ARKANSAS STUDIES

MARCH 2011 ARKANSAS ARCHAEOLOGY MONTH THEME: ARCHAEOLOGY OF CONFLICT
http://www.uark.edu/campus-resources/archinfo/archmonth.html

Be sure to check this site for an events schedule, theme and activity ideas, background information, archives and past posters.

THE EDGE OF CONFLICT: ARKANSAS IN THE CIVIL WAR
http://www.aetn.org/programs/edge_of_conflict

The Edge of Conflict is a 90- minute documentary that tells the story of Arkansas in the Civil War from 1860-1865. Using photographs and present-day images from significant sites around the state, combined with the words of historians and people who lived and fought here during the war, the program attempts to help Arkansans recover a neglected history and to remember that even today, the war is still around us.  The program begins with a brief history of the settlement of Arkansas which may prove useful for classroom presentations.

The program provides a retelling of the Battle of Pea Ridge (Elkhorn Tavern), March 7-8, 1862, one of the most ill-conceived and bloodiest battles in Arkansas’s Civil War history.

EXPLORING ARKANSAS VIDEO SEGMENTS

If you are looking for something specific about Arkansas to share with your class, you may want to check these videostreamed programs.

DATE	SEGMENT	TOPICS
May 2010 http://watch.aetn.org/video/1485885103
Old Spanish Treasure Cave	1	Northwest Arkansas, Old Spanish Treasure Cave, Gravette,  Spanish conquistadors, Native American, archaeology, hidden gold, treasure, George Dunbar, mining, bats, fossils
Petit Jean State Park Seven Hollows Trail	2	Petit Jean State Park, Seven Hollows Trail, first state park, 1923, the Grotto, waterfall, natural stone arch, streams, pictographs, Eastern Collared Lizard (mountain boomers), rattlesnakes, fire aftermath
Parkin Archaeological State Park	3	Northeast Arkansas, Parkin Archaeological State Park, Native American, head pots, archaeology, Mississippian era, Mississippian Indian, June 1541 Hernando De Soto visit, Casqui, mounds, platform mounds, research lab, corn, agriculture, drought, climate, collapse
Bald Knob National Wildlife Refuge	4	Bald Knob National Wildlife Refuge, Little Red River, John Hancock Insurance Company, water management, migratory fowl, water fowl, bottomland hardwood, rice, duck food, geese (Blue, Snow, Canada, White Fronted), Northern Pin Tail Duck management
April 2010 http://watch.aetn.org/video/1457605735
Pedestal Rock Scenic Area	1	Pedestal Rock scenic area, bluffs, ice caverns, ancient geology, Ozarks, rock formation, ancient  riverbed
Ozark National Forest	2	Ozark National Forest, Sam’s Throne, camping facilities, Sam Davis, recreation
Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge	3	Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas River, Levee Trail, Native American, Osage, Cherokee, Holly Brown, bottomland, Army Corps of Engineers, water fowl, geese (Snow and Canada), eagles
Big Creek Natural Area	4	Big Creek Natural Area, pool and ripple system, watershed, Little Red River, White River, Mississippi River, Riparian Forest,
March 2010 http://watch.aetn.org/video/1434966482
Forked Mountain	1	Forked Mountain, Ouachita National Forest, the Chimney, Lower Forked Summit, South Fourche River Valley, legend, Native American, Quapaw, Osage
Wapanocca Wildlife Refuge	2	Wapanocca Wildlife Refuge, Mississippi flyway, Wapanocca  Lake, driving tour, Ox Bow Lake, water fowl, migratory songbirds, cypress swamp, grasslands, Nash Buckingham, Chickasaw, De Soto, Native American artifacts, mallards, geese (white fronted, snow and Canada), wood ducks, agricultural fields, hardwoods, Mississippi River Delta Region
Devil’s Den State Park	3	Devil’s Den State Park, mountain biking, Fossil Flat mountain biking trail, Northwest Arkansas, Lee Creek, Lake Lincoln trail
North Sylamore Creek Hiking Trail	4	North Sylamore Creek hiking train, Blanchard Springs recreation area, bluffs, waterfalls, remnants of old homesteads, botanical features, overlooks, Ozark hills and hollows, Mountain View
February 2010 http://watch.aetn.org/video/1402752157
Ozark Adventure Race	1	Ozark Adventure Race, Northwest Arkansas, Lake Fort Smith, Devil’s Den, Chester, urban adventure race, fitness, orienteering, zip lines, mystery challenge event, navigating with map and compass, team effort
Lake Enterprise	2	Southeast Arkansas, Lake Enterprise, cypress trees, Spanish moss, Louisiana/Arkansas, Indian mound, archeological discoveries, skiing, bass fishing, white perch, brim, catfish, fishing gear
Ozark Railway Adventure	3	Ozark Railway Adventure, Arkansas Missouri Railroad, Van Buren to Winslow, 1900s railroad cars, 1950s dining car, Missouri Pacific Railroad, Arkansas River, Winslow Tunnel, railroad trestles, Briscoe Railroad, Fort Smith, Chester

