Learn & Play
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Learning at Home | Week of 3/22 – 3/26

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

Black Ballerina
Friday, March 26, 2 PM

Black Ballerina is a story of passion, opportunity, heartbreak and triumph of the human spirit. Set in the overwhelmingly white world of classical dance, it tells the stories of several black women from different generations who fell in love with ballet. Sixty years ago, while pursuing their dreams of careers in classical dance, Joan Myers Brown, Delores Browne and Raven Wilkinson (the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo’s first black ballerina) confronted racism, exclusion and unequal opportunity in segregated mid-century America. In 2015, three young black women also pursue careers as ballerinas, and find that many of the same obstacles their predecessors faced are still evident in the ballet world today. Through interviews with current and former ballet dancers along with engaging archival photos and film, Black Ballerina uses the ethereal world of ballet to engage viewers on a subject that reaches far outside the art world and compels viewers to think about larger issues of exclusion, equal opportunity and change.

Learning at Home
Week of 3/22 – 3/26

Monday, March 22

12 PM: Let’s Learn – The Middle Sound in Plus and Bug is Short “u”!

“Let’s Learn” helps children ages 3-8 with at-home learning. Learn about shapes in buildings, middle sounds, double consonants, and what the equal sign means; read “Spring is Here.” 

1 PM: Without a Whisper – Konnón:kwe

Explore the untold story of how Indigenous women influenced the early suffragists in their fight for freedom and equality. Mohawk Clan Mother Louise Herne and Professor Sally Roesch Wagner shake the foundation of the established history of the women’s rights movement in the US joining forces to shed light on the hidden history of the influence of Haudenosaunee Women on the women’s rights movement.

1:30 PM: Ohero:kon – Under the Husk

Ohero:kon – Under the Husk follows the challenging journey of two Mohawk girls as they take part in their traditional passage rites to becoming Mohawk Women. Kaienkwinehtha and Kasennakohe are childhood friends from traditional families living in the Mohawk Community of Akwesasne that straddles the U.S. / Canada border. They both take part in a four-year adolescent passage rites ceremony called Ohero:kon “Under the Husk” that has been revived in their community. This ceremony challenges them spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically. It shapes the women they become.

2 PM: Animal Babies: First Year on Earth ⎪ First Steps

See the challenges young animals can face in their first year, whether fighting for survival in the wild or learning to coexist with humans. In First Steps, the babies learn to understanding their surroundings in environments ranging from Africa to Sri Lanka to Iceland. The most basic tools for survival must be learned in their first three months to thrive and ultimately survive.

Tuesday, March 23

12 PM: Let’s Learn – What Sounds Do You Hear in Class?

“Let’s Learn” helps children ages 3-8 with at-home learning. Learn how citizens can change laws, sing about the letter M, read “Mama, Look!”, explore ways to make 10, review double consonants. 

1 PM: NOVA: Dead Sea Scroll Detectives

Since the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947, these fragile parchment relics have intrigued scholars, religious leaders, and profiteers alike. The 2,000-year-old scrolls include the oldest-known versions of the Hebrew Bible and hold vital clues about the birth of Christianity. While certain scrolls have survived intact, others have been ravaged by time — burnt, decayed, or torn to pieces — and remain an enigma. Now, scientists are using new technologies to read the unreadable, solve mysteries that have endured for millennia, and even discover million-dollar fakes.

2 PM: Europe’s New Wild: The Land of the Snow and Ice

The wilds of Lapland have served as a home for the Sami people and their reindeer for thousands of years. But with the modern world threatening their traditional way of life, the Sami are working with conservation groups to protect and rewild one of Europe’s most extreme wildernesses. Now, Lapland is witnessing wildlife spectacles return to the land of ice and snow.

Wednesday, March 24

12 PM: Let’s Learn – Shape Starts with “sh”!

“Let’s Learn” helps children ages 3-8 with at-home learning. Meet a tailless whip scorpion, draw patterns, read “Polar Bear’s Underwear” and “Words Are Not for Hurting,” blend/decode words with sh. 

