What is the Anchor Layer, or unit starter, and how do I turn it on?

The Anchor Layer enhances the Mystery Science curriculum with anchoring phenomena, student-driven inquiry, opportunities for students to develop and revise their ideas throughout the unit, and performance tasks. To see an overview of each unit's Anchor Layer, check out our Storylines document!

The Anchor Layer is currently available for 1st - 5th grade units, for all Mystery Science paid memberships and free trials. This is recommended for teachers who are looking for an enriched Mystery Science experience and have more than an hour allotted for science each week.

If you’re ready to take your NGSS-aligned instruction to the next level, you can add the Anchor Layer to your account by following these steps:

• Click on your name in the top right corner when you're logged into your Mystery Science account.
• In the drop-down menu, click "Account Settings."
• On the Account Settings page, you can turn the Anchor Layer on, then click "Save."

You can also use the toggle at the top of each unit:

Note: Homeschool accounts will not see this toggle; if you have a homeschool account and would like to access the Anchor Layer, please reach out to us!