HowStuffWorks (Discovery Channel)

Based on a popular Web site of the same name, HOWSTUFFWORKS focuses on the ingenuity behind manufacturing processes that put ordinary resources like cotton, rubber, and iron to an array of diverse uses. Each episode centers on a new commodity, demonstrating how modern scientific reengineering enables manufacturers to create surprising products from basic resources -- like turning corn into plastic, water into a powerful cutting tool, and salt into the possible future of energy. The series also touches on the environmental impact of some of these manufacturing processes and presents the possible benefits of investigating further uses for the resources.

Tuning in to HowStuffWorks is like taking a field trip to the most fascinating museum you can imagine. The show is a veritable cornucopia of information, encompassing an array of scientific disciplines and relating them to the manufacturing process of the resource highlighted in each episode. Simply put, viewers will be in awe at the exhaustive effort it takes to create diverse consumer products from basic goods like gold and cotton, and after tuning in they're sure to be more curious about the origins of the items they use and consume in their daily lives.

This fascinating series' strong educational content makes it great for families, and detailed CGI illustrations and time-lapse photography enable science novices to grasp even the most technical jargon. While young kids likely won't take an interest in the subject matter, give this one a go with your grade-schoolers and tweens -- you'll be amazed at what you learn together.