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:

Questions? Please contact us at phenomena@iowapbs.org.
A sunset on a clear night over Lake Okoboji

Summer Sunset Over Okoboji

It was a beautiful August night on Okoboji Lake, Iowa, in the summer...
A tornado funnel behind a few houses.

Severe Weather - Tornadoes

These are multiple photos taken over the course of two hours. They are...
A blue farm pond a clear day.

Dependence of Living Things in a Pond

All living things have basic needs to survive. Even though the needs...
Slushy ice on a pond, piled together with the blade of a hockey stick

Pond Slush

This picture was taken at a ranch in the Des Moines area. Kids were...
A small stream with the bank slow sloping upward on both sides.

Stream Erosion

Behind a fairly new housing development, there is a stream that runs...
A plant growing in a hollow area in a tree.

Plant in a Tree

Walking through a wooded backyard, I noticed that there was an old...
A tile drain with rocks around it. The rocks are held in place with chain link fence material.

Fenced-in Rocks

There is a small stream that runs throughout a wooded area. The stream...
A snowy front yard of a house in the country.

Blizzards and Snow Storm Preparation

Iowans are not strangers to blizzards and snowstorms in the winter...
Cracks in a road or parking lot that have been filled with tar and opened more.

Cracks in the Blacktop

There are several cracks on roads, parking lots, and on the playground...
A stream with a tall bank on one side and no bank on the other side.

Rivers and Streams

There are rivers and streams all around us, and evidence shows how...
A squirrel nest in a tree with no leaves.

Building Animal Nests

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