Washington Crossing the Delaware, an allegorical representation painted by the German-American Emmanuel Leutze in 1850
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Welcome to the KLRN Education E-Newsletter for K-12 Educators!
This new and improved design gives you direct links to tools for classroom use from various PBS
resources. The newsletter is designed to focus on a subject of interest for the month and will be supported by articles, lesson plans, and activities from KLRN and PBS programming, websites and blogs.
Please feel free to comment on the materials presented as we strive to make this a valuable resource for your professional use.
Wishing you a successful year in your classroom for 2008,
Malinda McCormick
School Services
The Case for Civic Education
“The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.” —Thomas Jefferson
In the midst of an international war on terrorism, where groups such as Al Qaeda and others are
bent upon destroying Western civilization, it is more critical than ever for the young people of this nation to understand our documents of freedom: the Declaration of Independence; the Constitution and Bill of Rights, and others, to internalize what we are about and why the principles of this nation are worth defending.This year, we are undertaking a peaceful “revolution”, the election of a new President, and it is imperative that citizens of all ages understand all the candidates’ positions on issues of importance that directly impact the future of our communities, state, and nation.
Since Social Studies is a discipline that defines the human experience, it is controversial in nature and subject to debate. As teachers it is important to teach students to think critically, analyze information, make informed decisions, and to be tolerant of opposing viewpoints. As the French philosopher that embodied the Enlightenment, Voltaire, said, “I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to my death your right to say it.” We, as educators and adults, need to model civility and decorum so that we can explore solutions to the problems that face us and keep an open dialogue about the issues. The role of the teacher is to serve as a facilitator of learning that engages students in thinking about issues not telling them what their own personal political opinions are.
What does it mean to be a “good citizen?” The founding fathers believed in the concept of civic virtue; that is, when you work to help others and promote the general welfare, you are practicing civic virtue. They believed that it was important to teach these concepts to young people and to elect leaders that practiced civic virtue or concern for the common good of the people. George Washington remains the model of what it means to be a good citizen. He embodied the civic virtues that James Madison in Federalist Papers #55 believed as indispensable for a self-governing republic: civic knowledge, self-restraint, self-assertion, and self-reliance.1
Since 1972 when the 18 year old vote was introduced, the number of young people voting has declined. This is a disturbing trend that should cause concern since young people are long time stakeholders in the political process. Let’s engage our students! Consider making plans to take part in the National Student/Parent Mock Election scheduled for October 30,2008 and/or the Texas Secretary of State’s Project Vote Mock Election. As we celebrate Martin L. King Day, Black History month, and President’s Day, we should be mindful of a citizen’s most important civic duty: to vote and remember there are those who have died to provide us with this privilege.
The media plays a valuable role as communicators of information in this process. Teachers and students should be encouraged to take advantage of the many resources that public television has made available to educators to support the efforts to increase civic literacy. In the months ahead we will focus on some of the programs and resources available to support all aspects of education in general, and civic education in particular.
Edward Everett Hale once said, “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I
can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something I can do.”
What we can all do, is to practice and promote good citizenship and civic education by exercising
our most sacred right: the right to vote. Why? Because the future of our nation depends on it and
the future leaders of our great nation deserve nothing less.
(1) As summarized from the lesson plans for Rediscovering George Washington
Comments on the Spotlight? E-mail us at education@klrn.org |
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 By The People: Citizenship in the 21st Century—Airs:
1/4/2008 at 10:00 PM [KLRN Channel 9 / KLRN-DT 9.1 HD]
1/5/2008 at 5:30 PM [KLRN-DT 9.2 (Encore)]
1/6/2008 at 12:30 AM [KLRN Channel 9 / KLRN-DT 9.1 HD]
1/6/2008 at 5:00 AM [KLRN-DT 9.2 (Encore)]
1/6/2008 at 9:00 PM [KLRN-DT 9.2 (Encore)]
1/9/2008 at 4:30 AM [KLRN Channel 9 / KLRN-DT 9.1 HD]
In this latest BY THE PEOPLE installment, Jim Lehrer gathers influential Americans to draft a
"Declaration of Citizenship for the 21st Century" during the course of a four-day conference
in Colonial Williamsburg. The convocation brings together a diverse group of approximately
50 influential Americans, including leaders in finance, education, academics, sports, science,
technology, religion, politics, law, journalism, the military, health and medicine, visual and
performing arts, social networking, comic books and auto racing, who offer their views on the
rights and responsibilities of citizens and government in modern-day America in both small and
larger group discussions. Their conversations are informed by presentations from a wide range
of American leaders, including musician, educator and activist Branford Marsalis; playwright
David Henry Hwang; historian Gordon Wood; columnist and linguist John McWhorter; writer and
social critic Howard Rheingold and history professor Carol Berkin.
