Penda activities help students build deep science understanding with activities and assessments hand-crafted to NGSS performance expectations and multiple specific state standards that improve engagement, strengthen reasoning, and prepare students for state assessments. Grounded in research and designed for real classrooms, Penda activities combine phenomenon-based instruction, skill-building practice, and immediate feedback to help students master science concepts. Students do more than recall facts - they investigate, analyze, explain, model, and apply their learning like scientists.
Penda activities are designed to move students beyond passive reading and into active sense-making. Each activity supports three-dimensional science learning by helping students engage with core ideas (DCIs), apply science and engineering practices (SEPs), and connect cross-cutting concepts (CCCs).
Penda activities are not just engaging; they are built to produce measurable results. By combining interactive instruction, immediate feedback, and standards-based practice, Penda helps teachers increase student participation while strengthening conceptual understanding. Administrators can feel confident Penda is proven with independent, peer-reviewed research demonstrating large effect sizes.
Penda provides students exhperience with a wide variety of question types - multiple choice, multi-select, short-answer text response, drag-and-drop, and fill-in-the-blank questions - to help students build familiarity with the item types they may see on state tests. The variety of formats also makes learning more engaging by keeping activities interactive and dynamic.
Penda gives teachers the tools they need to implement strong science instruction without adding planning burden. Activities are designed to be easy to launch, easy to facilitate, and easy to use for meaningful follow-up conversations and intervention.
Students learn best when they know what they understand and where they need support. Penda activities provide timely feedback that helps students reflect, adjust, and keep learning.
As students work, they receive guidance that reinforces correct thinking and helps uncover misunderstandings. Students can reattempt the activity and they continue to receive points for doing so. The student dashboard provides excellent insights into their performance and helps their autonomy. Cosmos, Penda’s AI Instructional Assistant provides on page support anytime a student needs support.
Penda activities are designed to make rigorous science accessible. Language supports, visual needs modifications, and scaffolded instruction help more students engage successfully with grade-level content in a way that works best for them.
Penda gives students multiple ways to explore and demonstrate understanding of the Science and Engineering Practices, so they can learn science the way scientists actually do - through investigation, modeling, analysis, and explanation. These experiences expand beyond traditional question-and-answer practice to include simulations, data science, and drawing/modeling tasks. The result is richer instruction, deeper engagement and better preparation for state assessment expectations.
Penda integrates PhET™ virtual simulations into instruction to make abstract science concepts concrete and visible. Students can manipulate variables, test predictions, and immediately observe what happens, helping them connect science ideas to real phenomena. These simulation experiences are aligned to standards and include full directions, embedded questions, and auto-graded components to support both learning and accountability
Penda activities also help students work with real-world data so they can practice making sense of information like scientists do. Students analyze large data sets, look for patterns and trends, change variables, and draw evidence-based conclusions. These experiences build data literacy and strengthen the reasoning skills required in science classrooms and on assessments using Tuva Data sets.
Penda includes drawing and modeling opportunities that ask students to represent scientific thinking visually. These activities help students explain systems, processes, and relationships - not just select an answer. By constructing models and showing their reasoning, students deepen understanding and practice the kind of thinking expected in modern science standards.
Penda’s gamification features help turn science learning into an experience students want to come back to. With points, leaderboards, customizable avatars, and rewards built into the platform, Penda recognizes progress in ways that keep students motivated and engaged across grade levels.
That engagement has earned third-party recognition, including a 2025 CODiE Award for gamification. From everyday rewards to SpaceCRAFT’s collaborative missions, Penda gives students meaningful ways to participate, work together, and stay invested in mastering science content.