Back to Top

ART AND MUSIC

CIVIL WAR MUSIC LESSON PLAN FROM PBS
http://www.pbs.org/civilwar/classroom/lesson_music.html

Both North and South used music extensively during the Civil War to rally troops, as recreation, to march by, and many other reasons. Frequently both sides would borrow each other’s tunes or lyrics. It was not uncommon for each side to serenade the other, or for battle to stop while an impromptu concert was held.

Probably the most famous Civil War era song was Julia Ward Howe’s "Battle Hymn of the Republic", which used the tune of the abolitionist song, "John Brown’s Body". However, there were many other songs that both sides knew well.

SELECTIONS FROM SONDHEIM! THE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
http://video.pbs.org/video/1661902012

This selection of musical performances pays homage to Sondheim and his impact, especially on the Broadway stage.

Back to Top

COUNSELING AND GUIDANCE

PROTECTING KIDS FROM CYBERBULLIES
http://www.pbs.org/parents/childrenandmedia/article-protecting-kids-from-cyberbullying.html?utm_source=newsletter1&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20101104

One in three kids report that they have been cyberbullied, or humiliated and harassed online. It's especially prevalent among middle school-aged kids (9-14). Help take the power away from cyberbullies with these five tips from Common Sense Media.

SOURCE: PBS Parents

SHOULD BOYS PLAY WITH GUNS?
http://www.pbs.org/parents/raisingboys/aggression05.html?utm_source=newsletter1&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20110224

Many parents who don't buy toy weapons find that their boys play with them anyway, turning sticks into guns and pine cones into hand grenades. Why does this happen and should you worry about it?

SOURCE: PBS Parents

THE AUTISM GENE
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/autism-genes.html

Rudy Tanzi, a pioneer in discovering genes for Alzheimer's disease, is turning his attention to autism. Using gene chips that can scan up to a million genetic markers across the entire human genome, Tanzi and others are on the hunt for the genetic key to a heartbreaking disorder that seems to come out of nowhere and yet affects millions of children and their families.

Back to Top

EARLY CHILDHOOD

INQUISITIVE INFANTS
http://www.pbs.org/parents/earlylearning/testing.html

Babies are eager learners who build skills by testing the world around them.  Learn how infants process their surroundings.

SOURCE: PBS Parents

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

CHILD DEVELOPMENT TRACKER http://www.pbs.org/parents/childdevelopmenttracker/ 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. SOURCE: PBS Parents

 

Back to Top

GRANTS, AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

FOUR $2,500 FILM MAKER SCHOLARSHIPS
http://www.aetn.org.studentselects
Eligibility” Graduating seniors
Award: $2,500
Deadline: April 8, 2011

This is the fifth year for the high school student film maker contest “Student Selects.”For scholarship consideration, high school seniors must guarantee that they were the sole producer of the entry. 

Categories include but are not limited to:

• Documentary
• Narrative (short, full-length, fiction, sitcom, etc.)
• Animation (hand-drawn, claymation, Flash, computer-modeled, etc.)

