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January PBS Educator Resources

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by
Ian Cruz
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KLRN Education

Educators, as we come back from the winter break, here are some great ways to incorporate PBS Programming into your classroom.  Whether you are exploring Nature, National Park or Social Justice these lesson plans and activities will provide you supplemental activities to add to your classroom learning. For a full list of the KLRN schedule click here.  

Don’t forget each month KLRN provides FREE Teacher training.  For a full list of upcoming trainings check out the KLRN events page. 

 

Around the World in 80 Days in Masterpiece: Episode 1 
Monday, January 3 at 4:30 PM on 9.2 

Please know that this resource may contain material that may be sensitive for some students/viewers. Please exercise discretion in evaluating this resource for use with your students/viewers. Thank you.

 

Link to KLRN Video Player: It’s Okay to Be Smart:When Science Fiction Becomes Science Fact 

  • Imran and Nabil like to write science fiction stories. Crazy stories like how their brains jump through the space-time continuum to alternative universes. When they want to brainstorm new ideas, they go to SciWorks, their hometown science center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They had fun seeing the farm animals in the Barnyard exhibit and wild animals in the Environmental Park. That got them thinking: What makes some animals called farm animals and others are not? 
     
  • DragonflyTV | Farm Animals (Grades 3-5) 
  • DragonflyTV: GPS Activity 6 E-I-E-I-O (Grades 3-5) 
  • Heroes and Hope in Frank Herbert's Dune | The Great American Read (Grades 6-12) In this excerpt from The Great American Read, Wil Wheaton describes his relationship with Frank Herbert’s Dune. The best-selling science fiction novel chronicles the tension between good and evil, and the fight over a limited natural resource —"the spice." Learning Objectives: Students will: Watch a video and answer contextual questions, Discuss the elements of a science fiction genre story, Build vocabulary, reading and listening comprehension skills

 

 

John Lewis: Get in the Way 
Tuesday, January 4 at 3:00 PM on 9.2

**Please know that this resource may contain material that may be sensitive for some students/viewers. Please exercise discretion in evaluating this resource for use with your students/viewers. Thank you.

Link to KLRN Video Player: John Lewis: Good Trouble 

  • John Lewis: Get in the Way: https://video.klrn.org/video/john-lewis-get-way-extended-trailer/
  • John Lewis | Civil Rights Movement (Grades 3-12) Raised on a cotton field in rural Alabama, Rep. John Lewis served on the frontline of the Civil Rights Movement to end systematic racial segregation. From speaking at the March on Washington to enduring severe beatings as he participated in the Freedom Rides, John Lewis continued the fight for equality as a U.S. Congressman.
  • Educational Guide | John Lewis: Get in the Way (Grades 6-12) This study guide uses hands-on activities to promote critical thinking about themes presented in the film John Lewis: Get in the Way. Students explore the work and legacy of Lewis and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), deepening an understanding of the Civil Rights Movement through a youth-centric, direct-action lens. Drawing connections to modern day struggles, students identify their own potential contributions to social issues that affect and inspire them. Educators are encouraged to use the guide as a whole, in sections, or as a launching pad to support their own facilitating methods and interests.
  • John Lewis’ Speech | The March (Grades 6-12) Watch footage from The March’s official program, including John Lewis’ (of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) speech. The powerful speech made by the SNCC chairman highlighted the unfair plight of working class Blacks across the nation.

 

 

Finding Your Roots: Hidden in the Genes 
Tuesday, January 4 at 7:00 PM on 9.1
 

Link to KLRN Video Player: Discussion: Finding Your Roots Season 7 Preview 

  • Finding Your Roots: The Seedlings (Grades 3-12) Inspired by the popular PBS series "Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr." and shot on the campus of Penn State University, "Finding Your Roots: The Seedlings" follows 13 young people in a genetics and genealogy camp as they explore their family history and DNA ancestry with techniques never before used in an educational setting. Teachers, we encourage you to download and customize the curriculum used in our Finding Your Roots: The Seedlings Genetics & Genealogy Camp!
  • Fill out the form at fyrclassroom.org/curriculum/  and you will be forwarded to a Box folder where you can download the full curriculum.

 

Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum: I am Edmund Hillary / I Am Celia Cruz 
Tuesday, January 11 at 3:30 PM on 9.1

Link to KLRN Video Player: Make a Hero Self Portrait

 

 

10 Parks that Changed America 
Wednesday, January 12 at 2:00 PM in 9.2

**Please know that this resource may contain material that may be sensitive for some students/viewers. Please exercise discretion in evaluating this resource for use with your students/viewers. Thank you.

Link to KLRN Video Player: Geoffrey Baer Explores '10 Parks That Changed America' 

  • Tourism and the National Parks (Grades 3-8) Take a trip to the National Parks of Texas, and you will travel through time. Some call the Texas parks a microcosm of the national parks across the nation. This one minute and 30 second video clip takes students out of the classroom to the desert landscape of Big Bend and the deep waters of Amistad National Recreation Area. It's a quick field trip through the 16 National Parks of Texas. This classroom resource should be used to inspire students to think about what makes park land special, what land is worth preserving, what role tourism plays in the economics of a community and what role national parks play in tourism. Ask your students to think about the role parks play in tourism.
  • Advertising a National Park (Grades 6-12) National Parks: America’s Best Idea showcases the rich history and beauty of protected landscapes. From the depths of the Grand Canyon to the marine life of Biscayne Bay, from the Great Smoky Mountains to the towering sequoias of Yosemite, from the glaciers of Alaska to the volcanoes of Hawaii, National Parks are places of respite, inspiration, and education. While many students have not been to a National Park, there are incredible resources online that display the Parks’ beauty and uniqueness. This activity, Advertising a National Park, offers small groups of students the opportunity to dig deep into the main features of a park and convince their classmates to vacation there. Students will provide compelling descriptions, images, and videos, working together to create a Google Earth Tour that will dazzle their classmates. The presentations culminate in a vote: which park would students most want to visit? It depends on how well they sell it. Objectives: Students will be able to: Create and present a Google Earth tour; Gather images and videos to support their presentation; Research a National Park’s main attractions, wildlife, plant life, and history; Craft a presentation using compelling language.

