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AT A GLANCE
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TIME REQUIRED
45 min per lesson
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MATERIALS
Household + craft supplies
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PREP TIME
10–15 min per lesson
GROUPING
Whole class, pairs, or small groups
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PAGE COUNT
82 pages
Preview
See what's included in this lesson guide
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What You'll Get
10 complete lesson guides (one per episode), 10 student activity worksheets, a 30-card vocabulary set, NGSS alignment tables for all 10 lessons, differentiation notes for each activity, and a Season 1 completion certificate.
What's Included
Everything you need to teach this lesson
👨🎓 Student Materials
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Activity worksheet for each of the 10 experiments
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30-word vocabulary card set (3 words × 10 episodes)
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Science journal recording sheets (observation + prediction)
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Cause-and-effect graphic organizer (used across multiple lessons)
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Season 1 Scientist Completion Certificate
👨🏫 Teacher Materials
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10 complete lesson plans (one per episode, 5-phase format)
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Answer keys for every student worksheet
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NGSS standards alignment table for all 10 lessons
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Materials prep checklist per lesson (household-sourced)
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Differentiation guide: Support / Core / Extension / ELL for each lesson
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10 sets of discussion prompt cards (3 per lesson, age-grouped)
Parent connection letter template for at-home experiment nights
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Learning Goals
What students will know and be able to do
🎯Learning Objectives
Students will be able to explain the process of photosynthesis and identify the inputs (sunlight, water, CO₂) and outputs (glucose, oxygen) of the process.
💡Big Science Idea
Plants make their own food through photosynthesis, converting light energy into chemical energy stored in glucose, which is the foundation of most food chains on Earth.
🔬Skills Practiced
Scientific observation, cause-and-effect reasoning, diagramming processes, data collection, vocabulary development, and connecting science to everyday life.
✅Success Criteria
Students can diagram photosynthesis, label inputs and outputs correctly, explain why leaves are green, and describe the importance of photosynthesis to life on Earth.
Standards Alignment
📋NGSS Standards Alignment
This bundle explicitly addresses seven NGSS Performance Expectations across Kindergarten through Grade 2:
K-PS2-1 — Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths or directions of pushes and pulls (Episodes 3 and 6)
K-PS2-2 — Analyze data to determine if a design solution works as intended (Episode 6)
1-PS4-1 — Plan and conduct investigations to provide evidence that vibrating materials can make sound and that sound can make materials vibrate (Episode 10)
1-PS4-3 — Plan and conduct an investigation to determine the effect of placing objects made with different materials in the path of a beam of light (Episode 1)
2-PS1-1 — Plan and conduct an investigation to describe and classify different kinds of materials by their observable properties (Episodes 4, 5, 8, 9)
2-PS1-4 — Construct an argument with evidence that some changes caused by heating or cooling can be reversed and some cannot (Episode 7)
K-LS1-1 — Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive — connected through Episode 8 (water movement in plants)
📖 Common Core ELA Connections
All 10 lessons include structured writing activities aligned to Common Core ELA Literacy in Science:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.8 — With guidance and support, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question. Met through observation recording sheets and worksheet questions in every lesson.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.3 — Ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get information, or clarify something that is not understood. Met through the discussion prompt cards included in every lesson.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.4 — Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly. Met through the cause-and-effect explanation prompts included in Episodes 2, 4, and 7.
How to Teach This
Step-by-step lesson flow with timing
Episode 1-2 — Light, Gas, and Buoyancy (Weeks 1-2)
Ep 1 (Rainbow Paper Magic): Hook with a question — "What is hiding inside white light?" Students make a color prediction before the nail polish experiment. Watch the episode together or read aloud from the lesson guide. Run the Rainbow Paper Art experiment in small groups using the included activity sheet and Color Observation Log. Debrief using the discussion prompt cards. Introduce vocabulary: Refraction, Light Spectrum, Thin-Film Interference.
Ep 2 (Dancing Raisins): Open with a prediction challenge — "What do you think will happen if we drop a raisin into soda water?" Each student records a prediction on the Cause-and-Effect Sheet before testing. Run the experiment as a class or in pairs. Record results and compare to predictions. Vocabulary: Buoyancy, Carbon Dioxide, Density.
Episodes 3-5 — Forces, Color, and Density (Weeks 3-5)
Ep 3 (Balloon Rocket Races): Students build balloon rocket launchers in pairs using the Catapult Blueprint sheet as a reference. Test 3 different balloon sizes and record distances on the Rocket Race Score Sheet. Debrief using Newton's Third Law discussion prompts. Vocabulary: Newton's Third Law, Thrust, Force.
Ep 4 (Magic Milk Color Burst): Quick, visual lesson. Students predict color movement direction before the soap is applied. Complete the Draw Your Color Swirl worksheet. Compare whole vs skim milk results. Vocabulary: Surface Tension, Surfactant, Molecule.
Ep 5 (Lava Lamp in a Bottle): Multi-step build. Students layer oil and water, then test the fizzing tablet. Run the cold vs warm water variable test using the Observation Log. Vocabulary: Density, Carbon Dioxide, Chemical Reaction.
Episodes 6-7 — Energy Storage and Chemistry (Weeks 6-7)
Ep 6 (Mini Marshmallow Catapult): This is the most popular lesson of the season — plan 25+ minutes of build time. Students follow the Catapult Blueprint to build working catapults from craft sticks and rubber bands. Test 3 pull-back distances and record results on the Score Sheet. Safety: NEVER aim at a person's face. Adult supervision required for rubber band assembly for younger students. Vocabulary: Elastic Potential Energy, Kinetic Energy, Trajectory.
