In the spirit of year-end traditions, here are the top 10 favorite PBS staff resource picks for 2014. This broad list of compelling resources for every grade represents some of the most popular content in PBS LearningMedia. Find these and 87,000 more videos, lessons and interactives at pbslearningmedia.org.
Mister Rogers’ & Daniel Tiger | Grades PreK-2
In this PBS LearningMedia collection Daniel Tiger and Mister Rogers videos are thematically paired for some of the most thorough, thoughtful and imaginative educational material for Pre-K learners. With this collection, explore full episodes from a variety of arts and sciences themes as well themes focused around ideas of community, family and social experiences. Many episodes also introduce young viewers to factories, workshops, or renowned performers to broaden the viewer’s understanding of the world around them.
The Electric Company Collection | Grades 1-3
Over thirty years ago The Electric Company turned on the power of possibility for kids by showing them that learning to read can be fun. In 2009, the power surged back with the all-new The Electric Company inviting 5 to 9 year old children into a playful, funny and musical world that cleverly puts reading and writing at its heart. The project features comedic storylines, short animations, hip music and celebrities of today. The backbone of the show is vocabulary (including math-related words), phonics and reading comprehension.
Plum Landing Collection | Grades 1-4
This innovative environmental education project from WGBH invites elementary students to virtually visit ecosystems around the world—rainforests, deserts, and more—and then to head outdoors to explore their own ecosystems through lesson plans, videos, online games, and hands-on activities. These resources—aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards—immerse students in content topics and science process skills.
Looking for Lincoln: Views on Slavery | Grades 5-8
With this lesson, students examine Abraham Lincoln’s views on slavery and race as they evolved throughout his early life and throughout his presidency. The lesson begins with students examining how aspects of American society and life have changed over the course of their lifetimes, as well as the reasons for change in their own personal lives. Students then review how Lincoln’s stance on slavery shifted over the course of his political career. Through an examination of historical quotations and primary source documents, students learn that the Emancipation Proclamation was the result of a complex and sometimes contradictory interplay of circumstances – some political, some personal, and some societal.