Teaching Tools

Between the Lions

Through the Between the Lions Preschool Literacy Initiative, MPB provides resources, expertise, and encouragement to child care centers in the Jackson area to promote literacy in children with the help of its partners – WGBH, Sirius Thinking Ltd, Mississippi State University Early Childhood Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, U. S. Department of Education, and Barksdale Reading Institute.

Conspiracy to Do Good: Mississippi Craft Center

The television special features the people who dared to dream and make reality an arts organization that promotes, preserves and fosters Mississippi craftsmen and their work. This Educator Resource and Activity Guide presents a historical snapshot of the Mississippi Craft Center and Craftsmen’s Guild, provides activities aligned to state standards, and offers related technology resources. Download the Educator Resource & Activity Guide»

Ed Said

Ed Said, a Web-based series aimed at encouraging elementary school children to eat healthy foods and exercise, features a puppet who teaches children healthy eating habits through raps and rhymes. Educators can find full webisodes, music, lyrics, and much more at EdSaid.org.

The Gulf Islands: Mississippi's Wilderness Shore

The Gulf Islands National Seashore is a protected region of barrier islands along the Gulf of Mexico. From sandy-white beaches to wildlife sanctuaries, Mississippi’s wilderness shore is a natural and historic treasure. This guide provides an introduction to Ship Island, including important people, places, and events, and also features sample activities for usage in elementary, middle and high school classrooms. Download the Educator Resource & Activity Guide»

Home Front to Battlefront

The lives of Mississippians changed drastically because of World War II, whether they fought in faraway places or stayed in Mississippi to support the war from home. This guide and the documentary’s website serve as educational tools during instruction on the experiences of Mississippians during WWII and provide invaluable supplemental resources for integrating history curriculum within Mississippi classrooms.

Download the Teacher's Guide.

Integrating Ole Miss: James Meredith and Beyond

Integrating Ole Miss presents the University of Mississippi as a microcosm for the Civil Rights Movement in the state and across the nation.

In the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, James Meredith became the first Black student to enroll at Ole Miss. His application created an uproar that made news around the world and culminated in a deadly riot and federal intervention. Fifty years later, the university is fully integrated and, in 2008, international spotlight was once again on the university – this time, however, to cover a presidential debate that featured the man who would become America’s first Black President.

From the status quo of 1960 to today, Ole Miss, like America, has grown and changed.

Medgar Evers

The Tribute to Medgar Evers Project includes an extensive educational outreach component which serves as a valuable tool during instruction on the life and history of Civil Rights leader Medgar Evers.  This guide provides supplemental resources for teaching civil rights and human rights curriculum in the state of Mississippi and includes a 5-Day curriculum guide appropriate for grades 6 – 12. 

Mississippi ReMixed

This viewing guide provides suggestions and activities for teachers or group leaders to utilize with students before and while viewing the documentary, which analyzes race relations in the South. The documentary is segmented into five acts: 1) Motivation and Background, 2) Historical Background, 3) Barriers to Positive Race Relations, 4) Purposeful Acts for Positive Race Relations, and 5) Conclusion. Download the Viewing Guide»

Quorum

This informational guide highlights the three branches of state government and specific legislative committees.  It also includes a timetable for processing legislation, information on how a bill becomes a law, a quiz, glossary and link to the Mississippi Curriculum Framework for United States Government. Download the Educators Resource and Activity Guide»

Raising Readers

PBS KIDS Raising Readers, a literacy campaign funded by a Ready To Learn grant from the U.S. Department of Education, provides free online resources for children ages 3-8. These games and activities help build reading skills at home, in child care settings, and in the community. 

Southern Remedy

Southern Remedy is Mississippi Public Broadcasting’s flagship wellness show dedicated to keeping Mississippians healthy. It consists of a weekly radio program hosted by Dr. Rick deShazo and MPB’s Kevin Farrell and a quarterly television program, Southern Remedy: Mississippi's Big Problem.  The radio show invites listeners to call in or email with their medical questions. On Mississippi's Big Problem, Dr. Rick digs into the biggest crisis facing Mississippi in many years -- obesity. 

The educational component of Southern Remedy addresses issues related to childhood obesity.

Download the Southern Remedy Lesson Plans for Obesity Prevention

Writers

Writers is a television series from Mississippi Public Broadcasting in the format of an intimate, roundtable discussion on the author’s craft. In each episode, three authors of a specific genre join host Gene Edwards to talk about their work and experience. Writers' teaching tools provide a variety of lesson plans and activities for students of all ages. Each Writers episode has its own educational component to coincide with the topic of show.