Episode Guide

1. The Case of the Powerful Pulleys— One of the tree house detectives has had an accident an accident and cannot get into the tree house. Using Problem-Based Learning, the rest of the gang investigates the world of simple machines and physical science and “pulls” together to get everyone into the tree house. (101)

2. The Case of the Mysterious Red Light— Have you ever seen an unusually bright sunrise or sun set and wondered why? That’s exactly what happens in to the tree house detectives as they accept the challenges of finding the source of the red light. (102)

3. The Case of the “Wright” Invention— Travel back in time with the tree house detectives to learn about the process of invention from two of the greatest inventors of all time, Orville and Wilbur Wright. As the tree house detectives try to create their own invention, they get expert help from the Wright brothers, NASA researchers, and other experts in the community. (104)

4. The Case of the Barking Dogs— The tree house detective accept the challenge of determining why dogs in the surrounding neighborhoods have unexpectedly started barking early in the morning and late ant night. While investigating the mystery, the detectives learn about sound: what it is, how it is transmitted, and how people and animals hear. (105)

5. The Case of the Inhabitable Habitat— In “The Case of the Inhabitable Habitat”, students are invited to actively join the tree house detectives as they investigate the devastating changes that have occurred in the local fishing industry. The fish have disappeared! In solving this case, the tree house detectives learn about various habitats on land, in the water and even in space. They learn about the animals that depend on these habitats and how changes created by both man and nature affect their existence. The tree house detectives determine that habits can have a big impact on habitats. (106)

6. The Case of the Biological Biosphere— One of the tree house detectives is about to take a trip to foreign shores and is both excited and concerned. This trip is the chance of a lifetime, and he doesn’t want to get sick and miss such an adventure. The detectives learn about the human body as they discover that no man is an island, not even a kid. (107)

7. The Case of the Phenomenal Weather— The tree house detective plan a trip to the Caribbean and encounter problems trying to predict the weather. While solving the case, the detectives learn about violent storms such as hurricanes and tornadoes, weather fronts, global wind patterns, and climates and discover that predicting the weather is not predictable at all! (108)

8. The Case of the Galactic Vacation Vacation— The tree house detectives go galactic with their latest project as they learn how long it will take to travel to Mars and how the Moon affects the Earth. Come visit the largest radio telescope in the world and help look for intelligent life in the universe. Join the tree house detectives for an “out-of-this-world” vacation as they explore the future of space travel. (109)

9. The Case of the Challenging Flight— The tree house detectives compete in a flight contest: the “design it, build it, and fly it” competition. The detectives design and build an airplane by using common household materials and learn about the four basic components of flight: lift, thrust, drag, and gravity. (201)

10. The Case of the Wacky Water Cycle— The tree house detectives’ efforts to raise money with a car wash dry up when the city is hit with water restrictions. With the help of Problem-Based Learning (PBL), the entire group learns all about the water cycle, the water table, global climates, and much more to get the project flowing again. (202)

11. The Case of the Prize Winning Plants— The tree house detectives’ green thumbs are tested as they attempt to grow award winning plants for the upcoming fair. The tree house becomes a green house as the detectives experiment with soil, light, plant life cycles, and genetics to grow the perfect plant. (204)

12. The Case of the Radical Ride— The tree house detectives’ latest project on alternative forms of transportation takes on new relevance when they get stuck in traffic. Join the crew as they learn about energy, composite materials, and technology in their quest for hassle-free traveling. (205)

13. The Case of the Great Space Exploration— New discoveries by NASA and a new vision for space exploration create an excitement in the tree house as the detectives set off to learn what it will take to become a space explorer. Join them as they head to Space Camp and NASA to find out if they truly have the “right stuff.” (301)

14. The Case of the Ocean Odyssey— Floating tennis shoes and oil globs wash up on the beach to set the tree house detectives in motion to investigate a unique world under the sea. Join them as they dive into learning about ocean floor topography, currents, ocean zones, and more. (302)

15. The Case of the Technical Knockout— In today’s world of high tech devices, the tree house devices, the tree house detectives discover that technology has its flaws when everything electronic stops working. Eager to get to the bottom of this electronic blackout, the detectives quickly organize, but are surprised to learn that they must follow the wind to the nearest star…the Sun. (304)

16. The Case of the Physical Fitness Challenge— The tree house detectives are eager to win the Presidential Physical Fitness Award, but one of the detectives is not quite up to the challenge. They decide that it is time for a little research to learn more about being fit. They visit NASA to learn more about muscles, bones, and physical activity and why fitness is the key to space exploration. (401)

17. The Case of the Energy Crunch— When the tree house detectives experience an electrical brownout, they energize into action to learn about Earth’s energy budget. The detectives learn that all resources are not created equally and that conservation of nonrenewable and renewable energy is very important. (403)