How One Classroom Used The Little Thesis to Win a District Science Award

November 26, 2025 4 min read

TL;DR

A second grade class at Meadowbrook Elementary used The Little Thesis as the backbone of their semester-long science unit. By following the six-chapter framework - from asking questions to presenting findings - every student completed an original research project. The class went on to win their district's Outstanding Science Program award, beating out schools with twice their budget.

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The Challenge

When Mrs. Daniels took over the second grade class at Meadowbrook Elementary, she inherited a problem. Her 24 students loved science - but they froze the moment they heard the word "research." Past attempts at science fair projects had ended in tears, parental frustration, and posters clearly assembled by adults at midnight.

She needed a way to break the research process into steps small enough for seven-year-olds to own themselves.

Discovering the Framework

A colleague recommended The Little Thesis, and Mrs. Daniels ordered a class set. She was skeptical at first - a coloring book seemed too simple for what she was trying to accomplish. But as she flipped through the six chapters, she realized each one mapped directly to a stage in the scientific method.

She decided to spend one week on each chapter, giving students time to color, discuss, and then apply the concept to their own projects.

Week by Week

Weeks 1-2: The Spark of Curiosity. Students colored pages featuring Curious Cat and then brainstormed questions about things they noticed every day. One student asked why the cafeteria milk was always colder on Mondays. Another wanted to know if plants grew faster near the window or under the fluorescent lights.

Weeks 3-4: The Library of Leaves. Using the library and age-appropriate databases, students looked up what others had already discovered about their topics. They learned that research means building on what came before.

Weeks 5-6: The Great Guess. Each student wrote a hypothesis. Mrs. Daniels had them color the hypothesis pages first, then fill in their own predictions using sentence starters from the book.

Weeks 7-8: The Adventure Kit. Students planned their experiments. They listed materials, wrote steps, and identified what they would measure. The coloring pages helped them visualize the process before they started.

Weeks 9-10: Counting the Treasure. Data collection and analysis. Students used tally marks, bar graphs, and simple charts - all introduced through the coloring activities before being applied to real data.

Weeks 11-12: Telling the Story. Each student created a poster and gave a two-minute presentation to the class. Parents were invited for the final presentations.

The Results

Every single student completed an original project - a first for the school. But the numbers told a bigger story. On the district's critical thinking assessment, Mrs. Daniels's class scored 34 percent higher than the grade-level average. Students who had been reluctant readers were voluntarily checking out nonfiction books related to their topics.

When the district announced its Outstanding Science Program award, Meadowbrook Elementary won - beating out schools with dedicated STEM labs and three times the budget.

What Made It Work

Mrs. Daniels points to three factors. First, the coloring activities lowered the anxiety around each new concept. Students were engaged before they even realized they were learning. Second, the characters gave students a shared vocabulary - they would say "I'm doing the Curious Cat step" instead of "I don't know what to do." Third, the structure was repeatable. Students internalized the six steps and began applying them to questions outside of science class.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can this approach work with younger or older students? Yes. The six-step framework scales easily. Kindergarten teachers can focus on observation and questions, while fourth graders can dive deeper into data analysis and written reports.

How much does a class set cost? Visit our book page for current pricing on bulk orders. Educator discounts are available.

Do I need to follow the week-by-week schedule exactly? Not at all. Some teachers spend two days per chapter, others spend three weeks. The framework is flexible - adapt it to your class's pace and your curriculum calendar.

Is this aligned with any standards? The Little Thesis supports Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) practices, particularly Asking Questions, Planning Investigations, Analyzing Data, and Communicating Information. See our Teacher's Guide for a full alignment chart.

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