Use the student's written evidence to check the science claim.
Summative
The finished project explains the process with evidence.
The student journey
This is a build — not a worksheet packet
Every lesson runs like the story students are about to make: read it, write it, build it, polish it, publish it. The printables scaffold each stage — the published Elementari project is the destination.
1
📖
Read
Students read a short, high-interest passage — a real-world hook, not a dry textbook definition — to spark ideas for what they'll make.
📖The Great Spring Thaw
High in the Sierra Nevada mountains, a vast treasure of water is kept locked away all winter. Blankets of snow pile up, creating a deep snowpack that acts as a natural reservoir. This isn't a lake or a tank, but a frozen storehouse of water…
SourcesNASA ScienceSouthwest Climate Adaptation Science CenterCalifornia Air Resources BoardGeography Realm
In the studio, students bring the project to life — adding art and following the exact writing and coding steps shown below. The Studio Compass walks them through it, one step at a time.
🧭Studio CompassStep 1 / 5
TITLE PAGE
TITLE PAGE: the project title is already present; no student writing or coding.
Key words — tap to learnCreate Variable
Each step checks off & advances on its own
All 5 studio steps · dynamic to the project
1TITLE PAGE~10 min
2Build the opening — Setup~5 min
3Build the opening — Code~5 min
4Build the resolution~25 min
5Build the ending
4
🔁
Polish
ongoing
Teacher and peer feedback pin right onto the project — students revise until it's ready to share.
Feedback on the project2 pins
🍎
Add one more sentence here so readers get the full picture.
👍 2Teacher
A
The interaction is clear — it helps the reader follow the project!
A couple of things to gather, a few quick steps to prep — then you're ready to hand it to students.
What you need
A device per student or pair
Internet connection
Prep · about 10 min
1Print the student kits
2Assign this lesson to your students
3Skim the build steps
Teacher background
What you need to know
The Sun's energy warms snow and ice so meltwater forms. That water can evaporate, run off across the land, or soak down into the soil to become groundwater, so sunlight begins the drop's movement through the water cycle.
Key terms
evaporation
When water turns into an invisible gas and rises into the air.
runoff
Water that moves across the ground and joins streams or rivers.
groundwater
Water that soaks into the soil and is stored under the ground.
snowpack
The deep blankets of snow that store water through the winter.
solar radiation
Energy from the sun that warms the land and the snow surface.
Watch for these misconceptions
✕
No use of the key term "evaporation" in the opening. →Prompt the student to circle the sentence that mentions the sun and add the single word "evaporation" nearby as a label, then reread to make the sentence still sound like first person.
✕
Inconsistent use of the notebook label (different bead label on the opening vs. resolution/ending). →Ask the student to check the bead label they authored on the opening page and reuse that exact label into the resolution and ending lines so the reader can follow the same bead.
✕
Vague description of groundwater or infiltration that does not show the bead reaching soil. →Ask the student to add one short phrase that uses the words "soak into the soil" or "recharge groundwater" to make the ending more specific.
Standards alignment
Aligned to the standards you teach
Every task maps to a specific standard, so planning and reporting are covered.
Tracking 7 frameworks: Common Core ELA, Common Core Math, NGSS +4
CCSS · ELA2NGSS12 frameworks · 3 standards · DOK 2–3
CCSS · ELA
Common Core State Standards — English Language Arts
2 standards
W.5.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
W.5.6
With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting.
NGSS
Next Generation Science Standards
1 standard
5-ESS2-1
Develop a model using an example to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interact.
Full task-by-task mapping — including Depth of Knowledge — is in the answer key.
Differentiation & accessibility
Built to reach every learner
One lesson, three built-in paths — with accessibility baked into the materials, not bolted on afterward.
Extra support
Emerging readers & writers
Read-aloud and multilingual support in the Elementari build
Studio Compass highlights one task at a time — including the coding
Sentence frames and a word bank so it is never a blank page
On grade
The core lesson
The passage and storyboard exactly as written
Model answers and “look-fors” in the answer key
Self-check chips at every milestone
Ready for more
Extension & challenge
Challenge vocabulary and a real-world extension question
Deepen one existing page or interaction — without changing the required mechanics
A longer, evidence-based reflection prompt
Accessibility, built inPredictable step-by-step structureOne task at a time · Studio CompassHighlighted response areasLow-stimulation printMovement-friendly pacingDesigned so every student can design, write, and code — with ADHD, autism, and dyslexia in mind.
Questions
Teacher FAQ
Do I — or my students — need to know how to code?
No. Coding concepts are introduced in plain language exactly when students need them, and Studio Compass confirms each milestone so students keep moving without you troubleshooting. The teacher guide walks you through the whole build, answers included.
How long does this lesson take?
About 2-3 days, paced into 45-minute class periods. You can spread it out or compress it — students pick up where they left off, so it doesn't have to finish in one sitting.
What devices does this lesson work on?
Students can read, write, code, and publish on Chromebooks, iPads, tablets, laptops, or desktops. All they need is a modern browser — nothing to download or install.
What is Studio Compass?
Studio Compass is the step-by-step guide inside the Studio. It shows students what to do next, identifies the exact coding blocks they need, and confirms completed milestones so they can keep moving independently.
How does this lesson support different learners?
This lesson includes read-to-me with synchronized highlighting, a built-in glossary, and picture-based storyboarding, with writing and coding scaffolds you can dial up or down. Students can work with guided support or more independently — and still finish the same project.
Ready when you are
Bring this lesson to your class
Import your class, assign in one click, and watch them build — the whole kit comes with it.