See website for full details

ANNUAL PBS TEACHER INNOVATIONS AWARD

PBS Teachers (http://www.pbs.org/teachers) is the national Web destination for high-quality, free, preK-12 educational resources suitable for a wide range of subjects and grade levels. With thousands of lesson plans, teaching activities, on-demand video resources, interactive games and simulations, these resources are correlated to state and national educational standards and are tied to PBS' award-winning on-air and online programming. The annual PBS Teachers Innovation Awards recognize effective teachers and the instructional practices they use to help students reach their potential.

PBS is currently accepting submissions for the 2011 PBS Teachers Innovation Awards (http://www.pbs.org/teachers/innovators/) to honor the best practices from preK-12 educators who inspire and engage students through innovative classroom techniques. PBS also provides a collection of interactive whiteboard games for educators on PBS KIDS (http://pbskids.org/whiteboard/).

THE ANNUAL COMPETETIVE BOOK DONATION PROGRAM
http://www.pwirtr.org/annual_donation_prog.html

Eligibility: 501(c)3 organizations that run school, after-school, summer, community, day-care, and library reading and literacy programs
Maximum Award: 200 books appropriate for readers age 0 to young adult; English only
Deadline: March 30, 2011

The Pathways Within Roads to Reading Initiative donates books to literacy programs in small and rural low-income communities.

SOURCE: PEN WEEKLY NEWSBLAST  http://www.publiceducation.org/newsblast_grants.asp

CRITICAL EXPOSURE: THROUGH YOUR LENS
http://www.healthyschoolscampaign.org/getinvolved/action/yourlens/prizes.php

• Selected photos and stories will be shown at a special exhibition in Washington DC.
• Many more entries will be published in a Through Your Lens book and in an online gallery.
• Five student winners will receive an Insignia Digital Camcorder with 3" LCD Screen!

The 21st Century School Fund, Critical Exposure and Healthy Schools Campaign are pleased to announce the second Through Your Lens photo contest. We invite students, teachers and everyone with a view of our nation’s school buildings to show they world what you see every day at school: the good parts, the troubling parts, the things you’re proud of and the things you’d like to change. Contest launches February 1, 2011.

Grant Sources Arkansas Department of Education grant listings http://arkansased.org/programs/grants.html Technology grants at http://www.vernier.com/grants/fulllist.html Forecast of Finding for the U.S. Department of Education  http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/find/edlite-forecast.html PEN WEEKLY NEWSBLAST  http://www.publiceducation.org/newsblast_grants.asp  This site includes grant opportunity, Web links, deadlines, eligibility and maximum grant amounts EducationMoney.com Federal Grants http://grants.gov allows you to search by category, you do not need to register to search for grant opportunities http://grantsalert.com/ These sources will help locate foundation, government and other grant opportunities.  It’s best to start when you have some time to invest, because one thing frequently leads to another link. FREE makes it easier to find teaching and learning resources from the federal government at  http://www.free.ed.gov/. Texas Instruments Funding Resources http://education.ti.com/grants Grant Writing Tips and Tools If you want factual information about grant writing and samples, be sure to visit the Guide for Writing a Funding Proposal by S. Joseph Levine, Ph.D., Michigan State University, at http://www.learnerassociates.net/proposal. “SHOW ME THE MONEY: TIPS & RESOURCES FOR SUCCESSFUL GRANT WRITING” http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/profdev/profdev039.shtml

Back to Top

HEALTH, SAFETY AND FITNESS

THE SCIENCE OF PICKY EATERS
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/science-picky-eaters.html

A single gene determines how people will respond to the chemical PTC and the related bitterness they taste.  Young children are much more susceptible to the taste of bitter.  New evidence shows there is more to picky eating than originally thought.

HEALTH SCIENCE INTERACTIVES FOR STUDENTS
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/resources/subj_05_02.html

This site provides brief descriptions of these interactives for students and any plug-in requirements.

