This article describes and provides supporting empirical evidence of a curriculum mapping strategy to aid elementary school science teachers to articulate learning goals for a given curriculum and thus build a deeper understanding of the science content embedded within the curriculum. Seven teachers used the mapping strategy to collaboratively map out the learning goals for the science kit units they use in their classrooms. Three elements of the mapping strategy, conceptualized as components of culturally mediated learning, were found to be important contributors to the teachers' understanding of the units: the physical mapping table, the construct of types of knowledge (declarative, procedural, and schematic), and the process of collaborative sense making. Through the mapping, the teachers became more able to identify the learning targets of each lesson, understand how each aspect of the unit adds to or is peripheral to the trajectory toward achieving the learning goals, and adjust their teaching practices accordingly. Implications for professional development and curriculum development are discussed.