Learn & Play
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Learning At Home Schedule – November 2021

Take advantage of this month’s Learning at Home broadcast schedule – great for students engaged in hybrid or distance instruction, and families looking to spend some extra, quality time together!

After watching these fascinating programs, explore the PBS LearningMedia and web resources to learn more.

Monday, November 1

1 PM:NATURE: Season of the Osprey

A veteran pair of ospreys return home to a Connecticut saltmarsh. Over one summer they must battle their enemies, withstand the elements, and hunt hundreds of fish, all to raise the next generation of these consummate sea hawks.

2 PM: NOVA: Universe Revealed | Age of Stars

In this five-part series, NOVA delves into the vastness of space to capture moments of high drama when the universe changed forever. State-of-the-art animation gives us astonishing, photorealistic glimpses of the birth of a star in a stellar nursery, the chaos created as two galaxies collide, and the power of a supermassive black hole as it flings a star across space. In this episode, join the spectacular voyage to discover the sun’s place in a grand cycle of birth, death and renewal that makes this the age of stars.

Tuesday, November 2

1 PM: Raising Ms. President

In the documentary Raising Ms. President, filmmaker Kiley Lane Parker explores why more women don’t run for office. Through interviews with elected officials, scholars, high school students and leaders of two non-profits dedicated to raising the next generation of female leaders, the program investigates where political ambition begins and why society should encourage more women to lead. 

2 PM: American Veteran: The Crossing

Today, America has nearly 18 million living military veterans, from the “Greatest Generation” to men and women coming home from recent tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. They join the now-silent ranks of American veterans reaching back to our earliest conflict, the Revolutionary War. American Veteran illuminates the veteran experience with a stunning range of voices from today and across the arc of American history. In episode one, The Crossing, a veteran recalls “There is a very stark line between before boot camp and after boot camp.” As recruits take the oath to serve, they leave the civilian world to become a soldier, sailor, marine, airman or woman. This is the start of their transformation.

Wednesday, November 3

1 PM: Life From Above | Changing Planet

Cameras in space show just how fast our planet is changing. Cities are growing, forests are disappearing and glaciers melting but in Tanzania locals have regenerated the landscape, saving a family of chimpanzees.

2 PM: Secrets of the Dead: Lady Sapiens

New scientific investigations from across the globe help piece together the untold story of prehistoric women in this new documentary. The latest research separates fact from fiction and sheds new light on our ancient foremothers. For more than a century and a half, experts uncovered and analyzed ancient human remains to understand the story of the earliest members of the Homo sapiens species but focused primarily on the male half of the species. Through advanced science, such as microtomography – using X-rays to recreate virtual 3D models – as well as comparing the body of a modern-day female javelin-thrower to an ancient female spear-thrower, Secrets of the Dead’s revelations defy previous understanding of the power dynamics of ancient society.

Thursday, November 4

1 PM: Chasing Voices

From 1907 until his death more than 50 years later, ethnologist John Peabody Harrington crisscrossed the U.S., chasing the voices of the last speakers of Native America’s dying languages. Moving from one tribal community to the next, he collaborated with the last speakers to document every finite detail before their languages were lost forever. Chasing Voices chronicles Harrington’s work and traces the impact of his exhaustive research on Native communities working to restore the language of their ancestors.

2 PM: The Horse Relative

The Horse Relative explores the historic art of horse regalia and how the tradition is being revived and reinterpreted by Dakota communities for a new generation. Interviewees discuss the sacred relationship between the horse and the Dakota people, and the centuries-old tradition of dressing horses for ceremonies and celebrations. The film also looks at the efforts of artists, educators and community leaders to preserve and restore the Dakota language, cultural traditions and lifeways.

Friday, November 5

1 PM: Soundscapes:Taylor LaValley

Local musicians and stunning scenics take centerstage on Soundscapes. Singer-songwriter Taylor LaValley takes the stage for the premiere episode at the Strand Center Theatre in Plattsburgh, NY.

1:30 PM: Articulate | Breaking Boundaries

At the height of their careers, painter Horace Pippin and singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading were unprecedented, seeding ground for future artists. In the United Kingdom, singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading is a national treasure. In the US she’s more of a well-kept secret, which is our loss more than hers. Horace Pippin was one of the early 20th century’s most important African American artists. A veteran of the Great War, he found healing and renown in painting and blazed a trail for those who would follow.

