calm breathing when startledThe Feather Fall ExperimentWhen the music suddenly stops, Frizzle's feathers fly, so Professor Pancake tests whether slow breaths keep them on.With Professor Pancake, Frizzle Feathers · tap for the script

0-6s Musical-chairs game. Music stops. Frizzle squawks; feathers puff off.
Frizzle Feathers: The music stopped! Eek! / Professor Pancake: Feathers falling! Experiment time!
6-16s Pancake flops out a clipboard and sniffs an imaginary pizza.
Professor Pancake: Hypothesis: slow breaths keep feathers on. Smell the pizza...
16-25s Frizzle copies: sniff in, blow out. Floating feathers drift back onto her.
Frizzle Feathers: ...cool the soup. Again. Hey, no more falling!
25-30s Her feathers land in a fancy new swoop hairdo. Pancake stamps the clipboard.
Professor Pancake: Experiment success! / Frizzle Feathers: And a brand-new hairdo!

“Smell the pizza. Cool the soup.”

separating intention from impactThe Triple Flip MishapPancake's flip experiment puffs flour onto Mags's lens, and Pancake learns that not meaning it still means fixing it.With Professor Pancake, Mags Magnifier · tap for the script

0-6s Pretend kitchen. Pancake flips himself; a puff of flour lands on Mags's lens.
Professor Pancake: Watch my triple flip! / Mags Magnifier: Ack! Flour on my lens!
6-16s Pancake waves his floppy arms. Mags squints through white dust.
Professor Pancake: I didn't mean it! / Mags Magnifier: I know. I just can't see.
16-25s Pancake gently wipes the lens with a cloth, then moves his flip spot far from the table.
Professor Pancake: Then I'll wipe it, and flip over there. / Mags Magnifier: Thanks.
25-30s Mags watches, lens sparkling. Pancake flips and lands with a soft flop.
Mags Magnifier: Crystal clear! / Professor Pancake: Careful flips, best flips!

“Explain the effect!”

noticing feelings without grading themReport Card For FeelingsPancake tries to grade feelings with A-pluses and F's until Abby shows him feelings are for noticing, not scoring.With Professor Pancake, Abby Abacus · tap for the script

0-6s Pancake at a chalkboard with a chart: HAPPY A+, GRUMPY F.
Professor Pancake: Today I'll grade feelings! Happy, A plus. Grumpy, F!
6-16s Abby slides her beads across and erases the letters.
Abby Abacus: Wait. Feelings aren't tests. Notice, don't grade.
16-25s Pancake taps his tummy and his frown, writing words with no scores.
Professor Pancake: New method! I notice grumpy. I notice hungry. / Abby Abacus: Good noticing.
25-30s His tummy rumbles loudly. Abby slides him a pretend snack plate.
Professor Pancake: Conclusion: hungry! Snack time! / Abby Abacus: Notice, do not grade!

“Notice, do not grade!”

pausing before actingThe Three Second SplashGogo is about to jump into a puddle in party shoes, so Pancake runs a three-second pause experiment.With Professor Pancake, Gogo Gumdrop · tap for the script

0-6s Rainy sidewalk. Gogo, in shiny party shoes, crouches at a puddle.
Gogo Gumdrop: Puddle! Jumping in my party shoes! / Professor Pancake: Wait! Experiment!
6-16s Pancake holds up three floppy fingers.
Professor Pancake: Count three before you jump. Then decide. / Gogo Gumdrop: One... two... three...
16-25s Gogo looks at her shoes, then at her rain boots by the door.
Gogo Gumdrop: Hmm. Party shoes, soggy. Boots, happy. Swapping!
25-30s Gogo, in boots, makes a huge splash. Pancake checks his chart, dripping but delighted.
Gogo Gumdrop: SPLASH! / Professor Pancake: Results: three seconds, zero soggy socks!

