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. The Anchor Layer is currently available for the 3rd-, 4th-, and 5th-grade units. It is recommended for teachers who are very familiar with Mystery Science 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."

The Anchor Layer is available for all Mystery Science paid memberships and free trials.

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!