2 PM: Great Performances | Now Hear This: “Beethoven’s Ghost” 

The Series 2 finale of Great Performances: Now Hear This takes a dramatic approach to interpreting the complex musical mind of composer Ludwig van Beethoven, who wrote nearly 800 works in 45 years. Host and violinist Scott Yoo and his team of fellow musicians visit a historic manor in the Berkshires to better understand Beethoven by performing and recording some of his most personal work, including his famous “Ghost Trio.” Unbeknownst to them, they’ve summoned the ghost of the composer, trailed by the spirit of Sigmund Freud who attempts to analyze him. Interweaving documentary, performance and theatrical storytelling, this haunting special episode explores the mind of the composer through dramatized conversations between the spirits of Beethoven and Freud.

Monday, November 8

1 PM: NATURE: The Elephant and the Termite

Witness the creation of one of Africa’s greatest wildlife meeting places and the site of extraordinary drama: the waterhole. From mighty elephants to tiny termites, an entire community of creatures call the waterhole their home.

2 PM: NOVA: Universe Revealed | Milky Way

Straddling the night sky, the Milky Way reminds us of our place in the galaxy we call home. But what shaped this giant spiral of stars and what will be its destiny? NOVA travels back in time to unlock the turbulent story of our cosmic neighborhood, from its birth in a whirling disk of clouds and dust to colossal collisions with other galaxies. Finally, peer into the future to watch the Milky Way’s ultimate fate as it collides with the Andromeda galaxy, over 4 billion years from now.

Tuesday, November 9

1 PM: Growing Native | Northwest: Coast Salish

Venture to the Pacific Northwest to capture the stories of ongoing traditions and perseverance of its original inhabitants. For the tribes of this region, water is life. The rivers that crisscross this land were the highways for trade and fresh water grocery stores for thousands of years. Today, tribes celebrate their cultures by participating in a yearly canoe journey, an opportunity for people to gather and travel to all the places their ancestors once inhabited. From totem poles, to language preservation to traditional crafts, host Chris Eyre (Cheyenne Arapaho) discovers the wilds of the North.

2 PM: American Veteran: The Mission

Military life shapes servicemen and women in profound, unexpected ways. Veterans’ stories showcase the raw impact of these experiences: A Coast Guard recruit who helped ferry soldiers on D-Day. A pilot who remotely guided bomber drones over Afghanistan. A Marine who became the first Latina general. Hosted by Senator Tammy Duckworth, Iraq War Veteran (Army) and Purple Heart recipient.

Wednesday, November 10

1 PM: Growing Native | Alaska: People of the North

All across Alaska, Native cultures have depended on the abundant natural resources found there to support their families, cultures and ways of life. Now, however, those resources are growing scarce, and the people who have relied on them for centuries have to find new ways to adapt. Growing Native visits some of the many communities engaged in this familiar struggle – the struggle to maintain their traditions and ways of life, while continuing to thrive in a constantly changing world. Host Chris Eyre (Cheyenne Arapaho) meets Alaska Natives who thrive and survive in this complex environment.

2 PM: Secrets of the Dead: The First Circle of Stonehenge

A decade-long archaeological quest reveals that the oldest stones of Stonehenge originally belonged to a much earlier sacred site: a stone circle built on a rugged, remote hillside in West Wales. Using the latest tools of geotechnology, a dedicated team of archaeologists led by Professor Mike Parker Pearson (University College London) painstakingly searched for the evidence that would fill in a 400-year gap in our knowledge of the site’s bluestones. Secrets of the Dead reveals the original stones of Europe’s most iconic Neolithic monument had a previous life before they were moved almost 155 miles from Wales to Salisbury Plain.

Thursday, November 11

1 PM: Memphis Belle: Her Final Mission

The iconic Memphis Belle underwent a 13 year restoration at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. This documentary features the work of two teams: the crew who flew her into combat and the team that restored her to her former glory.

2 PM: Elvis and the USS Arizona

Elvis and the USS Arizona tells the surprising story of how one of music’s biggest icons helped to establish a USS Arizona memorial in Pearl Harbor. Elvis’ fundraising concert drew public attention to the plight and helped to galvanize efforts to finish the USS Arizona Memorial as it stands today.

Friday, November 12

1 PM: Soundscapes:Adrian Carr

Local musicians and stunning scenics take centerstage on Soundscapes. Pianist Adrian Carr takes his seat at the keys for an enchanting performance from the Strand Center Theatre in Plattsburgh, NY.

1:30 PM: Articulate | Teddy Abrams: Articulate in Difficult Times

In this Articulate special, we explore the life and work of conductor and composer Teddy Abrams. The thirty-something music director of the Louisville Orchestra is reviving and revolutionizing the relationship between the orchestra and its community.

2 PM: The Oratorio: A Documentary with Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese reveals the story of a single performance in 1826 that forever changed America’s cultural landscape with the introduction of Italian opera to New York City – an event Mozart’s great librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte helped orchestrate.

