Deserts

Not all deserts are the same. This still collage produced for Teachers' Domain features views of different deserts around the world.

Desert Tortoise

This video segment from Outdoor Nevada examines threats to the desert tortoise population.

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Design: Building a House

This collection of images follows the process of building a house from cutting the trees and making the bricks to finishing construction.

Design for Function

In this video segment from Cyberchase, the CyberSquad designs an invention that will help them cross a swamp and also reach the top of a tall cliff.

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Designing a Paper Bridge

In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, cast members make a bridge from a single piece of paper. Will it be strong enough to hold a hundred pennies?

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Designing a Puff Mobile

The air you exhale can power a puff mobile. Watch as the ZOOM cast races their air-powered designs to see which design features are the most successful.

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Designing a Roller Coaster

In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, the cast is challenged to design and test a roller coaster with loops, hills, and U-turns.

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Designing Balloon Cars

Can the air in a balloon power a car? Watch students from Weston, Massachusetts, demonstrate their balloon car designs in this video adapted from ZOOM.

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Designing Electric Circuits: Steadiness Tester

In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, cast members discover that metal is a good conductor of electricity as they play the steadiness tester game.

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Designing Future Cities: Alternative Energy

In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, visit a class as they design a city of the future that will use solar, wind, and water power to fuel its economy.

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Design Squad: Sound

In this video segment adapted from Design Squad—a PBS TV series featuring high school contestants tackling engineering challenges—learn about the fundamentals of sound as student teams create percussive and stringed instruments for a local band.

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Design Squad: Suspension Bridge

In this video segment adapted from Design Squad—a PBS TV series featuring high school contestants tackling engineering challenges—students employ the concepts of tension and compression to build a suspension bridge without the aid of power tools.

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Design Squad: Truss Bridge

In this video segment adapted from Design Squad—a PBS TV series featuring high school contestants tackling engineering challenges—students employ the concepts of tension and compression as they build a truss bridge without the aid of power tools.

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Design: The Right Tool for the Job

Which tool is the right tool for the job? This collection of images features a series of cutting tools performing the tasks for which they were designed.

Dinosaurs

This video segment from IdahoPTV's D4K shows us what paleontologists think dinosaurs looked like, what they ate, and why they might have disappeared. We see paleontologists at work studying dinosaurs fossils.

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Disappearing Milk

A magician pours milk into a glass, but when he turns the glass upside down, nothing comes out. How does he do it? Discover the science behind the "magic" in this video adapted from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Discovering Antarctica

Take a guided tour of Antarctica by watching brief video segments of its landscape and wildlife in this interactive activity adapted from the British Antarctic Survey.

Diversity of Hardwoods at Congaree Swamp

In this video segment from NatureScene, observe some methods of plant identification with regards to the diversity of hardwoods at the Congaree Swamp.

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Documenting Glacial Change

This collection of comparative glacier images adapted from the National Snow and Ice Data Center shows substantial changes in five Alaskan glacier positions over periods of 60 to 100 years.

Dolly Garza: A Tlingit and Haida Scientist

In this interactive resource adapted from Raven Radio/KCAW, listen to biologist Dr. Dolly Garza as she explores the sea otter population of Sitka, Alaska, from the perspectives of her tribal heritage and her Western education.

Dolphin Reproductive Behavior

This video segment from the Science and Technology Chat series focuses on dolphin pregnancy, birth, and care of the young, and features Atlantic bottlenose dolphins living in captivity at the Mirage Resort Dolphin Habitat.

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Don't Mess with Mercury

Learn about the dangers of mercury in this short video from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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Down to the Core Challenge

In this video from Design Squad Nation, kids design and build devices that can extract a core sample from a potato “asteroid.” They also learn how samples give NASA scientists insight into solar system objects.

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Dragonflies in Kentucky

This KET video segment from Kentucky Life explains the differences between dragonflies and damselflies and explores their habitats.

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Dress for the Weather

Learn more about the seasons and help George dress for the right time of year with this interactive game.