 American Idealist: The Story of Sargent Shriver
Airs January 21, 2008 at 10:00 PM
American Idealist is a biographical documentary about Robert Sargent Shriver, the founder of the Peace Corps, VISTA, Community Action, Head Start, Legal Services for the Poor, Youth Corps, Job Corps and more. An all but forgotten American today, Shriver's social initiatives during the 1960's helped shape an era and dared millions of young Americans to live out their ideals.
Frontline: Growing Up Online
Airs January 22, 2008 at 9:00 PM
MySpace. YouTube. Facebook. Friendster. Nearly every teen in America is on the Internet every day, socializing with friends and strangers alike, "trying on" identities, and building a virtual profile of themselves-one that many kids insist is a more honest depiction of who they really are than the person they portray at home or in school. In "Growing Up Online," FRONTLINE peers inside the world of this cyber-savvy generation through the eyes of teens and their parents, who often find themselves on opposite sides of a new digital divide. A generation with a radically different notion of privacy and personal space, today's adolescents are grappling with issues their parents never had to deal with: from cyber bullying to instant "Internet fame," to the specter of online sexual predators. FRONTLINE producer Rachel Dretzin investigates the risks, realities, and misconceptions of teenage self-expression on the World Wide Web. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/
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Online Professional Development for Texas Teachers
This can be the year to give your teaching career new energy, new commitment, and new possibilities.
At PBS TeacherLine we’re providing professional development opportunities that give you all the right choices…so you can improve your skills, meet your district’s continuing education requirements, earn graduate credits to apply towards your degree, and discover new opportunities.
PBS TeacherLine Courses for Winter:
INST 320 Connecting Family, Community & Schools
Subjects: Instructional Strategies
Grades: Kindergarten-12th
Hours: 30
Learn the Action Team for Partnership (ATP) model and discover how to engage families and communities in children's education. Examine the "connection" issues, acquire tools to integrate partnership programming into your curriculum, and develop a plan that involves parents, family members, and community resources in your own classroom.
INST 300 Curriculum Mapping 1 by Heidi Hayes Jacobs (Teacher Favorite)
Subjects: Instructional Strategies
Grades:Kindergarten-12th
Hours: 30
Learn from the expert on curriculum mapping in this first of two courses developed with Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs. Understand how to incorporate mapping in classrooms to enrich curricula and have a powerful impact on student performance. You will finish the course with a complete peer-reviewed plan to adjust the scope and sequence of your curriculum to apply in your classroom right away.
INST125 Building Critical Thinking Skills for Online Research
Subjects: Instructional Technology, Instructional Strategies
Grades: Kindergarten-12th
Hours: 30
Put 21st century skills into practice as you help students get the most from their online research by encouraging their critical-thinking and information literacy skills. Explore different information search process models and strengthen your own online research skills.
PBS TeacherLine Peer Connection
Get Connected!
In the drive to improve teaching practice and student achievement, many schools and districts are turning to instructional coaches to support school-wide improvement and enhance classroom practice. Coaches need high quality resources and professional development so they can lead the way in reform initiatives and deliver on specific district instructional and student performance goals. At PBS TeacherLine, we support professional development from the classroom forward. Our new PBS TeacherLine Peer Connection service will help you build a customized, practical professional development program for your teachers by providing sustained and targeted support for coaches. |
 KLRN Connect
Click and Engage
Log-in to KLRN Connect and start using these great classroom
resources today!
(In order to view you must be logged in to KLRN Connect)
Not a subscriber of KLRN Connect? Click here
The American Government
Grades 5-8
This program begins with an introduction of how America began - Columbus's voyage to the New World, the establishment of the 13 colonies, and the colonies' struggle for independence - and then focuses on the make up of the American government. Our government has guides and rules such as the Constitution and the Bill of Rights that protect Americans’ freedoms and rights.
