Phonemic awareness is the knowledge of the small units of sounds in our language which are connected to the alphabet. According to the National Research Council, this awareness is a major predictor of reading success. Viewers of this program join a lively teacher training workshop and then witness emerging readers learning phonemic awareness in the early childhood classrooms.

Superheroes: a never ending battle is the first documentary to examine the dawn of the comic book genre and its powerful legacy, as well as the evolution of the characters who leapt from the pages over the last 75 years and their ongoing worldwide cultural impact. In this episode: This episode captures the enthusiasm for superheroes as they are embraced in all forms of media and by all demographics, beginning with the historic “Superman” movie...

The classroom avenger on a deadly rampage, couples who discover their incompatibility after marriage, recruiters seeking applicants with a rare combination of traits, all reflect the range of issues that fall within the scope of personality. This episode looks briefly at personality from traditional perspectives before focusing on contemporary research: the big five personality traits, personality inventories, and Albert Bandura's social-cognitive...

What is intelligence? Can the standardized exams of today actually measure it? This lesson presents several theories of intelligence, often examined by the researchers who created them. Topics include triarchic theory, multiple intelligences, and emotional intelligence. The nature/nurture influence on intelligence is also explored, as well as the phenomenon of stereotype threat.

Path to math: a collection.

Science: anytime, anyplace: a collection.

Psychology touches virtually every aspect of our lives. Many of its current themes can be traced back to questions that have confronted scholars throughout history. But today the study of behavior, thoughts and feelings is bolstered by new scientific tools and approaches. As a result the field is expanding in directions that would have been unheard of just a few decades ago, providing us with new insight into the magic of the mind.

Comets have fascinated, even terrified us for thousands of years. This year, a particularly massive chunk of ice and rock is hurtling our way, an object that will fascinate billions and should create the space show of the century. Right now Comet Ison, somewhere between 1 and 10 kilometers in diameter, is just beyond the orbit of Jupiter. As it races past us toward the sun it should develop a tail that will light up the skies brighter than a full...

Jeff Wall is one of the most important and influential photographers working today. His work played a key role in establishing photography as a contemporary art form. Jeff Wall describes his recent work as "near documentary," a plausible account or a report on real or imagined encounters. Wall usually spends weeks painstakingly recreating these encounters and taking many pictures, from which he selects his final image in a critical process. His photographs...

It was the strongest cyclone to hit land in recorded history. On November 8, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan slammed into the Philippines, whipping the low-lying and densely-populated islands with 200 mph winds and sending a two-story-high storm surge flooding into homes, schools, and hospitals. It wiped villages off the map and devastated cities, including the hard-hit provincial capital Tacloban. Estimates count more than 5,000 dead and millions homeless....