STEM with Dr. Owl

How Do Microwaves Cook Food? – Physics & Energy for Kids

Learn how microwave ovens use invisible electromagnetic waves to vibrate water molecules and create heat. Join Dr. Owl, curious Emma, and Ziggy the Robot as they discover why soup gets hot faster than crackers and why metal causes sparks inside the oven.
Want more fun science? Sign up for our email list at orbitalowl.com to get free materials and experiments related to this episode.
Learning Connection: NGSS DCI: PS4.B – Electromagnetic Radiation & Heat Transfer

How Do Binoculars Work? – Light Physics & Optics for Kids

Learn the science of optics and how convex lenses and prisms magnify distant objects. Join Dr. Owl, Emma, and Ziggy as they discover why images flip upside down inside binoculars and how light performs gymnastics to reach your eyes. This episode explains the "Big Catch," the "Magic Folding," and why two eyes are better than one!
Want more fun science? Sign up for our email list at orbitalowl.com to get free materials and experiments related to this episode.
Learning Connection: NGSS 4-PS4-2 – Light reflecting from objects and entering the eye to allow objects to be seen.

Why Do Prices Go Up and Down? [Money, Market, and Me! - EP8]

It’s freezing outside, and Ziggy has bought every single box of hot chocolate in town—and he’s selling them for ONE MILLION DOLLARS! Join Dr. Owl and Emma as they warm up with a lesson on why prices go up and down. Kids will learn about supply, demand, and scarcity while navigating Ziggy’s chaotic cocoa monopoly. 
 
This episode is part of the mini series: Money, Market, and Me! — listen to the full collection HERE. 

What Is Zero? (And Why Do We Need It?)

Discover how zero acts as a crucial placeholder in math and forms the secret language of computers. Join Dr. Owl, Emma, and Ziggy as they bake "zero cookies," investigate why Ancient Romans struggled with math, and learn why "nothing" is actually a superhero number. It’s a counting adventure where empty space means everything!
Want more fun science? Sign up for our email list at orbitalowl.com to get free materials and experiments related to this episode.
CCSS-Math: Number & Operations in Base Ten (Place Value)

Why Is This Orange Fuzzy? (What Is Mold?)

🍊 Discover the secret world of mold spores, fungi, and nature’s cleanup crew in this fun biology episode. Join Dr. Owl and Emma as they help Ziggy the Robot understand why his orange grew a "green beard" and how tiny spores float through the air to find a home. You'll even learn how some molds are used to make life-saving medicine!
Want more fun science? Sign up for our email list at orbitalowl.com to get free materials and experiments related to this episode.
Learning Connection: NGSS DCI: LS2.A – Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

How Does Our Body Fix A Scrape?

🩹 Ouch! Emma took a tumble on her roller skates! Join Dr. Owl and Ziggy as they shrink down to investigate the amazing "Emergency Repair Crew" inside our bodies. From sticky platelets stopping the leak to white blood cell soldiers fighting off germs, find out how your body acts like a fortress to fix itself!
Don't forget to sign up for our email list at orbitalowl.com to get useful science materials and fun activities sent straight to you!
Learning Connection
Learning Connection: NGSS DCI: LS1.A – Structure and Function.

Can Money Grow On Trees? | What Is Investing? [Money, Market, and Me! - EP7]

Can you grow a donut tree? Ziggy certainly thinks so, but Dr. Owl swoops in to teach him and Emma that while pastries don't grow in dirt, money actually can grow if you give it the right job! In this episode, our explorers dive into the basics of Investing, learning how to turn "sleeping" piggy bank savings into "working" investments, all while mastering the tricky balance of risk, reward, and patience.
This episode is part of the mini series: Money, Market, and Me! — listen to the full collection HERE. 

Why Does Bread Have Holes?

🍞 Have you ever wondered why your sandwich bread is full of tiny holes? Did invisible space ghosts take a bite? Join Dr. Owl, curious Emma, and Ziggy the Robot as they head to the kitchen lab to discover the "invisible bakers" living in your dough! In this episode, we explore the science of yeast, how chemical reactions work, and why tiny gas bubbles make our lunch so fluffy.
Want fun science experiments and activities sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for our email list at orbitalowl.com!
Learning Connection Learning Connection: NGSS DCI: PS1.B – Chemical Reactions (Heating or mixing substances).

How Does A Camera Work?

📸 Ever wonder how a tiny box can freeze a moment forever? Join Dr. Owl, Emma, and our silly robot friend Ziggy as they zoom in on the science of photography! We will discover how camera lenses act like eyes, shutters blink like eyelids, and sensors catch "light rain" to create the pictures you see every day. Plus, find out how the very first cameras were actually giant rooms you could walk into!
Don’t forget to sign up for our email list to get fun science activities and useful materials at orbitalowl.com!
Learning Connection Learning Connection: NGSS DCI: PS4.B – Electromagnetic Radiation (Light & Vision)

Why Do Animals Migrate?

🦢 Winter is here! Join Dr. Owl, curious Emma, and our silly robot friend Ziggy as they uncover the secrets of animal migration. Why do geese fly in a V-shape? How do tiny butterflies fly thousands of miles without a map? And does Ziggy need to migrate to the kitchen? Tune in to discover the "Big 3" reasons animals go on these super long adventures!
👉 Parents & Explorers: Sign up for our email list at orbitalowl.com to get fun, free science materials and activity sheets sent straight to your inbox!
Learning Connection
Learning Connection: NGSS DCI: LS1.B – Growth and Development of Organisms