Learn & Play
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Learning At Home Schedule – October 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.

Friday, October 1

1 PM: Soundscapes: Lydia von Hof

Local musicians and stunning scenics take centerstage on Soundscapes. Singer/songwriter Lydia von Hof is introduced to audiences through her blend of jazz and pop tunes at the Strand Center Theatre in Plattsburgh, NY.

1:30 PM: Bluegrass Underground: Episode 1011

Taped deep within the subterranean amphitheater of The Caverns in Tennessee’s majestic Cumberland Mountains, this “musical adventure” series features both long-established and emerging artists within a broad spectrum of genres to include roots-rock, jamband, r&b, soul, folk, Americana and bluegrass. This episode features Drivin’ N’ Cryin’, Jason Isbell, Scott Miller and The Commonwealth, and more.

2 PM: The Violin Alone

The unlikely pairing of two modern visionaries, Vilmos Oláh, a Hungarian violin virtuoso, and Eric Funk, contemporary classical composer from the heart of Montana, has resulted in a new piece of music that pushes the boundaries of music and our notion of the possible. “Vili: Concerto for Violin Alone” is an extreme concerto in which its player must simultaneously play the solo and orchestra parts.

Monday, October 4

1 PM:American Experience: Citizen Hearst | Part 1

In the 1930s, William Randolph Hearst’s media empire included 28 newspapers, a movie studio, a syndicated wire service, radio stations and 13 magazines. Nearly one in four American families read a Hearst publication. His newspapers were so influential that Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Winston Churchill all wrote for him. The first practitioner of what is now known as “synergy,” Hearst used his media stronghold to achieve unprecedented political power, then ran for office himself. After serving two terms in Congress, he came in second in the balloting for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1904. Perhaps best known as the inspiration for Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane and his lavish castle in San Simeon, Hearst died in 1951 at the age of 88, having transformed the media’s role in American life and politics.

Tuesday, October 5

1 PM: American Experience: Citizen Hearst | Part 2

In the 1930s, William Randolph Hearst’s media empire included 28 newspapers, a movie studio, a syndicated wire service, radio stations and 13 magazines. Nearly one in four American families read a Hearst publication. His newspapers were so influential that Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Winston Churchill all wrote for him. The first practitioner of what is now known as “synergy,” Hearst used his media stronghold to achieve unprecedented political power, then ran for office himself. After serving two terms in Congress, he came in second in the balloting for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1904. Perhaps best known as the inspiration for Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane and his lavish castle in San Simeon, Hearst died in 1951 at the age of 88, having transformed the media’s role in American life and politics.

Wednesday, October 6

1 PM: Life From Above | Moving Planet

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Cameras in space tell stories of life on our planet from a brand new perspective. Our planet is constantly on the move; from individual animals to powerful weather systems. Follow an elephant family struggling through drought and marvel as thousands of Shaolin Kung-Fu students perform in perfect synchronicity.

2 PM: Earth’s Natural Wonders | Extreme Wonders

Visit extreme locales, including Mount Everest’s Khumbu Icefall, where sherpas face many dangers; the Grand Canyon, where conservationists try to ensure a condor chick’s survival; and the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, where farmers battle with elephants.

Thursday, October 7

1 PM: American Masters | Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It

Discover how Moreno defied her humble upbringing and racism to become one of a select group of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award winners. Explore her 70-year career with new interviews, clips of her iconic roles and scenes of the star on set today.

Friday, October 8

1 PM: Soundscapes:Giovanina Bucci

Local musicians and stunning scenics take centerstage on Soundscapes. Singer/songwriter Giovanina Bucci brings her distinct mix of blues, soul, and folk to the stage of the Strand Center Theatre in Plattsburgh, NY.

1:30 PM: The John F. Kennedy Center at 50

A celebration of performing arts in America. Echoing “An American Pageant for the Arts,” the 1962 event conducted by Leonard Bernstein, this special evening will bring together the National Symphony Orchestra with preeminent artists of our time in music, theater, ballet, dance and more to recognize the great performance traditions that have enriched our varied cultural heritage and the bright future that lies ahead.

