MERRY X-MAS

I AM ON BREAK! ENJOY YOUR BREAK

23/12/09: APOLLO 13 on Sky Drama 8pm

True story of the moon-bound mission that developed severe trouble and the men that rescued it with skill and dedication.
Wiki Page
Google Book
IMDB Page
Education Resources

22/12/09: 6PM Jesus: The Man Behind the Myths on Knowledge

Historical documentary. Bible scholar Kent Dobson clears away layers of dogma and mystery and investigates the known facts about the man known as Jesus of Galilee.
Truth Digg Page

21/12/09: The Other Boleyn Girl on Yesterday at 8pm

BBC HISTORY PAGE

Incest between Anne and George Boleyn????? Historically, Anne Boleyn was charged with committing incest with her brother. The novel implies but does not state that Anne, convinced that Henry VIII could not give her a healthy son, resorts to incest with her brother. Both the 2003 BBC production of The Other Boleyn Girl and the 2008 Hollywood film with Natalie Portman clearly depict the two attempting but not committing incest. This twist in the story provoked the most outcry, one reason being that Anne had sworn upon the damnation of her soul in 1536 that she was absolutely innocent, leading many to feel that it was incredibly disrespectful to distort such a human tragedy in this manner.

20/12/09 ALL DAY WHY ANCIENT EGYPT FELL on Knowledge

KNOWLEDGE HAS AN EGYPT DAY
There are several shows that are showing throughout the day.

WHY ANCIENT EGYPT FELL
The fall of Ancient Egypt, some 4,000 years ago, has long baffled the world. How could such a powerful empire collapse so entirely? Was it political infighting that brought it to its knees? Was it invading Arab armies that killed the last great dynasty?
Now, scientists have developed a new theory and it’s a chilling prophecy for our own time. Was the great empire of Egypt destroyed by global warming?

SCANDALS OF ANCIENT EGYPT
Pharaohs and Egyptian Kings live on as symbols of the greatest rulers of all time. But the road to eternal glory was riddled with betrayal, mystery and scandal.
Men and women, capable of both greatness and weakness, imposed their vision of the world on their subjects and slaves alike. Just like ours, their society was rife with affairs, scandals, uncertainties and rifts.

SAT 16/12/09: 4:30pm Dances With Wolves on BBC2

Great film for GCSE American West Students (although a little long)
Dances with Wolves is a 1990 epic film based on the book of the same name which tells the story of a Civil War-era United States Army lieutenant who travels to the American frontier to find a military post, and his dealings with a group of Lakota.

WATCH THE TAILER THEN LEARN SOME SIOUX!

Fri 18/12/09: 9pm Blitz: London's Firestorm on Discovery

2 Hour Special

On the evening of 29 December 1940 the German Luftwaffe attacked London with devastating results.

In a night that Hitler hoped would create a firestorm which would destroy central London and break the spirit of the British people, tens of thousands of incendiary bombs were dropped on the heart of the city.

The story of that awe-inspiring night is told in a feature-length documentary that brings eyewitness accounts to life using dramatic reconstructions and CGI.

Thurs 17/12/09: 8pm Monarchy by David Starkey on Knowledge

Yes, Starkey is too dry and boring for Year 8 students but he should be enough for your 6th form students to handle. I have used short clips to illustrate basic points with my Set 1 Year 8 class before. When Starkey does Source Analysis it is surprisingly basic except for a few confusing key words and terms.
The Glorious Revolution is one time period with very few video resources, so this episode may prove invaluable.

The entire episode is now available on Youtube through its partnership with 4 On Demand

WEDS 16/12/09: World War Two: Behind Closed Doors 9pm Yesterday Channel

The series uses dramatic reconstructions based on extensive fresh research in Russian and Western archives, and extraordinary testimony from witnesses of the time, including former Soviet secret policemen who have not spoken before on camera.

This second episode focuses on the secret history of Stalin's dealings with Churchill and the West in the wake of the German invasion of the Soviet Union.

Visit the BBC site for more articles and details on the series

16/12/09: Wednesday Has a WHOLE Lot of Historical Films ;-)

Sky Drama 5:15pm & 11:05pm The Boy in Stripped Pyjamas (WWII Drama)
Sky Greats 6:00pm M*A*S*H (15)
Sky Greats 8pm Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Sky Christmas 8pm Changeling with Angelina Jolie (set in 1928)
Sky Premiere 10pm Defiance WWII Drama with Daniel Craig

My pick would have to be Defiance

TUES 15/12/09:The Longest Day on Sky Classics at 9pm

The events of D-Day, told on a grand scale from both the Allied and German points of view.

A great classic film, which is more one of those you can enjoy on a lazy Sunday afternoon
Visit the educational site Teach With Movies for more info

Remember to scroll down for the previous day's television pick

MON 14/12/09: 8pm Elizabeth: The Golden Age (Sky Drama)

A mature Queen Elizabeth endures multiple crises late in her reign including court intrigues, an assassination plot, the Spanish Armada, and romantic disappointments. (Certificate 12)

Rich Media website -interactive timeline

14/12/09: "Man on Earth" Channel 4 9pm

Tony Robinson traces how global warming at the end of the last Ice Age was the catalyst for the dawn of civilisation, but also unleashed devastation.

