Home | Iowa Science Phenomena

Welcome to the Iowa Science Phenomena website! The goal of this website and service is to create, curate, collect and share a growing collection of user-generated, media-based, standards aligned, science phenomena resources for use in Iowa classrooms, as well as support Iowa teachers as they continue to implement phenomena-based and place-based teaching practices.

There are several ways you can be involved in this project:

Browse or search the site to find an Iowa-based phenomenon to align to your learning standard.
Grow your phenomena skills and knowledge with our Iowa Science Phenomena Teacher Guide.
Equip your students to engage their own curiosity and be phenomenon-finders for themselves with the Iowa Science Phenomena Student Guide.
Capture and share your phenomena to the project.

Questions? Please contact us at phenomena@iowapbs.org.

Iowa Core Standard

Disciplinary Core Idea

Evidence of emerald ash borer on a tree trunk.

Emerald Ash Borer Killing Ash Trees

This ash tree, like many in Iowa, appears to be dying.

Snow near a tilled field.

Crop Cover Impact on Blowing Snow

Tilled and no-till crop fields can impact the movement of snow across the landscape in different ways.

Burr along a path

Burrs Stuck in Student’s Hair

A student has burrs stuck in her hair, hanging on by their unique structure.

Blanding's turtle at Nahant Marsh

Blanding’s Turtles at Nahant Marsh

Nahant Marsh has been conducting a mark and recapture program on Blanding's turtles, keeping a record of this population.

Birds on the west side of the lock and dam.

Birds on Either Sides of a Lock and Dam

Birds respond to the impact of lock and dam on a river.

Flagpole shadow at 6:00 PM

Shifting Shadows Throughout the Day

The school flagpole's shadow appears to “move” across the ground throughout the day.

Herford with calf

Dominant Polled Hereford Mutation

Polled (hornless) herefords originated as a mutation.

Image of a dog with a turtle in its mouth.

Turtle Sniffing Dogs

Turtle dogs are retrievers bred and trained to hunt turtles.

Image of wind turbines in a field.

Wind Farm Controversy

In 2019, a debate occurred regarding the building of wind farms in Madison County, Iowa.

Image of field of yellow flowers.

Farming Prairie Flowers

Prairie Flower Farm, a northwest Iowa farm, grows native plants instead of corn or soybeans.

Image of a combine tractor offloading soybeans.

Soybean Protein Levels

Protein levels in Midwestern soybeans have been decreasing over time.

Aerial image of redbud trees in bloom.

Redbud Blooms in Red Haw State Park

Pink blossoms cover the Red Haw State Park redbud trees.