Iowa PBS hosting four “Phenomena Blitzes” to build skills and knowledge for science education

Iowa PBS will hold four “Phenomena Blitzes” in strategically chosen locations throughout Iowa, made possible by a grant from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) Conservation Education Program (CEP). Selected science and outdoor education professionals will have the opportunity to build skills and knowledge for environment education, place-based instruction and technology integration while increasing the breadth and depth of locally- and environmentally-focused phenomena available for teachers to use cost-free on the Iowa Science Phenomena website. 

“Iowa Science Phenomena allows teachers to access and share standards-aligned phenomena from across the state,” said Iowa PBS Education Instructional Media Coordinator Tiffany Morgan. “Showing that science happens everywhere in Iowa is an important part of making science accessible and authentic to all learners. We are so excited that this grant enables us to build new partnerships as well as add phenomena to the site, representing counties and communities which are currently under-represented within the site.”

Iowa Science Phenomena emphasizes the identification and publication of Iowa-specific phenomena, particularly those that represent locally-relevant or unique concepts, and connects them with Iowa Core science standards. The project features a growing collection of media-based phenomena, including short video clips, images and links to public datasets. Phenomena are each developed, aligned and vetted by Iowa teachers, and include teacher support materials with guidance on phenomena-based best practices.

The Conservation Education Program is a key provision of the Resource Enhancement and Protection Act of 1989. A five-member board implements the CEP and annually they allocate approximately $350,000 in grants for conservation education in Iowa.