Social Studies
March 12, 2014 - March 18, 2014

Find the latest educational resources from Iowa Public Television.

IPTV announces the Teacher Training Institute

Grades: Adult Learning

IPTV is excited to announce their first Teacher Training Institute. IPTV is recruiting Master Teachers that will partner with IPTV in creating model lessons that are cross curricular with STEM components. These model lessons will be presented in June at a hands-on training that will provide learning and networking opportunities for educators across the state.

21st Century Learning

Grades: All

Hear about different models of 21st century learning skills from experts in the education field. Chris Rush from New Classrooms, Teresa Napoli from School of One and Rebecca Rufo-Tepper from the Institute of Play discuss the emergence of new approaches to learning, such as personalized and game-based learning.

Digital Media: New Learners of the 21st Century

Grade Range: 6-12

Digital Media: New Learners of the 21st Century explores how exceptional instructors are increasingly using digital media and interactive practices to ignite their students' curiosity and ingenuity, help them become civically engaged, allow them to collaborate with peers worldwide, and empower them to direct their own learning.

21st Century Schools: Learning in the Digital Age
Grade Range: 9-13+

More and more educators are tapping into the power of digital media and technology for teaching and learning. The variety of information resources available online is simply staggering. Watch How Google Saved a School from FRONTLINE's Digital Nation and discuss the hype and the hopes for improving education through technology.

Fishing for Data in the Radioactive Waters off Fukushima

Grade Range: 7-12

With help from fisherman and citizen scientists, researchers in Japan and the U.S. are tracking the nucleotides in the ocean creatures who swim in the plume of water tainted with radiation from Fukushima. Their research is part of a long-term effort to

figure out when - if ever - certain fish will be safe to eat. Use this text and NewsHour video to help students understand the dangerous repercussions of the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in 2011.

Ukrainians Brace for Conflict as Prospect of War Looms

Grade Range: 7-12

After a week of heightened tension in Ukraine, the Russian parliament voted

unanimously on Saturday to use military force in Ukraine's eastern region of Crimea. How will this development affect the ongoing crisis in Ukraine? Update students on the situation in Ukraine with this PBS NewsHour video.

Understanding Character: The Life of Percy Julian

Grade Range: 5-8

In this blended lesson supporting literacy skills, students watch video dramatizations of Percy Julian's struggles with racism and how he refused to let it limit his possibilities in life. Students develop their literacy skills as they explore an English language arts focus on understanding character. During this process, they read informational text, learn and practice vocabulary words, and explore content through videos and interactive activities.

Resources | PBS LearningMedia | PBS KIDS | Iowa Public Television