PBS Teachers Nov. 17 Webinar Focuses on Resources
and Strategies to Help Students Understand How
Germs, Viruses and Vaccinations Work

MEDIA ALERT – PBS Teachers^® (pbsteachers.org) and Classroom 2.0 are hosting a free webinar for educators on Nov. 17 about “Helping Kids Understand Viruses and Vaccinations with Sid the Science Kid.” Webinar participants will learn strategies and resources they can immediately use in the classroom to teach students about the critical topic of viruses, how vaccinations work if their families choose to get them, and how to stay healthy. The featured speakers are Dr. Cyrus Rangan, from the L.A. County health department, and early childhood education expert Moisés Román. They served as advisors for a special new episode of the Emmy^®-nominated PBS KIDS^® series SID THE SCIENCE KID that focuses on the science behind germs, viruses and vaccines using age-appropriate vocabulary and concepts.

Educators play an important role in helping students stay healthy during the cold and flu season. The new SID THE SCIENCE KID episode, “Getting a shot: You Can Do It!,” provides teachers and childcare providers with helpful resources to handle questions children may have around getting sick, why their parents want them to get a flu shot, and what they can do to stay healthy, while teaching science concepts. Educators can access on-demand video clips from the episode along with supplemental educational resources such as lesson plans, online games and student activities through PBS Teachers.

What: Helping Kids Understand Viruses and Vaccinations with Sid the Science Kid
When: Tuesday, Nov. 17, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET
Where: Online
How: Teachers can participate in the webinars after signing up for free membership in PBS Teachers. Membership provides preK-12 educators with access to the PBS Teachers online community, all of PBS’s educational services, and a searchable library of more than 9,000 free local and national standards-based teaching activities, lesson plans, on-demand video assets, and interactive games and simulations. For more information or to register for the webinar, visit www.pbs.org/teachers/webinar.

About the Webinar Speakers
Cyrus Rangan, M.D. FAAP ACMT, is Director of the Toxics Epidemiology Program at the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, Public Health. He investigates community reports of environmentally related illnesses or disease clusters and provides expert consultation and education to hospitals and other impacted professionals about medical issues in toxicology, hazardous materials, epidemiology, and environmental health. He also serves as Director of the Los Angeles Area Medical Toxicology Education Program for the California Poison Control System. In addition to these positions, Dr. Rangan is an attending physician and consulting medical toxicologist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and Clinical Professor at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Institute for Preventive Health. He is board-certified in both Pediatrics and Medical Toxicology.

Moisés Román appears regularly on the PBS childcare information series, Los Niños en su Casa. as Imagination and Creativity Expert. He is also the educational advisor for the national PBS children’s series, SID THE SCIENCE KID, produced by The Jim Henson Company and KCET/Los Angeles. Román is a renowned advocate of childcare and early childhood education. Currently serving as the Diversity in Action Chair for the California Association for the Education of Young Children, he appears at national, state and local conferences, presenting a variety of topics such as Men in Education and Early Literacy. In addition, he is curriculum coordinator for UCLA Early Care and Education, where he conducts teacher and administrator training at three Los Angeles-area schools. His other affiliations include the Heads Up! reading program and the California Mentorship Program, among many others.

About Sid the Science Kid
Developed to inspire a lifelong curiosity and love for learning in young children, SID THE SCIENCE KID appeals to children’s instinctive quest to figure things out, using a relatable cast, humor and music as key teaching tools. Sid, the show’s energetic and inquisitive star, starts each episode with a new question and embarks on a fun-filled day of finding answers as he encourages young kids to think about how to find answers to their own questions. Joining Sid are a colorful supporting cast, including his friends Gabriela, May and Gerald; his teacher Susie; Grandma; Mom; Zeke, Sid’s baby brother; and Dad. “Sid the Science Kid” is a co-production of The Jim Henson Company and KCET/Los Angeles for PBS KIDS.

Professional Development and Teaching Resources for Educators
In addition to the webinar, PBS Teachers offers the PBS Teachers Healthy Choices Activity Pack that provides resources and lesson plans on health-related decisions and a PBS Teachers Disease and Prevention Resource Roundup that includes a summary of related on-air and online resources.

About PBS Teachers

PBS Teachers (www.pbs.org/teachers) is the Web portal designed for preK-12 educators to access PBS’ educational services and a searchable library of more than 9,000 free local and national standards-based teaching activities, lesson plans, on-demand video assets, and interactive games and simulations.

Contacts

PBS
Kevin Dando
703-739-5073
kdando at pbs dot org
www.pbs.org

C. Blohm & Associates, Inc.
Kristen Plemon
608-839-9805
kristen at cblohm dot com
www.cblohm.com