ARKANSAS STUDIES

2011 QUIZ BOWL – GOVERNOR’S ACADEMIC COMPEITION, SATURDAY, APRIL 30

Get ready to cheer for your favorite teams in this academic challenge Saturday, April 30.  Part 1 of the competition will begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at 12:30.  Part 2 will begin at 1:30 p.m. and end at 4 p.m. 

THE EDGE OF CONFLICT: ARKANSAS IN THE CIVIL WAR AIRS APRIL 4, 5 AND 6 AT 9:30 P.M.
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.

APRIL 18, 1864 – CIVIL WAR BATTLE OF POISON SPRING
http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/poisonspring/

In the spring of 1864, three Civil War battles took place in south central Arkansas that were part of the Union Army's "Red River Campaign." Arkansas's three state historic parks that commemorate these battles--Poison Spring, Marks' Mills and Jenkins' Ferry--are part of the Red River Campaign National Historic Landmark.
SOURCE: Poison Spring Historic Battlefield Site, Arkansas State Parks

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

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ART AND MUSIC

IN PERFORMANCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE “MOTOWN SOUND”
http://video.pbs.org/video/1824698835

Join the performers and audience at the White House as they enjoy the very American Motown Sound.  Celebrate the music that has crossed all color barriers for more than 50 years.

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COUNSELING AND GUIDANCE

7 WAYS TO DEVELOP HEALTHY TV HABITS
http://www.pbs.org/parents/childrenandmedia/tvmovies-preschool.html?utm_source=newsletter1&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20110120

Most researchers agree that we should limit screen time for young children, but how can we make the most of the time that our children do spend watching TV? Transform TV time from a passive experience to an active one with these seven steps.

SOURCE: PBS Parents

AN ANTIDOTE TO BULLYING
http://www.pbs.org/parents/special/article-an-antidote-to-bullying.html?utm_source=newsletter1&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20110120

When children learn that the world is a big place full of many different kinds of people, they are less likely to exclude others who look or sound different. Try these techniques for countering bullying by developing global awareness.

SOURCE: PBS Parents

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EARLY CHILDHOOD

7 WAYS TO PRACTICE POSITIVE DISCIPLINE
http://www.pbs.org/parents/talkingwithkids/positive_discipline_tips.html#?utm_source=newsletter1&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20110310

Positive discipline is an approach that teaches kids to behave without threats, bribes or yelling.  These seven tips will help establish a more peaceful connection with your child.

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

 

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GRANTS, AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

DOLLAR GENERAL BACK TO SCHOOL LITERACY GRANTS
http://www.dollargeneral.com/dgliteracy/pages/b2s_grants.aspx
Eligibility: K-12 school libraries
Maximum Grant Amount: $5,000
Application Deadline: May 18, 2011

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation Back to School Grants provide funding to assist school libraries or media centers in meeting some of the financial challenges they face in the following areas:

• Implementing new or expanding existing literacy programs
• Purchasing new technology or equipment to support literacy initiatives
• Purchasing books, materials or software for literacy programs

Grant Sources Arkansas Department of Education grant listings http://arkansased.org/programs/grants.html Technology grant information 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/.   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

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HEALTH, SAFETY AND FITNESS

CRASH OF LIGHT 447
http://video.pbs.org/video/1685933496

A group of experts tries to reconstruct what caused a reliable state-of-the-art air bus to drop out of the sky, killing all 228 passengers and crew.  The experts agree that it was probably a chain of events rather than a single factor. The plane’s computer controls seemed capable of overcoming any pilot error.  Could limitations in the weather radar system have caused the disaster?  What was the cascade of automatic safety systems leading to the shutdown?

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HISTORY AND SOCIAL STUDIES

TRIANGLE FIRE
http://video.pbs.org/video/1817898383

One hundred years ago – April 5, 1911 –one out of 10 New Yorkers gathered on the rain-drenched streets to honor the victims of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire.  The majority of the 145 victims were women, the youngest a 14 year old teenager.  Watch the events that unfold from union strikes to one of the most devastating factory disasters that forced the nation to take a new look at issues of safety.

MAYA
http://video.pbs.org/video/1511362264/

What caused the demise of the Maya civilization within the short period of approximately 40 years?  What secrets can views from satellites reveal about the locations of these ancient Maya sites?

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 

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.

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LIBRARY, LITERATURE AND READING

MASTERPIECE THEATRE 2011

“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.

 

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MATH AND SCIENCE

DETERMINING THE AGE OF A T. REX
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/t-rex.html

Until a discovery made by Dr. Greg Erickson of Florida State University, scientists had no way to determine the age of T Rex dinosaurs.  Scientists age dinosaurs by counting the growth rings of the weight-bearing leg bones.  This method does not work on T. Rex because those bones, like those of birds, are hollow.  Thanks to Dr. Erickson’s discovery, he was able to age those dinosaurs from the rings in other bone sites.  How old did these multi-ton behemoths get to be?  Watch to find out the stunning truth about these dinosaurs and what “old age” really meant.

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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!

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