Learn & Play
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Learning At Home Schedule – September 2021

Take advantage of this month’s Learning at Home broadcast schedule – great for students returning to 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, September 6

1 PM: NATURE: Natural Born Rebels: Hunger Wars

This three-part miniseries explores the most rebellious animals in the natural world as new studies are uncovering an astonishing variety of insubordinate animal behaviors, and despite how it appears on the surface, researchers are discovering the complex and fascinating science behind why these animals behave the way they do. In fact, being a rebel could be the key to success in the wild. In “Hunger Wars,” meet the animals who will steal, cheat and fight to get food, including kleptomaniac crabs, thieving macaques, con artist spiders, tricky tigers and cannibalistic lizards.

2 PM:NATURE: Natural Born Rebels: Survival

Some animals will do whatever it takes to survive. Cockatoos turn to vandalism, boxer crabs hold anemones hostage, sloths become filthy, puff adders have an ‘invisibility cloak’ to hide themselves, and chimps use violence to stay in power.

Tuesday, September 7

1 PM: Native America: From Caves to Cosmos

Native America explores the world created by America’s First Peoples. The four part series reaches back 15,000 years to reveal massive cities aligned to the stars, unique systems of science and spirituality, and 100 million people connected by social networks spanning two continents. In this episode, combine ancient wisdom and modern science to answer a 15,000-year-old question: who were America’s First Peoples? The answer hides in Amazonian cave paintings, Mexican burial chambers, New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon and waves off California’s coast.

2 PM: Native America: Nature to Nations

Explore the rise of great American nations, from monarchies to democracies. Investigate lost cities in Mexico, a temple in Peru, a potlatch ceremony in the Pacific Northwest and a tapestry of shell beads in upstate New York whose story inspired our own democracy.

Wednesday, September 8

1 PM: Baseball: A Whole New Ball Game

The 1960s are a turbulent decade for America and turbulent decade for baseball, as one by one its “sacred” institutions fall. Inning Eight, A Whole New Ball Game, moves the field to the 1960s. This episode traces the emergence of television, the expansion to new cities and the building of anonymous multipurpose stadiums that robbed the game of its intimacy and some of its urban following.

Thursday, September 9

1 PM: LucyWorsley’s Royal History’s Myths & Secrets: Kings George III & IV and the Napoleonic War

Lucy Worsley travels across Britain and Europe visiting the incredible locations where Royal history was made. In this episode, she reveals how mental health problems forced King George III to relinquish power to his debauched and extravagant son. Was this really an era of elegance and regal splendor or an age of radicalism and revolution? How were myths and secrets used to save the British monarchy?

2 PM: 9/11 Inside the Pentagon

Marking the 15th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S., this program tells the rarely told stories of the attack that took place at the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense, in which 184 people died.

Friday, September 10

1 PM: Soundscapes: Beartracks

Local musicians and stunning scenics take centerstage on Soundscapes. Local bluegrass legends Beartracks bring their treasured original songs and classic covers to the stage of the Strand Center Theatre in Plattsburgh, NY, complete with some brother-sister banter.

1:30 PM: Bluegrass Underground: Episode 1008

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 Amanda Shires, Davina and the Vagabonds, Kasey Chambers, and Shovels & Rope.

2 PM: Leaning Out

The lead structural engineer of the World Trade Center oversees the construction of the world’s tallest towers, haunted by their fall ever since. Families of 9/11 victims demand answers. This unique bond with humanity solidifies his place in American history. An intimate look into the life and work of Leslie E. Robertson, a legendary engineer in high-rise design and cultural centers across the globe. 

Monday, September 13

1 PM: NATURE: Natural Born Rebels: The Mating Game

Getting ahead in the mating game requires some astonishing behavior –from promiscuous prairie dogs to manakin pick-up artists, kidnapping macaques and hyenas with a bad case of sibling rivalry.

2 PM: NOVA: Extreme Animal Weapons

From lobster claws and dog teeth to bee stings and snake fangs, every creature depends on a weapon. But some are armed to extremes that make no practical sense—whether it’s bull elks with giant 40-pound antler racks or tiny rhinoceros beetles with horns bigger than their body. What explains giant tusks, horns, and claws that can slow an animal down and even impair health and nutrition? NOVA investigates the riddle of outsize weaponry and uncovers a bold new theory about what triggers an animal arms race.

