Media Menu, February 5, 2011

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, February 5, 2011,
6-7 p.m. ET 3-4 p.m. PT
Ovation Channel
Arts and U.S. History
Middle and High School

“Satchmo: Louis Armstrong”

This is a documentary about one of the 20th century's most loved jazz performers, Louis Armstrong. The program pieces together the life of Satchmo using never-before-seen homemade films, clips from stage shows, and excerpts from some of his movies including Hello, Dolly, Atlantic City, and High Society. Armstrong's songs are prominently featured, including the classics "West End Blues," "Potato Head Blues," "Weather Bird," "On the Sunny Side of the Street," and "When You're Smiling". The documentary also includes commentaries from Armstrong's contemporaries and musicians influenced by his music, including legends Dexter Gordon, Tony Bennett, and Wynton Marsalis.
Log on http://www.louisarmstronghouse.org/

Saturday, February 5, 2011,
8-10 p.m. ET , 5-7 p.m. PT
TCM- Turner Classic Movie Channel
Math and U.S. History
Middle and High School

“Stand And Deliver”

This movie tells the true story of a dedicated East Los Angeles high school teacher who transforms some of his students into math scholars. Edward James Olmos delivers n Oscar-nominated performance in the role of the late Jamie Escalante, a Colombian-born engineer who left the business world to teach the youth of L.A.'s barrio slums and used unorthodox methods to inspire them to learn. Film co-stars Lou Diamond Phillips, Andy Garcia.
Log on http://www.thefutureschannel.com/jaime_escalante/jaime_escalante_math_program.php

Sunday, February 6, 2011,
10-11 p.m. E/P
PBS
U.S. History
Elementary, Middle and High School

“Nancy Reagan: The Role Of A Lifetime”

Loving spouse, close confidant and savvy political observer, Nancy Reagan was a powerful force behind Ronald Reagan’s political success. Criticized for taking a seemingly traditional role as first lady during an era focused on women’s rights, those within Ronald Reagan’s inner circle recognized Nancy Reagan as much more than the supportive and stylish spouse who redecorated the White House. Historians have now concluded that Nancy Reagan was one of the most influential first ladies in modern times. She had far-reaching impact on personnel and policy issues. She is credited with moving President Reagan to a more moderate position toward the Soviet Union and getting her husband to publically admit his involvement in Iran-Contra, a move that likely saved his presidency. She was, and continues to be, a formidable and influential political adviser, skills she uses as she guards her husband’s legacy and champions stem cell research. In an extended interview with Judy Woodruff, Nancy Reagan reflects on her childhood, her life as an actress, her marriage to Ronald Reagan, their lifelong romance and her role as his most trusted adviser in a political career that would take them from the back lots of Hollywood, to the California governor’s mansion and then to the White House. TV-G
Log on http://www.pbs.org/newshour/nancy-reagan/

Monday, February 7, 2011,
8-9 p.m. ET , 5-6 p.m. PT
CNBC
Science and Economics
Middle and High School

“The Facebook Obsession"

This documentary tells thestory behind the rise of the largest social-media site in the world, told through the company's founders, friends and foes. Reporter Lester Holt looks at how this Internet phenomenon, with half a billion users, is affecting society in ways most people are unaware of. From a girl who is reunited with her birth mother with the help of Facebook, to a woman who lost her job because of her online postings, The program examines how the site is fundamentally altering American life for better or worse; even the White House and many police departments have their own Facebook pages. Holt explores the intense privacy debate that Facebook has provoked, and explains the business model that has turned a dorm-room venture into a multi-billion dollar enterprise.
Log on http://www.cnbc.com/id/39618344

Tuesday February 8, 2011,
9-11:30 p.m. ET, 6-8:30 p.m. PT
TCM – Turner Classic Movies
U.S. History
High School

“Glory”

This Oscar-winning movie dramatizes historical events during the American Civil War, including the formation of the first black regiment, the 54th Massachusetts Voluntary Infantry. It stars Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, and Morgan Freeman, and is especially memorable for its attention to physical detail. It deals with the plight of African-American troops during the War Between the States, a topic that is barely touched upon in this country's history books. Many of the narrative's key battles were fought between men who were supposed to be comrades in arms. TV-MA
Log on http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=76506&category=Articles

Wednesday, February 9, 2011,
9-11 p.m. E/P
History Channel
U.S. History
Middle and High School

“Reagan”

