www.whyville.net Nov 23, 2008 Weekly Issue



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Greetings, TV viewers!

Here are this week's home viewing suggestions selected from online advanced program listings and aligned with state and national K-12 academic standards available online.


Sunday, Nov. 23
8-9 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: Science and Geography

Middle and High School

"The Wolf That Changed America"

In the fall of 1893, an adventurous young man rode out from the salons of New York to the wilds of New Mexico. He went to kill a wolf. Not just any wolf, but an outlaw, the leader of a marauding, cattle-killing pack. But by the time Ernest Thompson Seton finally met the renegade Lobo, the wolf had become a hero in his eyes. He would write a tale of that encounter that captured the essence of the vanishing wilderness and led to the establishment of both the national park system and the Boy Scouts in America. In this documentary, the confrontation between Seton and Lobo comes alive, and viewers discover how, together, one man and one wolf set in motion a change in American hearts and minds that is still unfolding. TV-PG

Log on http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/the-wolf-that-changed-america/introduction/4260


Sunday, Nov. 23
9-10 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: US History and Geography

Middle and High School

"MASTERPIECE: The Unseen Alistair Cooke"

Marking the November centenary of the birth of longtime MASTERPIECE THEATRE host Alistair Cooke, this documentary is a revealing portrait of one of the most celebrated broadcasters of the 20th century. Seen for the first time are extraordinary 8mm home movies shot by Cooke from 1933 onwards, it charts his discovery of America, his passions and his relationships with stars such as Paulette Goddard and Charlie Chaplin. Told in his own voice and in interviews with family and close friends, the program is a chance to see America as Cooke first saw it: the raw material for a lifetime of journalism. TV-PG

Log on http://www.pbs.org/masterpiece


Monday, Nov. 24
8-9 p.m. E/P

History Channel

Subjects: Science

Elementary, Middle and High School

"Modern Marvels: The Turkey"

It's the centerpiece on your Thanksgiving dinner table this week - and one of the dumbest birds in the animal kingdom. Yet, the turkey has managed to survive since the dinosaurs. From the moment a baby turkey pecks through its shell to the factory that transforms turkey guts into crude oil, this documentary shows a world few have ever seen. Tour the Butterball factory in North Carolina, where millions of domesticated turkeys are processed into meat, take a trip inside the head of a wild turkey during a hunt in the Montana wilderness, and stop at America's most famous turkey restaurant - The Strongbow Inn. Get some tips on preparing the most turkey succulent recipes. From pets to presidential pardons, it's an up-close look at the feisty fowl that's the reluctant star of our Thanksgiving dinners.


Tuesday, Nov. 25
8-9 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: Science

Middle and High School

"Ocean Animal Emergency"

The world's oceans are in trouble. Warming seas and man-made pollutants are combining to unleash toxic algae blooms that are decimating whales, sea lions and other marine mammals. This NOVA documentary explores this crisis through the exploits of Dr. Frances Gulland, a San Francisco veterinarian who runs the equivalent of a West Coast ER for marine mammals. On a typical day, listless sea lions flop on their sides, too exhausted to lift their heads. Others are agitated. Another chews obsessively on a flipper. They are all victims of a marine neurotoxin made by an organism that feeds on algae. Dr. Gulland is committed to saving these sick animals one at a time, but she is also desperately trying to figure out what's killing them. TV-PG

Log on http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ocean911


Tuesday, Nov. 25
9-10 p.m. E/P

History Channel

Subjects: Science

Middle and High School

"The Universe: Lightspeed"

Light speed is the ultimate constant in the universe. While incredibly fast from the human perspective, it is agonizingly slow in the distance scales of space. Light speed allows us to see things instantly here on Earth, and shows us the entire history of the universe going back nearly 14 billion years. When traveling at close to light speed, our surroundings become distorted and misshapen as space and time bend over backwards to maintain the speed of light as a rock solid constant. The speed of light may not change in the vacuum of space, but in other media, it slows down and bends. This allows lenses made of glass to do their work, and without this phenomenon telescopes would never have been invented, and what we see with our eyes would be a featureless blur. The laws of physics say we can never travel faster than Light Speed . . . or can we? This documentary explores the ways scientists envision breaking the "light barrier" which may be the only way the star travel of our imaginations ever comes to reality.


Tuesday, Nov. 25
9-10:30 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: World History and Geography

Middle and High School

"FRONTLINE: The Hugo Chavez Show"

This documentary looks at Venezuela's controversial and outspoken president, Hugo Chavez, and the revolution he claims is turning his country into an anti-capitalist beacon for Latin America and the world. The program views "Alo Presidente" through the eyes of the Venezuelans who know him well, and digs below the surface of his presidency and his personality to try to understand the mercurial leader.

