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Greetings, TV viewers!
Here are this week's home viewing suggestions selected from online advanced program listings and aligned with state and national K-12 academic standards available online.
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Sunday, Aug. 10
9-10 p.m. E/P
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PBS
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Subjects: Science
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Middle and High School
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"NATURE: The Dolphin Defender"
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More than 25 years ago, filmmaker Hardy Jones set out to learn everything he could about dolphins. At the time, no one had conducted studies in the wild of these enigmatic creatures, and many thought it couldn't be done. Since then, Jones has spent more time with dolphins than other humans, developing unique insights into what goes on in their sophisticated societies. This is a documentary about his personal journey into the world of dolphins, the sometimes dangerous waters into which they have led him and his continuing crusade to protect them. TV-PG, V
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Log on http://www.pbs.org/nature
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Monday, Aug. 11
9-10:30 p.m. E/P
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HBO
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Subjects: World History and Arts
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Middle and High School
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"We Are Together: The Children Of The Agape Choir"
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For Slindile Moya and other children living at the Agape Child Care Center in South Africa, music is a touchstone that brings them comfort and joy in times of happiness and loss. This documentary reveals the poignant story of this 12 year-old girl, her siblings and other residents of an orphanage for children who have lost their parents -- mostly to AIDS. Shot over three years, the film focuses on Slindile's family and other residents who are members of the choir as they rehearse for a CD and a possible trip abroad to raise much-needed funds to expand the orphanage. TV-PG
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Log on http://www.hbo.com/docs/docuseries/wearetogether/index.html
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Tuesday, Aug. 12
9-10 p.m. E/P
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PBS
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Subjects: World History
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Elementary, Middle and High School
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"WIDE ANGLE China Prep"
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As the world's attention turns to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, this documentary shows how the next generation of Chinese leaders is being molded. It follows four Chinese students through their final high-pressure year at an elite high school in Sichuan Province, where a class of 1,800 teenagers is competing for 59 spots in China's top two universities. The students' lives are regimented almost every minute of the day as they study Monday through Saturday from 7:00 in the morning to 11:00 at night, preparing for the end-of-year exam that will determine their fate. Those who fail will be forced to take low-paying jobs or at best be relegated to trade schools. The program follows Zhang Lie, who wants to study law and join the Communist Party elite like her father; Mei Jiachin, a genius mathematician from a farming family; Chen Zhibo, a misfit science student with big plans to become China's Bill Gates; and Gao Mengjia, a self-professed nerd who loves money and aspires to be a hedge fund manager. Nicknamed the "I want" generation by the Chinese press, these only children - the sole focus of their parents' and grandparents' nurturing under China's one-child policy - will be the new class of corporate managers, lawyers and civil servants who are expected to propel 21st-century China past the United States as the largest economy in the world. How do the ambitions of these teenagers reflect the realities of today's and tomorrow's China? Who among them will be most likely to succeed? Who will be the boss?
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Log on http://www.pbs.org/wideangle
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Tuesday, Aug. 12
10-11 p.m. E/P
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History Channel
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Subjects: Science
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Elementary, Middle and High School
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"Evolve: Jaws"
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There is perhaps no instrument more important to survival than a strong set of jaws. From the shark's rows of razor-sharp serrated teeth, the crocodile's overwhelmingly swift-snapping-trap, to the lion's shredding canines -- all have evolved in response to the never-ending struggle between predator and prey. But just how did these ultimate killing weapons develop in the first place? This documentary takes viewers back through history to reveal the rise of jaws. In the struggle to survive, evolution has produced an amazing range of weapons and defenses. The program blends live-action natural history sequences, CGI, and experimental science to illustrate our and our fellow species' eternal struggle for survival.
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Wednesday, Aug. 13
2-3:15 p.m. E/P
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Showtime
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Subjects: US History and Language Arts
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Middle and High School
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"Freedom Writers"
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Hilary Swank stars in this inspirational movie about an idealistic California teacher who assigns her at-risk students in a gang-infested high school to writer journals that chronicle their troubled lives. TV-Rated PG. Parental Advisory: Violence, Adult Language, Adult Content
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Log onto http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0463998/
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Thursday, Aug. 14
9-10 p.m. E/P
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History Channel
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Subjects: Science
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Elementary, Middle and High School
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"Modern Marvels: Iron"
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This documentary travels to the mines of Minnesota, where viewers will see how iron ore is extracted, made into steel and how that steel becomes super strong. From the spear, axe, and sword to today's high tech arsenal, iron weapons have revolutionized warfare. Follow military-metallurgists as they create and customize the latest weapons and demonstrate their firepower. Next shown will be some iron super magnets, and the biggest iron magnet of all ? the earth itself. See how iron oxide, or rust, plays an important role in creating paints for cars and houses, creating ink for tattoos and even the dollar bill. Finally, it's off to the Moon and Mars to mine iron in space
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Thursday, Aug. 14
10-11 p.m. ET, 7-8 p.m. PT
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National Geographic Channel
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Subjects: Science
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Elementary, Middle and High School
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"Naked Science: The Deep"
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Oceans cover nearly two-thirds of the Earth's surface but if we drain away this water, an astonishing landscape appears: 100,000 volcanoes, a record-setting mountain range, ocean trenches deeper than Mount Everest is tall, temperatures hot enough to melt lead and the oldest animals on the planet. Amazingly, more people have traveled to the moon than have ventured to the depths of our oceans. To understand this hidden world, this documentary takes viewers down seven miles to the very bottom of the sea.
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Friday, Aug. 15
10-11 p.m. E/P
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PBS
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Subjects: US History and Geography
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Elementary, Middle and High School
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"Shore Things"
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This documentary takes a look at America's vacation-at-the-beach culture and how the shore attracts all kinds: water babies, metal-detector operators and sun-worshippers. Its mixture of historical facts with current trends and observations showcases our infatuation with sand, surf and sun. Beaches all over America are highlighted, including Cape Cod, Massachusetts; Ocean City, Maryland; Daytona Beach, Florida; Venice, California; and several beaches in Hawaii. TV-G
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Saturday, Aug. 16
9-10 p.m. ET, 6-7 p.m. PT
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National Geographic Channel
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Subjects: World History
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Middle and High School
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"Inside Lost Worlds: Warrior Kings"
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When the warriors of Hattusha stormed the city of Babylon, their mission was to found the greatest empire the world had ever seen. They succeeded, but the vast empire they created simply disappeared. For 3,000 years, all trace of them was lost from the history books and even legend, until recently when fragments from this lost world began to emerge. These new clues opened up a world of mysteries and secret codes. A fortress city, built to last forever, an unstoppable war machine and a mighty empire, even greater than that of Egypt. This documentary with historical re-enactments is the story of how a civilization, built to last forever, could simply vanish from history.
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Log on http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/hattusha.html
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Saturday, Aug. 16
10-11 p.m. ET, 7-8 p.m. PT
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National Geographic Channel
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Subjects: World History
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Elementary, Middle and High School
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"Tut's Treasures"
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Eighty years after Lord Carnarvon discovered Tutankhamun's tomb, his great-grandson travels to Egypt for a new analysis of Tut's Treasures. With special access to the artifacts on display in the Cairo Museum and using the latest techniques, this documentary presents new clues into the pharaoh's life. Using this research and recent finds from elsewhere in Egypt, the present Lord Carnarvon works closely with National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Dr. Zahi Hawass to reveal the real pharaoh emerging from behind the facade of the iconic mask - a very different pharaoh than the King Tut we've long imagined.
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