Advance excellent teaching with Annenberg Media.

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*** In the Spotlight for February ***
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 -  Black and American History Month
 -  This Month on the Channel
 -  Connect Learning with More Special Days
     o Darwin Day
     o Ferris Wheel Day
     o Valentine's Day
     o Presidents' Day
     o The Academy Awards

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*** BLACK and AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH ***

February is both Black History Month and American History Month. The fact is, Black history is inextricably interwoven with American history. Explore the Black aspects of American history with Annenberg Media resources.

> Our brand new series "America's History in the Making" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/ahm1.html> includes information about African enslavement, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. In the coming weeks, look for links to Video on Demand and the series Web site.

> "Primary Sources: Workshops in American History" asks the question, "Who freed the slaves?" and uncovers the complex answer through primary source documents. Go to the series Web site <http://learner.org/redirect/february/prim2.html> for Video on Demand, lecture transcripts, relevant documents, and classroom applications.

> Programs 9 through 12 of "A Biography of America" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/boa3.html> cover the era of American slavery and its aftermath, and Program 24 covers the Civil Rights era. Find coordinated resources on the series Web site, such as this interactive activity <http://learner.org/redirect/february/boa4.html> counterposing the very different programs of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois for improving the situation of African Americans.

> "Social Studies in Action: A Teaching Practices Library, K-12" Program 18, "The Amistad Case," shows an effective 8th-grade history lesson employing a mock trial. Find a summary of events, Video on Demand, and more on the series Web site <http://learner.org/redirect/february/sslib5.html>.

> "The Africans" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/afr6.html> reveals the African side of the trans-Atlantic slave trade in Program 4, "Tools of Exploitation." Other programs in the series discuss various aspects of African history and culture. Click on "Buy Videos and Materials" for purchasing options.

For Literature and Art:

> Read about many authors of different eras, such as Ralph Ellison, Zora Neale Hurston, Harriet Jacobs, and Frederick Douglass <http://learner.org/redirect/february/apass7.html> on the Web site for "American Passages: A Literary Survey." The site also offers links to Video on Demand, lesson activities, and more.

> The searchable American Passages artifact archive contains thousands of historical images, such as this one of a 1943 Harlem street scene <http://learner.org/redirect/february/scene8.html> alongside verses of a poem from Countee Cullen's "From the Dark Tower." The archive contains photos of Malcolm X <http://learner.org/redirect/february/x9.html> and other figures, fugitive slaves <http://learner.org/redirect/february/slave10.html>, and much more. And don't leave the site without creating your own slideshow!

> For ideas on presenting African American literature, watch "The Expanding Canon: Teaching Multicultural Literature in High School" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/canon11.html>. On the series Web site, discover the historical significance of the works of Keith Gilyard <http://learner.org/redirect/february/canon12.html> and other authors.

> Middle school teachers will benefit from "Teaching Multicultural Literature: A Workshop for the Middle Grades" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/tml13.html>. On the series Web site, find the poem "Africa Rising" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/tml14.html>, a 6th-grade literature lesson using the documentary "Eyes on the Prize" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/tml15.html>, and other material exploring African American historical themes.

> For elementary grades, see "Engaging with Literature: A Video Library, Grades 3-5" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/engl16.html>, particularly Program 6, "Building Community." The program shows lessons built around historical fiction, including "I Have a Dream: The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr." and "Walking the Road to Freedom: A Story About Sojourner Truth."

> A companion of "American Passages," our series "Artifacts & Fiction: Workshop in American Literature" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/artfic17.html> delves deep into hands-on teaching. Watch Workshop 3, "Social History" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/artfic18.html>, which considers the rhetorical dimensions of actual slavery documents as context for understanding literature of the era.

> Learn about the life, works, and historical significance of poet Langston Hughes with our hour-long documentary in "Voices & Visions" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/vv11.html>. The program features discussion of Hughes by author James Baldwin.

> The series "A World of Art: Works in Progress" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/artwk20.html> includes a documentary on artist Beverly Buchanan, whose innovative art focuses on the shack as an important symbol of the rural South.

