Branded: Personal Identity Through Consumer Products

SND Films

This program updates the philosophy of branding, a practice that has evolved to define personal identity through a product line, a lifestyle, or simply a concept. Cultural anthropologist Ted Polhemus explains the theory of branding and its evolution in the global marketplace. Nicolas Hayek, CEO of Swatch, uses his company's success story to discuss the emotional nature of buying-and buying into-a brand. The indie skateboard entrepreneurs of Girl & Chocolate describe their brand as representative of a lifestyle. And the advertising duo who created "do," a brand with a lot of attitude but no products, look at brands as a form of personal statement that replaces worn-out cultural identity tags such as political affiliation. (42 minutes)

Practicing Proactive Consumerism: Healthcare

Benjamin Cummings

In a consumer society, smart shopping is a virtue-and in matters of healthcare, it is a necessity. This program seeks to demystify the complexities of America's healthcare system by offering indispensable information on healthcare organizations and practitioners, types of health insurance, common legal and ethical considerations, and individual rights as a health consumer. Definitions of essential medical terminology are also provided. (29 minutes)

Is Feminism Dead?

University of Notre Dame

Years after the women's movement burst open doors of opportunity that had long been barred, a new generation of women seems to be questioning the meaning and the value of the battles fought by their mothers and grandmothers. Has feminism somehow gone out of style? In this program, Patricia Ireland, of NOW; Phyllis Schlafly, of the Eagle Forum; Ellen Goodman, of The Boston Globe; Dr. bell hooks, of CUNY's English department; Dr. Tessie Liu, of Northwestern University's history and gender identity departments; and Dr. Martha Wharton, of The Ohio State University's departments of African-American studies and women's studies, appraise the women's movement as it currently exists and discuss its relevance in today's cultural climate. (29 minutes)

The Value of Brand Names

RAI Trade

In the consumer goods industry, branding is crucial to market penetration. Using Alessi's superlative line of home furnishings and Nestle's well-known Nescafe coffee as examples, modules one and two of this program seek to understand the cachet that surrounds brand names, which gives the products associated with them an added appeal. Module three goes inside the U.K. offices of advertising giant Young & Rubicam to investigate how brands are developed and maintained. (29 minutes)

Revolution

TVA Films

By definition, a revolution is an abrupt and usually violent change in the political and social structure of a country, occurring when people are pressed to the very limits of tolerance. In this program, historian Michel Guay and sociologists Alain Touraine and Jack Goldstone discuss the preconditions necessary to ignite a rebellion and present possible outcomes, drawing on historic examples such as the American, French, Russian, and Chinese Revolutions. Nonmilitary revolutions are considered as well, including the industrial, feminist, and information revolutions. (53 minutes)

Overcoming Problems with Speech, Hearing, and Vision

Animated Biomedical Production

This program explains the principles of assisting people with speech, hearing, or vision impairments. Various speech impediments are explored, such as misshapen palate, spastic dysarthria, and dysphasia due to stroke or Parkinson's disease. Speech pathologists are shown working with individuals who have speech or hearing impairments. Excellent computer animation is used to show the two major forms of hearing loss, conductive and sensorineural deafness, along with the different types of assistance each requires. Hearing aids and cochlear implants are discussed, and useful tips to assist people with hearing impairments are outlined. Similarly, the program provides guidelines for assisting blind people and interviews with them that contain helpful advice for practical living arrangements. (40 minutes)

In Search of Common Ground: Remaking Public Policy on Human Life Issues

University of Notre Dame

Do Americans still hold certain truths to be self-evident? Do all human beings possess inalienable rights endowed by their creator? Are all lives of equal value? And if so, how do those core beliefs translate into public policy on issues such as healthcare, poverty, abortion, capital punishment, and euthanasia? This program explores what the late Joseph Cardinal Bernardin called a "consistent ethic of life," explaining how it might be used as a framework for finding common ground between rival interests and how it could be applied to serving the common good. (29 minutes)

A Matter of Life and Death: The Politics of Abortion and Capital Punishment

University of Notre Dame

When it comes to situations involving life and death, the United States is strongly polarized. Liberals commonly support the legality of abortion as a private matter of personal choice but condemn the death penalty as inhumane, while conservatives often support execution as a form of justice but denounce abortion as legalized murder. How did these points of view become a part of the ideologies of the left and the right? This program traces the development of political stances on life-and-death issues, exposing the lack of a consistent life ethic in mainstream American politics. (29 minutes)

Difficult Decisions: When a Loved One Approaches Death

KQED

When a loved one's fate lies in another's hands, the decisions can be overwhelming. This program, hosted by NewsHour's Ray Suarez, follows two families as they grapple with life-and-death decisions inside an ICU. A doctor, an ethicist, and others help these families through the process of making decisions on behalf of those who are no longer able to communicate their wishes. La Vera Crawley, of Stanford University's bioethics department, helps the families better understand the difficult decisions they are expected to make. (26 minutes)

Planning Activities for Children

Dialogue Systems Inc

This informative program leads the viewer on a tour of a daycare center with helpful and informed caregivers who suggest, initiate, and direct activities offering new learning experiences for the children in their care. These activities are shown to build children's self-esteem and encourage social cognitive growth and development. Detailed study guide with suggestions for activities is included. (10 min.) A Meridian Production.

Get What You Pay For

Meridian Education

This entertaining program dramatizes, with comic effects, what happens to those of us who don't practice good consumerism. Many times, people can be taken in by shady service and sales persons, as well as products and services that promise results that are just too good to be true. Featuring professional actors, this program gives viewers some basic information to avoid being taken advantage of. Watch as a married couple make some basic consumer mistakes, and see how they are able to recognize and learn from them, with a little help from a representative of the Better Business Bureau. The comic approach holds the viewer's attention and ensures that the important messages about good consumerism hit home. (20 min.) A Meridian Production.

The Global Marketplace: The Benefits of Globalization

Powersports Video Productions

In an age of globalization, companies are scrambling to blend the ideals of social justice with the concept of a free-market economy. Drawing on case studies from around the world, this program focuses on progressive efforts being made by businesses to unite profits and principles. Issues under consideration include the practice of social responsibility through ethical investment policies and codes of conduct, the human and environmental costs of unscrupulous manufacturing, and a renewed emphasis on good employee/employer and supplier/retailer relations. (26 minutes)

Global Partnerships: The Effects of Globalization

Powersports Video Productions

While governments and industries reshape the world on a grand scale, countless individuals have pledged themselves to facilitating change at the grassroots level, one village at a time. This program interviews North American and European volunteers and the people in developing countries who are receiving their humanitarian and political assistance. By living together and sharing cultural experiences, both volunteers and aid recipients are helping to bring into clearer perspective their mutual concerns about human rights violations and exploitation of the environment. (26 minutes)

