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Lesson Plans & More about U. S. Presidency & Inaugurations

Perhaps more than ever we can understand the need to educate our young about United States history.  This week, the inauguration of Joseph R. Biden Jr., presents a teachable moment to learn about our presidency and presidential inaugurations.

A curated collection of lessons plans, videos, images, documents and interactives — some in Spanish and some for early grades — is available at PBS LearningMedia to explore the rich history and institution of the U.S. presidency.

Included are lesson plans that focus on Continue reading →

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Martin Luther King, Jr. — A Beacon of Hope

“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
Martin Luther King, Jr., 21 October 2011
President Barack Obama was said to have had this quotation woven into the rug of the Oval Office.  After these past months, which highlighted racial injustice, greater political polarization, and unprecedented civic unrest, Dr. King’s words may never have been more important for us to hold as a beacon of hope.
Children, who are not impervious to the news, need to learn about our history and to celebrate leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr.  To honor and teach the contributions and sacrifices of Martin L. King, Jr. — around his day and throughout the year — you’ll find a wealth of resources at Continue reading →
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PBS Teacher Planning Kit for New School Routines + Webinar

The PBS Teacher Planning Kit for New School Routines is an eight-week planning kit designed for PreK-12 teachers to help navigate this year’s new and changing school routines. This Planning Kit — for January through March — is packed with resources to use in your classrooms and to better engage students who have limited or no access to the internet.

In a one-hour webinar on Continue reading →

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Hispanic Heritage Month — Local Art & Culture and Beyond

The PBS LearningMedia’s interactive lesson, Diversity in Latino Culture, explores the rich variety found within our region’s Latino food, music, and art — as seen through the lens of Presencia, NEPM’s bilingual, on-air program.

The lesson also introduces students to individuals who have honored and celebrated Latino culture, among them one of Mexico’s great artists, Frida Kahlo, Continue reading →

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Hispanic Heritage Month — Lesson Plans, Videos and More

As you probably know, September 15 – October 15  is Hispanic Heritage Month.  To teach students the rich history of Latinos and our country, stories of U.S. Latinos inform the broader American narrative, and Latinx experiences illuminate our history.

You’ll find lesson plans, videos, and more classroom resources to support teaching Latinx history for grades 4-12 in a collection that invites teachers and students to Continue reading →

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In Times of Crisis — Fred Rogers Still Offers Us Good Advice

A recent article in Today entitled, We need Mister Rogers’ video messages after 9/11 now more than ever, reminded me how Fred Rogers’ words continue to calm and instruct — both children and adults.  This video was made when Mister Rogers Neighborhood was no longer on the air, and he was said to doubt whether videos such as this one would do any good.

In this video we hear the simple wisdom needed in the aftermath of 9/11 as well as now — when our country and Continue reading →

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Special Webinar to Support Lesson Planning for New School Routines

PBS LearningMedia understands that you face a challenging, uncertain school year and invites you to join a special webinar on PreK-12 classroom planning this Thursday, September 17 @ 7pm ET.

In advance of the webinar, hosted in partnership with Share My Lesson, all registrants will receive a digital copy of a custom planning kit filled with eight weeks worth of relevant resources.  During the virtual event you’ll learn how to use the Teacher Planning Kits for Continue reading →

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Webinar Tonight — New Resources for The Battle for the Right to Vote!

“To be disenfranchised is to be told that you do not matter, because the right to vote is about the power that governs your possibilities.” – Professor Marcia Chatelain, The Vote

There’s still time to register for tonight’s webinar at 7:00PM ET, The 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment:  The Battle for the Right to Vote.  You’ll celebrate the centennial of the 19th Amendment and learn how suffragists ultimately triumphed after one of the longest civil rights struggles in American history!

Professor Marcia Chatelain, featured scholar in American Experience’s The Vote, will speak about the significant contributions of African-American women in the suffrage movement, and other educators will share new resources Continue reading →

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Remember Zoom — the PBS Show?

Today, Zoom is synonymous with the platform we rely on for video and audio conferencing and much more.  But the Seattle Times recently reminisced about another Zoom — the PBS show Zoom from WGBH that was among the innovative television programs created in the ’90s.

Zoom’s cast of diverse, preteens had fun with science in everyday settings that can still excite young learners today!  With engaging activities that students can do by themselves or with others, Zoom resources can be found on Continue reading →

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K-2 Professional Learning on Social-Emotional Learning Strategies

Beginning August 31, PBS KIDS is offering a week of virtual professional learning — free, of course! — where you can explore strategies for naming, rating, and regulating emotion.

Given the complicated experiences children have experienced since Covid-19, such as limited time with friends, lost learning and much more, the series will help you to prepare Continue reading →