PBS Tour and Resources

We learned about many resources available to us as teachers through our local PBS station during our tour last week. Tonight was the first chance I have had all week to review the resources available through the various websites. To say that I am frustrated would be an understatement! I found a lesson plan that would be fun for teachers and students, but I could not find a video that would supplement the lesson. I am sure that PBS has something, but I can't find it! The lesson plan that I found helps students explore the world through Geography and Culture (among other topics). All of the students in the class tell where they are from (countries of origin, if known). The teacher makes a list of all of these countries, and the students decide which countries to "visit." The students learn about music, art, food, language, culture, and whatever else the teacher wants to add in. Teachers could add a writing piece for ELA and a science piece involving the living world of the country. I would also like to find short videos for each country visited, if possible, so the students can see what the country and its people look like (style of dress, animals that live there, plants that grow there, etc.). I would give every student a list of what kinds of things I want them to research (food, language, culture, etc.). For students needing additional help, I would provide a list of resources to guide them in their search for information. For accelerated students, I would provide a list of additional research topics, encouraging interpretation and critical thinking. These topics may include why people choose to live in a certain part of a country or why religion influences choices made my people in a country.
The link for the lesson plan is: http://www.opb.org/education/minisites/culturalcompetence/lessonplan.html

Hope you enjoy it and can use it in your future classroom!