Little Things: When Prejudice Is Unintentional

ABC News

A great classroom conversation starter, this ABC News program explores the kinds of incidents and behavior that prompted The New York Times reporter Lena Williams to write an article entitled, "The Everyday Interactions that Get under the Skin of Blacks and Whites." Focus groups polled and interviewed on the subject reveal how statements, gestures, and even body language can be interpreted-rightly or wrongly-as racial prejudice. (10 minutes)

Shackled Women: Abuses of a Patriarchal World

Journeyman Pictures

With dowries reaching fifty percent of a family?s income, a second daughter is often called "the girl born for the burial pit." This program assesses second- and third-world abuses of women?s rights by the male establishment?and examines how female collaboration sometimes contributes to their perpetuation. Feminist Taslima Nasreen; the author of Brides Are Not for Burning; and others speak out on topics such as dowry deaths, female circumcision, the Islamic zina law, the rigors of hijab, and child prostitution. But does the banding together of women against female infanticide in Tamil Nadu spell the beginning of a women?s solidarity movement and a new world order? Some content may be objectionable. (41 minutes)

Interviewing Victims and Witnesses

Skillbank Solutions Ltd

This program offers extended interviews selected from those featured in An Overview of Investigative Interviewing, providing viewers with a more detailed look at how cognitive interviewing, conversation management, and nonverbal communication are applied to interrogating victims and witnesses in the U.K. The victim interview is presented as a well-conducted interview, while the witness interview is designed to demonstrate flaws in technique. (58 minutes)

Conflict Resolution and Etiquette

Cambridge Educational

The ability to defuse confrontation and arrive at a solution that is acceptable to everyone involved is a quality that all employers value. This video illustrates how to courteously resolve office conflicts by depersonalizing them, opening the lines of communication, and examining all options in order to come to an agreement. Brainstorming with coworkers is presented as a means of developing consensus. A Cambridge Educational Production. (21 minutes)

Everyday Peer Pressure

Cambridge Educational

Sometimes positive and sometimes negative, peer pressure is a powerful force for molding behavior. How does it work? This program investigates the dynamics of subtle, overt, and group peer pressure, along with approaches to resisting persuasion to do irresponsible or antisocial things. The importance of reality checks-"Is this what I really want?" "Is this who I am?"-is emphasized. A Cambridge Educational Production. (28 minutes)

Everyday Values

Cambridge Educational

People talk a lot about values, but what exactly are they, and how do they work? This program answers both of those questions in detail, discussing how values are formed by upbringing, culture, socialization, and exposure to the media as well as how they function as standards for behavior. The dynamic interplay between individual and group values and the price of adhering to one's values are also explored. A Cambridge Educational Production. (30 minutes)

Three to Five

Meridian Education

Investigates the development of individuality and gross motor skills along with the first stages of socialization and self-awareness. A Meridian Production. (16 min.)

Non-Verbal Communication

Meridian Education

This program explores the ability of body language to reinforce or contradict the message we are sending verbally. Students will understand the importance of how we dress and present ourselves in order to make a good impression. Differing eye expressions are examined as a powerful body language tool, as is the sense of touch. Mixed messages are also investigated. A Meridian Production. (13 minutes)

Feedback on the Job: Accepting Criticism

Meridian Education

Viewers meet two young managers who help workers with appropriate responses to feedback in different work situations. Whether feedback is true, unclear, or downright false, we discover how to respond in a way that enables us to develop confidence, separate our reactions from our feelings, and learn from the situation. A Meridian Production. (22 minutes)

Getting Along with Your Supervisor

Meridian Education

The relationship between supervisors and support staff members can often run off the smooth road of productivity. The major reason for problems between supervisors and staff is a lack of effective, open communication. This program is a dramatization of one employee's problems with his supervisor. The information he receives from the company's personnel manager gets him on track with how to cope with his supervisor's dramatically different work style. Basic tips for effective supervisor/employee relationships are also given, stressing that when support staff helps to make the supervisor look good, it reflects positively upon the staff as well. A Meridian Production. (20 minutes)

The 7-Day Professional Image Update

Meridian Education

Provides a seven-day approach for personal improvement and polishing your image-a necessary asset whether you're a full time student, in the workforce, or both. Covers clothing, accessories, health, and communication-both verbal and non-verbal-and discusses how these aspects of your image impact the way others see you. Will help students' self-esteem and school/work performance. (20 min.) A Meridian Production.

The Leadership Assignment

Meridian Education

Have you ever tried to define "leadership"? How about identifying the skills of a good leader? In this video, one young executive must tackle this difficult task through an assignment from his CEO. By working around the clock, he gains valuable information on leadership skills from some very unexpected sources. Viewers learn how styles of leadership differ, skills that make a good leader, how to assess their own leadership potential, and much more. (24 min.) A Meridian Production.

Business Ethics

Meridian Education

Most people have an easier time making ethical decisions when they have been given the opportunity to think through various ethical dilemmas and discuss them with their peers. Help your students bring their own values into focus by sharing this collection of scenarios that challenge ethical decision-making. Students become aware of ethical dilemmas they may encounter in the workplace and will become better prepared to respond. (19 min.) A Meridian Production.

Love, Hate, and Everything in Between: A Film on Empathy

M & M Films

Drawing upon the work of psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen, neuroscientists Vittorio Gallese and Simone Shamay-Tsoory, futurist Jeremy Rifkin, and numerous other experts and researchers, this documentary analyzes empathy as it explores its extraordinary relevance in today’s increasingly interconnected world. Topics include the anthropological roots of empathy; empathy-nurturing educational programs in schools; the effects of hormones on the development of empathy; the spectrum of psychopathy; “us vs. them” and “in-group/out-group” mentalities; the suppression and reawakening of empathy in strife-torn regions such as Israel, Bosnia, and Rwanda; the “bystander effect”; mirror neurons; “sensitive artificial listeners”; and social entrepreneurism in a technology-facilitated empathic civilization. Immensely thought-provoking. An important film that is particularly applicable to the disciplines of social, biological, educational, and forensic psychology; neuroscience; social philosophy; and sociology. Some language may be objectionable. Directed by Alex Gabbay. (53 minutes)

Rett: There Is Hope—Case Studies, Family Portraits, and the Search for a Cure

REM Entertainment

Rett Syndrome is one of the most debilitating and frightening disorders on the autism spectrum. It affects mainly girls, and after normal development the first signs appear at around 24 months of age. Its symptoms include seizures, loss of motor functions, recurrent infections, developmental delay, and absent to minimal speech. Its victims usually live into adulthood and require round-the-clock care. But increased attention to Rett Syndrome has intensified research efforts as well as a greater sense of community and support among those affected by the disorder. This program focuses on families coping with Rett’s daily realities—the constant stress of caregiving, the emotional impact on parents, and the perspectives on health and happiness that emerge when one realizes what a Rett Syndrome patient must go through. The film also follows the work of scientists searching for the genetic key to a cure. Interview subjects include Monica Coenraads, executive director of the Rett Syndrome Research Trust; Dr. Adrian Bird of the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Cell Biology; and Dr. Huda Zoghbi of Baylor College of Medicine. (52 minutes)

Girls and Bullying: Identify, Understand, Prevent

ClickView Pty Limited

Bullying by girls and against girls is as commonplace as it is among boys, but often takes different forms. Female bullying is usually psychological and emotional, with effects that can include long-lasting depression, self-harm, and even suicide. This program examines female bullying, with a look also at the nature of bullying in general and why these tormentors behave as they do. Featuring dramatized scenarios and input from adolescent psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg, the video also provides some protective strategies for young people in this situation. A viewable/printable worksheet is available online. (22 minutes)

The Changing Role of Women in the U.K.

