Matter Detectives

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.

A 4th-grade science lesson on food chains exploring how energy flows from the sun through producers, consumers, and decomposers. Features differentiated worksheets structured for various WIDA English language proficiency levels to support reading and writing.

Worksheet C (Bridging/Reaching, WIDA 5-6 & Gen-Ed): Differentiated worksheet featuring high-level open-ended science terms writing, pond ecosystem scenario analysis, and a structured synthesis paragraph write-up.

A 7-week STEM and innovation program for kids ages 8-13 at Mattahunt. Youth participants lead peer-to-peer design challenges, develop teamwork skills, and build self-efficacy through hands-on leadership roles.

An interactive 4th-grade science lesson where students act as ecological detectives to trace energy flow in ecosystems. It integrates science content with targeted WIDA-aligned reading comprehension supports.

Worksheet B (Developing/Expanding, WIDA 3-4): Differentiated worksheet featuring moderate vocabulary matching, food chain drawing activity, and vocabulary-supported paragraph completion.

A high-energy, sensory-friendly physical science unit designed specifically for 3rd-5th grade students in alternative settings. The curriculum uses high-movement stations, interactive visual presentations, and bite-sized printable worksheets to teach Magnets/Electricity, States of Matter, Forces/Motion, and Energy/Sound while incorporating positive behavior support structures.

Students synthesize their learning by investigating the gas exchange between humans and plants, creating a miniature closed-ecosystem diagram and taking an exit challenge.

Worksheet A (Entering/Emerging, WIDA 1-2): Differentiated worksheet featuring highly scaffolded matching, simple food chain labeling, and guided sentence completion with multiple-choice words.

An inquiry-based life science and persuasive writing unit for grades 3-5. Students investigate beavers as ecosystem engineers, build model dams, and advocate for wildlife in a civic-writing performance task.

Students explore how plants produce oxygen using aquatic Elodea plants. They design and execute an experiment measuring bubble production under different light conditions.

A highly visual, clean 6-slide presentation introducing food chain concepts (Sun, Producers, Consumers, Decomposers) designed with accessible typography (all text >= 24px) and organic color schemas to support all English language learners.