Tuesday, September 14

1 PM: Native America: Cities of the Sky

Discover the cosmological secrets behind America’s ancient cities. Scientists explore some of the world’s largest pyramids and 3D-scan a lost city of monumental mounds on the Mississippi River; native elders reveal ancient powers of the sky.

2 PM: Wild Weather

Nature takes simple ingredients like wind, water, and temperature and transforms them into something spectacular and powerful. Wild Weather reveals exactly how this happens. The only way to truly understand the weather is to get inside it. This program features scientists from around the globe who are creating their own weather in an attempt to examine the secret processes at work.

Wednesday, September 15

1 PM: Baseball: Home

In an age of globalization and deregulation, a cataclysmic strike over money and power brings baseball to the brink. Inning Nine, Home, looks at baseball from the 1970s to the 1990s, including the establishment of the free agent system, the rise in player salaries, the continued expansion, the dilution of talent, the ongoing battles between labor and management and the scandals.

Thursday, September 16

1 PM:LucyWorsley’s Royal History’s Myths & Secrets: The Romanovs & The Russian Revolution

The October Revolution of 1917 has gone down in history as the only Russian Revolution that really mattered. But Lucy Worsley reveals that the earlier revolution in February that year was downplayed in Bolshevik history books and films despite the fact that it was the truly spontaneous popular uprising that swept the Czar from power.

2 PM:LucyWorsley’s Royal History’s Myths & Secrets: Elizabeth I: The Warrior Queen

Join Lucy Worsley for an exploration of how Elizabeth I’s image as a warrior queen, created by a series of myths and secrets about her victory over the Spanish Armada, shaped British national identity for centuries.

Friday, September 17

1 PM: Soundscapes: Nate Pultorak

Local musicians and stunning scenics take centerstage on Soundscapes. Dulcimer virtuoso Nate Pultorak introduces audiences to his enthralling music and an instrument they may not be familiar with at the Strand Center Theatre in Plattsburgh, NY.

1:30 PM: Bluegrass Underground: Episode 1009

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 Andrew Bird, Amos Lee, Mary Gauthier, and The Lone Bellow.

2 PM: Open a Book, Open the World: The Library of Congress National Book Festival

Television viewers can see an inspiring introduction to the 2021 Library of Congress National Book Festival and its exciting lineup of authors, poets and writers in this one-hour special. “Open a Book, Open the World: The Library of Congress National Book Festival,” hosted by LeVar Burton, will offer a timely celebration of the power of books and discussions on some of the big topics of the day.

Monday, September 20

1 PM: American Experience: Sandra Day O’Connor: The First

Sandra Day O’Connor was the Supreme Court’s first female justice.Forty years after her confirmation, this biography recounts the life of a pioneering woman who both reflected and shaped an era, and who was the deciding vote in cases on some of the 20th century’s most controversial issues—including race, gender and reproductive rights.

Tuesday, September 21

1 PM: Native America: New World Rising

Discover how resistance, survival and revival are revealed through an empire of horse-mounted Comanche warriors, secret messages encoded in an Aztec manuscript and a grass bridge in the Andes that spans mountains and centuries.

2 PM: Extinction: The Facts

Sir David Attenborough has encountered some of the world’s most extraordinary animals and plants. But many of these wonders now seem set to disappear from our planet forever. The huge variety of life on earth, known as biodiversity, is being lost at a rate never seen before in human history. This means 1 million species are at risk of extinction. This is a crisis not just for the natural world but for every one of us. It threatens food and water security, undermines our ability to control our climate and even puts us at greater risk of pandemic diseases.

Wednesday, September 22

1 PM: NATURE: Remarkable Rabbits

There are more than 100 types of rabbits and hares, both domestic and wild, from snowshoe hares to Flemish giants. Despite their extraordinary ability to reproduce, many wild rabbits are in danger of being eradicated.

