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Year 1
Students discover the steps of the Design Thinking process by working together to construct the tallest tower. They then apply this process to analyze historical engineering successes and failures. Finally, they apply the Design Thinking process to design and build a device to rescue a stranded sloth.
In the Elementary Renewable Resources unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on the identification of natural resources, comparison of renewable vs. nonrenewable resources, and their use in energy production and transportation.
Students solve a mutations mystery to understand the core ideas behind genes and DNA. In The Make, students randomly select a trait from a bag and compete in survival challenges. Through this activity, they discover that mutations can be beneficial, harmful, or neutral. The unit ends with an engineering challenge in which students use CRISPR to genetically modify a gene to solve a medical problem.
Students solve two mysteries on thermal energy that demonstrate that heat is a form of energy that moves from areas of high heat to low heat. Students are hired by the Better Business Bureau to put their knowledge of heat transfer to the test by investigating two heat-related claims. The unit culminates in an engineering challenge in which students are tasked with making a low-cost, highly effective cooler that can compete with the leading cooler on the market.
Year 1
Students are introduced to Claim-Evidence-Reasoning and the Scientific Method through the lens of claims made in television commercials. Students design ways to scientifically test the claims. Finally, students apply their knowledge of Claim-Evidence-Reasoning and the Scientific Method to improve upon an existing commercial product.
Year 2
Year 2
Students rediscover the steps of the Design Thinking process by working together to construct a ship capable of carrying cargo. They then apply this process to analyze a new set of historical engineering successes and failures.
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 solve two water cycle mysteries, travel through the water cycle as a water droplet to experience water's journey, and then apply their knowledge of the water cycle to design a solution to solve a drought crisis.
Students solve mysteries on levitating cars and a haunted supermarket, are led through stations to investigate Newton's three laws of motion, and apply their knowledge to a shopping cart challenge in which they must design and build a new cart that minimizes injuries.
In The Nature of Science Unit, students are led through a progression of two inquiry lessons that focus on the enterprise of science as a whole. Using a crime scene investigation case, students are challenged to work as scientists in order to wonder, investigate, question, collect data, and analyze evidence.
In this unit on selection and adaptations, students discover how different environments caused land iguanas and marine iguanas to appear so different from one another. They then solve a mystery on how traits become more prominent in populations over time and complete a hands-on team challenge to gather evidence to support this idea. The unit culminates with an engineering challenge in which students design and build a product inspired by an animal or plant adaptation that humans can use.
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.
In Mosa Mack’s Atoms and Molecules unit, students solve two atomic mysteries through which they discover the components of molecules and atoms. They are then led through an activity in which they construct atomic and molecular models. The unit culminates in an element challenge in which students select an element and bring it to life by either creating a profile for it or designing a product based on it.
In this unit about states of matter, students solve two mysteries: one on freezing frogs and another on rising and shrinking lake water levels. They then experience a lab in which they gather evidence to prove that that gases, liquids, and solids all consist of particles that behave differently in different states. The unit culminates in an engineering challenge in which students are tasked with applying their knowledge to solve to a phase-change-related problem in the city of Particleville.
Students use video evidence and climate data to discover the causes and impacts of climate change. They then create a greenhouse gas model and analyze their own environmental footprint. Using this data, students come up with ways in which they can mitigate their carbon footprint.
Students solve two potential and kinetic energy mysteries, and are then presented with their Make challenge: how can they use their knowledge of potential and kinetic energy to help the Alleycats win their next bowling match? To complete the challenge, students must complete investigations focused on the relationship between mass, potential energy, and kinetic energy. The unit culminates with an engineering challenge in which students must successfully build a roller coaster with a series of design constraints.
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 Mosa Mack’s Weather unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on temperature, pressure, and the corresponding weather patterns.
In the Chemical and Physical Changes unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on the the differences between physical and chemical changes
Students solve two cell mysteries, determine the source of "mystery cells" in a lab setting, and engineer a new cell for a function of choice.
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.
Students solve a mystery involving waves, explore light and sound through hands-on stations, and then apply their knowledge of waves to engineer a new device to help individuals with hearing or vision impairments.
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.
