StationBreak Winter 2014

Holidays and Mid-Winter Fun

Winter is filled with holiday cheer, solemn remembrances and festive beginnings. Celebrate by ringing in the new year with ArkansasIDEAS for your classroom and professional development needs. In this edition of StationBreak, we highlight many great resources for teaching about the various ways in which you can drive away cabin fever with mirth and merriment during the cold months.

Featured resources this month include professional development courses from the foreign language libraries, such as "Annenberg Media - Teaching Foreign Languages K-12: A Library of Classroom Practices, Holidays and Seasons;" relevant AETN programming, such as the Colonial Williamsburg Electronic Field Trip series; and relevant AETN PBS LearningMedia resource collections, which include lesson plans, media galleries, and videos you can use in your classroom. We also have some great news for Downton Abbey and Colonial Williamsburg fans. Be sure to check it out!

StationBreak informs you about upcoming AETN programming, professional development opportunities from ArkansasIDEAS, and educational resources from AETN and PBS LearningMedia.

News and Featured Courses from ArkansasIDEAS

Did you know that we're on Facebook and Twitter? Be sure to follow ArkansasIDEAS for our latest updates!

Teaching Foreign Languages K-12: A Library of Classroom Practices: Holidays and Seasons
Within the model lesson in this course, students review months, seasons, and holidays. They practice vocabulary and develop oral and written comprehension while singing songs, solving riddles, and participating in other activities. They also use a Venn diagram to compare American and German holidays.

Teaching Foreign Languages K-12: A Library of Classroom Practices: Happy New Year!
In this model lesson, students learn about the products and practices of the Japanese New Year's celebration. First, half of the class participates in authentic Japanese New Year's games and activities. The other half of the class breaks into four groups to discuss cultural aspects of the New Year's celebration, then jigsaws into four new groups to share their knowledge with each other. Then the two halves of the class switch, so that all students have an opportunity to participate in each activity and discussion. The lesson concludes with a discussion in English in which students compare the customs of their own cultural backgrounds with Japanese New Year's customs.

More Than Sad: Teen Suicide / Depression - Prevention and Awareness Programs
This course, provided by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), is designed to help teachers and other school personnel learn more about teen suicide and how they can play a role in its prevention. It features two films and relevant supporting documents. The first film, More Than Sad: Preventing Teen Suicide, educates teachers, counselors, other school personnel about the causes of youth suicide as well as warning signs and the steps they can take to get help for students. The second film, More Than Sad: Teen Depression, features four vignettes - each designed to present to teens a recognizable picture of depression, reduce fears and misconceptions about treatment, and promote help-seeking behavior. Both films were produced by AFSP in conjunction with the award-winning Break Thru Films. This course can be used to fulfill the requirements of Act 770 of 2011. Special thanks specifically to the Arkansas Chapter of AFSP for their contribution of the films. Schools interested in obtaining a free copy of the More Than Sad films can find contact information at the end of each video.

Crystal Bridges: Arts Integration - Teaching from Works of Visual Arts
This course features Anne Kraybill, School Programs Manager, at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. It was recorded on location at the museum in June of 2012. Throughout the course, Ms. Kraybill demonstrates how to integrate art into language arts, visual arts, and social studies classrooms. Educators from the aforementioned disciplines join Ms. Kraybill as she leads discussions on four different paintings, includingWar News from Mexico by Richard Caton Woodville, Union Refugees by George Pettit, After the Flood by Joseph Paul Vorst, and Sacrifice by Romare Bearden.

These professional development resources and more can be found at ideas.aetn.org. For the latest news on professional development requirements, as well as curriculum and assessment news, be sure to check out ADE's new electronic publication, the Arkansas Teacher Resource Newsletter.

In-Studio Events

Would you like to join ArkansasIDEAS for a free day of quality professional development? Sign up to attend an upcoming course taping at the AETN studios in Conway!

Six Components of Parental Involvement
Tuesday, January 20, 2015 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm

Life Interrupted: The Japanese American Experience in WWII Arkansas
Monday, January 26, 2015 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm

School Based Identification of Characteristics of Dyslexia
Wednesday, January 29, 2015 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm

AETN Programing

Free Screening - Season 5 of Downton Abbey, Which Airs Sundays, January 4 - March 1 at 8 p.m. on MASTERPIECE

Downton Abbey returns for an epic fifth season of intimately interlaced stories centered on an English country estate—a deliciously entertaining formula that has made it the highest-rated drama in PBS history.

We have a special gift for Downton Abbey fans this holiday season! Join us in Little Rock for a free screening of the first hour of the epic fifth season and explore the latest saga in the stories you've come to know and love. Reserve your tickets!

