In Mosa Mack’s Design Thinking unit, students discover the steps of the Design Thinking process, and then use that process to design and build a product to rescue a stranded sloth.
In Mosa Mack’s Scientific Method unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on the scientific method in context as well as the criteria that ensures a scientifically sound experiment.
In Mosa Mack’s Mutations unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on why changes to genes can affect proteins, and this may result in different effects on the organism.
In this thermal energy unit, learners help Mosa solve the mystery of the failed “Willy Warm Gloves: Behind the Infomercial.” Through the video mystery as well as a hands-on modeling activity, learners will discover that thermal energy is transferred from areas of high thermal energy to areas of low thermal energy by the motion of particles. After learners observe physical evidence of this in a lab setting, they will use their knowledge of thermal energy transfer to design an insulator or conductor.
In Mosa Mack’s Gravity unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on the gravitational force that pulls objects down toward the Earth. *Unit focuses on conceptual physics, not mathematical representations.
In Mosa Mack’s Water Cycle unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on the distribution and cycling of water on Earth.
In this unit about Newton’s Laws, learners will help Mosa solve the mystery of why Ms. Newton’s Supermarket seems haunted. Through this video mystery, learners will discover that even though an event may seem inexplicable, there may be natural laws behind it. Learners will conduct investigations to discover the impact of force and mass on motion, before creating a new shopping cart that can withstand collisions.
In this unit about adaptations, learners will help Mosa solve the mystery of how some traits become more prominent in populations over time. Through the video mystery as well as through research done for the “Make,” learners will discover that individuals with the traits that best “fit,” or complement, the environment in which they live will survive and reproduce, leading to that trait becoming more common. After, learners make a filmstrip model of this adaptation process. They then design a product that embodies the function of that trait, giving their human client the benefits of that adaptation.
Mosa Mack’s Photosynthesis unit focuses on the process itself and the importance of sunlight. Students will be led through a series of 3 lessons, including an inquiry-based photosynthesis mystery, a photosynthesis experiment, and a design challenge, all using project-based approaches.
In this unit about genetic variation, learners help Mosa solve the mystery of why some organisms have identical offspring and others have offspring that exhibit variation. Through the mystery as well as a hands-on modeling activity, learners will discover that organisms can reproduce sexually or asexually, leading to different amounts of genetic variation. After learners fully understand both reproductive processes and their results,, they genetically engineer a solution to a hypothetical alien problem.
Learners will begin by solving the mystery of the non-browning ‘sugar’. In the video mystery as well as a hands-on modeling activity, learners will discover that everything in our world is composed of small atoms, which, when bonded together, create unique structures with unique properties. Learners then select their own element, explore its properties, and design a prototype to be made from this material.
Mosa Mack’s Climate Change unit focuses on the greenhouse effect, the responsible gases, and the impact of human activities. Students will be led through a series of 3 activities, including an inquiry-based climate mystery, a greenhouse gas model, and a design challenge, all using project-based approaches. In the engineer extension, students will analyze environmental data and design a solution to decrease their carbon footprint.
In Mosa Mack’s Potential and Kinetic Energy unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on the relationship between mass, potential energy, and kinetic energy, tested through experiments and rollercoaster models.
In the Renewable Resources unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on the comparison of renewable vs. nonrenewable resources, their uneven distribution, and human impact.
Learners will help Mosa figure out how Lystrosaurus fossils were found on three different continents. Following the mystery, students construct a model of a supercontinent (Pangea) and engineer a device to track the motion of plates.
In the Chemical & Physical Interactions unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on the the differences between physical and chemical changes.
Learners will understand that cells 1. consist of many parts, each of which serves a specific function and 2. work together in order to allow our bodies to function. Learners will take a journey throughout the body, exploring the function of three main cell parts within different types of body cells. In a hands-on lab, students then discover the differences between plant and animal cells and create an analogy that synthesizes their understanding of cells. Students will use that understanding to design a unique cell, focusing on the connection between form and function.
In Mosa Mack’s Interaction of Body Systems unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on the functions and interactions of the circulatory, muscular, nervous, digestive and respiratory systems. *You’ll notice that Mosa Mack focuses on the five most commonly discussed body systems. To teach additional units, have students suggest how other body systems might be impacted in the comic mystery.
In Mosa Mack’s Waves unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on the anatomy of light and sound waves and the differences in how they transfer energy.
In Mosa Mack’s Electricity unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on the theory of electrical current, a comparison of conductive vs. nonconductive liquids, and the relationship between electricity and magnetism.
In Mosa Mack’s Solar System unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on the scale properties of objects in the solar system and how this affects the brightness of stars.
In Mosa Mack’s Genetics vs. Environment unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on how both environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms.
In Mosa Mack’s Nervous System unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on how information that organisms receive from the outside world travels through the nervous system and results in different responses.
In Mosa Mack’s Sun-Earth System unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focuses on how the tilt of the Earth and its rotation around the sun affects sunlight and heating of different regions. In the Make Extension, students conduct experiments to determine the role of gravity in the solar system.
In Mosa Mack’s Biodiversity unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on factors that affect biodiversity, how to identify biodiversity in an area, and how to evaluate competing design solutions that preserve biodiversity and ecosystem services.
In Mosa Mack’s Earthquakes and Volcanoes unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on the interaction of tectonic plates, the causes of Earthquakes and Volcanoes, and the impact of these events.
In the Food Web unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on interactions in the environment, predator-prey relationships, and the transfer of energy within an ecosystem.
In Mosa Mack’s Rock Cycle unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on the properties of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks and the forces responsible for creating them. Forces include heat, pressure, cooling, weathering and erosion.
In this unit about Diabetes, learners will help Mosa solve the mystery of why Jaylene’s cells aren’t able to make energy when there is plenty of glucose around. Through this video mystery, as well as constructing a visual model of the diabetic pathway, learners will discover that humans not only need food nutrients to make energy, they also need a hormone called insulin to allow glucose to be used by cells. Learners will also consider steps forward to mitigate future diabetes rates and help those living with diabetes to adapt to their condition by engineering artificial insulin.
In Mosa Mack’s Interactions of Organisms Unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on three different types of interactions of organisms, including mutualism, predation, and competition.
In Mosa Mack’s Plant and Animal Structures Unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on the comparison of plant and animal structures and functions. The unit culminates with an Engineering challenge in which students use biomimicry to design a solution to a human problem.