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
Slide Image
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
What would happen if you pushed these keys on a phone’s keypad? (Hint: This is way too long to be a phone number!)
5
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Each key makes a different sound. If the keys are pushed in this order, the phone plays a famous song called "Frère Jacques."
5
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
One musician discovered that the keys on old calculators also make musical sounds—and they played something amazing!
5
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Sometimes angry people honk their car horns. What an annoying sound! Can you think of a way to make that noise into music?
4
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
When you lock a car by pushing a button on the key, the horn honks. These guys used that to play a song.
4
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Cars aren’t the only vehicles with horns. The captains of these cruise ships teamed up to slowly play “Happy Birthday"!
4
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
People play harps by plucking the strings with their fingers, like this. But no one is playing this harp. Why is it making sounds?
3
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Notice the grass and leaves moving in the wind. The wind moves the strings of the harp, too, making the sound you hear!
3
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
When wind blows, parts of this bridge move, just like the strings of the harp. That makes a strange humming sound.
3
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Close your eyes and listen. Some people are playing a song by hitting things with hammers. What do you think they are hitting?
2
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
These special rocks ring like bells when hit. These people found rocks that make the sounds in "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."
2
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
For thousands of years, the Raglai people of Vietnam have been using ringing rocks to make musical instruments like this one.
2
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
Suppose someone gave you a pile of plastic tubes and asked you to make music with them. What would you do?
1
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Here’s one way to do it! Short tubes make high sounds; long tubes make low sounds. Listen for the high and low sounds in the songs!
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

How do cicadas make so much noise?

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!