Open-and-go lessons that inspire kids to love science.

Science curriculum for K—5th grades.

90 sec
  • Hands-on lead students in the doing of science and engineering.
  • Standards-aligned science lessons Cover core standards in 1-2 hours of science per week.
  • Less prep, more learning prep in minutes not hours. Captivate your students with short videos and discussion questions.

Sign up now to try Mystery Science for free.

Sign up

Open-and-go lessons that inspire kids to love science.

Sign up now for tons of free lessons like this one!

Mini-lessons

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
This mailbox isn’t near the front of a house. Instead, it’s by a lake. How could you deliver mail to this lake house?
5
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
It’s delivered by boat! Mail carriers jump off, run to the mailbox, then jump on! This lake town has done this for over 100 years!
5
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
This girl sent a message in a bottle by dropping it into the ocean. It started in the ocean near Britain. Where do you think it ended up?
4
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
It went across the world, from Britain to Australia! Scientists use bottles to find out how the ocean moves things around the world...
4
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Scientists use other tools to find out how the ocean moves. They’ve even used rubber ducks! Here’s where the ducks traveled!
4
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
How could a vacuum be used to send messages? Think like an inventor! What could you do with the vacuum’s tube?
3
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Check out this vacuum tube! You put a message in a container at one end. Then a vacuum sucks it up, and brings it across the room!
3
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
New York City used to use vacuum tubes to deliver mail! Mail traveled for miles! This animation is similar to how it worked.
3
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Some hospitals still use vacuum tubes to deliver medicine quickly! Even this restaurant uses them--to deliver food to tables!
3
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
This sailor has lots of different colored flags. He’ll use them to send messages. How could you use flags to send messages?
2
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Boats and towns used flags in different positions to “talk” to each other, like this. You can learn this flag language too (semaphore)!
2
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
This language is still being used by railroads! Next time you pass by train tracks, look for two colorful signs like this!
2
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Listen… Have you heard this kind of singing before? It’s called yodeling. What does this have to do with sending messages?
1
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Yodeling used to be like a code; different sounds meant different words! You could yodel on a hill to “talk” to people far away!
1
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

Voting for this episode is now closed. Would you like to vote on the most recent poll?

We pulled three questions from our jar. Which question do you want to explore?

  • Why do pandas only eat bamboo?

    -Korban, 3rd Grade

  • What is a drought?

    -Aaliyah, 2nd Grade

  • How do windmills work?

    -Junichiro, Kindergarten

Who invented the alphabet?

Watch the video to discover the answer and don't forget to vote for next week's question. There are mysteries all around us. Have fun and stay curious!