2 PM: NOVA: Bat Superpowers

Bats have been implicated in deadly epidemics such as COVID-19 and Ebola, yet scientists are discovering evidence that they may hold a key to a longer and healthier life. From caves in Thailand and Texas to labs around the globe, NOVA meets the scientists who are decoding the superpowers of the bat.

Thursday, September 23

1 PM: Lucy Worsley’s Royal History’s Myths & Secrets: Queen Anne: The Mother of Great Britain

Investigate why Queen Anne’s powerful role in the forging of Great Britain has often been forgotten. Lucy Worsley shares the inside story of the salacious gossip about Anne’s love life that helped destroy her image and legacy.

2 PM: LucyWorsley’s Royal History’s Myths & Secrets: Marie Antoinette: The Doomed Queen

Find out why Marie Antoinette is often blamed for causing the French Revolution by saying “let them eat cake” to her starving subjects. Lucy Worsley uncovers the myths and secrets that led the doomed queen to the guillotine.

Friday, September 24

1 PM: Soundscapes: TJ White

Local musicians and stunning scenics take centerstage on Soundscapes. Guitarist TJ White strums his way to the stage of the Strand Center Theatre in Plattsburgh, NY.

1:30 PM: Bluegrass Underground: Episode 1010

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 The McCrary Sisters, Mike Farris, and the Reverend Osagyefo Sekou.

2 PM: Arts of the Monsoon

For centuries, the waters between Asia and East Africa have been home to the monsoon winds. These winds powered the dhows that traveled between East Africa and the Middle East leading not just to an exchange of goods, but of art and culture as well. The result is a unique modern-day tapestry of interwoven art, music, and adornment that celebrates and unites these two continents. From Zanzibar to Oman and back, explore the many facets of art inspired by the greens and blues of the Indian Ocean, the browns and reds of Oman’s arid deserts, and the melodies and rhythms of two cultures coming together. Meet the artists and artisans who share their own intimate stories of connection as you experience for yourself the Arts of the Monsoon.

Monday, September 27

1 PM: Breakthrough: The Ideas that Changed the World | The Telescope

Meet the brilliant minds throughout history, from Galileo to Edwin Hubble, responsible for creating the telescope. Today, their invention allows humanity to reach the furthest limits of seeing – 13 billion light-years out.

2 PM: Breakthrough: The Ideas that Changed the World | The Airplane

Take to the sky with the dreamers whose work gave humans the ability to fly. From Leonardo da Vinci’s “flying machines” to the modern commercial plane, without these inventions, we may have never left the ground.

Tuesday, September 28

1 PM: Breakthrough: The Ideas that Changed the World | The Robot

Learn how robots were first conceptualized in ancient Rome and see how their use has evolved over the centuries, from the calculator to the Roomba. Then, take a sneak peek at what future robots will be able to do.

2 PM: Breakthrough: The Ideas that Changed the World | The Car

Go for a ride through the 9,000-year history of the car, from its roots in dogsleds to Henry Ford’s affordable and assembly line-built Model T, and meet the scientists working on the next generation of self-driving automobiles.

Wednesday, September 29

1 PM: Breakthrough: The Ideas that Changed the World | The Rocket

Learn the explosive history of the rocket, from its origin in ancient China, to its use as a weapon of war, to how adding hydrogen allowed it to carry astronauts all the way to the moon.

2 PM: Breakthrough: The Ideas that Changed the World | The Smart Phone

Dial in to the fascinating history of the smartphone, from its roots in Morse Code to 2007, when Apple unveiled the first-ever iPhone. Plus, see how the next generation of smartphones will allow us to communicate through them just by thinking.

Thursday, September 30

1 PM: In Their Own Words | Jimmy Carter

Explore this intimate and inspiring story of a long-shot outsider who beat the odds against him again and again and never looked back in his quest to better the lives of millions. Jimmy Carter’s journey from poor, rural peanut farmer to become the 39th president of the United States will be revealed to be a story of faith, determination and humanity.

2 PM: In Their Own Words: Elon Musk

Elon Musk was a multi-millionaire by the time he reached the age of 31. He is one of a new breed of what the New York Times called “thrillionaires,” high-tech entrepreneurs who are using their newfound wealth to help turn science-fiction dreams into reality. His story is about a thrilling 21st century “Iron Man” come alive.

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