Tuesday, May 22, 2007

The History Channel Educational Programming Update for 5/18/07 - 5/25/07

The History Channel is pleased to bring you this week's educational programming update:

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Special Presentation: Act of Honor, Saturday, May 19th at 7PM/6c

Cities of the Underworld: City of Caves, Monday, May 21st at 9 PM/8c

The Spanish-American War: First Intervention, Tuesday, May 22nd at 2PM/1c

Save Our History: Sherman's Total War Tactics, Friday, May 25th at 8PM/7c

The Museum of Broadcast Communications Announces a Special Event:FDR and the 1932 Democratic Convention, A 75th Anniversary Salute

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Special Presentation: Act of Honor
Saturday, May 19th at 7PM/6c

For many young people today, the conflict in Iraq is the first time that they have witnessed a substantial portion of the population called to serve in a time of war. Words like sacrifice, duty, and honor have taken on new meaning as a new generation of Americans has been called into service. Act of Honor traces the powerful story of one Marine, Sergeant Rafael Peralta, as his dream to serve in the United States Armed Forces drew him into the intensity of conflict in Falluja, Iraq in November of 2004. As he and his companions went door to door in an effort to clear the city of guerilla forces, Peralta and his companions were ambushed. Already seriously wounded, he shielded his fellow Marines by covering the explosive device with his body, saving their lives and sacrificing his own.

Act of Honor draws a portrait of Peralta's life, following his extraordinary journey from Tijuana, Mexico to San Diego as a boy, to the streets of Iraq as a 25 year-old Marine. Peralta's story offers a humanizing perspective on the Iraq war, powerfully explored through the stories of two families- his biological family, and the close-knit Marine family he developed from the moment he enlisted. This one hour documentary captures his experiences through first person video footage taken by members of his platoon, as well as candid and emotional interviews, news accounts, and personal photographs. As an immigrant, Peralta eagerly embraced an American identity and enrolled in the Marines as soon as he received his green card. Avoiding political commentary on the war itself, Act of Honor documents the human side of the war, and gives educators and their students an excellent opportunity to explore questions of family, patriotism, duty, honor, and grief through this focus on one man's brave story of commitment and sacrifice.

Curriculum Links:
Act of Honor is appropriate for high school and mature middle school students. It would be useful for American History, American culture, Ethnic Studies, Current Events, Civics, and Politics courses, and great for after-school and community event. **Note—some scenes in this documentary depict real-life combat and intense situations and may be too graphic for some students. Educators should screen the documentary before airing it to their classes to ensure that it is appropriate for students in their particular classroom.

Special History en Espanol Website:
historyenespanol.com/classroom/espanol/index.jsp

Click Here to Find DVD Selections on America's New War: store.aetv.com/html/referer_entry.jhtml?vid=HCE_Email_news&dest=/html/subject/index.jhtml%3fid%3dwwf1031

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Cities of the Underworld: City of Caves
Monday, May 21st at 9 PM

Cities of the Underworld is an exciting new series which explores the fascinating and unknown history of world cities through exploring the layers below their surface. Tombs, dungeons, ship wrecks, and other ruins buried below a city's surface reveal histories long forgotten. In this one hour episode, City of Caves viewers will discover an ancient secret that dates back to the dawn of time lurking beneath the city of Budapest, Hungary. The caves beneath Budapest were formed during the Ice Age, providing hideaways and shelter for waves of explorers and settlers in this region. Follow along as host Eric Geller gains special access into these sealed-up time capsules. In City of Caves , Geller traces key turning points in the history of this region, pinpointing the source of the boiling healing water used by both the Romans and the Turks. Geller then introduces viewers to the discovery of a top secret World War II hospital, providing a new perspective on this critical era. Finally, Geller examines the layers of support added throughout the centuries to keep today's world from falling into the one buried below, lending a contemporary perspective to the topic. This program is an excellent journey for students, giving them the opportunity to see how history changes over time, and how events of long ago shape the worlds both above and far below ground level. Clips from this program would be a nice addition to courses or units with an emphasis on architecture, or to give historical context for courses with a contemporary focus.

Curriculum Links:
Cities of the Underworld: City of Caves would be useful for Global Studies, History, Social Studies, Architecture, and some Science and Technology courses. Teachers may want to use clips from this documentary to animate their lesson plans or course units. It fulfills the following standards as outlined by the National Council for History Education: 1) Civilization, cultural diffusion, and innovation, 2) Human interaction with the environment, and 3) Conflict and cooperation.

Special Website Available:
history.com/minisites/citiesoftheunderworld

Check Out Cities of the Underworld on DVD:
store.aetv.com/html/referer_entry.jhtml?vid=HCE_Email_news&dest=/html/subject/index.jhtml%3fid%3dcat2510002

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The Spanish-American War: First Intervention
Tuesday, May 22nd at 2PM/1c

Though its events may be unfamiliar to many Americans, the Spanish-American War was among the most important political conflicts in U.S. history, marking a major turning point in the involvement of the United States in world affairs. The conflict was sparked by on-going tension with Spain, culminating in the bombing of the USS Maine in Cuba's Havana harbor on the night of Februrary 12th, 1898. As a result of this attack, 266 American lives were lost, outraging the nation and prompting President McKinley to declare war. The Spanish-American War: First Intervention, a three hour special presentation, chronicles the drama that unfolded as the United States and Spain fought a bitter conflict both in Cuba and on the island of the Philippines, half a world away.

