Students become engineers who design and build a cardboard arcade type structure that can move an object using pushes, pulls, ramps, or pulleys. This PBL is integrated with their Amplify Science curriculum unit called Pushes and Pulls. As part of the unit, students will also complete a take-home family activity in which they build a simple cardboard game using recycled materials. This experience allows students to explore how forces affect movement while engaging their families in the learning process. The Amplify science unit and take home project serve as foundational knowledge. Students will then work in groups of 4 lrarning to collaborate and as a group sketch and design an cardboard game. They wil them make the game using cardboard and various materials. The project ends with a Cardboard Engineering Expo in OPEN HOUSE, where students demonstrate how their design works to classmates and families.

This Kaleidoscope-aligned one-pager gives you a complete financial literacy credit unit ready for Inkwire. It supports portfolio-based learning (student guides), competency mastery (skill levels), and technology infusion (simulators, infographics). Perfect for Canvas integration.

Inkwire-Ready One-Pager: Credit Literacy Unit Project Title: Credit Mastery: Building Financial Futures 1. Driving Question How can you use credit wisely to build a strong financial future and avoid costly mistakes? 2. Essential Standards & Competencies Explain credit scores, credit reports, and key factors (payment history, utilization, length of history). Calculate interest costs on credit cards and loans. Analyze real-world borrowing scenarios (car loan, credit card debt, student loans). Demonstrate responsible credit habits (timely payments, low utilization, avoiding high-interest debt). 3. Authentic Audience Classmates, families, younger students, school counselors, or local bank representatives. 4. Student Products/Deliverables Credit Report Analysis: Review sample report and identify red flags/improvement areas. Interest Calculator: Show cost of carrying credit card balances over time. Smart Credit Guide: Infographic, video, or presentation with 5 key credit rules. Personal Credit Plan: One-page strategy for building credit responsibly. 5. Need-to-Know Content & Skills Content Skills Credit score ranges (FICO/VantageScore) Reading credit reports Payment history (35% of score) Calculating APR and total interest Credit utilization (<30% ideal) Scenario analysis (good vs. poor choices) Types of credit (revolving vs. installment) Creating visual financial explanations 6. Learning Experiences Day 1-2: Credit basics + score simulator activity. Day 3-4: Analyze real credit reports + calculate interest costs. Day 5-7: Case studies (car purchase, emergency debt). Day 8-10: Create final product + peer review. Day 11: Present to authentic audience + reflect. 7. Assessment & Reassessment Mastery Level Evidence Reassessment Path Novice Basic definitions Review + quiz retry Proficient Analyzes reports, calculates interest Revise analysis + show work Advanced Creates guide, presents clearly Polish product + audience feedback Reassessment Policy: Unlimited retries until mastery. Target specific skills. Use different scenarios/products for reassessment. 8. Success Looks Like Students can: ✅ Read a credit report and spot issues. ✅ Calculate how $1,000 credit card debt grows at 20% APR. ✅ Explain 5 ways to improve a 550 credit score to 700+. ✅ Create a resource others can use.

Grade 1: The Life Cycles Discovery Museum (Butterflies & Chickens) Each week, students create one "artifact" for their final exhibit while exploring how living things grow and change over time through the life cycles of butterflies and chickens. Week 1: What is a Living Thing? (Foundations of Life Science) Activity: Living vs. Non-Living + Life Cycle Introduction Students explore what makes something alive and are introduced to the butterfly and chicken life cycles. Materials: Living vs. non-living picture cards Chart paper and markers Life cycle diagrams (butterfly and chicken) Construction paper Crayons / markers Art: Draw and label a simple life cycle (egg → animal) Week 2: Butterfly Life Cycle (Biology & Observation) Activity: Caterpillar Observation Students observe live caterpillars and begin tracking their growth. Materials: Live caterpillar kit (cups with caterpillars) Magnifying glasses Observation journals Crayons / pencils Science: Learn stages: egg → caterpillar → chrysalis → butterfly Week 3: Metamorphosis (Change Over Time) Activity: Chrysalis Observation + Life Cycle Model Students observe metamorphosis and create a model showing the stages. Materials: Butterfly habitat with chrysalises Construction paper Glue String Markers Art: Create a hanging butterfly life cycle model Week 4: Chicken Life Cycle (Embryology & Incubation) Activity: Egg Observation + Incubator Exploration Students observe fertilized eggs and learn how chicks develop inside them. Materials: Incubator Fertilized eggs Flashlight (teacher-led candling) Observation journals Life cycle diagrams Science: Understand egg → embryo → chick Week 5: Hatching & Growth (Live Observation) Activity: Chick Hatching + Care Discussion Students observe chicks hatching (if timing aligns) and learn how to care for living animals. Materials: Incubator Brooder box Heat lamp Chick feed and water containers Journals Art: Draw and label a chick and its features Week 6: The Life Cycles Discovery Museum Showcase Setup: Students arrange their work from each week: Life cycle drawing (Week 1) Caterpillar observations (Week 2) Butterfly model (Week 3) Chicken life cycle (Week 4) Chick drawing/reflection (Week 5) Materials: Student work Display space (desks or boards) Labels Presentation: Students participate in a Gallery Walk, sharing one key idea: 👉 “First it starts as an egg…”

Bodies in Motion: Students investigate how exercise changes the heart, lungs, and muscles through movement, observation, and discussion. They build science understanding by measuring pulse and breathing, using diagrams and models, and showing what they learn about the different body systems. Working with classmates and the gym teacher, they collect evidence, reflect in journals, and revise their ideas to answer the essential question. The experience helps students connect body science to healthy choices and share practical findings with families and peers at the Heartbeat Expo.

Students will explore why the Sun is so important for life on Earth. Through fun, hands-on experiments and activities, they will discover how the Sun helps plants grow, and supports all living things. Throughout the project, students will craft personalized sun hats adorned with facts and images about the sun's importance to Earth's ecosystem. They will also create a solar bracelet that changes color in sunlight, serving as a direct demonstration of the sun's effects. They will use a daily reflective journal. To culminate their learning, Students will work in collaborative groups to create an informational poster answering the driving question, what makes the sun so important to life on earth? We will launch by having the students attend a planetarium where they learn about the sun.

Students will explore why the Sun is so important for life on Earth. Through fun, hands-on experiments and activities, they will discover how the Sun helps plants grow, and supports all living things. They will also do this while integrating their CKLA ELA curriculum and Amplify science curriculum. Throughout the project, students will craft personalized sun hats adorned with facts and images about the sun's importance to Earth's ecosystem. They will also create a solar bracelet that changes color in sunlight, serving as a direct demonstration of the sun's effects. They will use a daily reflective journal. To culminate their learning, Students will work in collaborative groups to create an informational poster answering the driving question, what makes the sun so important to life on earth?

Plant growth and Habitat How/why does the Superbloom occur? What conditions do seeds need to grow? We are learning how seeds travel (wind and animals).We are learning how sunlight and water affect seed growth. We are creating models and sketches and using observation to determine how seeds travel and the conditions needed for successful growth.