STEM
December 4 - December 10, 2013

Find the latest educational resources from Iowa Public Television.

Taking the Earth's Temperature
Grades: 9-12

This video segment from FRONTLINE/NOVA: "What's Up with the Weather?" follows groups of climate researchers collecting temperature data from a wide range of locations in an effort to determine the current rate of global climate change relative to climate shifts of the distant past.

Joy Learno: Snowman

Grades: PreK-1

This video segment from Between the Lions is an animated non-fiction segment starring talk show host, Joy Learno. Joy interviews a snowman who likes to crack jokes about snow and ice. Then the snowman starts to melt. This video segment provides a resource for Vocabulary, and Language and Vocabulary Development.

Life on the Ice

Grades: 9-13+

In this video from the NSF and DRI, learn about WAIS Divide, an ice core project on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS), and hear from the people involved about the hard work and light-hearted fun that typifies day-to-day life in the WAIS Divide camp. Research scientist Brian Bencivengo, science coordinator Heidi Roop, and doctoral candidate Gifford Wong describe their experiences living on the frozen continent and the importance of the work they do. They are part of a team of 30 to 40 women and men collecting an ice core that they hope will help improve our understanding of past, present, and future climate conditions.

Why Do Snowflakes Come in So Many Shapes and Sizes?
Grade Range: 6-8

Are all snowflakes truly unique? What are the physical forces that drive snowflakes to come in so many shapes and sizes? In this lesson, students build an apparatus that creates conditions similar to a winter cloud and produce their own snow crystals indoors. By watching the snow crystals grow, they learn about the molecular forces that shape ice crystals, and gain a deeper understanding of the states of matter. By exploring media resources, including microphotographs of real snowflakes, students also learn about molecular forces, the particulate nature of matter, and condensation.

Inspiration From Hibernation
Grade Range: 6-12

In this video excerpt from NOVA scienceNOW: "Can We Live Forever?" learn how research on animal hibernation may lead to the successful development of drug therapies for humans. Scientist Matt Andrews studies hibernating ground squirrels-who can survive frigid temperatures for months-in an effort to better understand how hibernation impacts genes. Andrews discovers that several genes get turned on in some cells only during hibernation and reduce the squirrels' need for oxygen. It is possible that the development of drug therapies mimicking the hibernation experience may be able to help humans survive traumatic injuries like a heart attack or stroke.

1962 World's Fair Curriculum
Grade Range: 4-12

This comprehensive curriculum uses the 1962 World's Fair to invite students to explore life in the early 1960s, from pop culture, music and gender issues to the focus on science and technology brought on by the Cold War and the Space Race. Students also examine the culture of the Northwest in the mid 20th century and examine the wins and losses that come with large civic projects. Ten units feature numerous lessons and activities, primary sources, maps and more. The entire project is aligned to various standards in social studies and geography.

Resources | PBS LearningMedia | PBS KIDS | Iowa Public Television