• A DIFFERENT KIND OF SCHOOL
    What if young fish faced the same challenges and growing pains your students face each day? Well, it might look a little something like Fish Hooks, a popular Disney Channel series. A free study guide for students in grades 3-8 is also available from Disney Channel Classroom, touching on such topics as teamwork and fitting in. The shows airs May 2 at 2 am ET/PT on Disney Channel 290 and Disney Channel West 291 and may be archived for up to one year for classroom use. Note: This 30-minute program airs in a 2-hour timeslot alongside Den Brother (see Highlights, below). Record the entire 2 hours in order to capture Fish Hooks.…
  • BIOGRAPHY CLASSROOM
    This month, Biography Channel 266 presents in-depth portraits of Ben & Jerry (5/3); Jon Stewart (5/10); Henry Winkler (5/17); Adam Sandler (5/24); and Albert Einstein (5/31). The series airs Tuesdays at 7 am ET/PT, and is recommended for middle and high school students. Episodes may be recorded and kept for classroom use for up to two years. For more information and free classroom resources, click here…
  • YOUR NEXT STOP, THE TWILIGHT ZONE
    SyFy 244 presents The Twilight Zone for academic study every Monday morning at 5:30 am ET. Recommended for middle and high school students; 30 minutes per episode; copyright-cleared for recording and classroom use. This month’s episodes: “Mr. Denton on Doomsday” (5/1); “The Sixteen Millimeter Shrine” (5/8); “Walking Distance” (5/15); “Escape Clause” (5/22); and “The Lonely” (5/29)…
  • SCIENCE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
    Explore the impact of weather on human events with the groundbreaking Weather Channel 362 educational series When Weather Changed History. Each weekly episode airs in two parts, Saturdays and Sundays at 4 am ET; 30 minutes per part; free taping rights. Recommended for students grades 6 through 12. This month’s episodes: “Dust Bowl” (5/6); “The Great Chicago Fire” (5/13); “D-Day” (5/20); and “Hindenburg” (5/27)…
  • THE WAR ON DRUGS AT HOME
    A&E 265 spotlights substance abusers and the people trying to save them in the documentary special Intervention In Depth: Huffing, airing May 4 at 4 am ET/PT. Due to the nature of this program, teachers may want to preview it for use in the classroom. For more information and classroom resources visit A&E Classroom…
COURTESY NICKELODEON
Maniac Magee
Available at Nickelodeon online
This entertaining adaptation of Jerry Spinelli’s award-winning book tells the story of Jeffrey Lionel “Maniac” Magee, an orphaned boy who makes a brave stand against racism in his town and winds up changing things forever. Narrated by actress Jada Pinkett Smith, the film is available online for viewing anytime and is accompanied by free lesson plans designed for students in grades 3-9 by the National Multicultural Institute.
Grades 3-9; approx. 70 minutes.
You can access the video and download lesson plans at Nickelodeon online.
COURTESY PBS
WordGirl: Mobot Knows Best
PBS
Airs May 6 (check local listings)
There’s a lot to be said for a superhero who not only fights crime and has a monkey sidekick, but also helps kids build a strong vocabulary. That’s WordGirl, and in this very special Mother’s Day episode our hero is called upon to save the day when a friend who’s worried about an upcoming parent-teacher conference tries to pass off a robot—or mobot—as his mom. Lesson plans for this series focus on vocabulary-building and related concepts.
Grades 1-3; 30 minutes; one-year taping rights.
For more information and lesson plans visit PBS Teachers.
FRED HAYES/DISNEY CHANNEL
Den Brother
Disney Channel 290 (and Disney Channel West 291)
Airs May 2 at 2 am ET/PT
This Disney original is a favorite with kids. It’s the story of a hotshot high school hockey player who receives a much-needed lesson in humility when he’s tasked with leading his kid sister’s Bumble Bee Troop. There’s a study guide available designed to foster classroom discussion on responsibility, teamwork and school sports. Note: The program airs in a 2-hour timeslot alongside another show. Record the entire 2 hours in order to capture the movie.
Grades 3-8; approx. 90 minutes; one-year taping rights.
For more information and a study guide visit Disney Channel Classroom.
ANTHONY TIEULI/@WGBH
Fetch!
PBS
Airs weekdays (check local listings)
Described by PBS as “part game show, part reality TV, and part spoof,” Fetch! is a unique series that engages kids in a step-by-step approach to problem solving. Science is the focus, and in each episode a team of young people learns that good “Habits of Mind”—such as attitude and strategy—are the keys to successful inquiry. Lest this all come off as a bit stuffy, keep in mind that it’s hosted by an animated dog named Ruff Ruffman.
Elementary-level students; 30 minutes; one-year taping rights.
For educational guidelines and activities, visit PBS.
A Fresh Look at Ancient Mysteries

Egypt’s Great Sphinx is in jeopardy, eroding steadily under a barrage of natural forces and human activity. This month, the PBS series NOVA follows an international team of archaeologists, architects and engineers racing against time to save the magnificent monument as they unlock its mysteries, which have baffled the curious for more than 3,000 years. NOVA: Riddles of the Sphinx airs May 18 on PBS, with a repeat broadcast on May 22 (check local listings). In the meantime, enjoy this preview.

A Little Extra Driver’s Ed Couldn’t Hurt

It’s springtime, which means the end of another semester of driver’s education—soon to be followed by a flurry of brand new driver’s licenses. For young people it’s a rite of passage, a ticket to freedom. For everyone else, well… Operating under the belief that no amount of good driver’s education is too much, the folks at Discovery Education have teamed with Toyota to create Toyota Teen Driver, a terrific web-based program designed to help new drivers stay safe. It’s fun, interactive, loaded with great information and completely free. Best of all, it’s not just for teens, but also for the parents and educators who care about them. For more information, visit Toyota Teen Driver today.

(Mass) Media Studies

Among the many great educational resources offered by C-SPAN is a web page simply titled Media Organizations, a comprehensive collection of links to hundreds of newspapers, periodicals and electronic news outlets. At first glance it’s a bit overwhelming, but perusing the offerings gave us an idea: Wouldn’t this be a great launching pad for a project on media literacy?

For example, how does coverage of a given event differ from news source to news source? What angle do they pursue; what facts do they choose to emphasize; and what might that have to do with the makeup of their readership, or where they’re located on the map? The Wall Street Journal, for example, may emphasize the financial implications of a news story, while Salon.com brings politics to the fore. A story in the Daily News about crime in New York City would certainly have a more local emphasis than would coverage in the Sacramento Bee. You get the idea. Hope that helps you hatch a few of your own. For more, visit C-SPAN’s Media Organizations page.