Monday, October 11

1 PM: Impossible Builds: Skinny Skyscraper

Witness the construction of the skinniest skyscraper ever to make it off the drawing board. Located in New York and rising from within a landmarked building the team will attempt to build the world’s thinnest skyscraper on the construction equivalent of a postage stamp.

2 PM: NOVA: Particles Unknown

Outnumbering atoms a billion to one, neutrinos are the universe’s most common yet most elusive and baffling particle. NOVA joins an international team of neutrino hunters whose discoveries may change our understanding of how the universe works.

Tuesday, October 12

1 PM: Genius by Stephen Hawking | Can We Time Travel?

In this mind-bending episode: Can three volunteers work out if time travel is possible? World-famous scientist Stephen Hawking leads us on a fascinating journey of discovery, featuring DeLoreans, clocks, a giant black hole and a large swathe of New York City. It seems as if nothing is beyond his imagination. Without any mathematics or equations, he effortlessly manages to get three non-scientists to grasp 4 dimensional space and time travel.

2 PM: Genius by Stephen Hawking | Are We Alone?

Stephen Hawking sets three volunteers a series of fun challenges to show them how to think like a genius – and find out how likely it is that aliens exist. Cue an extraordinary journey of discovery, involving tons of sand, huge machinery, some straightforward thinking and several amazing, head-exploding reveals.

Wednesday, October 13

1 PM: Life From Above | Colorful Planet

From space earth is not just a blue planet but a kaleidoscope of color. Swirls of turquoise phytoplankton trigger an oceanic feeding frenzy, China turns yellow as millions of flowers bloom and at night the waters off the coast of Argentina are spotted with mysterious green lights.

2 PM: Earth’s Natural Wonders | Wonders of Water

See wonders created by the grand and unpredictable power of water, including Victoria Falls, where men risk death to reach fishing pools; the Camargue, where man faces bull; and ocean reefs, where a guardian seeks a manta ray to help save the species.

Thursday, October 14

1 PM: Gandhi’s Awakening and Gandhi’s Gift ⎪ Gandhi’s Awakening

Gandhi’s Awakening documents Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in his young, transformative years in South Africa before he became known as Mahatma (Great Soul) and Father of the Indian nation. In South Africa he faces prejudice and hatred as an Indian immigrant, undergoes a spiritual epiphany of purpose and creates a revolutionary nonviolent method to fight injustice and oppression that will later be adopted by millions around the globe. Gandhi’s Awakening depicts the fascinating 21 years of Gandhi’s life known only by scholars before now. Who was the Mahatma before he was the Mahatma?

2 PM: Gandhi’s Awakening and Gandhi’s Gift ⎪ Gandhi’s Gift

Gandhi’s Gift documents Gandhi at the end of his life, on the brink of attaining his lifelong goal of freedom from the British but with his heart breaking by the partition of India and terrible communal violence that is killing an estimated million or more. Having led masses in nonviolent marches, Gandhi now walks alone for unity and peace. Gandhi’s Gift reveals inspiring details about his final years and timeless message of nonviolence, equality and interfaith harmony, which is more relevant now than ever. Are Gandhi’s final years his finest?

Friday, October 15

1 PM: Soundscapes:Marie-Elaine Gagnon

Local musicians and stunning scenics take centerstage on Soundscapes. Canadian cellist and Crane School of Music professor Marie-Elaine Gagnon performs a collection of covers from classical composers at the Strand Center Theatre in Plattsburgh, NY.

1:30 PM: Articulate | Seeing & Being Seen

Theater director Kenny Leon and children’s author Sophie Blackall use real life as fodder for their creations. Despite the risks, both are celebrated for making honest works for the masses.

2 PM: Great Performances at the MET: Three Divas at Versailles

Three-time Grammy winner Isabel Leonard joins Nadine Sierra and Ailyn Pérez to perform timeless selections by Mozart, Offenbach and Bizet including “Voi che sapete” and “Belle nuit, ô nuit d’amour” along with beloved songs like “Bésame Mucho” and “Cielito Lindo.” The concert was recorded in May at the Royal Opera of Versailles in France and Met Opera soprano Christine Goerke hosts.

