Sunday, June 29
9-11 p.m. E/P

Discovery Science Channel

Subjects: Science

Elementary, Middle and High School

"The Real Superhumans and the Quest for the Future Fantastic"

This documentary reveals the stories of real people with extraordinary super powers. It's not about the movie-super-heroes being seen on the screen this summer. But just who are these non-fictional "super humans?" In Switzerland, meet a woman who combines senses so that she can "taste" music; in Turkey, a painter compared with Renaissance master Brunelleschi, who has been blind since birth; in Germany, a man discovered one day that he can perform complex calculations in his mind; and in the Netherlands, a man who possesses the inexplicable power to withstand extreme cold - but how? These super powers seemingly transcend what it means to be human, how we use our natural senses and our physical limitations. The program presents leading geneticists, biologists and futurists and discover their startling perspectives on these super powers and the implications of these gifts on future generations. The real-life superheroes in this special are harbingers of the type of advanced humans we could become in the not-so-distant future - by examining the unique gifts they possess today, what can we learn about what humanity will be like tomorrow? Rated TV-G

Monday, June 30
9-10 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: US History

Middle and High School

"History Detectives"

This is the season premiere of a documentary program intended to prove that an object found in an attic or backyard might be anything but ordinary. Wesley Cowan, independent appraiser and auctioneer; Gwendolyn Wright, professor of architecture, Columbia University; Elyse Luray, independent appraiser and expert in art history; and Tukufu Zuberi, professor of sociology and the director of the Center for Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania l travel around the country to explore the stories behind local folklore, prominent figures and family legends. Investigated in this episode are the diary of a WWII pilot; an 1856 book purported to be the memoirs of a New York woman married to a Mormon elder; an 1853 Napoleon said to be shot by Annie Oakley.

Log on http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/

Monday, June 30
10-11 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: US and World History

Middle and High School

"The War Of The World"

World War II, we've been told all our lives, was America's greatest triumph, the moment when the forces of light - the Western democracies - prevailed over the forces of darkness - the Nazis and the other Axis powers. It was a conflict that began in Europe in September 1939, but became global only with the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. It ended with the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan in August 1945. Or did it? Beginning with this episode of a three-part documentary miniseries, Harvard historian Niall Ferguson challenges nearly all our enduring assumptions about what was, without question, the most destructive conflict the planet has ever seen. The premiere episode shows how economic volatility, ethnic conflict and empires in crisis were the fatal ingredients of World War II. They spawned the 20th century's bloody conflicts and genocide and led to the rise of the brutal regimes of Germany, Japan and Russia. Further episodes air in this timeslot on July 7 and 14. Rated TV-PG, V

Tuesday, July 1
7-8 p.m. E/P

HBO

Subjects: World History and Sports

Middle and High School

"Hitler's Pawn: The Margaret Lambert Story"

This sports documentary tells the story of Margaret Lambert, an outstanding German-Jewish athlete who excelled in the high jump, but on her road to the 1936 Olympics, she encountered a terrifying roadblock: the rise of the Nazi Party. The program explores the hopes and heartaches experienced by Lambert when her dream of competing for Germany in the Berlin games was clouded by the rise of a political movement which called for the expulsion of Jewish athletes from German sports clubs. Rated TV-PG-V (mild violence)

Log on http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0419812/

Tuesday, July 1
8-9 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: Science

ELementary, Middle and High School

"NOVA: Fireworks!"

This documentary explores the science and spectacular art of those who play with fire for our visual delight. Not surprisingly, there is more than meets the eye to creating the sequence of vivid colors and impressive effects that light up the night sky every Fourth of July. TV-G

Log on http://www.pbs.org/nova

Tuesday, July 1
10-11:30 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: US History and Government

Middle and High School

"P.O.V. Election Day"

Forget the pie charts, color-coded maps and hyperventilating pundits. What's the street-level experience of voters in today's America? This documentary storytelling combines 12 stories - shot simultaneously on November 2, 2004, from dawn until long past midnight - into one. Factory workers, ex-felons, harried moms, Native-American activists and diligent poll watchers, from South Dakota to Florida, take the process of democracy into their own hands. The result shows citizens determined on one fateful day to make their votes count. TV-PG

Log on http://www.pbs.org/pov

Wednesday, July 2
9-10 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: Science

Middle and High School

"NOVA SCIENCE NOW"

The reports in this science magazine program cover the implications of personal genetic profiles; using computers to authenticate art; carbon sequestration; and a profile of Harvard professor Pardis Sabeti, a researcher on the genetics of malaria

Log on http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow

Thursday, July 3
8-9 p.m. E/P

National Geographic Channel

Subjects: Science and Technology

Middle and High School

"Man-Made: Spy Tech"

In the movies playing these days, the life of a spy includes money, James Bond-style gadgets, beautiful women and excitement. But what's it like in real life? This documentary tracks seven different spies and security experts who employ a wide range of skills, from rescuing hostages to making high-tech gadgets. Whether it is training a dog "bodyguard" or assembling a fully armored H2 Hummer, these professionals get the job done during an age of advanced terrorists and criminals. See how the growing need for protection has made the world of international security even more sophisticated.

Friday, July 4
1-10 p.m. E/P

HBO

Subjects: US History

Middle and High School

"John Adams"

This is a broadcast of the seven part dramatized historical miniseries about U.S. Founding Father and President John Adams. Episode titles are "Join Or Die", "Independence", "Don't Tread On Me", "Reunion", "Unite Or Die", "Unnecessary War" and "Peacefield". Series Rated TV-PG

Log on for episode descriptions and episode airtimes: http://www.hbo.com/films/johnadams/index.html

Saturday, July 5
8-9 E/P

National Geographic Channel

Subjects: Science

Elementary, Middle and High School

"Prehistoric Predators: Sabertooth"

The African lion is one of the most deadly predators alive today. Measuring up to 9 feet long and weighing in at 400 lbs, it richly deserves its name: "King of the Beasts." Yet as intimidating as it is, the lion pales in comparison to its prehistoric relative: the Sabertooth, which was 25 percent bigger than the biggest male lion and could weigh up to 750 lbs. The Sabertooth dominated the primal landscape of the Americas for nearly 2 million years, until suddenly it became extinct. This documentary explores the world of the Sabertooth, including how it lived, how it killed, and how it died.