Advance excellent teaching with Annenberg Media.

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*** In the Spotlight for June ***
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 -  Linking to Current Events
 -  New Professional Development Brochure
 -  This Month on the Channel
 -  Connect Learning with Special Days
     o Start of the Hurricane Season
     o World Environment Day
     o Birthday of Paul Gauguin
     o Flag Day
     o Juneteenth
 -  Now Available on DVD

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*** LINKING TO CURRENT EVENTS ***

On Thursday May 25, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to allow oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. If you plan to discuss this topic with your students, you might be interested in the following programs:

  - "Alaska: The Last Frontier?" -- Program 5 of our series "Human Geography: People, Places, and Change" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/alaska1.html>, explores the unique heritage of indigenous peoples, the importance of wilderness preservation, and the threats posed by development and resource exploitation.

  - "Earth Revealed" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/earth2.html> Program 26, "Living With Earth, Part I," discusses oil drilling within the context of geologic resource depletion.

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Performance on the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) science assessment has improved among fourth graders, but high school performance continues to decline. The following resources on standards, assessment, and learning theory might be of value to teachers:

  - "Looking at Learning...Again, Part 1" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/lala1_3.html> discusses learning theory and sound teaching methods; Program 8 discusses educational practices in the U.S. that may contribute to students' falling behind their peers in other countries. "Looking at Learning...Again, Part 2" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/lala2_4.html> continues the exploration. Both series begin this month on the Channel.

  - "A Private Universe" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/privun5.html> and "Minds of Our Own" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/minds6.html> investigate why even the brightest students often fail to understand basic science concepts.

  - "The Merrow Report" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/merrow7.html> Program 16, "Testing...Testing...Testing," and Program 49, "Testing Our Schools," explore controversies and problems associated with standardized testing in public schools, as well as alternative assessment models and standards development.

  - "Teaching High School Science" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/hssci8.html> features real teachers in real classrooms successfully integrating national science standards with inquiry learning.

  - "Assessment in Math and Science: What's the Point?" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/assess9.html> considers various ways in which assessment can be used to improve teaching and learning.

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Watch all of the programs above FREE through Video on Demand. Go to <http://learner.org/redirect/june/view10.html> for technical requirements and general instructions.

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*** NEW PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BROCHURE ***

Our new two-page professional development brochure correlating to the July-December Channel schedule is now available in PDF format at <http://learner.org/redirect/june/broch11.html>.

Broadcasters and school staff development professionals may wish to distribute this brochure to teachers to show them free professional development options they can pursue on their own.

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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 broadcast dates and times. Consult the full broadcast schedule <http://learner.org/redirect/june/sched12.html> for many more programs and partial series airing in June.

ARTS
> "The Art of Teaching the Arts: A Workshop for High School Teachers" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/hsart13.html>
> "Connecting with the Arts: A Workshop for Middle Grades Teachers" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/cwart14.html>

EDUCATION THEORY
> "Looking at Learning...Again, Part 1" (K-12) <http://learner.org/redirect/june/lala1_15.html>
> "Looking at Learning...Again, Part 2" (K-12) <http://learner.org/redirect/june/lala2_16.html>

FOREIGN LANGUAGE
> "Destinos: An Introduction to Spanish" (college/high school) <http://learner.org/redirect/june/spanish17.html>
> "French in Action" (college/high school) <http://learner.org/redirect/june/french18.html>

LITERATURE & LANGUAGE ARTS
> "Engaging With Literature: A Workshop for Teachers, Grades 3-5" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/englit19.html>

MATHEMATICS
> "Learning Math: Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability" (K-8) <http://learner.org/redirect/june/data20.html>
> "Learning Math: Patterns, Functions, and Algebra" (K-8) <http://learner.org/redirect/june/pattern21.html>
> "The Missing Link: Essential Concepts for Middle School Math Teachers" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/link22.html>

SCIENCE
> "Essential Science for Teachers: Physical Science" (K-6) <http://learner.org/redirect/june/physci23.html>
> "Learning Science Through Inquiry" (K-8) <http://learner.org/redirect/june/inq24.html>

SOCIAL STUDIES & HISTORY
> "Social Studies in Action: A Methodology Workshop, K-5" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/ssws25.html>
> "Teaching Geography" (grades 7-12) <http://learner.org/redirect/june/tgeog26.html>

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The Annenberg Channel Program Guide is available for download in PDF format at <http://learner.org/redirect/june/guide27.html>. The Guide contains satellite and signal information, plus daily and month-at-a-glance program schedules.

Find general information about the Annenberg Channel at <http://learner.org/redirect/june/chnnl28.html>. For free licensing, go to <http://learner.org/redirect/june/license29.html>.

