Why do we sometimes see different things when looking at the same object?

6.1 light & matter

8 lessons | 18 days of instruction

This unit on light and matter begins with a perplexing phenomenon of one-way mirrors and how this material can act as both a mirror and a window at the same time. This experience prompts students to wonder: Why do we sometimes see different things when looking at the same object?

Learn more in the Unit Storyline.

SINGLE KIT | $265

All materials for 1 class

MULTI KIT | $297

Materials for 6 sections

ADD-ON | $88

Consumables for 1 class

How can containers keep stuff from warming up or cooling down?

6.2 thermal energy

18 lessons | 37 days of instruction

This unit on thermal energy transfer begins with students testing whether a new plastic cup sold by a store keeps a drink colder for longer compared to the regular plastic cup that comes free with the drink. Students find that the drink in the regular cup warms up more than the drink in the special cup. This prompts students to identify features of the cups that are different, such as the lid, walls, and hole for the straw, that might explain why one drink warms up more than the other. 

Learn more in the Unit Storyline.

SINGLE KIT | $376

All materials for 1 class

MULTI KIT | $479

Materials for 6 sections

ADD-ON | $156

Consumables for 1 class

Why does a lot of hail, rain, or snow fall at some times and not others?

6.3 weather, climate & water cycling

22 lessons | 41 days of instruction

The unit starts out with anchoring students in the exploration of hailstorms from different times and locations. These cases spark questions and ideas for many investigations. The second half of the unit is anchored in the exploration of a weather report of a winter storm that affected large portions of the midwestern United States. This case sparks questions and ideas for investigations around trying to figure out what could be causing such a large-scale storm and why it would end up affecting a different part of the country a day later. 

Learn more in the Unit Storyline.

SINGLE KIT | $454

All materials for 1 class

MULTI KIT | $496

Materials for 6 sections

ADD-ON | $96

Consumables for 1 class

What causes Earth's surface to change?

6.4 plate tectonics & rock cycling

14 lessons | 26 days of instruction

Mountains move! And there are ocean fossils on top of Mt. Everest! In this plate tectonics and rock cycling unit, students come to see that the Earth is much more active and alive than they have thought before. The unit launches with documentation of a 2015 Himalayan earthquake that shifted Mt. Everest suddenly to the southwest direction. Students wonder what could cause an entire mountain to move during an earthquake.

Learn more in the Unit Storyline.

SINGLE KIT | $291

All materials for 1 class

MULTI KIT | $317

Materials for 6 sections

ADD-ON | $45

Consumables for 1 class

Where do natural hazards happen and how do we prepare for them?

6.5 natural hazards

10 lessons | 21 days of instruction

This unit begins with students experiencing, through text and video, a devastating natural event that caused major flooding in coastal towns of Japan. Through this anchoring phenomenon, students think about ways to detect tsunamis, warn people, and reduce damage from the wave. As students design solutions to solve this problem, they begin to wonder about the natural hazard itself: what causes it, where it happens, and how it causes damage.

Learn more in the Unit Storyline.