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Spotlight: November and Beyond
Connections to Nobel Prize Laureates' Work
It is that time of year — individuals who are prominent in their fields of scientific research, the humanities, and social justice are awakened in the wee hours of the morning by a telephone call to learn that they have won the Nobel Prize. Find out who this year's Nobel laureates are (five of the 13 are women, the highest number ever) at the Nobel Prize Web site, www.nobelprize.org, and learn more about their areas of research at www.learner.org.
Elizabeth Blackburn, Carol Greider, and Jack Szostak shared the prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase. Rediscovering Biology unit 8, "Cell Biology and Cancer," provides a concise description of telomeres and their function in the cell cycle in the online textbook. By clicking on the highlighted term, you can also see a short QuickTime movie on the topic. You can watch the entire video program online as well. Read an interview with Elizabeth Blackburn, one of the prize winners, on the site.
Charles Kao of China shared the Nobel Prize in physics with George Smith and Willard Boyle. Kao's research concerned transmission of light in fibers for optical communication. Play around with the laws of light in our Teacher's Lab interactive.
The Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded to Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Thomas Seitz, and Ada Yonath for studies of the structure and functioning of the ribosome. Ribosomes produce proteins, which in turn control the chemistry in all living organisms. Learn about this essential process through our DNA Interactive, appropriate for students high school age and up. Back to top
Fossil Fuels Debate
Scientists recently announced the discovery in Ethiopia of a largely intact skeleton of Ardipithecus ramidus, an early hominid with characteristics that suggest a less aggressive male than that seen in chimpanzees. Other discoveries in paleoanthropology have also stirred up discussion over the question of human origins:
- A fossil called "Ida," announced last spring and originally thought to represent a key link in human evolution, is now believed to be more closely related to lemurs than to primates in the human evolutionary line such as monkeys and apes.
- The status of Homo floresiensis, a hominid discovered in 2003 and only thousands (not millions) of years old, has been intensively studied and hotly debated. After new analyses of the remains, a group of paleoanthropologists has announced that the "hobbit-like" hominid with many characteristics of modern humans does in fact represent a new species — and not dwarfed specimens of modern humans.
You may find the following resources helpful in learning or teaching about human evolution:
"Human Evolution," session 9 of Rediscovering Biology: Molecular to Global Perspectives, summarizes current scientific thinking on human evolution. Go to on Animations & Images for a chart showing the "Hominid Family Tree" and another showing the "Human Fossil Bush." Also read this interview with Christopher Wills, Ph.D., professor of biological sciences at the University of California at San Diego.
Unit 3 of Bridging World History uncovers the routes taken by early modern humans as they migrated across the globe from their origins in Africa. Visit the image archive to find charts and images related to human evolution, such as photos of hominid fossils, artistic renderings of evolutionary stages, and more.
Essential Science for Teachers: Life Science session 6, "Evolution and the Tree of Life," offers a general discussion on evolution and evolutionary trees. Resources related to Ardipithecus ramidus are available online on the Science magazine Web site. Back to top
Day of the Dead (November 1-2)
Artistic expressions associated with the Mexican Day of the Dead are examined in Art Through Time: a Global View, "Death."
Death: A Personal Understanding program 9, "Death Rituals," delves into the personal and collective meanings of rituals surrounding death in American society.
See how archeologists have reconstructed many societies' beliefs of about the dead and the spirit world in Out of the Past program 7, "The Spirit World." Back to top
Election Day (November 3)
With open seats in both houses of Congress and in key governorships around the country — as well as same-sex marriage initiatives and a national health care plan already in the works — there are plenty of election-related issues to explore.
As the one year mark into President Obama's presidency approaches, his election continues to be of interest. Develop a deeper understanding of the 2008 Obama campaign (and prepare for 2012) by listening to this October 2000 radio program featuring professor Gil Troy of McGill University on the evolving role of presidential candidates from unit 21 of America's History in the Making.
Distinguished panelists including Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, and Congressman Barney Frank discuss ethical issues involved in elections and political campaigns in Ethics in America II, program 4 "Choosing Justice: Elections and Judicial Independence."
