Media Menu Aug 7, 2010

Here are home viewing suggestions for the week, selected from online advanced TV program listings and aligned with the state and national K-12 academic standards available online. Please consult local listings also, since actual broadcast times may vary. The Websites cited in the “Log on“  box  below the tv listing provide further details about the show’s  topic and may contain links to video clips from the show or a complete streaming video version of the show.  
 
Saturday, August  7, 2010,
2-5 p.m. ET, 11 a.m.– 1:30 p.m. PT
Ovation Channel
Literature,   Arts and U.S. History
Middle and High  School

“The Crucible”

Pulitzer prizewinning playwright Arthur Miller's stage play, “The  Crucible” ,  is the basis of this Oscar-nominated film. The play is often studied in school. The author also wrote the screenplay for this movie version   The story:  After being spurned by a   lover (Daniel Day-Lewis), young Abigail Williams (Winona Ryder) stirs up a frenzy of hysteria and fear with accusations of witchcraft. Paul Scofield and Joan Allen co-star. The movie is centered around the Salem Massachusetts witch trials of 1692. A small group of teen girls in 1692 Salem, Massachusetts caught in an innocent conjuring of love potions to catch young men are forced to tell lies that Satan had invaded them and forced them to participate in the rites and are then forced to name those involved. Thrown into the mix are greedy preachers and other major landowners trying to steal others' land and one young woman infatuated with a married man and determined to get rid of his innocent wife. Arthur Miller wrote the events and the subsequent trials where those who demanded their innocence were executed, those who would not name names were incarcerated and tortured, and those who admitted their guilt were immediately freed as a parable of the Congressional Communist witch hunts led by Senator Joe McCarthy in 1950's America. Rated PG-13 .. Available on  DVD.

Log on http://www.gradesaver.com/the-crucible
 
Saturday, August  7, 2010,
10 p.m.-midnight. E/P
History Channel
Science and Geography
Middle and High  School

“Underwater Universe”

This documentary tracks the history and evolution of the ocean's seven deadliest zones...locations that  have been the direct cause of human devastation. Throughout history, tidal waves have drowned us, storm surges have sunk cities, and hurricanes and cyclones--fueled by the ocean--have blown away all in their path. Today, science forecasts that the oceans are getting fiercer, rising up to reshape our coastlines and create untold devastation, social unrest and economic crisis. Track the history and evolution of the ocean's seven deadliest zones--locations that throughout history have been the direct causes of human devastation by floods, tsunamis, hurricanes, whirlpools, ice, underwater volcanoes, and shipping graveyards. Using expedition footage, 3D animation, and commentary from leading oceanographers, we'll depict the awesome cosmic and geological fluctuations that make the oceans deadly over time. TVPG

Sunday, August 8, 2010,  
8-9 p.m. E/P
Nickelodeon Channel
Science
Elementary, Middle and High  School

“Nick News With Linda Ellerbee: Listen To Kids Who Are Workin’ It”

From classic kid jobs like babysitting or delivering newspapers to high-profile ones like acting or designing digital apps, kids today still work outside of school.  In this edition of her news program Linda Ellerbee listens to kids across the country talk about their jobs. The program is a video version of, and a salute to what journalist Studs Terkel did in his book, Working,” said Ellerbee. “But he interviewed only grown-ups, so we decided to speak with kids about their jobs and how they feel about what they do.”Alexa, 15, from Burlington, Vt., has a traditional kid job as a babysitter.  “I don’t mind diapers that much actually.  I don’t know, sometimes they are kinda gross. Babysitting is the first job that I’ve ever had.” Some kids find less yucky jobs, such as Adam, 12, from Westport, Conn., who plays Pugsley Addams in The Addams Family musical on Broadway. “It is a job.  But there’s not many days where I get up and don’t wanna go.” Luke, 13, from Portland, Maine, works in his family’s restaurant, G and R DiMillo’s. “I’ve been working here for almost three years…Working in a kitchen can be really dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing, and that’s one of the reasons we say, ‘Ovens open’ when we’re opening an oven.  You gotta keep your eyes open and be careful all the time. Hannah, 9, from St. Paul, Minn., has been announcing baseball games for two years.  She thought it seemed like a cool job, so approached the team. “It feels great to be like on a microphone and having the whole stadium hear me,” Hannah said.  “The hardest part is staying in there and making sure you’re gonna be like awake for the whole game.” Cameron, 11, from Los Angeles, is his own boss.  “A year ago, I had a benign tumor that caused me to be in a full leg brace for six months. I could’ve wasted half of a year of my life doing nothing, just sitting on my bed, playing on my iPod or whatever.  But I decided to actually do something and create an application.”  Which he did.  Successfully.  “I’m my own boss and that’s really good because, I don’t have someone telling me what to do.