ClickView Pty Limited

The 20th century saw enormous change for women in the home, at work, and in society at large. What has brought about these changes, and are they for the better? Even with legislation to ensure equal pay for equal work, sexual discrimination outlawed, and a former female prime minister, concerns about equality remain. Are today’s women expected to be responsible for cooking, cleaning, and child care as well as being employed outside the home? This program explores the changing role of women in the U.K., touching on voting, the impact of World War II, and the glass ceiling. Produced in Australia. (26 minutes)

Progressive Ideologies: Imperialism, Nationalism, Capitalism, Egalitarianism

ClickView Pty Limited

This program examines societal shifts towards imperialism, nationalism, capitalism, and egalitarianism by studying the impact of the Industrial Revolution, the French Revolution, the American Revolution, and British colonialism in Africa on how people thought. Featuring leading academics and clear explanations, the video consolidates a huge amount of information, putting it into context with excellent examples. Focusing on the British Empire and the slow loosening of its grip on the world, students gain insight into how modern ideologies were formed. Produced in Australia. A viewable/printable worksheet is available online. (20 minutes)

Obeying or Resisting Authority: A Psychological Retrospective

ABC News

Echoing the infamous Milgram experiment from the 1960s, this ABC News program sets up a psychological test in which an authority figure urges men and women to inflict pain. Test administrator and social psychologist Dr. Jerry Burger interprets the disturbing findings. The program also analyzes the 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment as well as the 2004 hoax in which a McDonald’s manager and her fiancé—directed by a caller impersonating a police officer—strip-searched and abused an employee. Original footage from all of these occurrences is included, along with present-day commentary from Dr. Philip Zimbardo, who designed the Stanford test. Finally, the program explores the ethics of using human participants in psychological tests. (36 minutes)

Race and Sex: What We Think (But Can't Say)

ABC News

Behind the conscious mind’s efforts to judge people on their merits, the subconscious categorizes by details such as gender, race, and age—just as it has done since the dawn of humankind. Can ethnic prejudice be overcome? What is the “stereotype effect”? Are there quantifiable differences that make one race superior to another in sports? Is it possible to visually perceive a person’s sexual orientation? In this ABC News program, John Stossel seeks answers to these and other questions through eye-opening social experiments and insights from Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow John McWhorter; renowned teacher Jane Elliott; Taboo author Jon Entine; J. Michael Bailey, of Northwestern University; Harvard University’s Anthony Greenwald; social psychologist John Dovidio; NYU’s Joshua Aaronson; and others. (39 minutes)

The WPA Film Library: Congress Debates the Equal Rights Amendment ca. 1983

The WPA Film Library

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which was first proposed in the 1920s, again became a national issue in 1983 when Democrats in Congress reintroduced the legislation. Supporters of the amendment argued that it was necessary to prohibit gender-based discrimination, while opponents argued that it could rescind some women's rights and would force the federal government to pay for abortions.

Right and Wrong: Moral Development in Children

BBC Worldwide Learning

Do most people get their values from their parents or from society at large? At what age, and with what tools, do children begin to work out what is right and wrong? Can young children distinguish between actions that are morally deviant and those that simply violate a social convention? This program explores those questions by observing a group of 25 six-year-olds and the varying levels of honesty and compassion they display. Confronted with simple yet specific tests-gauging their willingness to lie, cheat, and even destroy a photograph they are told is sentimentally valuable-each child exhibits a unique sense of what is good and correct. Equally revealing are the program's comparisons between childhood and adult idealism. A BBC/Open University Co-production. Original broadcast title: Right and Wrong. Part of the series Child of Our Time 2006. (60 minutes)

Recipe for Success: How Children Learn

BBC Worldwide Learning

How and why do humans learn new things? Why are we stronger in some skills than others? At what age do we learn most quickly, and how can we improve our learning capacity? This program studies the knowledge-building process that typically occurs in childhood by observing 25 six-year-olds as they adapt to the challenges of their surroundings. Focusing on seven key areas in which learning takes place-musical ability, logic, emotional understanding, creativity, narrative skill, spatial reasoning, and physical dexterity-the program studies the varied strengths of several children as well as the learning difficulties many struggle to overcome. Environmental and parental influences, as well as the role of self-motivation, are evaluated. A BBC/Open University Co-production. Original broadcast title: Recipe for Success. Part of the series Child of Our Time 2006. (57 minutes)

Divide of the Sexes: Gender Roles in Childhood

BBC Worldwide Learning

Why do boys underachieve? How does celebrity culture influence the self-esteem of young girls? In an atmosphere dominated by sex and consumerism, are children growing up too quickly? This program addresses those issues, reporting on a group of 25 eight-year-olds as they adjust to gender roles and expectations. Nathan’s parents have gone all out to make sure he grows up without stereotypes—but real life isn’t that simple. Rhianna’s mother is the breadwinner and child care provider in the family, while her father spends most of his time drinking. Meanwhile, tomboy Megan has taken an interest in the opposite sex, Helena has embraced her femininity, and Tyrese is displaying male aggression. A BBC/Open University Coproduction. Original broadcast title: Divide of the Sexes. Part of the series Child of Our Time 2008. (60 minutes)

Anger: Myths and Truths about the Emotion

ABC News

Is venting one's rage really healthy? Do age, gender, and self-image have any connection with anger problems? Has our society become inherently angry? This ABC News program explores the psychology and sociology behind the most dangerous of emotions. Viewers will meet Dr. Robert Millman, a Weill Cornell Medical College professor who has coined the term acquired situational narcissism to explain connections between volatile tempers and towering egos. The University of Michigan's Dr. Brad Bushman provides further connections between narcissism, aggression, and America's youth, while "angry comedian" Lewis Black points out the seeds of fury in everyday realities, from waiting in line to political disagreements. (30 minutes)

Conversation: Exploring Preconceived Notions about Otherness

James Price & Lenka Clayton

You’re walking down the street and you see someone approaching. You glance at his or her face and see—what, exactly? Filmed in London, this program brings together more than two dozen total strangers to reveal the hidden judgments people make about those they don’t know. Cleverly composed of nothing more than juxtaposed faces and unvarnished commentary by the film’s subjects, Conversation creates an edgy meta-dialogue on how we tend to project our fears and desires onto our fellow humans. Illuminating and unsettling—and a guaranteed discussion starter for courses in the areas of psychology, sociology, communications, and race/ethnicity/gender studies as viewers become aware of their own preconceived notions about otherness. Original title: Conversation. (18 minutes)

