WHALE WATCHING (Field Trip Series): 25 min, grades 2-6: board the “Sea Explorer” of the Orange County Marine Institute at Dana Point, California and go into the Pacific Ocean to study whales and dolphins.
WHAT IS AN ENDANGERED SPECIES? Video and resource guide, grades K-3: Children talk about how they see themselves connected to all living things and how they would feel if some of the animals and plants they know disappeared from the Earth.
WHAT’S IN YOUR BACKYARD?(Life Habitat Series): 12 min, grades 2-5: A group of children explore the backyard habitat, and discover that many different organisms live and interact in our own backyard. Also covered are the kinds of vegetation which can be planted for food and ornamental purposes.
WHY DO GIRAFFES HAVE LONG NECKS? 23 min, grades K-2: Some of the most common questions kids have about animals are answered in this fun program, including why flamingos stand on one leg, why dogs wag their tails and why giraffes have long necks.
WONDERS DOWN UNDER (Really Wild Animals Series) DVD: 45 min, grades Pre K-4: Travel to the land “down under” and learn why the animals of Australia are so darn unusual! From leaping kangaroos to paddling platypuses to cuddly kolas, kids won’t believe the amazing variety of animals that make this island world their home.
THE WORLD OF PLANT AND ANIMAL COMMUNITIES:13 min, grades 1-6: In defining the term community for your viewers, the film shows how all living things depend on one another for food and shelter. Fascinating close-up photography invites viewers to explore several different types of communities—forest, desert, ocean, and grassland—to see how indigenous plants and animals have adapted to their special environments. The film stresses the importance of food chains in a community and the interrelationship between people, plants and animals in the food chains of the human community.
ARCHAEOLOGY
ARCHAELOLGY (Bill Nye Series): 30 min, grades 4-8: Archaeologists are kid of like detectives. They’re scientists who snoop through old or ancient people’s things to find out what life was like thousands of years ago. Archaeologists find ancient cities, tombs, and temples by taking aerial photographs of Earth, by reading old documents, or by just looking at the shape of the land. When they think they’ve found a site, the archaeologists pick up a shovel and start digging. When archaeologists get close to an object, they dig very carefully. Sometimes they dig with nothing but a toothpick and a paintbrush. Whew!
IN THE SHADOW OF VESUVIUS: Lost & forgotten for more than 1600 years, the once thriving trade center of Pompeii has been successfully uncovered by archaeologists.
MAGIC SCHOOL BUS SHOWS & TELLS DVD ONLY: 30 min, grades 1-3: Topic: Archaeology: It's the international and Very Important Show-and-Tell Competition, and Arnold and D.A. are representing Ms. Frizzle's class. Arnold brings a webbed hoop, left behind by his great-aunt Arizona Joan, a famous archaeologist, but he has no idea what it is! Using clues from the hoop and from Joan's old journal, the kids make educated guesses about its use. To test their hypotheses, Ms. Frizzle turns the bus into a Supposeatron, a magical device designed to evaluate guesses. Can the kids solve the puzzle before Arnold and D.A. take the stage?
ARCHITECTURE
ARCHITECTURE (Bill Nye Series): 30 min, grades 4-8: Bill uses the "Dollhouse of Science" to demonstrate how architects design buildings. Then, he travels to Japan to learn how pagodas are built to withstand earthquakes.
MAGIC SCHOOL BUS UNDER CONSTRUCTION: DVD & VHS: 30 min, grades 1-3: Topic: Structures: Two inches tall, and trapped in a bathroom at Wanda's house, the kids have to get out before Wanda's mother discovers them. Gathering building materials such as spiky hair curlers, sticky Band-Aids, dental floss, and cotton swabs, the kids use what they've learned about structure to construct a series of towers and bridges across the bathroom to an open window! They get across the toilet OK - but will they get past the alligator in the bathtub?
STRUCTURES (Bill Nye Series) DVD & VHS: 30 min, grades 4-8: In this episode, daredevil host Bill visits the "Bungee Zone" in British Columbia and one of the longest suspension bridges in the world to prove the structural principals of tension and compression.
