Media Menu for March 7, 2012

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.

Wednesday,  March 7, 2012,
7-8 p.m. E/P
Science Channel
Science and Arts
Middle and High School

Prophets of Science Fiction: Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov dreamed of a better future where robots can do mankind's dirty work. His I, Robot stories led to the creation of real-life industrial robots--and inspired generations to embrace the science and technology of a robo-friendly world. This documentary is one in a series  of  producer  Ridley Scott's exploration of how many of the fantastic ideas from the great minds of science fiction have become reality in the modern world. This episode highlights  the role robots play in such fields as surgery and space exploration. TV-PG
Log on http://www.asimovonline.com/asimov_home_page.html

Thursday, March 8, 2012,
4-5  p.m. E/P
History Channel
U.S. History and Geography

Middle and High School

Ancient Discoveries: Ancient New York
This is a documentary about new discoveries which  unveil the ancient blueprint for modern life in the metropolis of New York .  Long before Wall Street and Broadway, before even the Dutch, New York was a special place. It's unique topography and resources made it an ideal settlement and so its history stretches far back before the arrival of Europeans. The program journeys back in time to experience the Big Apple when it was still the "Island of Many Hills." While New York's towering skyline and world-leading technology have made it the ultimate modern city, breathtaking new discoveries reveal that the blueprints for this megalopolis were in fact laid thousands of years ago. Now, through the wonders of CGI and dramatic reenactment, you can see first-hand how people have been "making it there" for thousands of years. Mark the passage of time — as if in Times Square on New Year's Eve — with a gigantic Neolithic calendar. And see how the foundations of this great city are thousands of years old and makes you reconsider everything you know about it.
Log on http://www.history.com/shows/ancient-discoveries/photos/ancient-discoveries-season-three#ancient-discoveries-season-two

Friday, March 9, 2012,
5-7  p.m. E/P
History Channel
U.S. History
Middle and High School

Gettysburg

Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, this documentary will strip away the romanticized veneer of the Civil War and present the engagement in a new light: a visceral, terrifying experience with everything on the line. At its core, this is the story of the soldiers on the ground, not the generals who commanded from behind the frontlines. Compelling CGI and powerful action footage place viewers in the midst of the fighting, delivering both an emotional cinematic experience and an information packed look at the turning points, technology, and little known facts of perhaps America's greatest battle. TV-PG
Log on http://www.nps.gov/gett/index.htm
Friday, March 9, 2012,
8-9 p.m. E/P
NBC
U.S. History
Middle and High School

Who Do You Think You Are?

In this  news documentary which uses genealogical research methods to do historical research, NFL superstar Jerome Bettis discovers ancestors of courage and determination as they stood up against injustice during the Jim Crow era.  TV-PG
Log on http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/photos/10014#item=227783

Saturday,  March 10, 2012,
8-9 p.m. E/P
CNBC
Economics and U.S.
History
High School

American Greed : Galleon Group: The Insider: Raj Rajaratnam

This news documentary follows stock market manipulator Raj Rajaratnam  as he creates one of the biggest insider trading schemes in U.S. history
Log on http://www.ft.com/indepth/rajaratnam-galleon-insider-trading

Sunday,  March 11, 2012,
9-11 p.m. E/P
Planet  Green Channel
World History and Technology
Middle and High School

What Sank Titanic?

It's almost 100 years since the Titanic sank. We think we know the story but how much do we actually know? Drawing on detailed trial records that describe the sinking,  this docudrama  recreates both the science and human drama of one of history's greatest stories. TV-PG
Log on http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2034920/

Monday,  March 12, 2012,
10-11 p.m. E/P
National Geographic Channel
U.S. History and Geography
Middle and High School
Navajo Cops: Skinwalkers
It’s a tough job patrolling more than 17 million acres, while watching over a population of 180,000 with a proud heritage and age-old customs. But, as shown in this documentary,  that’s the job of the Navajo Cops, an elite force of 330 officers who protect the largest Indian reservation in America.
Log on http://kayentatownship.net/blog/?p=2379

Tuesday,  March 13, 2012,
6-7 p.m. E/P
History Channel
Science and Technology
Middle and High School

Modern Marvels: Engines

This documentary tells the story of the development of engines and motors, with particular emphasis on the ones that have profoundly changed society. Beginning with the steam engine, we see how it was developed, how it works, and how it led to the Industrial Revolution. We review the electric motor, internal combustion engine, jet engine, and rocket engine, and conclude with a look at futuristic engine technologies, including hydrogen-powered cars and microtechnology engines so small that they fit on the tip of a finger.  TV-PG
Log on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engine_efficiency

Tuesday,  March 13, 2012,
8-9 p.m. E/P
PBS
Science and Geography
Middle and High School

