PBS Teachers Newsletter

PBS Teachers Newsletter

November 4-10, 2007

Welcome to the PBS Teachers Newsletter, the weekly newsletter from PBS designed specifically for PreK-12 educators.

Program Times listed are for KNME-TV/Channel 5. If you would like to customize your newsletter or change your local station, please visit http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences

PBS NEWS
PBS IN EDUCATION
THE ARTS
HEALTH AND FITNESS
MATH
READING AND LANGUAGE ARTS
SCIENCE AND TECH
SOCIAL STUDIES
PBS BLOGS
PBS PARENTS
GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

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PBS NEWS

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PBS IN EDUCATION

Media Infusion: Connecting Students with History
Online
Grade Range: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

In this month’s Media Infusion, American History teacher Eric Langhorst writes about the importance of making history matter to your students by giving them more than just facts and figures. Langhorst was a 2005 Global Microsoft Innovative Teacher and teaches eighth grade in Liberty, Missouri. He offers tips for bringing history - and World War II in particular - to life through personal stories.
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/mediainfusion/
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THE ARTS

Art in the Twenty-First Century: Protest
On-Air & Online
Grade Range: 9-12

The second installment examines the ways in which four artists use their work to picture war, express outrage and empathize with the suffering of others. Politics and the brutality of war underscore many of Nancy Spero's paintings. Landscape photographer An-My Lê's black-and-white images examine the impact, representation and meaning of war. Alfredo Jaar's installations, films and community-based projects communicate a specific experience to his audience, capturing beauty but also confronting horror. Jenny Holzer focuses on cruelty, devastation, consumerist impulses, death and disease in order to provoke a critical response from the viewer. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/art21
American Masters: Carol Burnett: A Woman of Character
On-Air & Online | Monday, November 05, 2007, 9:00 - 10:30 PM
Grade Range: 9-12

America in the 1960s and 70s was in turmoil. But at 10 o'clock every Saturday night in living rooms and bedrooms across the country, Americans watched "The Carol Burnett Show." For 11 years, the wacky performer yelled like Tarzan and won -- and sometimes broke -- our hearts with her edgy, always sympathetic, characters. Yet, as with so many brilliant comedians, hers was a difficult childhood. A glimpse of something deeper and darker began to emerge in the dramatic career that followed her TV variety show. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/
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HEALTH AND FITNESS

It's My Life: Birth Order
Offline Activity/Project
Grade Range: 3-5, 6-8

Explore personality traits ascribed to birth order and identify those that fit or don't fit. Discuss the concept of "fairness" and how birth order affects treatment of individuals within the family.
http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/parents/resources/birthorder_discussion_qs.html
KLRN: A Healthy Start. A Healthy Life: Be Cool Under the Sun: Lesson Plan
Lesson Plan
Grade Range: PreK, K-2

Explore ways to protect skin from the sun through activities available within this workshop guide. Learn how parents can use stories, video clips and fun activities to encourage their children to avoid sun damage.
http://www.klrn.org/healthystart/index.html
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MATH

Arthur: Go George Go
Interactive/Online Activity
Grade Range: K-2

Find the shortest route from one place to another in this interactive game.
http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/gogeorgego/index.html
Louisiana Public Broadcasting: The Forest Where We Live: How Big Is That Tree?
Offline Activity/Project
Grade Range: 3-5, 6-8

Use spatial sense and formula calculations to determine the height of a tree by its shadow.
http://www.lpb.org/programs/forest/talltree.html
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READING AND LANGUAGE ARTS

In Search of Shakespeare: Performance First
Lesson Plan
Grade Range: 6-8

Comprehend William Shakespeare's language by participating in exploratory, classroom performances of various plays. Interact with peers determining appropriate actions, gestures and sounds, and listen purposefully to the text.
http://www.pbs.org/shakespeare/educators/performance/lessonplan2.html
Reading Rainbow: Silly Sentence Machine
Interactive/Online Activity
Grade Range: Prek, K-2

Explore parts of speech in this online interactive game. Create a "silly sentence" by clicking on one picture from each of five lists, choosing subjects, verbs, modifiers and phrases.
http://pbskids.org/readingrainbow/games/silly_sentence.html
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SCIENCE AND TECH

