How do the stitches of a sampler tell us about the past?

Using a needle and thread was considered a necessary household skill for girls and women in the 1800s. They made samplers to practice stitches and show off what they could do. Margaret Miekel’s sampler helps us stitch together the living and learning in the area before Wisconsin was officially a state!

This episode is part of The Look Back, a series made for learners in grades 4-6 that explores eras from Wisconsin’s history through artifacts. The collection is hosted by historians who model an inquiry process: sharing artifacts, asking questions, visiting archives and museums to learn more, telling the story of their findings as they go, and making connections to our lives today.

What can maple tree tapping tell you about temperature and changes in our climate?
Though it only happens for a handful of weeks each year, tapping maple trees, collecting sap, and boiling to make maple syrup is seen as a marker of changing seasons. The sap-collecting season does not just yield maple syrup, it also yields a sign of the coming of spring and what’s happening with the climate. Follow the family at Stoney Acres farm through maple sugaring and syrup boiling to discover more about the future of maple syrup in the state.

This story is part of Climate Wisconsin, a collection of educational media resources for middle and high school classrooms from PBS Wisconsin Education.

Every educator wants to create an environment for all of their students to learn, grow, and, hopefully, feel comfortable in that process.

Some educators may suspect that the school environment or school policies disproportionately favor or hinder one group of students over another, and therefore may feel that avoiding discussions about racism could ensure more of a harmonious or comfortable learning environment. But we have to ask, who is most comfortable in that equation?

Conversations addressing inequalities head-on can be difficult and, considering the age of the students, maybe even scary. Enter anti-racism and the anti-racist classroom, where educators can identify – and more importantly address – societal and racial inequities.

Discover what fourth grade teacher, Melissa Statz has to share about the methods she uses to navigate and facilitate conversations about race and racism inside her classroom and her journey to become a brave anti-racist educator in a short video and companion essay in the post on the aka Teacher blog.

Hosted by PBS Wisconsin Education, and created with and for Wisconsin educators, the aka Teacher blog offers a space for exploring the many hats educators today wear, and the topics that aren’t covered in teacher preparation programs. Blog posts include videos featuring educators around the state, and resources you can share with learners and use to continue your own learning.

How does a sundial compass give us direction about people coming to the area that is now Wisconsin?

The first Europeans in the area that is now Wisconsin were likely French explorers and fur traders who began arriving in the 1600s and continued trading in the area after the French and Indian War. The Le Maire Sundial points us to this time and the history of northeastern Wisconsin.

This episode is part of The Look Back, a series made for learners in grades 4-6 that explores eras from Wisconsin’s history through artifacts. The collection is hosted by historians who model an inquiry process: sharing artifacts, asking questions, visiting archives and museums to learn more, telling the story of their findings as they go, and making connections to our lives today.

How does a trunk carry the story of conserving natural resources?

The Civilian Conservation Corps, known as the CCC, was one of the programs started by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. It created new jobs for young American men to work on drought and wildfire relief, soil erosion, and state parks and public outdoor spaces. CCC members worked long days and lived in barracks at camps.

This episode is part of The Look Back, a series made for learners in grades 4-6 that explores eras from Wisconsin’s history through artifacts. The collection is hosted by historians who model an inquiry process: sharing artifacts, asking questions, visiting archives and museums to learn more, telling the story of their findings as they go, and making connections to our lives today.

This documentary tells the story of one remarkable woman and the struggles she undertook to build a better community. Discover the story of civil rights activist Vel Phillips, Wisconsin's first African American woman elected secretary of state.

Lesson plans, video segments, and other resources available at: pbswisconsineducation.org/vel-phillips-dream-big-dreams

Upon learning about the school and housing discrimination happening in their hometown, these Milwaukee movers and shakers took action, making their case on the campaign trail, in the courtroom, and on the streets of their city.

Resources available for exploring this story include:
- A short animated video with captions and transcripts in English and Spanish
- A short biography book accessible as a slide deck, with per-page audio for listening along, and maps of key locations in the story
- Questions that can be used for conversation, reflection, and connection with the story
- A historical image gallery full of primary and secondary sources to explore
- A guide for activating the media with learners that includes story stats, extension activity ideas, and standards supported

This story is part of Wisconsin Biographies, a collection of educational media resources for grades 3-6. Explore the full collection at pbswisconsineducation.org/biographies.

04/14/21 | 59m 20s | Rating: TV-G

David Gagnon, Director of the Field Day Lab at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research at UW-Madison, discusses the educational advantages of using video games and simulators as teaching tools. Games offer opportunities to actively learn new concepts and to fail without real world consequences.

Meet the Virus Investigators—a team of scientists at the John W. and Jeanne M. Rowe Center for Research in Virology who study how viruses replicate and evolve so that we can better control them!

Resources available for learning about this lab include:
• Interactive cards designed to introduce students to scientists in a more personal way
• A video with a personal story that explains why the lab's research matters in real life
• Questions to consider that will spark connection, reflection, and conversation
• An interactive video experience where you can ask questions of scientists in the lab and learn about their research
• An inquiry-based activity that focuses on doing science, using some of the same science practices that the lab uses
• An educator guide with information about standards alignment, curriculum connections, and tips for using the media resources

These resources are part of Meet the Lab, a collection of educational resources for middle school science classrooms.

