Advance excellent teaching with Annenberg Media.

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*** In the Spotlight for October ***
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 -  Brand New Series: "The Habitable Planet"
 -  Eleven More Interactives Now Available!
 -  A Fresh Face at Learner.org
 -  This Month on the Channel
 -  Connect Learning with Special Days
     o Poetry Day
     o World Teachers' Day
     o Intergeneration Day
     o Columbus Day
     o Get Smart About Credit Day
     o Mole Day
     o National Newspaper Week
     o National Metric Week
     o Head Start Awareness Month

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*** BRAND NEW SERIES: "THE HABITABLE PLANET" ***

After years of planning and preparation, we are pleased to present a brand new video series in environmental science: "The Habitable Planet: A Systems Approach to Environmental Science" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/envsci1.html>. The programs of "The Habitable Planet" will guide viewers through topics including the atmosphere, oceans, and ecosystems, as well as the impact of human activities and population growth on water and food resources, biodiversity, energy use, and global pollution. Each of the 13 programs in the series includes two case studies featuring the work of top scientists in the field. The course materials were created in association with the Harvard University Center for the Environment.

"The Habitable Planet" also includes a coordinated Web site with a downloadable guide, online textbook, interactive teaching and learning tools, and Video on Demand. Look for a link to the Web site later this month.

Use "The Habitable Planet" as a teaching aid in the classroom or register for professional development. Graduate credit is available through Colorado State University. The series may also be used as a formal college-level telecourse.

The series premieres October 24, 2007 on the Channel; check the broadcast schedule <http://learner.org/redirect/october/envsci2.html> for details.


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*** ELEVEN MORE INTERACTIVES NOW AVAILABLE! ***

Welcome to the new interactives at Learner.org! <http://learner.org/redirect/october/int3.html>

We are now offering eleven new interactive Web sites:

    - Metric Conversions
    - DNA
    - Dynamic Earth
    - Elements of a Story
    - Geometry 3D Shapes
    - Historical and Cultural Contexts
    - Metric Conversions
    - Rock Cycle
    - Spelling Bee
    - The Periodic Table
    - United States History Map

These new interactives are designed as fun learning tutorials for students, and can be incorporated by teachers into their lesson units. The interactives cover the core disciplines and include text, images, animations, activities, and final assessments.


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*** A FRESH FACE AT LEARNER.ORG ***

If you've visited Learner.org lately, you may have noticed our new look. The new home page is more streamlined, more interactive, and connects users to our video resources a lot faster. Subject categories are now available with a single click -- as are the newly expanded interactives -- and you're able to see more of what we offer at a glance.

We hope you'll enjoy the look and feel of our new home page. Visit
<http://learner.org/redirect/october/home4.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 pages linked below for specific broadcast dates and times. Consult the full broadcast schedule <http://learner.org/redirect/october/sched5.html> for many more programs and partial series airing in October.

ARTS
> "Connecting with the Arts: A Workshop for Middle Grades Teachers" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/cwaw6.html>

LITERATURE & LANGUAGE ARTS
> "The Expanding Canon: Teaching Multicultural Literature in High school" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/canon7.html>
> "In Search of the Novel" (middle/high school) <http://learner.org/redirect/october/novel8.html>
> "Literary Visions" (college/high school) <http://learner.org/redirect/october/lit9.html>
> "Voices & Visions" (college/high school) <http://learner.org/redirect/october/vv10.html>
> "Write in the Middle: A Workshop for Middle School Teachers" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/write11.html>

MATHEMATICS
> "Learning Math: Geometry" (K-8) <http://learner.org/redirect/october/geom12.html>
> "Learning Math: Measurement" (K-8) <http://learner.org/redirect/october/meas13.html>
> "Learning Math: Number and Operations" (K-8) <http://learner.org/redirect/october/num14.html>
> "Private Universe Project in Mathematics" (K-12) <http://learner.org/redirect/october/pupm15.html>

SCIENCE
> "Essential Science for Teachers: Physical Science" (K-6) <http://learner.org/redirect/october/phys16.html>
> "Reactions in Chemistry" (high school) <http://learner.org/redirect/october/rchem17.html>

SOCIAL STUDIES & HISTORY
> "Ethics in America II" (college/high school) <http://learner.org/redirect/october/ethii18.html>

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Find general information about the Annenberg Channel -- including free licensing -- at <http://learner.org/redirect/october/lic19.html>.

With a broadband Internet connection, watch the Channel simulcast online, closed captioned, at <http://learner.org/redirect/october/cc20.html>.


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*** CONNECT LEARNING WITH SPECIAL DAYS ***

Poetry Day (October 4)

> "Voices & Visions" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/vv21.html> presents the lives and works of 13 great American poets including Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Frost, Ezra Pound, Sylvia Plath, and Walt Whitman.

> Explore the various elements of poetry with "Literary Visions" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/lit22.html> Programs 11 through 17.

> Observe a lesson in which high school English teacher Chris Mazzino has students interpret and edit a poem about the experience of stereotypes as a means of exploring the larger theme in "Teaching 'The Children of Willesden Lane'" Program 12, "Gaining Insight Through Poetry" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/cwl23.html>.

> With "Rhythms in Poetry" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/apass24.html>, examine historical trends in American society through developments in poetry. This program in "American Passages: A Literary Survey" focuses specifically on the work of Langston Hughes and William Carlos Williams. The archive <http://learner.org/redirect/october/apass25.html> also contains artifacts related to poetry and to poets such as Phillis Wheatley, Anne Bradstreet, Emily Dickinson, and Marianne Moore.

> See how different teachers approach poetry with their students in "Write in the Middle: A Workshop for Middle School Teachers" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/write26.html> Workshop 3, "Teaching Poetry." Find lesson plans and more on the series Web site <http://learner.org/redirect/october/write27.html>.