Students are led through three inquiry lessons that focus on planetary distance and gravity in the solar system, as well as the tilt of the Earth, its rotation around the Sun, and how those affect the sunlight and heating of different regions. In the Make Extension, students use a model to investigate the patterns of lunar phases.
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 Earth’s Spheres unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on the interaction of Earth’s spheres.
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 Evolution unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on three types of evidence that support the theory of evolution: fossils, anatomical structures, and embryology.
In Mosa Mack’s Oceans and Climate unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on the effects of changes in latitude, temperature, wind, the Coriolis effect, and density on regional climate.
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.
In Mosa Mack’s Sun-Earth System Unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on how Earth’s tilt and its rotation around the Sun creates patterns that can be observed. Investigation data and analysis will support the patterns of day and night, the length and direction of shadows, the amount of daylight throughout the year, and the seasonal appearance and brightness of stars in the night sky.
In Mosa Mack’s Evidence of Energy Transfer unit, students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on the identification of different forms of energy and conversion of energy from one form to another.
In Mosa Mack's Matter and Its Interactions unit, students progress through three inquiry-based lessons that focus on defining matter, understanding the states of matter, exploring physical properties and chemical changes.
Students are led through a progression of three inquiry lessons that focus on the locations, patterns and features of Earth’s landforms. Through a series of mapping investigations, patterns will emerge between Earth’s tectonic plate boundaries and the locations of mountain ranges, oceanic trenches, earthquakes, and volcanoes. In the engineering challenge, students use these concepts to design an earthquake-resistant building in an earthquake-prone region to help mitigate damages.
Is it possible for engineers to construct the Jedi Tower, which would be over 3,200 feet tall?
Students construct their own Jedi Tower, competing to build the tallest tower in the classroom. They then learn the design thinking principles to analyze their design process and their tower results.
Featherless chickens. Glow-in-the-dark rabbits. Larger than life cows. Scientists have created all of these mutations. But what are mutations and how can they be useful?
Students observe surprising examples of human-created mutations and apply their knowledge to explain why humans might intentionally make mutations to animals.
Typing on a computer, pouring a tea, frying an egg. These are all normal, everyday activities. But how would they look from a thermal imaging camera? And how does observing these images teach us about heat movement?
Students conduct a hands-on activity to learn how heat moves and how an insulator affects that movement.
How much truth is there in TV commerical claims? And how can we determine if a claim is accurate or not?
Students analyze a claim made by a commerical and then test the claim's validity to learn about claims, evidence, reasoning, and the scientific method.
In the 1970s, scientists in the Adirondacks noticed something startling on their land and in their lakes: Trees were losing leaves and getting sick, and thousands of fish in the lakes were turning up dead.
Students analyze data from pond samples and complete a hands-on digital demo to solve the mystery.
Could shocking footage of levitating cars be proof of ghosts?
Students recreate the phenomenon themselves using a model to discover the laws of force and motion. They then use this knowledge to solve the mystery.
How can one iguana look like a scary sea monster while another one looks like a pet?
Students observe two iguanas in different environments and play a hands-on game to determine how traits and adaptations can help animals survive. They then apply their knowledge to explanin the iguana adaptations.
A famous chef was caught on camera drilling holes into his neighbors tree and filling the holes with a mysterious liquid. Could he have been trying to poison the tree?
Students discover how photosynthesis works to determine if the chef was guilty of plotting to harm the tree.
Why do some kids look so simlilar to their parents while others don't?
Students create a celebrity family tree to discover traits and how they're passed from one generation to another.
Two silver substances dropped into two clear liquids behave drastically different. Why do these two substances, that appear to be so similar, behave so differently?
Students use clues from an interactive periodic table to identify the substances, learn what makes certain atoms reactive and others stable, and apply their knowledge to explain the phenomenon.
When most animals are exposed to extreme cold, they can't survive. But the wood frog is different. During the winter, it freezes...but then in the spring, it seems to come back to life! How can this be?
Students engage in an experiment to determine how water's freezing point can be manipulated. Then they apply their learnings to explain how the wood frog survives cold winters.
A timelapse shows that glaciers in Antartica are quickly melting, and another video highlights a hungry polar bear. Why are these phenomena occuring and how are they related?