See key figures in government sorting out controversial issues in The Constitution: That Delicate Balance program 3, "Nomination, Election, and Succession of the President." Democracy in America program 13, "Elections: The Maintenance of Democracy," offers an overview of the two-stage electoral campaign system in the U.S., plus readings on the ideological underpinnings of the American system of government.
Get a real hands-on lesson for your high school students in "Electoral Politics," the second workshop of Making Civics Real: A Workshop for Teachers. The session includes a written lesson plan, student and teacher perspectives, readings, and more. Back to top
Veterans Day (November 11)
"Postwar Tension and Triumph," program 19 of America's History in the Making, takes a look at the new realities in America that veterans faced when they returned from World War II.
A Biography of America describes America's participation in war at home and abroad. In particular, see programs 11, 18, 22, 23, and 24. Go to program 23, "The Fifties," to participate in an interactive poll on the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan and see how others voted.
The American Cinema program "The Combat Film" details how Hollywood has used war as propaganda both in favor of and against the use of American troops. Vietnam War veterans describe their ongoing mental disability of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the program "The Nature of Stress" from The World of Abnormal Psychology. Find the segment at about 31 minutes into the program.
Native American writers Simon Ortiz, Leslie Marmon Silko, and N. Scott Momaday evoke the particular experience of disorientation of returning veterans from Indian nations in their works. See and hear readings of their moving works in program 2, "Native Voices," from American Passages. Also see images in the series archive that show African American soldiers marching after returning from World War I; this one shows a Native American D-Day veteran with his granddaughter. Use search term "veterans" to find additional items. Back to top
World Television Day (November 21)
Marlowe Thomas's TV character Ann Marie in "That Girl" both reflected and shaped an American culture in which women's roles were being redefined. Watch America's History in the Making unit 20, "Egalitarian America," for a discussion. The profile of Thomas starts at about 19 minutes into the program.
Television has had an immeasurable impact on political campaigns. Program 10 "Understanding Media: The Inside Story," of Democracy in America, looks at the crucial role of media in the maintenance of a democracy.
Read the transcript of a commentary by critic John Leonard on the influence of television on Americans' cultural memory and perspective on history. From A Biography of America program 25, "Contemporary History." Click on the unit title for a link to the video program.
View the history of television through the eyes of film with "Film in the Television Age," program 8 of American Cinema. News Writing covers the elements of writing for television news. Focus on program 8,
"Broadcast News Writing," which explains the differences in style for different types of media. The News Writing Interviews offer the views of prominent television news personalities Charles Kuralt, Kurt Loder, and Andy Rooney.
The program "Reflections on a Global Screen" in Human Geography: People, Places, and Change looks at television broadcasting from a globalization perspective. Watch Against All Odds: Inside Statistics program 2, "Picturing Distributions," to see how statistical measures such as distribution are factored into television programming decisions. The segment begins
approximately 13 minutes into the program.
See a photo of dancers in action on Dick Clark's American Bandstand in 1961 in the American Passages archive. Back to top
National French Week (November 4-8)
Immerse yourself in the French language with our popular series French in Action with host and noted language educator, Dr. Pierre Capretz.
Teaching Foreign Languages K-12: A Library of Classroom Practices presents eight effective French language classrooms, in elementary and upper levels, that you can use as models in crafting your own teaching environments. Learn about the extraordinary measures taken by the Canadian province of Quebec to promote the use of French language, detailed in program 25 of The Power of Place: Geography for the 21st Century.
Art of the Western World surveys the major French artists including Édouard Manet, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Gauguin, Paul Cézanne, and Henri Matisse. See programs 6, 7, and 8, which cover the Age of Reason, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, and the early 20th century.
In "The Enlightenment and Society," program 35 of The Western Tradition, Professor Eugen Weber discusses the French satirist Voltaire and mathematician René Descartes. In program 40, "The French Revolution," he reviews an important period in French history. Back to top
Pursuit of Happiness Week (November 8-14)
Learn about the meaning of "pursuit of happiness" in the context of American culture with the article "Every Man for Himself: American Individualism" on the American Passages Web site.