Monday, November 15

1 PM: NATURE: Born in the Rockies | First Steps

Journey deep into the wild heart of North America’s Rocky Mountains and experience this rugged land through the eyes of its iconic wildlife. Follow the drama as newborns make their way in one of the world’s most challenging and spectacular habitats on Earth.

2 PM: NOVA: Universe Revealed | Alien Worlds

It’s an age-old question: are we alone? Or do other lifeforms and intelligences thrive on worlds far beyond our own? Ultra-sensitive telescopes and dogged detective work are transforming alien planet-hunting from science fiction into hard fact. Join NOVA on a visit to exotic worlds orbiting distant suns, from puffy planets with the density of Styrofoam to thousand-degree, broiling gas giants. Most tantalizing of all are the Super-Earths in the “Goldilocks zone,” just the right distance from their sun to support life, and with one of them signaling life’s essential ingredient, water, in its atmosphere. Are we on the brink of answering that haunting question?

Tuesday, November 16

1 PM: Growing Native | Great Lakes: Turtle Island

Over the centuries, the Great Lakes have been home to hundreds of tribes and a source of fresh water, food, and health. Indigenous creation stories describe the world came into being on a back of a turtle shell, and today they know the earth as Turtle Island. Growing Native host Stacey Thunder (Red Lake and Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe) guides this journey by engaging tribal voices while touring Indian country with those who still devote their lives to care for the land.

2 PM: American Veteran: The Return

Hollywood war stories mostly end with the hero’s return. In reality, the road back to civilian life is less certain. For some, there were ticker-tape parades; for others, protests, anger and silence. Some veterans return home full of confidence, while others think, “What am I going to do now?” Hosted by actor Wes Studi, Vietnam War Veteran (National Guard) and Native American (Cherokee) activist.

Wednesday, November 17

1 PM: Growing Native | Oklahoma: Red People

Oklahoma is home to thirty-nine federally recognized tribes. Nowhere in North America will you find such diversity among Native Peoples, and nowhere will you find a more tragic history. Host Moses Brings Plenty (Oglala Lakota) guides this episode of Growing Native, on a journey to Oklahoma’s past and present. What he discovers among the many faces of Oklahoma culture is the determination, values and respect that tribes have brought to this land, once called Indian Territory.

2 PM: Secrets of the Dead: Hindenburg’s Fatal Flaws

In 1937, the Hindenburg airship exploded into flames upon landing and 36 people were killed in the horrifying crash, shocking the world and sealing the fate of airship travel forever. For decades, the exact cause of the Hindenburg’s crash has remained a mystery. Now, recently discovered letters, maintenance reports and company memos reveal the unfortunate errors that led to the disaster. More than 80 years later, experts suspect that, had critical construction flaws been fixed at the time, the airship might not have exploded.

Thursday, November 18

1 PM: Alzheimer’s: The Caregiver’s Perspective

Caregivers share their diverse experiences of caring for loved ones in the world of dementia. Alzheimer’s is more than memory loss; it affects many generations and is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. Teepa Snow, Loretta Veney, Bob Schaefer and many more explain how they creatively navigate the frustrations, sorrows and complications of caring for a loved one.

2 PM: Living with Alzheimer’s and Dementia | Aging Matters

On Nashville Public Television’s Aging Matters, “Aging Matters: Living with Alzheimer’s and Dementia,” we explore the impact these diseases are having on individuals, families and communities by weaving together the personal stories of those who are living with dementia, their care partners and commentary from leading experts in dementia.

Friday, November 19

1 PM: Soundscapes:Neil Wright

Local musicians and stunning scenics take centerstage on Soundscapes. The multi-talented Neil Wright enthralls viewers with saxophones, a flute and a keyboard from the Strand Center Theatre in Plattsburgh, NY.

1:30 PM:Great Performances | A John Williams Premiere at Tanglewood

Recorded in July from the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s summer home, Great Performances: A John Williams Premiere at Tanglewood is conducted by both BSO music director Andris Nelsons and Williams. The concert features virtuoso violinist Anne-Sophie Mütter performing the debut of Williams’ new concerto, as well as performances of Aaron Copland’s “Quiet City,” Igor Stravinsky’s Suite from “The Firebird” and “Starburst” by Jessie Montgomery, composer-violinist-educator and Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s newest composer-in-residence.

Monday, November 22

1 PM: NATURE: Born in the Rockies | Growing Up

Journey deep into the wild heart of North America’s Rocky Mountains and experience this rugged land through the eyes of its iconic wildlife. Follow the drama as newborns make their way in one of the world’s most challenging and spectacular habitats on Earth.