Log on http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/hugochavez


Tuesday, Nov. 25
10-11 p.m. E/P

National Geographic Channel

Subjects: Science and Economics

Middle and High School

"Explorer: Secret History of Gold"

Gold's appeal and value span time and cultures, but there is a little-known secret to the story of gold. Most of the gold mined throughout history remains in circulation today - even the gold closest to your heart may have dark origins. From the Amazon jungle to the markets of Dubai, this documentary examines the underbelly of the modern gold trade with a treasure hunter and an illegal miner to expose its volatile history. TV-PG

For more information visit www.natgeotv.com/explorer


Wednesday, Nov. 26
7-8 p.m. ET, 3-4 p.m. PT

CNBC

Subjects: US History and Economics

Middle and High School

"CNBC Reports: Untold Wealth - The Rise Of The Super Rich"

This documentary shows how the top .001% live. In 1985 there were 13 American billionaires. Today there are over 100 - and the richest 1 percent of Americans control more money than 90 percent of the U.S. population. Who are the New Super Rich? They are typically self-made, young and make their fortunes relatively quickly. The Super Rich are entrepreneurs, CEO's, partners in hedge funds and private equity firms, and real estate developers.

Even in the midst of a painful economic slowdown, the luxury spending sector is going strong. The Super Rich live in a world of unmatched indulgence, where $10,000 a day vacation homes, $25,000 shoes and exclusive club memberships are commonplace. Professor Robert Frank explains the phenomenon of "middle class millionaires" - people like Mediabistro.com founder Laurel Touby, who sold her website for $23 million. She explains what it's like to be merely rich instead of super rich.

New York psychiatrist Kerry Sulkowicz counsels CEO's, Wall Streeters and entrepreneurs on the complex consequences of extraordinary wealth.

Deciding whether to give it to the children - or charity - isn't easy.

For more information visit http://www.cnbc.com/id/24791078


Thursday, Nov. 27
8-9 p.m. E/P

National Geographic Channel

Subjects: Science and Geography

Middle and High School

"America's Wild Spaces: The Everglades"

The Everglades' 1.5 million acres are home to some of the most unusual creatures on the planet - carnivorous plants, amphibious birds, fish that breathe air and cacti that grow in water. To understand this remarkable ecosystem, this documentary takes viewers on a journey by foot, airboat, helicopter and kayak to explore its secrets. And none too soon - as more water is diverted to the farmlands and rapidly growing cities of Florida, the Everglades and its many species are in danger. The Everglades is already only a third of its original size, and the quality and quantity of water we allow to flow through what remains will determine if this wilderness and those extraordinary creatures will survive. TV-PG


Friday, Nov. 28
10-11 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: World History and Literature

Middle and High School

"SEARCH OF MYTHS AND HEROES: Jason & the Golden Fleece"

Historian Michael Wood goes in search of the world's greatest myths, seeking the roots of great legends. The Greeks have given the world its greatest body of myths, including the myth of Jason, an epic tale of the hero's quest and the ancestor of Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. Jason is presented with a "mission impossible": to sail into the unknown to find the Golden Fleece. He is saved by the priestess Medea and her magical arts, but her love comes at a high price. A fairy tale? Or was there a real voyage? Wood heads from Greece to the wild mountains of the Caucasus to find the truth behind the Jason legend. TV-PG

Log on http://www.pbs.org/mythsandheroes


Saturday, Nov. 29
10- p.m. - midnight E/P

History Channel

Subjects: US History and Science

Middle and High School

"Special Presentation: Sputnik Mania"

October 4, 2007 was the 50th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik, the first man-made object ever to leave the atmosphere and successfully orbit the earth. By the end of that year, nothing was the same. Sputnik spurred America into an arms and space race, and forced the U.S. to pull together an academic army of scientists and engineers, which led to the development of NASA, massive reforms in our education system, and the discoveries that enabled many of the consumer technologies on which we depend today. This documentary tells the satellite's story from America's point of view. Like today, 1957 was a time of fear. In place of Al Qaeda, dirty bombs, and the war in Iraq, there were the Soviets, hydrogen bombs, and the Cold War. The world's two superpowers were intent on beating one another by any means available. The film leads us through the first year following the launch of Sputnik. Contemplating the shocks the country felt in the aftermaths of Pearl Harbor and September 11, the film's epilogue asks: what will be our next "Sputnik moment?

Log on http://www.sputnikmania.com

 

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