
Vermont PBS continues our partnership with Vermont Agency of Education and Vermont Department of Libraries to meet the anywhere, anytime educational, social and emotional needs of Vermont children.
"The enjoyment and study of classical music is not just about the preservation of masterpieces of centuries past, it is a connection to our present and our future, which evolves as we evolve. It is an ever-expanding horizon that, in turn, broadens our own. Giving voice to young composers is a vital way of keeping classical music alive and thriving. That’s why we are thrilled to be reviving VPR Classical’s Student Composer Showcase, in collaboration with Music COMP and Lake Champlain Access Television. This project will bring works by young composers from around the state right to our audience’s homes. Each month, we’ll get to hear what is on the minds of Vermont’s young musicians as they express themselves in this living, breathing art form that we cherish so much."
Helen Lyons, VPR Classical
For more info, contact:
Every once in a while, we hear through the grapevine about a teacher or professor who’s using one of our episodes in their classroom. We love to hear it, and we’d love to support more of it! We’re excited to hear from you and get to work further integrating BLS into Vermont education.
So, we’re in the early stages of developing lesson plans around past episodes as a free resource for educators across the state and beyond — and we have a few questions for you to help us make this resource as valuable as possible.
Send a new message to hello@bravelittlestate.org with feedback based on the prompts below:
If you want to explore our past work, all 100+ episodes are available in our free and open archive, which you can access via our website or your podcast app of choice.
Lastly, a gigantic and heartfelt THANK YOU to all the educators out there who have persevered through impossible circumstances and found innovative ways to engage kids throughout the ongoing pandemic. Our goal is to turn Brave Little State into a valuable resource suited for both in-person and remote learning.
Support Conversations about Ukraine
PBS Learning Media is offering context to unfolding events in Ukraine.
Just for Teachers!
As the nation navigates the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this film, A Trusted Space, and curriculum offers tools to mitigate the effects of grief, trauma, anxiety, and other emotional stressors affecting both students and teachers.
PreK-Grade 2
Social Emotional Learning
NEW Donkey Hodie (English/Spanish/WIFI or Print to Send Home)
Storytelling Packet – BINGO, games, and more (Print to Send Home)
Find more at Summer Camp
Curiosity & Wonder
But Why Podcast – “Are Llamas Ticklish? And Other Silly Questions”
Between the Lions Poem: Doggy Days and others (:40 seconds)
Summer of Possibilities Activity Book (PDF, Download)
Poetry and Music
Seasons of Change Poem: Seya’s Song (Interactive/WIFI)
In this online book from the International Children's Digital Library, a young American Indian describes the natural surroundings and activities of the S'Klallam, or Clallam, people through the seasons of the year. The book includes a glossary of S'Klallam words.
Lanston Hughs Jazz Poetry (Video/WIFI/Discussion)
Music and Pitch: STEAM Camp (Video/WIFI/Discussion)
A look ahead to summer: Come back in June to find local Vermont connections from VPR (on-air/online) who will share more about kid composers from Music-Comp!
Middle School
Storytelling and Poetry
PBSLM Summer of Learning Collection
Poetry Everywhere Connection
Vermont Connection! Clemmons Family Farm Storytelling Room (WIFI)
High School
Poetry and Story Science
PBSLM Poetry in America Collection
Vermont Connection! Brave Little State Podcast How has the geology of Vermont affected its character?
Ukrainian War - appropriate for grades PreK, K and Grades 1-5
But Why Podcast - Why is Russia Invading Ukraine?
Download our learning guides: PDF|Google Slide|Transcript
How to talk to kids about war
News Sources for Kids from Common Sense Media
NAMLE Parent’s Guide to Media Literacy
Ukrainian War - appropriate for Grades 6-12
ZELENSKYY: THE MAN WHO TOOK ON PUTIN. This new 30-minute profile on Volodymyr Zelenskyy is brought to us by ITN. The program follows Zelenskyy in his youth, his life before his presidency, and now his position as the leader of Ukraine under siege. This special will be made available to stations in sIX beginning on Thursday, March 17 for local scheduling flexibility and will be scheduled in the NPS on Friday, March 18, 10:30 – 11:00 ET/PT.
FRONTLINE will have two programs covering Putin. New to the schedule tonight is FRONTLINE: Putin’s Road to War (Tuesday, March 15, 9:00 – 10:00 ET/PT). This program reveals the inside story of what led to Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine. The events that shaped the Russian leader, the grievances that drive him, and how a growing conflict with the West exploded into war in Europe.
FRONTLINE will also encore tonight FRONTLINE: Putin’s Way (Tuesday, March 15, 10:00 – 11:00 ET/PT). This program profiles allegations of criminality and corruption that have accompanied Vladimir Putin’s reign in Russia. For over two decades, Putin accumulated wealth and power that has led to his autocratic rule and the specter of a new Cold War.
The PBS NEWSHOUR brought us a one-hour special on March 1 about the war in Ukraine, leading into the State of the Union Address. NEWSHOUR will continue to cover the invasion of Ukraine.
