Sunday, May 7
6-8 p.m. E/P

History Channel

Subjects: Science

Elementary, Middle and High School

"Comets: Prophets Of Doom"

This astronomy documentary is somewhat mis-named. Many questions about comets are explained in the program - only a few are worrysome. Part One of this 2 hour, PG rated program asks: Could something as destructive as comets hold the key to life? Are the building blocks of carbon-based life forms frozen inside? Might they contain information about the creation of our solar system? Part Two focuses on the conclusion of two spectacular NASA missions that sent spaceships to rendezvous with these mysterious objects, examining the scientific and historical record of comets, including man's reaction to them. Did a comet lead the Wise Men to Bethlehem? Did they foretell the death of kings, the destruction of civilizations? How did Halley's Comet provide Isaac Newton with the clues for his theories of gravity? Finally, what comprises this "dirty snowball" and how can we protect ourselves if headed on a collision-course with one?

Sunday, May 7
7-8 p.m. E/P

CBS

Subjects: Economics and Science

High School

"60 Minutes"

The main stories in this newsmagazine are: Sallie Mae - Making government-backed loans to college students has become so lucrative for the Sallie Mae Corporation that its stock has skyrocketed 2,000 percent in the last decade. But some students are left swimming in growing debt. And: Ethanol - Can the fuel distilled from corn and other renewable materials one day take the place of the billions of barrels of oil the U.S. imports each year.

Monday, May 8
9-10 E/P

PBS

Subjects: American History

Elementary, Middle and High School

"American Experience: Annie Oakley"

This program tells the tale of the star of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, the young woman who thrilled audiences around the world with her daring shooting feats. While her act helped fuel turn-of-the-century nostalgia for the vanished, mythical world of the American West, the legend of Annie Oakley had little to do with the real Annie. Although famous as a western sharpshooter, Oakley lived her entire life east of the Mississippi. A champion in a man's sport, Oakley forever changed ideas about the abilities of women, yet she opposed female suffrage. Her fame and fortune came from her skill with guns, a concept that was counter to her Quaker upbringing. TV-PG

Log on http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex

Tuesday, May 9
6-7 p.m. E/P

History Channel

Subjects: Science

Elementary, Middle and High School

"Modern Marvels: Quarries"

In this documentary dynamite explodes hills to bits, drills divide sheer stone walls, 400,000-pound blocks are pulled from pits by giant cranes, and men work around the clock to wrest rock out of the earth. Not diamonds or gold . . . rock, the raw material of civilization! Without rock, modern society wouldn't exist. Roads, sewers, dams, bridges, buildings, paint, glue, make-up, antacids, and even chewing gum need crushed stone. From ancient days to the present, the program explores the evolution of quarrying techniques. TVPG

Wednesday, May 10
9-10 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: American History

Elementary, Middle and High School

"American Masters: John Ford/John Wayne: The Filmmaker and the Legend"

John Ford is considered by many the greatest American film director - winner of six Academy Awards, more than any director before or since. John Wayne is the actor whom he transformed from a B-western cowboy into a larger-than-life national icon. Their friendship and professional collaboration, which spanned 50 years, changed their lives, changed the movies and, in the process, changed how America saw itself. Their remarkable body of work - including Stagecoach, Fort Apache, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Rio Grande, The Searchers, The Horse Soldiers, The Alamo and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance - is heroic and nostalgic, reflecting all the elements and all the paradoxes of 20th-century America: generosity of spirit, abuse of power, a sense of loyalty and a restless nationalism. TV-G

Log on http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters

Thursday, May 11
7:30-8 p.m. E/P

Disney Channel

Subjects: Science and Social Science

Elementary, Middle and High School

"That's So Raven: Be Prepared"

This episode of the popular series about young kids has Maria Shriver ( wife of California's Governor) guest stars as herself in this episode that has Raven and her friends helping Shriver promote a disaster preparedness campaign.

Thursday, May 11
8-9 p.m. E/P

Travel Chanel

Subjects: Science

Elementary, Middle and High School

"This Job's A Trip: Dolphin Trainer"

In this documentary an advertising salesperson trapped in a 9-to-5 job and a legal clerk with a passion for bingo fulfill their dreams of being marine mammal trainers. At Sea World, they learn that understanding and respect for their wild charges is a life and death matter.

Friday, May 12
8-10 p.m. E/P

History Channel

Subjects: World History

Middle and High School

"Warrior Empire: The Mughals"

This documentary, describes events in South Asia from 1526 to 1858. The Mughals, a dynasty of nomadic Asian rulers, created a massive and powerful empire covering much of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, passing along an appetite for territory expansion and brutality. But they were also technological innovators and builders of some of the most enduring architecture in South Asia. Described are their military innovations like composite bows, matchlock guns, rocketry, chain mail, and cannons, their feats of archery on horseback and use of elephants as fearsome weapons. Also shown is enduring architecture, including palaces, forts, water systems, gardens, and the Taj Mahal--a tomb that took 22 years to build in honor of the most beloved of the sultan's wives. TVPG

Saturday, May 13
8-9 p.m. E/P

CNN

Subjects: Social Science

Middle and High School

"Paparazzi & Celebrity Obsession"

This is a news documentary about a sociological phenomenon ??? some would call it a problem ??? of the public's obsession with celebrities