2 PM: NOVA: Universe Revealed | Black Holes

Take a seat on the ultimate thrill ride to explore nature’s strangest and most powerful objects. Black holes can reshape entire galaxies, warp the fabric of space and time, and may even be the key to unlocking the ultimate nature of reality. A new generation of high-energy telescopes is bringing these invisible voids to light, showing that “supermassives” millions or billions of times larger than our sun lurk at the center of nearly every galaxy, including our own. But what happens if you stray too close to one? And what lies beyond the black hole’s abyss? If nothing can ever escape it, is that the end of the story? Or could they be a portal to another dimension—or another universe, full of black holes?

Tuesday, November 23

1 PM: The Greatest Bond

This inspirational and heartwarming documentary highlights the journey of disabled veterans whose lives are forever changed through the unconditional love of service dogs that have been expertly trained by female prison inmates. Join three veterans as they meet their service dog and work directly with the inmates in a Texas women’s prison.

2 PM: American Veteran: The Reckoning

“Those who went into the service and those who did not, we are two different realities,” a Veteran decides. But Veterans don’t all feel the same. Some like “Thank you for your service”; others feel it’s “bumper-sticker deep.” Veterans reflecting ask how veterans and civilians can move America forward together. Hosted by J. R. Martinez, Army Veteran, actor, and motivational speaker.

Wednesday, November 24

1 PM: American Experience⎪The Pilgrims

Arguably one of the most fateful and resonant events of the last half millennium, the Pilgrims journey west across the Atlantic in the early 17th century is a seminal, if often misunderstood episode of American and world history. The Pilgrims explores the forces, circumstances, personalities and events that converged to exile the English group in Holland and eventually propel their crossing to the New World; a story universally familiar in broad outline, but almost entirely unfamiliar to a general audience in its rich and compelling historical actuality.

Thursday, November 25

1 PM: All Creatures Great and Small

James Herriot’s adventures as a veterinarian in 1930’s Yorkshire get a glorious new adaptation in a seven-part series based on his beloved books. Exciting newcomer Nicholas Ralph will make his television debut as the iconic vet who became renowned for his inspiring humor, compassion and love of life.

Friday, November 26

1 PM: Soundscapes:Dan Martin

Local musicians and stunning scenics take centerstage on Soundscapes. Guitarist Dan Martin performs a medley of meditative covers from the stage of the Strand Center Theatre in Plattsburgh, NY.

1:30 PM: Articulate | Breaking Ground

Making things better is the upshot of making things for singer-songwriter Yuna and architect Doris Sung. Architect Doris Sung’s innovative building surfaces are modeled after human skin. They self-ventilate and self-shade in response to weather changes, and they do this by drawing power from the sun. Malaysian singer-songwriter Yuna makes unapologetically catchy and confident music for all. Her soul-tinged pop has made her both a global star and a role model for young girls.

2 PM: Crane Candlelight Concert 2020: Christmas Past, Christmas Present

The Crane Candlelight Concert 2020: Christmas Past, Christmas Present looks a bit different from other years. Filmed during the coronavirus pandemic, a large scale concert with an orchestra and full chorus was not possible. Christmas Past, Christmas Present is a compilation of new socially distanced performances from students and faculty, alongside highlights from years past by the renowned Crane School of Music at the State University of New York at Potsdam. This concert includes traditional Christmas and seasonal hymns from around the world with popular favorites.

Monday, November 29

1 PM: NATURE: My Life as a Turkey

After a local farmer left a bowl of eggs on Joe Hutto’s front porch, his life was forever changed. Hutto, possessing a broad background in the natural sciences and an interest in imprinting young animals, incubated the eggs and waited for them to hatch. As the chicks emerged from their shells, they locked eyes with an unusual but dedicated mother.

2 PM: NOVA: Universe Revealed | Big Bang

The Big Bang is when many think the universe started and time itself began. But what clues can we discover about this ultimate genesis of everything? And can we ever know what existed before the Universe’s birthday? With stunning animation based on space telescope images, NOVA explores infant galaxies filled with violent blue stars that formed just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. Before that—before the coming of visible light itself—stretch the “cosmic Dark Ages.” But scientists haven’t stopped there; instead, they’ve come up with an incredible theory for what happened billionths of a billionth of a second from the universe’s birth. If they’re right, we’re on the brink of understanding more than we could ever have hoped about our cosmic origins.

Tuesday, November 30

1 PM: American Masters | Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart

Explore the inner life and works of the activist, playwright and author of A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry. Narrated by actress LaTanya Richardson Jackson and featuring the voice of Tony Award-winning actress Anika Noni Rose as Hansberry.

Learning at Home on Mountain Lake PBS is supported by:
Adirondack Foundation