Unit mysteries for more excitement & inquiry
The Anchor Layer gets kids excited to make more real-world connections throughout a science unit.
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Anchor Layer
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Anchor Layer
Enrich science units with:
A mysterious unit hook
The Anchor Phenomenon introduces students to a mysterious real-world occurrence. Students develop an explanation for it before any instruction takes place.
Lesson tie-ins to the mystery
Anchor Connections follow each unit lesson. Students apply what they learned in each lesson to revise their initial explanations of the anchor phenomenon.
A project-based activity
The Performance Task is a culminating activity to wrap up the whole unit. Kids apply everything they learned from the unit’s lessons in a new and fun project.
Students can see their own ideas evolve
Take a look at how this 4th grade class uses the Anchor Layer to deepen their understanding.
Ready to dive into the Anchor Layer?
To see an overview of each unit’s Anchor Layer, check out our Anchor Layer Teacher Guides.
