NATURE: Santa’s Wild Home | Watch & Wonder Weekly Highlight

Monday, November 21, 2 PM

For next week’s Watch & Wonder Highlight, we’re thrilled to feature this episode of NATURE. After watching, dive deeper with resources about reindeer, from their unique bodily adaptations to how climate change is affecting their populations, on PBS LearningMedia.

In “Santa’s Wild Home,” get an intimate look at the wildlife of Lapland, a region in northern Finland, the fabled home of Santa Claus and actual home of reindeer, great gray owls, wolverines, eagles, wolves, musk oxen, brown bears and more.

PBS LearningMedia

Gross Science | The Real Rudolph Has Bloody Antlers and Super Vision

Grades 9-12
Learn about reindeer, in this video from NOVA’s Gross Science series. When reindeer antlers begin growing, they are soft and covered in a thin layer of skin called velvet. The velvet transports oxygen and nutrients to help the antlers grow quickly. However, when the antlers harden, the velvet is shed. The process of removing the velvet gives the antlers a bloody appearance. Reindeer also have adaptations, such as the ability to see UV light, that help them live in snowy areas. UV vision allows reindeer to find food and spot signs of predators in the snow-covered landscape.

In school or at home, take advantage of the Watch & Wonder broadcast schedule. Running each weekday from 1-3 PM, Watch & Wonder is great for classroom viewing, distance instruction, and families looking to spend some extra, quality time together. Featured programs are ideal for kids in grades 6-12, encouraging creativity with the arts, kick starting innovation through STEM, and expanding their horizons with stories from across the globe!

Each week, we’ll highlight a show from our Watch & Wonder block, and share a PBS LearningMedia resource — suitable for middle and high school students. Follow along on the Watch & Wonder Schedule page, or subscribe to our newsletter!