PBS Teachers Newsletter: May 27 - June 2, 2007

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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, http://www.pbs.org/teachers/tvschedules/, for the most accurate dates and times.



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PBS IN EDUCATION
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June Media Infusion Focuses on Connecting with Math through Technology
Online
K-2 / 3-5 / 6-8 / 9-12


Elementary school math teacher Cindy Newton will blog about how to incorporate multimedia resources into math lesson plans in June's "Media Infusion" blog. In her post, "Mathematical Problems: A Journey toward Meaning," Newton suggests multimedia resources that will help students understand the real-world applications of math. Log on to comment on Newton's suggestions or offer some of your own ideas.


http://www.pbs.org/teachers/mediainfusion



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THE ARTS
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Craft in America
Memory
On-Air & Online
6-8 / 9-12
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
8 - 9:00 pm

This series of programs explores the vitality, history and significance of the craft movement in the United States and its impact on the nation's rich cultural heritage. The first episode takes a personal tour through craft's history in America. The intimate stories of some of the country's most prominent craft artisans are set against the larger historical context of craft itself. (CC, Stereo, HDTV, 1 year from OB)

Download the "Hand to Home" lesson guide in which students explore how artists use their hands to transform raw materials into works of art that are meant to be used and enjoyed by those who own them.

http://www.pbs.org/craftinamerica



Craft in America
Landscape
On-Air & Online
6-8 / 9-12
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
9 - 10:00 pm

The second episode examines the relationship of craft artists with their physical environment, which serves as a source of materials and inspiration. (CC, Stereo, HDTV, 1 year from OB)

Download our lesson plan in which students explore how the artists' deep connections with their natural surroundings inspire them to create beautiful, functional objects.

http://www.pbs.org/craftinamerica


Craft in America
Community
On-Air & Online
6-8 / 9-12
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
10 - 11:00 pm

The final episode focuses on the spiritual connection between artisans and their communities. The personal stories of gifted artisans reveal the deeply held belief that craft is about more than just the making of an object. (CC, Stereo, HDTV, 1 yearfrom OB)

Download the "Show Me" lesson guide in which students learn that artists such as Mary Jackson and instructors at craft schools like Penland School of Craft have an innate desire to share what they have learned.

http://www.pbs.org/craftinamerica



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HEALTH AND FITNESS
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Kids World Sports
Kayak Challenge
Interactive/Online Activity
3-5 / 6-8

Experience the extreme sport of kayaking from your computer with this interactive game. Paddle your kayak through the flags in the raging river while avoiding obstacles.

http://pbskids.org/kws/games/kayakchallenge/


FETCH!
Dog Ears
Interactive/Online Activity
K-2 / 3-5

The new season of FETCH! premieres on PBS KIDS GO May 28. Get ready by playing this online game in which you test your auditory memory. Decode audio clues to decipher the five passwords for Ruff's safe.

http://pbskids.org/fetch/games/dogears/index.html



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MATH
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Cyberchase
Send in the Trolls
Interactive/Online Activity
3-5

Understand the concept of "middle" and averages, arrange several trolls of different heights and identify the troll who has the middle height.

http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/games/dataclusters/dataclusters.html


NOVA
Build a Tree-Ring Timeline
Interactive/Online Activity
3-5 / 6-8

Explore the science of dendochronology by assembling a tree-ring chronology in this interactive online activity.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/methuselah/treering.html



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READING AND LANGUAGE ARTS
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P.O.V.
Using Writing to Resolve Conflicts
Lesson Plan
9-12

Use writing as a conflict resolution strategy and re-writing as a way to improve writing skills. Learn to respectfully critique another's writing and consider situations from a variety of perspectives.

http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2003/whatiwant/for.html


Arthur
The Question Game
Offline Activity/Project
K-2 / 3-5

Develop oral language and story comprehension skills. Learn how to create comprehension questions about a story using the words who, what if, when, where, why and how.

http://pbskids.org/arthur/parentsteachers/lesson/storywriting/



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SCIENCE AND TECH
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Secrets of the Dead
Dogfight Over Guadalcanal
On-Air & Online
9-12
Monday, May 28, 2007
10 - 11:00 pm

