As part of WETA's educational commitment to the Washington community, the station offers several free local teacher workshops and downloadable teacher guides for making the most of PBS television series broadcast on WETA.
Teachers are welcome to download and use the following lesson plans, which were developed for PBS television series that were produced or co-produced by WETA.
America at a Crossroads
America at a Crossroads is a series of documentaries that explore the challenges confronting the post-9/11 world — including the war on terrorism; the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan; the experience of American troops serving abroad; the struggle for balance within the Muslim world; and global perspectives on America’s role overseas.
In Search of Myths and Heroes
Michael Wood explores the history behind some of the most well-known myths in the world in the television series In Search of Myths and Heroes. Lesson plans are available for each episode: The Queen of Sheba; The Search for Shangri-La; Arthur: The Once and Future King; and Jason and the Golden Fleece.
Ken Burns Productions
An educator's guide and/or lesson plans are an important component of every major television production by Ken Burns. Click on the program titles below to go to the teacher resources associated with each.
- Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio
- Frank Lloyd Wright
- Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip
- Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery
- Mark Twain
- Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony
- The Civil War
- THE WAR
- The West
- Thomas Jefferson
- Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
The Jewish Americans
The lesson plans for the PBS series The Jewish Americans explore immigration, identity and the way Jewish life fits into U.S. history. The lesson plans also examine issues of assimilation, discrimination, and change in the immigrant experience. Four lesson plans are available.
To accompany the television series THE WAR, WETA TV 26 developed a lesson plan for history teachers called "In Their Words: Exploring World War II Through the Power of Story." The 26-page lesson plan is designed for grades 6-12 and can be downloaded below. (Also be sure to see the For Educators area of THE WAR website on pbs.org for additional lesson plans, snapshot activities, search and explore database, and more.)
Teachers won't want to miss the rich educational resources available from the following websites. Also explore the websites for WETA's national education projects, which include ReadingRockets.org, LDOnLine.org, among other award-winning services.
Online NewsHour Extra
NewsHour Extra, a service of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, offers current events resources for busy teachers. The daily updated website includes news stories (for a tenth grade reading level), pictures, maps, video, and in-depth lesson plans.
PBS LearningMedia is your destination for easy, instant access to tens of thousands of classroom-ready, digital resources including videos and interactives perfect for the Interactive Whiteboard, plus audio and photos, and even in-depth lesson plans. You can search, save, and share with ease. Best of all, PBS LearningMedia is free for educators. Register today!