WONDERFUL WORLD OF HOUSES: 42 min, grades 3-7: A multicultural video that explains to children why houses around the world are so different. Children accompany our explorer through time and location that include: days o f the cave man, ancient Egypt, Greece, China, and Rome. He tries to build a shelter as a Native American Indian before visiting the tropics of Hawaii and freezing in Alaska and many more exotic destinations.
ATOMS
ATOMS (Bill Nye Series) DVD & VHS: 30 min, grades 4-8: What’s the big deal about atoms anyway? In Atoms, Bill Nye explains how atoms combine to form molecules and that even though they’re too small to see with our eyes, they are the building blocks of all matter.
ATOMS & MOLECULES (Physical Science in Action Series): 23 min, grades 5-8: Students learn about the three main subatomic particles (protons, neutrons and electrons) as well as the forces that keep atoms and molecules together. They’ll also discover how atoms bond to one another to form compounds. Ionic bonds are formed when electrons are transferred from one atom to another, while covalent bonds occur when atoms share electrons.
CHEMISTRY
CHEMICAL REACTION (Bill Nye Series): 30 min, grades 4-8: Bill Nye the Science Guy demonstrates how everything is made of chemicals. Bill and special guest Candace Cameron (Full House) enter the lab to show children that fire is actually a chemical reaction and demonstrate how new chemicals are formed. Designed to correlate with National Science Standards, the program features an interactive question-and-answer format and hands-on activities.
CHEMICAL REACTIONS & ELECTRICITY (Science Clips for Students Series): 18 min, grades 5-8: Why are some reactions in the world around us irreversible? How is the flow of electrical energy in a complete circuit like water flowing over a waterwheel? Viewers observe chemical reactions in nature and in the lab to uncover the difference between physical and chemical changes.
MAGIC SCHOOL BUS READY, SET, DOUGH:DVD & VHS: 30 min, grades 1-3: Topic: Kitchen Chemistry: It's Ms. Frizzle's birthday, and a field trip to the bakery seems perfect...until the bus' shrinkerscope goes on the fritz and the class experiences chemistry first hand as they get baked in a cake!
PHASES OF MATTER (Bill Nye Series) DVD & VHS : 30 min, grades 4-8: Bill Nye the Science Guy explores the three phases of matter in this episode. Bill takes viewers on a tour of a steel mill to help demonstrate that matter exists in three phases: solids, liquids and gases.
COMMUNICATION
COMMUNICATION (Bill Nye Series): 30 min, grades 4-8: Animals communicate by exchanging information. Humans store information outside their bodies.
DID YOU EVER WONDER: HOW IS PAPER MADE?: 20 min, grades 3-6: Features a visit to the forest and a first-hand look at a giant Weyerhaeuser paper machine in Longview, Washington.
DID YOU EVER WONDER: HOW ARE PENCILS & TV SHOWS MADE?: 20 min, grades 3-6: Features a tour of the Ticonderoga Pencil Facility in Orlando, Florida, combined with a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the making of the “Did You Ever Wonder?” program.
COMPUTERS
COMPUTERS (Bill Nye Series): 30 min, grades 4-8: Bill Nye the Science Guy and his special guest, former Vice President Al Gore, explore the history of. In this episode, Bill and Al Gore trace the evolution of computers, from early models that took up entire rooms to the personal laptop. Designed to correlate with National Science Standards.
DID YOU EVER WONDER: HOW ARE COMPUTERS MADE?: 20 min, grades 3-6: Features a tour of Gateway 2000 Computers in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
MAGIC SCHOOL BUS GETS PROGRAMMED:DVD & VHS: 30 min, Grades 1-3: Topic: Computers: Ms. Frizzle's class arrives early to open the school for Mr. Ruhle. But there's so much to do! 'There must be a way of doing all these chores without actually doing them,' says Carlos. The school handyman, Mr. McClean, is in total agreement. Enter Mr. Ruhle's new computer! Then enter Mikey, Carlos's whiz-kid brother, who programs the computer to do all the chores. But when Ms. Frizzle shrinks Mikey and sends him inside the computer for a guided tour, everything goes crazy. And the only person who can fix the problem is Mikey - who is somewhere between the CPU and the hard drive!
