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.

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You probably know that fireflies (lightning bugs) flash light! Why though? Do you think their light helps them somehow?
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They light up so they can find each other from far away. Imagine being a tiny bug and trying to find another bug!
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Some fireflies flash all at the same time. Scientists used flashlights to flash patterns—and the fireflies copied the flashes!
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Creatures that light up are rare, EXCEPT in one of these habitats. Which habitat do you think has a lot of this type of creature? Why?
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Hint: Think of fireflies. They only come out at night in the DARK, using light to find each other. Does this give you any ideas?
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The DEEPEST parts of the ocean are so dark and almost no light reaches there. The only way to see creatures is if they light up!
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Is this little fish breathing fire? Is it spitting out light? What do you think is going on here?
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It’s spitting out the meal it just ate! The fish isn’t glowing—its food is glowing! Why would it want to get rid of a glowing meal?
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The dark ocean is filled with predators—fish that will eat smaller fish. If a small fish is glowing, it’s easier for predators to find it.
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This thing is crawling around in the jungle. What do you think it is?
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If you said worm, you were close—but it’s actually a beetle! Why do you think it lights up? (It’s not to find others in the dark.)
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The lights are a warning! When predators eat these beetles, they get sick! So they learn to stay away, and the beetles stay safe!
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Here’s another dark place! It’s a cave! What do you think it is that's glowing?
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They’re called glowworms! Each glowworm can make sticky “string,” kind of like a spider’s web. Why do you think they glow?
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Small bugs fly to the lights and get caught in the sticky string. Then the glowworms eat them!
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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

Could you make a real lightsaber?

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!