Grade levels: Primary (1-3)

The Big Question: “Why are human teeth and animal teeth different?”

Synopsis: Humans and animals have all different kinds of teeth because they eat all different kinds of things. Harrison finds out lots of new stuff about teeth, including why some are sharp and some are flat, why birds have beaks instead of teeth, and how overworked the poor Tooth Fairy is!

My Great Challenge: Herbivore, carnivore or omnivore? Challengers guess if an animal is a meat eater, a plant eater or both based on their teeth.

In the Field: Harrison visits his dentist, Dr. Cooperberg, to find out why taking care of his teeth is so important.

The Big Question: “How come in some sports we wear helmets and some we don’t?”

Synopsis: Harrison takes an in-depth look at sports – from the precise designs of the various balls, to the specialty clothing, to the importance of practice. There’s a lot of science in sports; Harrison finds out how even cheering for your favourite team is good for you!

My Great Challenge: Who has the fastest slap shot? Harrison uses a radar gun to find out which Challenger has the best wind-up!

In the Field: Harrison tests his abilities to find out if he can throw like a professional pitcher, run faster than an Olympian and if he’s got what it takes to race in a wheelchair.

The Big Question: “Do sea monsters really exist?”

Synopsis: Finding out how crucial the ocean is to our ecosystem, Harrison discovers that although monsters might get the attention, it’s the little things that count. For example, a tiny creature called phytoplankton creates half of the oxygen that we breathe. Using potatoes, a marine biologist helps Harrison figure out how fish drink!

My Great Challenge: Harrison hosts a challenge for his guests to figure out how to make plasticine float… then, with musical accompaniment, he reveals the identity of “the monster in the sea”.

In the Field: Harrison visits the shark tank of a sea aquarium to find out if it’s true that sharks die if they fall asleep.

The Big Question: “Why do we have hair?”

Synopsis: In a search to learn about the origins of hair, Harrison finds out about the cultural implications of different hairstyles – from mohawks to baldness.

My Great Challenge: Harrison’s guest challengers must identify different types of animals from close-ups of their fur.

In the Field: Harrison visits a hairstylist and finds out why our hair turns grey and how amazingly strong it is. He also visits an anthropologist with a big skull collection who explains to him why the gradual loss of our primordial “fur” helped shape us into the type of animal that humans are today.

Synopsis: The final show of the first season brings together highlights of the previous fifteen episodes. The most amazing experts, incredible experiments, and entertaining animals – and the funniest bloopers – all come together to help Harrison’s first season go out with a big bang!

The Big Question: “Are mosquitoes good for anything, or are they just annoying?”

Synopsis: Harrison visits an entomologist who explains to him how insects that eat insects can replace the poison farmers use to keep bad bugs away from their crops. Harrison is joined by a biologist who puts on a fascinating show and tell with all kinds of live bugs. He then puts school kids to the test by asking them to eat everyday products that most of us don’t realize contain…you guessed it…bugs! And viewers find out that a lot of household products are made using insects (everything from carpets to lipstick!).

My Great Challenge: Harrison sets up a faceoff between Team Bee and Team Butterfly to see who the best pollinator is!

In the Field: Our roving correspondent Sidney visits a food scientist and a chef who cook her up a tasty bug stir-fry!

The Big Question: “Why does the moon follow us?”

Synopsis: Harrison investigates intriguing facts about the moon, like why people think wolves howl at the moon (they don’t), whether the moon really turns people into werewolves, who the first men on the moon were and why the moon appears to follow us. Viewers at home test out their jumping skills as Harrison demonstrates where we’d be without gravity!

My Great Challenge: Using nothing more than a light, their wits, and funny headgear, challengers must figure out why the moon is sometimes full and why at times, it disappears!

In the Field: Harrison goes to…the Moon! Okay, maybe not the actual moon, but a simulated moonscape created by the Space Agency, where astronauts practice their extraterrestrial techniques and test out new equipment. There, a lunar geologist provides the answers to more kid questions, explaining how the Moon was formed and why there are craters.

The Big Question: “Why do bats sleep upside down?”

Synopsis: Harrison sets off on an investigation of such sleep phenomena as yawning, snoring, and sleepwalking. Along the way he shows kids how to make other people yawn and how to make it seem like they are fast asleep (with fake snoring!). Viewers get to find out what causes nightmares and how to make bad dreams go away.

My Great Challenge: The challengers must have slept in today….there is no great challenge in this episode.

In the Field: Harrison explores a sleep lab where he is hooked up to an EEG machine that monitors his brainwaves.

The Big Question: “What would happen if someone cracked the Earth?”

Synopsis: Harrison gets permission from his school to build a very large volcano and with the help of a real-life volcanologist he creates a grand finale in the form of one of the largest mentos and cola eruptions ever concocted on television! Viewers learn what to do if the earth starts shaking.

My Great Challenge: Oozing lava must have swallowed up the challengers today. There is no great challenge in this episode.

In the Field: Roving reporter Sidney visits an exhibition on volcanoes and earthquakes, and gets to make her own mini-earthquake. She meets an adventurer who goes down inside active volcanoes and gets a live demonstration of how his flame-proof suit works when one of his friends sprays him with liquid fire!

The Big Question: “Why can’t we fly?”

Synopsis: With the aid of a wind-tunnel and a four-time national radio-controlled airplane champ, Harrison takes to the school yard to discover why some things fly better than others and viewers find out what it really takes to leave the ground.

My Great Challenge: Challengers take part in a paper airplane experiment to see who can make the best wing.

In the Field: Harrison goes out into the field with a bird trainer to get a close up look at two of the best flyers in the animal world – an owl and a falcon.