This epic and fast-moving documentary follows the Spanish-American War from the events leading up to the war through its conclusion three eventful months later. It retraces the ways the United States conceived of the conflict as an "anti-imperial" war to free these territories from Spanish control, gaining the support of the U.S. people and providing a justification for the warfare which followed. Along the way, several key leaders emerged, including the infamous Navy Admiral George Dewey, Red Cross founder Clara Barton, the writer Stephen Crane, and most prominently, future President Theodore Roosevelt. In one of the war's most decisive battles, Roosevelt and his "rough riders" achieved victory on Cuba's San Juan Hill, paving the way for the success of the U.S. and cementing Roosevelt's image as a powerful and brave leader. With commentary from historical experts, this documentary brings to life this critical chapter in U.S. history, providing the chronology of the war, highlighting its key events, and revealing its global effects. Students will learn how the Spanish-American War thrust the United States into its role as a major player on the world stage, pulled out of an isolationism to which it could never return.

Curriculum Links
The Spanish-American War: First Intervention would be useful for History, American Culture, Global Studies, and Geography courses. It is appropriate for high school students. This program fulfills the following guidelines outlined by the National Council for History Education: (1) Patterns of Social and Political Interaction and (2) Comparative History of Major Developments.

Discussion Questions:
1. What did you know about the Spanish-American War before watching this documentary? After watching, how would you describe the importance of this conflict? What were its long-term consequences?

2. Theodore Roosevelt emerged as one of the major military leaders of the Spanish-American War. How and why do you think this war was important in shaping and influencing Roosevelt's political career? Discuss.

Get The Spanish-American War: First Intervention on DVD:
store.aetv.com/html/referer_entry.jhtml?vid=HCE_Email_news&dest=/html/product/index.jhtml%3fid%3d77209

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Save Our History: Sherman's Total War Tactics
Friday, May 25th at 8PM/7c

In November of 1864, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman launched a new kind of military campaign. After three years of battle and over 350,000 casualties, the Civil War burned on, with no possibility of end on the horizon. General Sherman, a man who had been plagued by difficulty and self-doubt, saw a vision for how he could both bring an end to the war, and recuperate his stature as a military leader. Sherman's plan was to destroy the Confederate infrastructure and finally bring an end to the war.

Sherman's March tells the story of how this vision unfolded, and the dramatic human consequences of the campaign known as Sherman's "March to the Sea."

Save Our History: Sherman's Total War Tactics is a one hour documentary that traces Sherman's March through analyzing the physical artifacts from the march that have been left behind. Host Steve Thomas re-traces the route of the march, allowing students to visualize the terrain through which these conflicts raged. Along the way, Thomas investigates the tactics, tools, and technologies which enabled Sherman's brutal but highly innovative march moved fast and effectively. With an emphasis on historic preservation, this program introduces students to the methods historians use to gain insights into the past. It would lend a fresh and current perspective to course units and lesson plans on the Civil War.

Curriculum Links:
Save Our History: Sherman's Total War Tactics would be useful for American History and American Culture courses and would be an excellent companion for course units on the Civil War. It is appropriate for high school students. Due to intense scenes depicting violence and sensitive language, we recommend that teachers view this program in its entirety before airing it to students. This documentary fulfills several National Standards guidelines as outlined by the National Council for History Education including: (1) Patterns of Social and (2) Political Interaction, Civilization, Cultural Diffusion and Innovation and Conflict and Cooperation.

Special Website Available:
history.com/minisite.do?mini_id=51103

Check Out the ambitious dramatic reconstruction of Sherman's March on DVD:
store.aetv.com/html/referer_entry.jhtml?vid=HCE_Email_news&dest=/html/product/index.jhtml%3fid%3d77438

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The Museum of Broadcast Communications Announces a Special Event: FDR and the 1932 Democratic Convention, A 75th Anniversary Salute

On July 2, 2007, the new Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago, Illinois will present a 75th Anniversary Salute to FDR at the landmark Auditorium Theater in Chicago. On that date in 1932,Roosevelt accepted his first Democratic Party nomination for President, and he introduced for the first time his "New Deal for America" as millions listened on radio. Join us as we take you back to that historic speech. Actor Robert Vaughn will portray FDR delivering this historic speech.

Special offer Exclusively for Teachers… For the first 250 Teachers who respond, we have a pair of complimentary tickets to the event. Simply email your request to: FDR@museum.tv, and be sure to include your name, school, mailing and email addresses and phone number. The Museum of Broadcast Communications is an ISBE-approved professional development provider. The MBC is pleased to offer Illinois teachers 3 Continuing Professional Development Units for this event. Educational highlights include a panel discussion of the 1932 convention and FDR's legacy. Distinguished panel participants include Juan Williams of National Public Radio, Newsweek editor Jonathan Alter, and others.

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If you would like to see a complete programming schedule go to:
historychannel.com/global/listings/listings.jsp?NetwCode=THC

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If you do not wish to receive future Weekly Classroom Updates, please send a message to unsub-clas-thc@newsletters.aetv.com

Thank you! THE HISTORY CHANNEL Education Department

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