Mystery Science

Science
Written By Manisha Snoyer (co-founder of Modulo)

Mystery Science, established in 2011 and now part of Discovery Education, was created to make science education more engaging and accessible for K-5 students through multimedia lessons. The program was designed by educators seeking to simplify the teaching process while captivating young minds with the wonders of science. Its origin reflects a commitment to reduce preparation time for teachers, enabling a focus on interactive, hands-on learning experiences. The curriculum has been widely adopted, demonstrating its success and popularity among educational communities​ (Mystery Science)​​ (The Smarter Learning Guide)​​ (Mystery Science)​.

Differentiation: What Makes It Special

Mystery Science stands out due to its user-friendly, "open-and-go" format that simplifies the preparation process while providing comprehensive, standards-aligned science education. It offers hundreds of hands-on activities and interactive videos that encourage student inquiry and discussion. The curriculum is adaptable, offering both mini-lessons for quick learning sessions and full units for deeper exploration, making it a versatile tool in a homeschool setting​ (Mystery Science)​​ (The Smarter Learning Guide)​​ (Discovery Education)​.

How to Get Started

Families can easily begin using Mystery Science by signing up for a free trial, which provides access to numerous lessons and activities. This trial period is an excellent opportunity for parents to explore the curriculum's fit for their educational needs without an initial financial commitment​ (Mystery Science)​.

How It Works

Mystery Science is designed as an "open-and-go" curriculum, ideal for busy homeschooling parents. The lessons require minimal preparation and are structured to be taught in 1-2 hours per week. Activities are parent-led but crafted to be engaging and manageable, allowing for both independent and guided learning. The program includes interactive videos, hands-on experiments, and follow-up discussion questions, all aimed at maintaining student engagement and curiosity​ (The Smarter Learning Guide)​​ (Cathy Duffy Reviews)​.

Educational Concepts It Teaches

  • Life Sciences: Plant biology, animal studies, human body systems

  • Physical Sciences: Forces, energy, simple machines

  • Earth and Space Sciences: Weather patterns, planetary studies, environmental science

  • Engineering and Technology: Problem-solving through design, building projects​ (Discovery Education)​​ (Mystery Science)​.

What’s Good About It

Users appreciate Mystery Science for its engaging content and ease of use. The curriculum is praised for making science exciting and accessible, helping students develop a keen interest in scientific inquiry. The hands-on activities are particularly liked for how they concretely illustrate scientific concepts​ (The Smarter Learning Guide)​​ (Cathy Duffy Reviews)​.

What Could Be Improved

While Mystery Science is highly regarded, some users feel that the videos could be more dynamic to better captivate young audiences. Additionally, the absence of a progress tracking feature is noted as a potential area for improvement, which could help parents gauge their child's learning advancements more effectively​ (The Smarter Learning Guide)​.

Advice from Parents

Parents recommend approaching Mystery Science with enthusiasm and taking full advantage of the curriculum's flexibility. Preparing materials for activities in advance and using the discussion prompts to engage children deeply in the topics are key strategies for maximizing the educational impact of the program​ (Cathy Duffy Reviews)​.

Who It’s an Ideal Fit For

Mystery Science is perfect for homeschooling families looking for a comprehensive, easy-to-use science curriculum that engages young learners with minimal preparation. It suits parents who prefer to be directly involved in their child’s education, providing structured yet flexible learning opportunities​ (The Smarter Learning Guide)​​ (Cathy Duffy Reviews)​.

Who It’s Probably Not a Fit For

This curriculum may not suit families looking for an entirely autonomous learning experience for their children or those who prefer more traditional, textbook-based science education. Additionally, families seeking advanced tracking of educational progress might find the lack of such features limiting​ (The Smarter Learning Guide)​.

Grades

Mystery Science is tailored for students in kindergarten through fifth grade​ (The Smarter Learning Guide)​.

Cost

The program offers various subscription options, typically ranging in price, which can be confirmed on their website for the most accurate and current pricing details​ (Mystery Science)​.

Ways to Get It

Mystery Science can be accessed directly through their website, where families can sign up for a membership that suits their needs. Free trials are also available to allow users to explore the curriculum before committing financially​ (Mystery Science)​.

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Manisha Snoyer (co-founder of Modulo)

For the last 20 years, I’ve taught over 2000 children in 3 countries (of all socio-economic backgrounds). I pioneered an English language program in a conflict region in the Middle East. I’ve worked as a bilingual public school teacher at some of the highest and lowest performing public schools and in all five boroughs of NYC. I’ve tutored 18 subjects in three languages to some of the wealthiest families in NYC, San Francisco and Paris to make up for shortcomings in private schools they were paying up to $60,000 a year to attend.

Since 2015, I’ve helped hundreds of parents start microschools (way before this was a household buzzword). I founded CottageClass, the first marketplace for microschools and learning pods that was part of the Techstars 2018 class. In 2019, I created a virtual learning program to help families through the pandemic, a free online math tutoring program (masteryhour.org), and schoolclosures.org, a hotline developed in collaboration with Twilio and 80 other partners including Khan Academy, Revolution Foods and the Crisis Text Line, that served 100,000 families impacted by school closures.

I’ve climbed trees with children in forest schools in San Francisco, and tested new digital apps with kids in seven countries.

I’ve also coached dozens of families at different stages in their homeschooling journey. Most recently, I founded Modulo with homeschooling dad, best-selling author and tech entrepreneur Eric Ries, to help families curate their children’s education, social and childcare experiences drawing from a diverse array of in-person and online resources.


During the last three years, I’ve devoted much of my time to reviewing and testing secular homeschooling curriculum and other resource. I’ve spent the last three years talking to thousands of secular homeschooling families, and poring over tens of thousands of secular curriculum reviews and testing physical curriculum and digital apps for with hundreds of students to find the highest quality, most engaging, personalized learning materials for every type of learner.

I’ve spoken about homeschooling and modular learning at multiple venues including SXSW EDU, NY Tech Meetup, and on the LiberatedEd podcast.

In 2022, Modulo was one of 8 organizations who were awarded the Bridge Grant from the Vela Education Fund to expand access to homeschooling and modular learning to under-resourced communities.

My experience in education and homeschooling has led me to believe that there is no perfect education for every child, but families have an extraordinary amount of wisdom they can apply to building the perfect education for their individual child.

My goal with Modulo is to make it possible for any family to easily build a customized education that their child will love, and that will empower the whole family to thrive, taking into account, social, emotional and academic needs.

I love to answer questions from parents and receive feedback on how we can improve Modulo, so feel free to reach out anytime! I personally answer all the questions and comments readers leave on my blogs.

In my free time, I like hiking, traveling the world, tasting ceremonial grade matcha, enjoying dark chocolate.

I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Brandeis University with highest honors, with a double degree in French Literature and American Studies and minors in Environmental Studies and Peace & Conflict Studies.

And I love to learn!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/manisha-snoyer-5042298/
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