When there’s a drought, how do plants – given their stationary nature – go about finding water for their roots? This short documentary from the Science Communication Lab shows how the biologist José R Dinneny goes about unraveling the mysteries of these underground systems

What a plant’s decision-making reveals about intelligence | Aeon Videos

Plant roots don’t have a nervous system, yet can produce sophisticated responses. What does that say about intelligence?

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SCL is back for @nstaofficial.bsky.social! Join us in Anaheim at Booth #677 for snacks, free lessons, and science stories. 🔎 Workshop: Observation as a Superpower Thursday, April 16 | 2:20 PM | Room 161 Learn hands-on strategies for our free film, OBSERVER. See you there! #STEM #ScienceTeachers

Calling SFUSD Secondary Science Teachers! Join our Science Communication Lab Educator Cohort for middle & high school bio/environmental science. ✨ Honoraria + stipends ✨ Film-based resources ✨ Collaborative lesson design Learn more & apply by May 15: lc.cx/KKljyX #SFUSD #STEM #ScienceTeachers

Exciting news! We're partnering with @ncse.bsky.social to bolster science literacy and evidence-based learning. By combining our films with NCSE’s network, we’re helping educators confidently teach evolution, climate science, and the nature of science. Learn more: ncse.ngo/bridging-gaps

Please join us this Sat 3/21 from 2-4 pm at the National Academy of Sciences for our FREE #DCEFF2026 screening of our award-winning #ObserverFilm! 🎟️ bit.ly/observerdc See you in DC! 🏛️✨

To wrap up #CAArborWeek, we’re revisiting how #redwoods recover from wildfires. 🌲🔥 Witness the resilience of these iconic giants in our films: 🎥 A Walk in the Woods: lc.cx/walkinthewoods 🎥 Fire Among Giants: lc.cx/fireamonggia... #WildfireScience #BigBasin #CZUFire #CoastRedwoods

Roots are the foundation of forest resilience, yet they remain a mystery. See through the "veil of soil" with the GLOW imaging system and discover how plants navigate drought in our film The Hidden World of Plant Roots. ▶️ Watch: sciencecommunicationlab.org/science-vide... #CAArborWeek #SciComm

Happy #CAArborWeek! 🌳 Celebrate with our "Future of Forests" series: 🌲 Future of Forests: How ecosystems adapt to a warming world. 🌰 Saving the American Chestnut: Can genetic engineering restore a lost giant? Watch: sciencecommunicationlab.org/future-of-fo...

"The cultural connection was resounding." - Christine Girtain, 2025 #SCLAmbassador See how Christine used our film DECODING ANCESTRAL KNOWLEDGE to bridge cultural heritage & scientific inquiry. Get her #HypothesisGeneration lesson plan: bit.ly/sclchristine 🌺 #STEM #ScienceEducation

"The stories help you to connect with the identity of the person. It opens students’ eyes so anyone can be a scientist." - Rebecca Brewster, 2025 #SCLAmbassador See how Rebecca uses our films in her classroom with her lesson on #CellularCommunication: bit.ly/sclrebecca 🦠 #STEM #ScienceEducation

🎬 Join us for a special screening of the film OBSERVER by @scicommlab.bsky.social to explore and celebrate the power of observation! 📅 Saturday, March 21 🕒 2:00–4:00 PM (doors open 1:30 PM) 📍 National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC 🎟️ RSVP now: www.eventbrite.com/e/dc-environ... #scicomm #film

DC Environmental Film Festival: Observer (2026 Stone Award Winner)

Join Cultural Programs of the NAS and the DC Environmental Film Festival for a special screening of the award-winning film OBSERVER.

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In the '70s, Janet Mertz & Paul Berg unlocked a new possibility: combining DNA. 🧬 It sparked a global debate on risk, led to the Asilomar Conference, and birthed modern biotech. Watch LIFE RECOMBINED: The Story of Recombinant DNA. ▶️ bit.ly/liferecombined #ScienceHistory #Biotech

"I would 100% recommend this program... it was a really valuable experience." - Dan Vanden Heuvel, 2025 #SCLAmbassador Grab Dan’s lesson on evolutionary fitness & antibiotic resistance (ft. a board game!). Download the lesson plan for free: bit.ly/scldan #BiologyTeachers #ScienceEducation #STEM

Honored to share that our #ObserverFilm has won the Flo & Roger D. Stone Award for Outstanding Artistry in Filmmaking at #DCEFF2026! 🏆🌿 Join us 3/21 at the National Academy of Sciences for the FREE awards ceremony+special screening. 🎟️ bit.ly/observerdc See you in DC! 🏛️✨

Our Senior Director of Education, Shannon Behrman, kicks off the SCERN Talk Series on 2/27 at 12pm PT! She’ll share research on using storytelling to support science identity and nature of science learning. Check your newsletter for the Zoom link or visit scicommed.org. #SciComm #STEM

Introducing our 2026 SCL Educator Ambassadors! 🧑‍🏫🔬 We’re thrilled to welcome 13 teacher-leaders from CA to PR for a year of storytelling, lesson-building, and professional development. Together, we’re humanizing science in the classroom! Meet the cohort: sciencecommunicationlab.org/ambassadors-... ✨

