April 2008

2008 ARKANSAS GOVERNOR’S QUIZ BOWL COMPETITION LIVE ON AETN
  Saturday, April 19, 5-8 p.m.
  Sunday, April 20, 1-4 p.m.

The 2008 Arkansas Governor’s Quiz Bowl broadcast is shaping up to be an  exciting event.  This year brings changes with a new logo and new set.  Watch as 14 teams from around the state  compete in seven classifications during this two-day live broadcast.

CELEBRATE EARTH DAY  (APRIL 22) AND ARBOR DAY (APRIL 25) WITH A CLASS PROJECT

The Arkansas-based Heifer International  provides several opportunities for classes to participate in eco-friendly and  economic independence projects in recognition of Earth Day and Arbor Day.

Earth Day, Tuesday,  April 22: If your school is looking for a project, Heifer International  provides an opportunity to give an “Earth Basket” full of good things like  honey bees and seedlings that offer families a source of income and a means to  enhance the environment.  For  information, visit http://www.heifer.org/site/apps/ka/ec/product.asp

Arbor Day, Friday,  April 25: “A Gift of Trees” and “A Share of Seedlings” provides training and  trees to families to keep their small plots of land healthy and renew the soil  for future generations.  For information,  visit http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.2698711/.

ARKANSAS STUDIES

TUNE IN TO ARKANSAS  STUDIES PROGRAMS ON AETN EARLY MORNING BLOCKFEED

It Started Here: Early Arkansas And the Louisiana Purchase 
  http://www.aetn.org/production/programs/itstartedhere

This 30-minute program explores Arkansas’s past from the signing of the Louisiana  Purchase in 1803 to Arkansas  statehood in 1836.  Follow the 1815 land  survey that began in a swamp in eastern Arkansas  and established a starting point for land surveys of Arkansas,  Iowa, Minnesota,  Missouri and the Dakotas.  The program airs in the Early Morning  BlockFeed:

April 1, 12 a.m.
  April 12, 3:30 a.m.
  April 23, 12:30 a.m.
  May 9, 12 a.m.

Forgotten Expedition
  http://www.aetn.org/production/programs/forgottenexpedition

Most Americans have heard the  story of Lewis and Clark’s 1804-1806 exploration of the Louisiana Purchase.  What most people  don’t realize is that President Jefferson also commissioned William Dunbar and  George Hunter to conduct a second expedition to explore the southern parts of  that new frontier.  The program airs in  the Early Morning BlockFeed:

April 25, 12 a.m.

City of Visitors:  The Story of Hot Springs
  http://ideas.aetn.org/wgol/the_city_of_visitors

Hot Springs, Ark.  developed as a town with a “split personality.” This story introduces the people  who made the city one of the most glamorous health treatment centers in the  country, as well as the largest illegal gambling operation in the United States.  This is  the story of the people who forced the city to change. The program  airs in the Early Morning BlockFeed:

April 26, 12am

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ART AND MUSIC

GREAT PERFORMANCES “PETER  AND THE WOLF”
    http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/
  Grades: K-12

Sergei Prokofiev's fanciful  musical tale "Peter and the Wolf" is given new life in this  innovative animated interpretation, which won an Academy Award for best animated short film.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

POSTCARDS FROM BUSTER “BOW TO YOUR PARTNER”
  http://pbskids.org/buster/parentsteachers/act-bow-partner.html
  Grades: PreK-2

Discover how to square dance.  Describe something that has been passed down from older relatives  and friends.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

AMERICAN MASTERS “PETE SEEGER”
    http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/seeger_p.html
  Grades: 9-12

Examine  the unique experience and contributions of this man who introduced America to its  own folk heritage.  He deeply believes in  the power of song and is convinced that individuals can make a difference.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

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COUNSELING AND GUIDANCE

IT'S MY LIFE “CRUSHES”
    http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/parents/resources/crushes.html
  Grades: 3-8

Define what it means to have a  "crush" on someone, and discuss how to deal with the emotions  and feelings that one experiences if one has a crush on someone.  Explore appropriate and inappropriate behaviors in  dealing with crushes.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

PBS PARENTS “HOMEWORK WITHOUT TEARS*

http://www.pbs.org/parents/goingtoschool/support_learner.html

Grades: PreK-5

Caught in a battle over homework? Or working around the clock with your child to complete an elaborate science fair project? Discover how you can support your child's independent learning and motivation at home--without resorting to bribes or battles.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences

MY AMERICAN GIRLS “A DOMINICAN STORY: LIVING BETWEEN TWO WORLDS* LESSON PLAN

http://uw.kqed.org/edresources/plan.php?id=61

Grades: 6-12

Examine school, work and family conflicts in the lives of American and immigrant students. Role-play solutions to school conflicts based on a series of vignettes.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences

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EARLY CHILDHOOD

DRAGON TALES “SEARCH  FOR MAMI: AN ENGLISH/SPANISH STORYBOOK”
    http://pbskids.org/dragontales/storybook/storybook.html
  Grades: PreK-2

Experience the Spanish language  with this online storybook  Explore the story of a little bird looking for his mommy,  and listen as the Spanish words for many objects found in each scene  are pronounced aloud.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

GO GREEN: CONNECT KIDS WITH NATURE
  http://www.pbs.org/parents/special/article-benefitsoutdoors.html?campaign=parentsnews_1_nature

Research and common sense tell  us: Nature is good for children. Get ready for spring by finding out five  benefits of helping your family explore the great outdoors.

SOURCE: PBS Parents
  http://pbs.org/parents/preferences/index.html

GET COOKING
  http://www.pbs.org/parents/parenthelpers/cooking.html?campaign=parentsnews_2_cook

Cooking together can be a  delicious learning experience for children and their parents. Kids can explore  new foods, learn about nutrition, and develop math and reading skills as they  measure and read directions. Use these simple guidelines designed to help you  make cooking safe and fun.

SOURCE: PBS Parents
  http://pbs.org/parents/preferences/index.html

PLAY ALPHA PIG'S PAINT BY LETTER!
  http://pbskids.org/superwhy/#game/paintbyletter?campaign=parentsnews_3_alphapig

Alpha Pig's new game has  something for everybody. You know you're encouraging artistic creativity and  literacy--but your kids just think they're having fun.

SOURCE: PBS Parents
  http://pbs.org/parents/preferences/index.html

FREE PBS KIDS INTERACTIVE SITES BY AGE LEVEL
  http://pbskids.org/

This site connects  children to interactive online activities.

PROGRAMS	AGES
Barney	6 months-3 years
Teletubbies	1-4 years
Sesame Street	2-4 years
Berenstain Bears	2-7 years
Dragon Tales	2-7 years
Curious George	3-5 years
Mister Rogers	3-5 years
Boobah	3-6 years
Caillou	3-6 years
It’s a Big Big World	3-6 years
JAKERS!	4-6 years
Between the Lions	4-7 years
Clifford	4-7 years
Reading Rainbow	4-8 years
ZOOM	5-11 years
Arthur	6-9 years
Postcards from Buster	6-9 years
FETCH!	6-10 years
Maya & Miguel	6-11 years
Cyberchase	8-12 years

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GRANTS, AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

GRANTS FOR PROGRAMS THAT BENEFIT YOUTH AND SCIENTIFIC EDUCATION

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/newsletter/redir/http://corporate.honda.com/america/philanthropy.aspx?id=ahf
Maximum Award: $100,000.
Eligibility: Schools and youth-focused nonprofit organizations.
Deadline: May 1, 2008

The American Honda Foundation makes grants to K-12 schools, colleges, universities, trade schools and other youth-focused nonprofit organizations for programs that benefit youth and scientific education.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences

GO OVERBOARD CHALLENGE GRANT
    http://www.burton.com/Region.aspx?return=/gobsite/ChallengeGrant.aspx
  Maximum Award:  $1,000
  Number of Grants: 12
  Eligibility:  Students ages 12-20
  Deadline: May 1,  2008

Youth Venture, Burton Snowboards and Justina Chen Headley are sponsoring this grant to fund youth-led ideas to change the world by improving their school, neighborhood, city, county or the world.  Students need an adult sponsor, such as a teacher, to endorse their grant application.

GRANTS FOR PROGRAMS  THAT BENEFIT YOUTH AND SCIENTIFIC EDUCATION
    http://corporate.honda.com/america/philanthropy.aspx?id=ahf
  Maximum Award: $100,000
  Eligibility: Schools and youth-focused non-profit  organizations
  Deadline: May 1, 2008

The American Honda Foundation makes grants to K-12 schools,  colleges, universities, trade schools and other youth-focused organizations for  programs that benefit youth and scientific education.

