Resources
Cars and homes can run from solar power! Learn more about how solar energy is used in Iowa with FIND Iowa.
Moving away from the use of fossil fuels is one way to help the Earth. Learn how Iowa is going green by harnessing the wind.
Learn about the fragile uniqueness of the Loess Hills found on the western side of Iowa.
The Maquoketa Caves have been around for hundreds of years. Learn about how they formed and got here!
How do prairie plants help the Earth? Explore the effect prairie plants have on the carbon cycle.
Where does it go? Explore the challenges and misconceptions of recycling with Sarah Borzo from Metro Waste Authority.
Use this PEEP curriculum to help preschools explore how containers and tools make water move and flow in different ways.
Use this PEEP curriculum to help preschools explore and identify the sounds around them.
Use this PEEP curriculum to help preschools explore how a shadow’s shape, size, position, and appearance can change.
Use this PEEP curriculum to help preschools explore the way things roll and slide down ramps and hills.
Use this PEEP curriculum to help preschools explore how plants grow.
Use this PEEP curriculum to help preschools explore different colors and investigate different shades of the same color.
Every county has a story to tell. Explore the barn quilts of Sac County.
Did you know that 85% of Iowa’s land is used for Agriculture? Come explore agriculture in Iowa with us.
Learn how the NAWSA (led by Carrie Chapman Catt), with President Wilson’s help, got the 19th Amendment ratified.
Explore how the 19th Amendment came to be by looking closer at the strong women who created and lead the NAWSA.
Explore these social emotional activities with your young learner inspired by your child's favorite PBS KIDS programs!
Explore these literacy-based activities with your young learner inspired by your child's favorite PBS KIDS programs!
Help young children practice their social emotional skills with this fun memory game.
Packed full of fun puzzles to solve, this book has mazes to navigate, things to find, artwork to color and differences to spot.
Learn why John Tinker felt it was important to protest the Vietnam War.
Mary Beth and John Tinker react to the Supreme Court decision and the “Tinker Standard”.
Learn about the landmark 1969 U.S. Supreme Court decision that defined students free speech rights.
Learn about the first successful school desegregation case in the United States.
Examine how Alexander Clark’s work influenced the lives of Black Americans before and after the Civil War.
Discover how Alexander Clark and the work of abolitionists in Iowa played a critical role in the abolitionist movement.
Once residents left Buxton they quickly found that life outside of their town was an unwelcome dose of reality.
In the early 1900s black and white residents lived side by side in the small mining town of Buxton.
Learn about the 332 Fighter Group that helped to defeat the Axis powers during World War II.
The seeds of World War II were sown in the treaties that ended World War I. Learn with this article from Iowa Pathways.
Getting key ideas and details is one way to reach a student with significant cognitive disabilities (SCD).
Story Retelling with AAC is one way to reach a student with significant cognitive disabilities (SCD).
This collection features strategies for literacy instruction meant for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
Kids try to get their friends to guess their favorite book titles without using any words, only drawings and actions.
Discover how to make unique stories using just people, places and things.
Explore an active way to tell stories with Abby Brown and her friends.
Abby Brown and her friend make a gratitude turkey showing all the things they are thankful for.
What did the Pilgrims and Native Americans eat at the first Thanksgiving? Spoiler alert: It probably wasn't turkey!
Barack Obama gains the support of first-time and independent voters to win the democratic nomination in the 2008 Iowa caucuses.
In 1972, the Iowa caucuses became the first major event in the nomination process for President of the United States.
Have you ever wondered why Iowa is the first state in the nation to select local delegates for national conventions?
Work alongside Jessica and Eduardo from the Des Moines Art Center to make tissue paper marigolds.
What do you know about Day of the Dead? Explore Día de los Muertos with our partners, the Des Moines Art Center.
Explore the Hispanic tradition of Día de los Muertos with the help of our partner, the Des Moines Art Center.
Learn how the movement of a shadow during the day can help you tell time. Make your own sundial.
Pretend to be detectives and figure out the case of the mystery shape.
Explore counting and animal knowledge with your child by creating ladybug art.
Keep your kids busy for hours. Paper rockets zooming in front of your nose and chasing you around the house. What fun!
For an afternoon of clean, green and science-friendly fun, try making these ice boats with your kids.
Push, slide, bounce! Explore the science of how things move with your child with this exciting game.
Investigate different objects and predict which shapes will balance and which shapes will fall.