Monday, October 18

1 PM: Impossible Builds: Ice World

Over the top, ambitious and nature-defying, China’s incredible Ice World will transform 37 acres of sub-tropical quarry into a sub-zero ski resort. The construction team will have to battle the worst nature can throw at them. But if they can pull it off they’ll make science fiction a reality.

2 PM: NOVA: Arctic Drift

Join scientists on the biggest Arctic research expedition of all time. Facing hungry polar bears, perilous sea ice cracks, and brutal cold, the team strives to understand the forces that are changing the region—and the world—forever.

Tuesday, October 19

1 PM: Genius by Stephen Hawking | Why Are We Here?

World-famous scientist Stephen Hawking sets three ordinary people a series of fun challenges to show them how to think like a genius. Can they work out why they exist at all? Is it destiny or pure chance? This episode features smashed glasses, spooky castles and a truly freaky flash-mob illustration of multiple universes. Why Are We Here? takes the subjects down a rabbit hole of deeply profound realizations.

2 PM: Genius by Stephen Hawking | Where did the Universe Come From?

Join an extraordinary journey of discovery, featuring racing cars, ice-skaters, balloons and running tracks as Stephen Hawking leads his three intrepid souls to a deeper understanding of the evolution of the universe than the average physics major, all with any mathematics or equations.

Wednesday, October 20

1 PM: Life From Above | Patterned Planet

From space earth’s surface is covered in weird and wonderful shapes. Wombats design their own landscape in Australia and hundreds of forest elephants create a tear in the endless green of the Congo forest canopy.

2 PM: Earth’s Natural Wonders | Living Wonders

Witness wonders created by the force that makes our planet unique — life itself. In the Amazon, boys face fierce animals in a rite of passage, and a Bangladeshi father and son brave killer bees and man-eating tigers to find honey.

Thursday, October 21

1 PM: American Masters | Becoming Helen Keller

Revisit Helen Keller’s rich career and explore how she perpetually put her celebrity to use to advocate for human rights in the pursuit of social justice, particularly for women, the poor and people with disabilities.

2:30 PM: Life After Sight

They live with visual impairment yet refuse to surrender to a world of darkness. We’ll meet a woman who has been legally blind her entire life and attributes her independence and confidence to guide dogs. Another woman who suddenly lost her vision learns how to thrive again with the help of an organization called Society for the Blind. We’ll also discover how modern medicine helped a young girl retain her sight. Find out how each of them are preventing their disability from robbing them of life’s richness and beauty.

Friday, October 22

1 PM: Soundscapes:Kevin Sabourin

Local musicians and stunning scenics take centerstage on Soundscapes. Guitarist Kevin Sabourin takes the stage at the Strand Center Theatre in Plattsburgh, NY with a set of storytelling acoustic tunes.

1:30 PM: Articulate | Facing Forward

Flutist Claire Chase and architect Mónica Ponce de León are at odds with society’s traditional notions of music and design, but they love a challenge to make something bigger and better.

2 PM: La Frontera with Pati Jinich: Miles From Nowhere

Savor the sights, sounds and flavors of the U.S.-Mexico border alongside acclaimed James Beard Award-winning chef Pati Jinich as she experiences the region’s rich culture, people and cuisine. In Part One of the series,Miles From Nowhere, Pati explores places and food from El Paso and Juarez to Big Bend National Park.

Monday, October 25

1 PM: NATURE: My Garden of a Thousand Bees

A veteran wildlife cameraman is bee-obsessed. Seeking refuge from the pandemic in a small city garden, he is filming the wild bees that live there with mind-blowing results. From giant bumblebees to scissor bees the size of a mosquito, he has seen more than 60 species of bee. But more importantly, he is developing a close relationship with an individual bee he follows through its entire life.