Catch the live stream of the Channel at <http://learner.org/redirect/june/live30.html>, closed captioned at <http://learner.org/redirect/june/livecc31.html>.

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*** CONNECT LEARNING WITH SPECIAL DAYS ***

Start of the Hurricane Season (June 1)

Hurricane season in the Atlantic is June 1 through November 30. In 2005, hurricane Katrina -- plus Dennis, Emily, Rita, and Wilma -- made 2005 the costliest hurricane season ever, as well as one of the deadliest on record. With the start of the 2006 hurricane season come hopes that this year will be gentler to coastal communities.

> To better understand the forces that influence our weather, visit our online exhibit, "Weather" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/weather32.html>.

> "Planet Earth" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/planet33.html> Program 3, "The Climate Puzzle," travels around the globe and down into Earth's past to uncover the mysterious origins of climate change.

> In "Science in Focus: Energy" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/energy34.html> Workshop 6, "Energy and Systems," Dr. Kerry Emanuel at MIT explains how an energy systems approach and computer models can help us understand the behavior of these colossal storms.

World Environment Day (June 5)

World Environment Day was started in 1972 by the United Nations General Assembly. Its purpose is to raise awareness about environmental issues and their human impact, with an emphasis on individuals and communities as catalysts of positive change. This year's theme is Deserts and Desertification, with the slogan, "Don't Desert Drylands!"

> To learn how geologic processes and other factors can contribute to desertification, watch "Earth Revealed" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/earth35.html> Program 22, "Wind, Dust and Deserts."

> The second segment of "Teaching Geography" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/tgeog36.html> Workshop 4 focuses on Egypt's reliance on the Nile River in an otherwise arid region. The program enters the 7th grade classroom of Cynthia Ryan to demonstrate how hands-on and role-playing activities can foster a deeper understanding of the physical environment.

> "Human Geography: People, Places, and Change" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/hgeog37.html> Program 7, "Water Is for Fighting Over," looks at conflicting uses of water along the California-Nevada border -- for wildlife and Native cultural preservation and for measures to reclaim desert as farmland through irrigation.

> See dramatic dry landscapes of the expanding Sahara in "The Africans" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/africa38.html> Program 1, "The Nature of a Continent." The series is available for purchase at <http://learner.org/redirect/june/africa39.html>.

Birthday of Paul Gauguin (June 7)

> On the 158th birthday of Post-Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin, watch "Art of the Western World" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/art40.html> Program 7, "A Fresh View--Impressionism and Post-Impressionism" to learn more about the artist's work and that of his contemporaries. Now available on DVD.

Flag Day (June 14)

> On the American Passages Web site, see the article, "Star Spangled Moccasins: The American Flag in Native American Culture" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/flag41.html>. Then search the artifact archive <http://learner.org/redirect/june/archive42.html> to find historical photographs, artwork, posters, pictures of clothing and handicrafts -- and even sound files and sheet music -- related to the American flag. Finally, use this online tool <http://learner.org/redirect/june/slides43.html> to create your own slideshow.

> In "Landmark Supreme Court Cases," Program 20 of "Social Studies in Action: A Teaching Practices Library, K-12" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/sslib44.html>, Wendy Ewbank's middle school students engage in a two-day civics lesson revolving around the symbolism of the American flag and rights under the First Amendment.

Juneteenth (June 17)

June 19th -- shortened to "Juneteenth" -- is celebrated as Freedom Day for African Americans. The tradition goes back to 1865 in Galveston, Texas, when Union Major General Gordon Granger announced (finally) that the Civil War had ended and that all slaves were officially free. This announcement was followed by spontaneous celebrations.

By convention, Juneteenth is observed on the third Saturday in June, which in 2006 falls on the 17th.

> "A Biography of America" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/boa45.html> (Web site <http://learner.org/redirect/june/boaweb46.html>) offers programs chronicling American slavery, the Civil War, and their aftermath.

> "Primary Sources: Workshops in American History" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/prim47.html> features an in-depth investigation into who freed the slaves: Was it President Lincoln, or other factors? What role did the enslaved play in their own emancipation? Find lecture transcripts and a link to Video on Demand on the series Web site <http://learner.org/redirect/june/emanc48.html>.

> Celebrate through literature with "Slavery and Freedom," Program 7 of "American Passages: A Literary Survey" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/freedom49.html>.

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*** NOW AVAILABLE ON DVD ***

The following have been added to our list of titles available on DVD:

   "The Whole Child: A Caregiver's Guide to the First Five Years" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/child50.html>

   "Economics U$A" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/econ51.html>

   "Democracy in America" <http://learner.org/redirect/june/dia52.html>

On the pages linked above, click on "Overview" for more information about the series. If you would like additional details about items in our catalog or purchasing options, please call 1-800-LEARNER.


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