Arthur Stands Up To Bullying

ARTHUR, television’s longest-running children’s animated series, kicks off its spring season with a week of all-new episodes, including two devoted to the issue of bullying. The week begins with “The Last Tough Customer” on Monday, May 6. In this episode, the Tough Customers realize it’s time to quit bullying and set out to find a new hobby – but can Molly ever truly change her ways? Watch a sneak preview!

Then on Friday, May 10, in “So Funny I Forgot to Laugh,” Arthur thinks his jokes about Sue Ellen’s new sweater are all in good fun, but Sue Ellen’s feelings are hurt. Has Arthur become…a bully?

Visit ARTHUR’S parents and teachers’ site for more resources, including lesson plans like Arthur’s World Neighborhood with activities, resources, and tips to help kids explore cultural diversity within their own community and around the world. The curriculum was developed especially for students in grades 2-3 but activities can easily be adapted for younger or older audiences.

To also help raise students’ awareness on bullying and tolerance, you’ll find preK-3 resources on bullying as well as those for older grades at PBS LearningMedia.

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New Content Collection from PBS LearningMedia: Think Garden!

With red buds popping, this season can be a great time to arouse students’ curiosity about garden miracles, and Think Garden – one of PBS LearningMedia’s great new content collections  – has just the video resources you’ll need!  This engaging video collection produced by KET (Kentucky Educational Television) helps teach elementary students about the art and science of growing food, with an emphasis on biological and environmental concepts. It also addresses topics related to nutrition and economics.

One of the videos, Think Garden:  Cool Crops explores the possibilities of gardening in the cooler temperatures of spring and fall. Students learn about which vegetables like cool weather and what techniques help plants, like raised beds and hoop houses, grow in these conditions.  They’ll also find out why cool crops are ideal for school gardens.

We hope you like the new look and feel of the PBS LearningMedia site.  Try viewing it on your tablet or phone for an optimized experience.

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The Wisdom of Fred Rogers During Times of Tragedy

Just as adults struggle to understand the devastating explosions at the Boston Marathon, children also need help to deal with the frightening news they see and hear from various sources.  Fred Rogers long ago understood the best ways to nurture healthy young people during good times and bad , and he left a legacy that supports educators and parents today.   Thanks in part to the assistance of UNC-TV, North Carolina’s public television network, and public television station WTVI Charlotte, a  booklet entitled  Helping Children Deal with Tragic Events in the News:  Timeless wisdom from Fred Rogers for parents, caregivers and teachers is available to you.

In it you’ll find information about what children fear at times such as these, how to make them feel more secure, how to talk and listen to them as well as other helpful hints.  The booklet also shares the story Fred Rogers often told about his mother’s words to him as a boy when he watched frightening news:  “My mother would say to me, ’Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’  Teachers have always been among the world’s helpers, and we hope you’ll find this wisdom from Fred Rogers helpful.

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Lesson Plan Feature: Cycling Water Through the Environment

With the spring thaw, here’s a lesson  for grades 3-5 from PBS LearningMedia to teach students that water is a crucial ingredient for life on Earth.  They’ll also come to see that the water cycle is Earth’s natural mechanism for transporting, cleansing, and recycling water between the surface and the atmosphere. In this lesson, students recognize the different forms that water takes and learn about where it exists in the environment. Through class discussion and experiments, students model the water cycle and explore how it can be used to create fresh water.

Objectives

• Understand that water exists in the environment in different forms
• Identify the ways that water moves through the environment
• Recognize that most of Earth’s surface is covered by water but that only a small amount is fresh water
• Produce fresh water from salty water by distilling it

Resources include great images of Water Phases (for grades K-5) and an interactive on Global Water Distribution (for grades 3-12) as well as  many short, engaging videos.

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National Robotics Week: Lesson Plans and Other Resources

Celebrate National Robotics Week (April 6-14) by bringing the incredible world of robots, rovers, and bots into your classroom! Let PBS LearningMedia support your efforts with this collection of featured resources:

What is a Robot? (Lesson Plan, Grades 3–5) Customize this 3-part lesson plan to deepen students’ depth of knowledge as it relates to the world of robots.

Wearable Robots  (Video, Grades 5-13+)Although the idea of wearable robots is not new, students will be fascinated to see how far this technology has advanced.

 Newton’s Third Law:  Action-Reaction (Blended Lesson, Grades 7-8)  Astronauts constantly use robots and robotic tools to assist with tasks.  Find out how they use them in this online lesson for blended learning from the Walmart Middle School Literacy Initiative.

 Robot Race (Video, Grades 3-12) Follow 2 teams of engineers as they put their robots to the test in a 132- mile race through the Mohave Desert.

 The Intelligent Robot (Video, Grades 6-12)  Invite students to hear from NASA researchers as they discuss the Mars Rover and demonstrate its ability to learn.

RoboSnail (Video, Grades 6-12)  See how this MIT students used a snail’s movement as inspiration for a new machine.

