Snow is likely to become a part of our landscape before long.  This week PBS LearningMedia features resources to dig into the science beneath the ice and snow to better appreciate the wonders of the winter season.  You and students can explore hibernation, snowflake physics, and the ecosystems of Earth’s polar regions with:

Joy Learno:  snowman (PreK-1) :  Talk show host, Joy Learno, interviews a snowman who likes to crack jokes about snow and ice .  Then the snowman starts to melt. This video segment from Between the Lions provides a resource for language and vocabulary development.

Why Do Snowflakes Come in So Many Shapes and Sizes? (Grades 6-8):  In this lesson students build an apparatus that creates conditions similar to a winter cloud and produce their own snow crystals indoors.  They learn about the molecular forces that shape ice crystals, and gain a deeper understanding of the states of matter.

Inspiration from Hibernation (Grades 6-12):  From NOVA scienceNOW’s “Can We Live Forever?” this video teaches how research on animal hibernation may lead to the successful development of drug therapies for humans.

Life on the Ice (Grades 9-13+):  In this video from the National Science Foundation and the Desert Research Institute, learn about WAIS Divide, an ice core project on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and hear from the people involved in the hard work and light-hearted fun that typifies day-to-day life in the WAIS Divide camp.