Arkansas Educational Television Network

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StationBreak

June 2012

"Teaching Arkansas"
This summer, AETN and PBS are launching a summer learning initiative to help kids continue building key literacy skills throughout their summer vacations. Significant research has shown students experience substantial learning loss when they do not participate in educational activities during summer months. To help bridge the gap, AETN is presenting PBS KIDS programming, along with a host of other fun and education content presented across a variety of platforms, to encourage literacy and independent reading. The initiative will kick off with 10 weeks of themed programming featuring reading-related episodes from different PBS KIDS series, beginning with a new episode of “Wild Kratts,” on the week of June 1. The summer learning initiative will also include themed programming on-air, online and on mobile, as well as partnership activities to support increased literacy. With content that is both educational and engaging, AETN's offerings are designed to help kids and parents build skills while having fun during their break. For more information visit http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/read/.

Arkansas Studies

2012 Quiz Bowl champions announced
The 2012 Arkansas Quiz Bowl champions have been decided in the state conference finals, held at the Arkansas Educational Television Network in Conway April 28.

The final standings were:

  • District 1A: Haas Hall Academy (Fayetteville) defeated eStem Public Charter (Little Rock).
  • District 2A: Cedar Ridge (Newark) defeated Gurdon.
  • District 3A: Centerpoint (Amity) defeated Episcopal Collegiate (Little Rock).
  • District 4A: Nashville defeated Subiaco Academy.
  • District 5A: Watson Chapel (Pine Bluff) defeated Huntsville.
  • District 6A: Benton defeated Parkview Arts Science Magnet (Little Rock).
  • District 7A: Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts (Hot Springs) defeated Conway.

The Arkansas Governor's Quiz Bowl Association awarded each first place team $3,200 in scholarship funds and each second place team $1,600. Each MVP also received a scholarship.

"Quiz Bowl" is a celebration and recognition of scholarship that has been an AETN tradition since 1985. In a series of questions, players must display their knowledge in literature, math, science, history, art, music and economics. Teams from across the state compete for the chance to represent the Natural State in national tournaments.

Park Visitors Can Explore Outstanding Free Museum Collections and State-of-the-Art Exhibits in Park Visitor Centers
In addition to experiencing unique natural and historic sites preserved in Arkansas's state parks, visitors can also explore outstanding museum collections and see state-of-the-art exhibits in park visitor centers. According to State Parks Director Greg Butts, "At many Arkansas State Parks museums and several exhibit galleries in park visitor centers, we previously charged a small admission fee.

Beginning this year, admission fees will no longer be charged for access to state park museums and exhibit galleries." He noted that museum admission fees were dropped at Arkansas Post Museum, Hampson Museum, the 1872 Courthouse at Jacksonport State Park, Lower White River Museum, and the 1886 Frisco Depot and Frisco caboose at Mammoth Spring State Park. And there will no longer be a fee to see the exhibits at Parkin Archeological State Park, Plantation Agriculture Museum, Powhatan Historic State Park, the Battlefield Museum at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park, and Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park.

http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/news/for-media/display.aspx?id=1990

New Vistas Revealed after Hurricane
The post-hurricane clean-up has provided broad new vistas of Lake Ouachita. Join Chuch Dovish on the moderate to strenuous 4-mile loop trail. Chuck will also take you on the West-Northwest Scenic Byway.
http://watch.aetn.org/video/2219340065

Arkansas History Resource Hub Available Online
The Arkansas History Hub is described as an interactive tool that assembles resources from history institutions across the state into a centralized, easy-to-use website.

It allows teachers to exchange ideas, enhance their lesson plans and download classroom materials about Arkansas history.

A short video at http://player.vimeo.com/video/27878665?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&autoplay=1 will introduce you to the Hub.

http://www.arhistoryhub.com/

Art And Music

Arts Education in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools: 1999-2000 and 2009-10
On April 2, 2012, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released a comprehensive statistical report on the conditions of K-12 arts teaching and learning, Arts Education in Elementary and Secondary Schools: 1999-2000 and 2009-10. The release event took place at the Myrtilla Miner Elementary School in Washington, DC

Joining NCES Commissioner Jack Buckley at the event were Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement Jim Shelton. Following an overview of the report's findings by Commissioner Buckley and remarks by Secretary Duncan.

