PBS Logo NPR Logo
Public Media for Central Pennsylvania
garden activity guide
Activity of the Week

Habitats and Pollinators 

Posted on March 25, 2022

In this lesson plan and activity, students learn how the garden provides habitat for a variety of different animal species. Through making observations and collecting data, students determine which species inhabit the garden (especially pollinators), investigate relationships among them, and identify factors that may affect them. Continue »

 

five images of female scientists
Activity of the Week

WPSU Women in Science Profiles 

Posted on March 18, 2022

WiSci Files introduces viewers to five local women in diverse STEM careers through a series of short video profiles that feature aspects of their personal and professional lives, aiming to dispel stereotypes about who STEM professionals are and what their lives are like.    Continue »

 

smooshy slime experiment
Your Learning Neighborhood

Smooshy Slime 

Posted on March 18, 2022

Who doesn’t love slime? Slime is oobleck’s ooey-gooey cousin, and another example of a non-Newtonian fluid. When all of the ingredients in this activity are combined you get a squishy substance that is fun to stretch, shape, and smoosh. Try it! Continue »

 

math in the workforce logo
Activity of the Week

Math in the Workforce 

Posted on March 11, 2022

In a world where we have calculators and search engines, why is math still a necessary skill to have in many career paths? From fashion design to astrobiology, math is the backbone of those jobs, and this collection will show you exactly why.    Continue »

 

pull back cars
Your Learning Neighborhood

Pull Back Cars 

Posted on March 11, 2022

Pull back vehicles use springs to store energy. When the vehicle is released, the energy stored in the spring moves the vehicle forward. Can you make any toy vehicle into a pull back vehicle?    Continue »

 

Activity of the Week

Women’s History Month 

Posted on March 9, 2022

This collection celebrates Women’s History Month by focusing on women and girls around the world. The films tell powerful, personal stories; and the activities encourage students to learn and understand international struggles and take an active role in addressing local concerns.    Continue »

 

girl holding a cup of orange juice
Your Learning Neighborhood

Dental Decay

Posted on February 25, 2022

Tooth enamel is tough but can be eroded by acids in your mouth. Test the acid levels in your favorite drinks with pH test strips, then soak shark teeth or eggshells in each drink to see if the acid weakens tooth enamel. Try it! Continue »

 

It's Lit! logo
Activity of the Week

It’s Lit!

Posted on February 25, 2022

It’s Lit! is a series of smart, funny video essays from PBS Digital Studios about our favorite books and why we love to read. Delve into topics like the evolution of YA, how science fiction mirrors our own anxieties, and why the book is sometimes just a bit better than the movie. Continue »

 

word art
Activity of the Week

Engineering Is …

Posted on February 21, 2022

Explore Engineering Is… , a collection of media resources that focuses on the intersection of engineering and science. Explore how scientists and engineers are working together across disciplines to investigate issues, make discoveries and develop solutions. Continue »

 

image of Jimmy Cater waving
Activity of the Week

Virtual Field Trip: Jimmy Carter

Posted on February 15, 2022

Explore the life and legacy of Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States and the only president from Georgia. With 360 images, photo galleries, videos, and more, this virtual field trip offers students an in depth look at Jimmy Carter’s life. Continue »

 

mars egg lander
Your Learning Neighborhood

Mars Egg Lander

Posted on January 31, 2022

NASA faced a huge challenge when they safely landed the Mars Exploration Rovers on the surface of Mars. Can you design a capsule that would protect a raw egg dropped from several stories to the ground? Try it! Continue »

 

Zora Neale Hurston
Activity of the Week

Characters in Context: Their Eyes Were Watching God

Posted on January 31, 2022

In this lesson, students will determine the relationship between characters in Their Eyes Were Watching God and black cultural moments throughout history. Students will analyze primary and secondary sources looking at slavery, reconstruction, and the black renaissance. Continue »

 

meringue tops
Your Learning Neighborhood

Marvelous Meringues

Posted on January 26, 2022

Beating egg whites causes an amazing change. When you add sugar and bake them, more changes happen! Go from slimy egg white to fluffy foam to a crunchy solid and delicious cookie while learning about the science behind the marvelous meringue. Continue »

 

blood vessels
Activity of the Week

Blood Vessels Help Tumors Grow

Posted on January 26, 2022

Cancer researcher Dr. Judah Folkman describes his approach to proving a new idea he had about how tumors grow inside the body focused on angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels. Continue »

 

Eva Kor Holocaust Survivor
Activity of the Week

Eva: A-7063 Documentary

Posted on January 18, 2022

As a 10-year-old “Mengele Twin” at the Auschwitz concentration camp, Eva Kor suffered some of the worst of the Holocaust. At 50, she launched the biggest manhunt in history. At 60, she publicly forgave the Nazis, and into her 80s, she circled the globe to promote hope, healing and humanity. Continue »

 

bouncing egg experiment
Your Learning Neighborhood

Bouncing Egg

Posted on January 9, 2022

Change Everything You Think You Know About Eggs! We all know what happens when you drop a regular egg on the ground. When you add vinegar (and some patience), you end up with a bouncy, squishy object! Continue »

