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
5
Watch carefully. This looks like the shadow of a bunny, but it’s really the shadow of someone’s hands! Think about it. How can you use your hands to make a shadow deer or a creepy shadow spider?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
5
One hand can be a deer’s antlers. The other hand is its head! To give it a try, you need a flashlight and a white wall. Then think about how your fingers could move like spider legs. Very creepy!
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
4
If you want to be a basketball player, it helps to be tall. Being tall makes it easier to reach the basket! What other physical traits could help you be a better basketball player? Any ideas?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
4
Many of the best basketball players have really big hands! Some players’ hands are over 11 inches (28 cm) from thumb to pinkie! Measure your hands to see how you compare.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
4
Watch this! You don’t need big hands to do this trick. The muscles used to squeeze and crush this frying pan are in the person’s arm. Big muscles on the fingers would get in the way!
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
3
To play a song, a piano player has to move hundreds of muscles at
just the right time in just the right way. Amazing! Can you think of a
way to make this amazing task even more difficult? Any ideas?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
3
Every piano player has to play different notes with different hands.
But only a few talented people try to play different notes with
different hands on different pianos. Wow!
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
2
This is a toy you twist and twist until the colors on the sides match up. This person’s brain and fingers solved the puzzle in 6 seconds! It’s a world record! How could you make this task even harder?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
2
This person is twisting it using just one hand—in 10 seconds! That definitely makes the task harder. But on the next slide, we’ll show you one more person who makes the task WAY, WAY harder.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
2
This person is juggling three puzzles at once, twisting the cubes using just one hand! He solves them all in 5 minutes! Imagine hula-hooping while solving some, or riding a scooter, or skydiving!
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
1
When people think of fingerpainting, most people think of something like this. How could you make a painting that looks almost like a photograph—using only your fingers?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
1
These artists have figured out a way. Look at the different ways they move their fingers to put on the paint!
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

Why are some people left-handed?

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!