We’re proud to announce the newest addition to the Beyond Penguins project: a monthly podcast series!

Each month, join hosts Robert Payo and Stephanie Chasteen as they discuss misconceptions, teaching activities, and the latest news related to the poles. The podcasts are designed to accompany the current month’s issue of the Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears magazine.

Here are some ways to use the podcasts in your teaching:

1. Listen to learn new teaching ideas and build your science content knowledge.

2. Have older students listen, write, and discuss episodes or segments of episodes as a way of integrating science and literacy activities

3. Inform your school librarian to include these in your school’s audio collection

4. Share on your classroom web pages for families or with your friends!

To listen, click on the “Audio MP3″ buttons:

A Walk Through the Earth: Volcanoes and Earthquakes

A Walk Through the Earth: Volcanoes and Earthquakes

Our first podcast was created to accompany our December issue – Issue 9: Earth’s Changing Surface. Eric Muller, science educator for the Exploratorium Teacher Institute in San Francisco, CA, provides a hands-on, “feet-on” way of teaching about volcanoes and the layers of the Earth.

Why Polar Bears Don’t Eat Penguins 

Why Polar Bears Don’t Eat Penguins

Episode 2 features Dr. Ross MacPhee, curator and researcher at the American Museum of Natural History.  MacPhee discusses polar mammals, their adaptations, and current means of studying mammals in the field. This episode accompanies our January issue – Issue 10: Polar Mammals.

Birdwatcher’s Delight: Birds and Inquiry Learning

Birdwatcher’s Delight: Birds and Inquiry Learning

This podcast accompanies our upcoming February issue – Issue 11: Arctic and Antarctic Birds. Listen to sound recordings from an Arctic expedition, and learn how to use citizen science projects to promote inquiry-based learning in the classroom.

You can find all of the podcasts in the NSDL section of iTunes U: Beyond Campus or linked within individual magazine issues. We’ll also be adding a separate podcast page to the magazine in the near future. Look for links on the Beyond Penguins home page and in the header!

We hope you enjoy the series!