Assistant Deputy Secretary Shelton moderated a panel of experts from K-12 and postsecondary education to discuss key aspects of the survey's findings. Also featured during the one-hour event was the Miner Elementary Glee Club, under the direction of Miner Elementary music specialist Martin Ford. Complete information on the survey report, Secretary Duncan's remarks, and the NCES press release can be found at: www.ed.gov

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTTeVGA_RRA&feature=youtube_gdata

Art through Time: A Global View
13-part educational series for high school and college students explores some of the most commonly recurring themes that come up again and again across the history (and contemporary practice) of art. "Art through Time" tries to isolate some of the universal concepts addressed through human creativity and brings them up to the current day, going into working artists' studios to see how those ideas are being worked out in our current age.
http://www.learner.org/courses/globalart/

The Role of Fantasy in Art
Jeff Koons shares his thoughts and techniques to art. You will share in the process, take a behind-the-scenes look at the creation process, and visit exhibits.
http://video.pbs.org/video/1281753428/

Counseling

National Resources Help Anti-Bullying Efforts
The government has embarked on an expanded anti-bullying campaign. At this site, you will find videos, practical advice, ideas that work and other resources educators can use to combat this threat to our children.
http://www.stopbullying.gov/

Early Childhood

Help For Parents To Help Their Children

Parents can select programs from the list below to help their children learn basic concepts. If a seven year-old child is having trouble with reading and writing, the list will show "Arthur", "Between the Lions", "Electric Company", "Martha Speaks", "Super WHY", "Word Girl" and "Word World" as appropriate resources. By going to the program Web sites, parent and child can play the games, do the activities, color the activity pages and explore the world of reading together.

Programs By Focus Areas

PROGRAM AGE FOCUS
Arthur 6-9 years Reading, writing, social skills
Between The Lions 4-7 years Reading
Caillou 3-6 years Social skills
The Cat in the Hat 4-6 years Social skills
Clifford the Big Red Dog 4-7 years Social skills
Curious George 3-5 years Science, engineering, math
Cyberchase 8-12 years Math
Dragon Tales 2-7 years Social skills
Electric Company 6-9 years Reading
Fetch with Ruff Ruffman 6-10 years Social skills, problem solving
Martha Speaks 4-7 years Reading
Maya & Miguel 6-11 years Spanish language, social skills
Mr. Rogers 3-5 years Social skills, self-esteem
Sesame Street 2-4 years Reading, math, social skills
Sid the Science Kid 3-6 years Science
Super WHY! 6-8 years Reading
Word Girl 6-8 years Reading
Word World 6-8 years Reading

Child Development Tracker

A child's development is unique and complex. Although children develop through a generally predictable sequence of steps and milestones, they may not proceed through these steps in the same way or at the same time. A child's development is greatly influenced by factors in his or her environment and the experiences he or she has.

The information provided by this tool is considered by experts as a representation of "widely-held expectations" for what an average child might achieve within a given year. Please consider this in the context of your child's unique development.

http://www.pbs.org/parents/childdevelopmenttracker/

Source: PBS Parents

Grants, Awards And Scholarships

Best Buy Community Grants Program
Maximum Award: $10,000
Eligibility: non-profit organizations located within 50 miles of a Best Buy store or other facility that serve a diverse population in local or regional communities, build academic, leadership and life skills in early adolescents (primarily ages 13-17), and serve at-risk populations
Deadline: August 1, 2012
Through the Community Grants Program, Best Buy teams across the United States select non-profit organizations that give teens access to opportunities through technology.
Source: Pen Weekly Newsblast http://www.publiceducation.org/newsblast_grants.asp
http://www.bestbuy-communityrelations.com/community_grants.htm

Allstate: Grants for National and Local Programs
Maximum Award: varies
Eligibility: 501(c)3 organizations
Deadline: rolling
The Allstate Foundation supports national and local programs for new partnerships that fit within its current focus areas of Teen Safe Driving and Economic Empowerment for Domestic Violence Survivors.
Source: Pen Weekly Newsblast http://www.publiceducation.org/newsblast_grants.asp
http://www.allstatefoundation.org/funding-guidelines

Partnership for Transition to Teaching Grant
The College of Education at UCA seeks individuals with math and science backgrounds interested in becoming licensed math and science teachers. Special funding by the U.S. Department of Education is offering up to $5,000 to help highly qualified mid-career professionals or recent graduates make the transition into the classroom with a Master of Arts in Teaching from the College of Education. Funding will cover the actual costs of the total program.
This program is designed for individuals without teaching credentials but wish to become a teacher in an expeditious way. In just five semesters, students can earn a Master of Arts in Teaching and secure a position in one of UCA's partnership school districts, Little Rock School District or North Little Rock School District.
For more information, please contact Dr. Carolyn Williams, at transition@uca.edu or by phone, 501.450.3627.
http://uca.edu/transition

Grant Resources

Health, Safety And Fitness

New App Promotes Nutrition through the Arthur Characters
PBS and WGBH announced the first app from the PBS KIDS GO! series ARTHUR -- D.W.'s Unicorn Adventure for iPhone and iPod touch, available now on the App Store. Funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and produced by WGBH, D.W.'s Unicorn Adventure encourages nutritious snacking for kids ages 4-6, and ARTHUR fans of all ages. In the app, players have the opportunity to help Arthur's little sister D.W. save a lost unicorn using the power of healthy foods.

