12   Fifteen-Minute Programs
Grade(s):  6 - 9
Curriculum:  Math, Science & Careers

Interactions: Real Math-Real Careers is the ultimate field trip you'll find nowhere else. It takes middle school students behind the scenes to discover how professionals in the arts, engineering, sports and sciences use math and science to bring their dreams to life.

Teacher Guide:  On-line

1.   Solar Energy   (11:35)
Solar cells light up dark nights and power appliances in remote rural areas of the world. Engineers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratories explain how.

2.   Water Resources  (11:12)
Specialists at the California Department of Water Resource supply water to farmers -- and a growing population, much of which lives in desert areas.

3.   Endangered Species    (12:00)
A Native American biologist at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service combines scientific training and traditional values. He recalls his part in bringing the bald eagle off the "endangered" list.

4.   Recycling   (14:07 min.)
A few years ago, Seattle, Washington faced a garba-e crisis. City planners describe how they created a recycling program that has become a model for the nation.

5.   Digital Communication   (12:06)
Communications engineers at GTE and U.S.WEST provide a remarkably clear introduction to the basic concepts of the digital communication revolution.

6.   Making Music   (12:15)
A composer takes students behind the scenes as she creates music for BBO's "Comic Relief' special, and a renowned percussionist demonstrates the rhythmic patterns used to create familiar musical styles.

7.   The Fashion Business   (11:00)
The design, marketing and sales teams at Levi Strauss and Company reveal how they meet the demand for America's favorite clothing.

8.   Coaching an Athlete  (10:40)
What young athlete doesn't dream of the Olympics? Coaches at the U.S. Olympic Training Center create training programs that put athletes at the peak of physical ability.

9.   Designing a Product   (13:08)
How is a pair of sunglasses like a coffee maker? Both are the end result of problem solving.  Designers at Bausch and Lomb take students through the steps it takes to design a new pair of sunglasses.

10.   Building a Rover  (12:30)
One part robot, one part all-terrain vehicle, one part remote-controlled car. Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory desi-n "rovers" to explore the harsh terrain of other planets.

11.   Voyage to Mars   (10: 13)
Astronauts and mission control specialists discuss what's needed to survive a journey lasting several months and arrive at a distant -- and continuously moving -- destination.

12.   Deep Sea Mission   (13:26)
It's cold. It's dark. The pressure is immense. A pilot and a scientist from the Monterey BaN, Aquarium Research Institute navi-ate a remotely operated vehicle throuch one of the earth's deepest underwater canyons.