Time Warner Cable’s online guide to cable programming for the classroom

Happy Holidays! The December issue of Time Warner Cable’s education newsletter, TWC’s Education Connection, features unique Cable in the Classroom Educational Projects for teachers, students and parents.

Educators’ Ideas and Newsletter Comments

Special CIC Educational Programs and Websites for Teachers

Nickelodeon Classroom

Tommy and the rest of the gang learn about Chanukah from a play titled "The Meaning of Chanukah," while Angelica is determined to watch a Christmas special.

Monday, December 9, at 6:00 am ET. Nickelodeon (0:30)

People all over the world celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25th. But why is the Nativity marked by gift giving, and was He really born on that date? And just where did the Christmas tree come from? The History of Christmas would be useful for classes on Culture, European History, American History, Religion, Economics and Folklore. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.

Friday, December 13, at 6am ET. History Channel (1:00)

Few cities have been host to as much religious and political turmoil as Jerusalem has over the centuries. For Jews, it is the ancient capital of their homeland and the site of the Western Wall. For Christians, the Garden of Gethsemane and Golgotha are here. And for Muslims, it's a city inextricably tied to the rise of Islam with such holy sites as the Dome of the Rock.

From prayer to pilgrimage, explore the fundamentals of Islam. Learn about Mohammad and the founding of Islam and the basic beliefs of all Muslims. See how the practice of Islamic law and philosophy has spread throughout the world.

December 4 and January 8 at 9 am ET. Discovery Channel (1:00)

The Dalai Lama, religious and political leader of Tibet, has been living in exile in India since the Chinese occupied Tibet in 1959. Learn the basic ideas of Buddhism, one of the oldest religions in the world. And see how the Dalai Lama's nonviolent teachings have influenced dialogue in international relations.

December 4 and January 8 at 9 am ET. Discovery Channel (1:00)

Travel to the cradle of civilization as experts examine the teachings of Jesus. Learn about Jesus' teachings and messages in a social and historical context. See why Jesus was considered a rebel figure in his roles as healer, activist and exorcist.

December 5 and January 9 at 9 am ET. Discovery Channel (1:00)

The 20th century was one of Europe's bloodiest. Follow the life of Pope John Paul II from his early years in Poland to his role as leader of the Roman Catholic Church. Learn about his nonviolent resistance to the Nazis during World War II and his influential role in the downfall of communism in Eastern Europe.

December 6 and January 10 at 9 am ET. Discovery Channel (1:00)

A&E Classroom

Wednesday, December 4, at 7am ET. A&E (1:00)

Biography examines the life and the legend of Davy Crockett. It chronicles Crockett's life from backwoods hunter to Congressman to Alamo hero to American folk hero. This Biography would be useful for classes on American history, civics, American culture and geography. It is appropriate for middle and high school classes.

Monday, December 16, at 7am ET. A&E (1:00)

This four-part series provides a window on the world of ancient Egypt, beginning about 2,600 years before the birth of Christ.

Mummies: Part I - focuses on mummies and pyramids, detailing the funerary rites and religious beliefs of the ancient Egyptians.

Monday, December 23, at 7am ET. A&E (1:00)

Mummies: Part 2 - describes the shifts in perceptions of the sphinx as Greeks, Romans and, finally, the French under Napoleon moved through Egypt. It will be useful for students of ancient history, art and architecture.

Tuesday, December 24, at 7am ET. A&E (1:00)

Mummies: Part 3 - provides a detailed discussion of the complex process of designing and inscribing hieroglyphs on the walls of a tomb or monument. It is recommended for students interested in ancient history.

Wednesday, December 25, at 7am ET. A&E (1:00)

Mummies: Part 4 - describes the work of contemporary archeologists and their decades-long search for clues about the ancient world. It is recommended for high school students.

Thursday, December 26, at 7am ET. A&E (1:00)

ESPN SportsFigures

Monday, December 9, at 5:30 am. ESPN2 (30 min.)

Monday, December 16, at 5:30 am. ESPN2 (30 min.)

Perpetual Motion - Skateboarding, Tony Hawk

The Trig To Soccer - Soccer, Julie Foudy

Monday, December 30, at 5:30 am. ESPN2 (30 min.)

This unique two-hour special explores the history of the world's playthings. Universal in occurrence and appeal, toys and games are found in every culture and era. The History of Toys and Games would be useful for classes on World History, American History, American Culture, Gender History, the History of Science and Technology and Psychology. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.

