Episode Descriptions

 

Season 1

Turtle Mania

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Izzie straps on her waders with Annie and her friends to make a local wetland more attractive to turtles.

After conducting a turtle population study, the SciGirls apply technology, design and engineering skills to design a turtle basking platform. Finally, the episode addresses the role of science and technology in society as the girls present their findings to city officials to persuade them to add a turtle-friendly basking platform to a local pond. And the girls' mentor introduces them to careers in environmental science.

 

Puppet Power

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Izzie joins Anna and her friends to engineer a giant pig puppet for a May Day parade, complete with blinking eyes and a twirling tail.

The SciGirls in this episode design a giant pig puppet. With help from a professional engineer, they create and test prototypes that use simple machines to make the pig's eyes blink, its tail spin, and "smoke" (talcum powder) blow out its nose. In addition, their mentor introduces the girls to careers in engineering.

 

Dolphin Dive

Izzie, Serena and Ceci bond with bottlenosed dolphins, exploring their behavior at the Dolphins Plus Research Center.

With an adult marine biologist, the SciGirls develop a research question and then gather data as they observe dolphin behaviors. They use mathematics to analyze and chart their findings, and present their results. During their data analysis, the girls realize that dolphins have very distinct personalities which can influence animal behavior studies. In addition, their mentor introduces the girls to careers in marine biology.

 

Digging Archaeology

Izzie unearths the past with Jazzy and Gates, uncovering thousand-year-old Native American artifacts at a Utah dig site.

Two SciGirls work with an archaeologist at her dig site, excavating ancient buildings grid-by-grid and analyzing found artifacts and cave art left by the Freemont Indians. The girls calculate the dimensions of granaries, their distance from the villages, and how many trips it would take to fill the vessels. Finally, the girls present and defend theories about the lifestyle of the Freemont people based on the data they collected. Their mentor introduces them to careers in archaeology and anthropology.

 

Horsing Around

Izzie joins Zoe and her friends as they "pony up" some science to select the best horse for a riding competition.

Four SciGirls, working with mentors who introduce them to careers in veterinary science, design a set of experiments for 3 horses that quantify their fitness, stride length, and conformation. They also devise a test to measure how smoothly each horse moves. They calculate averages from their data and apply their findings to determine which horse is best suited for an upcoming competition. During their data analysis, they engage in a discussion of scientific bias, and how their personal opinions might differ from their scientific data.

 

Blowin' in the Wind

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Izzie's off the grid with Hannah and her friends, who design and build their own working miniature wind farm.

Four SciGirls explore wind energy, conducting experiments to find out how the size, shape, and position of wind turbine blades affect the amount of electricity they produce. They also visit real wind farms, where a mentor introduces the girls to careers in renewable energy. After learning about the design of the real wind farms, the girls select a location and design their own model wind farm. They assemble a collection of 15 miniature windmills and connect them to successfully power a water fountain.

 

High Tech Fashion

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With Project Runway fashion designer Diana Eng, Izzie designs an electrifying gown with Hallie and her friends.

Working with an established fashion designer as their mentor, three SciGirls design and engineer a dress that incorporates electronics. In the process of making the dress they learn basic concepts in electricity and the properties of conductive materials. They use LED lights, electroluminescent wire, and conductive thread to enhance the dress, applying understandings of how electrical circuits. Their mentor highlights the importance of science and technology to creative careers, such as fashion design.

 

Science Cooks!

Izzie cooks up a taste test with Claire and her friends, who make comfort foods more nutritious (without sacrificing the delicious).

Four SciGirls calculate the fat, sodium, and caloric content of two family recipes, then investigate ways to increase their nutritional value. They conduct food chemistry experiments, exploring the effects of cooking time, acids and salt on taste and nutritional content. They also conduct taste tests with groups of their friends to measure the appeal of more nutritional recipes. The girls use mathematics to analyze and display their results, and they share what they have learned at a local farmer’s market. Their mentor introduces them to careers in nutrition.

 

Underwater Eco-Adventure

Izzie takes the plunge with Elle and Meg, scuba diving to protect the biodiversity of their favorite Catalina reefs.

Guided by a marine biologist, the SciGirls investigate and compare the ecosystems at two rocky reefs: a heavily dived, protected reef that is not fished, and an unprotected reef that is infrequently dived but heavily fished. The girls collect data on indicator species and analyze predator/prey relationships. Then they add their findings to the collection of data from a citizen science project aimed at monitoring overall reef health. Their mentor introduces them to careers in marine biology.

 

Robots to the Rescue!

Izzie joins Abby and friends to give a rescue robot a personality makeover so it can do a better job when disaster strikes.

This show underscores the collaborative nature of science as a computer scientists, engineers and psychologists team up to design, build and test "rescue robots" to help disaster victims. Working with these scientists, the girls learn and apply computer programming skills to enhance the interface between the robots and the people they are designed to help. The girls investigate the psychological effects of various robot behaviors, movements, and voices on volunteers. Then they apply mathematics skills to analyze their results. Finally, they use their data to recommend designs for an optimal “personality” for the rescue robot.

 

Going Green

Izzie joins forces with Mackenzie and friends, putting a lid on school trash by inventing a new use for recycled yogurt cups.

Three SciGirls perform a trash audit and create a classification system for the waste in their school cafeteria. They create a pie chart of their results and discover large quantities of #5 plastic yogurt containers, which are not recycled in their community. To reduce waste, the girls brainstorm, design, and engineer a new product using the #5 cups: seed starter kits filled with compost. The girls conduct market research on the seed starter kits and present their data to their local Recycling Association, learning in the process the role that science and technology can play in solving societal problems. Their two mentors also introduce them to careers in package engineering and waste management.

