A Rocket & Raven series
NGSS-aligned phenomenon-based science. 12 weeks of real science per grade.
Science Launch is a phenomenon-first STEM workbook series. Each week opens with a real, observable puzzle (why do rocks crumble, how do magnets steer, how does a roller coaster keep going), then walks kids through the NGSS 5E learning cycle (Engage → Explore → Explain → Elaborate → Evaluate) over five days. Reading, math, writing, and engineering are interleaved, because that is how real science works. Authored in consultation with classroom teachers; aligned to NGSS and Common Core. No anthropomorphism, no invented facts.
Pick the workbook for your child's grade.
NGSS-Aligned Phenomenon-Based Workbook · 12 Weeks of Real Science
Why do rocks crumble? Why does ice float? How does sand work? Twelve weeks of phenomenon-based investigations for 2nd graders.
NGSS-Aligned Phenomenon-Based Workbook · 12 Weeks of Real Science
Where does water go? How do magnets steer? Why are there different dogs? Twelve weeks of phenomenon-based investigations for 3rd graders.
NGSS-Aligned Phenomenon-Based Workbook · 12 Weeks of Real Science
How does a roller coaster work? How do whales find fish in the dark? Twelve weeks of phenomenon-based investigations for 4th graders.
It means each week starts with a real, observable thing, not a topic in a textbook. NGSS research shows kids learn science best when they begin with something they can wonder about, then build toward an explanation. Our weeks open with a puzzle ("Why do puddles disappear?") and end with the child being able to answer it the way a scientist would.
Yes. Each weekly module maps to specific NGSS performance expectations, and the back matter lists every alignment grade-by-grade. NGSS is a registered trademark of Achieve; our use describes alignment to the public framework, not endorsement by NGSS.
No. The "Try It at Home" investigations use common household items: paper, water, magnets, a flashlight. Each one starts with a safety pledge and a parent-friendly setup note. There's no required kit to buy.
Pick your child's current grade. Each book is calibrated to the NGSS performance expectations and the math/reading levels for that grade. Going one grade up or down is fine if your child is well above or below level.
If they like asking "but why?" then yes. The phenomena are chosen to be genuinely curious-making (rocks crumbling, monarchs migrating, magnets steering, voices traveling). Pages are designed to feel like a science notebook, not a worksheet.