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

Image of buds on tree branch.

Backyard Diversity

A variety of life can be seen in just one backyard.

Image of butterfly on a flower.

Butterfly Pollinator

Butterflies act as pollinators for many plants and flowers in Iowa.

Image of bird sitting right outside a window.

Bird Behavior

A bird is repeatedly flying into the glass of a window.

Image of man standing next to a large tree.

Trees and Climate Change

Trees may play multiple roles in combating climate change.

image of a bird flock flying around a commercial wind turbine

Wind Turbines and Bird Migration

Wind energy companies around the world are employing different strategies to protect birds.

finger with four deer ticks each of various sizes

Dangerous Ticks and Invasive Honeysuckle

Since 2010 the number of tick-related illnesses in Iowa have increased.

Image of man standing next to a stream bank.

Stream Bank Erosion

A house is in danger of collapsing into a creek due to erosion.

Image of a wetland next to a city.

Flood Walls or Wetlands for Flood Mitigation

Record flooding in the Quad Cities led many to wonder about the most effective methods to mitigate future floods.

Image of man standing next to flooded Mississippi River.

Record Breaking Precipitation and Floods in Iowa

The winter and spring of 2019 set several records in the Quad Cities, which is located in eastern Iowa.

Image of mushrooms growing on a log.

Mushrooms as Decomposers

Fungi are an important part of ecosystems.

Image of Mariposa Lake being drained.

Mariposa Lake Draining

Several factors led to Lake Mariposa being drained and restored.

Image of a rainbow over a field.

Rainbows & Sundogs

If conditions are right, double rainbows and sundogs can be visible.