Mammal Mystery

An interactive, highly visual ecosystem unit designed for 7th/8th grade MCAS standards but adapted to a 4th-grade reading and comprehension level. The unit explores abiotic/biotic factors, energy flow, interactions, and disruptions through hands-on activities, adapted readings, visual slides, and scaffolded assessments.

A themed, detective-style STEM unit on Japan's bullet trains (Shinkansen). Students act as Chief Investigators to solve the mystery of how bullet trains travel over 200 mph without flying off the tracks, combining science, reading, math, cooking, and writing.

Detailed teacher guide, pacing coordinator, facilitation tips, and complete answer keys for the Week 1 Bullet Train Mystery unit. Includes step-by-step instructions for the STEM ramp lab and cultural cooking.

A highly visual 4-day science unit exploring ocean habitats and depth zones. Tailored for differentiated instruction for 3rd grade and nonverbal 7th grade students using Boardmaker-style symbols, color-coded matching, and visual check comprehension.

Students examine how ecosystems change over time due to natural events and human activities, and how these disruptions force living things to adapt, relocate, or face survival challenges. Includes disruption scenario cards, a checklist, and slide reviews.

Printable detective clue cards and official Chief Investigator badge for the Japan Bullet Train Mystery. Includes clear dashed scissor lines for students to cut out and collect throughout the week.

A comprehensive elementary/middle school astronomy unit exploring the predictable patterns of Earth and sky. Students investigate why constellations change seasonally and decode the predictable cycle of lunar phases through hands-on models, observations, and guided inquiry.

Students discover how organisms interact in a forest ecosystem, exploring predator-prey relationships, competition, and simple symbiotic alliances (mutualism, commensalism, parasitism) with kid-friendly analogies. Includes interactive task cards, adapted guides, and slide visuals.

Cooking log for preparing Japanese Onigiri (rice balls) on Day 4 and the final creative writing/design report on Day 5 to solve the Shinkansen speed mystery.

A hands-on, inquiry-based elementary science unit investigating the secrets of photosynthesis. Students act as 'Plant Power Detectives' conducting wet labs, including leaf chromatography and Elodea oxygen bubble experiments, to discover how plants capture light, make food, and produce oxygen.

Students explore how energy flows from the sun through producers, consumers, and decomposers, and how multiple food chains link to form complex food webs. Includes modeling templates, reading guides, and instructional slides.

Math and STEM worksheets for Days 3 and 5. Students practice reading train schedules to calculate travel times across Japan, and run a hands-on physics experiment testing different train shapes down ramps.