Media Menu, September 18, 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, September 18, 2010, 4:30-5 p.m. E/P
Mun2 Channel
U.S. History and Government
Middle and High School

“Voto Latino/United We Win Behind-The-Scenes Special”

In observance of Hispanic Heritage Month, Voto Latino, a leading national non-profit, non-partisan organization, and mun2, NBC’s bi-cultural cable network, are launching a “United We Win” campaign today. It includes a documentary special and featuring star-studded public service announcements supporting a public awareness, education, and mobilization campaign for the 2010 mid-term elections, United We Win carries one main message: Latino issues are American issues, and American issues are Latino issues. The 30 minute United We Win Behind-The-Scenes special airing today will feature exclusive interviews where celebrities share their personal stories and the importance of voting in the upcoming mid-term elections. The special will air several times throughout September and October on the Mun2 network. The United We Win campaign is co-chaired by Rosario Dawson, Eva Longoria-Parker, and Wilmer Valderrama, all three long-time supporters of Voto Latino’s mission. The co-chairs engaged a diverse, all-star roster of their celebrity peers to participate in the PSA and online advocacy campaign.

Log on www.votolatino.org and http://www.holamun2.com/shows/specials/behind-the-scenes-united-we-win-sneak-peek

Saturday, September 18, 2010, 8-10 p.m. E/P
National Geographic Channel
Science
Middle and High School

“Collapse: Based on the Book by Jared Diamond”

How could a civilization that mastered the planet suddenly Collapse? Inspired by the New York Times best-selling book "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed", this documentary time-travels 200 years into the future to see what the world would look like after civilization as we know it collapsed. Guided by author Jared Diamond, it pieces together the story of what on earth triggered our decline. Diamond and other scientists juxtapose the fall of history's great societies — including the Roman Empire and Mayan civilization — and our potential collapse, urging us all to leverage innovation and technology to chart a "more sustainable course."

Log on http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/collapse-based-on-the-book-by-jared-diamond-4436/Overview

Sunday, September 19, 2010, 7-8 p.m. E/P
CBS
U.S. History and Government
Middle and High School

“60 Minutes”

The stories in this newsmagazine include “The Swindler” - To understand how Bernard Madoff could have done what he did, listen to so-called “mini-Madoff” Ponzi schemer Marc Dreier tell Steve Kroft in his first television interview how he scammed $400 million. Then Lesley Stahl speaks to the former president Carter about his new book, “White House Diary,” in which he admits mistakes and blames Ted Kennedy for delaying comprehensive health care. Then “60 Minutes” goes to American Samoa to find out how a territory with a population less than the capacity of a pro-football stadium sends more players to the NFL than any similarly populated place in America. Scott Pelley reports.

Log on http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/60minutes/main3415.shtml

Monday, September 20, 2010,
Noon- 1 p.m. ET, 9-10 a.m. PT (repeating 8- 9 p.m. ET, 5-6 p.m. PT
CNBC Channel
U.S. History and Economics
Middle and High School

“Investing In America: A Town Hall Meeting With President Obama”

This is a one-hour, commercial-free special town hall event with President Obama from Washington. D.C. Hosted by CNBC correspondent in front of a live studio audience, President Obama will discuss the economy and answer questions.

Log on http://www.cnbc.com/id/39173815

Monday, September 20, 2010,
10:30-11:30 p. m. E/P
PBS
U.S. and World History and Arts
Middle and High School

“AMERICAN MASTERS: Orozco: Man of Fire”

Often thought of as the other Mexican muralist, beside his more flamboyant compatriot Diego Rivera, Orozco was a leader of the Mexican Renaissance. This documentary , airing in observance of Hispanic Heritage Month, describes how his bold, dynamic frescoes had a profound impact on American painters and inspired Franklin D. Roosevelt to put artists to work during the Great Depression. His most famous U.S. murals — The Table of Universal Brotherhood, The Epic of American Civilization and Prometheus — still convey their power in New York, New Hampshire and California. An iconoclastic personality, Orozco survived the loss of his left hand and destruction of more than half his early work by border agents. His travels back and forth across the U.S.-Mexico border evoke the larger Mexican migrant-immigrant experience and have provocative parallels to present times. TV-PG

Log on http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/jose-clemente-orozco/introduction/82

Tuesday, September 21, 2010,
8-9 p.m. E/P
PBS
Science
Middle and High School

“NOVA: What Darwin Never Knew”

On the 150th anniversary of the publication of Darwin’s famous On the Origin of Species, this documentary reveals answers to the riddles that Darwin couldn’t explain. Stunning breakthroughs in a new science — nicknamed “evo devo” — are linking the enigma of origins to another of nature’s great mysteries: the development of an embryo. To explore this exciting new idea, the program takes viewers on a journey from the Galapagos Islands to the Arctic, from the Cambrian explosion of animal forms half a billion years ago to the research labs of today. Here, scientists are finally beginning to crack nature’s biggest secrets at the genetic level. And, as shown in this detective story, the results are confirming the brilliance of Darwin’s insights, while exposing clues to life’s breathtaking diversity in ways he could scarcely have imagined. TV-PG

