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Teacher Workshops & Resources

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.

See below for information on:

Teacher workshops

No teacher workshops are currently scheduled. Please check back soon.

Lesson plans

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" lesson plan on weta.org.

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.

Michael Wood at the Taj Mahal, as his trek in search of Shangri-La begins.

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.

Pictured: Louis Armstrong, c. 1930s.

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.

"The Jewish Americans" tells the stories of Jews who have participated in major milestones and cultural phases of U.S. history, among them a Hassidic Jew assimilating with fellow commuters on a New York subway car.

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.

"The WAR" lesson plan on weta.org.

THE WAR

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.)

Other teacher resources

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.

"The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" educator's website on pbs.org.

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 Teachers website.

PBS Teachers

PBS Teachers offers free, high-quality preK-12 educational resources. You'll find thousands of lesson plans, teaching activities, on-demand video assets, and interactive games and simulations that are correlated to state and national educational standards and tied to PBS programs.