© 2026 Central Creativity | 13 www.centralcreativity.com Product Information Activities/Experiments Per Kit: 20+; Safety Glasses: 1 pair included; full-color Student Guide: 1 included; Access to digital resources Hands-On Literacy This hands-on kit helps build essential STEM and literacy skills by engaging in hands-on activities that foster learning. HLC-K2-25 K-2nd Grade $325 HLC-36-25 3rd-6th Grade $325 Teacher Guide HLC-K2-25 K-2nd Grade $425 HLC-36-25 3rd-6th Grade $425 Want to save money? Bulk discounts are available! Contact us for special pricing when purchasing 100 kits or more! © 2025 Central Creativity T10 BIG IDEA Students will explore how specialized polymers can selectively absorb oil while repelling water. ESSENTIAL INFO Nanomaterials are super tiny particles. They are so small that you would need to line up thousands of them to match the width of a human hair! These special materials can do amazing things that bigger materials can’t. For oil cleanup, some nanomaterials can soak up oil like a super-sponge, absorbing up to 100 times their own weight while completely avoiding water. Scientists can control some nanomaterials using magnets, moving them through dirty water to collect oil and then retrieving them afterward. ? ? ? WORDS TO KNOW • Polymer: A long chain of repeating molecules used to make materials like plastic, rubber, and nylon. • Hydrophobic: Something that repels or doesn’t mix with water. • Oil-solidifying polymer: A special material that absorbs oil while repelling water, making cleanup easier. • Skimming: A method of removing thin layers of oil from the surface of water. NOTES © 2025 Central Creativity T11 SAFETY • Always wear protective glasses when handling oils and chemicals. • Have students wash their hands thoroughly after conducting the experiment. • Never ingest any materials. • Properly dispose of oil in sealed containers. FOR INQUIRING MINDS WHAT OTHER MESSES COULD SPECIAL MATERIALS LIKE NANOSAND CLEAN? Scientists are developing similar materials to clean up paint spills, chemical leaks, and even microscopic pollution. WHY DO OIL AND WATER CREATE RAINBOW COLORS? The rainbow colors appear because light waves bounce differently off the thin layer of oil floating on water. NOTES © 2025 Central Creativity T6 The vowels can spell the short sounds /ă/, /ĭ/, /ŏ/, /ŭ/ and /ĕ/. Each vowel can also spell a long sound. If you listen to the long sounds /ā/, /ī/, /ō/, /ū/, /yū/, and /ē/, most of them sound like the names of the vowels. Phonetic Skills 1 and 2 tell us that when one or two consonants follow a vowel, the vowel sound is short. Today we will learn about Phonetic Skill 3. When no consonants come after the vowel, the vowel sound is long. PRO TIP: Some high-frequency words like to and do break this rule. If students ask, let them know that Phonetic Skill 3 is the rule, and the others are exceptions! Refer to the 5 Phonetic Skills Poster on page T9 Let’s prove a word with Phonetic Skill 3. First, tell me the sounds in we. (/w/ /ē/) Write the word w-e. (we) Mark under the vowel with an x. (x under e) Then we come around the word. Since there are no consonants after the vowel, we prove the vowel with a long vowel mark. This mark reminds us that when we read this word, we say the long vowel sound. Mark the vowel with a long vowel mark. (macron over e) Read the word twice. (we, we) You’ve got it! The word is we. We go to school early to eat breakfast.  Check for Understanding What does Phonetic Skill 3 tell us? (When no consonants come after the vowel, the vowel sound is long.) Phonetic Skill 3 Direct Skill Instruction (5 min): Have your students write and mark with you during instruction. we we we When no consonants come after the vowel, the vowel sound is long. © 2025 Central Creativity T7 Phonetic Skill 3 Dictation Word Bank (5 min): Choose 3–5 words to dictate. Provide corrective feedback as your students write and prove the words. Ask your students to read each word they wrote before they erase their boards. Decoding Transfer • Modeled Echo Read: The teacher reads, and then students repeat, like an echo. • Choral Read: Students read with the teacher. • Partner Read: Students read with a partner. • Independent Read: Students read by themselves. Materials Decodable Cards Decodable Passage Decodable Sentences Transfer (8 min): This section is critical for your students to move learning from isolation to context. Repeated readings are benef icial and encouraged. While the goal is for your students to reach the paragraph level of transfer, some students may need support at the word or sentence level f irst. Choose the option(s) most appropriate for your students. © 2024 by Reading Horizons 370 Decodable Cards Teachers: Cut the cards in half. Consider laminating for repeated use. Phonetic Skill 3 shem eb ew e he hi hi he so fluI go squish squids plit strong Phonetic Skill 3 shem eb ew e he hi hi he so fluI go squish squids plit strong Toolkit_T86-T100_Westchester_020724.indd 370 © 2024 by Reading Horizons 372 Name: Decodable Sentences 1. I said, “Hi,” when we met at the park. 2. He will be at the fish shop. 3. She was sick with the flu. 4. What can I help you with? 5. No, we will not go on the trip. Toolkit_T86-T100_Westchester_020724.indd 372 © 2024 by Reading Horizons 371 Name: Decodable passage Read the story and make an illustration to match. “Hi,” I said to Wu. “I am Dru.” “Hi,” he said to me. “This is Mo. She is with me. We will be in your class.” I will go with Wu and Mo to class. They had no pal yet. I will be their pal.