The Truth about Liars

Filmoption International

Like it or not, humans are adept at the art of lying. Drawing upon the fields of psychology, sociology, technology, philosophy, and criminology, this program sheds light on the complex realities of untruthfulness through the work of researchers who have made lying a subject of profound study: Professor Bella DePaulo, an expert on the communication of deception; Professor Maureen O'Sullivan, an authority on social-emotional intelligence, lie detection, and facial expression recognition; Paul Ekman, developer of the Micro Expression Training Tool; Cornell University's Jeff Hancock, an expert on digital deception in computer-mediated environments; David Livingstone Smith, a philosopher dedicated to analyzing the link between nature and deception; forensic psychologist Stephen Porter; and Ken Alder, author of The Lie Detectors, a study of the polygraph machine. (48 minutes)

Shopping to Belong: Consumerism and the Latino Community-in Spanish with English Subtitles

Irene Sosa

Most Americans engage in "retail therapy" from time to time, but what form does it take among immigrant populations? Is excessive shopping a way of coming to grips with a new culture-and leaving another behind? This program examines that possibility in the context of the Latino community, raising provocative questions about cultural identity, consumerism, and assimilation. Ten first-generation immigrants from various Latin American countries-including Mexico, El Salvador, Venezuela, and Peru-share their thoughts and experiences, shedding light on the transition from impoverished environs to the wealthiest and most extravagant society in the world. (Spanish with English subtitles, 30 minutes)

Word of Mouth: Learning to Communicate

Acorn Media UK

From simple gurgles to the ingenious storytelling of a 3-year-old, this program illustrates how children learn to convey thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The development of nonverbal communication skills is examined as the film’s young subjects begin to parse out basic sounds and facial expressions, then apply what they discover in a way that becomes more proactive, verbal, and finally composed of logical sentences. Viewers can watch this process of language-building play out in fascinating, intimate scenes—starting with a single infant, then including his or her parents or guardians, and then encompassing an ever-widening circle of relationships. A part of the series Baby It’s You: The First Three Years. (25 minutes)

Science of Evil

National Geographic

We know evil when we see it—or do we? This program follows three people who confront a particular version of evil every day. Viewers meet Roy Ratcliff, the minister who baptized serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer behind bars and continues the practice with other hardened criminals; Aya Schneerson, a UN aid worker who administers food and medical help in the war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo; and a group of neuroscientists who examine conscience and morality via cutting-edge fMRI imaging techniques. Philip Zimbardo, whose 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment probed abusive aspects of the human mind, shares his library of images from the study. A National Geographic Production. (50 minutes)

Practical Strategies for Resolving Conflict

ClickView Pty Limited

Managing conflict effectively is essential to a productive work environment. This program plays out some of the potential conflicts that can occur in an aged care facility, shows the negative responses to disagreements, and then offers practical techniques to better deal with disagreements in a health care setting. Actors demonstrate how conflicts between staff and relatives can often be resolved by using fogging and negative assertion; how tension between peers can be alleviated by self-disclosure and free information; and how disagreements between staff and superiors can be dealt with using the broken-record, workable-compromise, and negative-inquiry techniques. Part 2 of the series Conflict Management in Health Care. (19 minutes)

Understanding the Nature of Conflict

ClickView Pty Limited

In a health care setting, intricate ethical, moral, and professional obligations make the workplace particularly prone to conflict. Focusing specifically on aged care, this program examines the typical conflicts that can occur at work and the most productive ways to handle them. First, conflict is defined, and situations in which it is more likely to arise as well as indicators of forthcoming disagreements are outlined. Next, the five general styles of conflict are explained and the skills to manage any type of conflict are summarized. Then, behaviors that elicit resistance, such as blaming others and making threats, and those that elicit cooperation, such as making eye contact and displaying empathy, are reviewed. Part 1 of the series Conflict Management in Health Care. (20 minutes)

Beauty in the Eyes of the Beheld

Art Palette Productions

Society tells us that beautiful women have it all. But beauty can be as much a curse as it is a blessing. In this sensitively filmed program, eight women labeled as beautiful—two pageant winners, an exotic dancer, a former pop musician, a college student, an assistant paralegal, a physician, and an entrepreneur—explore body image issues through their frank stories of how concepts and realities of physical beauty have molded their lives for both better and worse. Objectification, negative stereotyping, insecurity, and vulnerability are recurring themes, as are opportunity and preferential treatment. A study of skin-deep attractiveness, the video offers empowering insights into inner beauty as well. (55 minutes)

In the Shadow of Feeling

Hiltz Squared Media Group

Without remorse or empathy, psychopaths control, even kill, others for personal profit. But every psychopath starts out as a child. Using interviews with forensic psychologists, child psychiatrists, and a 17-year-old named Jonathan who is serving a sentence for first-degree murder, this powerful film elucidates the factors that can transform children into psychopaths. Dr. Elliott Barker, founder of the Canadian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, discusses both primary and ancillary causes of psychopathy, such as the effects of day care and a society premised on consumerism. Viewer discretion is advised. (44 minutes)

Communication with Cognitively Impaired Clients

Nevco Educational Video Inc

Aging, disease processes, and other chronic conditions may lead to cognitive and behavioral changes. This program teaches nursing assistants how to distinguish between delirium and depression and how to effectively communicate with cognitively impaired clients or residents. Through several problem situations, the video instructs nursing assistants in how to assess their own skills as communicators, examine and apply various communication techniques, recognize how changes with aging affect the communication process, improve communication with patients who have suffered a stroke or are confused, and discuss communication skills with terminally ill patients and their families. Ultimately, the degree to which professionals are able communicate effectively determines the quality of care they are able to provide. Designated for 2 contact hours of continuing nursing education. (22 minutes)

Personality Clash: Difficult People and Situations

Seven Dimensions

Differences in culture and work styles can lead to tension on the job, and it’s up to the manager to resolve the situations. In this episode, Anne and Kim have multiple issues with each other, from personal hygiene and personal space, to insensitive comments and work attire, this relationship is spinning out of control. Finally, Anne takes the lead and starts an open discussion on their differences. Through this conversation and the feedback they give each other, they are able to come to a resolution for an effective working relationship. Part of the series Difficult People and Situations. (14 minutes)

Body Language and Rapport in Interviewing: Selection Interview Skills Series

Seven Dimensions

The body language and tone of the interviewer is as important as that of the applicant. This episode demonstrates how to build rapport with the applicant, how to put them at ease during the interview, how to invite and respond well to questions, and how to provide encouragement. Part of the series Selection Interview Skills. (10 minutes)

Embracing New Ideas: Cutting Edge Communications Comedy Series

Seven Dimensions

Competition between coworkers isn’t always a bad thing, but when not managed correctly, it can lead to tension and conflict. That is exactly what happens when team members are asked to suggest innovations to enhance productivity. Accusations are made about stealing ideas, and a classic team building exercise causes problems. This episode shows how dealing with the situation can get this project back on track. Part of the series Cutting Edge Communication Comedy Series . (7 minutes)