Are some methods of pursuing happiness ethically off limits? Consider one aspect of this question with Ethics in America II, program 5, "A Better Brain: The Ethics of Neuro-enhancement." Happiness is often tied inextricably with liberty, as liberty is thought to facilitate the pursuit of happiness. For an explanation of the constitutional issues, see Democracy in America unit 4, "Civil Liberties: Safeguarding the Individual."
Sometimes the road to attaining happiness is rocky. In workshop 8 of Teaching Multicultural Literature: A Workshop for the Middle Grades, author Francisco Jiménez discusses his literature based on real-life experiences growing up in America and sustaining hope through hardship.
See the role of happiness as an ideological component of Enlightenment thought as expressed in the British colonies in America,
in Bridging World History unit 17, "Ideas Shape the World." Discovering Psychology: Updated Edition program 12, "Motivation and Emotion," looks at the psychological underpinnings of positive affective experiences.
Emotional nurturance in childhood helps to establish happier patterns later on. Watch programs 4 and 5, "Dealing With Feelings" and "I'm Glad I'm Me," in The Whole Child: A Caregiver's Guide to the First Five Years. This page links to the Whole Child Web site, which has activities, a reading list, and other resources designed for parents and care providers. Back to top
National Young Readers Week (November 9-13)
Teaching Reading K-2: A Library of Classroom Practices presents methods of
launching the youngest students into a positive relationship with the written word. Teaching Reading K-2 Workshop gives you the tools and practice you need to hone your students' reading, writing, and oral language skills.
Take our Teaching Reading 3-5 Workshop to learn and use
methods of raising your students' reading competence and enthusiasm. The site includes interactives, tips for new teachers, and other useful resources.
Explore high quality teaching of literature to children in upper elementary grades with our Engaging With Literature workshop and video library, both part of Dr. Judith Langer's research-based Envisioning Literature series. In Search of the Novel includes footage of great teaching, interviews with authors such as J.K. Rowling and Daniel Keyes, and teacher insights to help you add depth to your teaching of ten famous novels. Back to top
National Farm-City Week (November 20-26)
Learn about many aspects of rural life in America, including the role of farming. Watch Rural Communities: Legacy & Change. Compare with rural-urban issues in China, Japan, and India in The Power of Place: Geography for the 21st Century programs 9, 12, and 16.
For a look at farming in terms of its relationship with the environment, see The Habitable Planet: A Systems Approach to Environmental Science unit 5, "Human Population Dynamics," which discusses urbanization, and unit 7, "Agriculture," which examines several aspects of farming.
Can the farmer make a profit? Get an answer to this question while exploring the relationship between small farmers, big agribusiness, and consumers in Economics U$A program 17, "Perfect
Competition and Inelastic Demand." Back to top
National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month
November is National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. Draw on Annenberg Media resources to celebrate and teach about the culture, history, experience, and unique contributions of the Native peoples of America.
Art Through Time: A Global View program 4, "Ceremony and Society," includes a segment about a soul recovery ceremony site, presented by CHiXapkaid, Dr. Michael Pavel, Associate Professor at Washington State University, and two other Traditional Bearers of the Skokomish Indian Reservation. Program 10, "The Natural World," spotlights the work of Native American artist and educator Kay Walkingstick.
"Pre-Columbian America," "Mapping Initial Encounters," and "Colonial Designs," The first three units of America's History in the Making, look at America before Columbus through the early contacts with European settlers and colonizers. Unit 1 includes a 50-page text chapter and four brief QuickTime videos.
Visit our United States History Map interactive for historical information about 34 Indian nations and tribes, plus an assessment to see how much you learned. Learn about the sophisticated civilizations of the Americas with Bridging World History. Visit the image archive to find images related to the Mayan, Inkan, Aztec, and Mississippian civilizations.
A Biography of America does not begin with Columbus! The program "New World Encounters" traces the development of civilizations from ancient times through the conquests of Columbus and other European explorers. "Alaska: The Last Frontier?" — program 5 of Human Geography: People, Places, and Change — looks at the history of settlement in Alaska and exploitation of the region's natural resources, as well as the efforts of the people of Kenai Peninsula to reclaim their lost heritage.
