Twig Elementary: Getting started with Lesson Explorer

In Twig Science Elementary, the curriculum content is arranged in a hierarchy. Grade-level content is organized in modules. Each module is made up of a number of Driving Questions and each Driving Question contains a series of lessons. 

Grade > Module > Driving Question* > Lesson

*Driving Questions are not available in Pre-Kindergarten (PK/TK).

Teachers and Administrators can use the program's Lesson Explorer to drill down through the curriculum hierarchy and view all student-facing content, educator resources, and lesson planning materials. You can also preview suggested answers to the lesson's assignments.

This article covers the navigation process and links to articles with more detailed information about modules, Driving Questions, and lessons.

To navigate through the Lesson Explorer:

1. Log in to Twig Science Elementary.

2. Access the Lesson Explorer in one of the following ways:

   Starting point	Instructions
   From the top of the Teacher Dashboard	Click a grade-level tile in the Grade Quick Links section. Fast Track-only customers will have tiles for Grades K–6; all other customers will have tiles for Grades PK–6.
   From the top of any page	A. Click Teach and then click Lesson Explorer. B. Select a grade level from the drop-down menu. Fast Track-only customers will have options for Kindergarten through Grade 6; all other customers will have options for Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 6.

3. The list of modules opens for the grade you've selected. A module is a basic unit of study centered around a theme or task that provides real-world, age-appropriate context for what the students are about to learn. Each module tile contains a link to the standards it covers and the trailer video to introduce the module to your students. 

   
   In Grade 3, the introductory module centers around pets and the next module is about designing a playground. 
    

    Recommendation

   Read more about modules and the resources available on the Modules page in All about modules.

   Click on the green circle () to drill down to the module's Driving Questions.
    

4. The tiles for the Driving Questions (DQs) display. A DQ is a sub-division of a module that presents a specific scientific question that all its associated lessons answer. Introductory modules may only have one DQ but most other modules have multiple DQs. 
   
   Each DQ tile has a link to the standards associated specifically with the DQ—this is generally a sub-set of the standards associated with the entire module.
   
    

    Recommendation

   Read more about Driving Questions and the resources available on the Driving Questions page in All about Driving Questions.

    Click the tile of a Driving Question (DQ). 

5. The lessons associated with the Driving Question display, organized by lesson type. A lesson is the smallest sub-division of Twig's curriculum content and contains all the resources you need to present the lesson to the class. Any available online assessments associated with the DQ will be listed on the right side of the page. Click a lesson tile to drill down to that lesson.

    Notes

   • Some districts choose to purchase only the Fast Track lessons.
   • Twig Coach lessons are not included in the Fast Track-only product and are not available in all states.

   
   The lessons page lists all types of lessons you have access to. You may not have all three types depending on the state you teach in and what your district has purchased.

6. The lesson opens on the Overview tab, which provides basic information about the lesson. Go to the Lesson tab to see the full lesson plan, or the Digital Resources tab to see the videos associated with each part of the lesson. Use the links on the left navigation sidebar to jump to a particular section on any of the three tabs. 
   

    Recommendation

   Read more about lessons and the resources available on the Lessons page in All about lessons. Within a lesson, you can also access the Twig book to preview answers.