Creating a No-Blame Culture: Cutting Edge Communications Comedy Series

Seven Dimensions

Mistakes can be disastrous in a corporate setting, where reputation is everything. This episode examines what happens when a mistake on social media goes viral and leads to undesirable publicity. The team descends into chaos as finger pointing and scape-goating take the place of a measured response and ensuring it doesn’t happen again. Part of the series Cutting Edge Communication Comedy Series. (7 minutes)

De-cluttering the Office: Cutting Edge Communications Comedy Series

Seven Dimensions

A disorganized workspace is the only way some people can be productive, while others need to have everything neat and tidy. This episode explores what happens when one team member decides that the office is so messy that it is becoming a safety issue. Some coworkers resist the massive clean up, but in the end everyone agrees that a clean office is not only safer, but can also increase productivity. Part of the series Cutting Edge Communication Comedy Series . (8 minutes)

Appreciating Diversity: Cutting Edge Communications Comedy Series

Seven Dimensions

Diversity in the workplace is a requirement for a company competing in a global market. In this episode a team leader hires non-English speaking employees, who must be assimilated into to team. Concerns over the language barrier and professionalism are addressed, and the team assumes responsibility for improving the language skills of the new hires. Part of the series Cutting Edge Communication Comedy Series. (9 minutes)

Presenting with Passion: Cutting Edge Communications Comedy Series

Seven Dimensions

Since not many people feel comfortable speaking in font of a large group of people, business presentations are considered to be a necessary evil. This episode features the team taking part in a training session to overcome their fear of public speaking and change their presentations from bland to grand. Team members are critiqued on their body language and long winded presentations. Part of the series Cutting Edge Communication Comedy Series. (9 minutes)

Diffusing Anger: Cutting Edge Communications Comedy Series

Seven Dimensions

We all get frustrated with our coworkers on occasion, but managing that anger and frustration is the only way to build a successful team. This episode follows the team through a training session to help them manage anger. Anger over the “anger management expert” and an embarrassing role-play exercise prove how necessary the session was. Part of the series Cutting Edge Communication Comedy Series. (9 minutes)

Negotiating for Results: Cutting Edge Communications Comedy Series

Seven Dimensions

While negotiating a large contact, a plan to outsource services to another country is a sticking point for the customer who wants no part of it. This episode demonstrates the disastrous effects of poor communication, when that outsourcing stipulation is not know by a team leader who almost blows the deal when she is brought into the equation. The irate customer comes back to the office to confront all involved and has to be reassured that the deal will proceed as he wishes. Part of the series Cutting Edge Communication Comedy Series. (7 minutes)

The Psychology Behind Today’s Advertising

D E VISUALS

Today, consumers are continuously exposed to advertising. It is imperative that advertisers understand the psychology behind buying motives. This program covers the psychological dispositions of different consumer groups and the rationale behind common creative appeals.

Bullying and Suicide: Think About It

Cambridge Educational

Bullying is not “just a rite of passage.” In actuality, says the National Crime Prevention Council, it’s a leading factor in suicide among kids 11 to 16 years of age. And although bullying is only one of a number of suicide-related risk factors impacting tweens and teens, the fact that the term “bullycide” has entered the lexicon is a telling sign of how closely linked bullying and suicide are perceived to be. Structured around two scenarios in which a boy and a girl commit suicide after repeatedly being bullied, this video offers valuable insights into bully and victim psychology, types of bullying, and anti-bullying behavior through penetrating commentary by Erica Perlow of the Chatham County North Carolina Bullying Prevention Task Force and psychologist April Harris-Britt. In addition, alternate scenarios are included that illustrate how bystanders to bullying can help neutralize some of the cumulative psychological effects of bullying that could—and too frequently do—push students to take their own lives. A Cambridge Educational/Endeavor Pictures Coproduction. (21 minutes)

Facebook and Self Esteem

Inside Science

Researchers suggest that Facebook can have a positive impact on self-image.

The Moneyless Man: Mark Boyle

The Green Interview

This episode of The Green Interview features Mark Boyle, who defied the odds when he launched an experiment to live for one year without spending any money. Nearly three years later, he remains the “moneyless man,” living a subsistence lifestyle in Sussex, England. Boyle’s first book, The Moneyless Man: A Year of Freeconomic Living (2010) chronicles his first year living without money. His second book, The Moneyless Manifesto (2012), delves more deeply into the philosophy behind a moneyless economy, and here, in this interview, he explains how to “live well, live rich, live free.”

Working Together: Professionalism 101

Cambridge Educational

Because career success can depend just as much on getting along with colleagues as it does on job knowledge, this program addresses the issues that most frequently come up when working in groups. Through input from human resources reps, viewers learn how to handle conflict, gossip, and office politics; determine the types of information that should and should not be shared with their supervisors; and understand their organization’s chain of command. The video also covers in-office and virtual meetings (where to sit, what to say, conversation protocol), taking time off, ethics, bullying, and harassment; and a group of young professionals shares examples of bad behavior in meetings. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online. A Cambridge Educational/MotionMasters Coproduction. Part of the series Professionalism 101. (25 minutes)

Starting a Restaurant: The StartUp Experience

Businesses2Learn, LLC

Randy Price is the CEO of the Rocky Mountain Restaurant Group. Randy went from working in restaurants to successfully starting and profiting from four of his own restaurants: Sonterra Grill (innovative Southwest), Slayton’s (Kansas City–style BBQ), Salsa Brava (fresh Mexican grill), and Piazza Italian Kitchen (wine bar and pizzeria). In this program, Randy discusses the 20% factor in staffing; how theoretical food costs can help you spot potential problems; why you should always open a new restaurant on a Monday; how the “one-third” formula promotes success; how “cross-utilization” can be employed to develop a better menu and save money; how the 7 Step Service System works; and more. (68 minutes)

Moyers & Company: The Case for Old-School Faith & Politics

Doctoroff Media Group

Two movements once at the center of our society—liberal politics and American Christianity—have gone astray, say Eric Alterman and Ross Douthat. On this edition of Moyers & Company, each meets separately with Moyers to discuss the implications of this for American democracy. Alterman describes the grand aspirations and historical ironies that prompted him to write The Cause: The Fight for American Liberalism from Franklin Roosevelt to Barack Obama. He calls on liberals to regain “the fighting spirit” that characterized the New Deal. Douthat, the conservative op-ed columnist for The New York Times and author of Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics, is just as candid about how institutional Christianity has declined from a mainstream and bipartisan force to a polarizing, heretical combatant in the culture war. And, in a new essay, Moyers talks about the federal appeals court decision to allow political and issue advertising on public TV and radio channels. Broadcast date: April 20, 2012. (57 minutes)