Ep 7 (Invisible Ink Detective Notes): Students write secret messages with lemon juice, then test 4 liquids to find the best invisible ink. SAFETY: Heat reveal step requires adult supervision — warm lamp only, never an open flame. Use the Top Secret Spy Notebook recording sheet. Vocabulary: Acid, Oxidation, Chemical Reaction.
Episodes 8-9 — Water Science and Polymers (Weeks 8-9)
Ep 8 (Walking Water Colors): Set up 7-cup color bridge at the start of class and let it run throughout the day as a science center observation. Students check in every 10 minutes using the Color Mixing Map and record what they see. Plan the full reveal for end of day. Vocabulary: Capillary Action, Cohesion, Absorption.
Ep 9 (Super Simple Slime): Hands-on chemistry. Students follow the Slime Recipe Card to make a standard batch, then engineer two more batches (more saline / less saline) and rate all three on the Texture Rating Sheet. SAFETY: Saline solution must contain borate. Slime is not edible — wash hands after. Vocabulary: Polymer, Crosslink, Molecule.
Episode 10 + Season 1 Finale (Week 10)
Ep 10 (Sound Wave Jumping Rice): Build the vibration station at the start of class. Test loud vs soft and near vs far sounds. Play bass-heavy vs high-pitched music and rank results on the Sound Wave Tracker. Debrief: "What is actually making the rice jump?" Connect back to episodes 1-9 — which big science idea did each one teach?
Season 1 Finale: Use the Season 1 Scientist Completion Certificate and vocabulary card review activity to close out the unit. Students can use the vocabulary cards as a matching game, a quiz-yourself tool, or a word wall display. Send home the parent connection letter.
Materials and Safety
What you'll need to teach this lesson
📦 Materials Checklist
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Printed student worksheets (1 per student per lesson — 10 total)
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Household experiment supplies (full list included per lesson — mostly pantry items)
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Craft sticks (7 per student, Lesson 6) and rubber bands (4-5 per student, Lesson 6)
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Clear nail polish — 1-2 bottles (Lesson 1, adult-supervised)
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Contact lens saline solution containing borate (Lesson 9 — check label before buying)
⚠️ Safety and Notes
SAFETY INFORMATION
LESSONS REQUIRING ADULT SUPERVISION:
Lesson 1 (nail polish — ventilated area, adult opens bottle),
Lesson 6 (catapult — never aim at faces, adult assists with rubber bands for K-1),
Lesson 7 (invisible ink heat reveal — WARM LAMP ONLY, never an open flame, adult holds and moves paper).
ADDITIONAL NOTES: Lesson 9 slime requires saline solution containing borate — verify the label before purchasing (not all saline brands work). Slime is not edible and should not be consumed. Lesson 5 lava lamp bottles must remain OPEN during the fizzing reaction — never seal the cap. All food-based materials (raisins, milk, lemon juice) should be discarded after experiments, not consumed.
Support Different Learners
Adapt this lesson for all students
🔽 SUPPORT
For students who need more support: Pre-fill the prediction section of worksheets together as a class before running the experiment. Allow oral responses instead of written ones for recording sheets. Use the vocabulary cards as a visual word bank during written work. Partner students with a peer buddy for the build-based lessons (Episodes 3, 6). Reduce the number of variable tests in Episodes 5, 6, and 9 to one instead of three.
✅ Core
Standard lesson structure: full 5-phase lesson flow, independent prediction and recording, all variable tests, class debrief using provided discussion prompts. Vocabulary cards used for self-quizzing after each lesson. Observation sheets completed independently. Students explain one key finding verbally or in writing at the end of each session.
🔼Extension
For students ready for more: Encourage comparison across lessons — "How is Episode 5 (density) connected to Episode 2 (buoyancy)? They both involve things floating!" Assign the extension challenge for each experiment (listed on each lesson plan). Have students design their own variable test for Episodes 2 (test 5 different objects), 3 (test 5 different string angles), or 9 (create their perfect slime with a justified recipe). Complete the full vocabulary set and try to use each word correctly in a sentence.
🌍ELL Support
For English Language Learners: The vocabulary pronunciation guides (included in the vocabulary card set) give phonetic spellings for all 30 terms — use these to practice saying new science words aloud before reading them. Discussion prompt cards are available in sentence-frame format upon request. The visual, hands-on nature of all 10 experiments makes the core science accessible even when language is a barrier. Pair written responses with drawings on all recording sheets.
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License and Usage
What you can (and can't) do with this resource
Allowed Uses
✅ Print and photocopy all materials for your classroom (up to 35 students per purchase)
✅ Display materials on a classroom projector or interactive whiteboard
✅ Use materials across multiple class periods and academic years
✅ Share a copy of the parent letter with families of enrolled students
✅ Store digital files on your personal or school-issued device
✅ Use with homeschool students in your household
Prohibited Uses
❌ Sharing digital files with other teachers or colleagues (additional licenses required)
❌ Uploading materials to school or district shared drives accessible to other teachers
❌ Posting materials publicly online or to paid teacher-resource platforms
❌ Reselling, redistributing, or modifying materials for resale
❌ Using with students beyond the single-classroom license (contact us for school licensing)
🏫 School License
Need this for your whole school or district? We offer school site licenses and district pricing. A school license grants unlimited use by all teachers at one campus. Contact us for a quote — we make multi-classroom licensing affordable for Title I and public schools.
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Questions about licensing? This resource includes a single-classroom license for up to 35 students. If you are purchasing for a co-op, multiple classrooms, or a school, please contact us before purchasing to get the right license. All free resources include a permanent single-classroom license with no expiration.
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