Tuesday, April 19, 2022
Guest post from Marci Glaus at PBS Wisconsin Education
Whether you are preparing for Oceans of Possibilities this summer or looking to bolster early learning and youth services programming, PBS Wisconsin Education provides both Wisconsin-specific and nationally-curated content you can use as a springboard or central component to educational programming.
PBS LearningMedia is a free digital learning website created to support the distribution of compelling Pre-K-12 educational media resources. PBS LearningMedia’s robust and contextualized digital resources are designed to supplement educational experiences with video segments from award-winning PBS documentaries and series, PBS KIDS properties, station-produced programs, and original video and interactive resources!
Collaborative Summer Library Program
Examples below highlight some ideas from PBS LearningMedia that pair well with preparation for Oceans of Possibilities summer programming:
- Kick off storytime with the “Search for the Flying Fish” video from PBS KIDS Wild Kratts, to get children excited about creatures living in the ocean! Go deeper into activities with free/downloadable printables in English and Spanish. (Grades K-2)
- Use Follow the Water, a brief video (available in English and Spanish) from PLUM LANDING™ PBS KIDS aimed at tracking water from melting snow all the way to the ocean, including pollution and trash the water picks up along the way. Tie the video to books, games, or activities on the ocean/s or pollution. (Grades K-5)
- Dive into “Sharks and Shorelines” from EARTH A New Wild, to learn about social networks and coastal ecosystems including shark populations (Available in English and Spanish). Then choose any one of the other educational videos or supplemental materials to extend the learning while tying to books and other materials available in the library. (Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)
PBS Wisconsin Education
Beyond summer library programming, pbswisconsineducation.org offers seven different Wisconsin-focused collections for grades 3-12 with cross-curricular connections in American Indian Studies, English Language Arts, Environmental Education, Music, Social Studies, and Science. Collections include videos, student interactives, games, educator guides, and more. All of these resources are made with Wisconsin educators, and are completely free to use in any learning space!
If you have any questions or would like to talk further, please contact Marci Glaus: marci.glaus@pbswisconsin.org.