Twin Cities Public Television is producing 13 new episodes and new outreach and Web activities for the fourth season of DragonflyTV, the weekly science television series targeted at children ages 9-12. The series presents authentic inquiry-based investigations, created by and for children. The programs focus on children doing their own scientific investigations and sharing the excitement that comes from making their own discoveries. The programs also include real scientists doing research on related themes and snapshots and home movies of the scientists when they were kids. Outreach for DragonflyTV consists of an interactive website where children can share their science investigation, programs at selected Boys and Girls Clubs of America and 4H Clubs, Teacher's Guides distributed through the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and PBS stations, and the development of new community partnerships with established informal science organizations. Multimedia research and Rockman et al will conduct formative and summative evaluations.
Children's Television Workshop will plan how science and mathematics can be incorporated into the plot line of the series, GHOSTWRITER. The major work to be undertaken during this planning phase will be to assemble a group of science and mathematics educators to work with a subgroup of the existing series advisory board and with series content and research staff to: o examine the interrelationships among disciplines such as science, mathematics, and English and language arts within the context of GHOSTWRITER, o explore the integration of science and mathematics into GHOSTWRITER and devise educational goals that reflect the outcome of this exploration, and o generate content topics and presentation techniques that will address these mathematics and science goals in GHOSTWRITER.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Joel SchneiderEve HallHelen LesterMarjorie KalinsEdward AtkinsRita Weisskoff
Lisboa Associates, Inc. designing, producing, and evaluating a pilot unit for a thirteen-part, $3.5 to $4 million television series for pre-adolescent youth. What's On Your Mind? - The adventures of the Brain Gang will center on the adventures of three youth 'neuro-nauts' who, through special effects combined with animation, will use their skills of observation and detection to solve each "mystery" from inside the brain itself. Each episode will start with a question, e.g. What does the brain have to do with how people see, smell, taste, feel, and hear? Does what you eat affect your brain? Are girls' brains different from boys' brains? How does drug use affect the brain?. The Brain Gang, once they are inside the brain will encounter obstacles and experience conflicts that can only be overcome or solved by relying on scientific methods. The Brain Gang also will encounter animated characters, such as Neuro the Neuron and Endorpah the Endorphin, who will teach and explain important aspects of the brain to the young team of neuro-nauts. The television series would be supported by ancillary material including a student/teacher guide, a newsletter for youth, and a teach newsletter. The PI for the project will be Steven Kostant, an independent television producer and Creative Director for Broadcast and New Media at Lisboa Associates, Inc. The Executive Producer for the project will be Eileen Michaels, Senior Vice President at Lisboa Associates, Inc. responsible for the organizations outreach programs in areas such as neuroscience and environmental topics. The head writers will be Rich Albrecht and Casey Keller, formerly head writers for Beakman's World. There will be three principal neuroscience advisors: David Friedman, Associate Professor of Physiology and Pharmacology and Assistant Dean for Basic Sciences and Research Development, the Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University; Rochelle Schwarts, Associate Professor in the departments of Pharmacolo gy and Neurobiology at Duke University Medical Center; and Harold Goldman, Clinical Research Director, Neurology Unit of Harvard Community Health Plan and Instructor in Neurology at Harvard Medical School.
BACKYARD SAFARI (Working Title) is an engaging series of 26 half hour programs designed to introduce topics in Natural Science to children ages four to six. The series will be shot on-location and hosted by an appealing young women of color, who will serve as a role model to female and minority children who are normally disenfranchised from participation in science. A variety of settings and topics will be used that appeal to all preschoolers -- from urban/inner cities to surburbia to Appalachia. A special feature of the series will be an animated gnome - like character called Crinkleroot. Using the rotoscope technique similar to that in the "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?", Crinklroot will interact in screen with the host and special, acquired footage. Thus, Crinkleroot is able to do things the host can't do -- for example, interacting with time-lapse photography as a flower blooms, or as a spider climbs its web. Outreach to parents and childcare providers will be an important part of BACKYARD SAFARI. It is imperative to communicate that all children, regardless of race, sex, or disability are "science material." Activities will be developed that engage adults and children in hands-on, physical science activities using materials commonly found in any home or school.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Twila LiggettCecily TruettLaurence LancitBarbara Flagg
This award provides support for Mr. Kamen to explore the feasibility of developing an interactive educational kiosk (to be named FIRST PLACE), programmed with electronic mathematics and science games and placed in out-of-school area such as shopping malls to reach K-12 children. Students would play the games and be rewards with coupons. This multi- disciplinary project would expand students access to science and mathematics, the learning into the economy, and present learning as a leisure time activity.