PRESIDENTIAL AWARDS  FOR EXCELLENCE IN MATH AND SCIENCE TEACHING
    http://www.paemst.org/controllers/home.cfc?method=view
  Maximum Award: $10,000
  Eligibility: Teachers with five years experience teaching  math or science
  Deadline: May 1, 2008

These awards are among the nation’s highest honors for  teachers of mathematics and science.

MOTOROLA INNOVATION  GENERATION GRANTS
    http://www.motorola.com/content.jsp?globalObjectId=8153
  Maximum Award: $250,000
  Eligibility: Non-profit organizations
  Deadline: June 15, 2008

This grant provides funds for initiatives that creatively  foster a love of science early in life and show a new generation of inventors  in science and math are important and challenging.

 

Grant Sources Forecast of Finding for the U.S. Department of Education  http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/find/edlite-forecast.html   PEN WEEKLY NEWSBLAST  http://www.publiceducation.org/newsblast_grants.asp  This site includes grant opportunity, Web links, deadlines, eligibility and maximum grant amounts   EducationMoney.com   Federal Grants http://grants.gov allows you to search by category, you do not need to register to search for grant opportunities   http://grantsalert.com/ These sources will help locate foundation, government and other grant opportunities.  It’s best to start when you have some time to invest, because one thing frequently leads to another link. Grant Writing Tips and Tools If you want factual information about grant writing and samples, be sure to visit the Guide for Writing a Funding Proposal by S. Joseph Levine, Ph.D., Michigan State University, at http://www.learnerassociates.net/proposal.   “SHOW ME THE MONEY: TIPS & RESOURCES FOR SUCCESSFUL GRANT WRITING” http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/profdev/profdev039.shtml

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HEALTH, SAFETY AND FITNESS

THE FORGETTING: A PORTRAIT OF ALZHEIMER'S “HOW ALZHEIMER'S AFFECTS THE BRAIN” LESSON PLAN
    http://www.pbs.org/theforgetting/resources/sciencehealth.html
  Grades: 6-12

Examine how Alzheimer's affects  different parts of the brain, and sketch a healthy neuron  labeling its parts. Diagram brain changes during the early and  late stages of Alzheimer's.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

FETCH! “DOG EARS”
    http://pbskids.org/fetch/games/dogears/index.html
  Grades: K-5

Test your auditory memory by  matching sounds in this online interactive game. Decode audio clues to decipher  the five passwords for Ruff's safe.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

BERENSTAIN BEARS  “DENTAL DILEMMAS” LESSON PLAN
    http://pbskids.org/berenstainbears/caregiver/outreach.html
  Grades: PreK -2

Discuss reasons for brushing  teeth and different foods and drinks that are helpful or  hurtful to teeth. Explore what it's like to visit the dentist  through role-play.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

DRAGONFLY TV “PET  THERAPY”
    http://pbskids.org/dragonflytv/parentsteachers/tguide_pettherapy.html
  Grades: 3-8

Examine the effects of pet  therapy on children with chronic pain, study how different styles  of music affect a person's heart rate differently and  discuss how facial expression reflects a person's feelings.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

9 WAYS TO  CELEBRATE SPRING WITH KIDS
  http://www.pbs.org/parents/parenthelpers/earth.html?campaign=parentsnews_1_spring

Even  city-dwellers can celebrate the arrival of spring by getting back to nature.  Explore nine earth-friendly ideas, from star-gazing to planting a garden to  recycling, that will help children learn to appreciate the world around them.

SOURCE: PBS Parents Newsletter
  http://pbs.org/parents/preferences/index.html

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HISTORY AND SOCIAL STUDIES

COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG ELECTRONIC FIELD TRIPS SCHEDULE
  http://www.history.org/trips/

Take students on a  field trip through time and place.  Visit  Colonial Williamsburg in this resource-rich program and Web site.

 

Thursday, April 10, 9 a.m. and noon

The Industrious Tradesmen   Follow the lives of several journeymen fresh from their apprenticeships in trades and business as they learn how skill and opportunity will impact their careers. Discover which ones will achieve their dreams and become masters of their own shops.

