PBS Teachers Newsletter

June 8-14, 2008

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The program times listed below are for PBS's national schedule and may not be accurate for your station. Please check your local station TV Schedules for the most accurate dates and times.

The Arts

Building Big: The Skyscraper Challenge
Interactive/Online Activity
Grade Range: 3-5, 6-8
Explore different types of skyscrapers, building materials and the forces that act upon them, then choose the design of skyscraper that best fits the needs of a town.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/skyscraper/challenge/index.html
Great Performances: Bob Fosse and Dance
Lesson Plan
Grade Range: 9-12
Evaluate a dance performance and write a review. Compare the choreography of Bob Fosse to current music videos.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/education/plan_fosse_overview.html

Health and Fitness

Arthur: Food Pyramid
Arthur: Food Pyramid
Grade Range: K-2
Sort pictures of food into the five categories on a food pyramid. Use the graphic organizer to analyze the information collected. Related episode: D.W., The Picky Eater
http://pbskids.org/arthur/parentsteachers/activities/acts/food_pyramid.html
NOVA: NOVA scienceNOW - Sleep: The Sleep-Memory Connection
Interactive/Online Activity
Grade Range: 6-8, 9-12
Explore the stages of a good night's sleep and the research linking sleep to memory with this interactive resource.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3410/01.html

Math

Cyberchase: Who Gets Which Gift
Offline Activity/Project
Grade Range: 3-5
Apply logic and reasoning to sort presents and determine who gets which gift.
http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/parentsteachers/lessons/fun.html
Scientific American Frontiers: A Whale of a Tale
Lesson Plan
Grade Range: 6-8
Experience the relative size of humpback whales by creating a whale-sized drawing outdoors from a small-scale diagram. Use skills in measurement, perspective and drawing, and compare the finished drawing to the size of a car.
http://www.pbs.org/safarchive/4_class/45_pguides/pguide_302/4532_whale.html

Reading and Language Arts

Between the Lions: Yesterday I Had the Blues
Video
Grade Range: PreK, K-2
Explore emotions associated with colors and learn the importance of family as you read along with this poem.
http://pbskids.org/lions/stories/blues.html
Maya & Miguel: It's All About Word Play
Lesson Plan
Grade Range: K-2, 3-5
Identify picture-word associations, develop visual recognition skills, model correct language usage and identify specific graphics and words. Interpret conversational language through role play.
http://pbskids.org/mayaandmiguel/english/parentsteachers/lessonplans/wordplay.html

Science and Tech

Nature: Snowflake: The White Gorilla
On-Air & Online, June, 2008 (Check local listings),
Grade Range: 6-8, 9-12
The only known albino gorilla in the world, Snowflake lived nearly 40 years as a beloved resident of the Barcelona Zoo.(CC, Stereo, 1 year)
update
Seeing in the Dark
On-Air | Wednesday , June 11, 2008, 10 - 11:00 pm
Grade Range: 6-8, 9-12
This documentary introduces viewers to the rewards of first-person, hands-on astronomy. Written, produced and narrated by best-selling author Timothy Ferris, the film is based on his book, Seeing in the Dark. (CC, Stereo, HD, 1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/seeinginthedark/
NOVA: Newton's Dark Secrets
On-Air & Online | Tuesday, June 10, 2008, 8 - 9:00 pm
Grade Range: 6-8, 9-12
Often hailed as both the first modern scientist and the last of the ancient magicians, Isaac Newton reduced nature’s chaos to a single set of mathematical laws. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/newton/

Social Studies

The Jewish People: A Story of Survival
On-Air, June, 2008 (Check local listings),
Grade Range: 9-12
Spanning millennia, this history of the Jewish people explores how a small group who started as desert nomads overcame countless obstacles to survive to the present day. (CC, Stereo, HD, 1 year)
American Experience: Las Vegas: An Unconventional History (Part Two)
On-Air & Online | Monday, June 9, 2008, 9 - 10:30pm
Grade Range: 9-12
With its well-heeled mobsters and glamorous showgirls, fantastical mega-casinos and dazzling displays of neon, Las Vegas is the world's most famous monument to reckless abandon and unbridled excess. Trace the often surprising, endlessly entertaining history of the country's most outrageous playground (CC, Stereo, 1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/
Frontline: On Our Watch
On-Air & Online | Tuesday, June 10, 2008, 9 - 10:00pm
Grade Range: 9-12
"Frontline" asks why the genocide in Darfur was allowed to unfold and profiles some of the activists seeking to raise awareness of the carnage. (CC, Stereo, HD, 1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/darfur/
Independent Lens: The Cool School
On-Air & Online | Tuesday, June 10, 2008, 10 - 11:00pm
Grade Range: 9-12
For a decade -- 1956 to 1966 -- the Ferus Gallery was the catalyst of a nascent modern art scene, grooming idealistic beatniks into competitive, often-brilliant artists. Terrence Howard hosts. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/coolschool/
Washington Week with Gwen Ifill and National Journal
On-Air & Online, June 13, 2008, 8 - 8:30pm
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 PBS
On-Air & Online, June 13, 2008, 8:30 - 9:00pm
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, June 13, 2008, 9 - 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
Churchill: Destiny
On-Air & Online , June 13, 2008, 10 - 11:00 pm
Grade Range: 6-8, 9-12
The first segment recounts Churchill's early life -- his aristocratic birth, his search for glory on the battlefield, his rise up the political ladder and his fall from it. By his 55th birthday in 1931, Churchill had fought in five wars, contested 14 elections and raised a family of five children. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/churchill/
Online NewsHour EXTRA: Israel-Syria Engage in New Peace Negotiations
Online
Grade Range: 6-8, 9-12
Israel and Syria, countries at the center of many of the current disputes in the Middle East, confirmed last week that they have been engaged in top secret negotiations over conditions for a possible peace deal.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/world/jan-june08/israel_5-27.html

PBS Blogs

Media Infusion: Media Infusion: Four Weeks to a Flatter Us
Online
Bob Sprankle examines how "crowdsourcing" and collaboration are transforming society and the world of many students. Sprankle offers educators a step-by-step plan to integrate multimedia resources and technology skills that will help democratize classrooms.
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/mediainfusion/
Learning.now with Andy Carvin: Coming to a School Near You: Gigapixel Photography?
Online
Grade Range: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Andy Carvin looks at the next generation of digital cameras that can capture images with gigapixel resolution.
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/learning.now/2008/05/coming_to_a_school_near_you_gi_1.html

PBS Parents

PBS Parents: A Field Guide for Little Explorers
Online
Grade Range: PreK, K-3, 3-5
When children are allowed to explore the everyday wonders of the world around them, the innocence of childhood lasts a little bit longer. Each day presents an opportunity for a new adventure -- from the backyard to the night sky. Help kids explore their world with the ideas in this downloadable field guide.
http://www.pbs.org/parents/explore/

Grants and Funding Opportunities

Grants for Education on Forest Stewardship
Online
The Save-the-Redwoods League, a nonprofit organization that works to protect the ancient redwood forest from destruction, will grant funds to schools, interpretive associations, and other qualified nonprofits engaged in quality redwood education. Maximum Award: $5000. Eligibility: schools and 501(c)3 organizations. Deadline: June 30, 2008.
http://www.savetheredwoods.org/education/edgrants.shtml

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