EINSTEIN PROJECT CURRICULUM OPTIONS
Third Grade
adapting to change
New Version Coming 2025-26
life sciences
Design Challenge
How can we choose the best solution to reduce the impact of a problem created by a change in an ecosystem?
Anchoring Phenomenon
Some types of bees are disappearing in Missouri.
UNIT DESCRIPTION
10 Lessons | 28 Days of Instruction
In this unit, students will explore ecosystems and all of their components. Students will learn to classify parts of the ecosystem as abiotic or biotic factors, follow the path of energy through an ecosystem, and evaluate the effects of an ecological disruption.
Learn more in the Unit Overview.
MATERIALS FOR 1 CLASS | $250
Bugs and Blooms
Coming Soon - Available 2025-26
life sciences
Driving Questions
Why is the bee on the flower? Why are there more green katydids than pink katydids? How do living things grow and change?
Anchoring Phenomenon
Bees are often found near flowers.
Pink katydids are rare.
A mealworm becomes a darkling beetle.
UNIT DESCRIPTION
7 Lessons | 25-31 Days of Instruction
In this unit, students listen to a read aloud of Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist: The True Story of a World-Traveling Bug Hunter by Christine Evans. They are shown an image of a bee visiting a flower and investigate the interactions between the bee and the flower. Then in section two, students read the case study of the pink katydid and they investigate what causes katydids to have different color, figuring out why it is rare to find pink katydids. Finally, students make observations of live darkling beetles at different life stages to explore the life cycles of insects. They then work in groups to learn about other insects and create a classroom insectarium to share what they found.
Learn more in the Unit Overview.
MATERIALS FOR 1 CLASS | $250
guardians of the garden
earth and space systems
Anchoring Phenomenon
Different types of foods are grown in different regions of the world. Sometimes frost occurs while food plants are growing.
Driving Questions
What foods can be grown in our community? How does weather impact the food we grow? How can we protect our plants from weather hazards?
UNIT DESCRIPTION
7 Lessons | 26-28 Days of Instruction
In this unit, students explore why only certain types of foods can be grown in their community compared with other parts of the world. They compare climate differences between their area and other places, and how this determines which types of plants can be grown. Additionally, students ask questions about frost and how it might affect plants. Students investigate how frost forms, and how it affects plants. Students analyze seasonal weather to understand how plants can be protected based on predictable weather patterns. Students then engineer and test solutions to protect plants from the hazard of frost.
Learn more in the Unit Overview.
MATERIALS FOR 1 CLASS | $250
Pinball wizards
physical science
Anchoring Phenomenon
A carnival is coming but it’s missing a pinball machine.
Driving Questions
How does a pinball machine work?
How can we add tricks to our pinball machine?
How can we build a pinball machine?
UNIT DESCRIPTION
7 Lessons | 23-29 Days of Instruction
Students learn about force and motion through carnival games. They build and play a variety of games to investigate where force is applied, and why and how objects move. They use data from their investigations as evidence to identify balanced and unbalanced contact forces, and how they can use different amounts of force to cause objects to move. They ask questions and investigate magnetic forces, using data collected as evidence of cause and effect relationships. Throughout the unit, students will connect their findings back to the problem and solution: using force and magnetism to design a pinball machine for the carnival.
Learn more in the Unit Overview.