FRONTLINE “THE SECRET  HISTORY OF THE CREDIT CARD”
    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/credit/
  Grades: 9-12

The average American family  today carries ten credit cards.  Credit card debt and personal bankruptcies are now at an all time  high. With no legal limit on the amount of interest or fees  that can be charged, credit cards have become the most profitable  sector of the American banking industry: more than $30  billion in profits last year alone. FRONTLINE and The NewYork Times examine how the credit card industry became so pervasive,  so lucrative and so politically powerful.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

NOVA “BONE DIGGERS”
    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bonediggers/
  Grades: 6-12

NOVA joins the first descent into the dark depths of a cave in Australia and follows the detailed  detective work on the recovered skeletons that will  help piece together the past of these prehistoric creatures.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

INDEPENDENT LENS “IRON  LADIES OF LIBERIA”
    http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/ironladies/
  Grades: 9-12

This intimate documentary goes  behind-the-scenes with Africa's first  freely elected female head of state, Ellen Johnson

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

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LIBRARY, LITERATURE AND READING

PBS PARENTS GUIDE TO READING  AND LANGUAGE “WRITING DEVELOPMENT”
    http://www.pbs.org/parents/readinglanguage/writing/main.html
  Grades: PreK-2

Tour a portfolio of writing  samples by one child from babyhood to third grade that help  illustrate how writing develops naturally as well as the  relationship between reading and writing. Consider literacy  signposts at each level.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

CELEBRATE SHAKESPEARE’S 444TH  BIRTHDAY

Join the  festivities – cake and ice cream, dueling, Shakespeare’s greatest skits and  party games make this birthday party something to remember. 

Join in:
  April 5, 11 a.m.-1  p.m. – Little Rock  Public Library Downtown
  April 12, 1-4 p.m.  – Fayetteville  Public Library
  April 19, 1-4 p.m.  – Faulkner County Public Library, Conway
  April 20, 1-4 p.m.  – Lake Willastein Library, Maumelle

IN SEARCH OF SHAKESPEARE "CONVERSATIONS" LESSON PLAN
    http://www.pbs.org/shakespeare/educators/performance/lessonplan.html
  Grades: 6-8

Become more comfortable with the  words of William Shakespeare, and discover the beauty of the  language by creating personal, original conversations with  peers. Work with Elizabethan sentence structure, verb form  and other mechanics of basic grammar.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

CONCEPTS ACROSS THE CURRICULUM “SHAKESPEARE AND THE RENAISSANCE”
    http://www.pbs.org/teachers/thismonth/shakespeare/index1.html
  Grades: 6-12

Explore the life and times of  William Shakespeare, perform lines from his plays, study his  characters and examine the rhythm of his sonnets. Explore  the culture of the Elizabethan period and compare Renaissance  society to today's.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

MASTERPIECE THEATRE “GOODBYE MR. CHIPS” LESSON PLAN
    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/mrchips/tguide.html
  Grades: 6-12

Explore the genre of school  stories the novel represents, and examine the concept of hierarchies in  authority and power.  Predict what will  happen in the story in relation to characters, plot, conflicts and themes.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

ANIMALIA: JIMBO, JAMBO, JIGGLE ACTIVITY

http://pbskids.org/animalia/parents_and_teachers/activities/vocabulary/vocabulary_activity_2.htm

Grade Range: K-5

Understand the literary technique of alliteration and listen to writing that demonstrates the use of alliteration. Complete sentences using alliteration.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences

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MATH AND SCIENCE

OCEAN ADVENTURES RETURN TO THE  AMAZON
  http://www.pbs.org/previews/jmco-returntotheamazon/

Join Jean-Michel  Cousteau on this two-part adventure to travel the world’s longest, wildest and  most powerful river.  This series  combines science and discovery with expert story-telling and astonishing HD  footage.

NOVA “SAVED BY THE SUN”
    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/solar/
  Grades: 6-12

In the face of steeply rising  oil prices and political turmoil in the Middle East, there's new urgency about finding a solution  to our uncertain energy future. Could it be time to take  solar energy seriously again? Breakthroughs in new materials  and ingenious designs for solar collectors are  transforming the  technology into a vastly cheaper, more efficient alternative.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

NATURE “RAPTOR FORCE”
    http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/raptorforce/index.html
  Grades: 6-12

Armed  with powerful beaks and razor-sharp talons, raptors are nature's elite killing  force. Dramatic original footage from cameras mounted on their backs shows why  falcons, owls, eagles and hawks are masters of the sky and why aeronautics  engineers use their unique abilities and body designs as the basis of new  aircraft technology.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