EARTH
AIR PRESSURE: HOW HEAVY IS AIR? (Science for You Series): 15 min, grades 3-4: No description available.
ALL ABOUT CLIMATE & SEASONS (Weather for Children Series): 23 min, grades K-4: Winter, spring, summer and fall. We know what happens in our own back yards at these times during the year, but it isn’t the same everywhere in the world. When it’s warm and sunny where you are, it might be very different at other places in the world. Why do the seasons change? What causes different regions of the world to have different climates?
ALL ABOUT FORCES AND GRAVITY (Physical Science for Children Series): A force is a push or a pull. Join the host on a parasailing adventure to investigate how forces impact and shape everything that happens in the world around us. Learn about gravity and the work of Sir Isaac Newton. Focusing on the idea that forces can either be balanced or unbalanced this program makes such concepts as friction and magnetism accessible to kids through fun, real-life demonstrations.
ALL ABOUT SOIL (Earth Science for Children Series) DVD & VHS: 23 min, grades K-4: Soil is the loose top layer of the Earth’s surface, but what is it made of and how does it form? Why is it so important? Children will learn what components are needed to make the best soils for growing plants while discovering the important role that the forces of erosion play in the creation of this valuable resource.
ATMOSPHERE (Bill Nye Series) DVD & VHS: 30 min, grades 4-8: Bill Nye the Science Guy talks about atmosphere, its five different levels and how it protects the Earth. Bill also soars into the heavy topic of atmospheric air pressure and radio waves.
CAVES (Bill Nye Series) DVD & VHS: 30 min, grades 4-8: Bill Nye the Science Guy explores the fascinating, spooky and bizarre world of caves. In this episode, Bill explores the unique life forms found in caves and looks at the array of natural adaptations needed to survive in complete darkness. Designed to correlate with National Science Standards. DVD includes a printable teacher's guide filled with suggestions for extension activities and classroom experiments.
CLIMATE & SEASON (Weather Fundamental Series): 23 min, grades 4-7: A look at the wide range of climates around the world and how factors like the sun, wind, temperature, precipitation and position of the Earth determine the weather and the impact of the seasons.
CLIMATES (Bill Nye Series) DVD & VHS: 30 min, grades 4-8: In this live-action, fast-paced program, Bill Nye the Science Guy delivers hot sand from Saudi Arabia and bananas from humid Costa Rica, all to explain how different climates are created and how they affect our planet. Features comedy, music videos, interviews with real scientists and hands-on experiments to make the concepts presented understandable and fun. DVD includes a printable teacher's guide.
DECOMPOSERS EVERYWHERE: DVD, 15 min; Discover that the bottom ooze of a pond is populated by bacteria, the microbes that decompose and recycle organic materials. Provides an unforgettable visual introduction to a world dominated by living bacteria.
DESERTS (Bill Nye Series): 30 min, grades 4-8: Bill Nye the Science Guy introduces children to desert ecosystems in this classroom edition. Bill travels to Arizona's Sonoran Desert to explore its unique ecosystem and demonstrate how its native plants and animals flourish. Designed to correlate with National Science Standards, the program features an interactive question-and-answer format and hands-on classroom activities.
DOWN ON THE FOREST FLOOR (Life Habitat Series) 15 min, grades 2-5: A group of students visit a forest where they investigate how life on the forest floor has adapted to changing seasons. Study decomposers effects as the trees lose their leaves and the process of decomposition begins.
EARTH AT RISK DVD: 10- 30 min lessons, grades 5-12: Based on Chelsea House Publishers’ highly acclaimed book series, these programs introduce and define environmental terms and global ecological dilemmas, present current statistical information, stimulate discussion on conversation and recycling, and provide active suggestions for battling the growing threats to our environment. The subjects are explored through various perspectives including expert researchers of environmental issues, the Earth at Risk Scholars conducting field experiments, and colorful graphics illustrating otherwise complex environmental phenomena.
