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? — and 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?" — 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.