American Music: David Grisman
Musician David Grisman combines bluegrass with elements of swing, jazz and gypsy music as he prepares for a performance at Berkeley's Freight and Salvage. This Educator Guide is about the history of bluegrass music.
Forbidden Territory: Traveling Jewish Theatre
SPARK visits the ensemble of the Traveling Jewish Theatre in a bold and moving play about the Middle East conflict called Blood Relative. This Educator Guide addresses collaborative theatre, political theatre, and the history of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
History Retold: Berkeley Repertory Theatre's "The People's Temple"
SPARK follows the creation of the documentary theatre project The People's Temple Project from its original conception by David Dower to opening night of play written and directed by Leigh Fondakowski at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. This Educator Guide addresses the history of the Peoples Temple.
Home, Sweet Home: headRush
SPARK explores the work of theatrical performance group headRush. This Educator Guide is about the exploration and history of experimental, political theater and performance art.
Home, Sweet Home: Lorraine Hansberry Theatre
SPARK follows Jared "Choclatt" Crawford as he prepares for his foot-tapping new musical theater production "Hit It!" at the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre. This Educator Guide is about the history of drumming, street performers, and African American musical theater.
Kids on Stage: Marsh Youth Theater
SPARK goes backstage as 40 5th-9th grade students in the Marsh Youth Theatre (MYT) Mainstage Performance Ensemble prepare for the premiere of Jip, His Story. This Educator Guide is about the history of children's theatre in the US.
Looking East: Thai Bui
Vietnamese born sculptor Thai Bui's extraordinary objects simultaneously communicate a witty humor and penetrating sense loss. This Educator Guide explores the history and traditions of Bay Area Funk, Conceptual art and Minimalism.
Masterworks: Terry Riley
SPARK follows pioneering composer Terry Riley as he works with David Harrington and the Kronos Quartet on "The Cusp of Magic". This Educator Guide traces the history of minimalism and serialism in music, highlighting key contributions by noted composers such as Riley and Kronos Quartet.
Musical Instruments: Wil Blades
Spark visits organ player Wil Blades as he jams with Dr. Lonnie Smith at San Francisco's Boom Boom Room. This Educator Guide is about jazz, the history of the Hammond B3 organ, and the science of electronic instruments.
Percussion: San Francisco Taiko Dojo
SPARK follows Sensei Seiichi Tanaka and Taiko Dojo as they prepare for the 36th annual International Taiko Festival at Berkeley's Zellerbach Hall. This Educator Guide is about the history and traditions of the ancient art of Taiko drumming in Japan and the contemporary innovations of a global music culture.
Performance Ideas: Matt Davignon
SPARK explores experimental music with Matt Davignon as he curates "Live Play" at Artist's Television Access, the first event in San Francisco's Soundwave Series. This Educator Guide is about the history of experimental music and sound art.
Resettlement to Redress: Role-Playing
"Resettlement to Redress" recounts the history and experience of Japanese Americans after they were released from the internment camps when World War II ended. This lesson involves role-playing around the redress movement. It presents a different perspective on the redress movement and the issue of redress/reparations.
Resettlement to Redress: Tea Party
"Resettlement to Redress" recounts the history and experience of Japanese Americans after they were released from the internment camps when World War II ended. This lesson allows students to become familiar with the main characters of the video in an interactive and engaging way.
Strange Fruit: Analyzing the Lyrics
The film "Strange Fruit" looks at the history of the anti-lynching campaign in the United States, the history of the song Strange Fruit and explores the impact of Strange Fruit today. This lesson plan includes critical thinking and writing activities related to the song's lyrics.
West Oakland: Bruce Beasley
SPARK catches up with world-renowned sculptor Bruce Beasley in his West Oakland studio complex. This Educator Guide is about the work of Bruce Beasley and the history of modernist sculpture.
Work in Progress: Andy Goldsworthy
SPARK visits with international artist Andy Goldsworthy as he installs his commissioned work "Drawn Stone" in the entrance courtyard of the de Young Museum in San Francisco. This Educator Guide is about Goldsworthy and the history of artists working with the landscape and environment.
KQED Education Network, Art in Public Places: Jo Kreiter, Discipline: Dance
SPARK follows choreographer/dancer Jo Kreiter and the Flyaway Productions company members as they mix art and politics in a site-specific work about the history of protest on San Francisco's Market Street. This Educator Guide addresses the history of public performance art.
Sunlight and the Seasons
Children study seasonal change in sunlight in a global game of hide and seek. Students try to find 10 "mystery classes" hiding around the globe. The amount of sunlight is the central clue. Other clues link to each location's history, geography, culture, and more. Through these interrelated investigations, students discover that sunlight drives all living systems and they learn about the dynamic ecosystem that surrounds and connects them. This project reinforces a key concept: Changing sunlight d
Continents and Currents
Continents and Currents beautifully demonstrates how the position of continents affects the movements of ocean currents. It serves as an engaging introduction for discussions of plate tectonics, currents, climate, and even Earth history.
Native American Powerpoint Project
For this project students will research a Native American group that played an influential role in Alabama history. The students will then create a powerpoint describing the primary aspects of that group's heritage.
