Dear Educators,
As the school year begins with many uncertainties we want you to know that KLRN is here for you. We welcome your input at education@klrn.org regarding ways that KLRN can offer the resources that you need for your classroom. For this school year KLRN will continue to provide free teacher trainings that will highlight our PBS LearningMedia site which has a wealth of TEKS aligned lesson plans and resources to use in your in person or virtual classroom. We also have our monthly educator e-newsletter where we will feature resources for each grade level along with our bi-monthly blog post with links to streaming videos and lesson plans.
We look forward to working with you this year as we all navigate through a very different school year.
With Appreciation,
The KLRN Education Team
Madagascar: Islands of Wonder
Air date on 9.1: Wednesday, September 16 at 7 PM
Journey to three of the most exotic, mysterious and remote islands on the planet: Madagascar, Borneo and Hawaii. Isolated from the rest of the world, they harbor remarkable wildlife and pioneering human communities found nowhere else on Earth.
For Grades PreK-3
Chris encounters a pair of fossas as they hunt after lemurs in the jungle, in this clip from Wild Kratts. The fossa's lean agile body, powerful legs, and long tail allows it to chase after the lemurs through the dense woods.
For Grades K-12
Learn about the diverse habitat of the wildlands of Madagascar by taking a look at the plants and animals of this ecosystem including the Baobab Tree.
For Grades 3-6
The Living Edens:Madagascar: A World Apart
The Living Edens companion website for "Madagascar: A World Apart" includes a listing of resources that enhance content provided in the program. Classroom activities and guides are provided for each lesson.
For Grades 9-12
The Secret Life of Scientists: Mireya Mayor
Meet primatologist Mireya Mayor in this video profile from NOVA’s “The Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers.” From a young age, Mireya was an adventurous kid who loved to explore. Now, she studies lemurs in Madagascar. Using conservation genetics, she studies how we can better manage the most endangered primates in the world. Before becoming “the female Indiana Jones,” she was an NFL cheerleader.
NOVA: The Secret Mind of Slime
Air date on 9.1: Wednesday, September 16 at 8 PM
Scientists investigate the bizarre "intelligence" of slime molds, which appear to learn and make decisions -- without a brain. These cunning, single-celled blobs can navigate mazes and create efficient networks. Can they also redefine cognition?
For Grades PreK-3
Nature Cat Cook Up Some Edible Slime
Explore the properties of different ingredients with Nature Cat. See how different ingredients can transform while creating tasty (and safe!) edible slime.
For Grades 6-12
Slime molds don’t look like much. Amorphous and gloppy, they spread across the forest floor in a mindless quest to consume whatever lies in their path. But research scientists are now learning that the routes slime molds take through their environment are anything but random. What these single-celled, gelatinous blobs lack in brain power, they make up for with surprisingly complex decision-making.
For Grades 6-12
Learn about the potential for a new type of fiber that is stronger than nylon and made from a renewable resource in this video from NOVA: “Making Stuff Wilder.” Host and technology columnist David Pogue meet with scientists at the University of Guelph to investigate how hagfish are inspiring the development of new materials. Hagfish are eel-like animals that protect themselves from predators by releasing mucin and thread cells to create a slime. The threads are very strong; researchers are seeking a way to synthesize hagfish proteins to artificially produce similar threads.
Hawaii: Islands of Wonder
Air Date on 9.1: Wednesday, September 23 at 7 PM
Hawaii, the most remote island chain on Earth, offers sanctuary for wildlife that has reached its tropical shores. From humpback whales to waterfall-climbing fish, it's home to an extraordinary wealth of wildlife.
**Link to full episode of Hawaii: Islands of Wonder is available from September 23 to October 7.
Grades 2-4
This lesson from the Nature film "Kilauea: Mountain of Fire" introduces students to plate tectonics, as well as volcanoes and the effects of volcanic activity.
Grades 2-6
This video from Nature illustrates the powerful impact of a volcanic eruption in Hawaii and traces the lava’s activity from cone to sea. The sea is the only natural substance that can stop a lava flow and it’s an explosive event. These explosions create littoral cones, or more simply, a newly-formed coastline. When the 80 degree water meets 2,000 degree lava, massive amounts of steam surge into the air, which can create miniature weather patterns. While the weather is localized, serious climatic changes like tornadoes can occur.
Grades 6-12
Lava Sampling on Kilauea Volcano
In this video segment adapted from NOVA, watch as scientists collaborate to collect and then chemically analyze samples of molten lava as part of their quest to learn more about how volcanoes work. By collecting samples of lava before it has a chance to cool, researchers can study the chemical properties it had when it was deep within Earth's interior, just before it was forced to the surface. Questions such as whether two volcanoes share a common magma source can be answered through such analyses.
Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed The World: The Rocket
Air Date on 9.2: Wednesday, September 23 at 3 PM
Learn the explosive history of the rocket, from its origin in ancient China, to its use as a weapon of war, to how adding hydrogen allowed it to carry astronauts all the way to the moon.
Grade 6-8
Generating the Force to Propel Rockets | Rise of the Rockets
Learn about the forces involved in launching rockets and the fuel used to generate them in this media gallery from NOVA: Rise of the Rockets. Use this resource to examine how rocket propulsion embodies a practical application of Newton’s third law of motion and to compare the impact of different fuel sources on propulsion.
Grade K-2
Let’s Rocket Video Segment from San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology and learning resources.
A-Z: The First Alphabet
Air Date on 9.1: Wednesday, September 23 at 8 PM
Writing shaped civilization itself, from the trading of goods to tales of ancient goddesses and kings. Follow the evolution of the written word, from millennia-old carvings in an Egyptian turquoise mine to our modern-day alphabets
**Link to the full episode of A-Z: The First Alphabetwill be available from September 23 to October 7.
Grades 2-5
Ancient Writings: Similarities and Differences
Students will use this chart to record the similarities and differences of several ancient writing forms. To launch the activity, click the "Worksheet" image.
Grades 2-5
The Evolution of Ancient Writing
Take a look at the different writing systems in the media gallery to learn more.
Grades 5-8
In this blended lesson supporting literacy skills, students are introduced to the ancient Mayan civilization through their writings. Students develop their literacy skills as they explore a social studies, focus on the destruction of many Mayan writings by the Spanish and what archaeologists have learned from the writings that remain. During this process, they read informational text, learn and practice vocabulary words, and explore content through a video and interactive activities.
Antiques Roadshow: Celebrating Latino Heritage
Air Date on 9.1: Sunday, September 27 at 6 PM
Discover amazing items with connections to Latin American history and culture, including a treasure with an updated appraisal of as much as $2.2 million, now the highest-valued items in the entire "Roadshow" archive.
Grades 4-8
Musician Interview: Richard Hildner Armacanqui and Juan Tomas Martinez
Meet Richard Hildner Armacanqui and Juan Tomás Martínez, two musicians based in Madison, Wisconsin, who weave together their experiences, travels and cultures to make their eclectic music.
Grades 7-12
SciGirls | Marlene: Terapeuta Familiar / Family Therapist
Como terapeuta familiar que trabaja frecuentemente con familias latinx, Marlene aborda los conceptos erróneos que prevalecen sobre la salud mental.
As a family therapist who frequently works with Latinx families, Marlene addresses prevalent misconceptions about mental health.
Grades 9-12
The arrival of musician Carlos Santana marked the innovative merging of rock guitar, electric blues, and Latin rhythms, thus producing a new subgenre of rock and roll. Learn about it in the clip from Soundbreaking.
Hacking Your Mind: On the Wings of Angels
Air Date on 9.1: Wednesday, September 30 at 9 PM
Find out why hacking for good may be the most important scientific discovery of this century, and learn how to hack your mind to improve your life and the lives of your family and friends.
**Link to the full episode of Hacking Your Mind: On the Wings of Angels will be available from September 30 to October 14.
Grades K-12
Applied Imagination: Muse Moments
Meet the Applied Imagination team, visit the workshop, and witness the process of creating intricate garden railway displays. Each building in these tiny towns is historically accurate, architecturally correct, and constructed of plant materials.
Grades 6-12
Can a Computer Read Your Mind?
In this video from NOVA scienceNOW, learn about a computer program that uses MRI brain scans to decipher what a person was thinking. Correspondent David Pogue, New York Times technology columnist, visits Carnegie Mellon University to find out about a mind-reading computer experiment conducted by psychologists and computer scientists. Particular areas of the brain are associated with thinking about certain words. The computer analysis identifies what object a person was thinking about based on brain scans that show the areas that were activated.
SciGirls: Super Sensors
Air Date on 9.2: Thursday, October 1 at 11 AM
This series showcases bright, curious real girls putting science and engineering to work as they answer questions and make unexpected discoveries in the world around them.
Grades 5-8
SciGirls | Super Sensors: Plan and Test
The SciGirls plot out how to assemble the components of their camera trap. Video, activity and teaching tips available. Video available in English and Spanish.
Grades 6-12
Artificial sensors can collect information that is too dangerous, too fast, too small or too far away for us to collect on our own. Learn about sensor technology and see examples of how integrated sensor systems can help solve real-life problems.
We hope that these resources will compliment your in person or virtual teaching. We would love to hear how you incorporate these lessons into your lesson plans. Email us at education@klrn.org and share with us how you utilized these resources into your classroom. Also, for the most up to date list of professional development trainings for teachers go to our events page.