1 PM: Islands of Wonder: Hawaii

Hawaii, the most remote island chain on Earth, offers sanctuary for wildlife that has reached its tropical shores. From humpback whales to waterfall-climbing fish, it’s home to an extraordinary wealth of wildlife.

2 PM: Hawaiiana

Hawaiiana examines the enduring legacy of Winona “Aunty Nona” Beamer, a venerated educator, storyteller, composer and hula expert who dedicated her life to preserving and celebrating traditional Hawaiian culture. In her 20s, Aunty Nona formed a Hawaiian dance troupe that toured the U.S., eventually performing at Carnegie Hall and bringing the ancient art of hula to the wider public. Later, as a teacher at the Kamehameha Schools, she became a pivotal force in bringing Hawaiian culture back into the classroom, coining the term “Hawaiiana” to represent a curriculum that included the best of Hawaiian culture, history and knowledge. Weaving together archival music and dance performances with past interviews and footage of Aunty Nona and her sons Keola and Kapona Beamer, Hawaiiana offers a profile of a pioneering woman whose wisdom and life story continue to spread the message of aloha around the world.

Thursday, March 25

12 PM: Let’s Learn – Can You Hear the “sh” in Wish?

“Let’s Learn” helps children ages 3-8 with at-home learning. Visit parts of a neighborhood, learn about feelings and friends, count 1-10, read “The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh” and “Count on Me.”

1 PM: Islands of Wonder: Madagascar

The oldest island on Earth, Madagascar has been isolated longer than any other place in the world. Life here has had time to evolve in strange and unique ways, resulting in more unique wildlife than possibly any other island on the planet.

2 PM: Islands of Wonder: Borneo

Borneo, the third largest island on Earth, may seem like a paradise but its harsh landscape proves a struggle to survive. These challenges are the secret to the island hosting a greater diversity of life than almost any other island.

Friday, March 26

12 PM: Let’s Learn – Little and Line Both Begin with “L”!

“Let’s Learn” helps children ages 3-8 with at-home learning. Take a line for a walk, count with trains, read “A Big Surprise for Little Card,” review digraph sh. 

1 PM: Articulate | Daniel Handler, Lisa Hannigan, Nina Chanel

The Very Fortunate Daniel Handler is better known as Lemony Snicket, author of the popular children’s book series, A Series of Unfortunate Events. After a decade of non-stop creativity, singer-songwriter Lisa Hannigan confronted and overcame the dreaded “blank page.” Nina Chanel Abney’s gift was obvious from an early age. These days, her work is in such high demand that even SHE has to wait for a painting.

1:30 PM: Poetry in America: The New Colossus

While The New Colossus once welcomed immigrants into New York Harbor from its perch on the Statue of Liberty, this episode brings the discussion of poetry and immigration into our current moment. Host Elisa New rediscovers the freshness and the still-potent charge of Emma Lazarus’s iconic sonnet alongside singer-songwriter Regina Spektor, activist and co-founder of United We Dream Cristina Jiménez, President of the American Federation of Teachers Randi Weingarten, financier and philanthropist David Rubenstein, and poet Duy Doan. This episode contemplates the physical—and figurative—journeys charted by all immigrants.

2 PM: Black Ballerina

Black Ballerina is a story of passion, opportunity, heartbreak and triumph of the human spirit. Set in the overwhelmingly white world of classical dance, it tells the stories of several black women from different generations who fell in love with ballet. Sixty years ago, while pursuing their dreams of careers in classical dance, Joan Myers Brown, Delores Browne and Raven Wilkinson (the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo’s first black ballerina) confronted racism, exclusion and unequal opportunity in segregated mid-century America. In 2015, three young black women also pursue careers as ballerinas, and find that many of the same obstacles their predecessors faced are still evident in the ballet world today. Through interviews with current and former ballet dancers along with engaging archival photos and film, Black Ballerina uses the ethereal world of ballet to engage viewers on a subject that reaches far outside the art world and compels viewers to think about larger issues of exclusion, equal opportunity and change.