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New From the Professional Library
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The Next Great Generation
College freshmen and their younger siblings
have values, direction, and purpose.
MillenNials rising: The Next Great Generation
By Neil Howe and William Strauss
Vintage Books: $14
Move over Boomers and Gen
Xers, here come the Millennials. And according to Neil Howe and William
Strauss, they could just save the world.
Using a wealth of marketing reports, statistics, graphs, and testimonials
from an in-depth opinion poll of the new generation and their teachers
and parents, the authors contend that Millennials--born 1982 through 2002--are
poised to become the next great generation, one that will provide a more
positive, group-oriented, can-do ethos for America.
Throughout the book--which explores the roots of this turnaround generation,
who they are now, and where they are headed--the authors convincingly
argue that while teens today may be heavily tattooed and inclined to body
piercing, appearances are as misleading as ever. Millennials are returning
to conservative family values, emphasizing cooperation rather than creativity,
and showing a new respect for rules.
More numerous and culturally diverse than their forebearers, their views
reflect the duty-minded, civic-oriented ideals of World War II fighters,
not the cynicism of their me-first baby boomer and Gen-X-age parents.
"The Millennials will correct what they will perceive to be the mistakes...of
boomers, by placing positivism over negativism, trust over cynicism, science
over spiritualism, team over self, duties over rights, honor over feeling,
action over words," write the authors.
Can children reared on Barney, Britney, 'N Sync, and the rest of the
bubble gum youth culture really be "the next great generation"? Consider
the evidence:
According to national surveys cited by the authors, homicide, violent
crime, abortion, and pregnancy among teens have all plummeted at the fastest
rates ever recorded. Teen suicide rates are falling for the first time
in decades. And today's young people have stricter attitudes about sex
than their elders, withvirginity being a cool new trend.
There are also the testimonials on every page--from children, teachers,
parents, politicians, researchers, and more--that speak of new hopes and
big dreams.
Unlike the latchkey kids of Gen X, Millennials can't remember a time
when parents and politicians weren't focused on them and their needs.
They lie under a gathering of adult protection--from bicycle helmet laws
to school uniforms.
Politicians campaign on their behalf, and as a nation we've donated more
concern and attention their way than to any other generation in generations.
Though the book does over-generalize, it's an entertaining read, with
an intriguing analysis of popular culture that could prompt engaging discussions
among old and young.
It's also hard to resist the book's hopeful vision for our children and
future. Many of the theories they wrote about in their two previous books--Generations
and 13th Gen--have indeed come to pass.
--Dina S. G?mez
Excerpt:
"The experiences that Millennials have not personally known also define
them.... They've never known what it was like to grow up without miracle
vaccines, eat foods without vitamin additives, entertain themselves without
electronic games of immense complexity, write a term paper without Internet
and word processor, be barred from schools because of race or from sports
because of gender, or duck and cover in nuclear war drills at school.
They've never known recessions, student riots, political assassinations,
red scares or foreign crisis that directly threaten the lives of their
families. So, too, have they never known pro athletes who didn't regularly
shop their skill and celebrity to the highest bidder, or a sexual landscape
that wasn't dotted with lawyers and deadly diseases, or a school curriculum
that wasn't an ideological battleground."
New from the NEA Professional Library
 Bullyproof:
A Teacher's Guide on Teasing and Bullying for Use with Fourth
and Fifth Grade Students
Published by NEA and the Wellesley College Center for Research on Women
Nan Stein and Lisa Sjostrom 60 pp. $15.95 members; $19.95, nonmembers,
1873-7-00-FN
Quit It! A Teacher's Guide on Teasing and Bullying for Use with Students
in Grades K-3
Published by Educational EquityConcepts, Inc., Wellesley College
Merle Froschi, Barbara Sprung, and Nancy Mullin-Rindler 122 pp. $15.95
members; $19.95 nonmembers, 1881-8-00-FN
Order both books and save!
Bullyproof set: $25.95 members; $27.95 nonmembers #1873-7-0S-FN
What's the difference between playful teasing and hurtful bullying? How
should you deal with a bully in your own classroom? Get the answers to
these important questions and the tools you'll need to deal with this
harmful behavior in Bullyproof and Quit It! Written for
K-3 teachers, Quit It! gives you problem-solving activities along
with games and exercises designed to capture your students' attention.
In Bullyproof, fourth and fifth grade teachers use role playing
and other activities to deal with targets, perpetrators, and bystanders.
Both books offer activities you can use right away. Now for a limited
time, save 15% when you order both Bullyproof and Quit It!
To order, call 800/229-4200, or check the Web at www.nea.org/books.