Drilling to Antarctica’s Rock Core

In this video adapted from ANDRILL, find out how geoscientists get through more than a dozen football fields of ice and water in order to study the rock and sediment beneath Antarctica.

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Dustin Madden: Science Teacher

In this video profile produced for Teachers' Domain, meet teacher Dustin Madden, an Iñupiaq who hopes to inspire students to take an active role in protecting the natural environment by giving them a foundation in math and science.

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Earth in Motion: Seasons

This interactive activity from the Adler Planetarium explains the "reasons for the seasons." Featured is a game in which Earth must be properly placed in its orbit in order to send Max, the host, to different parts of the world during particular seasons.

Earthquakes

This video segment from IdahoPTV's D4K describes what causes earthquakes, how scientists measure them, where they occur and how to be prepared for one.

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Earthquakes: The Prehistoric Record

In this video segment adapted from NOVA, a geologist digs a trench along the San Andreas Fault to reveal three thousand years of earthquake history. Information from the layers of sediment may help geologists to predict earthquakes.

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Earth System: Drought and Air Quality

This video segment adapted from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center discusses how a drought can have negative effects locally, for example by increasing the number of forest fires, and also globally, for example by impacting air quality thousands of miles away.

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Eating Healthy Foods

In this video adapted from Media That Matters, students explain how healthy foods help your body and processed foods can harm it.

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Eclipse of the Century

This video segment adapted from NOVA features spectacular footage from the 1991 solar eclipse that fortuitously occurred directly over several major astronomical observatories in Hawaiʻi.

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Eco Electronics

In this video adapted from DESIGN SQUAD, meet engineers who help protect the environment by recycling and using biodegradable materials.

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Ecology

This video segment from IdahoPTV's D4K defines ecology and ecosystems and explains how all living and non-living things in an ecosystem interact and depend on the energy of the sun.

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Electric Girl

Anna loves electricity. Watch her construct a homemade flashlight and show off her new, electrifying hairdo in this video segment from ZOOM.

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Electricity

This video segment from IdahoPTV's D4K explains some electrical vocabulary and follows the route of electricity from its generation to the home.

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The Electromagnetic Spectrum: NASA

From radio waves to gamma rays, this video segment from NASA introduces the seven categories of the electromagnetic spectrum and how each type of radiation is part of our everyday lives.

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Electronic Gadgets

Two kids learn some surprising facts about the parts in their computer game, in this animated video from LOOP SCOOPS.

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Elk

This video segment from IdahoPTV's D4K describes the yearly life cycle of elk and follows them from their winter habitat to their summer habitat and back.

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Endangered Species

This video segment from IdahoPTV's D4K explores the many reasons why animals become endangered or become extinct.

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Energy Flow

This feature, adapted from Interactive NOVA: "Earth," follows the path of energy as it is transferred via the food chain from one type of organism to another.

Energy Flow in the Coral Reef Ecosystem

This video segment, adapted from NOVA, describes the energy flow in a coral reef, including its food web.

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Energy in a Roller Coaster Ride

See potential energy convert to kinetic energy in this interactive activity from WGBH that shows a roller coaster in action.

Erick Ordoñez: Materials Engineer

In this video from Design Squad Nation, NASA materials engineer Erick Ordoñez explains how he makes sure that the materials NASA sends into space are problem-free.

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Erosion and Weathering

Erosion and weathering may be caused by a variety of factors including wind and water. This still collage produced for Teachers' Domain features images of rock, soil, and beach erosion.

An Everglades Visit

In this adapted video segment, ZOOM guest Tommy takes us on a tour of the Florida Everglades. He describes what makes a wetland biome unique, including the soil, precipitation, and biodiversity.

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Look At Me Now

Children go through countless physical changes during the first year of their life. Look At Me Now, an original KET interactive, depicts a year in the life of a baby through photos, and highlights the changes we experience while growing.

What Do You Get From That?

Children learn how farm animals contribute to people’s lives by providing food for the table and clothes to keep them warm.

Zoo Safari

Take a trip to a zoo and learn more about some of our favorite animals.

