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Hey friends, I’m Dr. Dave! I am a college professor and former math and science teacher, and I love to learn new things. This podcast is a chance for us to all keep learning things together, because there is always something new to discover. One of my deeply held beliefs is that “smart” is not something that you *are,* but rather it’s something you *become* as you learn new things. Sometimes you might not feel very smart; there have been plenty of times in my life when that has been the case for me! But here’s the thing: there are so many interesting, curious, mysterious, downright amazing things about this world! If you have your eyes and ears open, you can always learn something new–and get smarter in the process. So that’s the plan for this podcast: each episode will be a short burst of learning, a boost for finding out something amazing about the way this world works. I’m excited to share fascinating facts and super science stories with you in every episode.
Episodes
Tuesday Feb 04, 2025
Tuesday Feb 04, 2025
This episode will help you answer the question, “What is the Periodic Table?”
Remember, “smart” is something we *become* as we learn new things. So, keep listening, keep learning, and keep getting smarter every day!
This episode is part of a series all about understanding the nature of matter. Each season has a different thematic focus, so if you found this episode interesting or helpful, check out the rest of the episodes in this season! Instructional resources for this episode, including the script, a thinksheet, and alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards can be accessed for free at http://goodtobesmart.com
It’s Good to Be Smart! is created by Dr. Dave Mulder with support from the National Science Foundation through a grant from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. (DUE-2243334). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Tuesday Feb 04, 2025
Tuesday Feb 04, 2025
This episode will help you answer the question, “How Can We Identify Chemical Reactions?”
Remember, “smart” is something we *become* as we learn new things. So, keep listening, keep learning, and keep getting smarter every day!
This episode is part of a series all about understanding the nature of matter. Each season has a different thematic focus, so if you found this episode interesting or helpful, check out the rest of the episodes in this season! Instructional resources for this episode, including the script, a thinksheet, and alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards can be accessed for free at http://goodtobesmart.com
It’s Good to Be Smart! is created by Dr. Dave Mulder with support from the National Science Foundation through a grant from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. (DUE-2243334). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Tuesday Feb 04, 2025
Tuesday Feb 04, 2025
This episode will help you answer the question, “How is Energy Related to Chemical Reactions?”
Remember, “smart” is something we *become* as we learn new things. So, keep listening, keep learning, and keep getting smarter every day!
This episode is part of a series all about understanding the nature of matter. Each season has a different thematic focus, so if you found this episode interesting or helpful, check out the rest of the episodes in this season! Instructional resources for this episode, including the script, a thinksheet, and alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards can be accessed for free at http://goodtobesmart.com
It’s Good to Be Smart! is created by Dr. Dave Mulder with support from the National Science Foundation through a grant from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. (DUE-2243334). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Monday Apr 21, 2025
Monday Apr 21, 2025
This episode will help you answer the question, “What is the difference between 'living,' 'non-living,' and 'dead?'" That might sound obvious, but this episode will help to clarify the meanings of these important terms, and use the illustration of an ecosystem to see how living, non-living, and dead things interact in the real world.
Remember, “smart” is something we *become* as we learn new things. So, keep listening, keep learning, and keep getting smarter every day!
This episode is part of a series all about understanding the nature of life—the characteristics of living things, how we classify life, and even where life comes from. Each season has a different thematic focus, so if you found this episode interesting or helpful, check out the rest of the episodes in this season! Instructional resources for this episode, including the script, a thinksheet, and alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards can be accessed for free at https://goodtobesmart.com
It’s Good to Be Smart! is created by Dr. Dave Mulder with support from the National Science Foundation through a grant from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. (DUE-2243334). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Monday Apr 21, 2025
Monday Apr 21, 2025
This episode will help you answer the question, “How do we recognize living things?” and help you understand key characteristics that ALL living things have in common.
Remember, “smart” is something we *become* as we learn new things. So, keep listening, keep learning, and keep getting smarter every day!
This episode is part of a series all about understanding the nature of life—the characteristics of living things, how we classify life, and even where life comes from. Each season has a different thematic focus, so if you found this episode interesting or helpful, check out the rest of the episodes in this season! Instructional resources for this episode, including the script, a thinksheet, and alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards can be accessed for free at https://goodtobesmart.com
It’s Good to Be Smart! is created by Dr. Dave Mulder with support from the National Science Foundation through a grant from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. (DUE-2243334). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Monday Apr 21, 2025
Monday Apr 21, 2025
This episode will help you answer the question, “What are organic compounds?” and give you an introduction to the chemistry of life: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.
Remember, “smart” is something we *become* as we learn new things. So, keep listening, keep learning, and keep getting smarter every day!
This episode is part of a series all about understanding the nature of life—the characteristics of living things, how we classify life, and even where life comes from. Each season has a different thematic focus, so if you found this episode interesting or helpful, check out the rest of the episodes in this season! Instructional resources for this episode, including the script, a thinksheet, and alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards can be accessed for free at https://goodtobesmart.com
It’s Good to Be Smart! is created by Dr. Dave Mulder with support from the National Science Foundation through a grant from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. (DUE-2243334). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Monday Apr 21, 2025
Monday Apr 21, 2025
This episode will help you answer the question, “What are the layers of organization within an organism?” from organic compounds up to cells, all the way up to whole creatures!
Remember, “smart” is something we *become* as we learn new things. So, keep listening, keep learning, and keep getting smarter every day!
This episode is part of a series all about understanding the nature of life—the characteristics of living things, how we classify life, and even where life comes from. Each season has a different thematic focus, so if you found this episode interesting or helpful, check out the rest of the episodes in this season! Instructional resources for this episode, including the script, a thinksheet, and alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards can be accessed for free at https://goodtobesmart.com
It’s Good to Be Smart! is created by Dr. Dave Mulder with support from the National Science Foundation through a grant from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. (DUE-2243334). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Monday Apr 21, 2025
Monday Apr 21, 2025
This episode will help you answer the question, “How do we know all living things are made of cells?”--an introduction to the three parts of cell theory, and the historical development of this essential theory for understanding biology!
Remember, “smart” is something we *become* as we learn new things. So, keep listening, keep learning, and keep getting smarter every day!
This episode is part of a series all about understanding the nature of life—the characteristics of living things, how we classify life, and even where life comes from. Each season has a different thematic focus, so if you found this episode interesting or helpful, check out the rest of the episodes in this season! Instructional resources for this episode, including the script, a thinksheet, and alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards can be accessed for free at https://goodtobesmart.com
It’s Good to Be Smart! is created by Dr. Dave Mulder with support from the National Science Foundation through a grant from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. (DUE-2243334). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.