Short answer: Completely! Phenomena form the backbone of every Concept.

In Science Techbook, every Concept starts with a compelling real-world phenomenon and presents engaging topics like “Why do wolves howl?”, “How do bees find nectar?”, and “What causes shadows?” Students return to the anchor phenomenon throughout the Concept, with each new investigation and activity adding another layer of understanding.

What makes this approach effective:

• Four entry points: Phenomena can be introduced through video, images, datasets, or hands-on activities, giving teachers flexibility and students multiple ways to connect.
• Sustained engagement: The phenomenon threads through every lesson in a Concept, so students stay invested in figuring out why, not just learning what.
• Original content: For elementary students, �Ǹ����’s exclusive Real-World Phenomena Jr. series pairs short videos with ready-to-use instructional activities designed specifically to bring science to life. Older students also get age-appropriate content, hands-on activities, and interactives.
• Student-as-scientist: Rather than simply telling students answers, Science Techbook lets learners ask questions and make predictions, collect and analyze data, build and revise models, and make evidence-supported claims, like real scientists.

Would it be surprising to you that thinking processes used in one domain may be similar to processes used in another? that there are parallels between the processes involved in scientific inquiry/engineering practices and those involved in text comprehension.

For example, when students plan and carry out an investigation, they’re constructing meaning, just like when reading a text. When they analyze data from multiple sources, they’re coordinating information originating from different kinds of texts: their notebooks, class posters, discussions, and printed materials. When they make evidence-based claims, they’re adopting the same evaluative stance that strong readers take as they read.

In practice, high-quality science instruction asks students to:

• Read and discuss informational texts, including trade books, researcher-designed texts, graphs, tables, and digital simulations
• Write scientific explanations and arguments using claims, evidence, and reasoning—the same structure ELA standards emphasize
• Interpret and create multimodal representations, such as diagrams, data tables, drawings, and models (transferable skills)
• Engage in evidence-based discussion, supporting their ideas, responding to peers, and revising thinking and conclusions as needed

These actions lead to deeper text comprehension (even going beyond what’s being explicitly taught), analytical reading rather than scanning for information, and stronger reasoning used in writing across disciplines.