The Exploratorium will develop "The Electronic Guidebook: Extending Museum Experience Using Networked Handheld Computers." Through this project, the Exploratorium and the Concord Consortium will investigate the use of new technologies to enhance the learning experience of science museum visitors. The exponentially increasing availability of portable personal computing devices provides an opportunity for science museums to develop new ways for visitors to experiment and interact with exhibits. The partners will design and prototype a museum-based "Electronic Guidebook" for visitors. Twenty-five Exploratorium exhibits will be connected to a museum network and handheld portable computers through infrared connections. The target audiences for this project are the general public (adults and families) and children in the K-12 age range. The primary disciplinary focus is physics, with a secondary focus on mathematics.
WGBH is producing twenty, new, half-hour programs for the fourth season of "ZOOM." Uniquely for, by and about kids, "ZOOM" gives its viewers a chance to explore, experiment and share their creativity with the world. Targeted at children 8-11 years-old, "ZOOM" features a diverse cast of seven children who build bridges, solve puzzles, play games, respond to challenges and act out stories, as they bring to life contributions sent in by viewers from across the country. "ZOOM" currently is carried by 281 public broadcasting stations and is viewed by an average of 5.22 million children per week. The "ZOOM" website receives 18,000 - 20,000 visits per day with kids averaging 30 minutes per visit. The specific goals for Season IV are to: (1) connect science to kids' every day world and every day lives; (2) promote Habits of Mind and an understanding of the basic science and math within three content areas; (3) expand ZOOM's outreach activities, and (4) increase parental involvement in children's "ZOOM"-related activities. The themes for the new seasons will include "Your Biome," "Kitchen Chemistry," and "Structures." Outreach for the project will include printed materials for kids, families and educators; "ZOOM"-related activities at community-based organizations, shopping malls and science museums; and a 3000-page web site.
WGBH Educational Foundation is requesting $1,709,863 to produce 20 new shows and new outreach and Web activities for ZOOM. ZOOM is a daily half-hour PBS series targeted to kids ages 8 to 11. Uniquely by and for kids, ZOOM gives its viewers a chance to explore, experiment and share their creativity. The series, along with its far-reaching outreach, offers its audience an innovative curriculum that promotes the acquisition of basic math and science knowledge and the development of problem solving skills called "Habits of Mind." The goals for Season VII are to: (1) develop three new content areas-"Survivor Science," "Sleuth Science," and "Conservation Science"; (2) launch "ZOOM Into Action and Conserve," a new campaign designed to give kids conservation activities to fuel their volunteerism and help them understand the science behind their efforts; (3) create new science training materials for afterschool program leaders; and, (4) conduct summative evaluation to continue to gauge ZOOM's effectiveness at teaching math and science to targeted audiences. Outreach for the project will include print materials for kids, families and educators. ZOOM-related activities at community-based organizations include 1,450 ClubZOOM science afterschool programs and 23 ZOOMzone science museum exhibits. ZOOM currently is carried by 261 public broadcasting stations and is viewed by close to 5 million children per week. The 2,400-page interactive web site is updated weekly and attracts almost 43,000 visitors per day.
Twin Cities Public Television is producing seven new episodes for the DragonflyTV GPS (Going Places in Science) series. DragonflyTV is a weekly science television series on PBS targeted at children ages 9-12. DragonflyTV GPS presents children engaged in inquiry-based investigations, on-location in science centers across America. The purpose of this project is to 1) complete a full season of GPS episodes, giving PBS programmers a complete "season" and 2) shine the GPS spotlight on the network of smaller science museums, showing the distinctive contribution they make to their communities and to informal science education. The series presents authentic inquiry-based investigations, created by and for children. The programs focus on children doing their own scientific investigations and sharing the excitement that comes from making their own discoveries. Each investigation will demonstrate the direct connection between learning experiences in science centers and the application of those lessons in everyday life. DragonflyTV segments are cleared for any and all uses beyond broadcast, and are distributed on DVDs, videotapes, streamed online and even offered for iPod downloads. The GPS programs will involve ten or more science center partners, and be coordinated with the assistance of lead partners -- the Association of Science Technology Centers (ASTC) and the Science Museum of Minnesota. Multimedia Research and RMC Research will conduct formative and summative project evaluations, respectively.
