Public television has been credited with presenting some of the best educational programming on TV, from Ken Burns’ groundbreaking documentaries to science programs such as NOVA. Similarly, educators have praised the online educational resources that accompany these programs for the wealth of in-depth content they provide. These resources are always free and remain online indefinitely; however, they aren’t always easy to find. They might be housed on different sites, for instance—either on PBS.org or the website of the producing local public television station—or they might have been forgotten if the program hasn’t been rebroadcast.
Now, as part of “American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen,” a public media initiative from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to address the high school dropout crisis, WNET—New York City’s flagship public TV station—has pulled together more than 800 interactive educational resources from public media projects from the past 10 years and housed them under one site, called “American Graduate Classroom Resources.” These resources are organized by subject and are easily searchable.
This free online portal can help teachers enhance their lesson plans, or help parents engage their children’s interest at home. The resources range from a virtual White House tour produced by WNET, to an immersive biology game that challenges students to rebuild a virtual ecosystem in outer space.
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