Sunday, Dec. 14
9-10 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: US History and Arts

Middle and High School

"Chicano Rock! The Sounds Of East Los Angeles"

This documentary tells the story of generations of young Mexican-Americans who proudly expressed their identity through music. Narrated by Edward James Olmos, the program includes first-person storytelling, rare film and photos, and exuberant music from artists such as Lalo Guerrero, the Father of Chicano Music; the legendary Ritchie Valens; and classic bands such as Cannibal and the Headhunters, who toured with the Beatles, Thee Midniters of "Whittier Blvd." fame, El Chicano, Tierra and perhaps the greatest of them all, Los Lobos. TV-PG

Log on http://www.calhum.org/programs/doc_chicano_rock_special.htm

Monday, Dec. 15
8-9 p.m. E/P

National Geographic Channel

Subjects: World History

Middle and High School

"Decoding the Dead Sea Scrolls"

Celebration of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah begins this coming Sunday, and in that connection National Geographic Channel is airing this documentary about the history of the Jewish Bible. The Dead Sea Scrolls are considered one of the most significant discoveries of the 20th century but also one of the most controversial. Representing nearly every book of the Jewish Bible as well as the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, they provide intriguing insight into a passionate religious system which challenges long-standing traditions and beliefs. In the program a team of archaeological and theological experts unravel their mystery and explores theories surrounding their creation, including the Church's 50-year unofficial embargo on their publication.

More information and streaming video at http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/decoding-the-dead-sea-scrolls-3087/Overview#tab-Videos/02514_00

Tuesday, Dec. 16
8-9 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: US History

Middle and High School

"Pocahontas Revealed"

On May 13, 1607, three English sailing vessels drop anchor beside a small island fringed by swamps in the James River, Virginia. On board are 104 colonists who will establish the first successful English settlement in the New World at Jamestown. The exploits of the brash, swashbuckling John Smith, the wily, venerable chief Powhatan and his infatuated daughter, Pocahontas, has come to be recited, retold and embroidered until they gather the status of an epic founding myth of the new nation. Now, science is revealing the truth behind the myth - a saga of unparalleled adventure, greed and savagery. Virginia archaeologists have discovered the site of Chief Powhatan's capital, Werowocomoco, some 17 miles from Jamestown beside the York River. This is the very spot where the captive John Smith had his famous life-and-death encounter with the mighty chief, when (so the story goes) the smitten Pocahontas begged her father to spare the Englishman's neck. This documentary covers the excavation of this unique site for four years and for the first time reveals the Native-American side of the Jamestown story. The evidence from Werowocomoco provides a fascinating new perspective on the colonists' inevitably one-sided accounts of their sometime allies and adversaries. TV-PG

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

Tuesday, Dec. 16
10-11 p.m. E/P

HBO

Subjects: US History

Middle and High School

"Breaking The Huddle: The Integration of College Football"

Focusing on football programs in the Southeastern, Southwest and Atlantic Coast Conferences, this documentary chronicles the heyday of football at historically black colleges and universities, and explores the profound effect of the Civil Rights movement of the '60s on the racial status quo of college athletics. The story culminates with the Sept. 1970 game played in Birmingham between the University of Southern California, featuring star African-American running back Sam "Bam" Cunningham, and the University of Alabama team of legendary Crimson Tide head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. Among those interviewed are college football trailblazers Thom Gossom, Darryl Hill, Jerry LeVias, Willie Lanier, John Mitchell, Bubba Smith, Wilbur Hackett, Jr., Jimmy Jones and Sam Cunningham; journalists Jeff Prugh, Howell Raines, Ed Krzemienski and Keith Dunnavant; and George Wallace.

Log on http://www.hbo.com/events/breakingthehuddle

Wednesday, Dec. 17
7-8 p.m. E/P

History Channel

Subjects: Science

Middle and High School

"Modern Marvels - Secrets of Oil"

Rubber, Plastic, Nylon, Aerosols, Resins, Solvents, and Lubricants--none can exist without oil. If we stopped driving our cars tomorrow, America would still need five million barrels of oil a day. This documentary visits Vulcan Materials, where oil tanks are emptied into massive double-barrel mixers to make asphalt and then continues to the Rolls Royce Aerospace Facility where complex jet fuels are blended. It travels back to the 1870's to see how an unemployed whale oil salesman turned a greasy oil-drilling by-product into a household staple: Vaseline. Finally, the program explains how cutting-edge recycling techniques can breathe new life into used motor oil, and where a number of renewable fuels and technologies take aim at oil sovereignty.

Wednesday, Dec. 17
8-10 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: Arts

Elementary, Middle and High School

"GREAT PERFORMANCES - Dance in America: San Francisco Ballet's Nutcracker"

Ever since The Nutcracker's first production in St. Petersburg more than a century ago, its charming story, dazzling choreography and magnificent Tchaikovsky score have combined to make it one of the most popular and enduring ballets the world over. Surprisingly, the ballet did not receive its first full-length production in America until 1944 with the San Francisco Ballet. GREAT PERFORMANCES partners with SFB and KQED San Francisco to bring the company's current production to television. With its setting transposed to San Francisco's 1915 Pan-Pacific Exposition, SFB artistic director Helgi Tomasson's production features dazzling new sets by Michael Yeargan and opulent costumes by Martin Pakledinaz. TV-G

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

Thursday, Dec. 18
10-11 p.m. E/P

National Geographic Channel

Subjects: World History and Science

Middle and High School

"Secrets of the Kung Fu Temple"

The Shaolin Temple in rural China gave birth to one of the greatest martial art forms: kung fu. For over a thousand years, the warriors of Shaolin have defended the temple with carefully crafted skills of self-defense. But now, Shaolin may be experiencing one of its hardest battles: maintaining a traditional temple while grappling with the 21st century. This documentary shows young kung fu students balance their piercing physical regimen with the shrewd rules of the business world. As the ancient temple transforms itself into one of China's hot tourist destinations, what will happen to the cherished tradition?

Friday, Dec. 19
10-11 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: Arts and World History

Middle and High School

"How Art Made The World: The Day Pictures Were Born"

Images of the human body dominates the visual environment modern world, and, in many cases, those representations are exaggerated. This program explains why. It's part of a documentary series which presents an account of the biggest turning points in art history and how these define what we see around us today. It's the story of how, over 100,000 years, the human spirit has conquered obstacles to reach extraordinary heights of imagination and creativity. TV-PG

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

Saturday, Dec. 20
4:45-6 p.m. ET, 1:45-3 p.m. PT

TCM

Subjects: English Literature

Elementary, Middle and High School

"A Christmas Carol"

In this movie of Charles Dickens' classic tale, a greedy miser learns the error of his ways on Christmas Eve. This 1938 MGM movie version of "A Christmas Carol" still ranks as one of the best adaptations of the Dickens classic ever. And this version has a certain up-to-date feeling , having been made during the last big Recession/Depression - even though it portrays hard times of the 1800's. Tough times are always the same, and the gap between rich and poor is always with us. TV-G

Log on http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=70898