KCTS, the public broadcasting station in Seattle, WA, is producing and distributing15 new half-hour episodes for the children's television series, Bill Nye the Science Guy. Topics being considered for these programs include: Caves Jungles Animal Behavior Entropy Home Demo Lakes and Ponds Felines Convection Smell and Taste Life Cycles Minerals Adhesives Atoms and Molecules Organs Comets, Asteroids, and Meteors The project also will include outreach to viewers, teachers, and parents by providing the following materials: A teachers kit to be distributed to 150,000 fourth-grade teachers nationwide Fifty thousand free copies of a printed parents' guide and 15-minuted video distributed through an off-air off and community partner groups Meet a Way Cool Scientist national print contest in which children will be invited to write and illustrate a profile of a scientist in their community Nye Labs Online, a Web site with series information, science topics, hands-on experiments, and an e-mail connection to Bill Nye and the production team Conference Presentations and workshops about the project's approach to science education for PBS stations, teacher groups, and the three partnering organizations, Girls Incorporated, the National Urban League, and the National Conference of La Raza Rockman Et Al will conduct a summative evaluation to extend the understanding of the show's impact on children's attitudes toward and understanding of science. It also will examine the size and composition of the in-school audience, and will assess the use and value of the outreach materials.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Elizabeth BrockJames McKennaErren GottliebWilliam Nye
Consumer Reports Television will produce a series of four half- hour TV specials and companion outreach materials, called "YOU TEST IT|," for public television broadcast and broad educational and home video distribution. Targeted for children ages 7 to 13 -- particularly those from low-income, minority families -- the project will draw on the resources of Consumers Union, the non- profit, scientific, research and education organization that publishes Consumer Reports magazine and ZILLIONS, the Consumer Reports for Kids. The "YOU TEST IT| series, created by an experienced team of children's TV producers, focuses on testing and evaluating popular products -- from observing the bubble-power of bubble gum to measuring the efficiency of 10-speed bicycles. Using lively, state-of-the-art techniques appealing to kids, "YOU TEST IT|" will encourage children to use science and math skills to investigate and, ultimately, solve real-world problems. Each of the 4 programs will cover a broad product theme such as Foods/Snacks, Toys/Games, Sports/Recreation, and Electronic Gear. Activity Guides, expanding on these topics, will delve more deeply into the science content of each show, providing hands-on learning materials for children. With repeated broadcasts of "YOU TEST IT|" over hundreds of PBS stations, and reuse of tape and print materials, millions of children will gain greater access to objective product information and greater awareness of science and its importance in everyday life.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Joyce NewmanEdward GrothSusan Markowitz
Wisconsin Public Broadcasting will continue the incorporation of a science strand into "Get Real!," their television series for children 8-12 year old. The series presents positive images of children involved in, and succeeding in, a variety of areas. The stories are field-produced; and kids are involved on-screen and off as hosts, reporters, subjects of stories, as interns during production, and as sources of story ideas. The series is broadcast on both public and commercial stations and receives multiple repeats. The science and technology strand: connects science concepts to children's known experiences and activities and tells stories about kids involved in science-related activities; models and reinforces positive attitudes towards, and involvement in science and technology and affirms the value of children's ideas, and the importance of asking why?; and reinforces viewers' active connection to the science content by making suggestions for projects to get involved with, and by encouraging children to discuss and question their knowledge of science and the world around them. In this third season of the series, the producers will expand coverage of the series to five additional states adjoining Wisconsin. They are convinced they can do this without losing the local interest and participation of local institutions which has been a great factor in attracting and holding viewers. James Steinbach, the creator, original producer, and executive producer of "Newton's Apple," will be the co-PI with overall responsibility for the project. The series is produced in the three Wisconsin Public Television studios -- in Madison, Green Bay, and Menomonie -- and, therefore, can find and produce stories which reach out into a wide geographic area.