 

Star Power

Izzie reaches for the stars with Avianna and Miranda, as they help cut light pollution in their neighborhood.

Guided by a graduate student in astrophysics, the SciGirls participate in a world wide star count to compare the amount of light pollution in five locations at various distances from the center of Boston. Using GPS technology and telescopes, the girls record their observations and draw conclusions about the effects that urban development has on star visibility. They contribute their data to a network of Citizen Scientists. Finally, the girls design a light shield that can help reduce light pollution in their community. Their collaboration with their mentor gives the girls insights into careers in physics and astronomy.

Season 2

Aquabots

Learning about underwater robot building and the importance of buoyancy from the SciGirls, Izzie builds her own ROV to help Jake recover his grandfather’s prized football championship ring from the bottom of the aquarium.

 

The oyster population in the Chesapeake Bay is shrinking; and that’s a problem for the SciGirls. New restored reefs have been created to help revive the oyster population. The girls investigate if the oysters in the new reefs are making the bay healthier. Diving into underwater robotics at the US Naval Academy, the girls build a “Sea Perch” ROV to investigate artificial oyster reefs in Chesapeake Bay.

 

Mother Nature’s Shoes

Seeing how the SciGirls found inspiration from polar bears for their shoe cover designs, Izzie and Jake apply the tricks of lizard camouflage to Jake’s hide and seek costume.

 

The SciGirls set out to design more effective winter non-slip footwear geared toward senior citizens. They look at the pros and cons of current winter shoe cover designs, and research on the web to see how animals- like polar bears- walk on ice. They stumble on the word biomimicry: using nature to solve a human problem. They contact a biologist and invite her to join their team as they design, build, and test their prototypes.

 

Habitat Havoc

Jake fears that his pet mouse, Fang, is depressed in his spacious new ultra-luxury mouse cage. Guided by the SciGirls’ habitat research, Izzie and Jake determine that Fang prefers a cozy place to curl up- inside Jake’s fuzzy bunny slippers.

 

SciGirls meet an ecologist who studies the effects of introduced plants to the environment by looking at the insect population. The girls learn that the familiar palm trees that cover the landscape of San Diego and Southern California are not native to the area, but were brought by immigrants from the Canary Islands. The girls dive into investigating the impact of the Canary Island Palm on the ecosystem.

 

The Awesome App Race

Jake’s always misplacing his stuff, and Izzie wants to help her chronically disorganized pal. Izzie builds a GPS-style app for Jake that helps track and locate his essential possessions.

 

Tech enthusiast SciGirls team up to build an original mobile media app about the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The goals for the challenge are laid out: The app will be based in San Francisco’s Marina District- a neighborhood that survived major earthquake damage. The app must include a personal story, and key geological information about fault lines and soil. The girls have just 5 days to design and deliver their app before the exhibition opens- the clock is ticking!

 

Multitasking Mania

Izzie’s attempts to video chat, text, paint her toenails, and do a crossword puzzle all at the same time lead to chaos. She defends her abilities, but Jake helps her turn to the SciGirls for a multitasking intervention.

 

SciGirls set out to investigate how much their friends multitask and wonder if there’s such a thing as too much of it. They reach out to a social psychologist to help them design a study they can use to test their friends’ multitasking abilities.

 

Insulation Station

Jake attempts winter stargazing, but his shivering jiggles the telescope. Izzie looks to the SciGirls help Jake stay warmer outside.

 

SciGirls eagerly await the winter Art Shanty Projects festival, where decorated ice houses go up on the frozen lake for people to visit and explore. The SciGirls take on a special assignment: make the main “Welcome Shanty” warmer for the volunteers who run it. They girls conduct a series of experiments to investigate how to make the shanty more energy efficient.

 

Workin’ It Out

Dismayed that she can’t keep up on a jog with Jake and his pet mouse, Izzie admits she needs some motivation from the SciGirls to get back in shape.

 

The SciGirls team up with a public health scientist who studies physical fitness and obesity prevention in kids. She’s about to do a new study on how to increase physical activity in girls, and needs the SciGirls to gather some information for her. The girls set out to investigate the best activities to stay fit, healthy, and strong.

 

Bee Haven

Jake thinks he wants a pet bear, and Izzie tries talk him into beekeeping instead. The SciGirls and Izzie inspire Jake to overcome his fear of bees and set up his own backyard hive.

 

SciGirls volunteer at a community garden, where they learn the gardeners are looking to start an urban beehive. They talk with a fellow volunteer who is an applied mathematician and she gets on board to help them figure out if there are enough resources in the area for an urban beehive. The girls also learn all about bees, their social networks, behavior, and eating preferences.

 

Pedal Power

Jake wants to find a way to ride his bike and play guitar at the same time. Using the SciGirls’ engineering savvy, Izzie helps Jake design a musical pull cart for his bike that lets him win his school bike race.

 

SciGirls get inspired to build an eco-friendly ice cream maker using the power of their bike.They get up to speed by researching the mechanical parts of a bike and visiting with a bike mechanic who lets them test drive an ice cream-making tricycle. Taking in the pros and cons of the trike design, they brainstorm and sketch some ideas for their own ice cream bike invention. They build the ice cream maker with the help of a mechanical engineer and a welder, and after lots of tests they unveil their creation at the local farmer’s market.

 

Super Sleuths

Izzie and Jake sit down to watch the SciGirls mystery of the stolen mask, as Izzie learns of Jake’s own deathly fear of masks!

 

SciGirls get a special forensics camp experience, where they meet a crime scene investigator, and learn that a valuable mask has been stolen from the arts and crafts cabin. The mask is needed at the annual masquerade ball- just 4 days from now! The girls learn evidence collection and examination techniques from professionals and get the evidence they need to solve the mystery.