Iowa Public Television
Media Specialists
AUGUST  28 -  SEPTEMBER 4, 2012 
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 Greetings!

pbsThis week we're focusing on student success.

One million kids drop out of high school every year, costing our nation more than $100 billion annually in lost wages and taxes, plus the increased social costs due to crime and healthcare. As we all know, it's never too late to learn and to get students on a path to college and careers. Here are some resources to help make this year a successful year! 

Website
american grad
American Graduate

Grade Range: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

The American Graduate Program is a public media initiative, supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), to help students stay on the path to graduation and future success.

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Resources
apps for kids
Choosing Quality Education Apps for Kids
Grade Range: K-2, 3-5

As kids become more tech-savvy in today's world of mobile devices, parents can find themselves overwhelmed with choices and unsure how to judge what's appropriate for their kids. Iowa Public Television's educators, in conjunction with PBS Parents, offer tips to help guide parents' decisions when selecting educational and appropriate mobile applications (apps) for their kids.

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get the math
Get the Math
Grade Range: 6-8, 9-12

Get the Math is a convergent media project designed to help middle and high school students develop algebraic thinking skills for solving real world problems.

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Resource
editing
Student Created Documentaries
Grade Range: 6-8, 9-12

How do you get a group of students who don't like a whole lot about school excited about learning? One teacher's answer is to have them make movies.

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Interactive
what's this stuff
What's This Stuff?
Grade Range: 6-8, 9-12

In this interactive activity adapted from NOVA, learn about the properties of materials such as tensile and compressive strength, flexibility, and conductivity, then play a game to identify ten mystery materials using videos and clue cards. Teachers have then adapted this activity to create their own games.

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Website
road trip nation
Road Trip Nation
Experience
Grade Range: 6-8, 9-12

The Road Trip Nation Experience is created to help students define their own roads in life by connecting what they study to their individual aspirations.

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Resource
electric company
The Electric Company
Grade Range: K-2, 3-5

The Electric Company aims to educate and entertain children between the ages of 6 and 9 while simultaneously teaching four crucial areas of literacy that are challenging for struggling readers: decoding, vocabulary, comprehension, and motivation.

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Website
reporting labs
Student Reporting Labs
Grade Range: 6-8, 9-12

Recognizing that informed and engaged young people are critical for a healthy democracy, the PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Lab connects high school students to local PBS stations and news professionals in their community to produce original, student-generated news video reports.

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Video
reading

Drop Everything and Read
Grade Range: K-2, 3-5

Start with early reading. In this lesson idea from Teaching Channel, teachers encourage students to drop everything and read.

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Lesson Guide
pocahantas
Myth of Pocahontas
Grade Range: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

In this video segment adapted from NOVA, explore the popular story of how Pocahontas, a young Native American, fell in love with John Smith, an English colonist. When Smith was captured, Pocahontas risked her life to save him, and then continued to help his fellow colonists at Jamestown. Thanks to her, the colony not only survived, but thrived. As the video states, it's a powerful story, but how much of it is true?

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