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December PBS Educational Resources for K-12 Educators

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by
Ian Cruz
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KLRN Education

Educators! The Winter Break is almost here and KLRN has you covered with programming, special lesson ideas, and more that you can share in your classrooms and beyond! 

Below, find a curated list of resources from KLRN and PBS LearningMedia! 

 

Arthur: D.W. on Ice / Spoiled Rotten! 
Wednesday, 12/1/2021 at 4:30 pm on 9.1

 

 

Ken Burns: Muhammad Ali 
Thursday, 12/2 at 4:00 PM on 9.2

  • Muhammad Ali | Boxer and Civil Rights Activist Video
  • Share Your Red Bike Moment©
    Each and every one of us has a story to tell. To celebrate Ali’s legacy and the Ken Burn’s film Muhammad Ali, the Muhammad Ali Center is partnering with PBS stations to collect stories from people across the country about moments in their life that helped make them who they are today. It can be a large or small moment—if it has had a profound impact on your life in any way, it counts. Simply post a video or photo on social media telling your story, and include the hashtag #AliKLRN 
     
  • Muhammad Ali | Boxer and Civil Rights Activist (Grades 3-8) Students will learn about the remarkable athletic achievements and advocacy of Muhammad Ali. After watching a biographical video, students will analyze a photograph taken during the height of the controversy over Ali’s refusal to fight in the Vietnam War, and they will read the transcript of a revealing interview Ali gave and answer questions about it. To conclude the lesson, students will choose a quotation to use for a motivational poster.
     
  • Examining Muhammad Ali's Identity Development & Creative Media Extension (Grades 9-12) In this lesson, students will analyze the character development of Cassius Clay Jr., and then Muhammad Ali, as he forged his personal identity throughout the course of his prolific boxing career. Students will examine the social and political aspects of Ali’s public identity in their historical context. Students will consider how Ali’s public persona was shaped by his personal triumphs and losses before reflecting on their own public expressions of identity and how these are rooted in personal experiences. Video clips from Muhammad Ali provide source material and inspiration to students as they engage in self-reflection, classroom discussion, and creation of media projects about the ways identity is shaped by both private and public aspects of life.*Sensitive: This resource contains material that may be sensitive for some students. Teachers should exercise discretion in evaluating whether this resource is suitable for their class.

 

Stories from the Stage: Giving Thanks 
Monday, 12/6 at 10:30 AM on 9.2
 

Link to PBS Learning Media Video: Learn to be Thankful

In this video and activities Thanksgiving Activity: Dance to Success and Gratitude Booklet: Dance to Success we explore gratitude. Gratitude is an important practice year-round. Whether used around Thanksgiving or at any other point in the year, the “Learn to be Thankful” video teaches students to see how much there is to be grateful for! Students are led through a dance sequence in which they thank their bodies, the sky, ground, and their friends, and learn how important it is to express their appreciation. The supplementary materials ask students to reflect on other parts of their lives they are thankful for, and how it makes them feel to express their thanks.

 

Wild Kratts: Spirit Bear 
Tuesday, 12/7 at 2:30 PM on 9.1
 

Link to PBS Learning Media Video- Wild Kratts: Up the Waterfall 

 

Overcoming the Odds: Lidia Celebrates America 
Tuesday, 12/14 at 7:00 PM on 9.1
 

Link to PBS Video Clip: Overcoming the Odds: Lidia Celebrates America

  • Healthy Eating | Cooking Across Generations (Grades 3-8) Jalani Phillips, Jr. (age 10, U.S. Virgin Islands) describes the origins of his Healthy Lunchtime Challenge winning recipe for Hurricane Lentil and Salmon Patties, and his mother talks about their family’s cooking traditions, in this video from WGBH. Jalani explains why he would rather be a chef than president of the United States. After explaining why he and his mother frequently use onions in their dishes, he describes some of the cultural recipes that have inspired him to cook. His mother explains that she learned to cook at a young age and thought it was important for Jalani to learn, too.
  • Healthy Eating | Cooking Across Generations Handout and more videos and activities in the Healthy Eating Collection.