Log on http://news.nick.com/08/2010/02/kids-talk-about-jobs

Sunday, August 8, 2010,  
9-11 p.m. E/P
National Geographic Channel
Science
Elementary, Middle and High  School

“And Man Created Dog ”

If humans were as varied as dogs we would range in height up to 22 feet tall and in weight more than 1,000 pounds. In the ultimate canine ancestral story, this documentary traces the genetic journey from wolf to dog, taking viewers back 100,000 years to meet the "mother of all dogs." It's no accident that dogs evolved this way, as humans have been selectively breeding them for around 14,000 years to serve our needs as laborer, companion, hunter, herder and warrior, as well as to suit our aesthetic fancy.

Log on http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/and-man-created-dog
 
Monday, August 9, 2010,
10-11  p.m. E/P
PBS
U.S. History
Middle and High  School

“Benjamin Latrobe: America’s First Architect”

Noted architecture critic Paul Goldberger hosts this documentary biography of Benjamin Latrobe, the creator of the first uniquely "American" architecture. Latrobe's tumultuous life was a series of creative triumphs, personal tragedies and constant re-invention. The film features computer-generated animation, interviews with architects and historians and location shooting as Goldberger explores Latrobe's life, from his early years in England to his immigration to the young republic and his work on such iconic buildings as the U.S. Capitol, the White House and the Baltimore Basilica. TV-PG

Log on http://www.pbs.org/benjaminlatrobe
 
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
8:00-10 p.m. E/P
(available on DVD)
Ovation Channel
English
Middle and High  School

“Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights”

Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche star as star-crossed lovers Heathcliff and Catherine in this 1992 movie based on Emily Bronte's classic, often taught, novel.  Story: Adopted by Mr. Earnshaw, owner of Wuthering Heights manor, Heathcliff swiftly finds himself the favored son. Earnshaw's daughter Catherine and Heathcliff develop romantic feelings for one another, but Heathcliff's privileged status in the family incites the rage of legitimate son Hindley. When Earnshaw dies, Hindley reigns over the manor where they all grew up, but his newfound power may lead to tragic consequences. Rated TV-PG

Log on http://www.online-literature.com/bronte/wuthering

Wednesday, August 11, 2010, 91-11 p.m. E/P
PBS
Science
Middle and High  School
“The Human Spark”

Uniquely human abilities - to think in symbols; recombine those symbols into infinite meanings; invent a technology to disseminate the message; ponder the past; speculate about the future; imagine the unknown; build cities; compose music - constitute the "human spark." In this three-part series, host Alan Alda searches for the origin and nature of this spark.  Parts are as follows: “Becoming Us’’ -Where and when did the “human spark” first ignite? In the caves of France, where 30,000-year-old paintings adorn the walls? Or at a much earlier time — and on another continent?  “So Human, So Chimp”  -  Alda joins researchers studying our fellow simians to discover both what we share with them and what new skills humans evolved since we went our separate ways. “Brain Matters” - Viewers literally peer into Alda’s head with a variety of high-tech imaging techniques, looking for his human spark.  TV-PG

Log on http://www.pbs.org/wnet/humanspark

Thursday, August 12, 2010, 8-9 p.m. ET, 5-6 p.m. PT
CNBC Channel
Science and Economics
Middle and High  School

“Inside The Mind Of Google”

This documentary takes a look at the world's most powerful technology company and its crown jewel, the Google Internet search engine. This is the story of how two grad students, in barely a decade, took a one-time research project and turned it into a global technology powerhouse...changing the way we interact with information, the Internet, and each other. See how Google came to dominate the search industry and turn it into a profit machine... and see where it's taking its next step... and how the company plans to address arguably the biggest controversy in today's digital age: privacy. With nearly two billion searches being done on its website every day, Google has access to an unprecedented amount of information about its users. By what we search for online, by what we say in our email, by what we read and where we spend our time on the Internet, we each leave a remarkably detailed trail of information about ourselves. What are the implications? What, exactly, does Google do with all that information? Bartiromo presses Google executives on the issue and talks to privacy advocates who say the company's accumulation of personal data may present a looming threat to its users. Despite formidable competition, nearly two-thirds of Internet searches worldwide are done on Google. And, the program takes viewers inside the "Googleplex," the company headquarters famous for its amazing perks and casual, fun atmosphere and a place where some of the brightest minds in the world actually want to work. It's the setting for a corporate culture, created by founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, that's inspired ideas that have transformed the way we interact with information, the Internet and each other. Have you ever wondered how Google makes its money? It's "AdWords," Google's revolutionary advertising program, which generated more than 95% of the company's total four billion dollar profit in 2008. CNBC profiles a 93-year-old cowboy who recently took his company -- the Paul Bond Boot Company- into the 21st century and began advertising on Google. The documentary reveals how Bond's company, like many others, is doing well thanks in part to Google, the Internet's most successful inhabitant. The world is going mobile, and Google is working furiously to go along. With more than four billion mobile phones worldwide, more and more people are accessing the Internet through these devices. With tough competition from the industry leading Apple iPhone, and in an effort to secure a big piece of that growing market, Google is working to improve and market Android, its operating system for mobile phones. CNBC speaks with Vic Gundotra, Google's Vice President of Engineering and gets an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at a team racing to develop a new technology for mobile phones.

