OpenSciEd

C tier on K-12 Curriculum PlatformsScore 6.9 · #5 of 27

Android app: Not listed
Free plan: Yes
Runs on: Web

openscied.org

Summary

OpenSciEd creates free, NGSS-aligned science curriculum and professional learning resources for educators, spanning elementary, middle, and high school. Its lessons use phenomena-based instruction, with students asking questions, investigating, and solving problems. Teachers are encouraged to adapt lessons to their students’ needs. Released units are available as PDFs, Google Drive files, Word documents, or PowerPoint presentations; some also have Google Classroom or Canvas versions. Free self-guided learning paths and an on-demand support library provide videos and resources for preparing units, understanding routines, anticipating student ideas, and classroom implementation. Access to the free materials requires registration, intended for educators or parents rather than K–12 students. Middle school materials use CC BY 4.0, while elementary and high school materials use CC-BY-NC licensing, with free and perpetual noncommercial 5R permissions. OpenSciEd High School offers three NGSS courses that received all-green ratings after an educator-led EdReports review. The organization describes itself as an independent nonprofit.

Who it is for

OpenSciEd is suited to educators seeking adaptable science materials across elementary, middle, and high school, along with free professional learning resources. Parents can also register for access; registration is not intended for K–12 students.

What is good

Curriculum spans elementary, middle, and high school.
Released units are available in several file formats.
Free self-guided learning paths and teacher support library.
Some units have Google Classroom or Canvas versions.

What to know first

Registration is required to access free materials.
Registration is intended for educators or parents, not K–12 students.
Elementary and high school materials use CC-BY-NC licensing.
The website does not guarantee continuous availability.

Verdict

OpenSciEd pairs adaptable, NGSS-aligned science curriculum with free educator learning and support resources. Review the registration rules and licensing for the grade band you plan to use.

OpenSciEd plans and pricing

All plans

OpenSciEd curriculum and resources Free $0 to download registration required · educators or parents only openscied.org · 2 Oct 2026

Packaged curriculum from certified distributors Not published books · lab kits · online platforms openscied.org · 2 Oct 2026

Compared on k-12 curriculum platforms

Free plan: Yesopenscied.org
Grade band: k-12openscied.org
Subject scope: single_subjectopenscied.org
Standards alignment: Yesopenscied.org
Teacher tools: Yesopenscied.org
Built-in assessments: Yesopenscied.org
LMS integration: Yesopenscied.org
Offline access: Yesopenscied.org

Facts

What it does: OpenSciEd creates free, high-quality, NGSS-aligned science materials and professional learning support for educators.openscied.org · 2 Oct 2026
Grade levels: The curriculum is offered for elementary, middle, and high school.openscied.org · 2 Oct 2026
Instructional model: OpenSciEd uses phenomena-based instruction centered on student-led questioning, investigating, and problem-solving.openscied.org · 2 Oct 2026
Adaptability: Teachers are encouraged to download and customize the fully adaptable lessons for their students’ needs.openscied.org · 2 Oct 2026
Downloads: Released units can be downloaded as PDFs or Google Drive files and downloaded as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint files.openscied.org · 2 Oct 2026
Classroom integrations: Some units can be downloaded in Google Classroom or Canvas versions.openscied.org · 2 Oct 2026
Professional learning: OpenSciEd provides free self-guided learning paths connected to its materials, instructional practices, and classroom decisions.openscied.org · 2 Oct 2026
Teacher support: Its on-demand teacher support library is free and includes videos and resources for preparing units, understanding routines, anticipating student ideas, and implementing the curriculum.openscied.org · 2 Oct 2026
Licensing: Middle school materials use CC BY 4.0, while elementary and high school materials use CC-BY-NC licensing; noncommercial 5R permissions are free and perpetual.openscied.org · 2 Oct 2026
Registration: Accessing the free materials requires registration, and registration is intended for educators or parents rather than K-12 students.openscied.org · 2 Oct 2026
Privacy and security: The website collects registration information such as name, email, and organization, uses cookies for login sessions, and says users are responsible for protecting their passwords.openscied.org · 2 Oct 2026
Availability limitation: OpenSciEd says it cannot guarantee that the website will always be running and disclaims liability for data loss caused by unavailability.openscied.org · 2 Oct 2026
High school offering: OpenSciEd High School offers three courses addressing the NGSS.openscied.org · 2 Oct 2026
Independent review: The three OpenSciEd High School courses received all-green ratings from EdReports after an educator-led review process.openscied.org · 2 Oct 2026
Organization status: OpenSciEd describes itself as an independent nonprofit organization.openscied.org · 2 Oct 2026