Acid Rain
Clean Air
Clean Water
Degradation of the Land
Extinction
Global Warming
Nuclear Energy/Nuclear Waste
The Ozone Layer
The Rainforest
Recycling
EARTH SCIENCE FOR CHILDRENDVD: 10- 23 min lessons, grades K-4: From sand and soil to earthquakes and volcanoes, children will be fascinated by this hands-on approach to learning about the Earth in this engaging video series.
EARTH SCIENCE IN ACTIONDVD: 14- 23 min lessons, grades 5-8: Visitors from a distant galaxy embark on a never ending mission to learn more about the structure and history of the Earth covering everything from the Earth’s layers, rocks and soil to oceans, erosion, volcanoes, and earthquakes!
Earthquakes
Fossil Fuels
Fossils
Geological History
Land Formations
Minerals (also on VHS)
Natural Resources
Oceans
Rocks (also on VHS)
Soil
Topography
Volcanoes
Water Cycle
Weathering & Erosion
EARTHQUAKES (Bill Nye Series) DVD & VHS: 30 min, grades 4-8: Find out what makes big pieces of the Earth’s crust (the plates) move, and what you should have on hand in case of a quake. They happen when energy stored in the plates is released suddenly.
EARTH’S CRUST (Bill Nye Series) DVD & VHS: 30 min, grades 4-8: The Earth’s surface is different from what’s inside. The surface of the Earth is very, very thin. This surface is what allows all life to exist on Earth.
EARTH’S SEASONS (Bill Nye Series) DVD & VHS: 30 min, grades 4-8: Every year, we experience the seasons. Some months have snow and rain, while other months have warmth and sunshine. Temperatures go from cold, to warm, to cold again – winter, spring, summer, and fall. The cycle of the seasons takes one year, and the Earth takes one year to go around the sun. Coincidence? No way.
EYEWITNESS ARCTIC & ANTARCTIC: 35 min, grades 2-5: Based on the revolutionary book series. Arctic and Antarctic explores the life and legends of these harshly beautiful polar kingdoms. Journey to the ends of the earth where climate presents its greatest challenges to survival, and meet the remarkable animals that choose to live out in the cold. Narrated by Martin Sheen.
EYEWITNESS PREHISTORIC LIFE: 35 min, grades 2-5: Based on the revolutionary book series. Prehistoric Life digs deep to unearth the first chapters of our planet’s living history. Journey across the ages to discover how life, in all its breathtaking variety, has relentlessly adapted itself into every nook and cranny of our teeming world. Narrated by Martin Sheen.
FERMILAB (Field Trip Series): 25 min, grades 2-6: Visit the world-famous laboratory of the US Dept of Energy in Illinois, home of the most powerful particle accelerator. Gravity is explained and visit the Nature Preserve where the prairie is being saved. The environment is being restored and maintained to its original condition.
FORCES IN ACTION (Science Clips for Students Series): 18 min, grades 5-8: What kinds of forces are acting on the world around us? How does sound travel? This video investigates the pushes and pulls (the force) that affect everything in the universe. A laboratory investigation illustrates the fact that the vibrations which make up sound energy need a medium to travel through. Viewers also examine the effect of the force of gravity and air resistance on tomatoes, people and planets.
FORESTS (Bill Nye Series): 30 min, grades 4-8: Forests have trees, and lots of them. But there’s more to forests than meets the eye. Forests keep land warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. They stop land from eroding. Forests also make lots of oxygen for us to breathe. Venture deeper into a forest and you’ll see that it’s home sweet home for a lot of different plants and animals.
THE FOUR SEASONS: 15 min, grades K-3: Talks about the changes that occur during each of the four seasons.
GRAVITY Minds on Science Series): 20 min, grades 5-8: No description available.
