Science

Science (X) - ELA (X) - Middle (X) - English (X)

Amphibians (1996)

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Get ready for “toad-al” fun with Bill Nye and the “Amphibians” episode. Frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians (worm-like animals that have backbones) are all amphibians, animals that spend part of their lives in water and part on land. Amphibians are slimy. Amphibians are cold-blooded that means their body temperature changes with the temperature outside.

Grade Level: 
Elementary
Middle
Length: 
00:23
Amphibians

Simple Machines (1993)

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Learning about science can be hard work, but simple machines can make it easier. Let Bill Nye push and pull you around ramps, levers, screws, and pulleys.

Grade Level: 
Elementary
Middle
Length: 
00:23
Simple Machines

Giants of Science: Leonardo Da Vinci (Unabridged)

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As the illegitimate son of a notary from Vinci, Leonardo is banned from Italian universities and trade guilds. But he soon becomes the shining star in the studio of the acclaimed Florentine artist Verrocchio. After being investigated for alleged homosexual activities, Leonardo leaves Florence in 1482 to make weapons for the prince of Milan.

Grade Level: 
Lexile: 
1010L
Length: 
01:11
Giants of Science: Leonardo Da Vinci (Unabridged)

Quake! Disaster in San Francisco, 1906

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Copies: 30

Buildings were weaving in and out. The street pitched like a stormy sea. Bricks were raining down all around him. The ground shook with such violence that Jacob thought the world had come to an end.

Lexile: 
770L
Quake! Disaster in San Francisco, 1906

Bulu

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Copies: 7

Born on a crocodile farm in Zambia's untamed South Luangwa Valley, the puppy seemed different from his littermates. Too quiet. Unresponsive. Terriers are usually full of energy and bouncing off walls. But not this one. Nobody wanted him. Enter Anna and Steve Tolan-former police officers who had left behind their life in England to live in the African bush. People thought the Tolans were a bit different, too. The peculiar puppy suited them perfectly. They named him Bulu, or "wild dog" in the local Nyanja language.

Author: 
Lexile: 
700L
Bulu

Moonbird

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Copies: 7

Meet rufa red knot B95. Scientists call him the Moonbird because, in the course of his astoundingly long lifetime, this robin-sized shorebird has flown the distance to the moon — and halfway back! Each February he joins a flock that lifts off from Tierra del Fuego, headed for breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic, nine thousand miles away. Late in the summer, he begins the return journey. B95 can fly for days, but eventually he must descend to refuel and rest.

Author: 
Lexile: 
1150L
Moonbird

Planet Ocean (2012)

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Planet Ocean captures extraordinary images of our remarkable oceans—the source of all life on our planet.

Filmed by directors Yann Arthus-Bertrand and Michael Pitiot, along with an outstanding team of international underwater cinematographers in partnership with OMEGA and with the scientific support of Tara Expeditions.

Grade Level: 
Middle
Length: 
01:33
Planet Ocean

The Last Ocean: The Toothfish and the Battle for Antarctica's Soul (2012)

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The Ross Sea, Antarctica is the most pristine marine ecosystem on Earth. Scientists describe it as a 'living laboratory', a place that can teach us about the workings of all marine ecosystems. But the fishing industry recently found its way to the Ross Sea, targeting Antarctic toothfish and, unless fishing is stopped, the natural balance of the Ross Sea will be lost forever.

Grade Level: 
Middle
High
Length: 
01:27
The Last Ocean: The Toothfish and the Battle for Antarctica's Soul

The Future of Food (2004)

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There is a revolution happening in the farm fields and on the dinner tables of America, a revolution that is transforming the very nature of the food we eat. THE FUTURE OF FOOD offers and in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled grocery store shelves for the past decade.

Grade Level: 
Middle
High
Length: 
01:30
The Future of Food

The Slowest Book Ever

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Copies: 6

April Pulley Sayre’s wry, quirky storytelling tone shines from the warning on the first page (“This is a S-L-O-W book. Do not read it while surfing, water skiing, or running to escape giant weasels.”) right through to the glossary at the end. In between, readers will explore an astounding variety of information about all things slow—in nature, geology, art, outer space, etc. Throughout, The SLOWEST Book EVER playfully encourages readers to slow down and savor everything.

Lexile: 
940L
The Slowest Book Ever

Gorillas Up Close

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Copies: 6

Have you ever wondered how experts train a gorilla? Or what design features make a great gorilla habitat? Did you know that some gorillas can solve problems on giant touch-screen computers?

Filled with facts and photos, Gorillas Up Close takes us into the world of gorillas. Explore the differences between gorillas in zoos and in the wild with the gorilla family troop in Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo. Readers will delight in the similarities gorillas share with humans while finding out more about these incredible animals.

Lexile: 
1040L
Gorillas Up Close