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For information about our free Video on Demand and other viewing options, go to <http://learner.org/redirect/february/view21.html>.


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*** THIS MONTH ON THE CHANNEL ***

The following series begin this month on the Annenberg Channel. Be sure to scroll down on the linked pages for specific broadcast dates and times. Consult the full broadcast schedule <http://learner.org/redirect/february/sched22.html> for many more programs and partial series airing in February.

ARTS
> "American Cinema" (college/high school) <http://learner.org/redirect/february/cine23.html>
> "The Arts in Every Classroom: A Workshop for Elementary School Teachers" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/aecw24.html>

FOREIGN LANGUAGE
> "Fokus Deutsch" (college/high school) <http://learner.org/redirect/february/german25.html>

LITERATURE & LANGUAGE ARTS
> "In Search of the Novel" (middle/high school) <http://learner.org/redirect/february/ison26.html>
> "Voices & Visions" (college level) <http://learner.org/redirect/february/vv27.html>

MATHEMATICS
> "Learning Math: Number and Operations" (K-8) <http://learner.org/redirect/february/number28.html>

SCIENCE
> "Essential Science for Teachers: Physical Science" (K-6) <http://learner.org/redirect/february/phys29.html>
> "Learning Science Through Inquiry" (K-8) <http://learner.org/redirect/february/inq30.html>
> "Rediscovering Biology: Molecular to Global Perspectives" (high school) <http://learner.org/redirect/february/rbio31.html>

SOCIAL STUDIES & HISTORY
> ***NEW! "America's History in the Making" (high school) <http://learner.org/redirect/february/ahm32.html>
> "The Economics Classroom: A Workshop for Grade 9-12 Teachers" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/econw33.html>
> "Ethics in America" (college/high school) <http://learner.org/redirect/february/ethic34.html>
> ***NEW! "Ethics in America II" (college/high school) <http://learner.org/redirect/february/eia2_35.html>
> "Social Studies in Action: A Methodology Workshop, K-5" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/ssw36.html>
> "Social Studies in Action: A Teaching Practices Library, K-12" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/ssl37.html>

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Find general information about the Annenberg Channel -- including free licensing -- at <http://learner.org/redirect/february/chnl38.html>.

Be sure to download the Channel Program Guide <http://learner.org/redirect/february/guide39.html>, available in PDF format. The Guide contains satellite and signal information, plus daily and month-at-a-glance program schedules.

With a broadband Internet connection, watch the Channel simulcast <http://learner.org/redirect/february/viewc40.html>, also closed captioned <http://learner.org/redirect/february/viewcc41.html>.


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*** CONNECT LEARNING WITH MORE SPECIAL DAYS ***

Darwin Day (February 12)

Charles Robert Darwin -- English naturalist and controversial theorist -- turns 198 this month. Celebrate with our resources on genetics, evolution, and other subjects.

> "Rediscovering Biology: Molecular to Global Perspectives" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/rbio42.html> addresses the origin of species including humans, particularly in Units 3 and 9. Are we indeed apes? Find out with the help of the online textbook <http://learner.org/redirect/february/rbio43.html>. Also find interesting interviews, like this one <http://learner.org/redirect/february/woese44.html> with Professor Carl Woese -- "molecular biologist turned evolutionist."

> For elementary-level material, see "Essential Science for Teachers: Life Science" Session 5, "Variation, Adaptation, and Natural Selection" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/life45.html> and Session 6, "Evolution and the Tree of Life" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/life46.html>. For information specifically about Darwin, see "Who was Charles Darwin?" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/life47.html>.

> In the American Passages archive, find a photograph of Darwin <http://learner.org/redirect/february/darwin48.html> and one the Scopes Monkey Trial <http://learner.org/redirect/february/scopes49.html>, plus Professor Abby H.P. Werlock's remarks <http://learner.org/redirect/february/audio50.html> about Darwin's role in literary realism.

