StationBreak
September 2011
TUNE IN…
Student Selects: A Young Filmmakers Showcase
Part 1 – Monday September 5 at 9:00 p.m.
Part 2 – Monday September 12 at 9:00 p.m.
Part 1 and 2 Repeat Sunday, October 2 at 1:30 p.m.
ARKANSAS STUDIES
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.
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ART AND MUSIC
A BALLET IN SNEAKERS: JEROME ROBBINS AND OPUS JAZZ
http://video.pbs.org/video/1450269907/
Go back stage with these dancers as they share their experiences with Opus Jazz.
GREAT PERFORMANCES: RIGOLETO FROM MANTUA
http://video.pbs.org/video/2056702852
The opulent Mantua setting provides an appropriate backdrop for this opera, which includes English subtitles.
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COUNSELING AND GUIDANCE
“WHAT IS DEPRESSION?” LESSON PLAN
http://video.pbs.org/video/1174115155/
Grades: 9-12
In this lesson, students will examine teenage depression: what it's all
about, how it feels, and ways to deal with it. This will be accomplished by small group discussions, recalling life events that trigger depressive episodes, self-reflection and topic research. Upon completion, students will have a better understanding of depression and how it relates to their own lives.
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EARLY CHILDHOOD
CPB/PBS RELEASE SUMMARY RESEARCH REPORT
http://www.cpb.org/rtl/FindingsFromReadyToLearn2005-2010.pdf.
Disclaimer
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and PBS have released a report entitled "Findings from Ready to Learn 2005-2010" that summarizes the results of independent research conducted under grant funding from the Ready to Learn Television program. The results demonstrate that using combinations of well-designed educational media, including television, websites, and other digital platforms, can be effective in improving literacy skills among low income children, ages 2-8.
Ready to Learn Television supports the development of educational television and digital media targeted at preschool and early elementary school children and their families. Its general goal is to promote early learning and school readiness, with a particular interest in reaching low-income children. In addition to creating television and other media products, the program supports activities intended to promote national distribution of the programming, effective educational uses of the programming, community-based outreach, and research on educational effectiveness.
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 |
6-8 years |
Reading |
AGE-BY-AGE BIRTHDAY PARTY GUIDE
http://www.pbs.org/parents/birthdayparties/articles/article-agebyageguide.html
This guide will help you plan the perfect party for your child’s birthday!
CHILD DEVELOPMENT TRACKER SOURCE: PBS Parents |
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GRANTS, AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
VERNIER/NSTA TECHNOLOGY AWARDS
http://www.vernier.com/grants/nsta/
Deadline: November 30, 2011
The Vernier/NSTA Technology Awards promote the innovative use of data-collection technology using a computer, graphing calculator, or other handheld in the science classroom. We encourage you to apply for one of seven $3,000 awards.
Award Prize: Each award will consist of $1,000 in cash for the teacher, $1,000 in Vernier Products, and up to $1,000 toward expenses to attend the annual NSTA National Convention.
Eligibility
Current teachers of science in grades K-College. Applicants may not have won previously at their school.
The Vernier Technology Awards will recognize and reward the innovative use of data-collection technology using a computer, graphing calculator, or other handheld in the science classroom. A total of seven awards will be presented:
- One award at the Elementary Level (Grades K-5)
- Two awards at the Middle School Level (Grades 6-8)
- Three awards at the High School Level (Grades 9-12)
- One award at the College Level
CAMPELL'S: LABELS FOR EDUCATION
http://www.labelsforeducation.com/About/about-the-program.aspx
Maximum Award: varies.
Eligibility: Schools or parents coordinate label drives to raise resources for schools.
The Campell's, Inc. Labels for Education Program gives schools free educational equipment in exchange for labels from Campbell products.
BASEBALLTOMORROW FUND
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/official_info/community/btf.jsp?content=grant_process
Deadlines: Jan. 1, April 1, July 1 and Oct. 1 of each year
Eligibility: Non-profit organization
Grant Amount: $39,999 average, but there is no specified amount
The purpose is of this grant is to provide funding for incremental programming and facilities for youth baseball and not as a substitute for existing funding or fundraising activities or to provide routine or recurring operating costs or funding for construction or maintenance of buildings. Grants from the Baseball Tomorrow Fund are designed to be sufficiently flexible to enable applicants to address needs unique to their communities. Must be non-profit.
Grant Sources
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.
Grant Writing Tips and Tools
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HEALTH, SAFETY AND FITNESS
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE “TRIANGLE FIRE”
http://video.pbs.org/video/1817898383
How did this 1911 disaster change safety standards for workers, employers and the public. The deaths of these young women changed the way we look at employer responsibility. Did employer paranoia contribute to the deaths? This disaster at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory marked the turnaround of an awareness of the American public.
THE POLIO CRUSADE
http://video.pbs.org/video/1174115155/
What impact did the improvement of sanitation have in increasing polio in children? Find out how the March of Dimes was born.
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HISTORY AND SOCIAL STUDIES
EXPERIENCE A DAY IN THE LIFE OF EGYPT’S GOLDEN AGE
http://www.pbs.org/empires/egypt/special/lifeas/index.html
Explore what a day would be like for a pharaoh, nobleman, craftsman, priest, soldier, farmer and woman in Egypt’s Golden Age.
ANCIENT REFUGE IN THE HOLY LAND
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/programs/ht/qt/3118_01.html
Video clips disclose the secrets of the Cave of Letters during the rebellion against Roman rule. What would cause women and children to come and hide in these inhospitable caves?
COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG ELECTRONIC FIELD TRIPS SCHEDULE
http://www.history.org/history/teaching/eft/eft_upcoming.cfm
Teach American history with the new Electronic Field Trip season. This year’s live, interactive lessons explore the ratification of the US Constitution, Westward expansion, The War of 1812, slavery, as well as the rights of women and youth.
“A More Perfect Union” October 13, 2011 |
Witness the conflict and compromises that accompanied the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Join young eighteenth-century observers, unseen by convention delegates, as they travel from state to state tallying the vote. Learn about the ratification process and Americans' growing interests in their fledgling nation's new government. |
“Harsh World, This World” Broadcast premiere |
What was slavery really like for enslaved people and their masters? Traditional proverbs guide students through personal stories, based on primary sources, showing kindness, betrayal, trust, cruelty, and the many emotions that govern complex human relationships. |
“Westward!” December 15, 2011 |
Explore the story of the early days of American westward expansion. Daniel Boone recounts the exciting experiences and unexpected consequences associated with moving west. Learn about the risks and grueling personal hardships of creating new settlements. |
“War of 1812” Broadcast premiere |
A generation after the Revolution, Americans were once again plunged into war with Great Britain. Why? Join Henry Clay, Tecumseh, Andrew Jackson, James Madison, and others as they struggle to determine what course the United States will take. |
“When Freedom Came” Broadcast premiere |
Everyone knows Abraham Lincoln freed all the slaves . . . or did he? Freedom came to enslaved people over the course of many months and years — and it arrived in different ways in different places. Discover how enslaved Americans made everyday choices during the Civil War that helped bring about their freedom. |
“Remember the Ladies” March 15, 2012 |
In 1776, Abigail Adams requested that her husband, future president John Adams, "remember the ladies" when establishing the government and laws of the new nation. Examine the roles, responsibilities, and daily activities of early American women. |
“Rights of Youth” April 19, 2012 |
Imprisonment, whipping, forced transportation, and even death were some of the punishments that courts sentenced children to in the eighteenth century. Witness how justice was administered at a time when criminal laws and sentencing guidelines made few or no exceptions for children. |
Colonial Williamsburg online Teacher Community: http://www.history.org/history/teaching/index.cfm
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LIBRARY, LITERATURE AND READING
CRACKING THE MAYA CODE
http://video.pbs.org/video/980048895
The strange and enigmatic inscriptions found in Maya ruins confounded linguists, artists, adventurers, epigraphers and puzzle-solvers. What discoveries unlocked the mysteries? What assumptions were found to be incorrect?
INSPECTOR LEWIS RETURNS TO MASTERPIECE THEATRE
September 4, 2011 |
Old, Unhappy, Far Off Things |
September 18, 2011 |
Wild Justice |
September 25, 2011 |
The Mind Has Mountains |
October 9, 2011 |
The Gift of Promise |
6 WAYS TO GET BOYS TO READ
http://www.pbs.org/parents/best-books-for-boys/6-ways-to-encourage-your-son-to-read.html
- Read Aloud
Reading aloud to a boy from infancy onward will help him fall in love with stories. And even if reading aloud didn't enhance vocabulary and comprehension, it would still be worth doing because it offers you both a positive and peaceful interaction in your otherwise busy day.
As a boy learns to decode words, try reading to each other, matching him page for page. Support him when he reads aloud to you, but don't be too quick to correct a mispronunciation. Better to let a word go than to humiliate a boy.
Even after he's a more accomplished reader, he'll still benefit from hearing you read to him. Children often understand far more words when hearing them spoken than when reading them on a page. Remember, the goal of reading aloud is to have a good time. Keep things light; read only as long as you're both enjoying it.
- Expand Your Definition of Reading
Don't worry if a boy isn't drawn to traditional boy classics like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer or Treasure Island. Magazines, comic books, baseball cards, newspapers, graphic novels, websites, joke collections — it all counts as reading.
- Pair Books with Activities
Boys who prefer active learning to quiet contemplation may enjoy making their books come to life. Turn your boy into a human pizza after reading Pete's a Pizza. Supply simple props like rocks and boxes while reading Roxaboxen. Try out some of the recipes at the end of Eating Fractions.
- Get Caught Reading
Most boys pay more attention to what we do than to what we say, so let them catch you reading. Don't reserve your books for those few minutes of quiet after you put them to bed; read in public. It's especially important for boys to see other males reading, so dads and uncles should let boys see them curling up with their favorite books. Also, leave books around the house rather than tucking them all away on shelves.
- Let Boys Choose
All kids like control, and many of them don't get enough of it. We decide what they eat for dinner, when they go to bed and where they can play. Independent reading is an excellent area for your son to control, even if he chooses books you think are above or below his reading level.
- Start a Book Club
Discussing books with your child and his friends is a great way to talk about values and dilemmas in a nonconfrontational setting. Just make sure that the adults don't dominate the conversation.
SOURCE: PBS Parents
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MATH AND SCIENCE
NOVA “IS THERE LIFE ON MARS?”
http://video.pbs.org/video/1114436021
Join scientists in their search for life on Mars. Can the robots sent to Mars solve some of the riddles that plague us about our mysterious neighbor -- so alike and so different from Earth. What discovery was made due to a problem with the rover wheel? What do scientists believe happened to Mars’ atmosphere.
FELLOWSHIP OF THE WHALES
http://video.pbs.org/video/1325905658
Observe the complex social structure of these humpback whales in Hawaiian waters. These whale calves and their mothers will head north to Alaska to feeding grounds. In these cold waters, whales must work together to feed. The whales will gorge on herring and krill until the seasons change. Most of the whales will return to Hawaii in November, but some will head for Mexico or Japan.
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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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