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January, 2008

The Open Vault
WGBH TV archive 1968-1993 a gold mine of teachable video clips.
Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12


http://openvault.wgbh.org/

CONTENT
The Open Vault, presented by public television station WGBHs Media Library (MLA), is a free resource available to enhance classroom lesson plans and students' independent study. It provides access to select video clips and interview transcripts drawn from WGBH program archive from 1968-1993.
SITE DESIGN
This well designed offers several ways to find just what youre looking for. Users can browse the site by selecting one of seven topical categories in the navigation bar, click on an image at the top of the page in the imagemap, browse by people or series, use the search tool or create their own list of resources to peruse
 

REVIEW
This site is a goldmine of information and resources for teachers and students. A good place to start your exploration would be the Top Picks on the Open Vault homepage, and once in a relevant record, further recommendations appear at the left of the page. Each record includes a video description, and when applicable, program and series descriptions. Open Vault includes over 500 streaming video clips and more than 1,000 interviews drawn from public television station WGHBs programming between 1968 and 1993. Topics range from desegregation and busing, the Cold War, interviews with and performances by leading dancers, writers and poets, and much more. Some highlights include: Muhammad Ali discussing his refusal to fight in Vietnam; African American students arriving at school during Boston's court-ordered de-segregation; Bill T. Jones performing a monologue and solo dance; and Robert McNamara reading from a letter sent by Nikita Khrushchev to President Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The video clips are short, focus on one event, and can be replayed for in-depth analysis, making them a good choice for stimulating classroom discussion.

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1/25/2008