Have fun with some kitchen science. Investigate with your child what happens when you heat materials and then cool them.
Explore patterns and pattern games with your child with this fun pasta necklace.
Part science project and part cute craft, create potato sprout people of your own.
Playing graphing games using stickers from your favorite fresh fruits is a fun activity that gets the family involved.
Let your child take the driver’s seat practicing number recognition in this simple math game, Fire Truck Number Hunt.
Make a cool bracelet with this multiplayer game that develops counting fine motor and hand-eye coordination skills.
Treasure hunts are a fun way to build early math skills as well as improve social skills like following directions.
How tall is your shadow? How short is your shadow? Learn to estimate using your shadow as a guide.
Build your child’s science vocabulary and understanding of measurement with this simple experiment.
How many textures can you find at your house? Race the clock or race a friend with this printable scavenger hunt.
Help your child explore the concept of wind with their very own DIY sailboat.
Help your child practice early math, science and critical thinking skills with this fun sorting activity.
Have your child “spy” sight words, letters, numbers or math problems in this super squishy learning activity.
Troops from Iowa worked to empower Afghans by improving agriculture practices and developing entrepreneurial skills.
Along with winning the hearts and trust of the Afghan people, American forces helped to repair damaged infrastructure.
Join us in remembering 9/11. After terrorists attacked New York, Pennsylvania & Washington, D.C., 3000 Iowans mobilized.
Learn how zookeepers train sea lions with our partner, the Blank Park Zoo.
Learn more about how Iowa is helping to save coral reefs from our partners at the Blank Park Zoo.
Explore asterisms with us and our guide from the Science Center of Iowa.
Find the Big Dipper in your backyard with help from our partner, the Science Center of Iowa.
Learn to explore Iowa’s sky at night with help from our partner, the Science Center of Iowa.
Have a young child heading off to school next year? Prepare them for the adventure with these fun, free resources.
Design a bird feeder to hang in your backyard, just like Abby and her friend Augie.
Make art with your children while exploring how making mistakes can help us learn something new.
Explore the beauty of the Northern Lights and create Northern Lights window art.
Aquí encontrará excelentes actividades para hacer con su hijo en el camino.
Here are some great activities for you to do with your child on-the-go!
Explore the states of matter and create some amazing structures with Abby and Brayden.
Cooking is chemistry! Make a breakfast favorite and explore some science concepts.
Create some amazing bracelets with Abby and Zoey to celebrate with your friends.
Explore the science behind tornadoes with this easy activity.
Investigate ways to create different pitch, tones and sounds by creating your own glass bottle water xylophone.
Understand how a volcano forms and what causes it to erupt in this classic science fair experiment.
Learn how birds eat, and what tools you would need to eat like a bird.
Investigate the science of color while learning and using the word “hypothesis.”
Listen to the sounds around you and play a sorting game.
Trace blocks and have your child match the pieces to the shapes.
Can a paper bridge hold rocks? Work with your child to find out the answer to that question with this fun experiment.
Think flexibly and use working memory to develop early math skills with this fun block sorting activity.
Combine two things that every kid loves, shapes and robots, to make this cute shapes robot craft.
Apply geometric skills in a fun way by creating these shape necklaces made out of empty milk jugs!
Check out this simple tutorial on how to build forts for kids out of newspaper.
Build your own winter wonderland by turning cardboard boxes into a gingerbread village!
Turn your favorite animal tracks into art by imprinting them on clay.
Decorate your house for the holidays with these beautiful and easy cotton swab snowflakes!
Teach your child about money and saving with this cute piggy bank craft for kids.
Make beautiful spring butterflies out of recycled toilet paper rolls.
Practice early math skills with your child as you “Race to the Finish!” in this probability game.
Transform a recycled plastic bottle into a simple homemade bird feeder.
Bring the excitement of an amusement park into your home by building a marble roller coaster.
We know we can hear sound, but did you know you can see it too? Help your child make sound waves move with this activity.
Let nature inspire art when you upcycle plastic soda bottles to create fun and festive fireflies for display or play.
Build a toy boat with your child by reusing old materials from around your home.
Why do some things float and some sink? Learn about sinking and floating with this easy activity that freezes toys.
A fun way to practice measurement skills with your child is by building a house for a favorite toy.
Put your nose to the test! Kids investigate and distinguish between different objects and materials using their nose.
In this fun activity, explore the fractions of 1/8, 1/4, and 1/2 while eating delicious pizza.
In this activity, your child will fold and glue paper to build 3D shapes while learning math vocabulary.
