Grades 5-12, College, Adult
Directed by Sarah Topalian and David Shulman
Produced by BBC and The Open University
DVD Purchase $39
US Release Date: 2002
Copyright Date: 2002
DVD ISBN: 1-59458-094-4
Subjects
Biology
Chemistry
Critical Thinking
Earth Science
Geography
Life Science
Marine Biology
Natural Resources
Oceans and Coasts
Physical Science
Science
Technology
Society
Technology
Awards and Festivals
Gold Plaque, Chicago International Television Awards
Rough Science DVD Disc 1
Episodes 101-103 of the entertaining science series.
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"ROUGH SCIENCE may be the most fun anyone ever had learning science." St. Louis Post Dispatch |
Disc 1 contains the following episodes:
101. ALL MAPPED OUT - Kate Humble and the team of five scientists take up the challenge of charting the sights and sounds of their tropical island. Starting from scratch, they must make an accurate scale map, botanical paper and inks, and a sound-recording device. While a very good head for math and plenty of versatile local plants get them started, impassable mangrove swamps and tropical downpours soon seem intent on scuttling their plans.
102. BUGS AND BAROMETERS - The team has to pit their wits against nature - and bugs - in the latest challenge. Can they get a biology lab, microscope, and weather station built and tested on their tropical island in just three days? With only a basic kit of tools to work with, the island's plants and seaweed have to be employed - and predicting the weather can be problematic under the best of conditions.
103. TIME AND TRANSMITTER - The scientists find they have to borrow some wartime tricks when challenged with building a transmitter and radio - but will they be able to communicate across their tropical island base? There's also a portable clock and a botanical kite to design and, once again, the natural plants and resources the scientists find on the island get their thoughts running in strange new directions.
The other two DVD discs in the series are:
DISC 2
104. Feel the Heat
105. Sun and Sea
106. The Science of Celebration
DISC 3
107. Mediterranean Mystery
108. Simmering Shutterbugs
109. Power Supplies
110. Sustenance on Sayonara
All shot on the island of Capraia in the Mediterranean
Reviews
"This entertaining series...succeeds in making science fun and accessible."
"The episodes are remarkable; they realistically show the false starts and problems scientists encounter...Because so many students watch 'reality television' in their spare time, ROUGH SCIENCE will be a high-interest supplement to the curriculum. It would be a great review or extension resource, and it would also be a perfect lead-in to design projects where groups of students are assigned similar tasks. The series demonstrates the application of basic principles in biology, chemistry, Earth science, and physics, so teachers will find many applications in middle and secondary programs."
"Thanks to a genuine sense of purpose and a refreshing lack of condescension, ['Rough Science'] works beautifully."
"ROUGH SCIENCE may be the most fun anyone ever had learning science."
"An intelligent variation of the 'Castaway' theme."
"I wish they'd had 'Rough Science' when I was in school."
"ROUGH SCIENCE dares to be genial and collegial, operating on the assumption that intellectual stimulation is not an exclusionary game... ROUGH SCIENCE resembles a 'Survivor' for smart people."
"This show helps viewers learn that we all solve problems."
"The premise of the show is that . . . knowledge will . . . rub off on the viewers while they are being entertained."
"We...are very pleased with our students' responses to the different episodes...The students are encouraged to see that there is real application to some of the abstract ideas in physics...[Rough Science] is an excellent series, a great educational tool."
"[Rough Science] is a breath of fresh air...entertaining and educational. And perhaps the best advertisement for science as a career for curious people...Rough Science shows science 'in the raw' and setting it in a remote island location strips the scientists of the lab coats, test tubes and urge to speak in tongues. The program gets to the root of why science is interesting, and that's not something that we civilians get to see too often. Highly recommended."