Meet the Visual Communicators—a team of scientists from the Schloss Visual Reasoning Lab who research visual messaging.

Resources available for learning about this lab include:
• Interactive cards designed to introduce students to scientists in a more personal way
• A video with a personal story that explains why the lab's research matters in real life
• Questions to consider that will spark connection, reflection, and conversation
• An interactive video experience where you can ask questions of scientists in the lab and learn about their research
• An inquiry-based activity that focuses on doing science, using some of the same science practices that the lab uses
• An educator guide with information about standards alignment, curriculum connections, and tips for using the media resources

These resources are part of Meet the Lab, a collection of educational resources for middle school classrooms.

Waadookodaading, “a place where people help each other,” is an Ojibwe immersion school that integrates the tradition of sugaring into the curriculum. Learn how Keller Paap, a teacher, and Brooke Ammann, the school director, demonstrate the importance of students learning the Ojibwe language in this way.

This resource is part of The Ways, a collection of educational media resources for middle and high school classrooms from PBS Wisconsin Education.

Explore the full collection: https://pbswisconsineducation.org/theways/about/

Wade Fernandez is a musician who lives on the Menominee Reservation in Northeastern Wisconsin and tours internationally performing his music. He finds inspiration for his compositions in nature and draws from musical genres from all over the world.

This resource is part of Re/sound: Songs of Wisconsin; a collection of educational media resources from PBS Wisconsin Education and Wisconsin School Music Association. These resources can be used to explore connections between music, identities, cultures, and emotions. The collection includes video interviews with Wisconsin musicians, performances, audio files, and educator guides designed to help activate the media with learners in grades 4-8.

Not afraid to stand up for what he believed in, this member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa dedicated himself to protecting the rights and lands of First Nations people in Wisconsin.

Resources available for exploring this story include:
- A short animated video with captions and transcripts in English and Spanish
- A short biography book accessible as a slide deck, with per-page audio for listening along, and maps of key locations in the story
- Questions that can be used for conversation, reflection, and connection with the story
- A historical image gallery full of primary and secondary sources to explore
- A guide for activating the media with learners that includes story stats, extension activity ideas, and standards supported

This story is part of Wisconsin Biographies, a collection of educational media resources for grades 3-6. Explore the full collection at pbswisconsineducation.org/biographies.

Mark Antonio Daniels Jr. is an enrolled member of the Forest County Potawatomi and is also of Menominee descent. Learn how he is part of a long history of American Indian participation in the sport of boxing, viewed as a test of skill, courage, bravery, physical endurance, and respect.

This resource is part of The Ways, a collection of educational media resources for middle and high school classrooms from PBS Wisconsin Education.

Explore the full collection: https://pbswisconsineducation.org/theways/about/

How do canoes recovered from a lake help us learn about the first people and communities in what is now Wisconsin?

Dugout canoes were used across the Americas by Native people for thousands of years for travel, fishing, transporting goods, recreation, and more. With the recovery of two dugout canoes from the bottom of Lake Mendota, more about First Nations communities has been brought to the surface for us to learn from.

This episode is part of The Look Back, a series made for learners in grades 4-6 that explores eras from Wisconsin’s history through artifacts. The collection is hosted by historians who model an inquiry process: sharing artifacts, asking questions, visiting archives and museums to learn more, telling the story of their findings as they go, and making connections to our lives today.

Explore a rich collection of educational videos, teacher professional development resources, lesson plans for all grades, and learning tools for your classroom and library!

This collection of resources provides educators and pre-service teachers accurate and authentic educational materials for teaching about the American Indian Nations of Wisconsin.

Each Wisconsin Hometown Stories program is a celebration of the evolution of a town/city in Wisconsin, its residents and the stories they have to tell that paint the picture of specific communities across the state.

In this episode, historians, local citizens, and experts tell stories of tourism, cherries, art, and geology that capture the history of Door County. Viewers will also explore ethnic heritages that still thrive across the land, its art history, and efforts to preserve both the land and the natural beauty that define one of Wisconsin’s most charming places.

Each Wisconsin Hometown Stories program is a celebration of the evolution of a town/city in Wisconsin, its residents and the stories they have to tell that paint the picture of specific communities across the state.

In this episode, discover Eau Claire, a community that was both shaped and empowered by the convergence of two rivers. Follow the origins of the Native people who lived on the land and the growth of timber milling, tire manufacturing, and cookware industries that provided employment for Eau Claire residents. Also learn about a feathered mascot named Old Abe who led area troops into Civil War battles, as well as the influential role the city played in the fight for civil rights in baseball.

Each Wisconsin Hometown Stories program is a celebration of the evolution of a town/city in Wisconsin, its residents and the stories they have to tell that paint the picture of specific communities across the state.

In this episode, explore the story of two Wisconsin cities with a contentious beginning that grew to be collaborative communities of innovation and service. Film, archival images, and interviews with historians, local citizens and experts illustrate the two cities' rich stories and their role in shaping international manufacturing and retailing.

The aka Teacher project recognizes the many hats educators today wear – several of which are never included in any job description. The project has grown and changed with every educator we’ve talked to and we are excited to offer this podcast as one created with and for educators like you to explore the joys, challenges, and questions that come with being an educator today.