Idaho Public Television
Educational Programming Highlights
SEPTEMBER 2009

Here are some highlights from Idaho Public Television's programming this month. Our Classroom Calendar can be found at http://www.idahoptv.org/learn/toolbox.cfm. It lists additional programs suitable for use in the classroom, professional development courses, telecourses and more. (Time zones are MT/PT where two times are shown)

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PREMIERING THIS MONTH
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KEN BURNS’ NATIONAL PARKS. Airs six consecutive days Sept. 27 to Oct. 2 at 8:00 pm. This is the story of a uniquely American idea: that the most special places in the nation should be preserved, not for royalty or the rich, but for everyone. The websites http://idahoptv.org/nationalparks/ and http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/ offer lots of information for educators. Repeats next day at 1:00/12:00 am; the Oct. 2 episode repeats Oct. 5. (2 or 2.5 hrs)

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FOR ELEMENTARY
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Math & Science:

SCIENCE IS FUN. Airs Mondays, Sept. 14 & 21 at 2:00/1:00 am. Chemistry Professor Bassam Shakhashiri uses metals to produce an assortment of colorful changes and shows reactions of gases that produce flames and flashes of light. http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/ (30 min)

D4K: GEOLOGY. Airs Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 2:00/1:00 pm. Learn about geologic forces and how they contoured the earth's landscape. Host Joan Cartan-Hansen will be joined by two geologists: Scott Hughes from Idaho State University and Matt Kohn from Boise State University. The D4K web site offers facts, links, reading lists, a glossary, podcasts of programs, special D4K web exclusive programming and more. http://www.idahoptv.org/dialogue4kids/ (30 min)

DESIGN SQUAD. Airs Tuesdays at 3:30/2:30 am. See program information under Middle/High School section.

History:

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE. Television's longest-running history series returns in October with a special series focusing on the political and cultural life of America in the 1930s. Its website includes a section with a format designed especially for kids called WayBack: U.S. History for Kids. The web pages accompany many of the American Experience programs airing each month, and include resources for parents and teachers. Check it out at http://pbskids.org/wayback and http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex

Music, Art & Literature:

BETWEEN THE LIONS. Airs weekdays at 2:00/1:00 pm. The show's 9th season premieres Sept. 21. Each episode takes an interactive approach to reading by encouraging children age three to seven to think about the phonic elements, vocabulary, and grammar that make up a story. Find out more about the series at www.pbskids.org/lions. (30 min)

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FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL -
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Math & Science:

DESIGN SQUAD. Airs Tuesdays at 3:30/2:30 am. Eight teenagers compete to design and build fully operational machines. They learn that engineering involves creativity, problem solving, teamwork, and fun. September episodes: The Need for Speed (9/1), Rock On (9/8), Skunk’d (9/15), DS Unplugged (9/22), Got Game? (9/29). Students in 5th to 8th grades can interact with the series through the website, blogs, and handheld devices. Find out more at http://pbskids.org/designsquad/ (30 min).

EYES OF NYE. Airs Tuesdays at 3:00/2:00 am. Bill Nye's mission is to encourage scientific literacy and to help viewers understand the science issues that impact their everyday lives. September topics: astrobiology (9/1), pseudoscience (9/8), addiction (9/15), cloning (9/22). http://www.eyesofnye.org/ (30 min)

NATURE. Airs Sundays at 8:00 pm. Nature is the benchmark for natural history programs on American television. September topics: pollination (8/30), Death Valley (9/6), grizzly bears (9/13), Hawaiian volcanoes (9/20). The award-winning web site offers educators more than 40 free downloadable video segments ranging in length from 30 seconds to 5 minutes in addition to accompanying teachers' guides. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/. Repeats Tuesdays and Sundays at 1:00/12:00 am. (60 min)

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS. Airs Tuesdays at 2:00/1:00 am. Host Alan Alda takes us from the depths of the conscious mind to the outer reaches of the universe. Each program is accompanied by an online teaching guide filled with science activities. September topics: restoring ecosystems (9/1), using technology to help the paralyzed (9/8), chimpanzees (9/15), unconventional planes (9/22). http://www.pbs.org/saf/index.html (60 min)

NOVA. Airs Tuesdays at 7:00/8:00 pm. NOVA is the highest rated science series on television, and the most watched documentary series on public television. Visit http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ to find numerous classroom tools, links to watch many episodes online, and many more resources. (60 min)

Social Studies, History and Economics:

YOUR LIFE, YOUR MONEY. Airs Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 9:00 pm. This program presents a broad range of fundamental financial information for young adults. It encourages young people to be smart and proactive when it comes to their money. Find resources, activities and lesson plans at http://www.pbs.org/your-life-your-money/ (60 min)

WHISPERS OF ANGELS: A STORY OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. Airs Thursday, Sept. 17 at 1:00/12:00 am. This documentary tells the story of the Eastern Line of the system to rescue slaves from the South. Teaching tools are available at http://www.whispersofangels.com/ (60 min)