> Find a connection between Darwin's theory and hierarchical social policy in Lecture One of Workshop 6, "The Census," on the Primary Sources Web site <http://learner.org/redirect/february/prim51.html>.

> Learn how Earth's fossil record has documented changes in species over time with "Earth Revealed" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/earth52.html> Program 11, "Evolution Through Time."


Ferris Wheel Day (February 14)

Ferris Wheel Day marks the birthday of engineer and inventor George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr., whose giant "observation wheel" debuted June 21, 1893 as the biggest attraction at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois.

> Observe students working out formulas to describe the motion of a Ferris wheel -- and then a double Ferris wheel -- in "Teaching Math: A Video Library, 9-12" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/tmhs53.html>. Examine the math more deeply on the series Web site <http://learner.org/redirect/february/tmhs54.html>.

> Teacher Helen Compton shares her thoughts on assessing students engaged in group work in "Mathematics Assessment: A Video Library, K-12" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/masses55.html> Program 8, "Case Study: Ferris Wheel (High School)."

> See a photograph of the original Ferris wheel <http://learner.org/redirect/february/ferris56.html> and learn more about its debut at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in Workshop 5 of "Primary Sources: Workshops in American History" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/prim57.html>.

> What makes rides fun? Explore this and other questions as they apply to other rides such as roller coasters and carousels at our online exhibit, "Amusement Park Physics" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/amuse58.html>.


Valentine's Day (February 14)

> Visit our Teachers' Lab math activity, "How Many Valentines?" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/valent59.html>. Then observe a fun 4th-grade math lesson incorporating the Valentine's Day theme in "Teaching Math: A Video Library, K-4" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/tmlk4_60.html> Program 42, "Valentine Exchange."

> Demonstrate reasoning and proof through the mystery of love with an interactive activity <http://learner.org/redirect/february/tm35_61.html> on the Teaching Math: Grades 3-5 Web site.

> For a biological, evolutionary take on romance, watch "Discovering Psychology: Updated Edition" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/psych62.html> Program 12, "Motivation and Emotion."


Presidents' Day (February 19)

The third Monday in February is still Washington's Birthday by federal law, but has been referred to as Presidents' Day since a proclamation by President Nixon in 1971.

> "The Modern Presidency: Tools of Power," Program 7 of "Democracy in America" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/dia63.html>, offers an overview of the office as the "institutional presidency." Find a topic overview, a critical thinking activity, and readings by Alexander Hamilton, Alexis de Tocqueville, and Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Jackson on the series Web site <http://learner.org/redirect/february/dia64.html>.

> Explore the series "A Biography of America" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/boa65.html> and its coordinated Web site, which include information about Presidents George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, William McKinley, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin Roosevelt.

> Watch "The Constitution: That Delicate Balance" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/const66.html> Program 1, "Executive Privilege and Delegation of Powers," which asks important questions regarding the President, the Congress, and the balance of powers. The late President Gerald Ford appears in this program as a distinguished participant.

> Be sure to read Helen Thomas's comments on covering the White House <http://learner.org/redirect/february/thomas67.html>, which include tidbits about her experience with several presidents.


The Academy Awards (February 25)

> "American Cinema" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/cine68.html> examines film history and American culture using clips from more than 300 acclaimed movies and interviews with Hollywood insiders.

> Visit our online "Cinema" exhibit <http://learner.org/redirect/february/cinema69.html> with sections on screenwriting, directing, producing, acting, and editing, plus interesting links and interactive activities.

> "In Search of the Novel" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/ison70.html> looks at ten well-loved novels, several of which have been made into well-loved motion pictures.

> Read the articles "Mass Culture Invasion: The Rise of Motion Pictures" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/film71.html> and "Documentary Photography and Film" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/pict72.html>, which discusses the significance of documentary film during the 1930s.

> Find historical images in the American Passages archive, such as this photograph of a set and actors for the award-winning 1940 movie "The Grapes of Wrath" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/wrath73.html>.

> Try our early movie producer links <http://learner.org/redirect/february/boa74.html> on the Biography of America Web site.


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