Reconstructing Black Death Microbe
What have scientists discovered in the restoration of DNA from Middle Age corpses of the Black Death? Scientists seem comfortable that current tetracyclines could successfully bathe this plague.
http://video.pbs.org/video/2153265761

History And Social Studies

Ancient Refuge in the Holy Land
The Cave of Letters, dating back to the first and second rebellions against the Romans, discloses the everyday documents that sheds new light on this time in the Holy Land. The vast desert of southern Israel has been the backdrop for heroes, prophets and fugitives. Jewish zealots fought the Roman forces more than once. Can this cave disclose mysteries of more than one rebellion?
http://video.pbs.org/video/1865799978

Abraham Lincoln's Legend and Legacy
Assassinated on Good Friday, Abraham Lincoln was transformed from man to martyr and myth. In this special performance edition of Bill Moyers Journal acclaimed actor Sam Waterston and historian Harold Holzer explore Lincoln's legacy and legend in the poetry and prose by great American writers across the decades who have wrestled to define the true Lincoln through the lens of their own times.
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/04102009/watch.html

Finding Your Roots Series
Each episode in this 10-part series hosted by Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. features a different grouping of celebrity guests, who are bound together by an intimate, sometimes hidden link, whether it is through friendship, long-lost relatives, or even through a common ancestral past. You can watch episodes online on the "Video" section of the Finding Your Roots website.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/finding-your-roots/

Finding Your Roots Lesson Plans
The series combines history and science in a fascinating exploration of race, family, and identity in today's America. Each hour features a different grouping of celebrity guests, who are bound together by an intimate, sometimes hidden link, whether it is as old friends, through long-lost relatives, or even through a common ancestral past.
Lesson plans available at this site include: Tradition and Identity; The Quest for Religious Freedom; Slavery in the North; Sources of History; Crescent City Gumbo - Race and Jazz in New Orleans; Faith in Change - John Lewis.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/finding-your-roots/for-educators/

Search for the Lost Maya
Scholars have long believed the civilization began with refugees fleeing warfare in 500 B.C.at the dissolution of the Southern Maya Empire. This program traces the origins and ends of the Maya domain. Underground discoveries provide new insights into this history. Paintings in this cave date back to 100 B.C., long before the accepted date for Maya development. Did the northern civilization actually predate the Southern Kingdom? These sites disclose what may be the first middle class. Did drought, political unrest or a complex combination of factors cause the destruction of this advanced civilization?
http://video.pbs.org/video/2216399796

Surviving the Dust Bowl
People were completely unprepared for the draughts and dirt storms that attacked the land and the people of the plains. What responsibility did people's desire for profit play in this shift into a wasteland? Static electricity provided another destructive force. After ten years of lack, the rains finally came to the Dust Bowl bringing their own challenge - would man learn the limits of the land and how to live in harmony with it?
http://video.pbs.org/video/1311363860

Library, Literature And Reading

Arkansas winners in PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest
AETN congratulates the more than 500 students across Arkansas who participated in this year's PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest. Stories such as "The Horse That has Talent" and "The Dingo and the Sparrow" were two of 12 stories named first, second or third place in the K-3 contest. All 12 winning stories can be viewed online at aetn.org/kids/writerscontest.

All first place Arkansas winners have been entered into the national PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest where they will compete against area winners from across the country. National winners will be announced in July.

AETN's first place winners include:

  • Kindergarten - Frida Campos of Danville.
  • First grade - Shreenidhi Dhileep of Bentonville.
  • Second grade - Araceli Balbuena of Rogers.
  • Third grade - Nicholas Stone of Harrison.

AETN's second place winners include:

  • Kindergarten - Addey Wright of Danville.
  • First grade - Byron Sawrie of Mount Vernon.
  • Second grade - Francisco Garcia of Rogers.
  • Third grade - Heather Rollins of Bryant.

AETN's third place winners include:

  • Kindergarten - Chloe Caffey of Mayflower.
  • First grade - Clark McElrath of Havana.
  • Second grade - Cynthia Wilson of Rogers.
  • Third grade - Tiffany Phayboun of Danville.

Building on the success of the 15-year Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest, the PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest was launched last year in an effort to continue to encourage young children in kindergarten through third grades across the country to illustrate and write their own stories.

The local-national contest is designed to promote the advancement of children's reading skills through hands-on, active learning. AETN was one of 63 public television stations across the country that participated in this year's contest.

