This video explores autonomous cars with a research scientist, engineer, and team lead at theVirginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). Computer scientists are needed to program thecomputing devices that are part of the complex systems of automated vehicles.Human-computer interaction is also a critical component to the design, development, and useof autonomous cars.

This video explores how GigaBeam Networks is expanding and improving the quality ofinternet access in rural Virginia by providing fiber optic internet connectivity to its customers aswell as highlighting some of the jobs available in this industry. Fiber optic cable is filled withthin glass or plastic fibers and data travels along the cable as beams of light pulsing in patternsof ones and zeroes. Fiber optic internet speed is 10 to 20 times faster than regular cableinternet. As of 2020, only about 25% of US residents had access to fiber optic internetproviders and most of that access was in and around large cities.

From welding and paint simulators to virtually designing and creating parts for ships, this videoexplores how the Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School incorporates computermodeling and simulations to give apprentices hands-on experience in a safe and cleanenvironment. A model is a set of algorithms that capture the behavior of a particular system. Asimulation is the process of running the model with a program. Computer models andsimulations are all around us. They help us make predictions about things like what the weatheris going to be or the best way to tackle a particular disease. They also play an important role inpreparing for jobs, like flight simulators that can help future pilots learn how to fly and medicalsimulations that can help future nurses and doctors learn how to treat patients. Computermodels can also simulate things that are not real like the physics of gravity in video games.

This video explores how a PhD student in the School of Pharmacy at VCU uses computerscience and virtual reality to improve patient outcomes. The primary purpose of computerscience is to use the power of computers along with human ingenuity to solve real-worldproblems.

Why Integrate?Increase student engagement and benefit affective domains including motivation, self-regulation, emotional health, and prosocial attitudes.Address 21-century learning competencies including critical thinking, communication, collaboration, problem solving, creativity, character education/ethics and citizenship, intercultural competency, global awareness, agility/adaptability, and digital literacy.Positive personal development and learning outcomes.

Learn about the importance of public policy action on natural resource and conservation issues. This episode highlights some key pieces of conservation legislation. The American system of land and wildlife management is one built on, and for, public involvement. Learn about how these decisions are made and, most importantly, how to get involved.

Learn about one of the biggest impacts that humans have on their environment—Litter. It isn’t just an aesthetic problem; it has serious impacts on habitats, wildlife health, as well as human health and safety. The consequences of even small acts of littering can be far-reaching and long-lasting. Join the Wildlife Center staff and watershed conservation authorities to learn more about the problems litter can pose, as well as a variety of ways that you can help reduce litter.

Learn about DNA. Deoxyribonucleic acid is the blueprint for all living things, but it is so small we can’t usually see it. The role of DNA is to provide our cells information on building proteins; these proteins lead to our individual traits such as eye color, height, dimples, and so much more. The structure of DNA is a double helix and we can model this structure at home. This model is based on the work of Rosalind Franklin, a British Chemist who created an X-ray photograph that provided evidence of the double-helix structure of DNA molecules. We can also extract DNA from a living thing, such as a strawberry, at home. The components of this DNA are so small that it does not look like our model; however, with technology scientists can both see the structure and manipulate the structure to change proteins in organisms. The key concepts and terms explored in this episode include DNA, nucleotides, genes, and genetically modified organisms (GMO's).

Learn about inspirations for a story and how that story can inspire a new song.  Mary and Mike travel to the Music Resource Center in Charlottesville to meet up with the author, Marc Boston, and the musician, Tevin White. Marc shares his beautiful children’s book, inspired by his own daughter. And Tevin shares a special song that he wrote, inspired by Marc’s book. Together, we learn how to stop carrying so much stuff!

Learn about where diseases come from. How are they spread? This episode examines a variety of emerging wildlife diseases, with an emphasis on the One Health concept. While some disease outbreaks may be “natural”, human behaviors and influences are adding additional pressure on wildlife and the landscape, and in the end, all of us – humans, wildlife, and the environment – are affected. Learn more about the field of emerging wildlife diseases and the continually evolving research on what those diseases tell us.  

