EINSTEIN PROJECT CURRICULUM OPTIONS
First Grade
Tiny Flyers
life sciences
Anchoring Phenomenon
The ruby throated hummingbird travels a long distance to nest.
Driving Questions
How and why do hummingbirds migrate?
How does the hummingbird care for its babies once they are born?
Unit Description
5 Lessons | 28-30 Days of Instruction
Students listen to a read aloud about the migration journey of the ruby throated hummingbird. They investigate how and why the hummingbird migrates such a long distance each year. Throughout the unit, they study hummingbirds and explore how they care for their young. They also figure out that adult hummingbirds are similar, but not exactly like their parents. They use the information they gain throughout the unit to write a short story about the hummingbirds.
Learn more in the Unit Overview.
Materials for 1 class | $250
Mastering mimicry
life sciences
Anchoring Phenomenon
When families go camping, they often use tents as shelter, but they can fall apart during bad weather or when animals strike in search of food. We can use inspiration from nature to design a better campsite.
Driving Questions
How can plant parts inspire human inventions?
How can we use biomimicry from plants to help protect a campsite?
Unit Description
7 Lessons | 33-34 Days of Instruction
In this unit, students are introduced to biomimicry, or using inspiration from nature to solve human problems. They make observations with hands-on plant investigations to identify parts of plants and their functions. They connect each plant part back to biomimicry, thinking about how they could be used as inspiration to help protect a campsite. They make comparisons between plant parts as a plant grows, and throughout seasons, to determine how plants change, and how young plants are alike, but not exactly like, their parents.
Learn more in the Unit Overview.
Materials for 1 class | $250
Sun and Moon
New version coming 2025-26
earth and space systems
Design Challenge
How can we represent the sun, moon and stars on our birthday?
Anchoring Phenomenon
I could track when my birthday is happening even if I didn’t have a calendar.
Unit Description
8 Lessons | 21 Days of Instruction
In this unit, students learn about cycles and make observations to find out more about how the sky appears to change. Students will learn the basis for understanding both our place in the universe and time.
Learn more in the Unit Overview.
Materials for 1 class | $250
putting on a show with light and sound
New Version Coming 2025-26
physical science
Driving Questions
How can we use sound to create a puppet show? How can we use light to create a puppet show?
Anchoring Phenomenon
We can see and hear the story of The Three Little Pigs.
Unit Description
8 Lessons | 32-36 Days of Instruction
In this unit, students explore the ways that sound and light can be used to communicate a story in a shadow puppet show. Students learn how vibrations create sound and that sound can cause materials to vibrate. Students learn how to incorporate pitch and volume into their instruments and consider how to combine different sounds to make music. Students explore design solutions by engineering a musical instrument out of recycled materials. Students then explore how light affects what we see and how it interacts with different materials. Students use this information to design shadow puppets for their show. Students then use the instruments and shadow puppets to put on a show with light and sound.
Learn more in the Unit Overview.