TV Smarts Listings

TV PROGRAM LIST
Academy, 29 November 2008

Here are home viewing suggestions for the week, selected from online advanced TV program listings and aligned with the state and national K-12 academic standards available online. Please consult local listings also, since actual broadcast times may vary

Saturday, November 29, 10p.m. – midnight E/P	History Channel	U.S. History and Science	Middle and High School
“Special Presentation: Sputnik Mania”
October 4, 2007 was the 50th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik, the first man-made object ever to leave the atmosphere and successfully orbit the earth. By the end of that year, nothing was the same. Sputnik spurred America into an arms and space race, and forced the U.S. to pull together an academic army of scientists and engineers, which led to the development of NASA, massive reforms in our education system, and the discoveries that enabled many of the consumer technologies on which we depend today. This documentary tells the satellite's story from America 's point of view. Like today, 1957 was a time of fear. In place of Al Qaeda, dirty bombs, and the war in Iraq , there were the Soviets, hydrogen bombs, and the Cold War. The world's two superpowers were intent on beating one another by any means available. The film leads us through the first year following the launch of Sputnik. Contemplating the shocks the country felt in the aftermaths of Pearl Harbor and September 11, the film's epilogue asks: what will be our next "Sputnik moment?
Log on : http://www.sputnikmania.com

Sunday, November 30,

7-8 p.m. E/P

CBS

U.S. History

Middle and High School

“60 Minutes”

The first story in this newsmagazine reveals how online poker players suspected of cheating were forced to successfully ferret out the cheaters themselves. That’s because managers of the mostly-unregulated $18 billion Internet gambling industry failed to respond to their complaints. The second story is about Monica Brown, only the second woman to ever win the Silver Star since World War II. She describes saving two wounded men during a firefight she wasn’t supposed to be near -- while she was only 18 years old. Concluding story: Michael Phelps swam into history at the Beijing Olympics and now the 23-year-old phenomenon tells CNN's Anderson Cooper what his life is like as hundreds of endorsement opportunities roll in to make this U.S. Olympic superstar a marketing millionaire.

Monday, December 1,

8-9 p.m. E/P

History Channel

Science

Middle and High School

“Modern Marvels: Salt

It’s the only rock we eat, and we need it to live. History has shown that those who have salt rule the world – and today, this versatile substance has 14,000 known uses. This documentary takes viewers too a salt mine 1,800 feet below Lake Erie where workers blast salt from a massive deposit spanning four states, to an evaporation facility near San Francisco where machines harvest salt from the briny ocean. Visit a Florida restaurant that offers 40 different varieties of salt…and journey to New York to explore salt’s surprising number one application: de-icing snowy winter roads. See how a high-tech desalination plant removes salt from ocean water, producing 25 million gallons of drinkable water every day. If it’s speed you’re after, look no further than a natural drag strip in Utah made of pure salt.

Tuesday, December 2, 4-6 p.m. E/P	Sundance Channel	English	Middle and High School
“Fahrenheit 451”
This is a movie adaptation of Ray Bradbury's futuristic novel about a society where literature is outlawed - a future society where all reading matter is forbidden, and the fire department must seek out citizens who disobey this edict and burn their books. Widescreen televisions in the homes and loudspeakers all over the city control the populace through propaganda. Two citizens in this story are a fireman whose efficiency has won him a recommendation for promotion, and his contented wife who watches the propaganda screen all day. Rated TV-PG
Log on http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060390

Wednesday, December 3, 6:30-7:30 p.m. E/P	Sundance Channel	Arts and Geography	Elementary, Middle and High School
“Jacques d'Amboise in China : The Other Side of the World”
Over the course of his long and illustrious career, Jacques d'Amboise has championed the transcendent power of dance - first as a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, and then as founder of the National Dance Institute, where he has inspired countless young people for over 30 years. In this documentary, d'Amboise takes his vision - and his dancers - on a journey to China , where a cross-cultural ensemble under his direction will end up delivering a magical joint performance in Shanghai .
Log on h ttp://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/jacquesdamboise/index.html

Thursday, December 4, 10-11 p.m. E/P	National Geographic Channel	Science	Middle and High School
“Naked Science: Earth's Invisible Shield ”
The Earth’s magnetic field, the protector of all life on Earth is under constant attack from deadly cosmic radiation. This invisible shield that we live in is weakening in a region over the South Atlantic , leaving it exposed to potentially lethal radiation. Is the Earth losing its magnetic field and doomed to a fate similar to Mars? As show in this documentary, many scientists believe the answer lies in paleomagnetic data, and that this weakening may be a precursor to a magnetic field reversal a reversal scientists know Earth is long overdue. However, humans were not around when the last reversal took place, so what does this mean for life?
Log on http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/naked-science/3838/Overview

Friday, December 5,

10-11 p.m. E/P

History Channel

Science and Geography

Middle and High School

“Shadow Force: Black Gold”

This is a documentary about a group of park rangers who are trying to stop the destruction of the Congo ’s most critical national forest. Rebel crime units are cutting down the forest to manufacture charcoal and killing anyone who gets in their way. The park is the last holdout for rare mountain gorillas, and it’s fast disappearing. Rangers must stop the illegal trade in its tracks, and do so while a rebel war rages around them. In dangerous parts of the world, organized crime runs rampant and unchecked. It threatens not only citizens, but the wildlife and the environment. Many overextended governments and military forces are unable to cope with the demands of fighting these predators. This program showcases unconventional military operations through the eyes of an elite team operating in a modern day setting, and offers one of the first real insights into the high-stakes world of private military operations. Unconventional warfare tactics have been around since the beginning of war itself. Small units, who have mastered the art of deception, and special techniques, have historically prevailed against overwhelming odds. Rated TV-14

Saturday, December 6, 8-8:30 p.m. E/P	Science Channel	Science	Elementary, Middle and High School
*“Weird Connections Great Balls of Fire* ”**
In this episode in a documentary series which explains how bizarre experiments can lead to new technologies. An amateur scientist creates ball lightning using submarine batteries and a tub full of water. From this test to groundbreaking experiments with Plasma, could this strange substance hold the answer to a future of fusion power? Don’t even think about trying these experiments at home.
Log on http://science.discovery.com/tv/weird-connections/weird-connections.html