Make it Rain! 10 Videos for Exploring the Great Outdoors

[media-credit name="Smithsonian" align="alignnone" width="640"][/media-credit]From the secrets of slime to to an exploration of rain, use these resources from PBS to engage your students in the great outdoors while learning.  Sign up for a free PBS LearningMedia account to access thousands more educational resources from PBS and partners. Build interactive lessons and quizzeswith PBS tools to create media rich teaching and learning opportunities in your classroom.

Secret of the Slime | Video | Grades 6-12
Beneath the towering redwoods lives one of the most peculiar creatures in California: the banana slug. They’re coated with a liquid crystal ooze that solves many problems slugs face in the forest–and maybe some of our own.

A Nature Hike | Video | Grades PreK-K
Come on a nature hike with Evie as she explores the woods in her real neighborhood. Carefully Evie and her nature guide explore off trail, looking at plants using a magnifying glass and searching for creatures in a nearby creek.

Earth’s Endangered Species | Images | Grades K-8, 13+
This collection, featuring photographs of endangered species, may be used to support curriculum on endangered and at risk animals within the context of interdependent relationships and ecosystems for grades K – 8. The photos are of a variety of animal species that are considered endangered or at risk according to the conservation status of species classified by the World Wildlife Fund and the IUCN Red List.

Plum Landing Collection | Videos | Grades 1-4
This environmental education project from WGBH invites elementary students to virtually visit ecosystems around the world and then to head outdoors to explore their own ecosystems. The resources—aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards—immerse students in content topics and science process skills.

Habitat: Animal Homes | Video and Teaching Tips | Grades 3-5
Learn about how animals utilize what’s in their habitat to build their homes—and how they construct their shelters to stay alive in this video from NATURE: Animal Homes. Using video, text-dependent questions and teaching tips, students gain a deeper understanding about animal habitats around the world.

Scientist Profile: Wildlife Biologist | Video | Grades 4-6
Wildlife biologist John Beckmann joins biologist and dog handler Aimee Hurt as she combines her talents to train her dog Wicket to find black bear, grizzly bear, wolf, and mountain lion scat (i.e., poop) in the area surrounding Yellowstone Park. This research helps scientists analyze if carnivores are living in the area. John says carnivores are like an umbrella. “If we protect them, we protect all the animals in the ecosystem.”

Bee Detective | Video | Grades 6-8, 13+
Students learn about the features of a honeybee colony and the potential causes of colony collapse disorder (CCD). Students explore and “report” back to the queen bee (teacher) with possible causes of CCD.

Biodiversity | Video | Grades 6-12
Learn about biodiversity in this clip from Gorongosa Park: Rebirth of Paradise. Gorongosa’s is attracting scientists from around the world to understand what happens to an ecosystem when it loses most of its big grazers. Harvard insect expert, Piotr Naskrecki is looking to the micro scale for answers. While sweeping the grasses with his net he discovers a surprising hero that kept Gorongosa alive after the war. Bob learns for Gorongosa to heal it needs all the players, big and small.

A Vanishing Island | Lesson | Grades 9-12
In this lesson, students discuss the effects of hurricanes and the advantages and disadvantages for living near the coast. Students will participate in classroom discussions and explore the themes of cultural displacement and the effects of environmental change. Reflective writing prompts are also included for students to demonstrate their understanding of the story.

Make it Rain! | Video | Grades 13+
Make it Rain! explores student misconceptions about phase changes, weather, and the water cycle, and reveals some of the pitfalls of common representations.