A few years ago, I had the pleasure of giving a presentation at the NSTA STEM Forum in St. Louis. I got lots of questions, but I also got something unexpected—homework. One science teacher challenged me to make understandable science stories that she could use in her classroom. To answer this, I’ve created a weekly 2-minute science podcast called Science Underground to do just that.

Science Underground officially launched this month (November 2015) and can be found on iTunes (iOs) and Stitcher (Android). The goal of this free podcast is to make science fun. Each audio episode is a short nugget of understandable and un-dry science that middle schoolers can comprehend. But also, high school students, college students, and even adults benefit from them too. The podcast is designed so that many of the science stories are supportive of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

What’s the cost? There isn’t any. You can sign up for the newsletter and learn about future episodes, premium content, and events (like a STEM camp for adults), but there isn’t any obligation at all.

So, what topics might you hear? Well, NFL great Jerry Rice tells us about the perplexing way that the football spins when thrown by a left-handed or right handed quarterback, and how the spin shifts the ball sideways. This secret way that a football travels can be the difference between a touchdown or not.

Not a football fan? No problem. One scientist shared how he is making tires from lettuce. Another scientist shows how she is using fireflies to make new medicines. You will also find timely topics, like how leaves change colors for the fall, the science of chocolate for St. Valentine’s Day, and the chemistry of fireworks for the Fourth of July. And, all these conversation starters happen in 2 minutes.

The goal of Science Underground is to awaken the inner scientists in all children and support educators in making science fun.

Details:

Downloadable, Science Underground is a free weekly 2-minute science podcast that targets middle school and high school students.

Website: http://www.scienceunderground.org

Twitter: https://twitter.com/scienceundrgrnd

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scienceunderground

Questions: scienceunderground@gmail.com

Ainissa Ramirez (@AinissaRamirez) is a scientist and the co-author of Newton’s Football and the author of Save Our Science. She hosts a science podcast called Science Underground.

The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.

Future NSTA Conferences

2015 Area Conferences

• Kansas City, December 3–5

2016 National Conference

• Nashville, March 31–April 3

2016 STEM Forum & Expo

• Denver, July 27–30

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