Q. Why does the curriculum include so many hands-on elements?

A. The authors designed the curriculum to reach students who retain information best through active participation. The hands-on components range from true experiments to creative projects, and most use common household items rather than specialized lab equipment. The goal is not just engagement for its own sake although that’s a big benefit! The structured experiments in particular are intentionally designed to build scientific thinking skills that will serve students well into high school and beyond.