A "Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards" ("NGSS") are intended for all students, hence "all standards, all students" (NGSS Lead States 2013). To make this vision a reality, the "NGSS" highlight three key instructional shifts: (1) explain phenomena or design solutions to problems; (2) engage in three-dimensional learning; and (3) build learning progressions over time. Combining these three shifts, students in the "NGSS"-aligned classroom explain phenomena or design solutions to problems by engaging in three-dimensional learning and, over time, develop deeper understanding in their learning progressions. The purpose of the article is twofold: (1) to offer guidance on how teachers can select and use local phenomena to develop "NGSS"-aligned instructional materials with diverse student groups; and (2) to illustrate the implementation of a local phenomenon with diverse student groups in fifth-grade science classrooms in an urban school district. The article highlights how local phenomena compel students from diverse backgrounds to engage in three-dimensional learning and build their science understanding coherently over a sustained period of instruction. As a result, teachers who select and use local phenomena that are real and relevant to their diverse student groups advance the goal of "all standards, all students."