 

 

POV: 93Queen 
Wednesday, 12/15 at 2:30 PM on 9.2


Link to PBS Learning Media Video: Meet the Helpers | Paramedics are Helpers 

  • In-Depth: Power up with Problem Solving and Service! | GIRL Power! (Grades K-5) Meet the GIRL!: Tyler is 17 years old and has a passion for helping people. She lost her 4 grandparents to cancer and wanted to do something to help others.  She is strong in science and decided to use her science skills to help find a cure for cancer.  She volunteers at a hospital to provide some help and kindness to cancer patients. She is also a swim coach for kids helping them to reach their goals as a swimmer.  Tyler’s passion for serving others is huge and her problem solving science skills are helping to make an impact in her community. Also see the Power Up with Problem Solving Guide and UNC-TV's GIRL Power! Collection
  • Margaret Chung | Unladylike2020 (Grades 6-12) In 1916, Margaret Chung became the first American-born Chinese female doctor. Throughout her career, Chung persevered against discrimination. Learn about Chung’s inspiring career in medicine and her contributions to the U.S. war effort during WWII in this video from Unladylike2020. Support materials include discussion questions, vocabulary, a “Real Heroes” comic book analysis, and research extension tips.

 

 

Alma’s Way: Alma’s Nochebuena / Three Kings Day Do-Over 
Tuesday, 12/21 at 3:00 PM on 9.1
 

Link to Alma’s Way Videos on PBS Kids: https://pbskids.org/video/almas-way/3061211776 "Alma's Way" is an engaging, animated series for children ages 4 to 6 created by Sonia Manzano, who played Maria on "Sesame Street." The series stars 6-year-old Alma Rivera, a proud and confident Bronx-born, Puerto Rican girl, who lives in the Bronx with her family and a diverse group of friends and neighbors. In each story, Alma speaks directly to the audience in her "Think Through" moments, where she learns to think for herself, make decisions, and understand other people’s points of view — while making lots of messy and hilarious mistakes all along the way.

Neighborhood Notebook | Alma's Way As Alma explores, she appreciates all the great things about her neighborhood. How can we make observations and celebrate our communities? Students will use a printable Alma’s Way My Neighborhood Notebook to observe the people, places, things, and cultures that make their communities special. Notebooks can be completed independently or as a part of a group activity, and in any order that best fits a student's skill level and interests.

 

Songs at the Center 
Thursday, 12/23 at 6:00 PM on 9.2
 

Link to PBS Video: Songs at the Center from the Columbus Arts Festival 

  • Song: Musica | Sesame Street (Grades PreK -K) Rosita and her friends are making musica, or music, using a variety of instruments. This music video focuses on Spanish language and musical creativity.
  • America's Songs: The Lomax Collection (Grades 3-12) Born in 1915, Alan Lomax was a folklorist who recorded the songs and stories of folk groups across the rural United States, the Caribbean, the British Isles, Europe, and Morocco. Between 1933 and 1942 Lomax traveled throughout rural Kentucky to record songs for the Archive of American Folk Songs at the Library of Congress. The Lomax Kentucky Recordings have been digitized and are now available online. In this collection you will hear a sample of the songs Lomax recorded in Kentucky.

 

 

All Creatures Great and Small on Masterpiece: A Tricki Case
Monday, 12/27 at 3:00 PM on 9.2
 

Link to PBS Learning Media Video: Setting the Scene | All Creatures Great and Small

Chapter 2 Excerpt | All Creatures Great and Small (Grades 6-12) Study the setting of James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small with this video excerpt from the 2021 MASTERPIECE adaptation and chapter excerpt from the book. Newly qualified veterinary surgeon James Herriot, startled by the bus whistle announcing a stop, awakens to the beauty and vastness of the Yorkshire Dales, England. The isolating remoteness of the environment becomes palpable when James gets off the bus too soon and is left standing on the roadside with nothing but a boundless landscape visible in all directions.

 

Arthur: Buster Baxter, Cat Saver / Play It Again, D.W. 
Tuesday, 12/28 at 4:00 PM on 9.1
 

Link to Arthur Videos on PBS Kids https://pbskids.org/video/arthur/3048931911

  • Kids In Action (Grades K-5) Nine-year-old Dylan introduces us to his family and home and demonstrates some of his many talents, such as dancing and beat boxing. He also takes us on a visit to see his nurse, where they talk about his asthma care and management before heading to summer camp. Explore what it is like to have asthma through the eyes of Dylan, in this video from Arthur: "Buster's Breathless."
  • Buster's Breathless (Grades K-5) This read-aloud story is based on the ARTHUR episode, "Buster's Breathless." Read together with your child before or after watching the video. As you read, pause to talk about the characters and what's happening in the story. Answer any questions your child may have and point out how Buster's story relates to your child's experiences.