Part 1: Monday, December 9, at 6 am ET. History Channel (1:00)

Part 2: Tuesday, December 10, at 6 am ET. History Channel (1:00)

The role of still photography in world history and world culture is immeasurable. "Captured Light: The Invention of Still Photography" takes a look at the invention and evolution of the art, science and business of photography. This program would be useful for classes on American History, European History, The History of Science and Technology, Cultural History and Economics. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.

Friday, December 20, at 6 am ET. History Channel (1:00)

"Save Our Sounds" charts the history of audio recording technology, from Edison's wax cylinders to 21^st-century digitization, and explores the depth and beauty of our national collection of historic speeches, roots music and oral traditions. "Save Our Sounds" is a joint endeavor of the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and the Library of Congress, and this one-hour documentary chronicles the tireless efforts of these two national institutions to preserve historical audio recordings

Sunday, December 29, at 8 am ET. History Channel (1:00)

Bravo Classroom Online

This website offers activities related to elements important in the performing arts such as character development, style, storytelling, design and movement.

C-SPAN Classroom Online

This website features standards-based teaching modules based on and inspired by Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America.

Explores the severe, and sometimes violent, consequences of high school harassment. MTV News Now: Bullies scheduled for December 9 at 4 am ET. MTV (24)

Follows one New Jersey community in the aftermath of September 11th and demonstrates the dangers of ignorance and prejudice.

Aftermath of Terror I: December 16 at 4 am ET. MTV (24)

Aftermath of Terror II: December 23 at 4 am ET. MTV (24)

Black Entertainment Television Online

These stand-alone curriculum materials offer discussion points that get students thinking and talking about the common misunderstandings associated with HIV/AIDS. They also include objectives, steps for the lesson process, and associated activity sheets.

A&E Classroom Online

This website is an interactive guessing game that gives clues about notable people throughout history as their faces appear one puzzle piece at a time

Discovery School Online

This standard-based lesson plan for grades 9-12 relates visual arts to literature. It includes student handouts, extensions and related links.

CNN Student News

M-F, 3:12 am ET. CNN Headline News (10 min.)

Upcoming AOL@SCHOOL Themes

Take a look at what is coming up each Saturday in the weeks to come:

December 21 - Winter (no change from previous week)

December 28 - Winter (no change from previous week)

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for Teachers, Parents and Students

SCI-FI in the Classroom

There's nothing like the power of a Hollywood legend to inspire your students' imaginations. Now your classes have a chance to learn the art of storytelling from Steven Spielberg. This program offers a behind-the-scenes look at the production of Spielberg's "Taken," a miniseries about alien abduction. Tape and view INSIDE TAKEN: CABLE IN THE CLASSROOM, a documentary, specially made for students, about the creative process. Featuring creative, standards-based lesson plans for high school English classes. Also relates to Media Studies, Filmmaking.

Timeforkids.com

Nickelodeon Online

This website presents activities that help broaden kids' understanding of music and the ways in which music is made. It provides children with opportunities to hear and appreciate different kinds of music and experiment with sound and rhythm. It also explores the ways in which kids can create their own music.

Discovery School Online

This stand-alone lesson plan for grades 3-5 includes activities that compare and contrast Chinese and English languages, discussion questions links to related reading vocabulary, and standards.

This stand-alone lesson plan for grades 9-12 includes discussion questions about issues raised in the George Orwell novel, such as privacy, racial profiling, and surveillance; links to related reading; adaptations for younger students; vocabulary; and standards.

TLC Elementary School

What do salmonella, wasp venom and the flu have in common? They all cause our immune systems to spring into action. Give your kids a primer on how their bodies respond to each of these antigens.

Friday, December 6, at 8:30 am ET. The Learning Channel (0:30)

Be a geologist for a day as you travel through the southwest United States studying dramatic rock formations and learning what they tell us about Earth's past and its future.

Friday, December 13, at 8:30 am ET. The Learning Channel (0:30)

Show your class what causes weather events like hurricanes, heat waves and lightning storms as they learn the fundamentals of meteorology. Then take a closer look at global warming and learn how humans can actually affect the climate.

Friday, December 20, at 8:30 am ET. The Learning Channel (0:30)

"When are we gonna use math anyway?" If you've heard that before, here is a video with irrefutable evidence that we use math every day — whether counting our change, changing an appointment or balancing our checkbooks.

Friday, December 27, at 8:30 am ET. The Learning Channel (0:30)

Great Books: Assignment Discovery

This Emmy Award-winning series examines the enduring quality and continuing influence of select literary works. Most appropriate for grades 6-12.

