Airport Community Schools
Michigan
Picture this: it’s early September, and you’re strolling the halls of Wagar Middle School in Carleton, Michigan. You glance into Mrs. Erin Allen’s fifth-grade classroom and spot…dozens of students spinning like ballerinas, a blur of sneakers and giggles.
This is not a dance class, nor a rehearsal for The Nutcracker. It’s a Mystery Science lesson with an objective of helping students understand that the setting sun isn’t moving; the Earth is spinning. The fifth graders are using their bodies as kinesthetic models of the Earth to understand how the speed of the planet’s spin affects the length of a day.
“Students can’t tangibly touch the sun, moon, or stars—these are all giant concepts that are hard for fifth graders to understand,” said Allen, who begins each year with this particular lesson.
Curriculum Decisions, Powered by Educator Voices
Wagar Middle School is part of Airport Community Schools, the third-largest district in Monroe County, Michigan, and have used Mystery Science since 2019. When it comes to making decisions about curriculum, Airport Community Schools Director of Instructional & Special Education Support, Dawn Spears, believes that educator voices are essential to the process. “We always bring teachers in and get their opinion. We want to give teachers a voice, because that’s so important for reaching students. It’s a collaboration, never one person making all the decisions.”
Teachers regularly utilize the Mystery Packs, which are comprehensive kits that include all the hands-on materials necessary for a full year’s worth of inquiry-driven science lessons.
Hands-On and Hassle-Free
Prior to her current administrative role, Spears was a STEM teacher, so she understands the challenges that often occur in K-5 science education. “So often, I’d want to do something hands-on, but I’d have to go to the store and buy 50 rubber bands. Then the next day, back to the store to buy 50 paper clips. It was impossible,” she said.
Spears also recognizes that often in the elementary grades, core instruction in math and reading can take up a big chunk of the day. Having Mystery Packs, with standards-aligned lessons and organized materials at the ready, allows teachers to use science instructional time effectively. “Mystery Science fits perfectly with time frames, pacing, and hits the essentials that students need, without teachers having to get in the weeds.”
Immersive Learning: Tiny Ocean, Big Ideas
Mrs. Allen uses Mystery Science as the basis of the curriculum for all her fifth-grade science instruction and finds that students are fully immersed in learning from start to finish. One unit her classes find particularly engaging is “Tiny Ocean,” in which students create a model ocean to observe how salt seems to completely vanish when dissolved in water. The unit starts with a lesson video that hooks students from the start.
From there, students measure and graph quantities of the water and salt to provide evidence that, even though we can’t see it, the salt still weighs the same amount. They also create a model salt flat, allowing the water to evaporate and leave the salt behind. “They can see scientific principles in action, which is so cool,” said Allen.
Excitement = Engagement
Both Spears and Allen believe that engagement is key for all student learning—and Mystery Science is an excellent tool for driving success. “If you’re not excited to learn about something, it’s not going to be memorable,” said Allen. With Mystery Science, she finds that students often say, “Wow, is time up already?”
“It interests them and keeps their brain engaged. They’re excited to learn.”
