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?
What do you think these are? Hint: Sometimes they hang from branches. After a few weeks pass, they change shape…
5
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
They’re cocoons of the Tiger Wing Butterfly! This is how the adult looks. The adults aren’t shiny like the cocoons are, but…
5
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Slide Image
...here’s something else shiny--something shiny blue in the leaves. Can you tell what it is?
5
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
It’s a butterfly called a Blue Morpho! The insides of its wings are bright, shiny blue, but the outsides are brown to help it hide!
5
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Slide Image
What could this be?
4
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
Hint: you can eat it. Have you eaten anything that’s round and blue before?
4
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
They’re berries! They’re called Marble Berries, and they grow in forests in Africa. Sometimes birds decorate their nests with them.
4
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Here are some seeds from a different plant that are a similar shiny blue color! These are Hogberry Seeds from Mexico.
4
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
This is a very close-up view of a living thing. Can you tell what kind of creature it is? Hint: It’s small. It doesn’t have fur or feathers.
3
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
It’s a beetle! Beetles are some of the shiniest, most colorful kinds of creatures on Earth!
3
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Some people even use beetle wings in jewelry! (These passed away naturally.)
3
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
These photos are of the same hummingbird. Why do you think its face is pink and shiny in one photo, and black in the other?
2
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Here’s a hint… look at the blue morpho butterfly again. Do its wings always look bright, shiny blue?
2
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Even though they look different colors, they’re the same feathers! The feathers only look pink when light hits them at the right angle!
2
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Many birds have shiny feathers! Even pigeons have a few! Next time you see a pigeon, look closely at its neck!
2
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Slide Image
These round rocks look a little strange…. Let’s break one open! There’s something special inside… do you know what?
1
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Check it out! These rocks have hollow spaces inside. Sometimes crystals form in the hollow spaces! The rocks are called geodes.
1
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Check out the size of these geodes, some of the largest in the world! One is so huge, you can actually crawl around inside of it!
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?

  • Why do pandas only eat bamboo?

    -Korban, 3rd Grade

  • What is a drought?

    -Aaliyah, 2nd Grade

  • How do windmills work?

    -Junichiro, Kindergarten

Who created the constellations?

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!