Deck — tarot-size cards to cut out for a physical deck.
- Digital Reference — view on screen or project in a PLC.
Instant download. Licensed for single-classroom use.
The complete Phenomena Sensemaking Card Deck, licensed for professional development.
For instructional coaches, PD providers, and schools using the deck with multiple teachers. This license lets you reproduce the cards for workshop participants, project them in sessions, and use them across the teachers in your school.
Built from the framework in Making Sense of Sensemaking, the deck spans four suits — Curiosity, Evidence, Collaboration, and Teaching Moves — with every card tagged to the NGSS dimensions it activates (SEP, DCI, CCC).
Your purchase includes all three formats:
- Print-and-Teach Pages — full-page cards, no cutting; print and go.
- Printable Card Deck — tarot-size cards to cut out for a physical deck.
- Digital Reference — view on screen or project in a PLC.
Plus full PD / Multi-Classroom license terms. Instant download.
Need a district or organization-wide license? Contact tmckenna@bu.edu for custom pricing.
After purchase, you'll get a secure download link — be sure to save the files to your device.
Making Sense of Sensemaking: Designing Authentic K-12 STEM Learning Experiences
Book Details
Title: Making Sense of Sensemaking: Designing Authentic K–12 STEM Learning Experiences
Author: Dr. Thomas "TJ" McKenna
Publisher: Teachers College Press & NSTA
ISBN-10: 0807786861
ISBN-13: 9780807786864
Formats: Paperback and ebook
Testimonials & Expert Reviews
"Everyone teaching science needs this book on sensemaking! TJ's friendly, storytelling narratives show how to foster students' sense of wonder and curiosity about the world. His strategies provide much-needed support for teaching sensemaking lessons that can bring joy, play, and discovery to science learning. Experienced and beginning teachers will appreciate TJ's tools for creating energizing science lessons that engage learners in making sense of their worlds." ― Christina Schwarz, Professor and Associate Chair for Graduate Education, Michigan State University
"McKenna highlights a dynamic system of resources and classroom practices that support those wonderful 'aha' moments for students. He illustrates how to choose authentic and complex phenomena for young learners to foster meaningful dialogue, encourage the use of diverse scientific practices, and sustain a collaborative classroom culture focused on revising ideas over time." ― Mark Windschitl, Professor of Science Education, University of Washington, and author of Ambitious Science Teaching
"This book takes readers from initial introductions to the importance of sensemaking through creating classroom cultures; designing learning experiences; and thinking about supportive pedagogies, assessment, and teacher professional learning. I am grateful to see this book available as a resource for teachers who aspire to engage learners deeply in meaningful science teaching and learning." ― Todd Campbell, Department Head and Professor, University of Connecticut
Wear It
• 100% combed and ring-spun cotton (Heather colors contain polyester)
• Fabric weight: 4.2 oz/yd² (142 g/m²)
• Pre-shrunk fabric
• Side-seamed construction
• Shoulder-to-shoulder taping
• Blank product sourced from Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico, Honduras, or the US