Anatomy and Physiology

• Cancer Warrior, grades 6-12
• Coma, grades 6-12
• Cracking the Code of Life, grades 6-12
• Cut to the Heart, grades 6-12
• Deadly Ascent, grades 6-12
• Dying to Be Thin, grades 6-12
• Eighteen Ways to Make a Baby, grades 6-12
• Electric Heart, grades 6-12
• Everest – The Death Zone, grades 6-12
• Everest – The Mystery of Mallory and Irvine, grades 6-12
• Life’s Greatest Miracle, grades 6-12
• Lost on Everest, grades 6-12
• Science Odyssey – In Search of Ourselves, grades 3-12
• Science Odyssey – Matters of Life and Death, grades 9-12
• Secrets of the Mind, grades 3-12
• Sex Unknown, grades 6-12
• Surviving AIDS, grades 6-12
• A Walk to Beautiful, grades 9-12

Development

• Eighteen Ways to Make a Baby, grades 6-12
• Life’s Greatest Miracle, grades 6-12
• Sex Unknown, grades 6-12

Disease

• Arms Race With a Superbug, grades 6-12
• Bioterror, grades 6-12
• Cancer Warrior, grades 6-12
• Killer Disease on Campus, grades 6-12
• Science Odyssey: Matters of Life and Death, grades 6-12
• Surviving AIDS, grades 6-12
• Survivor M.D.: Tattooed Doctor, grades 6-12

Medicine

• Bioterror, grades 6-12
• Cancer Warrior, grades 6-12
• Electric Heart, grades 6-12
• Everest – The Death Zone, grades 6-12
• Everest – The Mystery of Mallory and Irvine, grades 6-12
• Four Tests, grades 6-12
• Killer Disease on Campus, grades 6-12
• Life and Death in the War Zone, grades 9-12
• Lost on Everest, grades 6-12
• Science Odyssey: Matters of Life and Death, grades 9-12
• Survivor M.D.: Tattooed Doctor, grades 6-12
• Warriors of the Amazon, grades 6-12

Nutrition

• Dying to Be Thin, grades 6-12

Public Health

• Bioterror, grades 6-12
• Killer Disease on Campus, grades 6-12
• The Most Dangerous Woman in America, grades 6-12
• A Walk to Beautiful, grades 9-12
• World in the Balance, grades 6-12

Back to Top

HISTORY AND SOCIAL STUDIES

HISTORY AND SOCIAL STUDIES INTERACTIVES FOR STUDENTS
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/resources/subj_11_02.html

Looking for Social Studies interactive for your students?  Visit this site for a brief description of the interactive and any special plug-in requirements.

U.S. History Pre-1800 to Present

• Battle Plan Under Fire (radar), grades 6-12
• Great Escape, grades 6-12
• Life and Death in the War Zone (military medicines), grades 9-12
• Missing in MIG Alley, grades 6-12
• Saving the National Treasures, grades 6-12
• Secrets of Making Money, grades 3-8
• Spies That Fly, grades 6-12

World History,1500 A.D. to Present

• Arctic Passage, grades 6-12
• Astrospies, grades 6-12
• Babatha’s Scroll, grades 6-12
• Battle Plan Under Fire (radar), grades 6-12
• Decoding Nazi Secrets, grades 6-12
• Great Escape, grades 6-12
• Hitler’s Lost Sub, grades 9-12
• Missing in MIG Alley, grades 6-12
• Secrets of the Lost Empires I – Pyramid, grades 3-8
• Secrets of the Lost Empires II – Roman Bath, grades 3-8
• Secrets of Making Money, grades 3-8
• Secrets of the Parthenon, grades 6-12, NOTE: This Secrets of the Dead video is available for viewing at http://video.pbs.org/video/980040228/
• Secrets of the Samurai Sword, grades 6-12
• Secrets, Lies and Atomic Spies, grades 6-12
• Spies That Fly, grades 6-12
• World in the Balance (global trends), grades 6-12

World History Prehistory to 1500 A.D.

