Cactus Curricula Quick Start Guide

A simple overview for teachers, co-op leaders, and parents

1. What Cactus Curricula Is

Cactus Curricula is a story-based forensic science program where teens investigate a mystery while completing hands-on labs and writing their own detective story. Each mystery runs for six weeks and blends three subjects:

  • Forensic Science
  • Creative Writing
  • Applied Critical Thinking

Everything is provided: story, evidence files, labs, writing support, and weekly structure.

2. How the Course Is Delivered

The course is hosted online for easy navigation and weekly structure. You can:

  • Access the teacher materials digitally from any device
  • Print only what students physically need
  • Complete the curriculum on your own schedule during your license period

There is no PDF download of the full course, but all the Student Edition’s essential pages are printable.

3. What to Print

The Print Center is your weekly hub for student pages.

Each week includes:

  • Evidence File pages (suspects, reports, codes, and clues)
  • Lab Worksheets (hands-on activities, data, and analysis)
  • A printable Table of Contents Checklist

Printing the weekly Evidence File pages and setting up a crime board (or binder) is strongly recommended. These visual tools help students make quick connections between suspects, clues, and events, and many families find that this hands-on setup boosts excitement, confidence, and momentum as the mystery unfolds.

The Teacher’s Edition stays digital for quick access and weekly guidance.

4. Weekly Flow

Each week follows the same predictable structure:

  1. Read the next portion of the story
  2. Review evidence
  3. Complete the Forensic Lab
  4. Discuss or reflect using the Collaboration / Reflection prompts
  5. Complete the Writing Assignment

This rhythm keeps things simple and manageable as the case unfolds.

5. Two Writing Paths (Students Choose Their Comfort Level)

Option A: Full Creative Writer

Students create their own version of the case, deciding:

  • Who did it
  • Why
  • How
  • And what happened behind the scenes

They must use the evidence and suspects from the mystery, but the plot is entirely up to them. This works wonderfully for enthusiastic and imaginative writers.

Option B: Guided Writer (Writing With Guardrails)

Reluctant or unsure writers can write alongside the main storyline. They gradually branch out with their own twists while still using the suspects and evidence, slowly gaining confidence.

This approach works beautifully for:

  • reluctant writers
  • anxious writers
  • neurodivergent teens
  • perfectionists who struggle to get started

6. How Writing Skills Build Across the Four Mysteries

Each mystery is designed to raise the level of writing sophistication:

  • Mystery 1: Foundations—organizing ideas, using evidence, writing from a perspective
  • Mystery 2: Plot development, pacing, motive, sequencing
  • Mystery 3: Character voice, emotional depth, multi-thread plotting
  • Mystery 4: Depth of detail, atmosphere-building, sensory tension, advanced word choice

We strongly recommend starting with Mystery 1 so that students develop skills gradually and feel confident as the mysteries progress.

7. The Science: What to Expect (How It Builds Across the Series)

The forensic science in Cactus Curricula is hands-on, accessible, and realistic. Students investigate each mystery using real methods with simple household materials. Because every lab ties directly into the plot, teens learn science through the investigation itself.

Across the four mysteries, scientific skills increase in depth and complexity, with a focus on forensics, chemistry, biology, ecology, and botany:

  • Mystery 1: Entry-level forensic techniques and basic chemical testing
  • Mystery 2: More chemistry, document examination, and analytical reasoning
  • Mystery 3: Biological concepts, ecological evidence, and environmental forensics
  • Mystery 4: Biochemistry, chromatography, botanical forensics, and pH toxicology

Each experiment is designed to be doable with household materials while still reflecting how real investigators analyze and interpret evidence.

Families who want to extend the science component can use the two optional end-of-mystery activities:

  • My Research Project (a short scientific investigation or report)
  • My Science Lab (a deeper hands-on experiment tied to the case)

These options allow students to earn additional science hours while the core curriculum stays streamlined and easy to follow.

8. How the License Works

Your license provides full online access, and all printed materials are yours to keep. This digital format keeps the curriculum secure and affordable while allowing ongoing updates and enhancements.

9. What You Need to Know Before You Begin

  • Start with Mystery 1
  • Print student pages weekly from the Print Center
  • Create a crime board or binder so students can visually track suspects, clues, and case details
  • Follow the weekly structure for reading, labs, and writing
  • Choose the writing path that best fits your student
  • Science and writing both build across the series
  • The Teacher’s Edition stays digital for fast navigation


See also:

Editions & Pricing
Cactus Curricula FAQ