As a leader, he changed the course of history. As a man, he was surrounded by myth and intrigue. His popularity and his politics may have been straightforward, but presidential scholars and historians have yet to define exactly what made our 40th President “bigger than life.” This documentary brings insight to Ronald Reagan’s ascent from an impoverished childhood to the nation’s highest office. It looks at the trajectory of Reagan’s 93-years – from his nomadic youth in the mid-west, his Hollywood career, his election as Governor of California and ultimately as Commander-in-Chief, and finally, his gracious journey into the sunset of his life. The program explores the makings of a man who was both admired as a hero, and criticized. Yet whatever one thought about his policies, his resiliency communicated hope and strength to a divided America. “When a guy gets up and takes a bullet and walks away with a smile,” says David Gergen, CNN senior political analyst and former Director of Communications for Reagan, “people just think differently about him.” Rare archival footage, audio and photos help to shed new light on Reagan’s enigmatic character, as do interviews with those who knew him. Along with Gergen, they include former White House correspondent Sam Donaldson, former Secretaries of State George Shultz and Gen. Colin Powell, and CBS news correspondent Bob Schieffer, among others. Also weighing in is Secret Service agent Jerry Parr, who was with Reagan at the time of the attempted assassination, recounting the harrowing ordeal and the decision Parr made which saved the President’s life.
Log on http://www.history.com/topics/ronald-reagan

Wednesday, February 9, 2011, 10-11 p.m. E/P
PBS
Science and Technology
Middle and High School

“NOVA: Smartest Machine on Earth”

This documentary investigates the world of artificial intelligence and profiles the computer that could be the “Smartest Machine on Earth.” Known as “Watson,” this IBM supercomputer is so advanced it’s pursuing the first-of-its-kind challenge of competing against “Jeopardy!” champions to prove its uncanny ability to mimic the human-thought process. Augmenting human intelligence is a lot tougher than it looks, and the promise of "Hal" from 2001: A Space Odyssey is still just a fantasy. With a brain the size of 2,400 home computers and a database of about 10 million documents, will Watson be able to compute its way to victory? Given the complexity of human language, could any computer truly understand it? It remains to be seen if this amalgam of circuits and silicon can really take us closer to the dream of a fully developed artificial intelligence, a truly "conscious" machine. Win or lose, the difficulty of mimicking the human thought process with software is showing artificial-intelligence researchers that there's more than one way to be "intelligent." TV-PG
Log on http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/smartest-machine-on-earth.html

Thursday, February 10, 2011,
9-10 p.m. E/P
Science Channel
Science
Middle and High School

“Dive to the Bottom of the World”

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has assembled a team of experienced scientists and engineers to explore the 'Challenger Deep' which lies in the Mariana Trench in the Western Pacific. At 35,000 feet, it is the deepest place on Earth. This documentary chronicles the dedication of biologists, engineers, geologists and oceanographers as they collaborate to deploy a unique, state-of-the-art deep-sea vehicle. The underwater machine is known as 'Nereus', named after the mythical Greek god with a fish tail and a man's torso and is currently the deepest-diving vehicle in operation. It is designed to function in the conditions of the Challenger Deep, the deepest point of the Earth's oceans, where the environment is harsh and intense. Its mission is to provide researchers with an eye to the bottom of the ocean floor, and retrieve invaluable biological and geological samples for further study. If it succeeds, 'Nereus' will change deep sea exploration forever. TV-PG

Friday, February 11, 2011,
8-9 p.m. E/P
Ovation Channel
World History and Geography
Middle and High School

“Royal London”

London is a city filled with historical wonders. This is a tour of London the way the monarchs saw it. We'll tour Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, Greenwich Observatory, and the magnificent Kew Gardens. 'These are the sites the royals have enjoyed for ages, and much like the monarchy have proven to be unforgettable bastions of England.

Saturday, February 12, 2011,
10 a.m. – 2 a.m. ET, 7-10 p.m. PT
TCM- Turner Classic Movies
U.S. History
Middle and High School

“Gone With the Wind”

This Oscar-winning movie provides an ideas of what life and the issues were before, during and after the Civil War. Viewers follow the story of a fictional family, the O'Hara’s, one of the most prominent and wealthy families in Georgia and their plantation Tara which is often host to the region's biggest social events. Among the O'Hara children, Scarlett is the most headstrong, vain and impetuous of three daughters. She has her choice of many suitors but becomes intent on marrying Ashley Wilkes, a sensitive intellectual. When the Civil War erupts and brings devastation and poverty to the O'Hara family, Scarlett becomes the one who fights the hardest to preserve her family's beloved Tara. Through the roughest period of the Reconstruction, Scarlett struggles to maintain ownership of her estate while resisting and eventually succumbing to her most ardent suitor, Rhett Butler, who matches her in stubborn determination . TV-G
Log on http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=414427