Student explore the phenomena and analyze graphs to draw their own conclusions about the causes of climate change and submit their own evidence.
How did the bank OK Go’s use potential and kinetic energy to create an entire music video?
Students watch the hit music video "This Too Shall Pass" and construct their own devices to discover the relationship between potential and kinetic energy.
Pollution in Beijing; Clearcut forests in Canada; Droughts in California; Sea level flooding in Miami, Florida. The world is changing, but why are these things happening?
Students complete a hands-on investigation to explore energy resources and energy consumption to understand how the two are connected.
As construction workers were expanding the Pan-American Highway, they came across something surprising: the largest whale graveyard in the world. But these bones weren't found in the ocean—they were found high up in a hill. How can that be?
Students explore the layers of Earth and play a game to learn how tectonic plates move. They then apply their knowledge to explain the phenomenon.
It was a bright sunny day in Albany, NY when—out of nowhere—dark clouds filled the sky and rain crashed to the ground. But just as quickly as it started, the storm passed through, leaving bright and sunny skies in its wake. What caused this change in weather?
Students learn about the interaction of air masses and apply their knowledge to explain how changes in weather occur.
50 years after the Titanic sank, some artifacts were recovered from the wreckage. But some artifacts looked nearly identical to their original condition, while others looked drastically different. How can that be if they were all in the same conditions for the same amount of time?
Students inspect the before and after images of real Titanic artifacts and complete a hands-on experiment to test how different materials react to both physical and chemical changes. They then apply their knowledge to solve the mystery.
How does a tiny cell (so small that you can only see it with a microscope) turn into a newt you can hold in your hand?
Students complete a matching activity to discover the relationship between a cell's structure and its function.
Roughly 17 people die each day waiting for an organ donation. Can bioengineers grow replacement organs that people can use instead of waiting for organ donations?
As students discover the levels of organization in the body, they apply their knowledge to explain how bioengineered organs could help solve the organ shortage problem.
How does an illusionist trick our eyes and a speaker extinguish a flame? And what do these two phenomena have in common?
Students discover the properties of sound and light waves and apply their konwledge to solve the mystery.
An America's Got Talent dance team lit up the stage with suits that contained electricity! But how did they do it?
Students create their own circuits and use their newfound electrical knowledge to create a diagram that explains how the dancers' suits light up.
What is causing 90% of certain sea turtle populations to be born female? Is genetics or the environment responsible?
Students learn how the sex of a sea turtle hatchling is determined and analyze sea turtle environments to solve the mystery.
In 2023, the professional football world was taken by storm when fans watched Tua Tagovailoa sustain two head injuries on the football field in less than 1 week. But what actually happens to the body during a concussion and why is it a problem?
Students explore the nervous system and apply their learnings to make their own recommendation for a student basketball player with a possible concussion.
Satellites can provide internet to places around the world without internet access. But how do these satellites stay in orbit around Earth? And what can that tell us about the balance in own solar system?
Students engage with a hands-on activity to discover the relationship between speed, mass, and distance. They then apply their knowledge to explain how satellites work.
After years of following the annual monarch butterfly migration south, scientists noticed a rapid decline in the monarch populations. Why were the monarchs dying? And how could this impact the other organisms in the ecosystem?
Students first learn about the butterfly life cycle and migration pattern. Then they apply their knowledge and analyze data to determine why the butterflies are dying and how it impacts biodiversity.
When people think of rocks, they may think of a static unchanging pebble. But rocks are often so stunning that tourists will travel around the world to see these majestic sights. What makes some rock formations so stunning, and how do they get that way?
Students learn about different types of rocks and analyze how famous rock structures have changed over time. They then conduct their own investigations to determine how different agents of change can result in different rock formations.
Kelp forests provide food, shelter, and protection for hundreds of underwater plants and animals. They even pull carbon from the atmosphere, helping to regulate the Earth’s climate. But kelp forests are disappearing at alarming rates. What could be causing this sudden change? And can the kelp forests be saved?
Students learn what an ecosystem is and the different interactions organisms have within them. They then play a game to determine how interactions between different organisms can determine survival, and they apply their knowledge to solve the kelp forest mystery.