Biology is the study of life—a four-letter word that connects you to 4 billion years worth of family tree. The word “life” can be tricky to define, but a shared set of characteristics helps biologists identify living things.
This TED Talk video, with bonus quiz and resources, investigates how the heart "works by taking a closer look at the heart’s highly efficient ventricle system." (site)
This is a video about the development and function of the teen brain. The video treats the teen brain as a computer upgrade. The video was created by TeenMentalHealth.org and is hosted on YouTube.
Investigating Matter and Energy in the Environment
Accurate education about climate and energy topics has never been more important, and it can be challenging to locate reliable, vetted educational materials to use in your classroom. CLEAN is here to help you find the resources that you need, without wondering about their scientific credibility or educational value.
This NASA page is filled with great information about climate change. Get quick stats about carbon levels, Earth's temperature and melting ice. Explore the data, articles and incredible images showing the changes that Earth is undergoing.
With this series of visualizations from NASA, students can see how some of the key indicators of climate change, such as temperature and sea ice extent, have changed in the past few years. You can also see the possible effects of rising sea levels.
Use this footprint calculator to assess your own water footprint. Based on your country of residence and your own consumption pattern, you will have a unique water footprint.
Explore the world's national parks, wilderness areas and world heritage sites. Use the interactive map to explore different areas of the world. This was created through a UN partnership with the International Union of Conservation of Nature, as well as other organizations.
In this video, the creator "examines the many ways in which energy cycles through our planet, from the sun to our food chain to electricity and beyond." (site)
Clearing forests for agriculture and development can have severe consequences for our environment. "Learn the value of large-scale forest landscapes and their role in the carbon cycle. Discover how reforestation can impact climate change by decreasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere."
This video explains why scientists often describe the Arctic as the “canary in the coal mine” when it comes to climate change. The Arctic is a unique and remote region that can be both an early indicator of the climate of the rest of the Earth and a driver for weather patterns across the globe.
Watch different types of molecules form a solid, liquid, or gas. Add or remove heat and watch the changes. Change the temperature or volume of a container and see a pressure-temperature diagram respond.
Sitting around a campfire, you can feel its heat, smell the woody smoke, and hear it crackle. If you get too close, it burns your eyes and stings your nostrils. You could stare at the bright flames forever as they twist and flicker in endless incarnations… But what exactly are you looking at?
Have you ever seen static electricity cause a spark of light? What is that spark? What about lightning, the Northern Lights, or the tail of a comet? All of those things and many others – in fact, 99.9% of the universe -- are made of plasma.
Did you know that snowflakes are all six-sided and that none of them are exactly the same? Learn about the science of covalent bonds and the making of a snowflake.
This TED video lesson examines the two forces that drive both endothermic and exothermic chemical reactions: enthalpy and entropy. There is a short quiz in the Think section and further links in Dig Deeper.
This 3 minute video reviews how we harness solar energy and the benefits of this renewable source. The video also describes the challenges that we need to overcome to make this source even more viable.
Watch different types of molecules form a solid, liquid, or gas. Add or remove heat and watch the changes. Change the temperature or volume of a container and see a pressure-temperature diagram respond.
The concepts of work and power help us unlock and understand many of the physical laws that govern our universe. Watch this video to learn more about these concepts when applied to two common objects: a lightbulb and a grandfather clock.
Is it possible that one day the world could be completely reliant on solar energy? This animated TED video examines how solar panels convert solar energy to electrical energy.
As we drive around in our vehicles, we don't often think about the chemistry lesson under the hood. This video explains the chemistry involved in keeping our car engines from getting too hot or too cold.
Watch this animated video to learn how solar towers and panels work and why cloud cover is an important factor in the future of solar energy production.
This video explains why scientists often describe the Arctic as the “canary in the coal mine” when it comes to climate change. The Arctic is a unique and remote region that can be both an early indicator of the climate of the rest of the Earth and a driver for weather patterns across the globe.
