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Browse curated homeschool resources from the community
The Evolution of Animal Genitalia Menno Schilthuizen
Genitals are the fastest-evolving organs in the animal kingdom. But why is this so? And what’s the point of having decorative private parts? Menno Schilthuizen explains how the evolutionary biology of nature's nether regions uncovers a hidden world of seduction, conflict, and rivalry.
The Surprising Reasons Animals Play Dead Tierney Thys
From lemurs to lizards, ants to amphibians, sharks to chickens, hundreds of animals "play dead" as a survival tactic. But how and why do animals do this? Tierney Thys explains how this curious behavior, known as tonic immobility or TI for short, can be used as a defense or offense.
Why Was the Rosetta Stone so Important Franziska Naether
For centuries, scholars puzzled over the hieroglyphs they found carved onto ancient Egyptian ruins, tablets, and papyri. But in 1799, a unique discovery would finally help unlock their meaning. It was a stone inscribed with three different texts: Egyptian Hieroglyphs, Demotic Egyptian, and Ancient Greek. Franziska Naether shares how scholars decoded the ancient message of the Rosetta Stone.
Why is This 2 500 Year Old Shipwreck so Well Preserved Helen Farr and Jon Adams
In 2017, researchers off the Bulgarian coast discovered the oldest intact shipwreck ever found. This ancient Greek vessel was not only nearly 2,500 years old, but was just one of 65 shipwrecks found at the bottom of the Black Sea in remarkable condition. So, why does the Black Sea contain so many well-preserved shipwrecks? Helen Farr and Jon Adams dive into the depths of the unique body of water.
How Curiosity Got Us to Mars Bobak Ferdowsi
In August 2012, the Curiosity rover landed on Mars. The landing itself was a huge achievement and required a lot of forethought and planning by a very smart team. In this TED Youth 2012 Talk, Bobak Ferdowsi, the mohawked member of that team, outlines various aspects of a Mars landing, including the Seven Minutes of Terror.
Five Fingers of Evolution
How can a “thumbs up” sign help us remember five processes that impact evolution? The story of the Five Fingers of Evolution gives us a clever way of understanding change in gene pools over time.
How Bees Help Plants Have Sex Fernanda s Valdovinos
Plants have a hard time finding mates -- their inability to get up and move around tends to inhibit them. Luckily for plants, bees and other pollinator species (including butterflies, moths and birds) help matchmake these lonely plants in exchange for food. Fernanda S. Valdovinos explains how these intricate pollination networks work and how it can all change from one season to the next.
The Good and the Beautiful Chemistry
The full-color course book guides the parent through each lesson in the Chemistry science course. Hands-on activities, engaging videos, vocabulary words, beautiful illustrations and images, along with engaging information is found throughout the course. Once you gather any simple lesson supplies, the lessons are open-a
Human Sperm vs the Sperm Whale Aatish Bhatia
Traveling is extremely arduous for microscopic sperm -- think of a human trying to swim in a pool made of...other humans. We can compare the journey of a sperm to that of a sperm whale by calculating the Reynolds number, a prediction of how fluid will behave, often fluctuating due to size of the swimmer. Aatish Bhatia explores the great (albeit tiny) sperm’s journey.
The Good and the Beautiful Birds
Explore bird science with our full-color Course Book featuring open-and-go lessons, engaging videos, and hands-on activities for family learning.
Jon Bergmann How to Think About Gravity
Did you know that when you fall down, the earth falls up to meet you? Explore the counterintuitive equation that describes gravity.
The Surprising Secrets of Hummingbird Flight Kristiina J Hurme Alejandro Rico Guevara
In just a matter of seconds, hummingbirds can perform astonishing aerial acrobatics, eat lunch in midair, pollinate a flower, even escape threats while upside-down. And they can do this all while achieving sustained hovering flight— an aerial feat no other bird can perform. How do they do it? Kristiina J. Hurme and Alejandro Rico-Guevara explore the incredible flying capabilities of hummingbirds.
The Life Cycle of a Neutron Star David Lunney
About once every century, a massive star somewhere in our galaxy runs out of fuel. No longer able to produce sufficient energy to maintain its structure, it collapses under its own gravitational pressure and explodes in a supernova. The death of that star is the birth of a neutron star: one of the densest known objects in the universe. David Lunney explores what, exactly, a neutron star is.