2026 SCL Educator Ambassadors

We’re thrilled to welcome 13 teacher-leaders from CA to PR for a year of storytelling, lesson-building, and professional development to humanize science in the classroom.

sciencecommunicationlab.org

On #IDWGS, we want to highlight and celebrate the women of our documentary, PCITURE A SCIENTIST, and their commitment to making science more diverse, equitable, and open to all. To all the girls out there: stay curious. 🧪 Watch & join the movement: bit.ly/womeninscien... #WomenInScience

Picture a Scientist

Explore the inspiring journey of women in science with 'Picture a Scientist,' a documentary featuring Nancy Hopkins, Raychelle Burks, and Jane Willenbring

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We're so glad to hear our content brought more joy to #SCLAmbassador Minu's classroom. If you haven't already, make sure to check out her lesson plan on #DNAreplication with Meselon and Stahl's famous experiment: bit.ly/sclminu Stay tuned next week to meet our 2026 #SCLAmbassadors!

Huge thanks to Renee for being vital to our #SCLAmbassador pilot! It’s been a joy learning together and bringing real-world science to classrooms nationwide via storytelling. Stay tuned to meet our 2026 Ambassadors next week! #BiologyTeachers #ScienceEducation #STEM #TeachingTools

At @nstaofficial.bsky.social, we met Susan Bartol. Inspired by our film OBSERVER, she led a Science Day for 425+ students! With district faculty, 17 HS students & 25 Montclair State scientists, she turned observation into a community movement. Read more: bit.ly/sclsusan 🖼️🧪 #ObserverFilm #STEM

Before shifting our focus to innovating in K–12 education, we partnered with @Biohub.org in a multi-year collaboration to train physician–scientists using our content alongside evidence-based teaching practices. 📖 Read the paper: bit.ly/sclczpaper #EvidenceBasedTeaching #PhysicianScientist

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That’s a wrap on our 2025 #SCLAmbassador program! 🎉 Huge thanks to our pilot educators for creating extraordinary biology & environmental science lessons. 📺 Watch the Webinar: bit.ly/scleduwebinar2026 📥 Download the Lessons: bit.ly/scllessons #EduSky #BiologyTeacher #SciEd #STEM #TeacherResources

Why aren't the okapis breeding? 🦒🕵️♀️In this free lesson by Rebecca Brewer, students solve an animal welfare mystery via: 🧪 "Simulated urine" testing 🧠 Modeling hormone pathways 📐 Zoo enclosure redesign Includes Lizard & Pigeon #APBio extensions! 📥 Download: bit.ly/sclrebecca #EduSky #ScienceEd #STEM

Should we use biotech to save a species? 🌳🧬 In this free lesson by Renee Haines, students dive into real-world #conservation case studies like the American chestnut. Groups collaborate to review evidence, build Case Study Posters, and lead a Gallery Walk. 📥 Download: bit.ly/sclrenee #ScienceEd

How do you teach students that science is a process, not facts? 🔬 Check out this #NatureofScience lesson from 2023 NJ TOY Christine Girtain. 🎲 Solve the Hypothesis Cube 🌱 Explore nitrogen cycling & Indigenous STEM in our award-winning film 📥 Download for free: bit.ly/sclchristine #ScienceEd #STEM

How do you kill a superbug? 🦠 Help students explore phage therapy with this free lesson plan by Dan Vanden Heuvel! 🔬 Model evolution 🎲 Interactive board game 📊 Analyze research data ⏰ FREE WEBINAR TODAY @ 7PM ET: bit.ly/sclambassadorwebinar #APBio #ScienceEd

New lesson for Biology educators! 🧬 Modeling DNA Replication (9–12) Students analyze the Meselson–Stahl experiment, compare replication models, and work with real data—plus hands-on DNA modeling. 📅 FREE webinar TOM 1/8 demo'ing this lesson: 👉 bit.ly/sclambassado... 📥 Download lesson: bit.ly/sclminu

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Hands-On Lesson Plans to Make Science Relevant and Fun!. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

Educators Ambassadors from the Science Communication Lab (scicommlab.org) showcase their classroom-tested, film-based lessons. All free to use. Discover how to elevate your lessons and engage your…

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Science educators, join us NEXT Thursday to get FIVE fresh ideas for your classroom! On Jan 8, fellow educators will share their classroom-tested lessons—from a bacterial evolution board game to DNA replication modeling. 👉 RSVP to attend: bit.ly/sclambassado... #ScienceEducation #STEMEducation

Happy New Year! 🎉 We’ve got BIG PLANS for 2026—more films, more resources, more ways to bring science to life in your classroom. Stay curious.

Happy Holidays, Educators! ❄️ Our free, award-winning science docs are perfect winter break watches: 🟥 OBSERVER 🧬 HUMAN NATURE Start watching: bit.ly/SCL-Observer #ScienceEducation #TeachScience #ObserverFilm #CRISPR #ClassroomResources