Music, Art & Literature:

IN SEARCH OF MYTHS AND HEROES. Airs Thursdays, Sept 3 to 24 at 2:00/1:00 am. Host Michael Wood explores four powerful myths: the Queen of Sheba, Jason and the Golden Fleece, King Arthur, and Shangri-La. Teacher resources at http://www.pbs.org/mythsandheroes illustrates the presence of mythological themes across cultures and reveal how these four myths are pervasive in modern literature and film. (60 min)

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FOR PARENTS AND EDUCATORS –
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WIDE ANGLE: TIME FOR SCHOOL. Airs Wednesdays, Sept. 2 & 9 at 10:00 pm. This award-winning 12-year documentary project visits seven classrooms in seven countries to offer a glimpse into the lives of seven extraordinary children who are struggling to get what nearly all American kids take for granted: a basic education. This most recent installment checks in on the young teenagers who are making the precarious transition to middle school. Teacher resources are available at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/ (60 min)

P.O.V.: THE PRINCIPAL STORY. Airs Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 10:30 pm. Over the course of a school year, two public school principals with unique styles and similar passions make a difference in the lives of their students. Find out more about the free webinar on Sept. 1 where speakers will discuss the making of the film, the critical work involved in transforming schools and the wide array of high-quality educational resources available from POV at http://www.pbs.org/pov/principalstory/ (60 min)

FAMILIES STAND TOGETHER: FEELING SECURE IN TOUGH TIMES. Airs Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 8:00 pm. Features brief documentaries of real-life families and the story of a Muppet family coping with the ups and downs of these uncertain economic times. Resources and materials will be available online at http://www.sesameworkshop.org/toughtimes beginning Sept. 9 so that families can view the videos and download the information. (60 min)

EDUCATION NEWS PARENTS CAN USE. BACK TO SCHOOL: A NATIONAL TOWN HALL MEETING WITH ARNE DUNCAN. Airs Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 3:00/2:00 am. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan gathers input from parents across the nation on the administration's education agenda. http://www.ed.gov/news/av/video/edtv/index.html (30 min)

THE WRITING CODE. Airs Wednesday, Sept. 2 at 1:00/12:00 am. This documentary explores the history of writing systems, the evolution of writing technologies, and the importance of writing in a literate society. http://www.thewritingcode.com (3 hrs)

TEACHERS & THEIR COACHES. Airs Mondays, Sept. 7 to 21 at 1:00/12:00 am. This 4-part series is designed to provide practical information and inspiration for teachers. (60 min)

A TRIBUTE TO THE TEACHERS OF AMERICA. Airs Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 1:00/12:00 am. Celebrities recall their favorite teachers and lead an all-star tribute to the teachers of America. (60 min)

PLAYING FOR KEEPS. Airs Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 2:00/1:00 am. Follow the challenges facing several African-American football players from inner-city, high-crime neighborhoods and their coach as they struggle to overcome obstacles on the field and in the classroom. (60 min)

SEPTEMBER'S CHILDREN. Airs Monday, Sept. 7 at 2:00/1:00 am. The program focuses on the effect of war and terrorism on children from New York City to Afghanistan, Israel and Gaza. Teachers, parents and others use innovative techniques to treat the emotional havoc caused by violence. (60 min)

PLACING OUT: THE ORPHAN TRAINS. Airs Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 3:00/2:00 am. This tells the story of the estimated 200,000 orphaned, abandoned and runaway children, primarily from industrialized cities in the East, who boarded trains bound for Midwestern farming communities in search of a better life between 1854 and 1929. (60 min)

GEARING UP. Airs Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 2:00/1:00 am. Every year, 35,000 high-school students from around the United States participate in an engineering contest sponsored by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). GEARING UP documents the four-month-long national competition. (60 min)

GUIDE FOR EDUCATORS. Media literacy experts have created a guide that simplifies the legalities of using copyrighted materials in an academic setting. The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education can be found online at http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/fair_use_and_teaching/.
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VIDEO WORKSHOPS BEGINNING THIS MONTH:
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PRIVATE UNIVERSE PROJECT IN MATHEMATICS. Airs Fridays, Sept. 11 to Oct. 23 at 2:00/1:00 am. A 6 part video workshop on teaching mathematics for K-12 educators utilizing research that shows children formulate extraordinarily interesting and complex mathematical ideas, even at a very young age. http://www.learner.org/resources/series120.html (6 x 60 min) (Please note: does not air Oct. 16)

UNSEEN LIFE ON EARTH: AN INTRODUCTION TO MICROBIOLOGY. Airs Mondays, Sept.14 to Oct. 19 at 3:00/2:00 am. This video instructional series for college and high school classrooms and adult learners helps students understand microbial functions and how microorganisms affect everything from medicine to environmental issues to global politics. http://www.learner.org/resources/series121.html (6 x 60 min)

Thanks for reading!
IDPTV Learning Services