We will encore AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: The Great Famine (Saturday, April 2, 8:00 – 9:00 ET/PT), to give context to the tension in the region when Ukraine fought for independence when it was still part of the Soviet Union. When a devasting famine descended on Soviet Russia in 1921, it was the worst natural disaster in Europe since the Black Plague in the Middle Ages. Half a world away, Americans responded with a massive two-year relief campaign, championed by a new secretary of commerce, “the Great Humanitarian” Herbert Hoover The nearly 300 American relief workers, “Hoover’s boys,” would be tested by a railroad system in disarray, a forbidding climate and — being among the first group of outsiders to break through Russia’s isolation following the Bolshevik Revolution — a ruthless government suspicious of their motives. By the summer of 1922, Americans were feeding nearly 11-million Soviet citizens a day in 19,000 kitchens. THE GREAT FAMINE tells this riveting story of America’s engagement with a distant and desperate people — an operation hailed for its efficiency, grit and generosity — within the larger story of the Russian Revolution and the roots of the U.S.-Soviet rivalry that would dominate the second half of the 20th century.
Also, available to stations in sIX is POV: The Distant Barking of Dogs. This program follows the life of 10-year-old Ukrainian boy Oleg over a year, witnessing the gradual erosion of his innocence beneath the pressures of the on-going war in Eastern Ukraine. Having no other place to go, Oleg and his grandmother Alexandra stay and watch as others leave the village, showing just how crucial—and fragile—family is for survival.
PBS Learning Media is offering context to unfolding events in Ukraine. For those looking to engage younger audiences around the Ukraine crisis, WVIZ/Ideastream’s NewsDepth program and KET’s News Quiz both have weekly news segments with timely updates for students in late elementary and middle school. PBS NewsHour Classroom has also added a segment on the Ukrainian refugee crisis to PBS LearningMedia accompanied by classroom discussion questions for middle and high school students, and teachers can visit the PBS NewsHour Classroom collection to search for news segments covering the ongoing conflict in the region, including these segments from newscasts between December 2013 and March 2014.
For additional context on the history of the region designed for classroom use, these PBS Learning Media oral history interviews and accompanying lesson plan from the NETA-distributed documentary Baba Babee Skazala: Grandmother Told Grandmother provide students with the opportunity to understand the history of Ukraine since World War II.
People-powered journalism. Brave Little State, a podcast where you ask the questions, you decide what VPR investigates, and then you work with us to find the answers. With connections to other PBS LearningMedia resources.
Join VPR Classical host James Stewart on a journey into the events, characters and concepts that shaped our Western musical tradition. We'll start at the very beginning and trace the steps of music through history. This music, and its history, is ours. With Learning Guides.
But Why is a show led by you, kids! You ask the questions and we find the answers. It’s a big interesting world out there. With Learning Guides.
VPR One Small Step and Storycorp
One Small Step is an offshoot of StoryCorps, with a focus on connecting strangers who fall on opposite sides of a political divide. VPR is one of six stations nationally that have been selected to conduct One Small Step conversations in communities across Vermont.
The latest videos from our popular Mister Chris and Friends series, are digital shorts that guide children and their families through special daily moments: waking up, brushing teeth, washing hands, cleaning up, and going to bed. This video shorts series welcomes Elephant, a new friend who joins Mister Chris for these activities. Each video has a new original song and features a peek into lives and routines in our community thanks to participation from viewers.
“Routine helps children process what they feel, see, touch and hear each day. Our hope is that these videos help little ones engage with five special everyday moments in a time when many of their routines have been disrupted,” said Chris Dorman. “And we hope our new friend, Elephant, helps families smile, giggle, and maybe even shed a joyful tear or two together.”
These videos are available to watch below, and at vermontpbs.org/misterchris, where families can also watch full episodes of seasons one and two!
Mister Chris sings a song and helps Elephant to see how fun brushing our teeth can be!
Browse our online schedules below for educational content available on broadcast (over-the-air and cable) Vermont PBS channels. Many corresponding episodes also available via Video On Demand.
Preschool to Grade 5Monday to Friday 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m | Grades 6-12Monday to Friday 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. | |
Kids 24/7 Channel | Main Channel | PLUS Channel |
Did you know that every Friday night on Kids Channel, Vermont PBS highlights family favorite programs, during our weekly Friday Night Family Night starting 7:00 p.m.
Details and resources at pbs.org/parents/family-night
Bring the World to Your Classroom. Vermont PBS offers curated FREE, standards-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans, and more for educators like you.
Create a free account and access a vast amount of lessons and topics from across PBS nationally.
Local Collection: Saving our Waters
From our Saving our Watersdocumentary, learn about water quality in Vermont lakes. Appropriate for Middle and High School.
Local Collection: Mister Chris and Friends
From our Mister Chris and Friends series, browse various videos and interactive activities, suitable for Preschool to Grade 2.
Complete the adjacent form and select the course module appropriate for you!
For more info contact: Heather Duhamel, Community Engagement & Education Consultant at 802-309-9951 | hduhamel@vermontpbs.org
Becoming a Media Mentor: Playful Interactions for Young Children
Presented by Vermont PBS
Heather Duhamel, M.Ed. & Certified Media Literacy Educator
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT:
CASTLETON.EDU/EARLY-CHILDHOOD-INSTITUTE
REGISTRATION OPENS MAY 1, 2022
Kids & Education on Vermont PBS is proudly sponsored by