Bayou Bartholomew Educator's Guide Now Available
We have partnered with the Arkansas Humanities Council, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Bayou Bartholomew Alliance to create the educators guide that accompanies Bayou Bartholomew: World's Longest Bayou. This guide is designed to inform students of the historical impact Bayou Bartholomew has made and to instill a responsibility to improve the natural environment. It's a wonderful resource that carefully details the bayou's vital role in the history of the Arkansas Delta and in the lives of those who benefited from its waters. The guide accompanies the associated professional development course available through ArkansasIDEAS.

The Colonial Williamsburg Electronic Field Trip Series
Since 1995, Colonial Williamsburg has produced award-winning educational programs, known as electronic field trips, which combine live broadcasts with online classroom resources. This is a very popular and free viewing experience that is also available via live stream. Additionally, the full schedule and a number of related downloadable PDFs and other documents are available on the website for classroom use.

The Electronic Field Trip series airs monthly on AETN October through April at 9 a.m. and noon. December's episode, "The Amazing Trade Shop Science Race," will air on Dec. 11. January's "Colonial Idol" episode airs on Jan. 15.

The extensive library of history resources created for the electronic field trips are also available for on-demand, year-round access by subscription to HERO, the paid subscription service for Colonial Williamsburg's online multimedia library and e-learning environment for teachers and students. It features video, student web activities, and lesson planning resources aimed at grades 4-8. Additional opportunities for exclusive interaction are also available to HERO subscribers.

Opportunities for Additional Access to Colonial Williamsburg Resources

• The Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute is accepting scholarship applications through the end of December. During six-day sessions on location in Colonial Williamsburg and the surrounding area, twenty-five participants and a Master Teacher will engage in an interdisciplinary approach to teaching social studies with American history as the focus. Teachers will have the opportunity to exchange ideas with historians, meet character interpreters and become part of the story in "The Revolutionary City." Throughout each day, teachers will work collaboratively with Colonial Williamsburg staff and Master Teachers to examine interactive teaching techniques and develop instructional materials that bring history to life in the classroom.
• We will be offering the opportunity to apply for a scholarship to Colonial Williamsburg's HERO subscription service. The schools awarded with the scholarship will be granted school-wide site licenses, which provide access to the entire library of HERO's resources for one year. You can watch for the announcement at ideas.aetn.org or by following ArkansasIDEAS on Facebook or Twitter.

AETN Programs

For more details or for January programming visit aetn.org.

News from AETN PBS LearningMedia

AETN PBS LearningMedia has been updated with a new interface featuring a new student learning portal and a suite of productivity tools for teachers. Be sure to check it out!

2015 PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovators Application Has Been Launched!
2015 is your chance to become a PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovator! Select applicants will receive one year of FREE PD and an all-expense paid trip to Philly for a hands-on training preceding this year's ISTE conference. Don't just imagine what opportunities the PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovators program has in store for you; take the next step and apply now through Feb. 11! If you are using digital media/technology to drive innovation in the classroom and engage your students, APPLY TODAY!

All About the Holidays - Collection
Have you ever stopped to wonder why we wear Halloween costumes, celebrate Thanksgiving in November, or choose valentines in February? These familiar traditions have fascinating and sometimes surprising origins. Get to know the history and significance behind these and other U.S. holidays with this new collection of resources. GRADES: ALL

Holidays - Video
WLVT PBS 39 and PSEA present Write Now! Video writing prompts. These prompts are tools for educators and students to use in the classroom to encourage creative writing. The topics covered in these clips are general/social topics that challenge students to evaluate common-day occurrences or items in different ways. GRADES: 6-12

Sid's Holiday Adventure - Media Gallery
Using this resource group, students learn about the differences in weather in different parts of the country as well as the world. Although Sid is used to warm weather, he learns that temperatures vary depending on where you are! This resource group includes eight video segments, a live action segment, as well as an associated activity and an interactive game. GRADES: PREK-1

Holidays in the U.S.A. - eBook
Celebrate! Holidays in the USA discusses the ten federally recognized holidays in the United States, as well as many celebratory days such as Valentine's Day and Mother's Day that are commonly celebrated. There is also a section addressing four recognition months that are commonly acknowledged in the USA: Black History Month, Women's History Month, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and Hispanic Heritage Month. GRADES: 2-6

Holiday Ornament Cyberchase Activity - Webpage
Make a Cyberchase holiday ornament! GRADES: 3-6

Acting Silly - Document
Here are some opportunities for everyone to enjoy being silly. Have fun with this activity from Arthur. GRADES: PREK-4

Costume Box - Interactive
In this game based on the series Peg + Cat, you can dress up Peg and her friends in some totally silly outfits! GRADES: PREK-2

For educational resources at home and in the classroom, visit:

Download the AETN Educator Resource Guide, your guide to all AETN and PBS education resources.