101. Introduction to Plants [23:55]
Topics include: cellular respiration and photosynthesis, including detailed equations for both; the roles of water, sunlight, carbon dioxide and oxygen; the process of taking and using nutrients from the environment; asexual and sexual reproduction; growth and repair of damaged plants; response to stimuli; carbon fixation and photolysis.
102. Plants, Light and Water [16:20]
This program takes an in-depth look at how plants depend on light and water to survive. Students will learn the mechanics of photosynthesis and the roles of water, CO2, chlorophyll,
light, oxygen, glucose and glucose storage. Next, the products of photosynthesis are studied: the role of glucose in powering cellular respiration; and, the development of special organs to store starch. Experiments are presented demonstrating how to test for the presence of starch and how to measure the level of oxygen produced in photosynthesis.
103. The World of Bacteria [29:24]
This program uses photomicrographs to lead us into the world of bacteria. Where are bacteria found? How do bacteria grow? What do bacteria do to humans? This approach emphasizes key
concepts from the National Science Education Content Standards, including cell structure and function, diversity and classification of living things, reproduction, genetics, evolution and
ecology.
104. Understanding Evolution: Inheritance and Change [29:58]
This program explores evolution through natural selection. Students explore: variation in genes;
the results of environmental pressure; best-adapted individuals, and the passing of genes to future generations. Students see how certain factors affect the frequency of alleles in a population, such as genetic drift, bottleneck and founder effect. The program also discusses
divergent, convergent and parallel evolution as well as fossil dating methods.
105. Scientific Inquiry: Steps, Skills and Action [23:39]
How do you ask the "right" question in a scientific investigation? How do you use prediction to test a potential explanation? This program helps students appreciate the steps and skills involved in scientific inquiry--from initial observation, through refining a question to make it testable through building an explanation based on evidence.
106. Rising Threat of Infectious Diseases [26:28]
This program reveals how infectious diseases such as HIV or tuberculosis are an increasing danger to human beings. Students will learn the history of man's fight against microbes from the Bubonic plague to smallpox, the invention of the vaccine, and penicillin. The evolution of bacteria, and the role of humans in this ongoing process, is also discussed.
107. Organic Compounds in Action [25:13]
This program is designed to help students understand the unique structures of the different organic compounds. The video uses two- and three-dimensional models as well as live-action footage to illustrate the similarities and differences among the various carbon-based molecules.
108. Brain Scans: Alcohol and the Teenage Brain [22:43]
Utilized for training by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)
This program takes teens on a tour of several labs across the country including one at the University of California at San Diego where doctors are researching the effects of alcohol abuse in teenage brains. The show's host has a brain scan, and then has the chance to see how it compares with the brains of other teens who drink alcohol regularly. These ground-breaking studies dramatically connect long-term brain damage to underage drinking. Students will learn
why alcohol seems to harm younger brains more profoundly than older ones.
109. Classification of Living Things [19:46]
There are millions of different species living today, and these represent a tiny fraction of all the
species that have existed in the past. This program illustrates how over thousands of years people have been trying to find meaning and order in the diversity of life. Students learn that classifying living things has changed with the discovery of new kinds of organisms, and with our
growing understanding of evolution and genetics. The program looks at the differences of each of the traditional five kingdoms: Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia. It then describes how this five-kingdom approach to classification has been modified as a result of recent
discoveries about different types of bacteria. The program stresses that the ways we organize and categorize living things will continue to change in the future as new discoveries are made.
110. Biodiversity: The Web of Life [26:28]
From penguins in Antarctica to tree frogs in Costa Rica to E. coli bacteria in human intestines, this program focuses on the incredible variety of life on our planet and explores the biological processes at work in communities and ecosystems throughout the globe. Students see
exotic footage demonstrating how life has adapted to all kinds of ecosystems--from the desert to the rain forest. Students will appreciate why biodiversity is so important to their own well-being, and will come to recognize how the rapid growth of the human population poses a variety of threats to other species. In addition, the program examines global efforts to protect biodiversity through habitat preservation, the protection of air and water quality, and--as a last resort--captive breeding.
