PBS Teachers Newsletter: September 30 - October 6, 2007

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PBS Teachers Newsletter: September 30 - October 6, 2007

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

Please note that most local PBS stations will be participating in the Summer 2007 membership drive this week, altering regular TV schedules. Thanks for your continued support of PBS!

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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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PBS Parents Guide to Creativity
Uneven Bars
Interactive/Online Activity
PreK / K-2

Create a virtual gymnastics routine on the uneven bars, and discuss the difficulty of the individual skills and the overall presentation of the routine. Examine how a gymnast uses body, mind and skills in the pursuit of an uneven bar routine.

http://www.pbs.org/parents/creativity/challenge/unevenbars.html


Maya and Miguel
Musical Guessing Game
Offline Activity/Project
K-2 / 3-5

Make some simple musical instruments, name them, play with them and then be able to tell them apart by their sounds.

http://pbskids.org/mayaandmiguel/english/parentsteachers/activities/game.html

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HEALTH AND FITNESS

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Arthur
Healthy Snacks
Offline Activity/Project
PreK / K-2

Define the differences between healthy food and junk food, and sort pictures of food into these two categories. Describe healthy eating habits.

http://pbskids.org/arthur/parentsteachers/activities/acts/healthy_snacks.html


Sesame Street
Color Me Hungry
Interactive/Online Activity
PreK

Match colors while learning about good nutrition in this interactive game. Sort fruits and vegetables by color and Grover will tell you more about them.

http://pbskids.org/sesame/letter/colormehungry.html

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MATH

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NOVA
Think Like Einstein
Interactive/Online Activity
6-8 / 9-12

Examine Einstein's Theory of Relativity and the relative nature of speed, distance, and time, and think like Einstein in solving some related problems.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/time/think.html


Scientific American Frontiers
Changing Your Mind: Increasing Brainpower
Lesson Plan
3-5 / 6-8

Investigate the brain and its connections - the number of possible routes along which a brain message might travel - by solving and creating geometric progressions. Conduct an experiment to learn about stimulus and response.

http://www.pbs.org/saf/1101/teaching/teaching2.htm

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READING AND LANGUAGE ARTS

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History Detectives
Hands-On Investigation
Lesson Plan
3-5

Follow problem-solving steps (analyze, investigate, understand and test) to complete a dot-to-dot puzzle. Create a mystery using the vocabulary of the genre.

http://pbskids.org/historydetectives/parentsteachers/lesson_1.html


American Experience
Patriot's Day - History
Offline Activity/Project
6-8 / 9-12

Select any event from world history and present a reenactment to the class. Imagine how history would have changed if Paul Revere and William Dawes hadn't made their rides to warn of the British military's approach.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/patriotsday/tguide/index.html

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SCIENCE AND TECH

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ZOOM
Kitchen Chemistry
Interactive/Online Activity
3-5 / 6-8

Conduct a series of virtual experiments using basic, acidic and neutral household liquids. Draw a conclusion from the results collected in an online lab journal.

http://pbskids.org/zoom/games/kitchenchemistry/


Wired Science
On-Air & Online
9-12
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
8 - 9:00 pm

See the premiere episode of the one-hour program that translates Wired magazine's award-winning journalism into a fast-paced television show. "Wired Science" brings Wired magazine's cutting-edge vision, stylish design and irreverent attitude to the screen with breakout ideas, recent discoveries and the latest innovations. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)

http://www.pbs.org/kcet/wiredscience/

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SOCIAL STUDIES

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The War
FUBAR
On-Air & Online
9-12
Sunday, September 30, 2007
8 - 10:30 pm

On the Western Front, American and British troops massed on the German border are desperately short of fuel. Over the next three months, American soldiers are ordered into some of Germany's most fiercely defended terrain. In movie theaters back home, Americans cheer the newsreels of General MacArthur's"return." But months of bloody fighting lie ahead before the Philippine Islands are liberated. (CC, Stereo, HD, 1 year)

Log on to the companion Web site to hear an interview with Ken Burns and download the viewer's guide. http://www.pbs.org/thewar/


The War
The Ghost Front
On-Air & Online
9-12
Monday, October 1, 2007
8 - 10:03 pm

By December 1944, Americans have become weary of the war. In the Pacific, American progress has been slow and costly, with each island more fiercely defended than the last. In Europe, no one is prepared for the massive counter attack Hitler launches on December 16 in the Ardennes Forest in Belgium and Luxemburg. At Yalta, Allied leaders agree on a plan that includes massive bombing raids aimed at German oil facilities, defense factories, roads, railways and cities. In March alone, Allied warplanes drop almost as many bombs as they have dropped in the preceding three years combined. (CC, Stereo, HD, 1 year)

