WGBH Podcasts

Well, I checked out many different podcasts from all grade levels. The first thing that I noticed was that many of them were available at each level. I guess that is appropriate considering that the things we learn are stepping stones that we build upon throughout our entire education. I mean, my second grader is covering the same thing in science that I am learning in Biology 102 right now. How cool is that!! Anyway, I found all of the video podcasts very interesting and informative.

The first podcast that I watched was Why Doesn't the Moon Fall Down. I found this interesting because it explained that the moon is always falling down due to the gravitational pull of the Earth. However, it is so far away from the Earth and falling at such a fast rate of speed that it is constantly falling in a different direction and therefore orbits the Earth. If it was to fall any faster it would actually fly out into outer space and if it were to fall any slower it would in fact fall into the Earth. I liked the animations that were used to give the viewer a visual of the information that was given. I felt that it helped get the concept across to the viewer.

The second podcast that I watched was Infrared: More Than the Eye Can See . Dr. Michelle Thaler explained that everything produces light through temperature. However, all light is not visible light. Light that is not visible is infrared light. Infrared radiation is the measure of

temperature produced by an object. I found it very interesting that infrared light can pass through some objects that visible light can not pass through. Dr. Thaler demonstrated this by putting her arms in a black garbage bag and when the infrared detector was turned on you could clearly see her arms. She also demonstrated that infrared light can not pass through some objects that visible light can pass through such as glass. She gave the audience many different visual demonstrations to back up the information she was providing. I felt that this made the podcast very interesting and easy to follow. Dr. Thaler is an astronomer that is interested in infrared light because she hopes that it will help find new planets in the solar system that do not produce visible light. They now have a Space Infrared Telescope Facility to help them in their endeavors.

Another podcast that I found interesting was Booming Sands. This podcast was about the acoustic phenomenon that happens in 30 different sand dune areas all over the world. It is not fully understood what causes this beautiful acoustical sound but there is a research team from the California Institute of Technology that has made it their mission to find out. So far they believe that it is caused by the height of the slope, change in the surface tension, the grains of sand being the same size, and the degree of mobility of the top loose layer compared to the hard packed layer underneath. Again the visual and sound effects were wonderful bonuses that really helped.

I watched many others that I found very interesting. I think that this would definitely aid in teaching children about the topic that is being covered. The first great thing is that it is free. Second, most classes have a computer in the classroom and this makes it easier for the teacher to access the videos unlike trying to get a t.v. and dvd. Third, it is very interesting and draws the students attention. I will definitely check into using podcasts in my classroom to help demonstrate topics being covered in class.