Media Menu for March 12, 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, March 12, 2011,
4-5 p.m. E/P
History Channel
US. History and Geography
Middle and High School

“How the States Got Their Shapes “ (reasons why state borders are where they are)

We are so familiar with the map of United States, but do we know why our states look the way they do? Every shape on the map tells a great story about our past. Why is California bent? To cling on to gold. Why does Oklahoma have a panhandle? Because of shifting borders for slavery. Why does Missouri have a boot? Because of a massive earthquake. This documentary examines how every state is a puzzle piece ultimately revealing the unique geography, political and social history of America. TV-PG

Sunday, March 13, 2011,
7-8 p.m. E/P
CBS
Science, economics and world history
Middle and High School

“60 Minutes” ” (fake drugs, fake spies, genuine teachers)

The reports in this newsmagazine include: “ Counterfeit Drugs” - 60 MINUTES’ nine-month investigation of counterfeit prescription drugs reveals how the dangerous and sometimes deadly fakes get into the nation's drug pipeline. Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports. “The $125,000 Question” - Katie Couric reports on an experimental New York City charter school founded on the idea of hiring the best teachers by paying them $125,000, while denying them tenure. “Curveball” - Bob Simon interviews the Iraqi defector code-named “Curveball” - first identified by 60 MINUTES three years ago - whose false tale of a mobile, biological weapons program was the chief justification for invading Iraq.
Log on http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/60minutes/main3415.shtml?tag=hdr;snav

Monday, March 14, 2011,
8-9 p.m. E/P
National
Geographic Channel
World History and Economics
Middle and High School

“Explorer: Secret History of Gold ” (Do you know where to go for the 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.
Log on http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/explorer/3822/Overview

Tuesday, March 15, 2011,
9-10p.m. E/P
CNBC Channel
Science and Health
Middle and High School

“60 Minutes on CNBC/ American Health” (treating addicts, the uninsured and aging)

This broadcast contains investigative reports, interviews, profiles, and features stories that have made "60 Minutes" required viewing for millions. Now, CNBC brings viewers the latest on these stories with updates and never before seen footage. “Prescription for Addiction “ is a report on Prometa, a new therapy that is said to break the grip of drug addiction in a simple treatment. Addicts who have tried everything and remained hopelessly hooked say their drug cravings ended almost overnight. “ Medical Tourists” is about Americans, many without health insurance, who are combining vacations in exotic locales like India and Thailand with elective surgeries performed by world-class doctors in state-of-the-art hospitals at Third World prices. “Aging In The 21st Century” is about the graying of 78 million baby boomers is creating a vast marketing opportunity for doctors and pharmacists who claim they can slow down that process. This new multi-billion dollar field is called anti-aging medicine, or age-management medicine.
Log on http://www.cnbc.com/id/40795923

Wednesday, March 16, 2011,
6-7 p.m. E/P
History Channel
Science
Middle and High School

“Modern Marvels: Ice “ (ice above, below and around us)

The solid form of life's precious elixir--has played a key role in fashioning our history and is making its mark as an unusual tool of technology. This documentary explainse how Earth's ice originated and recount how ice age glaciers sculpted North America. Cameras take an inside look at Colorado's National Ice Core Repository to see how ice drilled from Antarctica and Greenland is an invaluable archive of past climate, and at a Canadian research lab experts demonstrate the dynamics and dangers of icebergs. See how Greenland's massive ice sheet may be sliding faster than ever toward the sea. Take a look at how scientists are using Antarctica's ice as a gigantic lens to probe the secrets of the universe and ride aboard everyone's favorite ice resurfacing machine, the Zamboni machine. Other highlights include the search for extraterrestrial ice and a trip inside the studio of a chainsaw-wielding artist as he sculpts a masterpiece. TV-PG

Thursday, March 17, 2011,
7-8 p.m. E/P
Animal Planet Channel
Science and Geography
Middle and High School

“Polar Bear: Spy On the Ice “ (to know polar bears is to love them)

This documentary utilizes spy cameras to take us closer than ever before to one of nature’s largest land dwellers. Using the latest in spy-cam equipment and capturing intimate and never- before-seen images, the program allows viewers to share their lives with polar bears as they roam across shifting sea ice, negotiate glaciers, swim between ice flows and hunt for prey, all while focusing on the charismatic and charming attitude of these giant bears. TV-PG
Log on http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/03/03/60minutes/main20038830.shtml

Friday, March 18, 2011,
7-8 p.m. E/P
History Channel
Science and Geography
Middle and High School

“First Invasion: The War of 1812 “ (the only time a U.S. enemy burned the White House)

Just 30 years after the closing days of the American Revolution, an immature United States faced annihilation by its parent nation. This documentary is a look at the War of 1812, when the mighty British Empire once again waged war against the fledgling US. This largely forgotten war witnessed Washington in flames, inspired the national anthem, allowed the Founding Fathers to step aside for a new generation of common men and women with uncommon courage, and saw America emerge as a world power. TV-PG
Log on http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/1812

Saturday, March 19, 2011,
2-4 p.m. ET, 11 a.m. -1 p.m. PT
TCM- Turner Classic Movie Channel
English and U. S. History
Middle and High School

“Moby Dick“ ( film version of the great American novel)

This movie is an adaptation of Herman Melville's classic about a vengeful sea captain out to catch the whale that maimed him. Cast: Gregory Peck, Richard Basehart, Orson Welles. Dir: John Huston. TV-PG
Info about the movie at http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=17660
Info about the novel at http://www.online-literature.com/melville/mobydick