PBS Teachers Newsletter: May 6 - 12, 2007

PBS Teachers Newsletter: May 6 - 12, 2007
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Welcome to the PBS Teachers Newsletter, the weekly newsletter from PBS designed specifically for PreK-12 educators.

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Create a profile, http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/, at PBS Teachers and identify your local PBS station, your subject area, and/or the grade level you teach. This will help us arrange newsletter content so that you see the most relevant information right away.

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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THE ARTS
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Masterpiece Theater
Bleak House (parts 4 and 5 of 6)
On-Air & Online
6-8 / 9-12
Sunday, May 6, 2007
9 - 11:00 pm
In part 4, disaster strikes in several forms as Esther contracts smallpox, one of the characters bursts into flames and the moneylender Smallweed acquires the love letters once owned by Nemo. In part 5, Esther receives a new and unexpected proposal of marriage. (CC, Stereo, DVI, 1 year)

Learn about the Victorian world of "Bleak House;" find out what is the Court of Chancery, learn if Dickens based his characters on real people and discover if it really was that foggy in London.

http://www.pbs.org/masterpiece/bleakhouse

The Slanted Screen
On-Air
9-12
Thursday, May 10, 2007
10 - 11:00 pm
This program explores the portrayals of Asian men in American cinema, chronicling the experiences of actors who have had to struggle against ethnic stereotyping and limiting roles. Through a parade of 50 film clips spanning a century, the film presents a critical examination of Hollywood's image-making machine. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)

KCPT
Rare Visions and Roadside Revelations
Station
6-8 / 9-12
Explore this interactive Web site designed for those who appreciate the road less traveled. This site highlights the best of art from across the country.
http://www.kcpt.org/rare_visions/

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HEALTH AND FITNESS
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Nature
Dogs by Design
Lesson Plan
6-8
Explore how a bloodhound's anatomy gives it a keen sense of smell. Compare and contrast different dog breeds' appearance and behavior.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/dog/educators.html

FETCH!
Dog Ears
Interactive/Online Activity
3-5

Test your auditory memory by matching sounds in this online interactive game. 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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NOVA
What's Up with the Weather?
Lesson Plan
6-8 / 9-12

Search for meaningful trends in regional raw temperature data by using a statistical analysis technique, the moving average.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/activities/27gw_warming.html

Cyberchase
Spaceship Builder
Interactive/Online Activity
3-5
Understand basic shape design, perimeter and area and build different shapes with this online interactive game.

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

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READING AND LANGUAGE ARTS
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The Living Edens
Canyonlands -- Write About It
Lesson Plan
3-5 / 6-8

Identify and interpret figurative language, recognize why an author might choose to use figures of speech and write a Haiku utilizing original figures of speech.

http://www.pbs.org/edens/canyonlands/write.htm

The West
Mark Twain and the American West
Lesson Plan
9-12

Explore the life and literature of Mark Twain and describe the impact he had on the public's view of the American West. Read portions of his book "Roughing It" for examples of stereotypes and truths about the West of his time.

http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/lesson_plans/lesson02.htm

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SCIENCE AND TECH
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Nature
Sharkland
On-Air & Online
6-8 / 9-12
Sunday, May 6, 2007
8 - 9:00 pm

In a stretch of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Southern Africa, a unique pattern of warm and cold currents brings together an astounding variety of sharks. Tune in to learn about the nearly 150 species of all colors, shapes and sizes of sharks that gather there. (CC, Stereo, DVI, 1 year)

Explore our online interactive anatomy of the Great White Shark; test your knowledge of sharks in our online quiz; and read our online article about other examples of animal cannibalism.

http://www.pbs.org/nature/

Secrets of the Dead
What Happened to the Hindenburg?
On-Air & Online
6-8 / 9-12
Monday, May 7, 2007
10 - 11:00 pm

The flaming explosion of the Hindenburg is one of the most famous disasters of the 20th century. Join Addison Bain, a retired NASA scientist, as he sets out on a personal quest of theorizing and experimentation to prove that the Hindenburg's real flaw was only skin deep. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)

Go through an animated time-based explanation of the new theory about the Hindenburg disaster. Get a close-up view of how the disaster unfolded at the companion Web site.

http://www.pbs.org/secrets

NOVA
Pocahontas Revealed
On-Air & Online
6-8 / 9-12
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
8 - 9:00 pm

The exploits of the swashbuckling John Smith, the wily, venerable chief Powhatan and his infatuated daughter, Pocahontas, have been retold until they gather the status of an epic founding myth of the new nation. Now, science is revealing the truth behind the myth. Archaeologists have just discovered the site of Chief Powhatan's capital, Werowocomoco. NOVA has covered the excavation of this site and for the first time reveals the Native-American side of the Jamestown story. (CC,Stereo, DVI, HDTV, 1 year)

Download our lesson plan in which students rewrite the story of Pocahontas based on archeological and historical evidence.