Log on HTTP://WWW.CNBC.COM/ID/33831099 or   http://www.cnbc.com.

Thursday, August 12, 2010, 8-9 p.m. E/P
History Channel
Science
Middle and High  School

“The Universe: 7 Wonders of the Solar System”

We are in the midst of the greatest era of space discovery. 21st century spacecraft and sophisticated imaging technology are venturing into un-chartered territory every day--and much of the extraordinary phenomenon is happing right in our own cosmic backyard. This documentary is an  exploration of the seven most amazing wonders of our solar system. Our virtual tour begins with a trip to Enceladus, one of Saturn's outer moons, where icy geysers spout from its surface. Then venture to Saturn's famous rings, which contain mountain ranges that rival the Alps. Next dive into the eye of the biggest storm in the solar system--Jupiter's Great Red Spot. Soar through the Asteroid Belt, containing millions of leftover rocks from the formation of the solar system. Trek up Mount Olympus, the largest volcano, located on Mars. Have a close encounter with the searing surface of the sun, and finish the journey by exploring our home planet Earth.  TV-PG

Log on http://www.history.com/shows/the-universe

Thursday, August 12, 2010, 9-10  p.m. E/P
National Geographic Channel
Science
Middle and High  School

“The Secret History Of The Atom Bomb”

Since WWII the number of nuclear nations has proliferated, despite the fact atomic bombs are considered the most tightly guarded, top-secret of weapons. This documentary delves into the tumultuous history of the atom bomb — filled with deception, twists and danger that even Hollywood couldn't make up. Culling from rarely seen archival footage and interviews with leading experts, we'll see how Soviet spies gathered top-secret information during WWII. Learn why China shared its nuclear weapons technology with other countries. Find out how Israel's nuclear weapons program was exposed by a disgruntled worker who leaked information before being kidnapped. And more recently, see how Pakistani nuclear scientists met with Al Qaeda prior to 9/11.

Log on http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/secret-history-of-the-atom-bomb-4603/Overview
 
Friday, August 13, 2010,
6:30 -7:30 p.m. ET, 3:30-5:30 p.m. PT
Ovation Channel
English and Arts
Middle and High  School

“O.T. Our Town”

The Dominquez High School in Compton, California--with an explosive culture of black and Hispanic youths and dismal outlook of school life--has not produced a play in 20 years. They have nothing in the way of a theater program, nor a budget of any sort. This documentary chronicles the month and a half before the opening night play performance of their version of “Our Town”  by Thornton Wilder. This is no easy feat for teachers or students. In the months leading up to the play, English teacher Catherine Borek, also the director, struggles to make the material relatable to her students and to the perspective audience. This documentary provides a very real look at the crisis facing arts programs in public schools, and shows how the gumption of a group of students and one very special teacher transcended the limitations of a school system. The kids at this Compton school to experience more than a culture clash, as they embark on a rich journey and discover the educational and social value of theater. It’s a story of human spirit and its strength against the stereotypes holding them down. Where Thornton Wilder wrote about   little Grover's Corners, this documentary exemplifies how Our Town is every town .

Log on http://www.filmmovement.com/filmcatalog/index.asp?MerchandiseID=9

Saturday, August 14, 2010, 5-7 p.m. EP, 3-5 p.m. PT
Ovation Channel
English and Arts
Middle and High  School

“The Great Gatsby”

The roaring 20’s comes to life in this Oscar-winning movie based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel “The Great Gatsby”. The book and film offer  an  entry way into the privileged social lives of  the inhabitants of  a wealthy neighborhood of Long Island. It is here that we encounter the mysterious Jay Gatsby, a man who knows all the right things to say but whose charming grin conceals some very deep secrets. Robert Redford portrays Gatsby with intriguing allure, and Mia Farrow is impeccably cast as the woman he pines for. Available on DVD.

Log on HTTP://WWW.SPARKNOTES.COM/LIT/GATSBY/