Rural Communities: Legacy & ChangeRural Communities: Legacy & Change shows both losses experienced by Indian communities and more positive developments. See program 4, "Legacy," and program 5, "Act Locally...and Invest." In our series Teaching Multicultural Literature: A Workshop for the Middle Grades, authors Joseph Bruchac, Shirley Sterling, and Laura Tohe discuss their work, while teachers present literature lessons to their classes.
Familiarize yourself with the writings of Mourning Dove, N. Scott Momaday, and James Welch with The Expanding Canon: Teaching Multicultural Literature in High School. Professor Greg Sarris demonstrates the use of Native American Pomo baskets to enhance the teaching of literature in "Ceremonial Artifacts," workshop 8 of Artifacts & Fiction: Workshop in American Literature.
Three contemporary authors — Leslie Marmon Silko (Laguna Pueblo), Simon Ortiz (Acoma Pueblo), and Luci Tapahonso (Navajo) — are featured in "Native Voices," the first program of American Passages: A Literary Survey. Find information on Chippewa Songs, Ghost Dance Songs, and several authors. Also search the archive for pictures of Navajo soldiers and code talkers and other relevant artifacts.
Watch an interview with celebrated author N. Scott Momaday in Literary Visions program 9, "Suggested Meanings: Symbolism and Allegory in Short Fiction." Momaday discusses the mythological references in his Pulitzer Prize-winning book "House Made of Dawn." Back to top
Distance Learning
November reminds us of Thanksgiving and all that we are thankful for in our lives. The Distance Learning team would like to take this time to thank you for all your support over the years and to extend our gratitude to you and your family, colleagues, faculty, and distance learning connections.
What's New
Ever wonder which Annenberg Media distance learning courses are related to each other? Or, what interactives are connected to each
course? Send an email to Nancy at nwilliams.learner@gmail.com and she will send you our most recent listing.
VoD. Users no longer need to enter their user name and password! Using our online streaming service has never been easier. And coming soon, we'll be moving to FLASH which will improve access for both our PC and MAC users.
Important Reminders
We would like to remind colleges that a license fee has been required as of fall 2006 for the use of our video content in your distance learning program.
The following distance learning courses are each supported by an in-depth coordinated Web site — complete with an accompanying guide or textbook — to enhance teaching and your students' learning experience: American Passages, Bridging World History, Democracy in America, Ethics in America II, The Habitable Planet, The Learning Classroom, Mathematics Illuminated, Rediscovering Biology.
Our DVDs and online Video on Demand (VoD) are closed captioned. Audio-described DVDs for your visually impaired students are available upon request.
Reminder! As of December 31, 2009 Fokus Deutsch, our German language series, will no longer be available as a distance learning course.
Special Incentives
Due to continued interest, we are continuing our summer incentive on math and science courses through December 31, 2009. For schools currently licensing Against All Odds: Inside Statistics or College Algebra/Algebra: In Simplest Terms, we are offering a 20% discount on your license fee to adopt our new course, Mathematics Illuminated. For schools currently licensing Earth Revealed or Planet Earth, we are offering a 20% discount on your license fee to adopt our new course, The Habitable Planet: A Systems Approach to Environmental Science.
Ethics in America. We have combined the licensing for the original Ethics in America and Ethics in America II. This will allow you to use any of the hypothetical cases from either series to create an exciting course highlighting new and historical debates from eminent leaders in government, business, science, and academia.
In view of the current economic situation facing everyone this year, there will be no price increase for licenses. Also, if you have not already done so, don't forget to order your DVDs in time for the 2009/2010 school year to get our special pricing for students enrolled in a distance learning course.
Talk to Us
We look forward to hearing from you and receiving your enrollment numbers for the fall semester. You can send them via email directly to Nancy Williams at nwilliams.learner@gmail.com.
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2010 Catalog Available
The new 2010 catalog of Annenberg Media resources is now available and will be mailing this month. If you wish to receive a copy in the mail, please send your request to AnnenbergMedia@fpdirect.com. Back to top
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