Watch Episode one here

SUN 13/12/09: Rome: Power & Glory ALL DAY on Knowledge

USEFUL FOR 6TH FORM
Documentary charting the story of the Roman Empire. How did the early Romans, with no real military infrastructure, manage to conquer much stronger neighbouring powers?

Link to the Dramatic TV Series - A bit more risque'

12/12/09: Weapons That Made Briytain - ALL DAY on Knowledge

WEAPONS THAT MADE BRITAIN

In this five-part series, presenter Mike Loades takes us on a fascinating tour of medieval arms and armour, and demonstrates their central role in key events in British history. Very Good show to spice up Medieval Warfare. Historical references are made to important battles and the impact of these weapons.

Education Notes Site

Joost Episodes - Full episodes available online

Fri 11/12/09: Tutankham Secrets of a Boy King

So here is a totally unreated video about the Last Pyramid

11/12/09: 9pm on ITV2 The Last Samurai

The film's plot is based on the 1876 Satsuma Rebellion led by Saigō Takamori, and also on the story of Jules Brunet, a French army captain who fought alongside Enomoto Takeaki in the earlier Boshin War. The historical roles of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and France in Japanese westernization are largely attributed to the United States in the film. These details, characters in the film and the real story are simplified for plot purposes; the film does not seek to duplicate history.

10/12/12: 9pm on WATCH Legends of the Fall

Good film but a little slow. (Sky 109 - Verigin 124)

I show the one clip from World War One and another concerning Prohibition, when teaching the modern world. When teaching the Wild West I show the earlier clips of the great landscapes on offfer.
Part of the WW One scene is below

Weds 9/12/09: 9:30pm Great SAS Missions on the Yesterday Channel

This 30mins episode looks at an operation that made a strike deep
behind Nazi lines.

www.YouTube.com/teacherstevenson

Weds 9/12/09: Alexander the Great's Mysterious Death - 7pm The History Channel

Detective John Grieve investigates how the leader met his end in 323BC.

Tues 8/12/09: 8pm The History Channel - Darwin's Brave New World

Series Finale
News of a rival's work prompts Darwin to publish 'On the Origin of
Species'

http://twitter.com/teacherstevo

8/12/09: 8pm BBC2 A History of Scotland

Neil Oliver reveals how Scotland became one of the world's richest
nations in the late 18ty century.

Also on BBC4 at 9pm a quirky history on children's games in modern
Britain. Hop, Skip and Jump: The Story if Children at Play Part 1.

http://www.Twitter.com/teacherstevo

7/12/09: 9pm Channel 4 - Man on Earth

Tony Robinson travels back through 200,000 years of human history to find out what happened to our ancestors when violent climate change turned their world upside down, and what they can teach us as we face our own climate crisis today. In the first programme, Tony explores how a small group of our earliest African ancestors were rescued from extinction by the last great global warming 130,000 years ago.VISIT THE C4 SITE

6/12/09: Five 6:10pm Kelly's Heroes

Kelly's Heroes (PG) World War Two comedy starring Clint Eastwood as a
US private leading a mission to steal gold bullion. (170mins)

5/12/09 BBC3 Pearl Harbor

* Comek is a fun visual message combining photos, add-on stickers and speech bubbles. Visit www.comeks.com for more information.

Sat 5th Dec 09: BBC 3 8.10pm Pearl Harbor

Yes, Pearl Harbor is on again. 7th Dec is of course it's anniversary. The day that would and does indeed live in infamy.
http://twitter.com/teacherstevo

Create your Own TV

CHECK OUT THIS COOL WEBSITE THAT LETS YOU USE IMAGES AND TURN THEM INTO ANIMATED VIDEOS WITH YOUR CHOICE OF MUSIC. ANIMOTO.COM IS GREAT FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS.

Friday 4th December 2009 - Full History Friday

8pm Yesterday Hitler's Bodyguard

9pm Film4 Downfall (15)
The last days of Hitler

9pm History Who Killed Stalin?

9pm Film4 Downfall (15)

9pm Channel4 Waking the Baby Mammoth

10pm Discovery The Story of Hitler

12Midnight Film4 Tigerland (Vietnam)

http://twitter.com/teacherstevo

Another History Overload! Thursday 3rd December 2009

8pm Yesterday Hitler's Bodyguard

9pm Channel 4: The Queen Part 5
How do you solve a problem like Camilla?

9pm Film4 Kingdom of Heaven (15)

9pm Sky Classics The Searchers (U) A John Wayne western detailing the
search for a kidnapped victim

10pm Yesterday Battlefield Britain
The Battle of Britain (WWII)

http://twitter.com/teacherstevo

Wednesday 2nd December 2009 Evening Full of History!

7pm BBC2 This World: Stalin's Return
John Sweeny looks into the dictator's rise from a labor camp to the
leader of his country.

8pm Yesterday Hitler's Bodyguard

9pm BBC3 Pearl Habour (12)
World War II drama deals with the Japanese attack on Hawaii

9pm BBC2 Andrew Marr's The Making of Modern Britain
He examines Britain's role in WWII, the influence of Winston Churchill
and the impact of the Blitz spirit.

9pm Channel 4: The Queen Part 4
The Enemy Within - Annus horribilis

9pm Film4 Letters from Iwo Jima (15)
World War Two Battle of Iwo Jima from the Japanese perspective

10pm Yesterday Battlefield Britain
The Battle of Culloden