This episode looks at Erich Maria Remarque's classic anti-war novel that embodies the lost optimism of WWI through the experiences of an 18-year-old German soldier.

Wednesday, December 11, at 9:30 am ET. Discovery Channel (0:30)

Artists have plundered Homer's epic poem for images and phrases for centuries. Its use of drama and plot twists prefigured the novel as a form of literature by 2,500 years. Join scholars and other professionals as they explore the timeless appeal of "The Odyssey," woven from folktales into a riveting narrative that symbolizes the archetypal journey through life.

December 18 and January 22 at 9 am ET. Discovery Channel (1:00)

"The Republic" has intrigued, provoked, appalled and inspired readers since it was written in ancient Athens 2,500 years ago. Its author, Plato, has simultaneously been called the father of philosophy, the first fascist, a revolutionary, and the original idealist. The questions Plato first posed in this book of ideas address conflicts people grapple with today.

December 18 and January 22 at 9 am ET. Discovery Channel (1:00)

Betrayal, sacrifice, expulsion… a few of the many themes explored in Genesis, the first book of the Bible. Learn about the fundamental roots that Judaism, Christianity and Islam share and how each religion developed separately.

The second book of the Bible, Exodus, reveals miracles and fantastic images that scholars continue to debate. These stories of liberation, covenants with God and the Ten Commandments form the seeds of many of Western civilization's basic beliefs.

Monday, January 6, at 9 am ET. Discovery Channel (1:00)

Contests, Opportunities and Educational Events

Time Warner Cable is pleased to sponsor the TSBMH 2002-2003 Music at Noon Concert Series as part of its Cable in the Classroom initiative. Schools interested in attending should reserve seats and coordinate bus logistics through the Box Office. Music at Noon concerts are free.

Tuesday, December 10 - Signature Brass Quintet: Holiday Program

Founded in 1992, the Quintet was formed as a volunteer organization of primarily Schenectady area GE employees who assisted the Salvation Army in their annual holiday bell ringing campaign at local malls. Originally called the Turbine Brass Quintet, they became the Signature Brass after all the members left GE to pursue other careers. Their repertoire includes jazz, classical, rag time, swing and gospel music as well as their traditional holiday favorites.

The Hyde Collection Offers Students a First-Hand Encounter with Art

Time Warner Cable is a sponsor of Hyde School Programs 2002/2003 and is proud to support the museum’s ongoing efforts to educate young people. The museum’s education department collaborates with classroom teachers and curriculum coordinators to develop object-based programming that satisfies New York State learning standards. More than 20 program options are offered. Designed to meet the needs of the student and teacher, they reflect the curriculum in both grade level and subject matter.

The Common Good

Open to: High school students who submit an essay or other project using at least one C-SPAN resource. This Year's Challenge Question: How do we balance civil liberties and national security to best serve the Common Good?

Prizes: Up to 10 student winners and their teachers will receive a behind-the-scenes weeklong trip to Washington, D.C.

Deadline: Entry forms and projects from students in Time Warner Cable service areas are due January 31, 2003. All materials should be submitted to Time Warner Cable, Attn: The Common Good, 290 Harbor Drive, Stamford, CT 06902. Winners will be notified no later than March 7, 2003.

Space Day 2003 Design Challenges

Open to: Students or groups of students who register online at the Space Day 2003 website. There will be two competitions, one for grades 4–6 and one for grades 7–8. This year's Design Challenges are: Fly to the Future, in which students design a future commercial aircraft; Watt Power, in which they develop alternative fuel sources for future flight; and Planetary Explorers, in which students design spacecraft to explore other planets.

Prizes: "Stellar" solutions will be nationally recognized by Space Day co-chair Senator John Glenn at the Space Day opening ceremony on May 1, 2003.

Deadline: March 1, 2003

C-SPAN American Presidents Timeline Poster

C-SPAN Teacher Fellowships

The C-SPAN Education Foundation and Time Warner Cable offer Middle & High School Teacher Fellowships to teachers and media specialists who have demonstrated creative use of C-SPAN in the Classroom. Fellows come to Washington, D.C., for four weeks during the summer to work with members of C-SPAN's Community Relations Department.

2003 National History Day

Open to: Students in grades 6–12 working alone or in a group, who submit an entry that addresses the 2003 National History Day theme, "Rights and Responsibilities in History."

Prizes: At each level of competition, outstanding achievement will be recognized through certificates, medals, trophies or monetary awards. A number of special prizes may be given at the regional, state or national level.

Deadline: Regional deadlines vary; check with your local History Day contact. Contact information is available on the National History Day website.