Monday, November 28
9-10 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: American History

Middle and High School

"American Experience: Tupperware!"

This unusual history documentary charts the origins of the small plastics company that unpredictably became a cultural phenomenon. What was it that attracted women from various sectors of American society and offered them an opportunity to "move up in the world" without leaving the house?

Learn about the status of women and work in post-World War II America at http://www.pbs.org/amex/tupperware

Tuesday, November 29
9-10 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: Science

Middle and High School

"Frontline: The Alternative Fix"

Over the past few years the popularity -- and profitability -- of complementary and alternative medicine has increased. Under pressure from consumers and Congress - and tempted by huge grants - major hospitals and medical schools have embraced therapies that they once dismissed as quackery. So accepted, in fact, have alternative medical treatments become that an entire center of the National Institutes of Health is now devoted to CAM. But the question remains: Do these treatments actually work? This documentary examines the controversy over complementary and alternative medical treatments.

Log on http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/altmedfor information about the history and function of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Wednesday, November 30
8-9 p.m. E/P

History Channel

Subjects: Science and History

Middle and High School

"Modern Marvels: Harvesting"

Cutting, digging, picking, stripping, shaking, and raking -- whatever the crop, there's a custom machine to harvest it. It all began with handpicking and today it's often one man and one machine harvesting hundreds of acres in a single day. The farmer may even get help from satellites. Far above the earth, high-resolution photography is giving the grower more opportunities to cut costs and maximize the harvest. From the debut of the sickle in ancient Egypt to McCormick's famous Reaper to the field of ergonomics that assists human harvesters, this documentary traces the past and future of the harvest.

Thursday, December 1
6-7 p.m. E/P

Travel Channel

Subjects: World History and Geography

Middle and High School

"Ultimate Guide to Greece"

This documentary was filmed to introduce viewers worldwide to modern and ancient Greece when the Olympics were held there last year. It's a good survey of the main historic and geographic facts about that country.

Thursday, December 1
6:30-8 p.m. ET, 3:30-5 p.m. PT

TCM - Turner Classic Movies

Subjects: English

Elementary, Middle and High School

"Nancy Drew And The Hidden Staircase"

Before everybody was reading Harry Potter there was Nancy Drew. And maybe after Harry Potter there will be Nancy Drew again - mostly because there are so many more books about her. There were also many more movies. OK, they were in black and white, but even that's coming back into fashion. In this particular Nancy Drew movie the teen-aged sleuth helps two old ladies deal with the "haunting" of their mansion.

For more about Nancy Drew log on http://www.nancydrewsleuth.com

Thursday, December 1
9-10 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: Science

High School

"Ending AIDS: The Search For A Vaccine"

Narrated by Richard Gere, this is the story of the people and organizations leading the global hunt for the cure for AIDS. With approximately 100,000 people a week newly infected with HIV, and three million expected to die next year alone, finding a vaccine to stop the AIDS pandemic is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity. Yet 20 years after the pandemic began, large-scale human trials have been completed for only one vaccine candidate - and that candidate was widely considered a dismal failure. This documentary takes viewers from high-tech labs in America and Africa to Kenyan clinics where dying patients seek treatment and to Ugandan sugar cane plantations that are preparing for future large-scale trials. It also delves into the lives of those who seem to resist the invader naturally, people in whom HIV somehow, for reasons that remain tantalizingly elusive, does not lead to AIDS. TV-PG

Friday, December 2
4-5 p.m. ET, 1-2 p.m. PT

Ovation - The Arts Network

Subjects: Economics and Art

Middle and High School

"Theatre Biz"

This is the initial episode of a three part documentary series about the business side of "live" theatre. It may be worth taping these shows to donate to the drama teacher at your school. The Theatre Royal Haymarket one of London's most prestigious theatres, but without any public subsidy it must pay its own way in an increasingly competitive world. Success or failure often hinges on how well the first night goes. The series looks at a premiere the Haymarket in the U.K. and a Broadway opening in the U.S. starring Whoopi Goldberg. In the second program, Theatre Biz follows a production from page to stage. The third program follows two drama school graduates who are hoping to get their first break in an industry where only six per cent of actors work all year. These latter two episodes run in this timeslot December 9 and 16.

Saturday, December 3
9-11 p.m. E/P

History Channel

Subjects: World History and Science

Elementary, Middle and High School

"Rome: Engineering An Empire"

This is a repeat of a remarkable documentary about applied science - great engineering done under political pressure. For more than 500 years, Rome was the world's most powerful and advanced civilization. It was ruled by visionaries and tyrants whose accomplishments ranged from awe - inspiring to awful. One characteristic linked them all -- ambition - and that propelled them to make their citizens into masters of engineering and skilled labor. This documentary special chronicles the Roman Empire from the rise of Julius Caesar in 55 BC to its eventual fall around 537 AD, detailing the remarkable engineering feats that set Rome apart from the rest of the ancient world. Featuring extensive state-of-the-art CGI animation, and exclusive never-before-seen footage shot on a diving expedition in the water channels underneath the Colosseum. TVPG

Sunday, December 4
9-11 p.m. E/P

History Channel

Subjects: Science and World History

Middle and High School

"DaVinci And The Code He Lived By"

This is a biographical documentary about Leonardo DaVinci. The focus is his personal philosophy (rather than one theory or another about secret codes he may have been involved with). Born in obscurity and illegitimate in a tiny Italian village in 1452, he seemed destined for a life of peasantry. But early mastery of art and a personal code for success that he developed catapulted him to the highest levels of Italian society and ultimately made him one of the most important figures of the Renaissance and one of the world's truly immortal minds. A fierce intellect made Leonardo the master of whatever he set his mind to, and his ability to see far beyond the limits and violence of his time continues to feed his popularity to this day.