AETN is pleased to congratulate the Arkansas winners and share PBS KIDS' commitment to opening up worlds of words for all young children across the state and the nation.

Math And Science

Fun Facts about Dinosaurs

A Did you know Apatosaurus weighed as much as 4 elephants?
B Did you know that scientists believe that the crest on the Brachiosaurus' snout was used to show off to other dinos?
C Did you know that Corythosaurus means "helmet lizard"? It was named after the shape of its crest?
D Deinonychus had large toe-claws on each hind foot -- its name comes from the Greek words "terrible" and "claw."
E Did you know that Einiosaruus lived in large groups or herds to protect them from predators, much like many modern-day animals?
F Did you know that Fabrosaurus was a small animal, only about 3 feet long, that moved around on its hind legs?
G Gallimimus belongs to a group of theropods called ornithomimids, which look a lot like ostriches living today.
H Did you know that Hadrosaurus was the first dinosaur to have its skeleton mounted in a museum?
I Did you know that Iguanodon was one of the first dinosaurs discovered?
J Did you know that Jaxartosaurus had a big crest that was probably used for showing off, making noise, or recognizing others?
K Did you know Kentrosaurus had a tiny brain, one of the smallest known for a dinosaur?
L Scientists think that Lambeosaurus used its crest for long distance communication to tell how far away others were.
M Did you know that Megalosaurus grew to about 30 feet long? Its name means "Great Lizard."
N Did you know that Nodosaurus was covered in bony armor from the tip of its nose to the tip of its tail?
O Ornithomimus, with its small head, long neck, and long, powerful legs, looked like an ostrich with a long tail.
P Parasaurolophus had a narrow beak, and was a selective grazer, able to pick and choose the plant parts it wanted to eat.
Q Qantassaurus lived close to the South Pole. It's large eyes may have helped it see better during months of darkness each winter
R Did you know that Rhabdodon was similar in size to a modern-day deer?
S Did you know that Stegosaurus might have had one of the smallest brains of all the dinosaurs that have been discovered?
T Did you know that T. rex replaced its teeth constantly? Each tooth might have been replaced every few years.
U With its long, running legs, and a huge claw on each foot, Utahraptor would have been an excellent predator.
V Did you know that Velociraptor's name comes from the Latin words for "quick" and "robber"?
W Wannanosaurus grew to be just over 3 feet long, which makes it one of the smallest dinosaur herbivores known.
X Did you know Xenotarsosaurus means "strange-ankle lizard," because its ankle bones are different from most theropods?
Y Did you know that some Yangchuanosaurus grew to be over 30 feet long?
Z Even though it grew up to 50 feet in length, Zigongosaurus was only medium sized for a sauropod!

Why Ships Sink
The sinking of the Costa Concordia happened almost 100 years after the sinking of the Titanic. Changes to ship design, metal strength, and ship technology have made significant changes in ships. What changes still need to be made to save lives and ships?
http://video.pbs.org/video/2223857670

Professional Development

Common Core Geometry Workshop, June 18-21; 25-28, Includes Paid Stipend
Level: Geometry Teachers
Professional Development Hours: 48
Cost: $100.00
Stipend Provided

The new Common Core State Standards in Mathematics requires teachers to rethink how and what they are teaching in geometry. This professional development which is partially funded by NCLB funds addresses these changes, both in content and pedagogy. Participants will attend intensive, high energy sessions for eight days in order to extend their knowledge in geometrical concepts and adapting teaching styles to fit the new standards. All lessons covered in the sessions will also connect geometry to real-world situations.

Each participant will be paid a stipend of $250 a day and will be required to attend two follow-up sessions during the school year.

Sessions will be taught by Ms. Carrie Barber, mathematics specialist at the SAMSSC, Dr. Debra Coventry, mathematics instructor at Henderson State University and Ms. Debbie Propps, mathematics specialist with the Southwest Educational Service Center. In addition to the stipend, participants will receive instructional manipulatives and other materials to further ensure student understanding in geometry. Lunch will be provided each day.

http://www.hsu.edu/uploadedFiles/Partnership_Programs/Math_and_Science_Center/Geometry%20Transformed%20-%20flyer.pdf

Hot Springs Technology Institute (HSTI) June 18-21, 2012
This is the technology for education conference designed by educators for educators. With its long history of state-of-the-art technology professional development, is an opportunity to participate in a variety of sessions, share with your peers and ask the questions that are important to you. Be sure to attend.
http://hsti.hssd.net/about2012.html

Online ArkansasIDEAS Course Catalog
The IDEAS staff adds courses weekly. An updated version of this catalog can be found at this site.
http://ideas.aetn.org/catalog

General Resources
Media Resources




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