 

bands of color in a tube
Your Learning Neighborhood

Density Tower

Posted on December 31, 2021

Make colorful layers using liquids of varying densities, then experiment to see which items sink or float to each layer! https://science-u.org/experiments/density-tower.html Continue »

 

image of a cow with a barcode on its body
Activity of the Week

Food Inc.: The Dollar Menu

Posted on December 31, 2021

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that’s been hidden from the American consumer. Watch and discuss the economics of the food industry and how the cost of foods affects their choices. Continue »

 

two girls making hand casts
Your Learning Neighborhood

Plaster Casting 

Posted on November 26, 2021

The Science-U campers used plaster casts to determine who left shoe prints at the scene of the crime. You can set up your own mystery, or just have fun making plaster casts out of anything you want!    Continue »

 

wildlife rehabilitator and two other people and a lizard
Activity of the Week

Wildlife Research 

Posted on November 26, 2021

Learn how rehabilitators and veterinarians at the Wildlife Center of Virginia treat tens of thousands of wild animals each year and are often the first to notice trends that contribute valuable insights to overall wildlife health using data from the patients admitted to the center.    Continue »

 

bowl of soup called ozoni
Activity of the Week

Celebrate Japan’s Oshogatsu Holiday 

Posted on November 19, 2021

Oshogatsu is the most important holiday in Japan and is a celebration of the new year. Learn about the traditions of this special holiday, and how to make Ozoni, a one bowl soup that is a central dish of the holiday.    Continue »

 

painting of native americans and colonists at first thanksgiving
Activity of the Week

A History of Thanksgiving 

Posted on November 12, 2021

Take a trip through time and learn about the origins of Thanksgiving and from the original colonists through the proclamation of a national Thanksgiving holiday.    Continue »

 

American Veterans
Activity of the Week

American Veteran 

Posted on November 5, 2021

Learn about the diversity of people who have signed up for military service with the United States Armed Forces and the various reasons that prompted them to make the decision to do so.    Continue »

 

three native american authors
Activity of the Week

Native Voices 

Posted on October 29, 2021

Native Americans had established a rich and highly developed tradition of oral literature long before the writings of the European colonists. This program explores that richness by introducing Native American oral traditions through the work of three contemporary authors.    Continue »

 

smooshy slime experiment
Your Learning Neighborhood

Smooshy Slime 

Posted on October 25, 2021

Who doesn’t love slime? Slime is oobleck’s ooey-gooey cousin, and another example of a non-Newtonian fluid. When all of the ingredients in this activity are combined you get a squishy substance that is fun to stretch, shape, and smoosh. Try it!    Continue »

 

glowing ghost jugs
Activity of the Week

Glowing Ghost Jugs 

Posted on October 25, 2021

You can get ready for Halloween tricks and treats with some ghostly decorations for your sidewalk, front porch, or trunk-or-treat set up, by creating cute or spooky glowing ghost jugs.    Continue »

 

pull back cars
Your Learning Neighborhood

Pull Back Cars 

Posted on October 17, 2021

Pull back vehicles use springs to store energy. When the vehicle is released, the energy stored in the spring moves the vehicle forward. Can you make any toy vehicle into a pull back vehicle?    Continue »

 

afrofuturism in books
Activity of the Week

Afrofuturism: From Books to Blockbusters 

Posted on October 17, 2021

What is Afrofuturism and what is its place in Black storytelling? Learn how Afrofuturism is more than just “science fiction plus Africa” and the roots of this important genre in this video from the digital series It’s Lit.    Continue »

 

pantings of Zitkála-Šá and Susan La Flesche Picotte
Activity of the Week

Multiple Perspectives

Posted on October 13, 2021

Zitkála-Šá and Susan La Flesche Picotte, worked tirelessly to improve the lives of Native Americans. By learning more about their lives and analyzing primary source documents written by both women, you will gain a deeper understanding of how assimilation policies impacted indigenous people in the past and continue to have consequences in the present.    Continue »

 

Activity of the Week

Fighting Prejudice and Bullying 

Posted on October 1, 2021

Learn how a young girl who immigrated to New York City from Yemen dealt with Islamophobia in this video from FILMS BYKIDS: Poet against Prejudice.    Continue »

 

Activity of the Week

Just Breathe 

Posted on September 24, 2021

A tropical rainforest’s ability to take a deep breath depends in large part on a somewhat surprising factor—the age of its leaves. Explore more about the connection between the seasonal variation in Amazon rainforest productivity and its possible resilience to climate change in this interactive infographic.    Continue »

 

latino culture
Activity of the Week

Diversity In Latino Culture

Posted on September 17, 2021

Explore the rich diversity within Latino culture in this interactive lesson that presents the variety found within Latino food, music, and art. Continue »

 

Debugger coding game
Activity of the Week

Debugging the Code

Posted on September 10, 2021

Get immersed in a multi-level adventure game cleverly designed to introduce computer programming concepts and improve problem-solving skills. To save the motherboard, players create a custom hero character and fight bugs! Continue »