Nature: In the Valley of the Wolves
On-Air & Online | Sunday, November 04, 2007, 7:00 - 8:00 PM
Grade Range: 6-8, 9-12

Three years in the making, this is the dramatic saga of Yellowstone's Druid wolf pack, its turf wars with rival packs and the fate of the wolves' Lamar Valley ecosystem. (CC, Stereo, HD, 1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/wolves/index.html
NOVA: Sputnik Declassified
On-Air & Online | Tuesday, November 06, 2007, 8:00 - 9:00 PM
Grade Range: 6-8, 9-12

Why didn't the U.S. beat the Soviets in this first crucial round of the space race? NOVA reveals an astonishing behind-the-scenes story of the politics and personalities that collided over the earliest efforts to get America into space, long before the founding of NASA. In "Sputnik Declassified," NOVA details the previously untold story of the technological and political missteps that made the U.S. lose out to the Soviets' beeping electronic basketball. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova
Wired Science
On-Air & Online | Wednesday, November 07, 2007, 7:00 - 8:00 PM
Grade Range: 9-12

"Wired Science" shows viewers how Southwestern desert communities are facing the “peak water” crisis; Ziya Tong attempts to settle the debate between analog or digital audiophiles with the help of some "golden ears"; Ziya also hacks a disposable camera to show how anyone can accomplish high speed photography; Adam Rogers takes a look at the X-Prize competition; and "Wired Science" visits a Bio Bank, where samples of tissue, organs and body parts are stored. Chris Hardwick presents another "What’s Inside." (CC, Stereo, HD, 1 year)

Log on to the Education section of the "Wired Science" Web site to find blogs with expert teachers discussing how to use "Wired Science" in the classroom, student of the month and teacher of the month features, and a "Careers in Science" section.
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/wiredscience/
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SOCIAL STUDIES

Air Group 16: We Came to Remember
On-Air
Grade Range: 9-12

This is the story of the last reunion of Air Group 16 -- the pilots, radiomen and gunners who served on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Lexington in the Pacific in World War II. The film follows the veterans and their families as they make the journey by train, plane and car to Washington, DC, for their final reunion at the dedication of the National World War II Memorial in May 2004. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)

Frontline/World: Extraordinary Rendition
On-Air & Online | Tuesday, November 06, 2007, 9:00 - 10:00 PM
Grade Range: 9-12

Frontline's international news magazine returns with an investigation into the CIA's controversial practice of kidnapping terror suspects for interrogation, often in countries where torture is common. Also in this episode, a journey to India to explore the mysteries of Ayurvedic medicine and an answer to the surprising question of how libraries began to appear in the mountains of Nepal. (CC, Stereo, HD, 1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/rendition701/
Independent Lens: Red White Black and Blue
On-Air & Online | Wednesday, November 07, 2007, 4:00 - 5:00 AM
Grade Range: 6-8, 9-12

On June 7, 1942, 3,000 Japanese troops invaded Alaska, the only invasion of American soil since the War of 1812. Sixty years later, two U.S. soldiers who fought on the remote Aleutian island of Attu embark on a journey back to one of the bloodiest battles of World War II, where they relive the brutal 19-day combat that the American government kept secret. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/redwhiteblackandblue/
The War: The Ghost Front
On-Air & Online
Grade Range: 9-12

By December 1944, Americans have become weary of the war. In the Pacific, American progress has been slow and costly, with each island more fiercely defended than the last. In Europe, no one is prepared for the massive counterattack Hitler launches on December 16 in the Ardennes Forest in Belgium and Luxemburg. At Yalta, Allied leaders agree on a plan that includes massive bombing raids aimed at German oil facilities, defense factories, roads, railways and cities. In March alone, Allied warplanes drop almost as many bombs as they have dropped in the preceding three years combined. (CC, Stereo, HD)

Visit the companion Web site to access 14 media-rich lesson plans, 9 classroom activities, a Search and Explore tool that allows students to browse the extensive collection of primary sources on the site, create collections and share them with peers and teachers, and a Power of Story toolkit designed to help students create oral histories and video documentaries.
http://www.pbs.org/thewar/
New York Goes to War
On-Air & Online
Grade Range: 9-12