MAGIC SCHOOL BUS BLOWS IT’S TOP: DVD & VHS: 30 min, grades 1-3: Topic: Volcanoes: Something’s missing from the classroom globe: an island so new it hasn’t been discovered yet! Where will the kids find the island? What will they name it? In their search, the kids spot a mountain underwater and dive down to the ocean floor. They squeeze between two plates of crust and discover that the mountain is an underwater volcano - and they’re inside it, about to explode! They figure out that when the magma explodes into the air, it will cool and harden on top of the volcano. Eventually, the volcano’s top will stick out of the water and form the new island. Now, if only Dorothy Ann and Carlos can agree on a name for the island!
MYSTERIES UNDER GROUND: 59 min, grades 5-12: Strap on your helmet and headlamp and explore elaborate, mysterious caves that honeycomb Earth’s crust. Make your way through caves with bizarre rock & ice formations, and see in crystal-clear underground lakes. Team up with a National Geographic expedition and descend into Lechuguilla Cave in New Mexico. Hear experienced cavers explain what mental and physical challenges caving demands of them. Join a caving team as it makes the breakthrough that establishes Mammoth Cave Flint Ridge System in Kentucky as the longest in the world. Then go caving for fun, just as 9 year old Leah Brown does every chance she gets.
PLANET EARTH: WHY DOES IT GET DARK? (Science for You Series): 15 min, grades 3-4: No description available.
PLATE TECTONICS & EARTHQUAKES: 15 min, grades 4-9: Find out why the solid seeming Earth is actually a changing body, constantly destroying and rebuilding itself. Plate tectonics motion is clearly demonstrated as the source of this dynamism through exciting live-action and computer graphic images. We learn how seismology helps reveal the Earth’s structure, how the plates collisions create earthquakes, and how the Richter scale works.
PUZZLE OF THE ROTTING LOG (Life Habitat Series): 12 min, grades 2-5: A group of children investigate rotting logs in a forest. They are introduced to decomposition, an important ecological process and natures recycling system. This program describes the way decomposers such as fungi, worms, and bacteria work and how new life springs from decomposed matter.
SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK: EARTHDVD: 42 min, grades Pre K-6: Includes songs: “Report from the North Pole”, “The Little Things We Do”, “The Trash Can Band”, “You Oughta Be Savin’ the Water”, “The Rainforest”, “Save the Ocean”, “FatCat Blue: The Clean Rivers Song”, “A Tiny Urban Zoo”, “Solar Power to the People”, “Windy and the Windmills”, “Don’t Be a Carbon Sasquatch”.
VIEW OF THE EARTH: 20 min, grades 7-12: This program is designed to allow students to gain a historical perspective of the Earth’s formation from its beginnings to the present; imagine what the planet looked like in the past, understand how today’s Earth formation emerged, and envision how the planet may change in the future. Meet great scientists who have contributed to our understanding of the Earth.
VOLCANOES (Bill Nye Series) DVD & VHS: Bill Nye the Science Guy explores the hot-hot-hot world of volcanoes. In this episode, Bill defines volcanoes, explains how they're formed and explores the different types that exist. DVD includes a printable teacher's guide filled with suggestions for extension activities and classroom experiments.
ELECTRICITY
ALL ABOUT ELECTRICITY (Physical Science for Children Series): 23 min, grades K-4: Discover how electrical charges flow like water through a hose, based on the key idea that opposite charges attract, while like charges repel. Real-life examples and clear, colorful graphics make these concepts easy to understand. Students will learn about the key ideas of circuits, conductors and insulators in a fun, hands-on activity.
CHEMICAL REACTIONS & ELECTRICITY (Science Clips for Students Series): 18 min, grades 5-8: Why are some reactions in the world around us irreversible? How is the flow of electrical energy in a complete circuit like water flowing over a waterwheel? Viewers observe chemical reactions in nature and in the lab to uncover the difference between physical and chemical changes.
ELECTRICAL CURRENT (Bill Nye Series) DVD & VHS: 30 min, grades 4-8: Bill Nye the Science Guy explores the topic of electricity. Featuring an interactive question-and-answer format and hands-on activities, the program defines electricity, electrical circuits, electrical power, electrons and more. DVD includes a printable teacher's guide filled with suggestions for extension activities and classroom experiments.
