Help Section for Teaching Guides

Here are some Frequently Asked Questions about the FRONTIERS teaching guides. If your question is not answered here, please contact us at saf@pbs.org

What is a PDF?
PDF stands for "Portable Document Format." Using this format allows you to be certain that the printed teaching guide will maintain its original contents and layout, without concern for the type of platform or computer that you use. We have also created our new PDFs on a white background, eliminating the excessive use of printer toner. All you need to do is download and install the free Adobe Acrobat Reader plug-in, click on the PDF icon, and you're ready to go!

What is the HTML version?
This version of the teaching guide looks exactly like any other Web page. You may choose to browse though this version first before deciding to print the PDF of a particular activity. Or you may choose to print the HTML version of that activity right from your browser.

How do I print the Teaching Guide?
You have two options:

1. You can choose to click on the PDF icon of the teaching guide activity you desire. This will download the activity right to your computer's desktop. (If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer, you will need to take a few moments to do so before proceeding.) Next, just open up the file you have downloaded and print.
   
2. You can choose to print the HTML version directly from your browser. Just print as you would any document and the contents of the page on your screen will be sent to the printer. A disadvantage to this method is that layout and contents can occasionally be negatively effected depending on your browser or printer configuration.

What is contained in this Teaching Guide?

Every SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS teaching guide contains four activities. Three of these activities are hands-on science projects that you can conduct with your students. Each activity is closely linked to a segment of the program. Most are designed to take up one classroom period and are geared towards middle school students, except where noted. The fourth activity is a quiz about the contents of the program. Just download the PDF version, photocopy and distribute this quiz to your students.

NOTE: Quizzes with 100% correct answers can be entered by teachers only into our T-shirt drawing. FRONTIERS randomly selects 20 names after each program. Send all correct quizzes in one envelope, along with teacher's name, grade and course, school name and address, where the students watched the show (home or school), and the students' favorite segment. Mail to: FRONTIERS Quiz, Chedd-Angier Production Company, 70 Coolidge Hill Rd., Watertown, MA 02472.