The Almost Painless Guide to the U.S. Constitution
Grades 5-8
Harlan and Marie lead us step by step through the document that forms the basis of our governments. Students will learn about the ideals of American Constitutional government, the theory of the
"We the People," and the concepts laid out by the Preamble. We'll also discuss how the Constitution empowers the government to fulfill its responsibilities, while at the same time limiting those powers.
The History and Functions of the Presidency
Grades 9-12
This video provides viewers with an understanding of the history and functions of the U.S. presidency and the checks and balances that affect it. It explains the president's powers and responsibilities, the election process and the structure and functions of the executive branch of our government. Significant presidents, such as Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln, Roosevelt and Kennedy are profiled. Offers valuable support to social studies classes on American history and the structure and functions of government.
Thematic Focus Units for Grades 2-12
Great Americans
From political figures and scientists to artists and entrepreneurs, great citizens have shaped the growth of the United States and the lives of all Americans.
American Democracy
What are the origins of American Democracy? What is the basis for the United States system of government? How did a government 'for the people and by the people' originate? Investigate the foundation of the U.S. system of government - with featured video clips, lesson plans, discussion guide, and activities.
Early American History
Add historical context and insight to the teaching of the U.S. Constitution with these featured video clips, lesson plans, discussion guide, and activities.
President’s Day
Prepare for Presidents' Day with a look at the people, responsibilities, and historical events the
holiday honors. |
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Discovery Educator Network Webinar Series
Discovery Education hosts hundreds of free webinars every year. Here are a few to try out in January or visit our complete list of upcoming webinars and enroll now!
Back to Basics: If My Mom Can Do It...
January 8 at 4:00 PM
Do you shudder when words like "Bandwidth, streaming data, downloading, embedding, etc." are bantered about? Do you often think of your computer as a great way to hold your sticky notes rather than an interactive tool? Then this Webinar is designed with you in mind. In fact, the Back to Basics mantra will always operate with this core belief, "If I can get my mom to do it..."
Each session will offer the layman's version of technology terms, go at a slightly slower pace, and concentrate on techniques that will make life just a little easier. Attend this session and amaze yourself
with your new found tech-KNOW-lodgy. EdTechConnect with Tim Lauer
January 23 at 6:00 PM
EdTechConnect is a free webinar series to help teachers integrate media and technology into the classroom. Discovery Education connects you with the experts who will answer your questions and bring you new insights. All you need is a telephone and a computer connected to the Internet and a cadre of experts will virtually join you at your desk. EdTechConnect webinars have featured Alan November, Kathy Schrock, Hall Davidson, Will Richardson, Doug Johnson, Steve Dembo and Joe Brennan, and many others. |
Arthur's World Neighborhood Guide
Source: Arthur
Explore cultural diversity in your neighborhood and around the world and become aware of a larger, more diverse world. Gather information through personal contact as well as through books, Web sites, and maps.
Grade Level: K-2, 3-5
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Anthropology/Cultures. Geography.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Why Vote? A Public Awareness Campaign
Source: The Democracy Project
Examine city government, list reasons for voting in elections, understand issues in local elections and create a public awareness campaign about the importance of voting.
Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Civics: Community & Citizenship.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Community Organization
Source: Forgotten Americans
Learn about the democratic process as it relates to community organizing. Investigate a community problem and decide what the government would need to do to resolve the problem.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Civics: Community & Citizenship. Civics: United States Government.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Chisholm '72: Shirley Chisholm for President
Source: Point of View
Research the process of presidential elections, and assess the role of political campaigns in a democracy.
Describe the historical significance of Chisholm as an African American woman running for national office and the challenges she faced.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Civics: United States Government. Cultural Studies: African American Studies.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Your Constitution I.Q.
Source: American Experience
Test your knowledge of the events, issues and debates surrounding the formation of the United States Constitution with this interactive quiz.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Civics: United States Government. United States History: 1754-1820s.
Resource Type: Interactive/Online Activity
Civic Virtue
Source: Rediscovering George Washington
Explore the relationship between freedom and limited government. Examine George Washington's words and actions that illustrate civic knowledge, self-restraint, self-assertion and self-reliance.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Civics: Community & Citizenship. Civics: United States Government.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Looking for more? Try PBS Teachers Advanced Search |
More Resources
The War by Ken Burns Lesson Plans including TEKS Correlations
These lesson plans have been developed to help teachers bring Ken Burns’s THE WAR into the classroom. Classroom activities are appropriate for students in grades 9-12 and cover major themes addressed in the film. Many of the lessons also incorporate video clips from the film and other resources found on this site. pbs.org/thewar
Coming in January: The Wings Over the Alamo Educator’s Guide— Teachers interested in
San Antonio History in their lessons on Texas history will find the Wings Over the Alamo
documentary produced by KLRN to be packed with a lot of great information surrounding
San Antonio’s long history in military aviation.
