Yes and More. We are more than just a science kit. We offer STEM, STREAM, STEAM kits (pick one - this acronym keeps evolving) that you can purchase one-box-at-a-time, or in a bin for homeschools, classrooms or small groups. Inside the box (or bin) you'll find lessons with an easy-to-read picture-book Reader, lab pages, and lab equipment to do an initial experiment. However, we are not just a science kit. RATATAZ is a way, method, or process for learning. RATATAZ teaches your child how to learn science the way real scientists do – through research, asking and answering their own questions, tinkering and trying experiments, and sharing what they’ve learned with others.
Not exactly. We are not quite a course but, you can create a course using the individual boxes, homeschool, small group or classroom sets as a course. There are no tests, nor assessments, and there is no lesson plan. Although for small groups and classrooms, there is
a teacher's guide and many of the NGSS and state standards can be mapped onto our program, if that's important to you, your school, or your district
Not exactly. We are like a curriculum and all of the lessons are organized into learning progressions where ideas become more complex as students get older
This is how curriculums generally work and we do recommend you follow the , sequence, but you don’t have to. Our RATATAZ reader books deliver foundational content in a short 24-page picture book with real science words but not all the extra fluff, so they are not full textbooks and not meant to be. They may look too simple for some older students, but they are just as effective. We made them simple so that the content we are providing is accessible to young readers and we don't shy away from using college-level terms and concepts. We believe that if you are going to learn a new language it's best to start with simple books and learning real science is like learning a new language.
You can order as many or as few boxes as you choose
You can add as many children as you like to the box for a moderate cost. You will get the lab notebook pages and any consumables included in the kit for each child, but you will not receive additional Reader books.
The first set of kits are for elementary students in grades 2-5. We do have an advanced series in production for middle school and high school.
Yes and No. Our current Chemistry program is sequenced similarly to the sequence students will see in high school and college and this sequence aligns to some areas of the NGSS standards. However, we have a program in development that will align more closely to NGSS, TEKS and other state standards
Most of the materials are included for each experiment. The only items missing are any materials we cannot ship, like isopropyl alcohol, or common household items like staplers or tape.
All of the chemicals are common household items. We do ship small quantities of borax, citric acid, glucose, and soap which can be toxic if ingested, and we recommend that this kit not be used for very young children without adult supervision.
The first few kits in the chemistry series (and soon biology and physics series) are sequenced for you. The sequence is noted in the product description. We pick the sequence based on over three decades of educational research and experience. We've learned that when science is taught out of order, kids aren't given the building blocks they need to understand advanced concepts. Children need a conceptual framework in place to understand, organize, and retrieve what they are learning
If the box has not been opened and the materials have not been used, you can return a kit for a full refund. However, if the kit has been opened and the materials opened, we cannot accept returns.
Individual boxes ship at a flat rate. Shipping is calculated for small groups and classroom kits with the invoice.
Please contact us at hello@ratataz.com. We will track your order and get back to you as soon as we can. Please include your name, phone number, email, and order number.
Yes, you can change or cancel an order before it has been shipped.