2 PM: NOVA: Edible Insects

From crunchy cricket chips to nutty black soldier fly grubs, “Edible Insects” leaps across cultural and culinary boundaries to explore the insect food industry and how it could benefit our health and our warming planet. But what about the “ick” factor? NOVA invites a panel of volunteers to sample an invitingly prepared tasting menu of roasted crickets, ants, mealworms, and chipotle-flavored grasshoppers prepared by a New York chef, and, not surprisingly, some of the diners have trouble concealing their squeamishness. Yet all the evidence adds up to the idea that our aversion to insects is mostly a matter of attitude and cultural conditioning. So will your kitchen table soon host its very own savory insect feast?

Tuesday, October 26

1 PM: Genius by Stephen Hawking | What Are We?

A new set of volunteers explore self-assembling machines, light-up bacteria and the world’s first physical demonstration of evolution in action conspire to totally revolutionize their view of life. We discover not only that our bodies are machines of incredible complexity, but how they came to exist and how long it took for our lives to come about.

2 PM: Genius by Stephen Hawking | Where Are We?

Three ordinary people engage in a series of fun physical and mental challenges to show them how to think like a genius. Can they measure the earth, the solar system and even the universe and find out where we really are? They’ll use a helicopter, a boat and a powerful laser to prove the earth is round – and to measure it. Next they head off to the iconic Black Rock Desert to try and get a grip on the massive scale of the solar system.

Wednesday, October 27

1 PM: A Wild Idea: The Birth of the APA

New York’s Adirondack Park is larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Glacier, Grand Canyon, and Great Smokies National Parks combined. It is one of the largest unbroken deciduous forests on earth. It has a thousand of miles of streams and rivers, hundreds of lakes, and lofty peaks. Even more amazing, most of the land within the park is privately owned, and 85 million people live within a day’s drive. Yet the Adirondacks seem entirely undeveloped. How did that happen? The founding of the Adirondack Park Agency, 50 years ago, was truly, A Wild Idea.

2 PM:Secrets of the Dead: Magellan’s Crossing

Five hundred years ago, Ferdinand Magellan and his crew set sail to gain control of the global spice trade. What resulted was the first circumnavigation of the earth, laying the groundwork for colonization and globalization still felt today. This new episode demonstrates humanity’s quest to understand the true dimensions of the planet while sailing to the Spice Islands of Indonesia.

Thursday, October 28

1 PM: Things That Go Bump in the Night

“Things That Go Bump in the Night” details some of New England’s most bone-chilling stories, myths and legends. Interviews with local authors and experts, along with personal accounts, reveal tales of the supernatural, the unexplained and the mysterious. The special features visits to the infamous Lizzie Borden home in Fall River, MA, the long-abandoned village of Dudleytown in northern Connecticut, the Hoosac Tunnel in the Berkshire Mountains, the New London Ledge Lighthouse, Bellcourt Castle in Newport, Rhode Island and a Union cemetery in Easton, CT — the sites of terrible tragedies, supposed curses and ghostly hauntings.

2 PM: Monstrum | Exhumed: A History of Zombies

In this new one-hour Halloween PBS special, Dr. Emily Zarka will deconstruct some of the most significant moments in zombie popular culture over the last two centuries to reveal what these creatures say about us.

Friday, October 29

1 PM: Soundscapes:Gretchen Koehler and Daniel Kelly

Local musicians and stunning scenics take centerstage on Soundscapes. The duo of fiddler Gretchen Koehler and pianist Daniel Kelly close out this season of Soundscapes with a lively mix of traditional and original works at the Strand Center Theatre in Plattsburgh, NY.

1:30 PM: Articulate | Walk a Mile With Me

Throughout history and across civilizations, the humble shoe, once mere protection for our tender feet, has evolved new meanings. Today, shoes are signalers of taste and markers of status. They are taking us on fresh paths, integrating new technology to become more sustainable while helping push the boundaries of human performance.

2 PM: La Frontera with Pati Jinich:From Dos Laredos to Mars

Acclaimed chef and James Beard Award-winning host Pati Jinich, travels the US-Mexico border. In Part Two of the series, From Dos Laredos to Mars, Pati travels from Laredo and Nuevo Laredo to Brownsville, Texas. She learns how tight-knit family bonds are an underlying theme connecting everything in the Laredos, and throughout La Frontera.

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