Elementary

Looks at how the geography of Mexico has shaped its history, society, and culture. Examines a variety of regions including the Sonoran Desert and the rainforests of Chipas. Discusses major industries like silver mining and tourism.

Viewers will learn about the rich cultural heritage of Mexico. Looks at the influences of indigenous people and Spanish rule in clothing, folktales, foods and holidays. Includes a sample day in the life of a fisherman's son and a young girl in Mexico City. Also looks at Tejano bands, artwork of Diego Rivera, and Talavera pottery.

Students will learn about resources they can use to improve their writing. They will discover that they can look at the work of other writers, use books like a dictionary or thesaurus, use writing techniques like rhyme, alliteration, and onomatopoeia, organize ideas and facts with outlines or story maps. Proofreading tools are also discussed.

Professor Plot, the zany publisher of Wordswork, has given his editors a unique challenge: Showcase four different types of writing, each with its own purpose and audience, in the upcoming issue of the magazine.

Expository writing emerges as the theme for this issue of Wordswork, and the editors are on a quest to fill the magazine with writing that informs or provides facts. The team quickly realizes that expository writing can be anything from a school science project to a letter to the president!

Viewers learn the importance of prewriting (thinking and planning), how to transform ideas into a written draft, different types of sentences (lead, topic, etc.) editing, proofreading, and publishing.

Viewers will learn about the story-writing process. Discusses character, setting, plot, the ending, and looks at ways to organize ideas through the use of character webs and story maps. Examines character and plot development, diologue, and descriptive details as a tool for making a story interesting.

Why does a magnet stick to metal objects but not plastic? How can it pick up metal shavings but not wood chips? With the help of a magician, students learn all about magnetism. They discover what a magnet is, the properties of magnets, magnetic fields, and the types of objects that are attracted to magnets. Children learn what magnets are used for and in which simple machines they are found.

Roll, slide, bounce, and spin. Discover many different ways objects can move. Give your students a preliminary lesson in physical science with this fun program designed to get children thinking about pushes and pulls. Students enjoy learning about position, movement, and the forces used to make objects move.

Through instrument, voice, and graphics, students easily discover how sounds are produced and students learn how we hear. Vibration is demonstrated, and children experiment with the way sound travels—in the air, through the ground, and under water. Teacher's Guide available in disk and online: www.schoolvideos.com

When a group of children attempt to move their play fort, they realize that six simple machines make the work much easier by changing either force or distance. They learn to identify real-world examples of simple machines including the lever, pulley, wedge, wheel and axle, inclined plane, and screw.

Come join us in the "matter kitchen" as we learn that our entire world is made of matter, including things we don't see, such as the air we breathe. We learn to use our five senses to identify the properties of an object - size, weight, shape, color, and temperature. Students identify some of the tools used to measure the properties of matter.

Matter is everywhere - in everything! Appropriate examples and experiments make learning about matter fun and easy to follow. Learn that all matter has mass and takes up space, use the five senses to discover the properties of matter, and see how matter changes form. A catchy tune helps solidify important concepts.

With the help of a friendly scarecrow, students identify the basic needs of plants. They learn how seeds grow into plants and that the plant goes through changes called a lifecycle. They witness each step as seeds germinate and grow into flowering plants which produce seeds that eventually germinate and grow again.