Without the science content knowledge required to effectively teach this discipline, many elementary teachers struggle without the support of curriculum materials. Curriculum materials are often the main means by which these science practices and canonical knowledge are incorporated into lessons. As part of a 5-year longitudinal research and design project at a large university in the USA, faculty developed an elementary science methods course for pre-service elementary teachers. As a result the pre-service elementary teachers come to understand the Learning Cycle framework as support mechanism for science instruction. This study examined pre-service elementary teachers' use of curriculum materials in lesson planning by identifying types of instructional tools used during the Learning Cycle. Findings highlight the importance of providing pre-service elementary teachers with supportive frameworks and opportunities to learn to critique and adapt curriculum materials in order to begin the development of their pedagogical design capacity for Learning Cycle lessons.