In 1942, two ace fighter pilots -- one American and one Japanese -- faced off during a dramatic dogfight in the skies over Guadalcanal. Eventually the Japanese pilot shot down the American, who crash-landed behind enemy lines but managed to escape before being captured. This episode re-creates every anxious second of the showdown over the Pacific. (CC, Stereo, 1year)

Examine the clues and evidence at the companion Web site.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/case_dogfight


NOVA
Volcano Above the Clouds
On-Air & Online
3-5 / 6-8 / 9-12
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
8 - 9:00 pm

In 1980 Washington's Mount St. Helens suffered a catastrophic landslide that released seething volcanic gases and rock fragments in a cataclysm that destroyed hundreds of square miles of forest. Could Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro be heading for the same fate? NOVA accompanies an expedition up Kilimanjaro to learn what the future holds for the world's tallest volcano. (CC, Stereo, DVI, 1 year)

Download our lesson plan in which students develop a travelogue to describe the distinct ecological regions of Mount Kilimanjaro.

http://www.pbs.org/nova/kilimanjaro


UNC-TV
Exploring North Carolina
Station
6-8 / 9-12

Check out this companion Web site to the UNC-TV series "Exploring North Carolina." Learn about the state's diverse local landscapes and unique natural features.

http://www.unctv.org/exploringNC/



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SOCIAL STUDIES
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Air Group 16: We Came To Remember
On-Air
9-12
Sunday, May 27, 2007
9:30 - 10:00 pm

This documentary tells 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. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)


Bill Moyers Journal
D-Day Revisited
On-Air
9-12
Sunday, May 27, 2007
10 - 11:00 pm

This special-edition rebroadcast of a program that originally aired as "From D-Day to the Rhine with Bill Moyers," Moyers and filmmaker David Grubin travel with veterans of World War II on a journey of remembrance to the scenes of their battlefield exploits. They also explore the impact of war on the men who fought it. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)


American Experience
The Berlin Airlift
On-Air & Online
6-8 / 9-12
Monday, May 28, 2007
9 - 10:00 pm

In 1948, after the Soviet Union blocked access to West Berlin, Allied forces responded with an unprecedented humanitarian and strategic effort. For nearly a year, planes flew in tons of supplies round the clock, becoming angels of mercy for a beleaguered city. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)

Explore our online interactive map to see how Allied forces organized the largest humanitarian campaign ever seen.

http://www.pbs.org/amex/airlift


Churchill
The Last Prize (part 3 of 3)
On-Air & Online
9-12
Thursday, May 31, 2007
10 - 11:00 pm

The final episode begins with Churchill's trip to the Normandy beaches in June 1944 and ends with his death in January 1965. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)

Log on to the companion Web site to go behind-the-scenes of the production.

http://www.pbs.org/churchill


NOW
On-Air & Online
9-12
Friday, June 1, 2007
8:30 - 9:00 pm

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, 1 year)

In a "NOW on the News" Web-exclusive audio interview, Matthew Currier Burden, author of "The Blog of War," talks to Senior Correspondent Maria Hinojosa about new military regulations requiring all blogs and emails written by soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan to be approved by a superior officer.

http://www.pbs.org/now


Online NewsHour EXTRA
Fatah vs. Hamas -- Continued Strife in the Gaza Region
Lesson Plan
6-8 / 9-12

Examine the similarities and differences between what the Fatah and Hamas parties are seeking for the Gaza region.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/lessonplans/world/hamas_fatah_01-07.html



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PBS BLOGS
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Learning.now with Andy Carvin
Will Schools Take Advantage of Online Political Video During the Election?
Online
3-5 / 6-8 / 9-12

At the Personal Democracy Forum, participants are talking about open access to political videos online, particularly candidate statements and debate materials. The public is ready to utilize this treasure trove of civic educational materials. But are schools?

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/learning.now/2007/05/will_schools_take_advantage_of_1.html



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PBS PARENTS
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Get Advice on Preparing Preschoolers for School
Online
PreK / K-2

Ann Barbour, a child development expert and advisor to the daily PBS series "A Place of Our Own," is taking questions about what parents can do to prepare preschoolers for school. Find out what Ann had to say about holding a child back from kindergarten if his birthday is close to the school's cutoff date.

http://www.pbs.org/parents/experts/archive/barbour-schoolprep.html


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