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

Secrets of the Dead
Headless Romans
On-Air & Online
6-8 / 9-12
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
8 - 9:00 pm

In the back garden of a house in England, more than 45 decapitated, Roman-era skeletons are unearthed. This astonishing discovery leads to an unprecedented scientific investigation to identify the remains. Modern forensics, archeological sleuthing and historical records point to a surprising answer and an infamous perpetrator: the Roman emperor Caracalla. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)

Learn more about this amazing investigation at the companion Web site.

http://www.pbs.org/secrets

Caillou
Paleontologist Puzzle
Interactive/Online Activity
PreK

Caillou has a new immersive Web site designed with options for individual play or parent-child joint play. Kids can try the new online paleontologist puzzle that explores excavation and fossils.

http://www.pbskids.org/caillou

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SOCIAL STUDIES
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American Experience
Amelia Earhart
On-Air & Online
6-8 / 9-12
Monday, May 7, 2007
9 - 10:00 pm

Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic and the first to cross the North American continent alone. In 1937, she set out to accomplish yet another first: to circle the earth along the equator on an east-west flight. Tune in to find out what happened when her plane disappeared without a trace. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)

Frontline
When Kids Get Life
On-Air & Online
9-12
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
9 - 10:30 pm

The U.S. is one of the very few countries in the world that allows children under 18 to be prosecuted as adults and sentenced to life without parole. Producer Ofra Bikel visits five young men in Colorado sentenced to life without parole to examine their crimes and punishment, the laws that sanctioned their convictions and the prospect of never being free again. (CC, Stereo, DVI, 1 year)

View our online state-by-state map showing stats on juveniles sentenced to life without parole. Plus, log on to washingtonpost.com/liveonline to talk about the program on May 9 at 11 am ET.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/whenkidsgetlife/
(Available May 8, 2007)

Independent Lens
The Cats of Mirikitani
On-Air & Online
9-12
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
10:30 - 11:30 pm

Jimmy Mirikitani survived internment camps, Hiroshima and homelessness by creating art. When 9/11 threatens his life on the streets, a filmmaker brings him home and the two embark on a journey to confront Jimmy's painful past. (CC, Stereo, DVI, 1year)

Log on to the companion Web site to view Jimmy Mirikitani's art.

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/catsofmirikitani

Secret Files of the Inquisition
Root Out Heretics
On-Air & Online
9-12
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
9 - 10:00 pm

This miniseries unveils the true story of the Catholic Church's 500-year struggle to remain the world's only true Christian religion. The first episode tells the story of how heresy took hold in what is now France. The Pope sends the Inquisitors of Heretical Depravity to exterminate the heresy. From the secret files: the extraordinary revelations of village life under theInquisition. (CC, Stereo, DVI, HDTV, 1 year)

Learn more about the accused and the inquisitors at the companion Web site.

http://www.pbs.org/inquisition

Secret Files of the Inquisition
The Tears of Spain
On-Air & Online
9-12
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
10 - 11:00 pm

Spain, 1468, a land where Christians, Muslims and Jews have lived in tolerance for centuries. But that time is ending. A young king and queen bent on immortality proclaim themselves the Catholic monarchs and start an Inquisition. It is thebeginning of the Spanish empire and a long dark night that will last for centuries. (CC, Stereo, DVI, HDTV, 1 year)

Learn more about the cathars and the conversors at the companion Web site.

http://www.pbs.org/inquisition

NOW
On-Air & Online
9-12
Friday, May 11, 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)

Log on to the companion Web site to learn more about"whistle blowers" who have bravely risked their livelihoods to create a more open and honest democracy.

http://www.pbs.org/now

Bill Moyers Journal
On-Air & Online
9-12
Friday, May 11, 2007
9 - 10:00 pm

Veteran journalist Bill Moyers returns to PBS with a weekly public affairs series featuring 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)

Read our blog and tell us what you think about the issues covered in the program.

http://www.pbs.org/moyers

Online NewsHour EXTRA
Media Criticized for Airing Gunman's Video
Online
6-8 / 9-12

NBC's decision to broadcast images and video by the Virginia Tech gunman raised questions about how the media covers fast-breaking news.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/jan-june07/vatechmedia_4-25.html

Frontline/World
France: The Precarious Generation
Online
6-8 / 9-12

Election season in France this year has provided high drama. As the French head to the polls, they are not simply choosing their next president but choosing an identity. The country is facing deep schisms over economic and social policy and each candidate represents a very different future for the Gallic nation of 61 million people.

http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/rough/2007/04/france_the_prec.html

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PBS BLOGS
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Learning.now with Andy Carvin
DOPA Jr. Gets a Rewrite -- and a Little Sibling
Online
3-5 / 6-8 / 9-12

This week, Andy writes about the latest incarnation of the Deleting Online Predators Act (DOPA).

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/learning.now/2007/04/dopa_jr_gets_a_rewrite_and_a_l_1.html

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PBS PARENTS
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Is Your Child a Picky Eater?
Online
PreK / K-2 / 3-5 / 6-8

Is your child a picky eater? Well, here's some comforting news: It is normal for children between the ages of 2 and 5 years to resist eating new foods. But it is still frustrating if your child only wants to eat french fries for breakfast, lunch and dinner. So, what can you do? Check out our tips on how you can help make healthy foods all-time favorite choices in your home.

http://www.pbs.org/parents/talkingwithkids/news/index.html

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