 Peter
and His Magic Bedtime Cap
By Paul Nichols
Author/illustrator Paul Nichols lost his battle with cancer two years
ago, but his family, including his mother Carole Nichols, also an NEA
member, made sure his book was published. This book is for kids going
through tough times. Many copies of the book have gone to charitable groups,
libraries, and schools. Order through Amazon.com or through Misty Mountain
Publishing. P.O. Box 111185, Anchorage, AK 99511; call 907/258-9800.
Bodywork and Other Adventures of Skippy Redcap
By Don C. Princeler
NEA Retired member Princeler has put together a series of short stories
recalling the events of the 1950s. The stories are all about Skippy, his
brother Robb, and a group of eccentric friends. If you don't know the
'50s, those were the years without shopping malls, fast food, or video
games. In short, kids invented their own entertainment, and this is what
the book is about. $12, plus $3 s&h for the first book, $1.50 for each
additional book. Order from Don Princeler Publishing, P.O. Box 87, Connoquenessing,
PA 16027.
I Teach Kindergarten
By Peggy Rush-Campbell
Rush-Campbell has taught primary grade for more than 20 years in several
states. This book covers all aspects of kindergarten teaching. Topics
include assessment themes, substitute teachers, parent-school connection,
and more. The book also includes plenty of student work samples, helpful
questions and answers, sample letters, and reproducibles. $19.95 from
Crystal Springs Books, 75 Jaffrey Road, P.O. Box 500, Peterborough, NH
03458 or go to www.crystalsprings.com.
The Inclusive Classroom: A Practical Guide for Educators
By SiriNam Khalsa
This is a book with proven strategies and practical guidance for building
a successful inclusion program from a teacher with 15 years of experience
working with a diverse group of children with special needs. The author,
a middle school educator and mentor teacher, includes in the book such
how-to sections as determining learning systems, setting up learning centers,
changing negative learning styles, and managing behavior effectively.
$16.95 plus $1.70 s&h. Order from Pearson Learning at 800/321-3106 or
from the Web at www.inclusion.bizland.com.
Africa Is Not a Country
By Margy Burns Knight and Mark Melnicove; Illustrated by Anne Sibley O'Brien
The title gives the contents of this book away. Many students probably
think of Africa as one country, not the huge continent that it is. As
the book points out, you could put together the United States, China,
Japan, and Europe and still not have a land mass as large as Africa, which
is made up of 53 nations. In colorful illustrations and briskly written
text, this 40-page book gives young readers a good overview. $24.90 from
Millbrook Press, 2 Old New Milford Rd., Dept. LS, Brookfield, CT 06804.
800/462-4703. On the Web at www.millbrookpress.com.
 My
Louisiana Sky
Showtime
May 13, 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET, check local listings.
Based on the novel by Kimberly Willis Holt, My Louisiana Sky tells
the story of a 1950s summer in the life of 12-year-old Tiger Ann. Not
only is she facing the inevitably difficult transition from child to teen,
but after the death of her grandmother, Tiger Ann must also decide whether
to stay in a small Louisiana town with her developmentally delayed parents,
or move to Baton Rouge to live with her sophisticated Aunt Dorie Kay.
The Ultimate Guide: Pyramids
Discovery Channel
May 7, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET, check local listings.
Looking back 5,000 years, this program traces the origin of pyramids
and considers their construction on three continents. Using computer graphics,
animation, and original footage, "Ultimate Guide" reconstructs pyramids
in Mexico, Peru, and China and illustrates how the cities around them
may have looked at the peak of their civilizations.
The Planets/Foot Soldiers
A&E
May 7-16, 7:00-8:00 a.m. ET, check local listings.
A&E Classroom presents an eight-part series that explores the advanced
technology that enables scientists to study space environments and features
interviews with leading astronomers, astronauts, and cosmonauts. Also
airing May 28-31, "Foot Soldier" looks at the lives of Roman, medieval,
Viking, and modern soldiers. Individual program descriptions and study
guides for middle school and high school students can be found at www.aande.com/class.
Islam: Empire of Faith
PBS
May 8, 8:00-11:00 p.m. ET, check local listings.
This three-part program chronicles the first 1,000 years of Islam's history,
beginning with the life of the prophet Muhammad, the writing of the Koran,
and the building of the first mosque. The series continues with the flowering
of Islam, the story of the Crusades, and the recapture of Jerusalem by
Saladin the Great, and concludes with the rise of the Ottoman Empire and
the influence of Suleyman the Magni-ficent. Scholars of Islamic culture
and historical re-enactments filmed in Iran with more than 300 period
costumes are featured.
Conquistadors
PBS
May 9 and 16, 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET, check local listings.
Michael Wood retraces the steps of the Spanish conquistadors in this
four-part series. Beginning in Mexico, he explores the conquest of the
Aztecs by Cortés, then travels to Macchu Picchu in Peru and retraces
the steps of Francisco Pizarro to the lost rainforest city of Vilcabamba.