This documentary shares the World War II experiences of men and women from the New York metropolitan area through personal stories of six New Yorkers (past and present) who represent a broad range of wartime experience: a Puerto Rico-born Brooklynite wounded in Okinawa; his wife; a member of the first African-American tank battalion to see combat; a former radar navigator whose artwork is featured in the program; an Italian-American woman who became a riveter; and a former Marine officer whose letters are read aloud throughout the program. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/newyorkgoestowar/
Washington Week with Gwen Ifill and National Journal
On-Air & Online | Friday, November 09, 2007, 8:30 - 9:00 PM
Grade Range: 9-12

"Washington Week," the longest-running news and public affairs program on public television, has forged an editorial partnership with "National Journal," the nonpartisan publication that for 36 years has been dedicated to providing comprehensive coverage of the politics and policy of the federal government. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)

Be our fifth panelist. Write in for the "Webcast Extra." Answers to your questions will be available online Friday night.
http://www.pbs.org/washingtonweek
NOW
On-Air & Online
Grade Range: 9-12

Through documentary segments and interviews with original thinkers, "NOW" goes beyond the noisy churn of the news cycle and gives you the context to explore your relationship with the larger world. (CC, Stereo, 10-day fair use)
http://www.pbs.org/now
Bill Moyers Journal
On-Air & Online | Friday, November 09, 2007, 9:00 - 10:00 PM
Grade Range: 9-12

This weekly public affairs series features interviews and news analysis on a wide range of subjects, including politics, arts and culture, the media, the economy and issues facing democracy. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)

Log on to the companion Web site to sign up for the Moyers podcast.
http://www.pbs.org/moyers
Do You Speak American?: Hour One
On-Air & Online
Grade Range: 9-12

The impact of American English, rich with regional variety, is felt in every field: popular culture, arts and literature, science and technology, medicine and politics. It's the language of international industry, Wall Street, the Pentagon, the space shuttle and, of course, the Internet. Journalist and author Robert MacNeil zigzags cross-country to explore how Americans use the language today, how it's developing and how people feel about it. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/speak/
Online NewsHour EXTRA: Schools Fighting Deadly "Superbug"
Online
Grade Range: 6-8, 9-12

Schools in the northeastern U.S. are using Lysol and better hygiene to combat outbreaks of a bacteria known as the MRSA "superbug."
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/july-dec07/staph_10-22.html
OPB: My Mom Covers My Eyes During the "Good Parts"
Station
Grade Range: K-2, 3-5

Early childhood educator Slavica Jovanovic Bubic gives advice on choosing media for children and how to get the most out of video and movie ratings for kids.
http://www.opb.org/kidsfamily/article/my_mom_covers_my_eyes/
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PBS BLOGS

Learning.now with Andy Carvin: Overcoming Media Illiteracy among Media Literacy Educators
Online
Grade Range: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Andy Carvin looks at a new report that says educators aiming to improve students' media literacy are hampered by their own illiteracy when it comes to copyright and fair use.
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/learning.now/2007/10/overcoming_media_illiteracy_ab.html
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PBS PARENTS

PBS Parents: How to Talk So Kids Will Listen
Online
Grade Range: PreK, K-3, 3-5

As parents we spend much of our time talking to our children — and then wondering why they don't seem to hear us. Learn how practical strategies like asking specific questions can help you communicate more effectively with kids, from preschoolers to preteens.
http://www.pbs.org/parents/talkingwithkids/strategies.html
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GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Fair Trade Study Grant
Online

The 2007-2008 Fair Trade Study Grant from Café Bom Dia and Sam’s Club is a weeklong, intensive study of how fair trade coffee is produced and the impact of such production on Brazilian communities. Grants will be awarded to teachers who express exceptional ideas on how to educate students on economic, social and business lessons. Maximum Award: $7,000 value. Eligibility: full-time junior high and high school teachers who teach at least fifteen (15) hours a week during the 2008-09 school year and dedicate at least five (5) lessons to topics related to Fair Trade. Deadline: December 15, 2007.
http://www2.samsclub.com/fairtrade/

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