Log on http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/evolution/darwin-never-knew.html

Tuesday, September 21, 2010,
9-10 p.m. E/P
National Geographic Channel
Science and Economics
Middle and High School

“Aftermath: World Without Oil”

What would our world look like if we ran out of oil? The lifeblood of our high-tech, highly mobile world won't last forever. This documentary presents a scenario of what happens when one day oil does run out. How might our world change and how would we adapt? Aftermath follows the chaotic days and months after this catastrophic event through dramatic creations and CGI animation. Find out how we might cope as food disappears, electrical power fails and winter turns the big cities into isolated pockets of concrete and glass. What will be more important to our survival - the technology to develop new sources of energy, or a change to a more sustainable way of life?

Log on http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/aftermath/4462/Overview

Wednesday, September 22, 2010,
9-10 p.m. E/P
CNBC Channel
U.S. History and Economics
Middle and High School
“CNBC Titans: Ted Turner”

This is an episode in a documentary series about remarkable people and the businesses they made. Viewers will discover the key to their fortune and the passion that drove their success. They made a career out of turning the "unthinkable" into a reality, changing the world, how you do business - and have lived to tell about it. Ted Turner, the man known as “The Mouth of the South” made his fortune with the first 24-hour cable news network. But for Turner, founding CNN, which would become the crown jewel in his rapidly expanding media empire, was only one step is his quest for immortality. Turner would shrug off the effects of the most disastrous corporate merger in history to tirelessly pursue his dream of a world without hunger or nuclear weapons.

Log on http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/aftermath/4462/Overview

Wednesday, September 22, 2010,
9-11 p.m. E/P
PBS
Arts
Middle and High School

“LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER: New York Philharmonic: Opening Night Concert”

It is now a longstanding tradition of Live From Lincoln Center to begin a new season with the Gala Opening Concert by the New York Philharmonic. Alan Gilbert begins his second season as the Philharmonic's Music Director with music from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. From the 19th, the Tone Poem Don Juan by Richard Strauss; from the 20th, a work with one of the longest titles in the repertory for orchestra: Paul Hindemith's Symphonic Metamorphoses on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber; and from the 21st, the American premier of Wynton Marsalis' Symphony Number 3, titled Swing Symphony, with a guest appearance by Mr. Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

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

Thursday, September 23, 2010,
10-11 p.m. E/P
National Geographic Channel
Science
Middle and High School

“Naked Science: Living on the Moon”

Humankind has always dreamed of living on the moon, and now a team of NASA scientists is proving that dream could be achieved in our lifetime. This documentary takes viewers inside Constellation, the space program's plan to establish a human outpost on the moon by 2020. Take a closer look at the plans under way, from upgraded space suits to housing modules and moon vehicles, and examine the challenges ahead, such as finding water, making oxygen, growing food and protecting residents from deadly radiation. Then, using 3-D animation, we'll visualize how the remarkable outpost will take shape.

Log on http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/naked-science/4253/Overview

Friday, September 24, 2010,
5-6 p.m. ET, 2-3 p.m. PT
Ovation Channel
Arts and Technology
Middle and High School

“Bauhaus: The Face of the Twentieth Century”

The Bauhaus (1919-33) is the most famous school of architecture, design and craftsmanship of modern times. It helped establish a relationship between design and industry. "Bauhaus" became synonymous with rationalized, sharp-edged, machine-based style. This program looks at the development of the Bauhaus and at key figures involved in it, as well as setting its history in the context of the political unrest and economic chaos of the Weimar Republic. Founder Walter Gropius’ concept was its emphasis on students actually making things—stained glass, chairs, fabrics—in workshops. Artists and craftsmen teamed up to teach them the basics, meaning they could improve on aesthetics and still have a chair you could sit on.

Log on http://www.referencecenter.com/ref/reference/Bauhaus/Bauhaus?invocationType=ar1clk&flv=1

Saturday, September 25, 2010,
8-10 p.m. E/P
History Channel
Geography and World History
Middle and High School

“Gates of Hell ”

Legendary volcanoes, geysers and fault lines found in Iceland, Mexico, Greece, Italy and Japan appear to descend into another reality -- an underworld deep within the earth.. This documentary investigates such places and reveal the geological reasons why they evoked such fear and awe. There are six places on Earth believed to be actual entrances into Hell. They include a volcano in Iceland, a cave in the jungles of Central America, and a lake of fire in Africa. According to ancient myth and Christian legend, each is a passage to a terrifying underworld for the damned. Even today, some believe they are still portals. Eerily, they share striking similarities. We'll visit these six locations, and along the way, reveal how the concept of Hell emerged in history and why it still evokes fear today. TV-PG

Log on http://www.history.com/videos/gates-of-hell#gates-of-hell