Karen’s Mashups

In this week’s show, we’re listening to science podcasts. Science is a very rich area for podcasting, and there are many that have classroom application from elementary through adult levels. Some include teacher resource materials as well. Podcasts like these are a great way to get kids excited about science and motivated to learn more.

There are so many good science-related podcasts that we couldn’t include them all in this show. At the bottom of the list below are some additional science podcasts to check out. We’ll also be doing another show on science video podcasts in the future.

As with all Internet content, it is recommended that you pre-screen individual shows before sharing them with students.

Included in this show are:

Why? the Science Show for Kids from Dr. Dave Brodbeck (excerpt on why dinosaurs became extinct)

Each episode of this show begins with science-related question submitted by a child. This topics are of high interest and suitability for lower elementary students. The shows air once or twice a month and are generally 5-10 minutes long.

Science @ NASA Feature Stories Podcast (excerpt from show on Mars rovers caught in severe dust storms)

These short 3-5 minute podcasts are produced a few times a week and include news stories on research being done at NASA. Transcripts are also available on the web site. The readability level of these shows varies, but they are probably most suitable for middle school and up.

The Discovery Files by NSF (excerpt from episode on wireless power)

This podcast from the National Science Foundation covers new advances in science and engineering. Its short 1-1/2 minute podcasts air weekly and are produced in a light, high interest style that makes them accessible to students from middle elementary up. The web site includes transcripts for each show.

Brain Food Podcast from Kyle Butler (excerpt from show on cell phones)

This show explores interesting topics from everyday life by using science and math to understand the world around us. Most shows are about 30 minutes long, and the show generally airs weekly. It’s been on a hiatus lately, but there are some great back episodes available online.

Quirks and Quarks from CBC Radio (excerpt from a show on Mars and other topics)

This weekly science podcast is from CBC Radio, Canada’s national public radio. The shows are just under an hour long and feature several segments on a variety of topics. It is probably most useful for middle school students and up. One nice this about this podcast is that you can subscribe to or download the entire hour-long show or you can just get individual segments you are interested in. This is a nice feature for teachers who want to use a specific piece related to something being studied in class.

Science and the City from the New York Academy of Science (segment from lecture by Steve Wozniak)

This weekly podcast features interviews, conversations, and lectures by noted scientists and author. Among the work shared in this show, this podcast contains some of the highest level of content and is most suitable for high school students and adults.

Transition sound – Glass Break 03 by R Humphries

Here are some other science podcasts you might want to check out:

Science Friday – the well-regarded science show from NPR; one great feature of this podcast is the Science Friday Kids ‘Connection site that includes a topic index that is correlated to science standards

National Geographic podcasts – a wide variety of audio and video podcasts

NOVA podcasts – scienceNOW from WGBH

NOAA podcast – short reports on NOAA science and research, including information related to weather and the oceans

 

 Science Mashup [10:11m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This entry was posted on Monday, October 1st, 2007 at 9:58 am and is filed under Kids. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.