What’s New

Born with a Wooden Spoon: Welcome to Poverty U.S.A. (Series: Poverty in America)
The United States continues to be the wealthiest country in the world, yet one in eight Americans--approximately 37 million people--live below the poverty line. This program analytically and sympathetically discusses the effects and implications of poverty, examining factors such as illiteracy, insufficient job skills, substance abuse, and crime. The phenomenon of multigenerational poverty is also addressed, underscoring the disturbing pattern of poverty begetting poverty. Interviews with impoverished people and those who reach out to them put a human face on a demographic group that lives below the radar of wealthy and middle-class Americans. (60 minutes, 2006)

Date Rape: A Violation of Trust
To the average student, the definitions of date rape and sexual assault are notoriously unclear. Use this program to eliminate the confusion so young adults understand exactly what these things are—and the attitudes and biases that typically accompany them—before anyone gets hurt. The video firmly reinforces the concepts that rape has its roots in hate crime; date rape is just as wrong as rape by a stranger; a victim is never "asking for it," no matter how the person dresses; and no one ever "deserves it." The video also underscores the rules of the dating game: a date is not an invitation for sex; No means No; and the inability to give consent doesn't mean Yes. Interviews with rape survivors and mental health professionals shed additional light on the trauma caused by rape, the process of post-rape emotional recovery, and the importance of post-rape support by family and friends. Date rape drugs are given special attention, and tips on safer dating are provided. (28 minutes, 2008)

Dying to Leave: A Two-Hour Special on Human Trafficking
This two-hour Wide Angle special goes deep inside the global problem of human trafficking. Every year, at least two million people are packed in shipping containers, pulled through sewage tunnels, secreted in car chassis, and ferried across frigid waters. Among this human cargo, an alarming number end up as prostitutes, thieves, or sweatshop laborers. This documentary explores the worldwide boom in illicit migration and human trafficking, recording the stories of those who pull up their roots and risk all, and puts a human face on an issue too often reduced to statistics. It examines the circumstances that drive these migrants from their homes, highlights the difficulties involved in their epic journeys, and reveals what awaits them in their new world. In addition, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton discusses human trafficking and smuggling with anchor Jamie Rubin. (2 hours, 2003)

Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer
(Series: Masters of the Spanish Word)
Although he lived only 34 years, Gustavo Bécquer is largely responsible for leading Spanish poetry toward the Modernist era. This program details his life and artistic journey, from his birth into impoverished nobility to his death in obscurity—and his posthumous fame as Spain's greatest post-Romantic poet. Outlining the author's education, friendships, and failed loves, the video focuses on the power of the Rimas and the political turmoil that prevented its publication during Bécquer's lifetime. The clarity and sensitivity of his letters and the inventiveness of his prose legends are also showcased in this poignant, compelling biography. (English, 22 minutes, 2006)

If I Could: Breaking the Vicious Cycle of Child Abuse—Educator's Edition
"Families destroy themselves, so families have to heal themselves." If I Could is the heart-wrenching chronicle of Tracy Marasco, a single mother struggling to help her adolescent son James cope with severe emotional trauma resulting from abandonment by his father and sexual abuse by his father's cousin. To complicate the situation, Tracy herself was victimized as a child, sexually abused by her father and forced, for a time, into prostitution. Rage and despair permeate this disturbing program, but so do hope and determination—represented, in part, by VisionQuest, a provider of innovative intervention services to at-risk youth and families. Tracy benefited from it as a teen; can it turn James around, too? Will the Marascos' multigenerational cycle of abuse be broken? Sally Field narrates. Contains mature content; viewer discretion is advised. (99 minutes, 2006)

Nourishing Earth: Natural Systems Agriculture and Ecological Technologies
(Series: Science Core Curriculum Video Library)
Could the prairie, which runs on sunlight and rain, be the model for the perfect farm? This program explores natural systems agriculture, or perennial polyculture, an alternative to industrial agriculture and agroforestry that combines cutting-edge science with nature itself. Dr. Wes Jackson, a MacArthur Fellow and founder of the Land Institute, illustrates these concepts in action, discussing the environmental and economic advantages of perennials—rather than annuals—grown in a mixture that mimics the prairie ecosystem. John Todd, a designer of ecological technologies, leads a tour of one of his "living machines" used to clean sewage water. (57 minutes, 2003)

Understanding Media Literacy
(Series: Media Literacy)
TV and radio commercials, Web sites and banner ads, magazine ads, pop songs, photos, and even news articles and textbooks: all of them are sending messages to influence the reader/viewer/listener. How do they grab the attention? What are they selling—a product or service? a lifestyle? an ideology?—and why? Would a different media consumer interpret the message differently? This program raises more questions than it answers, which is the whole point: to prompt students to question, question, question the messages they are bombarded with daily. Savvy media consumers aren't born; they're made, and this program is an excellent tool for shaping the classroom dialogue. (35 minutes, 2007)