Science for a Small Rural Wyoming School: 11 Units for Grades 3–5
Science for a Small Rural Wyoming School: 11 Units for Grades 3–5
A small rural Wyoming school can teach Grades 3–5 science together with the Elementary Science Curriculum: 11 hands-on units across life, earth and physical science, including weather, birds through the year, meadows and pollination, and forces and motion. Several units start with what students can see right outside. The curriculum costs $109.99 and downloads right away.
Open the science curriculumFor science in a small rural Wyoming school, the Elementary Science Curriculum ($109.99) gives Grades 3–5 eleven units: the water cycle, forest ecosystems, simple circuits, weather, meadows and pollination, forces and motion, the skeleton, light and shadow, and three units on birds. It is hands-on and works with several grades in one room. It includes no lab kits or supplies and no Wyoming-specific content.
The resources
Elementary Science Curriculum, Grades 3–5
11 resources in one download: $109.99 instead of $228.62 bought separately.
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Elementary Science Curriculum | Life, Earth & Physical Science | 11 Units | Grades 3–5
Elementary Art & Music Units Bundle | Rhythm, Singing, Instruments, Color Mixing & Printing | 5 Units | Grades 3–5
Complete Learning Books Bundle | 10 Units: Grammar, Math, Science, History, ESL, Art & Music | Grades 3–6
Environmental Science Units Bundle | Climate Change, Climate Data, Ecosystems, Resources & Climate Ethics | 5 Units | Grades 8–12
The real problem
Science with a few students and a lot of sky
Wyoming still opens small schools where the nearest district building is simply too far away. Antelope Creek School, a new one-room school, opened in 2024 on a ranch in remote northern Albany County, and a rural district once opened a schoolhouse for a single student. Many Wyoming schools also run on a four-day week. A teacher in a setting like that faces a particular science problem. There is no lab and no specialist, and the students span several grades, so a separate science unit for each grade is unrealistic. At the same time, the outdoors is right there. Weather moves across open country where students can watch it change through a morning. Birds come and go with the seasons. A meadow in June is a working lesson on pollination. What the teacher lacks is structure: units that turn those observations into planned lessons with vocabulary, worksheets and questions, written so a third grader and a fifth grader can do the same investigation at different depths. Ordering boxed kits for a handful of students rarely makes sense, so the lessons have to work with simple materials and what is outside the door.
Why it fits
Units that use the land around the school
Several of the 11 units are built around observation, which suits a school surrounded by open country.
- Observing & Understanding Weather turns daily sky-watching into a planned unit for the whole room.
- Birds Through the Year follows nests, migration and winter, so observations can run across seasons.
- Meadows, Flowers & Pollination fits late spring, when students can study plants near the school.
- Water & the Water Cycle connects the cycle to the rain and snow students already notice.
- Exploring Forces & Motion and Explore Simple Electric Circuits keep physical science going on indoor days.
- The Skeleton in Motion and Light, Shadow & Penumbra round out the year with body and light science.
Getting started
A year of science across several grades
One suggested way to order the units by season. Ranch and school calendars vary, so move them as needed.
- Fall: weather and birdsBegin with Observing & Understanding Weather and What Is a Bird? while days are mild. Students start a habit of looking and noting that every later unit uses.
- Late fall: water and forestsTeach Water & the Water Cycle and Explore a Forest Ecosystem before deep winter. Third graders draw and label; fifth graders explain the cycle in their own written sentences.
- Winter: indoor physical scienceUse the cold months for forces and motion, simple circuits, light and shadow, and the skeleton. Gather any simple materials the activities call for ahead of time, since none are included.
- Spring: migration and meadowsHead back outside with Birds Through the Year and Meadows, Flowers & Pollination as plants and birds return. Older students can lead small observation groups.
- Close with conservationFinish with Protecting Birds: Habitats, Conservation & Watching. It pulls the year's observations together and gives students a reason to keep watching over the summer.
What to buy
The science curriculum and two possible additions
The Elementary Science Curriculum at $109.99 is the core purchase; its 11 units cost $228.62 bought separately. If the same teacher also covers the arts, the Elementary Art & Music Units Bundle ($74.99, parts $124.95) adds rhythm, singing, instruments, color mixing and printing for Grades 3–5. A school with students across Grades 3–6 who need several subjects from one source could look at the Complete Learning Books Bundle ($99.90). For older students in Grades 8–12, the Environmental Science Units Bundle ($69.99, parts $124.95) covers climate data, ecosystems and natural resources.
Honest limits
Where the units stop
Nothing here is written about Wyoming. There are no lessons on Wyoming wildlife, geology or ranching, and no Wyoming standards codes, so check the units against the state's science standards and add local examples yourself. No lab kits, circuit parts, binoculars or other supplies come with the download. The units are for Grades 3–5; younger or older students need other material. If your district wants to share the curriculum between rural schools, send Teach Lessons a short message first. Not the right fit? Exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does this curriculum match Wyoming's science standards?
It is not aligned to or approved under Wyoming's science standards or by any district, and it carries no standard codes. The topics, such as weather, ecosystems and forces, are common in elementary science, but compare each unit with the state standards and your district's expectations before using it as your science program.
Can I teach Grades 3, 4 and 5 together?
Yes, and that is how a small school will most likely use it. Teach the same unit to everyone, then expect more from older students in writing and explanation. The curriculum is aimed at Grades 3–5 as a span, so you are not stretching material far beyond its intended range.
Do I need a lab or special equipment?
No lab is needed, and no equipment is included. Some activities, such as those in the circuits unit, call for simple materials you gather yourself. Several of the units begin with observation outdoors, which suits a ranch school well. Read each unit a week ahead so you have time to collect what it asks for, such as batteries or a flashlight, from home or the ranch.
Is there anything about Wyoming animals or landforms?
No. The bird units cover traits, seasons and protection in general terms. You can easily point students to the birds they see near the school, but the materials do not name Wyoming species or places. Keeping a simple class list of local birds through the year is an easy way to add that Wyoming layer yourself, and it ties the three bird units together.
We meet four days a week. Will the units fit?
The units are not tied to a five-day week. You can teach a longer session on one day or split a lesson across two. Plan outdoor observation for the days and times when students are actually at school, and keep indoor units ready for bad weather.
Is this a full year of science?
It is described as a full year of hands-on science covering life, earth and physical science. Whether it fills your particular year depends on your calendar and pace, and your state and district still decide what must be taught, so check for gaps before the year starts.
Plan the science year around your own schoolyard
See the 11 units on the product page and download the curriculum for your school.
Open the science curriculum