Morale and Discipline: The Mind of a Leader 2

Holk & Lassenius

Based on the ninth chapter of The Art of War, which addresses the emotional well-being of an army on the march, the focus of this program is on maintaining order and upholding employee morale. With Lynda Curtis (executive director, Bellevue Hospital Center), who questions the efficacy of a punitive corporate culture, and Richard Valdemar, Tony Visconti, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, Jan Carlzon, Katie Ford, and Jim Buckmaster. Part of the series The Mind of a Leader 2. (19 minutes)

William Jurma: Foundations of Communication

Educational Video Group

In this tenth episode of the Foundations of Communication Series, William Jurma, of the University of Nebraska, speaks on The Importance and Technique of Discussion. (18 minutes)

Career Evaluation

Cambridge Educational

This program illustrates how to relate interests, skills, education, training, values, and lifestyle to specific occupations in the world of work. Based on the commonsense notion that you do best at what you really like to do, this video shows viewers how to find an occupation with job requirements that closely match their interests. Nothing predicts high workplace satisfaction like a close match between job duties and the employee-to-be! A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. A Cambridge Educational Production. (10 minutes)

South African Police Disperse Protests with Tear Gas, 1986

The WPA Film Library

South African Police dispersing protest by using tear gas Copyright The WPA Film Library.

Business Etiquette: Professionalism 101

Cambridge Educational

How should you balance social media and your job? What’s the best way to ask for a raise? Who should pick up the tab for a business lunch? In this program, both business experts and a focus group of young professionals advise viewers on the proper way to conduct oneself in different types of work-related situations. Among the many topics covered are nonverbal communication and “personal space,” handling dissatisfied callers, when and how to interrupt a busy colleague, composing professional e-mails, asking for a raise, and managing time effectively. The focus group also offers tips and anecdotes on what not to do at work. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online. A Cambridge Educational/MotionMasters Coproduction. Part of the series Professionalism 101. (25 minutes)

Bullying: Grades 6–8

Hazelden Foundation

Whether it’s physical or verbal, bullying can be both physically and emotionally harmful, as well as life-threatening if not dealt with in a timely manner. Most people have been victims of bullying or know others who have been. This engaging two-part video set introduces the topic of bullying and offers bullying-prevention strategies using age-appropriate language and grade-specific concepts for middle school students. In the first program, students share heartbreaking stories of real-life encounters with bullies. Also included is a video for adults that describes what bullying is and how bullying prevention works. Includes a facilitator’s guide. Produced by Hazelden. 2-part set, 8–16 minutes each.

Carrying Out Good and Bad Initiatives: The Mind of a Leader 1

Holk & Lassenius

In the eighth chapter of The Prince, Machiavelli discusses taking power through criminal means, saying that the new leader, regardless of how he gained the throne, must then act for the public good—except in the case of benefits, which should be offered sparingly. In this program, successful executives comment on the best way to carry out new initiatives. With Professor John Dunn (Cambridge University), who feels that if harm is unavoidable, it’s better to impact many people all at once rather than one at a time; and Mads Øvlisen, Bengt Baron, Edward Ashbee, Friedrich Mutter, Lynda Curtis, and Tony Visconti. Part of the series The Mind of a Leader 1. (28 minutes)

TEDTalks: David Carson—Design, Discovery, and Humor

TED

David Carson’s boundary-breaking typography in the 1990s in Ray Gun magazine and other pop-culture books ushered in a new vision of type and page design, breaking the traditional mold of type on a page and demanding fresh eyes from the reader. Squishing, smashing, slanting, and enchanting the words on a layout, Carson emphasizes the fact that letters on a page are art. His influence can be seen on a million Flash intro pages as well as on skateboards and t-shirts. In this TEDTalk, Carson teaches us that great design is a never-ending journey of discovery—for which it helps to pack a healthy sense of humor. This sociologist and surfer-turned-designer walks through a gorgeous (and often quite funny) slide show of his work and found images.

New Vision: Experimental Photography of the 1920s—Photo

ARTE France

Here Comes the New Photographer!, by Walter Graeff, was published in conjunction with Stuttgart’s influential 1929 “Film und Foto exhibition” and became the handbook for a new breed of artists evolving out of the Constructivist and Bauhaus schools. New Vision photography was based on the idea that modern, urban people see the world in a different way, both figuratively and literally, and was steeped in industrial motifs. This program examines the photographs, photograms, photomontages, and collages created according to precepts set forth in Here Comes the New Photographer! The video covers László Moholy-Nagy, Umbo, El Lissitzky, Alexander Rodchenko, Germaine Krull, Raoul Hausmann, and others, focusing on “The City at Night,” “Xanti Schawinsky on a Bauhaus Balcony,” “The Uncanny Street,” “Girl with a Leica,” and “Metropolis.” A part of the series Photo. (26 minutes)

Faces of the Enemy

California Newsreel

The classic study of the process of dehumanization, released during the Cold War in 1987, follows social psychologist Sam Keen as he unmasks how individuals and nations dehumanize their enemies to justify the inhumanity of war. Using archival news footage, public service announcements, and editorial cartoons, Keen unveils the same frightening pattern in conflict after conflict - World War II, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, Islamic and Christian Fundamentalism - and prefigures the current War on Terrorism. First we identify ourselves as victims. Then we blame, demonize and finally dehumanize our adversaries, rationalizing our murder of other human beings. Psychologists Robert Lifton and Steven Kull explain how war and artificial enemies provide people with the moral and mental certainties they crave, giving them a sense of purpose in a sometimes-ambiguous world. Mythologist Joseph Campbell, providing a note of hope, suggests that underneath the mask of the enemy we ultimately recognize ourselves. This, Campbell further contends, may be the origin of compassion, brotherhood and altruism, in other words the inverse of war.

Handling, Diapering, and Dressing-in Spanish

Snowden Media

In this program, parents demonstrate safe and comfortable ways to hold and carry newborns, as well as techniques for diapering and dressing babies. (19 minutes)

Political Philosophy

Films for the Humanities & Sciences

Who should lead the world’s only superpower? When is it acceptable to topple another country’s leader? Are personal freedom and national security mutually incompatible? The answers to urgent political questions such as these are informed by 23 centuries of discourse that started with The Republic. This program focuses successively on the pivotal ideas of Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Rousseau, Marx, Mill, John Rawls, and Robert Nozick to elucidate the thinking that underpins the West’s conceptions of good and bad government. Commentary by Ronald Dworkin, of New York University, and Kwame Anthony Appiah, of Princeton University, is featured. Part of the series Great Ideas of Philosophy II. (46 minutes)

Our Grieving Hearts: Stories of Parental Bereavement

Filmoption International

Franca and Peter Napoli said a long goodbye to their 4-year-old daughter Christina, who died of a brain tumor. Linda and Glen Woods lost two sons, one in a car accident, one to suicide. And Margaret and former Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau's son Michel drowned. In this powerful program, three couples describe the ordeal of losing a child and their search for meaning in the face of tragedy that can become an all-consuming grief. It is a search that begins with tears, denial, and guilt at surviving one's offspring, but often ends in a new equilibrium and a heightened sense of the sacredness of life. (46 minutes)

Graphic Design: What's in a Logo?

