For charter & independent-study programs

A hands-on food science curriculum, with every material included.

Little Loaf Labs teaches fermentation, microbiology, measurement, data, and the history of bread through sourdough. Each lab has documented learning objectives and produces student work that teachers can review.

Curriculum overview

Curriculum + instructional materials + lab equipment.

It’s not a kitchen gadget box. Families get a structured course with a parent and educator guide, so the adult doesn’t have to work out how to teach it.

Science
Mathematics
History
English Language Arts
Engineering
Life skills

Ages: 5–12 (K–6), differentiated by grade band
Format: Starter Lab kit + monthly lab subscription
Lesson length: 30–45 min activity, ~5 min parent prep
Student work: Field Journal: drawings, data tables, graphs, written conclusions
Assessment: Rubrics, reflection prompts, final project, certificate
Framework: California NGSS + math and ELA connections

Standards alignment

Mapped to California’s Next Generation Science Standards.

Sourdough is the context, and the standards come from what students actually do and show. Each finished lesson names the specific performance expectations it addresses.

Science & Engineering Practices · SEP 1–8
Ask questions, plan investigations, analyze data, use math, construct explanations, argue from evidence, and communicate findings. Applied in every lab.
Life Science · LS1 · LS2
Living organisms, their needs, and their interactions with the environment, starting from the starter’s microbial community.
Physical Science · PS1 · PS3
Properties and changes of matter in dough, temperature, and heat transfer during baking.
Engineering Design · ETS1
Define a goal, compare approaches, test a process, evaluate results, and improve the design. This is the capstone loaf.
Crosscutting Concepts · CCC
Patterns, cause and effect, systems and models, energy and matter, structure and function.
Mathematics · Measurement & data
Grams and units, fractions, ratios, scaling recipes, tables, and graphs.
English Language Arts · Informational writing
Scientific vocabulary, informational reading, note-taking, and written explanations in the field journal.

Area	Framework	What students do
Science & Engineering Practices	SEP 1–8	Ask questions, plan investigations, analyze data, use math, construct explanations, argue from evidence, and communicate findings. Applied in every lab.
Life Science	LS1 · LS2	Living organisms, their needs, and their interactions with the environment, starting from the starter’s microbial community.
Physical Science	PS1 · PS3	Properties and changes of matter in dough, temperature, and heat transfer during baking.
Engineering Design	ETS1	Define a goal, compare approaches, test a process, evaluate results, and improve the design. This is the capstone loaf.
Crosscutting Concepts	CCC	Patterns, cause and effect, systems and models, energy and matter, structure and function.
Mathematics	Measurement & data	Grams and units, fractions, ratios, scaling recipes, tables, and graphs.
English Language Arts	Informational writing	Scientific vocabulary, informational reading, note-taking, and written explanations in the field journal.

Grade 3

3-LS3-2

Use evidence that the environment can influence outcomes, through investigations of how conditions change fermentation.

Grade 4

4-PS3-2

Energy transfer by heat, introduced through the baking-temperature lesson.

Grade 5

5-LS2-1

Model the movement of matter among plants, decomposers, and the environment, from wheat and soil to microorganisms and food.

Scope & sequence

Six units across the program.

1
The History of Bread
History · Geography · Communication
2
From Wheat to Flour
Plant biology · Earth systems · Materials
3
Meet the Microorganisms
Life science · Microbiology · Systems
4
Water, Temperature & Fermentation
Experimental design · Measurement · Data
5
The Chemistry of Dough
Physical science · Chemistry · Materials
6
Engineer the Perfect Loaf
Engineering design · Mathematics · Evaluation

Differentiation

One curriculum, three grade bands.

Ages 5–8 · K–2

Picture-based observation, drawing, simple comparisons, and lots of adult-supported measuring. Kids can dictate notes to a grown-up.

Ages 8–10 · Grades 3–5

Predictions, controlled comparisons, vocabulary, data tables, and first graphs. Kids write their own conclusions.

Ages 11–12 · Grade 6

Variables, ratios, baker’s percentages, quantitative data, and evidence-based explanations, plus design improvements.

Vendor packet

Everything your vendor team needs to review us.

We’re preparing applications with California homeschool and independent-study charters now. Request the packet and we’ll send it as soon as it’s finalized.

Company overview and product catalog with SKUs
Grade-banded curriculum map with the specific CA NGSS performance expectations
Learning objectives, vocabulary, and scope & sequence
Sample lesson (Lab 001: The Living Starter) with assessment rubric
Sample student Field Journal pages
Parent & educator guide
Materials list, age guidance, allergen and food-safety documentation
Itemized pricing, W-9, insurance, and business documentation

Purchasing

Built to work with charter purchasing.

We’re setting up purchase orders, itemized quotes, school invoicing, and W-9s for each charter’s own vendor process.

Request the vendor packet Email us

For families

Want to use your charter’s instructional funds?

Ask your education specialist or teacher whether Little Loaf Labs can be added as a vendor.
Join the waitlist with your school’s name, so we know where to apply first.
We’ll list each school here as it approves us.

Little Loaf Labs is designed for homeschool and charter-school educational programs. Availability through charter instructional funds varies by school, and each school decides its own vendor and purchasing approvals.