Wings Over the Alamo is the story of military aviation beginning in San Antonio in 1910,through WWI and WWII, the Korean Conflict, the Viet Nam era and up to today. It tells the story of the evolution of aerospace technology from the earliest powered open-cockpit bi-planes,through the development of supersonic aircraft and America’s entry into space. Along the way, it highlights the ingenuity,creativity and commitment of those visionaries who understood the value of flying and all the transformation that aviation would bring about in the last hundred years.
E-mail Malinda McCormick, Director of School Services, to be added to the mailing list for your electronic copy of the Wings Over the Alamo Educator’s Guide!
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learning.now with Andy Carvin
Coming to an Archive Near You: Lots of Research Data
Two of the Internet’s most important archive initiatives are teaming up in an attempt to capture the raw notes of researchers from around the world and preserve them for public access. It’s an ambitious goal, but will they be able to pull it off? |
On-Air and Online at PBS
Washington Week with Gwen Ifill and National Journal
Fridays at 8:00 PM on KLRN
Grade Range: 9-12
Washington Week, the longest-running news and public affairs program on public television, has forged an editorial partnership with "National Journal," the nonpartisan publication that for 36 years has been dedicated to providing comprehensive coverage of the politics and policy of the federal government.
(CC, Stereo, 1 year)
NOW
Fridays at 8:30 PM on KLRN
Grade Range: 9-12
Through documentary segments and interviews with original thinkers, NOW goes beyond the noisy churn of the news cycle and gives you the context to explore your relationship with the larger world.
(CC, Stereo, 10-day fair use)
Bill Moyers Journal
Fridays on 9 - 10:00 PM
Grade Range: 9-12
This weekly public affairs series features interviews and news analysis on a wide range of subjects, including politics, arts and culture, the media, the economy and issues facing democracy.
(CC, Stereo, 1 year)
Log on to the companion Web site to sign up for the Moyers podcast.
http://www.pbs.org/moyers
Online NewsHour EXTRA: Pay Phones, Phone Booths Quickly Becoming a Thing of Past
Grade Range: 6-8, 9-12
As cell phones increasingly replace landlines and pay phones, phone booths are disappearing from city corners and advocates worry the poor are losing a vital link to the outside world. |
The Complete Jane Austen
Masterpiece Theatre has good news for Jane Austen’s millions of fans: PBS’s beloved British drama series will broadcast adaptations of all of Austen’s six novels, plus a new drama based on her life. It’s the first time in television history that her books have been broadcast as a complete collection. Starting January 13 with Persuasion followed by Northanger Alley on January 20, Mansfield Park on January 27, Pride and Prejudice February 10 and 24, Emma on March 23, Sense and Sensibility on March 30 and April 6 and a new drama based on Austen’s own bittersweet love life Miss Austen Regrets airing February 3. Tune in to KLRN Channel 9 to view these epic novels come to life. Visit the Complete Jane Austen website to sign up to win a complete set of Jane Austen novels and receive news about this and other upcoming Masterpiece Theatre programs.
 Make plans now to attend the National Educational
Computing Conference (NECC)
June 29–July 2, 2008
Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center, San Antonio Texas
 Reading Rainbow
14th Annual Reading Rainbow
Young Writers and Illustrators Contest
For K-3 grades
Deadline for entries: March 24, 2008
Celebration of Teaching and Learning
Save March 7-8, 2008 for the TEACHING & LEARNING CELEBRATION -- public television's largest professional development conference for educators.
Visit here for more information.
Fresh Cut
KLRN is now accepting your video work for the 7th installment of its FRESH CUT documentary series, showcasing the innovative video work of local students. Your video piece has a chance to
be featured on KLRN in a one-hour documentary that features interviews with student creators and teachers! For more information about Fresh Cut contact Tara Walter at 210.270.9000 or twalter@klrn.org. |
Please feel free to contact us. We want to hear your comments and/ or suggestions about what you would like to see in our Education E-Newsletter. We are here to serve and meet your needs.
Please send all comments to cbailey@klrn.org
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