Learn & Play
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Learning at Home | Week of 2/21 – 2/25

Take advantage of this week’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.

Highlight of the Week

NOVA: Great Mammoth Mystery
Monday, February 21, 2 PM

Join Sir David Attenborough on a unique excavation of a site in southwest England with rare traces of ancient mammoths and Neanderthals. Featuring hands-on experiments with replicas of Neanderthal-era spears and photorealistic reconstructions of the site’s ancient riverside setting, NOVA brings the world of prehistoric Britain vividly to life, illuminated by the inimitable thoughts and insights of Sir David Attenborough.

Learning at Home
Week of 2/21 – 2/25

Monday, February 21

1 PM: NATURE: The Ocean’s Greatest Feast

The story of South Africa’s annual sardine migration is brought vividly to life on camera. Each summer, the sardine run sees billions of sardines spawning and traveling up the coast, providing a feast for an array of marine predators.

2 PM: NOVA: Great Mammoth Mystery

Join Sir David Attenborough on a unique excavation of a site in southwest England with rare traces of ancient mammoths and Neanderthals. Featuring hands-on experiments with replicas of Neanderthal-era spears and photorealistic reconstructions of the site’s ancient riverside setting, NOVA brings the world of prehistoric Britain vividly to life, illuminated by the inimitable thoughts and insights of Sir David Attenborough.

Tuesday, February 22

1 PM: American Experience: Jesse Owens

The most famous athlete of his time, his stunning triumph at the 1936 Olympic Games captivated the world even as it infuriated the Nazis. Despite the racial slurs he endured, Jesse Owens’ grace and athleticism rallied crowds across the globe. But when the four-time Olympic gold medalist returned home, he could not even ride in the front of a bus. The story of the 22-year-old son of a sharecropper who triumphed over adversity to become a hero and world champion, Jesse Owens is also about the elusive, fleeting quality of fame and the way Americans idolize athletes when they suit our purpose, and forget them once they don’t.

2 PM: American Experience: The American Diplomat

The American Diplomat explores the lives and legacies of three African American ambassadors — Edward Dudley, Terence Todman and Carl Rowan — who pushed past historical and institutional racial barriers to reach high-ranking appointments in the Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations. At the height of the civil rights movement in the United States, the three men were asked to represent the best of American ideals abroad while facing discrimination at home. Oft reputed as “pale, male and Yale,” the U.S. State Department fiercely maintained and cultivated the Foreign Service’s elitist character and was one of the last federal agencies to desegregate. Through rare archival footage, in-depth oral histories and interviews with family members, colleagues and diplomats, the film paints a portrait of three men who left a lasting impact on the content and character of the Foreign Service and changed American diplomacy forever. 

Wednesday, February 23

1 PM: Magical Land of Oz: Human

An exploration of Australia’s mesmerizing wildlife and how they’ve adapted to survive in the human environment, including a flamboyant dancing peacock spider in a suburban garden.

2 PM: Ancient Skies⎪Our Place in the Universe

In Episode 3, Our Place in the Universe, we complete the puzzle of our ancient skies, collecting the missing pieces required for an accurate model of our universe. We break through the spheres that defined our skies for millennia, abandon the long-held idea of circular orbits, discover new neighbors in our solar system, and begin to comprehend the enormity of our ever-growing universe.

Thursday, February 24

1 PM: The Education of Harvey Gantt

In 1960, a talented African-American student from Charleston, Harvey Gantt, graduated from high school and decided to become an architect. Clemson College was the only school in South Carolina that offered a degree in his chosen field. In January of 1963, with the help of NAACP lawyer Matthew J. Perry, Gantt won a lawsuit against Clemson and was peacefully admitted to the college.

2 PM: Fannie Lou Hamer’s America: An America Reframed Special

Fannie Lou Hamer’s America focuses on the incredible life of one of the Civil Rights Movement’s greatest leaders and the injustices that made her work essential. Airing during Black History Month, the film is produced by Hamer’s great-niece Monica Land and Selena Lauterer and directed by Joy Davenport.

Friday, February 25

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 | Worlds of Words

Writer Tochi Onyebuchi and visual artist Stephen Powers are both trying to change the world, one word at a time. Tochi Onyebuchi imagines worlds that never were, but always grounds them in this one. Stephen Powers wants the murals he creates to be democratic and reflections of the communities they occupy.

2 PM: Bird: Not Out of Nowhere

Kansas City PBS is proud to present a documentary that looks back at the years Charlie “Bird” Parker spent in Kansas City and his lasting legacy on the Kansas City jazz scene. Bird: Not Out of Nowhere features rarely seen archival footage of Parker, interviews with musicians and historians, and live performances from Kansas City’s most talented jazz musicians.

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