San Francisco Earthquake and Fire April 18, 1906
Grainy, blurred vintage film--after all, it is more than a hundred years old--but one can still see the damage inflicted by the earthquake.This short documentary is suitable for older elementary, middle school, and high school students. The California earthquake of April 18, 1906 ranks as one of the most significant earthquakes of all time. Today, its importance comes more from the wealth of scientific knowledge derived from it than from its sheer size. Run time 04:58.
How It's Made - Solar Panels
This video shows how a solar panel is made and how it works.  It shows a silicone module and how they are put together to form a panel. It also shows the amount of time and care is needed to make just one panel. This is an interesting video to watch on how things are made. Good video for elementary grade/middle school students. Â
Solar Energy Simplified
Solar power can be complicated, but Solar Decathlon director Richard
King gives Discovery News the lowdown on the three ways anyone can tap the sun's energy. Run time 2:12
Solar Home Tips from the 2009 Solar Decathlon
Solar homes come with the latest in green appliances and innovative
technology at the 2009 Solar Decathlon. Discovery News' Alyssa
Danigelis gets some home improvement tips.
How Solar Energy Works
Solar energy can produce a current when radiation from the sun
hits the surface of silicon chips. Learn how the production of
silicon chips can result in solar energy with information from a science
teacher.
Palm Springs WindMills "Secrets of the WindMills" Everything you ever wanted to know about the Palm Springs or any other windmills, but were afraid to ask. KESQ-TV's Gil Diaz goes behind the locked gates to reveal the "Secrets of the Windmills". Video gives specifics of the wind mill, 228 feet tall and blades nearly 100 feet long. There are about 4,800 wind mills, they were first installed in 1981, they installed as an experiment by NASA. Where they are installed is the second most consistently windy place in
How Wind Power Is Created
Wind power is created by windmills, which use generators to
produce electricity that is gathered by wires. Find out why some
windmills produce more energy than others with information from a
science teacher in this video.
Great Barrier Reef Wildlife
The largest living structure, the Great Barrier Reef spans more than 1,200 miles of islands and submerged reefs. A plethora of coral thrives here, along with a sweep parrotfish, sugeonfish, barracuda, and sharks. Run time 4:11.
Landing - the Approach
This NASA video segment explores how Newton's laws apply to the landing of an airplane. Viewers watch an instructor at NASA's National Test Pilot School and learn that the approach is the first phase of landing an airplane, that the flaps on an airplane's wings help decrease the speed of the aircraft, and that the curvature of the wings helps keep the airplane aloft at slower speeds.
Warmer Oceans Affect Food Webs
Since the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, populations of several animals in Prince William Sound, including seabirds and seals, have been in decline. This video adapted from KTOO suggests that the oil spill was not the sole cause of the shakeup in the ecosystem; rather, it proposes an explanation for why the populations were already in decline when the spill occurred. Many of the animals in decline share a common food: a fish called a sand lance, whose populations have shrunk with the steady rise i
Adjectives for Armando - Part 2
This cartoon explains the importance of adjectives. Armando is an artist who is sad because his paintings are dull and "don't have any oomph..." Marcella is a writer that works with words and is able to help Armando. There are four parts to this video. This part focuses on the four main principles of adjectives. Run time 02:59.
Releasing Water's Surface Tension
Starting with paper clips floating on a layer of water (demonstrating surface tension), this video shows how to break the surface tension with a very small amount of dish soap causing a paper clip to sink. Run time 0112
Johnny Appleseed, Part 2 of 2
Disney's 1948 marvelous animated film. The story of the life of John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed.With a tin pot for a hat and the Bible at his side, Johnny set out into the wilderness to do his own part in helping the western march: plant apple trees all over the countryside to help feed the pioneering settlers. As evident in this sweet, gentle classic, he proved that one need not have great size or strength to make a difference. Thi
Norse Mythology: The Creation of The World, Part 2 of 2
This episode discusses the conflicts the beings encountered with each other. Video is a series of pictures and illustrations with musical sound track, beautifully narrated by a male with an English accent. Part 2 of 2  (5:24)
"Daddy" Poem by Sylvia Plath
This desperately angry and coldly bitter poem is read by the poet Sylvia Plath herself (1932 - 1963) in this video, accompanied by film and images, including family and personal photographs. Powerful. (3:56)
"The Fall of the House of Usher," short story by Edgar Allan Poe, abridged
Simply drawn colored illustrations are animated for the Poe's story, "The Fall of the House of Usher." abridged and animated by John Schnall, narrated by Robert Andrews, with sound effects and music  Funded in part through a grant by Mobil Corporation (9:58 min.)
How To Steam Vegetables
This video lists supplies needed and gives step-by-step directions/tips for steaming delicious vegetables. ( 1:26)
Dr. Loopy's Blinding you with Science #3: Learned and Instinctive Behaviors
This is episode #3 in the Blinding you with Science series that I produced to assist elementary students with science concepts. In this episode Dr. Loopy and his friends look at animal behaviors and try to distinguish between those that are learned and those that are instinctive. Run time 13:05.
The Mystery of Earth's Tides
Video discusses the tides of the oceans and how the gravital pull affects these tides.Â
History of the Mennonites Part 1
A look at the origins of the Mennonite faith.
