Content addresses topics in physical, life, and earth and space sciences, as well as scientific investigation and reasoning skills. Content is organized in chapters that address key concepts in the TEKS for each grade level (e.g., examine properties of soils). Each chapter is made up of short lessons that address specific TEKS. Lessons are presented in three parts: (1) an Understand the TEKS introduction, (2) Guided Instruction, and (3) On Your Own independent practice.
Instruction is scaffolded, building from simple to more complex concepts. A set of icons indicates when Guided Instruction and On Your Own questions require higher-order thinking and connect content to other subject areas and real-world situations. Each chapter includes an “Investigate” activity and a “STAAR Minitest” formatted to reflect the STAAR exam. Teacher editions also contain two versions of a cumulative STAAR practice test, a table identifying the TEKS addressed by each practice test problem, and a prescriptive answer key to support reteaching.
Mastery Education®, formerly Peoples Education, is a creator of print and online educational materials for the K-12 school market, best known for the flagship brand Measuring Up®. The company focuses on supplemental instructional and practice materials that are standards-based and customized for specific markets. Founded in 1991, Mastery Education has a long history of accurate and astute content creation, working closely with educational partners and analyzing mandated standards and assessment criteria in order to create the most useful and relevant teacher support tools.
*The content in this section is provided by or adapted from Mastery Education.
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