Log on to the companion Web site to hear an interview with Ken Burns and download the viewer's guide. http://www.pbs.org/thewar/


The War
A World Without War
On-Air & Online
9-12
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
8 - 10:30 pm

In mid-April, Americans are shocked by President Roosevelt's death; many do not even know the name of their new president, Harry Truman. Meanwhile, as Allied forces rapidly push across Germany from the east and west, American and British troops discover for themselves the true horrors of the Nazi's industrialized barbarism. Finally, on May 8, with their country in ruins and their fuehrer dead by his own hand, the Nazis surrender. As the Americans prepare to move on to Japan itself, more terrible losses seem inevitable. Allied leaders at Potsdam set forth the terms under which they will agree to end the war, but for most of Japan's rulers, unconditional surrender remains unthinkable. (CC, Stereo, HD, 1 year)

Log on to the companion Web site to hear an interview with Ken Burns and download the viewer's guide. http://www.pbs.org/thewar/


The War
A Necessary War
On-Air & Online
9-12
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
9 - 11:30 pm

A repeat of the first episode of the seven-part documentary series directed and produced by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick explores the history and horror of the Second World War from an American perspective by following the fortunes of so-called ordinary men and women who become caught up in one of the greatest cataclysms in human history. (CC, Stereo HD, 1 year)

Log on to the companion Web site to hear an interview with Ken Burns and download the viewer's guide. http://www.pbs.org/thewar/


The Good War and Those Who Refused to Fight It
On-Air & Online
9-12
Thursday, October 4, 2007
10:00 - 11:00 pm

This program sheds light on an often ignored part of the World War II saga -- the story of American conscientious objectors who refused to fight "the good war." It is a story of personal courage, idealism and nonconformity based on both ethical and religious beliefs -- about men whose love of country could not extend to killing. Ed Asner narrates the film by Judith Ehrlich and Rick Tejada-Flores. (CC, Stereo, 1 Year)

http://www.pbs.org/itvs/thegoodwar/


Washington Week with Gwen Ifill and National Journal
On-Air & Online
9-12
Friday, October 5, 2007
8 - 8:30 pm

"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-Air & Online
9-12
Friday, October 5, 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, 10-day fair use)

http://www.pbs.org/now


Bill Moyers Journal
On-Air & Online
9-12
Friday, October 5, 2007
9:00 - 10:00 pm

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)

Former head of the Office of Legal Counsel at the Department of Justice, Jack Goldsmith, describes how the administration pushed the limits of the law to be as aggressive as possible in fighting terrorism.

http://www.pbs.org/moyers


Expose: America's Investigative Reports
On-Air & Online
9-12
Friday, October 5, 2007
10:00 - 10:30 pm

Each of the documentary-style episodes in this series chronicles powerful, groundbreaking recent journalistic investigations and features the committed reporters and editors who have produced them. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)

http://www.pbs.org/expose


Online NewsHour EXTRA
Pakistan: A Nation Divided
Online
6-8 / 9-12

As President Musharraf fights to maintain power, the United States questions Pakistan's ability to combat the Taliban and al-Qaida.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/asia/pakistan/2007/index.html


IPTV
Iowa Pathways
Station
6-8 / 9-12

Discover the people, places, events, and ideas of Iowa history. Create your own story of Iowa as you go to unexpected places and explore the past and present. Travel down side trails and uncover artifacts as you explore your Iowa pathway.

http://www.iptv.org/iowapathways/default.cfm

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PBS BLOGS

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Media Infusion
It's 2007...Do You Know Where Your Super Duper Computer Is?
Online
K-2 / 3-5 / 6-8 / 9-12

Elizabeth Ross Hubbell introduces several new animated television series and Web sites from PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! designed specifically to teach literacy skills and boost reading comprehension.

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


Learning.now with Andy Carvin
Buy One Laptop, Give One Free
Online
3-5 / 6-8 / 9-12

If M.I.T.'s One Laptop Per Child Initiative sounds too good to be true, there's probably a reason.

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/learning.now/2007/09/buy_one_laptop_give_one_free.html

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PBS PARENTS

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Eating for Health--and for Fun!
Online
PreK / K-3

There are many ways that parents can establish healthy eating habits in their young children. The earlier you start the better! Young kids are great copycats. If they see you eating healthy foods they'll want to copy you.

http://www.pbs.org/parents/pfk/index.html

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GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

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Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
Online

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards honor young people in grades 5 through 12 who have demonstrated exemplary voluntary service to their communities. Maximum Award: $5,000.

http://www.prudential.com/spirit

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