Horses Of The West: America’s Love Story

From the sensitive beauty of elegant Arabians to a gentle nudge from a therapy horse, from the open runs of wild horses on the range to the muscle and skill of working ranch horses, this  documentary  takes viewers on an emotional journey on horseback through the American West. Narrated by actress Ali MacGraw, this program celebrates the remarkable relationship of horses and the humans who love them, while offering a broad overview of the many different roles horses play.
Log on http://pressroom.pbs.org/Programs/h/Horses-of-the-West.aspx
Wednesday,  March 14, 2012,
10:15 p.m.–12:15 a.m. ET, 7:15-9:15 p.m. PT
TCM – Turner  Classic Movie Channel
Arts and U.S. History
Middle and High School

On The Waterfront

In this an eight-Oscar-winning drama about labor conditions,   a young stevedore takes on the mobster who rules the docks. Ex-boxer Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando) earns an inconsequential living working for waterfront crime boss Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb). But when he unwittingly lures a rebellious dockworker to his death, Malloy suffers pangs of guilt. Through the love of Edie Doyle (Eva Marie Saint), the murdered man's sister, and the support of Father Barry (Karl Malden), a crime-fighting priest, Terry finds the moral courage to stand up to Friendly and his goons and accept the violent consequences of his decision. This movie has been selected for inclusion in the Library of Congress' National Film  Registry. Available on DVD. TV-PG
Log on http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/4749/On-the-Waterfront

Saturday, March 10th

8am (ET)
Approx. 45 min.
Book Party for Senator Alan Simpson and Donald Hardy, "Shooting from the Lip: The Life of Senator Al Simpson"
Donald Hardy

9am (ET)
Approx. 3 hr.
In Depth: Randall Kennedy

12pm (ET)
Approx. 1 hr. 15 min.
"Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime"
Mark Halperin; John Heilemann

LIVE 1:30pm (ET)
Approx. 5 hr. 30 min.
2012 Tucson Festival of Books
Event Coverage

7pm (ET)
Approx. 56 min.
Encore Booknotes: Michelle Malkin, "Invasion: How America Still Welcomes Terrorists, Criminals, and Other Foreign Menaces to Our Shores"
Michelle Malkin

8pm (ET)
Approx. 1 hr. 10 min.
"The Crusader: The Life and Tumultuous Times of Pat Buchanan"
Timothy Stanley

9:15pm (ET)
Approx. 42 min.
"FDR and Chief Justice Hughes: The President, the Supreme Court, and the Epic Battle Over the New Deal"
James Simon

10pm (ET)
Approx. 59 min.
After Words: Maggie Anderson, "Our Black Year: One Family's Quest to Buy Black in America's Racially Divided Economy," hosted by Krissah Thompson, The Washington Post

11pm (ET)
Approx. 55 min.
"Mr. and Mrs. Madison's War: America's First Couple at the Second War of Independence"
Hugh Howard

Sunday, March 11th

12am (ET)
Approx. 5 hr. 30 min.
2012 Tucson Festival of Books
Event Coverage

6:45am (ET)
Approx. 1 hr. 14 min.
"Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010"
Charles Murray

8am (ET)
Approx. 50 min.
"Fraternity"
Diane Brady

9am (ET)
Approx. 55 min.
"Mr. and Mrs. Madison's War: America's First Couple at the Second War of Independence"
Hugh Howard

10am (ET)
Approx. 42 min.
"FDR and Chief Justice Hughes: The President, the Supreme Court, and the Epic Battle Over the New Deal"
James Simon

11am (ET)
Approx. 45 min.
Book Party for Senator Alan Simpson and Donald Hardy, "Shooting from the Lip: The Life of Senator Al Simpson"
Donald Hardy

12pm (ET)
Approx. 55 min.
After Words: John Lewis Gaddis, "George F. Kennan: An American Life," hosted by Susan Glasser, Foreign Policy magazine

LIVE 1pm (ET)
Approx. 7 hr.
2012 Tucson Festival of Books
Event Coverage

8pm (ET)
Approx. 58 min.
"All In: The Education of General David Petraeus"
Paula Broadwell; Vernon Loeb

9pm (ET)
Approx. 59 min.
After Words: Maggie Anderson, "Our Black Year: One Family's Quest to Buy Black in America's Racially Divided Economy," hosted by Krissah Thompson, The Washington Post

10pm (ET)
Approx. 1 hr. 15 min.
"Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime"
Mark Halperin; John Heilemann

Monday, March 12th

12am (ET)
Approx. 59 min.
After Words: Maggie Anderson, "Our Black Year: One Family's Quest to Buy Black in America's Racially Divided Economy," hosted by Krissah Thompson, The Washington Post

1am (ET)
Approx. 7 hr.
2012 Tucson Festival of Books
Event Coverage