 

NOVA: Making North America 
Tuesday, January 18 at 3:00 PM on 9.2

**Please know that this resource may contain material that may be sensitive for some students/viewers. Please exercise discretion in evaluating this resource for use with your students/viewers. Thank you.

Link to KLRN Video Player: NOVA: Making North America

Making North America | Uncovering Layers of the Grand Canyon (Grades 3-8) Follow along with host Kirk Johnson as he explores the layers of rock that make up the Grand Canyon, in this video from NOVA: Making North America: Origins. Many geologists think that the Grand Canyon is the best place in the world. Its exposed rock layers allow them to see hundreds of millions of years back in time, revealing a story about what the surface was like as each rock layer formed. By analyzing the rock, mineral, and fossil contents of the layers, scientists know that what is today the North American continent was covered by desert sands, shallow seas, and more in its distant past. This resource is available in both English and Spanish.
 

Cyberchase: Composting the Clutch 
Wednesday, Jan. 19 at 4:00 PM on 9.1

Link to PBS Learning Media Video: Cyberchase | Trash Dash Game 

 

Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum: I Am Rukmini Devi Arundale / I Am Bob Ross 
Monday, Jan. 24 at 3:30 PM on 9.1

Link to PBS Learning Media Video: Painting: One Minute Painting Lesson and Link to KLRN Video Player: The Best of the Joy of Painting with Bob Ross: Golden Glow of Morning 

  • Oil Pastels: Martin Rollins (Grades 3-12) Much of artist Martin Rollins’ work depicts urban and suburban streets and park scenes from around Louisville, Ky., where he lives and works. The many works featured in this profile illustrate his interest in buildings and architecture as subject matter, his use of light and shadow, and his focus on the transient nature of life. Rollins talks about the challenges and advantages of his chosen medium—oil pastels—and gives viewers a peek into his sketchbook.
  • ArtQuest: Creating Marbled Paper (Grades K-5) and Activity: Marbled Paper (Grades K-5) In the video, Daijah makes her own marbled paper with shaving cream and food coloring, and in the activity, you can make your own marbled paper, too!

 

 

Arthur: How the Cookie Crumbles / Sue Ellen’s Little Sister 
Tuesday, Jan. 25 at 4:30 PM on 9.1

Link to PBS Kids Videos: Arthur Episodes

Arthur Takes a Stand | ARTHUR (Grades PreK-2) Discover ways to protest an injustice and have your voice heard using this video from the PBS KIDS series ARTHUR. When Mrs. MacGrady opens the cafeteria for breakfast and takes on double the work without any help, Arthur tries different ways to solve the problem. He begs the principal to hire help and even encourages students to boycott! Finally, after a pep talk from Congressman John Lewis, Arthur stages a peaceful protest. His classmates join him, and they refuse to leave the cafeteria until they are heard. But will it make enough of an impact to hire an assistant for Mrs. MacGrady?

 

American Experience: Roberto Clemente 
Tuesday, Jan. 25 at 8:00 PM on 9.1

Link to KLRN Video Player: Roberto Clemente Remembered 

Latinoamericanos (Grades 3-12) Este video presenta 8 cápsulas de puertorriqueños donde se reseñan sus datos biográficos y su desarrollo artístico y profesional. Estos puertorriqueños son parte de los latinos que hicieron grandes aportaciones en diferentes campos en los Estados Unidos y que forman parte de su historia nacional. Estos puertorriqueños son José Ferrer y Raúl Juliá, actores de la pantalla grande, Justino Díaz, cantante de ópera y Esmeralda Santiago, escritora. En el campo de la judicatura Sonia Sotomayor, juez Asociada en la Corte Suprema de los Estados Unidos y Herman Badillo, congresista de los Estados Unidos. En el área deportiva, Roberto Clemente y el geólogo, Joseph Acabá, astronauta. Estos puertorriqueños son orgullo de Puerto Rico y latinos que forman parte de la historia de los Estados Unidos. This video presents short biographies of well-known Puerto Ricans. These Puerto Ricans are part of the Latinos who made great contributions in different areas in the United States and who are part of its national history. The Puerto Ricans are José Ferrer and Raúl Julia, actors of the big screen, Justino Díaz, opera singer, and Esmeralda Santiago, writer. In law, Sonia Sotomayor is the first Latin American woman to be appointed justice in the United States Supreme Court; Herman Badillo was a congressman who introduced legislation making bilingual education mandatory for schools located in areas where there is a large Latino population. In sports, Roberto Clemente, baseball player, received the Golden Glove twelve times. In the sciences, Joseph Acabá, geologist and astronaut. These Puerto Ricans are the pride of Puerto Rico and Latinos who are part of the United States history.