Uinta County School District #1 adopted STEMscopes Science more than a decade ago to create greater coherence in its elementary science instruction. Since then, the district has developed a collaborative, cohesive approach that emphasizes hands-on learning, data-driven instruction, and strong vertical alignment from kindergarten through fifth grade.
Today, fourth grade science scores in UCSD #1 consistently outpace the state average, and students are better prepared for secondary science instruction.
“Before STEMscopes Science, we were using a little of this and a little of that, trying to meet the standards in the best way we could,” said Joseph Ingalls, assistant superintendent of curriculum for grades K-5 in UCSD #1. “We were looking for a resource to add consistency across our four elementary schools. We liked how STEMscopes Science aligned with our state standards. It had everything we were looking for, and it continues to support us in the direction we’re heading with our standards today.”
The rural district, which is located in the foothills of the Uinta Mountains in the southwest corner of Wyoming, launched STEMscopes Science in grades K-5 in 2014. The program combines a digital curriculum with supplemental print materials and ready-made exploration kits to provide a comprehensive approach to science through the student-driven inquiry of phenomena.
“STEMscopes Science is our primary resource,” said Josh Cox, the science teacher at Clark Elementary. “STEMscopes — and the data it provides — drives everything we do.”
In UCSD #1, all elementary science classes are taught by dedicated science instructors. Each science class meets for 75 minutes every second or third day, depending on the school.
“Our teachers appreciate how interactive STEMscopes is. It’s engaging, and it gets kids involved,” said Ingalls. “Kids aren’t just opening a textbook; they’re doing science and talking about science. That’s motivating for teachers, too. You can see their enthusiasm. That makes a big difference.”
Each chapter or “scope” in STEMscopes Science is developed around the research-based 5E (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) model of instruction. STEMscopes also includes Intervention and Acceleration phases so teachers can adjust the pace and depth of instruction to meet students’ needs.
“Hands-on learning gets kids excited about science,” said Jeremy Lash, the science teacher at Uinta Meadows Elementary. “We do a lot of that here because it’s so powerful.”
“During the Engage phase, I can assess students’ prior knowledge and get them interested in what they’re going to be learning about,” said Dayna Sharp, the science teacher at North Elementary. “My students get most excited about the Explore activities. They love it when they come in and see that they get to do an experiment.”
Within STEMscopes Science, students can access a variety of multimedia tools, such as Picture Vocabulary during the Explain phase and PhET Interactive Simulations during the Elaborate phase. These tools not only make abstract concepts more concrete and accessible, but they also connect concepts to real-world examples that make science feel more relevant to students’ lives.
In UCSD #1, teachers use the Picture Vocabulary to explain key terms to students through pictures and definitions. “I like printing out the cards and creating a word wall in English and Spanish,” said Valeri Woodruff, the science teacher at Aspen Elementary. “They’re perfect for review, and students can refer back to them whenever they need them.”
“The PhET simulations are really helpful for topics like electricity that are difficult to demonstrate in the classroom,” said Lash. “Having students manipulate things in a virtual environment is very impactful — and it eliminates the struggles and misconceptions that can come from using faulty equipment.”
In addition, the STEMscopes Science hands-on kits, which align with the digital lessons, provide materials and resources to spark curiosity and support experiential learning.
“The district purchased kits for every teacher back in 2014,” said Cox. “Since then, we’ve just been replenishing materials as we need to.”
“Everything is packaged and labeled in STEMscopes so you know what goes with what unit. It also includes a list of materials, and you can find the materials almost anywhere,” said Lash. “That’s very helpful in rural Wyoming if you live 100 miles away from any major city.”
STEMscopes Science includes embedded support for teachers — such as lesson plans, videos, and how-to guides — to help them continuously improve their teaching.
“With STEMscopes Science, the prep is easy,” Lash said. “Everything is laid out for you. If I had to come up with the experiments and materials on my own, it would be an insurmountable amount of work.”
Cox agrees. “STEMscopes Science takes a lot of the mental load off a teacher. You don’t have to go search for anything or try to create everything yourself. It’s all right there,” he said.
“This is my second year teaching science in elementary school, so I appreciate that STEMscopes Science has the Teacher Background. I can see what the big idea is and what we want students to really grasp in the unit,” said Woodruff. “I like the way the phases build on each other. It all flows so smoothly.”
According to Woodruff, the teacher videos for the Explore activities are particularly helpful. “We also share them with our teacher aides and subs so they can see the objective and where we want the kids to go with the Explores,” she said.
“We’ve seen the student population as a whole become more adept at science,” said Lash. “By the time students get to fifth grade, I can push them further than the fifth graders 10 years ago or even five years ago.”
That success is evident in district data. Over the past three years, fourth grade science scores in UCSD #1 have consistently outpaced the state average.
| Year | State | District |
| 2022-23 | 50.23% | 63.33% |
| 2023-24 | 52.03% | 60.28% |
| 2024-25 | 55.25% | 63.18% |
"A lot of the assessment questions in STEMcopes Science closely mirror what students see on the state assessment,” said Cox. “There are open-ended and griddable questions; it’s not just multiple choice or fill in the blank.”
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