PBS PARENTS GUIDE TO EARLY MATH “TIME TO MOVE”
    http://www.pbs.org/parents/earlymath/grades_games_timetomove_fla.html
  Grades: PreK-2

Practice measuring and reading  information in a chart. Measure the lengths of fish  and compare the lengths with the lengths of fish listed in a chart.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

ARTHUR “HOW MUCH WILL  IT COST?”
    http://pbskids.org/arthur/parentsteachers/activities/acts/how_much_cost.html
  Grades: K-2

List the supplies that would be  needed to host a party, search for the items in store circulars  and write the costs. Decide how many of each item will be  needed, and calculate the total cost of the party.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

FETCH! “CSI: SQUEAK SNEAK” ONLINE ACTIVITY

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/newsletter/redir/http://pbskids.org/fetch/games/csi_1/index.html

Grades: K-5

Use problem-solving and logical reasoning strategies to deduce who stole Ruff's squeaky toy. Search for clues in the crime scene, analyze and identify the clues in the crime lab and identify the thief by matching clues to suspects. 

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences

NOVA “THE FOUR WINGED DINOSAUR”
    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/microraptor/
  Grades: 6-12

NOVA investigates the mysterious  feathered dinosaurs that are challenging old ideas about the origin of bird  flight. The central character in this drama is a strange little dinosaur with  wings on its legs as well as its arms. The pigeon-sized microraptor is the  smallest adult dinosaur ever found, perhaps the first known tree dweller. But  could it really fly? Is it the key to understanding the origin of flight or  merely an evolutionary dead end unrelated to the ancestry of birds?

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

KEN BURNS AMERICAN STORIES BASEBALL “SHADOW BALL” LESSON PLAN
    http://www.pbs.org/teachers/newsletter/redir/http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/baseball/teachers/lesson1.html
Grade Range: 6-8

Play Shadow Ball, a simulation that pantomimes the game of baseball based on the mathematics needed for basic calculations of throwing times between fielders and other known factors. Predict results of plays based on data analysis.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE “THE CRASH OF 1929” ECONOMICS PROJECT
    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/crash/tguide/index.html
  Grades: 9-12

Prepare a "Beginner's Guide  to the U.S. Stock Market" for people who know little about the  topic, including jargon vocabulary and directions on how  to read newspaper listings.  Follow a stock on the NYSE for one week and graph its  progress.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

NATURE “DEEP JUNGLE: THE  BEAST WITHIN"
    http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/deepjungle/index.html
  Grades: 6-12

What role did the jungle play in  humanity's distant past and what can it tell us about our  future? Look for clues among the primates of the rainforests,  as well as traces of ancient civilizations that  once thrived there,  only to vanish mysteriously. Included are expeditions to the Central African Republic, Guatemala and Cambodia.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

CYBERCHASE “VIRTUAL  COIN TOSS”
    http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/games/probability/index.html
  Grades: 3-5

Understand basic principles of  randomness and probability to predict the results of a number  of coin tosses.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

FREE AETN IDEAS PORTAL  AND AETN VIDEOSTREAMING WORKSHOPS

Times:
  8:30-11:30 a.m. workshops for  Arkansas IDEAS education portal
  1-4 p.m. workshops for AETN  Videostreaming

Dates:
  April 10, 24, 2008
  May 8, 22, 2008

To register for one or more of  the workshops, or for more information, call 1-800-488-6689 or send e-mail to education@aetn.org.

As with all professional development  courses, allowing in-service credit is at the discretion of the superintendent,  principal or other official designated by your district/school.  Although courses have been approved by ADE as  appropriate for professional development, you will still need to confirm the  credit status of the course at a local level.

To make arrangements for either  or both workshops at your school or district for a minimum of 10 participants,  contact Daoming Chen, 1-800-488-6689, or dchen@aetn.org.

PBS TEACHERLINE  AND WGBH/TEACHERS' DOMAIN PARTNER FOR EXELLENCE IN SCIENCE TEACHING AND  LEARNING
    http://pbs.convio.net/site/R?i=ahFIZssyzMmEizKjD1CpZg
  Grades: K-12

PBS TeacherLine now features a  special collection of courses from Teachers' Domain, produced  by WGBH Boston, to help educators teach life, physical,  and earth and space science.  These courses provide research- and standards-based
  professional development in an  accessible online format that makes learning fun and  effective.

SOURCE: PBS Teachers Newsletter
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/preferences/

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