So, Earth. It’s where we humans live. In fact, it’s the only planet known to support life. But what makes Earth capable of supporting life? How exactly does the planet function? This video series addresses these questions by investigating Earth’s place in the universe, its formation as a planet, and its relationship with the sun. Systems thinking and conservation are touched upon as we explore Earth as an energetic, dynamic, and recycling planet.
Grade levels: Upper Elementary (4-6)
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Module 1: Earth’s Place in the Universe
At one point or another, everyone wonders about the universe. What is it? Where did it come from? And most of all, where does Earth fit into the equation? This module puts Earth and the experience of earthlings into the context of the solar system, the galaxy, and the universe at large.
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Module 2: Investigating Earth’s Past
How long has Earth been around? How did the planet form? What is it made of? And how in the world do scientists begin to investigate the history of the planet? So many questions! This module’s got the answers.
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Module 3: Restless Earth
Wait a sec. Earth is hot on the inside? The continents MOVE? And some German guy named Alfred Wegener noticed that Africa and South America fit together like puzzle pieces? That sounds like a magma-filled layer cake of mystery. Care to dig in?
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Module 4: Mountains, Volcanoes and Earthquakes
Sometimes Earth can be more sensational than a tabloid magazine. It’s full of drama, drama, drama. This module documents some of the more wild times on the planet and what it’s all got to do with plate tectonics. It might even contain some revealing photographs.
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Module 5: Earth’s Changing Surface
Sure, we’ve all gone sleigh riding on glaciers, buried stuffed animals in the backyard, and had the wind or a sudden wave steal a baby duckling right from our hands. But have we ever stopped to ask what glaciers, soil, wind, and waves are really up to on planet Earth? Now’s the time!
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Module 6: Energetic Earth
How do you turn this thing off? Well, you can’t. This is Earth, and the power button is always switched on. The energy is always fl owing. But where is the button? Where does this energy come from? You’re about to find out.
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Module 7: Atmosphere and Oceans
Earth has got swirl. The air in the atmosphere swirls. The water in the ocean swirls. But what does it all have to do with weather and climate? To answer this, we’ll have to get a close-up on all that swirl. Don’t worry, being dizzy is fun!
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Safety Net
Safety Net is a new program which sets out to explain what the internet is, where the potential dangers lie and how to reduce exposure to them.
Topics covered include:
– The Internet described.
– Email and chat rooms: being careful about distributing your address.
– Knowing who you’re talking to, being discreet, knowing who could see your information.
– Social networks: how to use them, what not to publish, commercial use of your information, internet dating.
– Online bullying: who to trust and how to be safe.
– Technical safety: Firewall, viruses, malware and spyware, sites to avoid.
– Privacy: understanding issues of personal privacy. -
Mars Landing 2012: The New Search for Life
This one-hour special introduces the audience to a team of dedicated scientists who brought Curiosity to life. Brand new science and technology that had never been attempted made this mission a reality. From her custom-built heat shield designed to withstand intense 1,600 C degree heat and speeds up to 21,735 km/hr, to her state-of-the-art supersonic parachute. A revolutionary sky crane touchdown system was developed specifically for this mission, its job: get Curiosity to the surface of Mars. For the first time ever, a rover will be able to supply NASA – and the rest of the world – with stunning HD images from 17 different cameras. She will be able to zap rocks with a laser that’s as powerful as a million light bulbs focused on the head of a pin. She will drive for hundreds of kilometers and use her massive robotic arm to drill into Gale Crater to help answer questions of life. Curiosity is set to break all records.