Exoplanets

This video segment from IdahoPTV's D4K shows the tools scientists use to search for exoplanets and describes possible characteristics a planet might have to support life.

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Expedition 8 Crew Talks to Students in Japan

In this video segment adapted from NASA, students in Matsuyama City, Japan, interview Expedition 8 Commander and NASA Science Officer Mike Foale and Flight Engineer Alexander Kaleri about life and work aboard the International Space Station.

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Experimenting with a Glass Xylophone

In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, the cast investigates how the pitch of sound changes when they strike a variety of glasses filled with different amounts and types of liquids.

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Experimenting with a Lemon Battery

Can a fresh lemon power a digital clock? In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, the cast shows you how this can be done and, in the process, discover how kids can be a part of an electric circuit.

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Experimenting with a Pendulum

In this video segment, members of the ZOOM cast experiment with a pendulum and discover what they need to do to make the pendulum complete one back-and-forth swing in five seconds.

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Exploring Conductivity: Kid Circuits

In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, cast members join hands and become electron conductors to complete an electric circuit.

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Exploring Tidepools

In this interactive activity adapted from the National Park Service, learn about tidepools and then try to identify the organisms that live there.

Exploring Windmill Design

In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, cast members are challenged to design a windmill that can be powered by a hair dryer.

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Extreme Temperatures on the Moon

In this video segment adapted from Interactive NOVA, astronaut John Young experiences extreme temperatures on the Moon that are a result of the Moon's low gravity and lack of atmosphere.

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Falconry

This video segment from IdahoPTV's D4K defines falconry and shows some of the equipment used for training a falcon to hunt.

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The Falls of the Ohio

This video from KET examines one of the largest exposed fossil beds in the world, found at the Falls of the Ohio River, near Louisville, Kentucky.

Farm Solutions to Water Pollution

In this KET video from Common Ground and Cleaner Water, Tribby Vice, a Kentucky farmer, talks about the changes he has made on his farm to protect the water quality of the stream running through his property and the watershed in which he lives.

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Finding the Dew Point

In this video from Cyberchase, the CyberSquad learns to keep track of both air temperature and humidity so they can predict when fog will appear.

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Firth of Forth Cantilever Bridge

This video segment from Building Big: "Bridges" demonstrates the basic design of a cantilever bridge by looking at Scotland's Firth of Forth Railway Bridge.

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Fishing for Safe Food

This interactive game adapted from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is a fun way to learn which types of fish contain low levels of mercury and are safe to eat and which contain high levels and should be avoided.

Fish Research

This video segment from IdahoPTV's D4K explains the Chinook salmon's life cycle in the Pacific Northwest and why it is an endangered species. A fisheries biologist takes students through some steps of fish research with explanations of the kinds of information biologists gather to perhaps help manage fish recovery.

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Fledglings

Witness eaglets begin to fly in this video segment from Nature.

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Flight

This video segment from IdahoPTV's D4K takes you on a flight with a young student and a pilot as you learn about the 4 aerodynamic forces which are present when air is moving past an object such as an airplane.

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Flood: Farming and Erosion

In this video segment adapted from NOVA, scientists investigate how farming along the Mississippi River impacts floods and what can be done about it.

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Flood Plain and Higher Ground Habitats

This video segment from NatureScene features the area of the Congaree Swamp where the high ground and the flood plain meet. Learn how a few feet of difference in elevation on a floodplain can yield drastic changes in what you’ll find living there.

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Florida's Spring

This video from Nature provides an introduction to Florida’s springs and how they were formed.

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Food Web

This short video segment from IdahoPTV's D4K illustrates how a food web works.

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Force and Motion

This video segment from IdahoPTV's D4K explains and gives examples of Sir Isaac Newton's 3 Laws of Motion using the rides at an amusement part.

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Forests

This video segment from IdahoPTV's D4K describes rain, temperate and boreal forests and some of the animals that live in them.

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Fossilized Dinosaur Bones

This still collage produced for Teachers' Domain features a variety of images of fossilized dinosaur bones, which provide evidence for the existence of these fascinating reptiles.

