The first hour of the Learning Zone is for Secondary teachers and students. The second hour is for Primary schools.
WEDNESDAY 19 June 2013
At 04:00 we take a look at the wider world with In My Shoes Plus: China. This beautiful and engaging child led documentary reveals the geography and culture of China through the eyes of five local Chinese children. It features life in the metropolis of Shanghai, on the banks of the Yangtze near the Three Gorges Dam, and in the spectacular and beautiful provinces of Yunnan and Guangxi. We travel to Germany at 04:40 with In My Shoes Plus: Germany - this rich and engaging child led documentary revealing life in one of Europe’s most geographically and culturally interesting countries. Through the eyes of three local children the programme features the mountains, rivers and coastline of Germany.
William Whiskerson returns at 05:00 and travels to Scotland to meet his friend Euan. They journey to the top of a mountains and William learns about the wildlife that lives there. The explorers then visit a power station deep inside the mountain! William makes a visit to a Bee Farm and learns all about the different types of bees who live in a beehive and how they make and store honey. He then learns how the bee farm collects and bottles the honey.
Fossils are the theme when William meets Sophie and Cameron in Lyme Regis. They learn all about fossils and go hunting for them along the beach. They then visit a fossil museum where they see a dinosaur skeleton and some fossilised poo! In 'Canal' , William meets Sophie and Harry on their narrow boat and they take a trip along the canal. On their journey, William learns all about the difference between rivers and canals as he travels through a tunnel and into a lock. William travels to Scotland to meet his friends Lewis and Breya in 'Forest'. They journey to the ancient Caledonian Forest and learn about the differences between the different types of trees that grow there. The explorers then meet some red squirrels and have a go at building their very own squirrel drey. In the final film 'Cave', William meets his friend Emily and they explore a cave in Yorkshire. Inside the cave they discover lots of different rock formations and learn how stalactites and stalagmites are made.
FRIDAY 21 June 2013
The Genius of Invention looks at Speed at 04:00. Michael Mosley, accompanied by Prof Mark Miodownik and Dr Cassie Newland tell the amazing story of three more of the greatest and most transformative inventions of all time; the steam locomotive, the internal combustion engine and the jet engine.
A special schools version of The Science of Space Dive returns at 04:30. These short films explain how science made possible Felix Baumgartners amazing leap into the unknown.
A new series of Play On! is at 05:00. Five more celebrity guests take us on a wonderful adventure into the worlds of the some of the best classical music ever composed and performed. The real and animated worlds collide to suggest the wonder that’s contained within the stunning pieces of music, as celebrity presenters let us into their personal thoughts on classical music and the vivid pictures painted by their imaginations as they listen to their favourite composition. Through the course of the series, we learn how these celebrities discovered classical music and the journeys that the music takes them on.
Films include Radio 1’s Dev talking about modern composer Anna Meredith’s ‘HandsFree’, CBBC’s The 4’O Clock Club actor Khalil Madovi enthusing about John Adam’s amazing ‘Short Ride in a Fast Machine’ and presenter and wheelchair basketball player Martin Dougan illustrating Handel’s majestic ‘Zadok the Priest’.
Dance with the Elements at 05:25 uses dance and animation to introduce children with special needs to classical music. There are four dances – one representing each of the four elements – Air, Earth, Water and Fire. The dances for each element have been choreographed to three different, often contrasting, pieces of classical music – from JS Bach to Karl Jenkins, Aaron Copeland to Johann Strauss and Claude Debussy to John Adams and threaded through with engaging narrative animation.
BAFTA winning Seeking Refuge at 04:40 uses beautiful animation and the first person testimony of children to tell the moving and inspiring stories of youngsters who, for various reasons, have been forced to flee their homelands and start new lives in Great Britain.
A treat for William Whiskerson fans as the Learning Zone will be showing many of his films this week. Starting at 05:00 with Island, Farm and City, William visits the Isles of Scilly , a farm in Somerset and the City of London. In Fishing, William meets his friend Charlie in his parents’ fish restaurant. Together they go on a fishing trip and catch some mackerel to cook for the restaurant’s customers. In Orchard, William meets Lucy and Laura in an orchard. He learns how berries, cherries and apples are grown. He then picks some strawberries and visits the orchard shop where he discovers how fruit can be made into juice and jams. In Eco Village, William visits his friend Ewan and learns how the houses have been adapted to save energy. They then visit the village allotment, where they pick vegetables and collect some eggs for their tea.
THURSDAY 20 June 2013
In this specially commissioned programme, Radio 1 DJ Gemma Cairney takes a personal journey through the history of the women’s movement at 04:00 with 'One Hundred Years of the Women’s Movement' - investigating landmark events including women winning the right to vote and the sexual revolution of the 1960s.
In Divine Women at 04:30 historian Bettany Hughes uncovers the remarkable and neglected stories of women and religion. She heads to India where she joins thousands of Hindus in the worship of one of their most formidable goddesses - Durga. Back in Europe she examines the contentious issue of whether women should be priests, and descends into catacombs beneath the streets of Rome to find intriguing evidence of women leading Christian worship between the 2nd and 4th centuries. In Milan the life of Saint Augustine and the doctrine of Original Sin Original Sin are explored. Finally, Bettany profiles the powerful women who were instrumental in the crucial early days of Islam.
Professor Adam Hart is joined by a team of primary school scientists to explore the fascinating underground world of a Leaf Cutter Ant colony in a special schools version of ‘Life on Planet Ant' at 05:00.
At 05:20 catch three short films from the Curious Cat series. From her magical home in a classroom whiteboard Curious Cat takes youngsters on voyages of discovery that explore basic science questions. Today children investigate how steel and a biscuit tin are made; next they find out what happens to sewage; and finally how electricity is generated and how it gets to their homes.
BBC Learning Zone Class Clips
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Learning Zone Summer Schedule 