Wars have been a part of Iowa's history since the first inhabitants arrived. Explore War and Conflict on Iowa Pathways.
Iowa farmers play an important role in feeding the world. Explore the technological changes that make this possible.
People with heritages from all over the world call Iowa home. Explore the richness of our state through their eyes.
Explore the impact that energy use has on humans, animals and the environment to become educated, energy experts!
Examine how keeping up to date on prices and factors influencing the market helps producers make informed decisions.
Billions of dollars move through the agricultural marketplace each year. Explore the government’s role in agriculture.
Learn about the Korean War from the Iowans who served.
Analyze the causes of a war that has been forgotten by many but the Iowans who served on its battlefields.
Explore the sacrifices that Iowans made at home and on the frontlines to win the fight against the Axis powers.
Examine one of the most turbulent times in American history from the perspective of the Iowa veterans who were there.
Learn about the War in Afghanistan through the Iowans who were there. Iowa soldiers reflect on their experiences.
Explore the role Iowans played in preserving the rights and freedoms of individuals around the world.
Explore Agriculture’s rich tradition of embracing technology to improve crops, business practices, and rural life.
Celebrate the 100-year anniversary of Iowa State Parks by joining Iowa artists that find inspiration in our parks.
This special Iowa Outdoors episode features a look at select parks from the sky!
Iowa Outdoors celebrates Iowa State Parks by showcasing park history, trail experiences and inspiring photography.
Learn about Iowa's interesting geology and ancient past by exploring various land features and fossilized creatures.
Just walk the trails at Pine Lake or Effigy Mounds to see the lasting effect members of the CCC have had on our state.
Iowa’s state park system was started by the Iowa Federation of Women (IFW).
Why does fog look grey and feel wet? Answer this question about the weather using scientific inquiry with your child.
In this activity, your child will build a thermometer to show when the temperature is warmer or cooler.
See the wind at work! Make a pinwheel and explore the wind’s wind-erful power!
Use your design thinking and science inquiry skills to determine the best kind of structure.
Grab a grown-up and some friends! Each team will build a structure and then try to knock down the other team’s structure.
Grab a grown-up and some friends for this building game. Can you stack a tall, stable tower?
Using scientific inquiry skills you and your child will learn more about sound and how it works.
Make an instrument that anyone can play—a kazoo—and get the buzz on sound vibrations!
What do you think will float? Test out your predictions using items from around the house and the printable table.
Use your scientific inquiry skills to learn more about simple machines.
Make a pinball machine that can shoot a marble and send it zigzagging down an obstacle course.
Build a catapult using a lever, and power it with a rubber band, and send a marshmallow flying through the air.
Spark great conversations about the science behind elasticity with this chemistry and craft project rolled into one.
Can you match the PBS KIDS character with his or her shadow?
Use scientific inquiry and engineering design skills to learn all about ramps.
Design a crazy roller coaster ride for a marble—but make sure it doesn’t fly off the track.
With a couple tools and your know-how, you can figure it out your height and weight using measurements.
Curious George is using markers to measure his desk.
Use this resource to help children investigate how measurement can be used to describe, compare, and sort materials.
Grab a grown-up to make a chocolate mug cake in less than five minutes. No oven needed.
Make the Cat’s hat and a Measuring Snail to measure and compare all sorts of things.
Learn how magnets work and why some items are attracted to magnets and others are not.
Talk about how caterpillars have many legs and feet to hold up their very long bodies.
Use the Insect Match cards to play Memory, matching the picture of the bug to its name.
Scatter the sight word bugs on the table. Read a word out loud and have your child “catch” the bug by swatting the word.
Uses your engineering and design skills to puzzle out how bridges are built and work.
Can you build a bridge out of cardboard that won’t collapse under the weight of a pile of books?
Young learners can practice letters and early geometry skills with Alphabet Patterns from our Ready for School toolkit.
Help your young learner practice letters and numbers with the writing mat from our Ready for School toolkit.
FIND Iowa allows students in grades 2-5 to virtually explore Iowa through immersive and interactive learning content.
Abby teaches kids about weather. Kids learn to observe and evaluate the weather.
Learn to measure the temperature of hot and cold items and make predictions.
Ruff uses his new service to help kids looking for a way to keep their mini-golf tower from tipping over in the wind.
Help Sally, Nick, and the Cat in the Hat make some sounda - pa - looza's for the concert.
