Category Archives: Videos and Lessons

A collection of lesson plans. Click on a headline to read the entire post.

Science of Innovation: fuel cell efficiency

By Tyson Brown | Published: April 2, 2013

Innovation rarely occurs in a vacuum, and this installment of the “Science of Innovation” video series emphasizes that. Neither scientist involved in the research highlighted would have succeeded as quickly without the knowledge and input of the other. Use the video to point out to students how seeking out help when a stumbling block presented [...]

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Science of Innovation: biofuels

By Tyson Brown | Published: March 26, 2013

It’s widely reported that the first “flex fuel” automobile able to run on either gasoline or ethanol was Henry Ford’s Model T. With hemp and other types of cellulosic biomass as the source instead of corn, Ford is quoted as saying that ethyl alcohol (ethanol) is “the fuel of the future” back in 1925. Well, [...]

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Science of Innovation: self-driving cars

By Tyson Brown | Published: March 8, 2013

Imagine glancing over to the next car during your commute and seeing the driver with a coffee in hand AND a magazine! Okay—some of you have already witnessed such stupidity—but in the near future none of us will give it a second thought. Instead we’ll all be figuring out how to spend that time because [...]

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Science of Innovation: Biometrics

By Tyson Brown | Published: March 6, 2013

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, security lines are here to stay. What if you could move through with just a sideways glance at a camera? That’s becoming a reality with the innovation highlighted in the latest installment of the “Science of Innovation” video series from the collaborative team of NBC Learn, USPTO, NSF, and NSTA. [...]

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Science of innovation: smart concrete

By Tyson Brown | Published: February 20, 2013

Scientists and engineers don’t necessarily start out to innovate, but unexpected things happen! This installment of the “Science of Innovation” video series describes how Dr. Deborah Chung, an expert in composite materials and structural science, was more-or-less “messing around” with materials just to see what would result. What Dr. Chung found could have a dramatic [...]

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Science of innovation: electronic tattoo

By Tyson Brown | Published: February 17, 2013

As we approach President’s Day, which comes on the heels of Abraham Lincoln’s actual birthday, thoughts turn to … patents. Yes, patents! Those of us on the development team for the Science of Innovation video series were certainly surprised to learn that Honest Abe is the only U.S. president to hold a patent—Patent No. 6,469, [...]

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Science of innovation: bionic limbs

By Tyson Brown | Published: February 14, 2013

Look to the “Science of Innovation” video series from the team of NSTA, NBC Learn, and NSF to jump start your STEM efforts. These videos are sparked by innovative technologies issued patents by the United States Patent & Trademark Office. Use them to expose your students to the innovation process. “Science of Innovation: Bionic Limbs” [...]

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Science of innovation: 3D printing

By Tyson Brown | Published: February 11, 2013

Imagine! Invent! Improve! Inspire! The “Science of…” series is back with a new twist—innovation. The “Science of Innovation” series highlights innovative technologies patented by some of the leading scientists and engineers in their fields. The United States Patent & Trademark Office joins the team of NSTA, NBC Learn, and the National Science Foundation (NSF) to [...]

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Science of the Summer Olympics: maximizing the long jump of Bryan Clay

By Tyson Brown | Published: September 17, 2012

Just because the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games are over doesn’t mean the enthusiasm students brought to school in August has to be. This installment of the NBC Learn/NSF videos series Science of the Summer Olympics—Maximizing the Long Jump of Bryan Clay focuses on the decathlete’s training for just one of the ten events he [...]

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Science of the Summer Olympics: the strength and flexibility of Oscar Pistorius

By Tyson Brown | Published: September 10, 2012

Oscar Pistorius attracted our attention in both the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. First, he fought long and hard to become the first amputee to run in Olympic events. Then, during competition in the Paralympics he expressed concerns that other Paralympic runners were using the same assistive technology as he does—“blades”—to a competitive advantage. So… [...]

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