• America’s Stone Age Explorers, grades 6-12
• Cracking the Maya Code, grades 6-12
• The Great Inca Rebellion, grades 6-12
• Infinite Secrets, grades 6-12
• Kidnapped by UFOs?, grades 6-8
• Lost King of the Maya, grades 6-12
• Lost Treasures of Tibet, grades 6-12
• The Mummy Who Would be King, grades 6-12
• NOVA science NOW Maya, grades 6-12
• The Perfect Corpse, grades 6-12
• The Pyramid, grades 3-12
• Search for the Lost Cave People, grades 3-8
• Secrets of Lost Empires II – Easter Island, grades 3-8
• Secrets of Lost Empires II – Medieval Siege, grades 6-12
• Secrets of Lost Empires II – Pharaoh’s Obelisk, grades 6-8
• Stone Age Toolkit, grades 6-12
• Sultan’s Lost Treasure, grades 6-12
• Treasures of the Sunken City, grades 6-12
• The Viking Deception, grades 6-12

COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG ELECTRONIC FIELD TRIPS SCHEDULE
http://www.history.org/trips/
Teacher Resources: http://www.history.org/history/teaching/index.cfm
Electronic Field Trips: http://www.history.org/history/teaching/eft.cfm 

Women of the Revolution Broadcast premiere March 10, 2011	Bravery. Loyalty. Sacrifice. Women of the Revolution possessed all of these qualities. Explore the excitement, peril, and individual stories of Deborah Sampson, Mary Perth, Martha Washington, and other women, on both sides of the conflict, who proved their mettle in America’s war for independence.
Making History Live April 7, 2011	What makes history come alive? Take a behind-the-scenes look at how historical African American character portrayals are created for Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area. From research through performance, experienced museum interpreters share their techniques for bringing the past to life.

Back to Top

LIBRARY, LITERATURE AND READING

PBS KIDS BOOKFINDER
http://www.pbs.org/parents/bookfinder/

This site will help parents and teachers find just the right books to share poetry with children, find read-aloud books about nature, inspiring a love of words in children and other choices.

SOURCE: PBS Parents

MASTERPIECE THEATRE 2011

“The 39 Steps” March 27	A re-showing of this year's adaptation of John Buchan's classic. A bored young man suddenly finds himself caught up in a the intrigues of an international spy ring in the days leading up to WWI.
“Upstairs, Downstairs” April 10, 17 & 24	This is a remake of one of Masterpiece Theatre's most popular series ever. The story picks up in 1936, many years after the original story ended. The house remains the same but the families and servants are different. This will follow the lives of both portions of the household in the years leading up to WWII.

Back to Top

MATH AND SCIENCE

HOW DOES THE BRAIN WORK?
http://video.pbs.org/video/1757221034

How does the brain decide what to pay attention to?  How can these Las Vegas illusionists help scientists understand the working of the human brain?  To find out how autism changes perception, visit http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/magic-autism.html.

SECRET LIFE OF SCIENTISTS: MOLLIE WOODWORTH
http://video.pbs.org/video/1596518743

Meet this MIT cheerleader and neuroscientist who wants to solve the neuro diseases that plague humans today.

SMARTEST MACHINE ON EARTH
http://video.pbs.org/video/1786674622

Can a sophisticated computer be taught common sense?  Watch to see the intricacies of human brain power needed for a computer to compete on “Jeopardy.”

NOVA CREATURES FROM THE UNDERWATER CAVES
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/creatures-caves.html

On the islands of the Bahamas, in a vast network of underground, water-filled caves, biologists have discovered remarkable fossil evidence of animals that once inhabited the region, as well as a host of small and intriguing creatures never before seen. In this slide show, meet some of these animals, and learn why the caves, known as "blue holes," are likely to yield other unique finds.

THE ANTHRAX MYSTERY
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/military/anthrax-investigation.html

Solve the bioterrorism mystery of anthrax attacks through a new forensic science directed at DNA.

SPACE FOOD
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/space/space-food.html

Challenge students to plan meals for astronauts traveling to Mars.

Back to Top

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

FREE AETN IDEAS PORTAL WORKSHOPS

AETN offers free professional development workshops for Arkansas teachers. 

The Arkansas IDEAS Workshop walks educators through all educational resources offered by AETN and a hands-on experience using the IDEAS portal. Participants in the workshop will earn three technology professional development hours.

For registration, please call 1-800-488-6689, or email to education@aetn.org. 

We also conduct workshops at schools around the state at no cost to the school district. You can contact us to schedule one for your school today!

Back to Top