Join Sally, Nick, and the Cat in the Hat as they travel to Gongolia to find the missing note to Sally's song.
Visit Toborrowland with Nick and Sally, and help them pick up and sort items to put back into the borrow truck.
Join Sally, Nick, and the Cat in the Hat as they visit Toborrowland and learn all about sorting.
Create the right type of structure to carry as many pennies as possible in water.
Join Sally, Nick, and the Cat in the Hat as they learn about why certain objects float and others sink.
Simple machines have few working parts. They make our work easier and help us move things.
Join Nick, Sally, and the Cat in the Hat as they learn about simple machines and how they can make our work easier.
Discover the simple machines that can be found at the playground.
Join Nick, Sally, and the Cat in the Hat as they learn about what makes a ball bounce.
Quack and Peep find a flashlight and have fun making shadows.
Explore the shadows made by objects in Chirp's collection.
Play with shadows; control the weather; and send objects down a ramp.
George must figure out how to build a ramp so that Hundley, a little dachshund, can get out of a basement window.
Explore kitchen chemistry as Ruff Ruffman learns that mixing the right ingredients is important.
Sing along with Cat as he sings a fun song about what a magnet can and can't stick to.
It's Magnet Mania - a day when the gang spends the whole day playing with magnets.
Hands-on challenges that focus on the engineering design process.
It's Grandma's Birthday and Ruff has decided to give her an "Action-to-the-Maxion Skate-Pro Plushie" as a gift.
Spanish Use math skills to help George count the bugs to find out the answer!
Use math skills to help George count the bugs to find out the answer!
The Wild Kratts are all hyped about fireflies because they are having a firefly-themed picnic.
On this Science Trek, host Joan Cartan-Hansen and her guests answer students’ questions about insects.
Abby teaches kids how to identify an insect. You’ll also learn how some insects are very helpful to humans!
Help the Dragon to get across Spansylvania to make it to a birthday party.
Teach your students about what it takes to build a successful bridge.
Join Nick, Sally, and the Cat in the Hat as they learn about bridges and what makes them work.
Explore Iowa history topics including politics, civil rights, industry, agriculture and conflicts.
Explore photos and first-person accounts of farm life during the Great Depression and the early twentieth century.
Celebrate Earth Day with Iowa PBS with some of these great resources
Go on an educational exploration of Iowa’s natural environments and environmental challenges.
Discover what the New Deal and Civilian Conservation Corps have to do with our Iowa state parks.
Explore the life of Dr. Carver. Born into slavery, Carver become one of the best-known black Americans in the world.
Buxton Iowa's impact on America has lasted for generations. Explore the racial harmony that existed in this Iowa town.
From abolitionist to school integration, learn how Alexander Clark fought for civil rights for all Iowans.
Learn how Alexander Clark’s Iowa Supreme Court case played a pivotal role in desegregating schools in our country.
These Iowa stories will inspire you and your students to right wrongs big and small to change the world in which we live.
Notice what is around you and learn to be curious as you record your observations.
Discover five engaging literacy activities, each less than $5 to recreate.
Delve into the memories of those who put their lives on hold in the fight against the Axis powers.
Learn about farm life in rural America during the Great Depression and early twentieth century.
Grasp the impact of the War on Terror with first-hand military and civilians accounts of the war.
Explore how Iowa became a testing ground and the first electoral event for presidential candidates.
Explore the life of Iowan, Alexander Clark from school desegregation to U.S. Ambassador to Liberia.
Explore Freedom Summer, the 1964 voter registration drive to register Black voters in Mississippi.
Explore ELA strategies for instruction for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
Examine the economic and personal disasters that afflicted the agriculture sector in the 1980s.
Explore the experiences of young orphan train riders.
Learn about the historic battle that led to free speech rights for public school students.
Examine one of the most turbulent periods in American history told by those who were there.
Foster acceptance and knowledge of others in your classroom with this multi-station collection.
Learn more about Iowan Carrie Chapman Catt’s compelling life story and the suffrage movement.
Explore the Hispanic tradition of Día de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead) with us.
Explore connections among science, technology and agriculture.
Visit stages and venues that showcase diverse performing arts.
Learn about scientist, teacher, humanitarian, environmentalist and artist George Washington Carver.
An educator's guide to social, emotional and character development curriculum.
Five-day thematic, multimedia activity math activity plans designed for afterschool programs.
Help young children learn to manage emotions with Daniel Tiger’s Life Lessons from our Ready for School toolkit.