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Lesson Plan Feature: PBS Teachers Activity Packs

Explore educational resources and activities from PBS with their library of Activity Packs. Each one focuses on a curricular theme and includes links to great PBS resources and supplemental activities.  Packs are available for The Arts, Health & Fitness, Reading & Language Arts, Science & Technology, and Social Studies.

Check out this list of packs in the Science & Technology unit:

• Breakthroughs in Medical Research
• Development & the Environment
• Earth Day
• Forensic Science
• How’s the weather?
• Innovation & Invention
• Oceans
• Technology & Ethics

Check them out today!

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Native Americans: Rural Poverty & Cultural Heritage

There’s still time to watch the second of a two-part series, Kind Hearted Woman on WGBY tonight, April 2, at 9:00pm.  This unforgettable portrait follows Robin Charboneau, a 32-year-old divorced single mother and Oglala Sioux woman living on North Dakota’s Spirit Lake Reservation.  Watch a Preview.

Here are other classroom resources on Native Americans from  PBS LearningMedia:

Miss Navajo  (Grades 6-12) This video segment from Independent Lens documents a young woman’s experiences as she competes in the Miss Navajo Nation beauty pageant.  Instead of concentrating on a young woman’s outer beauty, the pageant’s focus is on her knowledge and understanding of Navajo culture and her ability to spread this culture as an ambassador of the Navajo Nation.

La’ona DeWilde:  Environmental Biologist (Grades 5-12) This video profiles an Athabascan and doctoral student who chose her career because of her traditional belief in respecting animals and caring for the environment. Her work involves helping local villagers record observations that can be used collaboratively with Western science to help solve problems that affect Alaska Native peoples.

Native American Culture: Little Deer and Mother Earth Marilou Awiakta, of Cherokee/Appalachian heritage, tells a traditional Cherokee story in which humans are killing too many of their animal relatives, threatening the delicate balance of nature. Little Deer leads the animals in taking action, teaching the lesson that people should take “only what you need with respect and gratitude.”  Support materials include Native American Culture: Cherokee People and Their Stories Lesson Plan (Grades 3-4).

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Women’s History Month: PBS LearningMedia Digital Resources

Celebrate Women’s History Month by teaching students about the bold and adventuresome women that have helped to expand the role and perception of women throughout history with PBS LearningMedia resources such as:

Single Women Homesteaders
Grades 3-7 | Video | Trailblazers
Use this resource with students to highlight the role that single women played in the settlement of the Dakota Territory following the 1862 Homesteading Act.

Women’s History
Grades 4-13+ | Video | Icons and Symbols
Introduce students to the fascinating history behind women in the visual arts by investigating symbols from the Suffragist Movement.

Ella Es El Matador: The Struggle for Equal Opportunities for Women
Grades 6-12 | Video | Equality of Women
Invite students to consider the historic and modern-day barriers that impact women. Use this collection of videos to illustrate the story of two women in search of success in the male-dominated world of Spanish bullfighting.

19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
Grades 6-13+ | Document | Women’s History
Use this primary source document to support lessons on the 19th Amendment and women’s voting rights.

Empowerment
Grades 9-12 | Video | Women’s Rights Activists
Encourage students to consider the role that women play in the peace building process around the world

You can register today to tap into PBS LearningMedia’s full collection of interviews, documentaries, and character profiles!

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Digital Literacy in the Classroom

The Teaching Channel delivers videos for teachers over various platforms, including the Internet.  In addition to showcasing inspiring teachers, Teaching Channel hosts a community for educators to share ideas and best practices and to enhance their knowledge. For example, Teaching Channel Presents and PBS LearningMedia provide materials that can help teach students to become proactive digital citizens.

You can preview the Teaching Channel Presents episode Digital Literacy in the Classroom, which show students learning how to become proactive digital citizens.   From understanding safe behavior online to learning how to find reliable sources to seeing how online activity leaves a lasting identity trail — these lessons are designed to develop critical thinking skills.  You can search the Teaching Channel’s schedule and watch other full one-hour episodes such as Teaching Math to the Core, Connecting the Arts to Academics, Middle School and The New Teacher Experience.  Check out the preview below:

For additional digital literacy activities, check out other media-rich resources from PBS LearningMedia such as What Is Personal Information? for grades 3-6 and Cybersafe Your Teens  for grades 6-12.

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Design Squad’s Free STEM Google Hangout Tomorrow

This Wednesday, Design Squad is joining forces with MAKE Magazine for a live STEM Google Hangout. The show’s host, Deysi Melgar, will be presenting 5 kid-friendly DIY projects that are perfect at-home or in-the-classroom activities.  Educators are welcome to join in on the hangout to learn about these great classroom activities.
The Live STEM Hangout will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, February 6th at 3:30EST/12:30PST. Check it out at this link:  https://plus.google.com/+MAKE/posts.

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