1. Motivational goal: Spark a natural curiosity for the world so that learning is more about the journey than the destination.

2. Practical goal: Help students think logically and formulate well-structured questions about the world so they can find the answer to any question they come up with (even if the answer is “we don’t know yet”).

3. Academic goal: Cover the most important NGSS standards to give students confidence and set them up for any future academic endeavor they wish to pursue.

The Next Generation Science Standards are the most well-developed science standards for K-12 globally. They aren’t perfect (no one-size-fits-all standards are), but they are a great starting point. We combine these standards with what children are curious about, current world events, and practical skills to provide a well-rounded science curriculum that prepares children for anything they might want to pursue. Below is a description of the academic standards we use as a starting point for this course.

2-PS1-1. Plan and conduct an investigation to describe and classify different kinds of materials by their observable properties.

2-PS1-2. Analyze data obtained from testing different materials to determine which materials have the properties that are best suited for an intended purpose.* [Clarification Statement: Examples of properties could include, strength, flexibility, hardness, texture, and absorbency.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment of quantitative measurements is limited to length.]

One interesting property of materials is whether they are an insulator (a material that does not allow the movement of heat) or a conductor (a material that moves heat easily). If you know which property a material has, you can choose the best one for your purpose!

2-PS1-4. Construct an argument with evidence that some changes caused by heating or cooling can be reversed and some cannot. [Clarification Statement: Examples of reversible changes could include materials such as water and butter at different temperatures. Examples of irreversible changes could include cooking an egg, freezing a plant leaf, and heating paper.]

Cause and Effect

Events have causes that generate observable patterns.

In class example: Another thing we can learn about materials is whether they can melt or not. When a material is meltable, it turns into a liquid when we heat it up. Different meltable materials melt at different temperatures. Some may even melt in your hands, while others require heat like fire. This property is cool because we can melt a substance, pour it into a mold, let it cool and harden, and then we have a new shape!

K-2-ETS1-1. Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.

K-2-ETS1-2. Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.

K-2-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.

2-ESS2-2. Develop a model to represent the shapes and kinds of land and bodies of water in an area.

2-ESS2-3. Obtain information to identify where water is found on Earth and that it can be solid or liquid.