Dwelling on all the impacts of climate change can be overwhelming and lead to feelings of apathy or hopelessness; that is why it is imperative that we use a solutions-based approach toteaching about the topic. Climate change is caused by both natural and anthropogenic factors which lead to higher levels of carbon in the atmosphere. There are many solutions that can be employed to fix the root cause, mitigate damage, and to help us adapt to the changes that havealready occurred. It will take a global effort to take on this global issue. The best place to start is at a local level. There are many ways we can impact the planet in a positive way. One way is to decrease the use of fossil fuels which can lead to decreased global temperatures. We can also support policies or technology that will help us become more energy efficient. Many people all around the globe have started to enact these solutions. In this lesson plan, students will explore various solutions by simulating different policies in a model and watching a video about how people have started to tackle climate change within their careers.

Do you think we can blow up a balloon using only ingredients from the pantry? Using simple, safe, at-home materials, we will explore the concepts of pH and acid-base chemistry and have some fizzy fun! With their signature gas-producing fizz, the acid-base reactions in this episode are both fun and functional. Not only will the reaction blow up a balloon, it also makes your bath bomb fizz in the tub. Join Miss America 2020 to cook up some science in your kitchen, and learn more about the chemistry of fizzy fun! Developed for students in grades 6- 10.

 Learn more about the entire wildlife rehabilitation process that takes place at the Wildlife Center of Virginia, a hospital for wildlife that treats more than 3,000 wild animals each year. While the goal of wildlife rehabilitation is to restore wild animals to health and release them back into their natural habitats, it takes incredible efforts from many invested people to reach that goal. From the individual who cared enough to stop and find help for an injured wild animal, to volunteer transporters, wildlife rehabilitators, veterinarians who provide medical assistance, and more – it truly “takes a village” to help a wild animal in need.

 Learn about the greater impact of wildlife patients at the Wildlife Center of Virginia. Every patient is offered state-of-the-art veterinary medical care; some are treated and released, while others may be too seriously injured to recover. Every single animal has a story to share, a story that illustrates the wider problems wildlife face—litter, pesticides, free-roaming domestic animals, habitat loss, and diseases. Even patients that don’t make it live on by helping us shape our conservation education and research as we challenge people of all ages to take action to protect wildlife. More About This Resource  For more information and classroom activities, please visit The Wildlife Center of Virginia and VPM UNTAMED  websites.

Learn about habitat islands and wildlife corridors. Habitat islands are areas of various sizes that should contain all the necessities for a certain species or multiple species of wildlife to survive and thrive. But, too often these islands are not large enough to provide long-term support for the animals who live within. Surrounding these islands exist areas not hospitable to wildlife, and wildlife that naturally ventures beyond the confines of their habitats are often at risk of conflict with humans and/or human development. The concept of wildlife corridors has become a way to direct animal movement away from, or safely through, dangers caused by humans. As human beings continue to dominate the landscape, habitat islands and wildlife corridors will become increasingly necessary for the survival of our many wild species.

Learn about diurnal birds of prey -- a diverse group of birds across the globe which includes hawks, falcons, osprey, eagles, and kites. While these different families of birds have a variety of physical and behavioral traits, they are all specially adapted for daytime hunting. Today, most of these birds of prey are widely appreciated by the public, but they still face many dangers. Learn more about these amazing raptors and how to help.UNTAMED looks at the wild and often perilous world of wildlife, as seen through the eyes of the patients of the Wildlife Center of Virginia, a non-profit teaching and research hospital for native wildlife.

How do you track a disease? How do you determine if a blood sample contains a virus or a bacteria that could make millions of people sick? What type of information would you need to know to stop a disease from spreading? If you are interested in these questions then being an “Illness investigator” or a Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS) might be the right career path for you. 

Manufacturers today are rapidly innovating the way things are made, creating new manufacturing techniques and scrambling to make sure our workforce has the skills needed to fill the jobs. In Virginia there is a projected annual shortfall of 11,000 skilled technicians for career opportunities in modern manufacturing.

Biomechanical engineering is an interdisciplinary field of science that applies the rules and principles of mechanical engineering to biological systems. It combines elements of many disciplines, including biology, engineering, physics, chemistry, and mathematics to better understand how physical forces influence living organisms. A biomechanical engineer may find work in the medical, scientific, industrial or governmental sectors. It is also sometimes considered a subset of Mechanical Engineering or Biomedical Engineering.

Jobs in drug discovery and bioscience use math, biology and computer science to improve the lives of very sick people in a faster, safer way. If you do well in these subjects, this might be the field for you!