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

A stream with a tall bank on one side and no bank on the other side.

Rivers and Streams

Evidence of weathering and erosion is visible through rock cutouts, changes in the shape of the land and water bodies, and sometimes the damage left behind.

A squirrel nest in a tree with no leaves.

Building Animal Nests

Animals such as birds and squirrels build nests in trees and bushes outdoors.

A carbon dioxide canister with frost on the outside.

Rapid Chilling of an Emptying Carbon Dioxide Canister

Releasing carbon dioxide from a canister will cause the canister to feel colder, even causing frost to form when all of the gas is expelled rapidly.

Three sets of animal tracks in the snow.

Snow Tracks

Multiple animal tracks are visible in the fresh, morning snow. There appear to be three sets of tracks that seem to come close to the backyard of a house.