> Find ways of working poetry into the early elementary classroom in "Teaching Reading K-2: A Library of Classroom Practices" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/readl28.html>.

> Watch a fourth grade poetry lesson based on poems from "Baseball, Snakes, and Summer Squash" by Donald H. Graves and "Hey You! C'Mere: A Poetry Slam" by Elizabeth Swados in the program "Starting Out" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/engl29.html> from "Engaging With Literature: A Video Library, Grades 3-5."


World Teachers' Day (October 5)

> Take an in-depth look at major issues affecting teachers' lives -- including standards, teacher training, student testing, school funding, school violence, superintendents and school boards -- in "The Merrow Report" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/mer30.html>.

> Be inspired by the work of teachers featured in "Minds of Our Own" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/minds31.html>, whose self-criticism and efforts toward educational reform have begun to make a difference.

> Invest in yourself as a teacher by taking a free workshop or course <http://learner.org/redirect/october/wkshp32.html>, or opt for graduate credit. Start viewing programs this month to receive your transcript by the end of the year.

> Much of World Teachers' Day is about creating positive change. Consider how the political process can work by watching "Democracy in America" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/dia33.html> Program 14, "Interest Groups: Organizing To Influence."


Intergeneration Day (October 7)

> Gain a better understanding of the changes and continuities between people of different ages with "Seasons of Life" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/seas34.html>.

> "Growing Old in a New Age" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/gold35.html> helps to break down barriers between the generations by dispelling common misconceptions about aging.

> Adults can develop insight into the world of infants and young children by watching "The Whole Child: A Caregiver's Guide to the First Five Years" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/child36.html>.

> "Discovering Psychology: Updated Edition" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/psych37.html> looks at the psychological development of both young and old. See Program 5, "The Developing Child," and Program 18, "Maturing and Aging."


Columbus Day (October 8)

> "Mapping Initial Encounters" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/ahist38.html>, the second unit of "America's History in the Making," looks at the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492 as the beginning of globalization -- a new era of exchange between Native peoples, Europeans, and Africans in the areas of culture, trade, and conquest.

> "Bridging World History" Program 2, "History and Memory" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/bwh39.html>, examines the persona of Columbus as a phenomenon of collective memory in the Americas and around the world.

> Learn more about what the travels of Columbus meant for the New World and Native peoples with "New World Encounters," the first program of "A Biography of America" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/bio40.html>.

> Find images related to Columbus in the American Passages artifact archive <http://learner.org/redirect/october/arch41.html>. Unit 1 of the series may also be of interest.


Get Smart About Credit Day (October 18)

> Draw ideas from the lesson of seasoned economics teacher Marc Johnson in "Learning, Earning, and Saving" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/econc42.html> from "The Economics Classroom: A Workshop for Grade 9-12 Teachers." Which credit card do more millionaires have? Play Mr. Johnson's quiz game and find out!

> For a better understanding of the bigger economic picture, including principles of supply and demand,

> Try our classic interactive, "Math in Daily Life" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/mdl44.html>, which covers savings and credit and how to manage credit cards.


Mole Day (October 23)

Chemists observe Mole Day to celebrate Avogadro's number, also known as the Avogadro constant, which represents the number of particles in a mole: approximately 6.022 × 10 to the 23rd power. In honor of the number, celebrations take place on 10/23 from 6:02am to 6:02pm.

> What's a mole? Find out by watching "The Mole," Program 11 of "The World of Chemistry" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/chem45.html>. The program covers Avogadro's number and related concepts.

> High school teachers will draw ideas from the lessons featured in "Reactions in Chemistry" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/rchem46.html>.

> "The Mechanical Universe...and Beyond" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/mech47.html> Program 49 discusses Avogadro's number and its role in the development of atomic theory.

> Learn ways to build on children's preconceptions about particles and conservation of matter with "Essential Science for Teachers: Physical Science" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/phys48.html>.


National Newspaper Week (October 7-13)

This year's theme for National Newspaper Week is "Public notices in newspapers ... because good government depends on it."

> Watch "News Writing" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/news49.html> to find out what goes into the making of the news. Then read the interesting News Writing Interviews <http://learner.org/redirect/october/newsi50.html> featuring six leading figures in print journalism.

> Are there limits to what newspapers should print? Consider different sides of the issue with "Ethics in America" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/eth51.html> Program 10, "Politics, Privacy, and the Press."

> Find more concerns about the limits of news in "War Stories: National Security & the News," the second program of "Ethics in America II" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/ethii52.html>, new this year.

> Consider the role of the press from a constitutional standpoint through the discussions of "National Security and Freedom of the Press," Program 8 of "The Constitution: That Delicate Balance" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/const53.html>.

> The importance of media in the maintenance of democracy is explored in "The Media: Inside Story," the tenth program of "Democracy in America" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/dia54.html>. Download readings about freedom of the press and try a critical thinking activity about the nature of news on the series Web site <http://learner.org/redirect/october/dia55.html>.


National Metric Week (October 7-13)

> Visit our brand new interactive, "Metric Conversions" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/metric56.html>. This interactive teaches students about the metric system and how to convert between English and metric units.

> Review metric system basics with the video and Web-based content of "The Metric System" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/meas57.html>, the third session of "Learning Math: Measurement."

> What does the metric system have to do with baking cookies? Our interactive "Math in Daily Life" looks into the issue in the section "Cooking by Numbers" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/mdl58.html>.


Head Start Awareness Month

> Look deeper into the pros and cons of preschool programs, including Head Start, in "The Merrow Report" <http://learner.org/redirect/october/mer59.html> Program 52, "Promise of Preschool."


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