Want to learn more about wildlife conservation? Then don't pass up this free DVD featuring an animal that students know very little about: Elephas Maximus: The Biology and Conservation of the Asian Elephant.
Produced by Michael Noonan, a professor of Biology at Buffalo's Canisius College, the film provides an excellent introduction to one aspect of conservation for middle and high school students. Don't let the lackluster title of this half-hour, multi-award-winning film (Telly Award, International Wildlife Film Festival, etc.) put you off. The nature photography and live-action footage of elephants cavorting, bathing, eating, and caring for their offspring is outstanding.
Viewers can't help but be engrossed by this superbly narrated introduction to Asian elephants' evolution, social structure, physiology, breeding, and decreasing population. The film also covers the environmental hazards that impact the elephants and the need for large nature preserves to maintain the species. To request a copy, email Tiffany Fuzak (fuzakt@canisius.edu), administrative associate, Animal Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation at Canisius College.
A New TV Destination
Move over Discovery Kids. The Hub is here. This new digital cable and satellite television network is a joint venture between Discovery Communications and Hasboro, Inc. and features acquired and original children's programs, content from Discovery's library of children's educational programming, and reruns of older TV sitcoms and feature films.
The network kicked off on October 10 and includes some of the most popular shows like Scout's Safari; Adventure Camp; The Transformers; G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero; Fraggle Rock; Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show; cartoons based on My Little Pony, Pound Puppies, and Strawberry Shortcake, Pictureka!, In the Night Garden, and more. Be sure to check out the game show, Family Game Night.
The Hub also has a free website for teachers, HubForTeachers.com, which provides K-5 lesson plans on the four stages of writing (prewriting, drafting, editing, publishing) as well as information, resources, and examples with a focus on digital storytelling from popular Hub series characters.
Enter the Hub "Create a Story Contest" for K-5 students. It's easy—teachers are asked to divide children into small groups and work together to write an engaging, well-written story. But hurry up. The deadline is December 17, 2010.
"We are excited to partner with Discovery Education and to offer this dynamic online classroom resource for teachers to spread the word about the power of a good story, and the importance of writing in the classroom," says Mark Kern, the Hub's senior vice president of communications.
This article originally appeared in the newsletter Extra Helping. Go here to subscribe.
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