“Count three, then choose!”

being patient by doing something elseStaring Does NothingTY and Pancake try to make a bean sprout faster by staring, then discover play makes waiting easier.With Professor Pancake, TY · tap for the script

0-6s Windowsill pot. TY and Pancake stare, noses almost touching the dirt.
TY: Grow, bean, grow! / Professor Pancake: Hypothesis: staring makes it faster!
6-16s A clock spins. Nothing happens. Pancake sighs and scribbles.
Professor Pancake: Results: staring does nothing. New experiment: play while we wait.
16-25s They play hopscotch in the hallway, laughing.
TY: Hopscotch! One, two, three... / Professor Pancake: Data looks fun!
25-30s They run back. A tiny sprout has popped up and seems to wave.
TY: Look! A sprout! / Professor Pancake: Patience plus play equals plant!

“Patience plus play!”

Guest appearances

asking for usable feedbackOne Useful DetailFoldo asks if his jump is good, gets a vague answer, and learns to ask for one useful detail.With Foldo Froglet, Professor Pancake · tap for the script

0-6s Foldo hops off a pillow and lands with a flop.
Foldo: Professor, was that a good jump?
6-16s Professor Pancake flops a shrug.
Professor Pancake: Hmm. It was okay, I suppose.
16-25s Foldo thinks.
Foldo: Okay does not help me. What is one thing I can change? Professor Pancake: Bend your knees more.
25-30s Foldo bends low and jumps so high he lands on Professor Pancake's head like a paper hat. The Professor flips with joy.
Foldo: Ask for one useful detail!

“Ask for one useful detail!”

accepting a complimentThe Compliment ExperimentProfessor Pancake runs a tiny experiment to see what happens when Chester lets a compliment land.With Chester Chestnut, Professor Pancake · tap for the script

0-6s Professor Pancake wears goggles and holds a clipboard; Chester looks curious.
Pancake: Experiment! I give a compliment. You... catch it.
6-16s Pancake clears his throat and says it.
Pancake: Chester, you are a great listener.
16-25s Chester starts to shrug it off, then stops.
Chester: Um... thank you. That feels warm and kind of nice.
25-30s Pancake's clipboard sparkles: success! He flips with joy and lands with a floppy flop.
Pancake: Result: warm! Chester: Let a kind word land!

“Let a kind word land!”

getting attention politelyRing, Wait, AskMoxie keeps shouting over the teacher, so Dingby shows him a polite way to get noticed.With Dingby Bell, Moxie Megaphone, Professor Pancake · tap for the script

0-6s Professor Pancake is explaining. Moxie interrupts with his wide mouth open.
Moxie: HEY! I HAVE A QUESTION! RIGHT NOW!
6-16s Dingby whispers.
Dingby: Find a gap, then ask. Like this. Watch me. / Moxie: A gap?
16-25s Dingby raises one tiny foot and waits. The teacher pauses and nods.
Dingby: Excuse me, may Moxie ask? / Professor: Of course, Moxie.
25-30s Moxie asks in a small voice. The teacher answers. Moxie is so surprised it worked that he falls over backward.
Moxie: It worked! / Dingby: Gap power! / Professor: Great question!

“Find a gap, then ask!”

waiting for a gapThe Experiment Needs a DingDingby waits for the Professor to finish pouring before asking a question, and it turns out the experiment needed him.With Dingby Bell, Professor Pancake · tap for the script

0-6s Professor Pancake carefully drips water into a tower of cups. Dingby wants to ask something.
Dingby: Professor... oh, he is busy. I have a question.
6-16s Dingby waits quietly with his foot raised.
Dingby: Find a gap, then ask. He is pouring carefully.
16-25s The Professor sets down the cup and turns.
Professor: Yes, Dingby? / Dingby: Can I help? / Professor: Yes! I need a timer.
25-30s The Professor beams: the experiment needs a timer ding. Dingby rings once, perfectly on time. The cups cheer.
Professor: Exactly what we needed! / Dingby: Ding! Happy to help!

