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Some broadcast and cable programs contain material included in the public
school curriculum and on competitive exams. Here are viewing suggestions for
August 23-29.
Greetings, TV viewers!
Several programs this week are about people who think they aren't being treated fairly -- and they do something about it. They deal with family matters, work competition, civil rights school policy, even religious discrimination. Come to the Hour this week to talk about whether or not you're being treated fairly at home, at school or by other people?
What's the Media Hour? Watch the show(s)-of-the-week, jot down some ideas, then come and talk about them with me and other citizens (including other City Workers, if they're available) at the Greek Theater, over in City Hall. You'll find that the Theater makes discussions pretty easy, since City Workers are able to direct people's movement and behavior, when we need to, and it keeps everyone's chat bubbles from overlapping too much. The current day and time for MediaHour is Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. Whyville Time (that's the same as Eastern Standard Time).
Monday, August 23
"Lazy Town" (Health Science ; Nickelodeon, 10:30-11:30 p.m. E/P) Here are
two episodes of Nick's new fitness-oriented TV series. They combine live action
and computer animation and are entitled "Hero for a Day" and "Sleepless In Lazy
Town". The setting is a village where 8-year-old Stephanie and her friends are
caught between a high-energy, health conscious superhero named Sporticus and a
lazy bad guy named Robbie Rotten who spends his time lounging around and eating
junk food. The series airs regularly in this time period for the rest of the
summer break.
Tuesday, August 24
"Battle Of The X-Planes" (Science and Technology ; PBS, 8-10 p.m. E/P)
This is a NOVA documentary about the competition between U.S. aerospace
companies to build the next-generation of military fighter airplanes. There is
an accompanying website where you can find out how the shapes of airplanes
affect the way they fly: http://www.pbs.org/nova/xplanes.
"Tiger Cruise" (Social Studies/Current Events ; Disney Channel, 8-10 p.m.
E/P) This movie was inspired by actual events aboard the aircraft carrier
USS Constellation when, in the aftermath of events September 11, 2001, the ship
went into full combat alert with civilians aboard -- the first time in modern
naval history this has happened. In the film, a young girl, tired of the
military life that takes her father away from her, boards his ship with the
intention of persuading him to give up his Navy career and come home. But on
September 11, she sees first-hand her father's courage and commitment -- and the
sacrifices he has made for her and her country. Hayden Panettiere and Bill
Pulliam star. There are interesting comments from younger viewers posted at
http://imdb.com/title/tt0397113/usercomments.
"Hoxie: The First Stand" (Social Studies ; PBS, 10-11 p.m. E/P) This is a
documentary about events in 1955, when the school board of a small Arkansas town
voluntarily integrated its schools, setting off the first confrontation with a
growing southern movement to resist the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of
Education decision. Despite threats from outside agitators, they refused to
rescind their decision.
Wednesday, August 25
"60 Minutes" (Social Studies ; CBS, 8-9 p.m. E/P) The main story in this
newsmagazine is about claims that Houston's model school system falsified
drop-out rates. A business story follows, about the father-and-son team behind
the sports-film company NFL Films. Also there is a love story from the war in Iraq.
"Closing the Achievement Gap" (Social Studies ; PBS, 10-11 p.m. E/P) This
is a documentary featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Clarence Page who
tells the story of Amistad Academy, a charter school founded in 1999. Its goal
was to close the persistent and dramatic achievement gap between minority
students and white students in America's public school system. You will see how Amistad did it, and how other public schools can do it, too. Log onto the
companion Web site and learn more about the controversy surrounding charter
schools: http://www.pbs.org/closingtheachievementgap/.
Thursday, August 26
"Young, Muslim and French" (World History/Social Studies ; PBS, 9-10 p.m.
E/P) This is a documentary about France's decision to ban the wearing of
traditional Muslim headscarves in public schools -- a law widely received in the
Muslim community as an undemocratic expression of "Islamophobia". This has
increased tensions between the French Republic and its largest minority
population. In the town of Dammarie-les-Lys, a racially diverse, working-class
community, young Muslim women face a choice to obey the ban or flout it. Log
onto PBS' Global Classroom to download more information especially for middle
and high school students: http://www.pbs.org/wideangle.
Friday, August 28
"Command Decision: Battle of Saratoga" (American History ; History Channel,
9:30-10 p.m. E/P) This documentary combines live action and computer-game
visuals -- and links to your cell phone -- to explain how history was made. In
this case it was the fight that turned the fortunes of war in favor of the
fighters who wanted to drive out Britain's occupying army during the American
War of Independence. In 1777, British Major General John Burgoyne came up with a
devious plan. Isolate New York, split the colonies, and divide the Revolution.
After recruiting German mercenaries and American Indians, he marched on Albany.
But rebels led by General Horatio Gates blocked the road by felling trees, while
sharpshooters attacked British troops. Part documentary, part interactive game,
viewers join Burgoyne and Gates in a battle that ultimately kept the Hudson free
and convinced France to aid the rebels. To follow the battle on your cell phone,
log on to http://www.historychannel.com/commanddecisions/.
Saturday, August 28
"Matisse And Picasso" (Art and Art History ; Ovation Network, 6-7 p.m. ET,
3-4 p.m. PT) This documentary compares the work of the acknowledged twin
giants of modern art who, between them, originated most of the innovations of
20th Century painting. The film consists of examples of their work, archival
footage interviews with descendants -- and recalls a wonderful thing Picasso
said of his friend: "You have to be able to picture side by side everything
Matisse and I were doing at the time. No one has ever looked at Matisse's
painting more carefully than I, and no one has looked at mine more carefully than
he."
Sunday, August 29
"Games Of The XXVII Olympiad: Closing Ceremony" (Sports and Fitness ; NBC, 8
p.m. - midnight E/P) This broadcast reviews the highlights of the 2004
Olympics. For a complete report on events since August 13 log on to
http://www.NBCOlympics.com.
Special Note: The Republican National Convention begins tomorrow, August 30. To
get some advanced information about that event and what's at stake this election
season for younger Americans, log on to http://www.kidsvotingusa.org or
http://www.youngrepublicans.com.
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