Fossils

Fossils are indicators of past life. This collection of still images produced for Teachers' Domain features examples of fossils from plants, animals, and insects.

Fossils

This video segment from IdahoPTV's D4K explains how fossils are formed, discusses the Hagerman Horse fossil found in Idaho. It describes the tools Paleontologists use and why they study fossils.

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Frogs

A boy named Ben learns about the dangers of invasive species—in this case, frogs—in this animated video from LOOP SCOOPS.

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From Seed to Flower

Watching plants grow is like watching paint dry: It happens so slowly that the changes are imperceptible from one moment to the next -- and yet the end results are dramatic. This video segment shows just how amazing plant development can be by depicting various phases of the process using time-lapse photography. Footage from NOVA: "The Shape of Things."

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From Seed to Fruit

Children get a glimpse of what happens underground in the life of a cherry tomato plant in this original animated video from KET.

From Seed to Fruit Interactive

Children get a glimpse of what happens underground in the life of a cherry tomato plant in this original animated video from KET.

From Wilderness, to Wilderness

This video segment from Nature: “Radioactive Wolves” examines the evolution of part of the Pripyat Marshes under Soviet rule from wetland wilderness to agricultural and nuclear powerhouse and back again after the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Galileo: Discovering Jupiter's Moons

This video segment adapted from NOVA shows how Galileo, using his newly developed refracting telescope, observed four of Jupiter's moons, the first astronomical bodies to be discovered since ancient times.

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Galileo on the Moon

Watch Apollo 15 astronaut David Scott perform Galileo's falling objects experiment on the Moon in this video segment from NASA.

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Galileo: Sun-Centered System

In the early 1600s, most people believed that the Sun revolved around a stationary Earth. This video segment adapted from NOVA tells how Galileo proved that the Sun, not Earth, is at the center of our universe.

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Galileo: Sunspots

This video segment adapted from NOVA shows how Galileo used his telescope to carefully observe and study sunspots.

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Gallery of Visual Illusions

Are your eyes playing tricks on you? Discover more about eyesight and the brain as you test your eyes with these visual illusions adapted from the University of Washington's Neuroscience for Kids Web site.

Garbage

A boy named Oliver learns how to reduce the amount of trash he discards, in this animated video from LOOP SCOOPS.

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Geology

This video segment from IdahoPTV's D4K describes and shows photos of the forces that shape the geology of the earth, including earthquakes, volcanoes, water, and glaciers.

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Geology of Death Valley

This video segment from NatureScene examines the landforms of Death Valley and how they came to be.

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Geology of North Dakota Badlands

See how the geology of the North Dakota badlands has changed over time in this video segment from NatureScene, featuring the landscape at Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

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Geothermal Power

This video segment from Vegas PBS shows the important role geothermal energy systems can play in making a more energy-efficient and greener building.

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Germinator

This ZOOMSci video segment teaches you how to germinate seeds in a plastic bag and helps you understand some of the factors that influence the germination process.

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Getting Fit at the Gym

In this video adapted from the In the Mix, watch the kinds of exercise students do to keep in shape.

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Gila Monster

This video segment from Outdoor Nevada looks at the Gila monster's behavior, habitat, and unique adaptive characteristics.

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Glider Boy

Meet 12-year-old Jesse, the designer of dozens of gliders, in this ZOOM video segment. Some of his gliders fit in your hand, while others can only be stored in the garage. Watch his gliders go and learn why they fly.

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Global Warming: The Hydrogen Car

Is the hydrogen car the answer to global warming? This video segment adapted from NOVA/FRONTLINE looks at the pros and cons of this developing technology.

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The Grand Canyon: How It Formed

This video segment adapted from NOVA uses animation to present the theory of how the Grand Canyon was formed and features rare footage of a phenomenon known as debris flow.

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The Grand Canyon: The Top Two Rock Layers

This brief video segment adapted from NOVA uses illustrations and the well-preserved footprints of a small reptile to portray the history of the Grand Canyon's top two rock layers.

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Grass Bridge

In this video segment adapted from NOVA, watch residents of the Peruvian Andes build a suspension bridge made entirely of grass.

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