“Find a gap, then ask!”

asking what a word meansHippo-Thesis?Professor Pancake says a big word and Bowie is brave enough to ask what it means.With Bowie Farfalle, Professor Pancake · tap for the script

0-6s Professor Pancake points at two cups.
Professor: My hypothesis is this cup will float.
6-16s Bowie scratches his wing.
Bowie: A hippo-thesis? New word? Ask about it! Is there a hippo?
16-25s Bowie raises his hand.
Bowie: What is a hypothesis? / Professor: A smart guess. / Bowie: Oh! A guess!
25-30s Bowie guesses the cup will float. It floats. He spins in a happy noodle dance.
Bowie: My hippo was right! / Professor: Hypothesis! / Professor: Wonderful asking!

“New word? Ask about it!”

organizing too many ideasBatter of IdeasWhimsy has a whirl of experiment ideas, and Professor Pancake helps pick one beginning.With Whimsy Whisk, Professor Pancake · tap for the script

0-6s Whimsy spins so fast, ideas fly out like little paper clouds.
Whimsy: Bubbles! Volcanoes! Ice towers! Glitter rain!
6-16s Professor Pancake flops a calm hand on the table.
Professor Pancake: Hmm. Too many to start at once. Professor Pancake: Pick just one to try first.
16-25s Whimsy slows down and picks one cloud from the air.
Whimsy: Choose one beginning. Bubbles! Professor Pancake: Excellent choice.
25-30s They blow bubbles. Whimsy tucks the other ideas into a jar for later.
Whimsy: Choose one beginning! Whimsy: Pop pop pop!

“Choose one beginning!”

giving credit to the right helperThe Spill Thank YouProfessor Pancake thanks Dusty for cleaning a spill Saffy actually soaked up, so Dusty sets it straight.With Dusty Dustpan, Saffy Sponge, Professor Pancake · tap for the script

0-6s Puddle gone. Saffy, damp, rests nearby. Pancake beams at Dusty.
Professor Pancake: Thank you, Dusty, for cleaning that spill! / Dusty Dustpan: Oh! Uh...
6-16s Dusty points at Saffy.
Dusty Dustpan: It was Saffy! She soaked it up.
16-25s Saffy squeezes water out of her pores and leans in.
Saffy Sponge: What? I didn't hear. / Dusty Dustpan: You did the spill! Credit's yours!
25-30s Saffy puffs up proudly, pores bubbling.
Professor Pancake: Thank you, Saffy! / Saffy Sponge: Squish of pride! / Dusty Dustpan: Name the helping hands!

“Name the helping hands!”

being okay with a wrong guessSnowball DataDodie and Pancake guess whether a snowball will melt in five minutes, and a wrong guess is still great data.With Dodie Dice, Professor Pancake · tap for the script

0-6s Kitchen table. A small snowball sits on a plate. Pancake holds a clipboard.
Professor Pancake: Will the snowball melt in five minutes? Guess! / Dodie Dice: Unknown! Exciting!
6-16s Pancake sets a toy timer with a ding.
Dodie Dice: I guess yes. But let's wait for what happens. / Professor Pancake: Timer on!
16-25s Ding! The snowball is smaller but still there.
Professor Pancake: Drip... drip... time! / Dodie Dice: Still a little snowball!
25-30s Pancake writes a big check mark on his clipboard anyway. Dodie bows.
Dodie Dice: My guess was wrong! / Professor Pancake: Wrong guesses are great data!

“Wait for what happens!”

asking before decidingThe Green JuicePippa wonders what the green juice tastes like, so she asks Professor Pancake before trying.With Pippa Puddleboot, Professor Pancake · tap for the script

0-6s Kitchen. A cup of green juice sits on the table. Pippa squints at it.
Pippa Puddleboot: Green juice? I wonder what it tastes like.
6-16s She turns to Professor Pancake.
Pippa Puddleboot: What is in it? / Professor Pancake: Apple and cucumber.
16-25s Pippa sniffs carefully.
Pippa Puddleboot: Can I try a tiny sip? / Professor Pancake: You decide.
25-30s She sips. Her cuff flops up and down happily.
Pippa Puddleboot: It tastes like apple! Wonder, ask, then see!