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

Blanding's turtle at Nahant Marsh

Blanding’s Turtles at Nahant Marsh

Blanding’s Turtle populations are decreasing across the United States...

Birds on the west side of the lock and dam.

Birds on Both Sides of a Lock and Dam

The water prior to (east of) the Lock and Dam 15 in Davenport, Iowa...

Flagpole shadow at 6:00 PM

Shifting Shadows Throughout the Day

This series of photos show a flagpole casting its shadow at four...

Herford with calf

Dominant Polled Hereford Mutation

Polled (hornless) herefords originated as a mutation. In the early...

Image of a dog with a turtle in its mouth.

Turtle Sniffing Dogs

This video shows turtle dogs, which are retrievers bred and trained to...

Image of wind turbines in a field.

Wind Farm Controversy

This video shows the 2019 debate surrounding the building of wind...

Image of field of yellow flowers.

Farming Prairie Flowers

This video shows Prairie Flower Farm, a northwest Iowa farm that grows...

Image of a combine tractor offloading soybeans.

Soybean Protein Levels

This video discusses the implications of protein levels in Midwestern...

Aerial image of redbud trees in bloom.

Redbud Blooms in Red Haw State Park

This video shows Red Haw State Park covered in pink blossoms from the...

Image of a flooded town.

Flooding Predictions

This video shows 2019 flooding in Hamburg, Iowa, and discusses the...

Image of natural bridge rock formation.

Maquoketa Caves Formation

Each of Maquoketa Cave State Fair Park rock features were formed over time through a variety of geologic processes.

Image of rock faces in an old quarry.

Kiln Trail Fossils

This video shows the Kiln Trail in Floyd County, Iowa, including the...