Sunday, Oct. 12
9-9:30 p.m. E/P

Nickelodeon

Subjects: US History

Elementary, Middle and High School

"Nick News with Linda Ellerbee: Kids Pick the President"

Presidential Candidates Barack Obama and John McCain are scheduled to appear on this Nickelodeon Channel election-season news special series for kids. The show will feature the candidates fielding questions from kids about everything from the economy to health insurance. The Nickelodeon network traveled across the United States and videotaped kids' questions for Senators McCain and Obama.

After viewing this program log on http://www.nick.com/shows/specials/kpp_07 and vote for your favorite candidate. October 20 at 9 p.m. on Nickelodeon Channel Linda Ellerbee will announce the results of this vote.

Monday, Oct. 13
9-midnight p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: US History

Middle and High School

"AMERICAN EXPERIENCE - The Presidents: Nixon"

One of the most controversial and enduring figures on the American political landscape, Richard Nixon was at the center of American politics for 25 years. This documentary explores the fateful combination of strengths and weaknesses that propelled him to the presidency, then brought him down. From his boyhood in Yorba Linda, California, his days as a young anti-Communist crusader, his foreign policy initiatives in China and the Soviet Union, to his resignation from the presidency in the face of likely impeachment in 1974, Nixon was distinguished by his ability to come back from defeat. TV-PG, L

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

Tuesday, Oct. 14
9-10 p.m. ET, 6-7 p.m. PT

CNBC

Subjects: Science

Middle and High School

"The Nuclear Option"

This documentary explores how nuclear power works, the benefits, and the challenges of this energy source. Is the nuclear option the best energy solution to pursue? CNBC's Melissa Francis attempts to answer this question, with rare access and revealing interviews with the energy debate's key players.

Tuesday, Oct. 14
9-11 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: US History

Middle and High School

"FRONTLINE: The Choice 2008"

It is one of the most memorable presidential elections in decades. It is a race that pits the iconoclast John McCain against the newcomer Barack Obama; the heroic former prisoner of war against the first African-American major party nominee. For two hours, FRONTLINE, celebrating its 20th anniversary, examines the rich personal and political biographies of these men and goes behind the headlines to discover how they arrived at this moment and what their different candidacies say about America.

For more information about this program log on http://www.pbs.org/frontline

Wednesday, Oct. 15
9-11 p.m. ET, 6-8 p.m. PT

PBS, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC

Subjects: US History

Middle and High School

"Presidential Debate"

The third presidential debate between Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama focuses on foreign policy. CBS's Bob Schieffer moderates the debate, live from Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York.

Log on http://www.pbs.org/vote2008

Wednesday, Oct. 15
10-11 E/P

Discovery Channel

Subjects: Science

Middle and High School

"Prototype This! - Mind Controlled Car"

In this documentary a team of scientists and engineers is allowed ten days to build a "road rage proof" car using biofeedback and mind-control technologies. The guys put the prototypes to a demolition derby test where the cars slow down and shut off unless the drivers stay calm. Rated TV-G

For further information log on http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/prototype-this/prototype-this.html

Thursday, Oct. 16
7-8 p.m. E/P

History Channel

Subjects: Science

Middle and High School

"Modern Marvels: Copper"

It transports electricity, water, and heat. Our bodies can't survive without it, yet it can kill microbes in minutes. It brings music to our ears and beauty to our eyes. This documentary delves into all of copper's impressive traits, history, and how it's mined. Its most famous attribute is its ability to conduct electricity--copper wires connect and energize the world. And it's revolutionizing the electronics industry by enabling ever-shrinking computer chips. It's also formed into plumbing pipes to convey water and is the metal of choice for beautiful roofs and sculptures. It doesn't only look good--it sounds great too. A visit to a bell foundry reveals why bronze, a copper alloy, has been used to make music for hundreds of years. In myriad shapes and for innumerable uses, copper figures prominently in our world. Rating: TV-G

Thursday, Oct. 16
10-11 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: US History

Middle and High School

"P.O.V. Soldiers of Conscience"

When is it right to kill? In the midst of war, is it right to refuse? Eight U.S. soldiers today, some who killed and some who said no, reveal their moral dilemmas in this documentary. Made with official permission of the U.S. Army, the film transcends politics to explore the tension between spiritual values and military orders. The program follows the stories of both conscientious objectors and those who criticize them. Through this clash of views, the film discovers a surprising common ground: all soldiers are "soldiers of conscience," torn between the demands of duty and the call of conscience. TV-PG

For information about this miniseries http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2008/soldiersofconscience/preview.html

Friday, Oct. 17
8-10 p.m. E/P

NBC

Subjects: English Literature

Middle and High School

"Crusoe"

This is the premiere episode of a 13 week dramatic miniseries based on Robert Louis Stevenson's classic adventure novel "Robinson Crusoe". The series covers the perils and challenges facing the world's most famous castaway as Crusoe (Philip Winchester, "Flyboys," "Thunderbirds") and his native friend Friday (Tongayi Chirisa) struggle to survive on a desert island with little more than their wits. Overcoming marauding militias, hungry cannibals, wild cats, starvation and apocalyptic lightning storms, Crusoe dreams of the day he will be reunited with his beloved family. Allowed to develop away from the bonds of 17th Century life, the ingenious Crusoe builds a breathtaking and altogether modern home high up in the trees to elude his enemies. Friday and Crusoe's deep friendship is pushed to the limit as opportunities to escape their island paradise, and the people they meet there, consistently challenge them to choose between loyalty and freedom. As the series develops, the love story between Crusoe and his wife Susannah (Anna Walton, "The Mutant Chronicles," "Hell Boy II: The Golden Army") left behind in England will unfold from meeting to marriage, as will his relationship with his mentor and patron, the mysterious Jeremiah Blackthorn (Sam Neill, "The Tudors," "Jurassic Park"). Program Rated TV-PG, V (for depictions of violence)

For further information log on http://www.nbc.com/Crusoe and http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/stevensonbio.html

Saturday, Oct. 18
8-10 p.m. E/P

History Channel

Subjects: Science and US History

Middle and High School

"Black Blizzard"

Americans have lived through many environmental disasters - hurricanes , tornadoes, and major thunderstorms which have drastically affected those who have experienced them firsthand. This documentary examines the Dust Bowl. This disaster occurred in the 1930-1940 era when, vulnerable after years of drought and poor farming techniques, America's heartland was ravaged by weather events that became known as a "black blizzard". These ferocious dust storms blew throughout the U.S., creating enough static electricity to power New York City. Days became as dark as nights; towns, homes, people and equipment were literally buried. Twelve million tons of topsoil fell in Chicago, and snow turned dark in New York City and Washington, D.C. Throughout the Great Plains, every day people clung to the land, refusing to move away even as their homes and belongings were swept up in the path of destruction. In this special 2 hour presentation, scientists and special effects experts recreate the black blizzards in amazing and realistic detail while historians and surviving eye witnesses explain what it was like to live through this cataclysmic era. In the course of the documentary some experts arrive at the surprising conclusion that this was not a natural disaster, but a man-made one. TV-PG