Winslow Elementary Science
Mystery Science features video-based and inquiry-driven science units for elementary students. Each video lesson starts by posing a question commonly asked by students like, "Do worms really eat dirt?" or "Could a volcano pop up where we live?" To explore these questions, our teachers use a series of short videos and prompts to guide a class discussion, followed by an experiment that can be done as a class. These lessons range from five minute mini-lessons to 45-60 minute full lessons within full standards aligned units. The lesson content covers a wide range of topics, including motion, biodiversity, engineering, and climate science. Many lessons have been adapted for distance learning and it’s easy to share lessons via a link or learning management system. All lessons are aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards, with standards crosswalks provided for states and provinces that use their own science standards.
Updated 2024
Grade K
Animal Needs
Why do woodpeckers peck wood?
Where do animals live?
How can you find animals in the woods?
How do animals make their homes in the forest?
Plant Needs
Are plants alive?
How do plants and trees grow?
Why would you want an old log in your backyard?
Severe Weather
How can you get ready for a big storm?
Have you ever watched a storm?
How many different kinds of weather are there?
Weather Patterns
How do you know what the wear for the weather?
What will the weather be on your birthday?
Why do birds lay eggs in the spring?
Sunlight & Warmth
How could you walk barefoot across hot pavement without burning your feet?
How could you warm up a frozen playground?
Why does it get cold in winter?
Pushes & Pulls
What's the biggest excavator?
Why do builders need so many machines?
How can you knock down a wall made of concrete?
How can you knock down the most bowling pins?
How can you protect a mountain town from falling rocks?
Grade 1
Animal Traits and Survival
How can you help a lost baby animal find its parents?
Why do birds have beaks?
Why do baby ducks follow their mother?
Why are polar bears white?
Why do family members sometimes look alike?
Plant Traits and Survival
What will a baby plant look like when it is grown up?
Why don't trees blow down in wind?
What do sunflowers do when you're not looking?
Day Patterns
Could a statue's shadow move?
What does your shadow do when you're not looking?
How can the Sun help you if you're lost?
Why do you have to go to bed early in the summer?
Night Patterns
When can you see the full moon?
Why do the stars come out at night?
How can stars help you if you get lost?
Light, Sound, & Communication
How do they make silly sounds in cartoons?
Where do sounds come from?
What if there were no windows?
Can you see in the dark?
How could you send a secret message to someone far away?
How do boats find their way in fog?
Grade 2
Animal Biodiversity
How many different kinds of animals are there?
Why would a wild animal visit a playground?
Why do frogs say "ribbit"?
How do you get more birds to visit a bird feeder?
Plant Adaptations
How did a tree travel half way around the world?
Why do seeds have so many different shapes?
Could a plant survive without lights?
How much water should you give a plant?
Erosion & Earth's Surface
If you floated down a river, where would you end up?
Why is there sand at the beach?
Where do flash floods happen?
What's strong enough to make a canyon?
How can you stop a landslide?
Material Properties
Why do we wear clothes?
Can you really fry an egg on a hot sidewalk?
Why are so many toys made out of plastic?
What materials might be invented in the future?
Could you build a house out of paper?
How do you build a city out of mud?
Grade 3
Fossils & Changing Environments
Where can you find whale fossils?
How do we know what dinosaurs looked like?
Can you outrun a dinosaur?
Life Cycles
How is your life like an alligator's life?
What's the best way to get rid of mosquitoes?
Why do plants grow flowers?
Why do plants give up fruit?
Why are there so many different kinds of flowers?
Heredity, Survival, & Selection
How do you identify a mysterious fruit?
What do dogs and pigeons have in common?
How could a lizard's toes help it survive?
Why do dogs wag their tails
How long can people (and animals) survive in outer space?
Weather & Climate
Where do clouds come from?
How can we predict when it's going to storm?
Where's the best place to build a snow fort?
Why are some places always hot?
How can you keep a house from blowing away in a wind storm?
Forces, Motion, & Magnets
How could you win a tug-of-war against a bunch of adults?
What makes bridges so strong?
How high can you swing on a flying trapeze?
What can magnets do?
How can you unlock a door using a magnet?
Grade 4
Human Body, Vision, & The Brain
Why do your biceps bulge?
What do people who are blind see?
How can some animals see in the dark?
How does your brain control your body?
Animal & Plant Adaptations
Why do some sea creatures look so strange?
Why would a sea turtle eat a plastic bag?
Why don't the same trees grow everywhere?
Earth's Features & Processes
Could a volcano pop up where you live?
Why do some volcanoes explode?
Will a mountain last forever?
What did your town look like 100 million years ago?
How could you survive a landslide?
Sound, Waves, & Communication
How could you send a secret code?
How far can a whisper travel?
What would happen if you screamed in outer space?
Why are some sounds high and some sounds low?
Energy & Energy Transfer
How is your body similar to a car?
What makes roller coasters go so fast?
How can marbles save the world?
Could you know down a building using only dominoes?
Can you build a chain reaction machine?
Electricity, Light, & Heat
What is the best way to light up a city?
What if there were no electricty?
How long did it take to travel across the country before cars and planes?
Grade 5
Ecosystems & Food Web
Why would a hawk move to New York City?
What do plants eat?
Where do fallen leaves go?
Do worms really eat dirt?
Why do you have to clean a fish tank but not a pond?
How can we protect Earth's environments?
Why did the dinosaurs go extinct?
Water Cycle & Earth's Systems
How much water is in the world?
How much salt is in the ocean?
When you turn on the faucet, where does the water come from?
Can we make it rain?
How can you save a town from a hurricane?
Earth & Space Patterns
How fast does the Earth spin?
Who set the first clock?
How can the Sun tell you the season?
Why do the stars change with the seasons?
Why does the moon appear to change shape?
Stars & Planets
How can the Sun help us explore other planets?
Why is gravity different on other planets?
Could there be life on other planets?
Chemical Reactions & Properties of Matter
Are magic potions real?
Could you transform something worthless into gold?
What would happen if you drank a glass of acid?
What do fireworks, rubber, and Silly Putty have in common?
Why do some things explode?