Digital Rights Group Limited

Graphic designers with the consulting firm Navy Blue must produce a new corporate identity for Digital Animations Group, a Scottish company on the cutting edge of 3-D technology. Their task is to create a logo that captures the company's spirit and works across different formats, such as on paper, signs, windows, and Web pages. This program follows the entire process, from sitting down with the client to determine the mission, to brainstorming and pitching proposals, to unveiling the finished product. (15 minutes)

Henri Toulouse-Lautrec

SFP Productions

A look into the brief life (he died at age 37) of the explosive and tormented artist, whose personal alchemy combined wealth and a noble title with physical deformity and psychological degeneracy to create some of the best-known and most vibrant and flamboyant work in the history of French art. Contains explicit nudity and mature themes. (French, 64 minutes)

Describing Data

University of Sheffield Learning Media Unit

Beginning with an explanation of the difference between "qualitative" and "quantitative" data, this program goes on to explain various ways of presenting data, including Dot Plots, Bar Charts, and Histograms. The program also explains Summary Measures, Characteristic Values, and how to arrive at the Mode, Median, and Mean, with a discussion of their individual drawbacks and advantages. The program goes on to discuss handling the Spread of Distribution, and explains techniques for measuring Spread, including Quartiles, Inter-quartile Range, and Standard Deviation, and concludes with modeling using Normal Distribution. (25 minutes)

The Elizabethans (1558-1603)

Fremantle Home Entertainment

Elizabethan dress is of particular interest to students of Shakespeare, for in his time, his plays were performed in contemporary clothes. This program explains the court clothes, how they were made and given shape; who wore what, and what kind of nonverbal messages clothing sent; how complicated it was to dress and, once dressed, to move about; how children's clothes reflected their role as miniature-version adults. (26 minutes)

The "In" Crowd and Social Cruelty

ABC News

What does it take to be popular? Quite often it has nothing to do with being nice. In this ABC News special, correspondent John Stossel visits middle and high schools to discover why kids dish out abuse, why they take it, and what parents and school administrators can do to make it better. He also visits schools with successful anti-bullying programs. Discussions with students, as well as with psychologist Michael Thompson, author of Best Friends, Worst Enemies, reveal a number of factors that cause popularity or unpopularity among children, adolescents, and even adults. (41 minutes)

Examining the "Economic Miracle" of East Asia: Peter Berger

Doctoroff Media Group

Walk into any bookstore these days and you’ll see at least half a dozen books on what American business executives can learn from Japanese managers. But there’s more to the lesson than just the techniques of management. In this program with Bill Moyers, Peter Berger discusses how studying the "economic miracle" of East Asia can also reveal some important truths about the state of our democracy, and about the character of individuals within the capitalist system. Berger—a professor at Boston University and director of the Institute for the Study of Economic Culture—analyzes the Japanese style of capitalism and argues that what works for one country may not necessarily work for another. (30 minutes)

Ethics and Scientific Progress: Maxine Singer

Doctoroff Media Group

Back in the early '70s, when scientists first learned to manipulate the living gene, they put a moratorium on some kinds of molecular experiments to give themselves time to think about what they were doing and set some guidelines for the research. Now genetic research is in full swing, as scientists work on projects ranging from developing more fertile chickens to curing cancer. But even as the discoveries mount, the dissenting voices are also rising. In this program with Bill Moyers, Dr. Maxine Singer, the geneticist, discusses her concerns with the ethics of science, the dilemmas of choice, and the consequences that so often accompany scientific progress. She also talks about the image of scientists in our society and the ethics of genetic engineering. (30 minutes)

Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory: An Introduction

Davidson Films

Albert Bandura’s work has become basic to an understanding of how social forces influence individuals, small groups, and large groups. From his early Bobo doll experiments up through his work with phobias and self-efficacy, Bandura has given researchers a sense of how people actively shape their own lives and those of others. Utilizing archival materials and newer visuals, this program introduces students to the vocabulary and innovative methods of this influential thinker. Dr. Bandura’s narration imbues the video with his compelling presentation style and intellectual authority. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. A part of the series Giants of Psychology. (38 minutes)

Making a Difference: Great Teachers, Part 3

WITF-TV

This program focuses on three instructors singled out as "great teachers." One teacher's infectious enthusiasm, another's solid dedication, and a third's sense of humor foster self-esteem in even the most difficult students. This is an interesting study of three very different educational "styles" that produce the same positive educational results. (26 minutes)

Media Ethics

Planet Pictures

Is a political candidate?s past personal life fodder for the front page? If a child commits murder, should the offender?s name be released? If a CD by a top recording artist has strongly antisocial lyrics, should the record label consider its impact on kids? In this program, news professionals and executives from NBC, CBS, Capitol-EMI Records, and Mercury Records speak out about the ethical dilemmas their industries face. The program also examines the case of Janet Cooke, who wrote a Pulitzer Prize-winning story about an 8-year-old heroin addict in 1981. The message was heartfelt, but fact-checking later proved her story to be closer to fiction than fact. In addition, the need for honesty and fairness, the subtle pressure of commercial interests, and the lure of sensationalism are discussed in this frank investigation of the pressures and circumstances that make up the context of media ethics. (28 minutes)

Audience and Feedback

Planet Pictures

This program explores the characteristics that define a desirable audience, the history of audience ratings, and the ways in which audiences are assessed. Because the mass media is supported largely by selling time and space to marketers, it has evolved into the main delivery vehicle for advertising, in which the company offering a product or service is the true consumer and the attention of the viewer is the product that is being bought. With billions of advertising dollars at stake, marketers, social psychologists, and statisticians carry out sophisticated demographic and psychographic studies to narrow audiences into well-defined consumer groups. On the back end, the Nielsen television rating system uses "people meters" on TVs to determine if viewers are in fact watching what advertisers thought they would. This program also debates the manipulative nature of television and includes a portion of Newt Minnow's "Vast Wasteland" speech. This video is an indispensable resource for understanding the dynamics of media/audience interaction. (30 minutes)

Advertising

Planet Pictures

Some Americans charge that the advertising industry promotes materialism and compels them to buy things they don't want. However, most are unaware that the TV and radio shows, newspapers, and magazines they enjoy for virtually no cost are paid for almost entirely by the sale of advertising time or space. This program features a historical survey of the methods of advertising in the U.S. Topics include the mass-marketing triumph of Lydia Pinkham's 19th-century patent medicines; the role of sponsorship in radio and early broadcast television; the application of marketing principles to the 1964 Johnson/Goldwater campaign, which featured the well-known daisy/atom bomb ad; and a step-by-step look at how a Ford Ranger TV spot was made by the J. Walter Thompson agency. The program is a valuable aid in understanding the persuasive, pervasive nature of advertising. (28 minutes)

