DragonflyTV (PBS)

Created specifically for school-aged kids, DRAGONFLYTV has girls and boys from different ethnic backgrounds perform experiments together, often brainstorming, discussing, taking notes, and then rolling up their sleeves to do the actual hands-on. A sampling of show topics: studying the apes at the Bronx Zoo to discover how plants and animals coexist in the rainforest; going to the Bakken Museum and Library in Minneapolis to learn how the body's electrical signals help a prosthetic arm function; designing and racing real sailboats to find out what makes one sail faster than the other; and finding out what sort of tire studs work best to speed across a frozen lake. The show is filmed in locations around the United States that serve as attractive backdrops and naturally invite discussion on different topics. And -- trying to appeal to the video-game generation -- producers film the show in a style that includes sharp camera angles, pop music, and colorful graphic titles.

The show's producers have definitely taken the time to think about how to help science seem interesting to kids in this age group. Younger children may find that the music and graphics distract from the show's content, but kids over 7 will go for it, have fun, and -- most of all -- learn. Because of the fast-paced filming style, some topics may need to be studied in more detail for kids to understand them completely and satisfactorily. Parents may need to check in with their kids about what was covered, and they should be prepared to help their kids find answers to the inevitable questions.

But the point of this show is not for parents to provide the answers. Science is exciting, and thanks to DragonflyTV's modern, colorful presentation, kids who might normally shy away from science will be inspired to seek out answers to questions about their world.