In Ecuador, Wood follows the exploration of the Amazon and the search
for El Dorado, a ruler said to hold vast fortunes in gold. In the final
episode, Wood chronicles Cabeza de Vaca's life with Native Americans in
Florida and his 16th-century trek across the continent to the Pacific
coast. The interactive Web site at www.pbs.org conquistadors provides
an online learning adventure for students and interdisciplinary teaching
units for educators.
Conspiracy
HBO
May 19, 9:00 p.m. ET, check local listings.
On January 20, 1942, 15 men gathered in a mansion at Wannsee, Germany,
for a secret meeting to discuss Hitler's Final Solution. Reinhard Heydrich,
director of the main office of Reich security and head of the Protectorate,
led the discussion of the "storage problem" of Jews and presented the
plan to "evacuate" them from Europe. Only one copy of the minutes of the
meeting survived. Known as the Wannsee Protocol, the document provided
the inspiration for this two-hour presentation featuring Kenneth Branagh
and Stanley Tucci.
Anne Frank
ABC
May 20 and 21, 8:00-11:00 ET, check local listings.
Based on Melissa Muller's biography, this four-hour mini-series chronicles
the experience of Anne Frank and those hidden with her in the secret annex
and shows the challenges and risks faced by Miep Gies and others who aided
them in hiding from the Nazis. The Frank family's subsequent experiences
in the Westerbork Transit Camp, Auschwitz, and Bergen-Belsen are also
portrayed.
Pearl Harbor: Legacy of Attack
National Geographic Channel and NBC
May 27, 8:00 p.m. ET, check local listings.
Sixty years after the attack on Pearl Harbor, National Geographic follows
Dr. Robert Ballard in his underwater mission to locate the sunken Japanese
midget submarine that played a role in the attack. The program also explores
the ecological risk posed by the wreck of the U.S.S. Arizona, which is
leaking a half million gallons of oil into the waters surrounding it.
Interviews with survivors are featured, and Stephen Ambrose offers a historical
perspective to their accounts. Nationalgeographic.com provides first-person
audio and print accounts of the battle along with a virtual experience
of the attack.
Coming Home: The Veteran Experience in the 20th Century
The History Channel
May 28 and 29, 6:00-7:00 a.m. ET, check local listings.
This two-part presentation considers the fate of American soldiers returning
from war, examining how they were changed by combat and how they in turn
changed America. Support materials are available at www.historychannel.com/classroom.
Careers of the Future
CNN
May, check local listings.
This CNN Newsroom presentation considers the hot jobs of the next decade
and explores what teens should look for and expect from the job market.
Also in May, "New E-Conomy" airs, a special three-part series that explores
the success of online companies, new crimes made possible by the online
economy, and legal, financial, and ethical challenges created by the Internet.
On May 31, "Citizens of the World," presented by CNNfyi.com in conjunction
with the annual World Report Conference, features interviews with world
leaders about issues facing the world in the 21st century.
Weather and Geography
The Weather Channel
Mondays and Thursdays in May, 4:00-4:30 a.m. ET, check local listings.
This presentation of The Weather Class-room looks at how climates throughout
the world have been affected over time and how geography affects erosion,
winds, wildfires, and different types of storms. The Weather Classroom
is presented commercial-free, with taping rights for educators.
The Prince and the Pauper
Odyssey
June 22, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET, check local listings.
The tale of a prince and a poor boy who switch identities is presented
in this original adaptation of Mark Twain's classic novel.
KIDSNET, a national resource for children's media in Washington, D.
C., provides these listings. For more information, go to www.kidsnet.org.
Quite a Site
Art and art history, science and nature, history, and geography are all
explored at Eduweb: Adventures. Teachers and students alike will be amazed
at all the resources the site offers. There's an E-mail list also for
notices about upcoming adventures.
Youth Culture
Here's something for the kids, and maybe young-at-hearts, too. Openup
2images puts all kinds of pictures about music and youth culture right
at your fingertips. Thousands of new images uploaded monthly.
Medical Advice
Got health questions? The answers are probably online and available to
you, but there's so much information, where can you start? The Medical
Library Association might be a good jumping off place with all their links
to whatever you might be researching.
All About Law
If you want to open a Swiss bank account, report fraud and earn money,
or adopt a child abroad, WorldLawDirect can help. Is your employer monitoring
your Internet use? This site will attract lawyers and nonlawyers for sure.
A World of Data
ERIC, the Educational Resources Information Center, is often an educator's
or educational researcher's go-to site. You can search a huge database,
take a customer survey, or read digests and publications. It's really
one of the must-sees for educators.
Big Blue
Education and the workplace, health, environment, and energy--if it has
to do with government you can find it on the U.S. Blue Pages. Of course,
if you're filing late taxes, or getting a jump on next year's, you can
find all kinds of that stuff also.
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