Fair Play: Achieving Gender Equity in the Digital Age

Sue Ellen McCann

How will America close the gender gap that exists in technology, to empower female students? Set at Fulmore Middle School in Austin, Texas, this program exposes counterproductive classroom behaviors and presents measures being taken to correct the misperception that computing is a males-only domain. The Director of the Center for Gender Equity, the author of SchoolGirls, the creators of girltech.com and chickclick.com, and others scrutinize issues including equal computer access in the classroom, attitude barriers both in class and out, and efforts to develop software and Web sites that enfranchise female users rather than reinforce gender stereotypes. (57 minutes)

Understanding Violence

Cambridge Educational

This program defines the types of violence affecting young men and women today. Teenagers from a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds openly tell their stories of how violence has impacted and reshaped their lives. Each narrative is complemented by commentary from experts who explain the roots of violent behavior—and advise on how to detect the warning signs. A Cambridge Educational Production. (29 minutes)

Teaching Writing: A Process Approach—Level 1

Cambridge Educational

This program explores the process approach to writing instruction, asserting that the act of writing is more than simply the completion of a product; it is a complex, creative, and unpredictable progression of ideas and strategies. With commentary from veteran writing instructors—including Dr. Lois Matz Rosen, author of Within and Beyond the Writing Process in the Secondary English Classroom, and Michael Steinberg, author of The Writer’s Way: A Process Approach to Writing—the program outlines specific group activities for each step in the process: invention, drafting, sharing work in progress, revising, and editing. Lively footage from high school and college classrooms shows instructors circulating among groups of highly engaged students, offering advice and suggestions through formative rather than summative evaluation. A stylish, inspiring guide to an effective and thoroughly tested teaching method, Teaching Writing provides vital preparation for any composition, journalism, or creative writing instructor. Recommended for teachers of grades 6–10. Correlates to English Language Arts standards and Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) Information. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide and other educational resources are available online. A Cambridge Educational Production. (44 minutes)

The Drama of Creation: Writers on Writing

Films for the Humanities & Sciences

How can a handful of words, scribbled on a napkin or a train schedule, grow into a timeless play? How does a storyteller create characters with lives and intentions of their own? Is writing a miraculous act, impossible to explain or describe, or is it 90 percent perspiration? In this program, a chorus of famous authors discuss creative strategies that lead to emotionally charged stories and dramatic narratives. The video weaves together rarely seen interviews featuring nuts-and-bolts commentary from Neil Simon, August Wilson, Arthur Miller, Edward Albee, Peter Shaffer, Tina Howe, and other artists whose work profoundly moves readers and audiences. Exploring the writer’s craft from several different angles—the roller coaster of inspiration, the pros and cons of collaboration, the importance of listening to a character’s voice, and more—this luminous compendium of literary wisdom is an indispensable resource for any aspiring author or writing instructor. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (48 minutes)

Microscopes and Mutants

Agency for Instructional Technology

As the 19th century gave way to the 20th, genetics came into its own as a science. This intro-level program shows how the development of the microscope pushed genetic studies forward, and includes in-depth discussion of early cell theory, particularly the first observations of meiosis and mitosis. Exploring Thomas Morgan Hunt's findings involving Drosophila mutation, the program covers sex-linked inheritance, the discovery of the X and Y chromosomes in the early 1900s, chromosomal roles in the transmission of genetic material, the importance of gene-mapping, and ways in which the science of genetics has been co-opted, particularly in the dead-end study of eugenics. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. (30 minutes)

Communicating Social Support

Illinois State University

Beginning teachers often don't anticipate the challenges that high-needs students present. This video provides supportive strategies that boost the success of special needs learners. Exploring verbal and nonverbal communication through immediacy behaviors, the program shows how teachers can reduce the psychological distance between themselves and challenged students, with tangible benefits in student performance. The power of humor, praise, inclusiveness, listening to student feedback, and other strategies are discussed, as well as self-awareness points like speech tempo, tone of voice, and body language. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. (13 minutes)

Feminist Literary Voices

TV Ontario

Has feminist literature gone mainstream? And what place do women's presses have in society as it is today? This program offers valuable insights but no consensus as Gloria Steinem; Germaine Greer; Naomi Wolf; Lynn Crosbie, editor of Click: Becoming Feminists; Virago Press' Lennie Goodings; and Althea Prince, of Women's Press, Canada's oldest feminist publishing house, address these and other issues. Additional topics include personal "click" moments, idealized versus real-world motherhood, equality-and loss of equality-in relationships, and the liberating feeling of menopause. A reading by poet Dionne Brand completes the program. (28 minutes)

Bill Moyers Journal: Media Consolidation and the Erosion of Democracy

Doctoroff Media Group

Local news is the heartbeat of democracy, so why is it disappearing from communities around the nation? In this program, Bill Moyers talks with journalist Rick Karr and media activist Hannah Sassaman about the uncertain future of America's low-power radio stations, which in many cases are the last media outlets covering important local events. Also, Moyers and FCC Commissioner Michael Copps discuss regulatory rules being considered that will redefine the ownership and control permitted media conglomerates. What would an even stronger Big Media mean for objectivity and the marketplace of ideas, and what are the potential implications for the Internet-currently free and unfettered? Broadcast date: August 24, 2007. (58 minutes)

Birth and Death: The Life Cycle of Language

Syncopated Produtions, Inc

It is predicted that within a century more than half of the world's languages will become extinct, but as languages are lost, new ones emerge naturally or are constructed. In this program, Noam Chomsky; Esperantist Thomas Eccard; endangered languages researcher Peter Ladefoged, who has since passed away; and others provide insights into the language life cycle. Topics include constructed languages such as Esperanto, language endangerment and preservation, and the role of globalization in language obsolescence. The experts also discuss current language trends and offer their opinions on which languages may emerge as front-runners of the future. (48 minutes)

Brazilian Literature: The First 500 Years

Films for the Humanities & Sciences

Unified by the Portuguese language, the literature of Brazil represents the cultural synthesis of three distinct influences: indigenous peoples, European émigrés, and Africans brought to the New World as slaves. This program reflects on those influences as it examines the first five centuries of recorded Brazilian writing. With an overview of ancient folklore and verse, the program highlights connections between Brazilian and Baroque traditions; it also studies the importance of Neoclassicism and Romanticism, Realism and Naturalism, and Parnassianism and Symbolism. Works by Cláudio Manuel da Costa, Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, Alberto de Oliveira, Raimundo Correia, Olavo Bilac, Euclides da Cunha, and others are featured. An FFH&S/Tranquilo Coproduction. (48 minutes)

Racial Stereotypes in the Media

Films for the Humanities & Sciences

Although demeaning and offensive racial stereotypes were pervasive in popular media of every kind during the 20th century, most observers would agree that the media is much more sensitive to representations of race today. But the pernicious effects of that stereotyping live on in the new racism arising from disparities in the treatment of stories involving whites and people of color in a ratings-driven news market, media-enhanced isolationism as a result of narrowcasting, and other sources. This program examines the relationship between mass media and social constructions of race from political and economic perspectives while looking at the effects media can have on audiences. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (42 minutes)