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

Learn more

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

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

Back

Mini-lessons

Video Bonus Vote
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Slide Image
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
You leave fingerprints on things you touch. You can’t see them, but they are there. What do you think makes a fingerprint anyway?
5
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
A video close-up shows the answer. Those drops are sweat! Each ridge of skin leaves a sweaty mark on anything you touch.
5
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Use a pencil and tape to see your fingerprints better. Give it a try! Do your fingerprints have patterns like any of these?
5
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Most animals don’t have fingerprints—but koalas do! Their fingerprints look a lot like people’s!
5
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
This sped-up video shows five hours. Here’s a challenge. Do you see anything strange happening as the hours pass by?
4
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Did you notice? The shadow of the pole moves! Can you tell from the shadow’s position whether it’s morning or afternoon? How?
4
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Shadows point one way in the morning & another in the afternoon. Mark where a shadow is with chalk every hour to make a clock!
4
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
If you have a sunny window, trace a toy’s shadow indoors! Leave the toy there and wait 10 minutes. Watch how its shadow moves!
4
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Watch this dog lap water from a bowl at super slow speed. People can’t lap up water like this! What do you notice about its tongue?
3
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Its tongue curls up backwards like a scoop. Your tongue can’t curl back as far–try it! What else can dogs or cats do that you can’t?
3
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Check out what we noticed! Watch any animal–a pet fish, a hamster, or even a bug. See what surprising things it can do!
3
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Rocks on the beach look colorful and pretty. When you get those rocks home, they look boring! Why? Think about what’s different.
2
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Water makes rocks smooth and shiny, so you see their colors. Try putting water on dry rocks! (Polishing and tumbling also works!)
2
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Slide Image
Sometimes you can see something in a new way by looking inside it. Here are slices of six different fruits. Can you tell what they are?
1
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Answers: a lemon, apple, watermelon, kiwi, banana, and lime! All natural fruits have seeds–can you find seeds in each of these?
1
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
If you have more fruit or vegetables around, experiment to see what’s inside of them! Draw them and write down your questions!
1
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Make discoveries on your own! Type in the URL on screen. The spinners will pick objects and help you explore them! Stay curious!
1
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Slide Image
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?

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?

  • What's at the end of a rainbow?

    -Addie, 3rd Grade

  • Are bumblebees and honeybees the same thing?

    -Tyler, 1st Grade

  • How are marshmallows made?

    -Kylah, 3rd Grade

What's the biggest number?

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!