SDPB Learn

01/06/2025

Winter months in South Dakota mean moving snow…sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. And while the fact of snow removal remains the same, how we go about it has changed a lot over the years.

The problem of snow removal is nothing new for South Dakota but the way we approach it has changed over the decades.

12/30/2024

Are your kids or grandkids looking for something cool to do over break? Try these five holiday-themed physics experiments to keep you and your family busy with science during the winter holidays! All experiments involve materials found around the house. Parental supervision is advised.

These five holiday-themed physics experiments will keep you and your family busy with science during the winter holidays! All experiments involve materials found around the house. Parental supervision advised.

12/11/2024

Do you want to create a Termesphere-inspired art piece? Chrismas is the perfect time to purchase your supplies. Learn how to make a Termesphere from start to finish with this video lesson! https://sdpb.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/six-point-perspective-on-a-sphere-lesson-plan/how-to-draw-using-perspective-dick-termes/

11/27/2024

NEW Show on PBS KIDs – Carl the Collector

Carl the Collector follows the everyday adventures of Carl, a warm-hearted autistic raccoon who loves collecting things. The show focuses on social and emotional learning, emphasizing self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship skills. It also explores self-identity through Carl’s perspective.

Watch for free your favorite PBS KIDS shows like Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Wild Kratts, Odd Squad, and Sesame Street.

11/22/2024

Thanksgiving can be a special day for young children and families. Special traditions, family gatherings, and big meals are staples of the holiday. Children love the food, festivities, and time at home with loved ones. Below are activity ideas from PBS KIDS. https://www.pbs.org/parents/happy-thanksgiving

11/08/2024

How to watch 2024 All-Nations Football Conference Championships (Today, November 8): Pine Ridge and Winnebago (NE) will clash at 4 pm CT for the ‘9A’ title, while the ‘9B’ championship between Lower Brule and White River will take place at 7 pm CT. The broadcast for both games will begin at 3:30 pm CT on Friday.

The 2024 All Nations Football Conference championship games will take place from the Dakota Dome in Vermillion on Friday, November 8th.

10/31/2024

Balloon Bomb in South Dakota

In the spring of 1945, a couple living in rural South Dakota discovered a strange balloon contraption in their field. It turned out to be a relic of World War II, a balloon bomb. During WWII, the Japanese military sent thousands of large balloons toward the United States. They used air currents to m...

10/24/2024

Searching for Family Members this Veterans Day
HOMEFRONT: SOUTH DAKOTA STORIES
In 2007, we completed a WWII history collection project called Homefront: South Dakota Stories. We interviewed 100+ veterans at events across South Dakota. All the veterans we interviewed during the project have passed away. Over the years, we have received many emails from family members who did not know their father, mother, or grandfather participated in the project—recent correspondence below.

"Do you still have the recording of my dad (name removed for privacy) speaking of his time in the Army? I would really love to be able to hear my dad's voice again, and I am hoping that I can get it."... "I can't thank you enough for sharing these URLs with me; it was So Wonderful to hear dad's voice again! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I will send these links to my three sisters!"

Below is a list of many of the veterans who shared their stories with us; if you recognize the name of a veteran, please share the website with their family.

United States Air Force
• Cornelius Charles
• Andy Baer
• Lee A. Bevers
• Chuck Childs
• Ralph Christensen
• Waldemar "Wally" Dahlquist
• Delmer J. Dooley
• Joseph E. Habeger
• Roland T. Jensen
• James Kienitz
• Morris W. Magnuson
• Arthur Moran
• Thomas Oliver
• Herb Raker
• Ola "Millie" Rexroat
• Elmer Schulz
• Edward Seiner
• Edward L. Vacek
• William F. Vermillion

United States Army
• Wilton Berglin
• Edward Berreth
• Joseph F. Bren
• Robert Camp
• Elwood Carlson
• Dell Colwell
• Harold Combellick
• Stanley Cross
• Donald L. Davis
• Charles G. Dawes
• Merrill DeWald
• Robert Drew
• Orville "Dude" Eggebraaten
• Merle Eng
• Sid Engman
• Joie K Gjernes
• Harold K. Hanson
• Fred Houda
• Leo C. Huss
• Lester Jucht
• James Keck
• Charles A. King
• Truman G. Kittleson
• Edwin Kluthe
• Henry "Hank" Koslowski
• Eugene C. Leao
• Orville Lerew
• Joe A. Lolley
• Marvin Matthews
• Lavern B. Mazourek
• George McGovern
• Dave M. Moore
• Fern L. Morse (Marcotte)
• Harold E. Mueller
• Emil G. Mutschelknaus
• Arthur J. Nebben
• Sam A Nusz
• Edwin C. Parliman
• Frank Rasmussen
• Alphonse "Al" Solay
• Delmar Strunk
• Russel D. Testerman
• Harvey L. Texley
• Paul Thiner
• Arthur Valmoreses
• Eugene Weidenbach
• Charlie Wilber
• Arthur Wollmann
• Wesley Zacharias
• Don Zweifel

United States Coast Guard
• Albert Beck
• Milton E. Schulz

United States Navy
• Edward Boerboom
• Albert Bernard Beck
• Robert Buche
• Darrel Christopherson
• Roy Crisman Jr.
• Norman G. Herren
• Gerald Andersen Jepsen
• DeWane Johnson
• Harry T. Kelley
• William H. "Bud" Kennedy
• Earl Martin Knutson
• John E. Mackey
• Frank M. "Bud" Marshall
• Marvin Melius
• Jack Paulton
• Marvin Petzoldt
• Tony Schatz
• Bernard Smith
• Tom Tabor
• Don Tillotson
• Ellwood S. Wilson

United States Marine Corps
• Charley T. Andersen
• Ted Burge
• Ed Fitzgerald
• Richard Gall
• Dan Grosz
• John Heilman
• Leo Istas
• James M. Martin, Jr.
• Ralph Munyon

On the Home Front
• Lillian R. Berreth
• Helen Crosswait
• Wilbur Foss
• Vi Groethe
• Margaret Headrick
• Gertrude Johnson
• Millie Kittleson
• Florence Mackey
• Marv Paulson
• Stella Stevenson
• Martha Brodie Severance
• Patricia Sundheim
• Jean Tommeraasen
• Clarice A Weiss
• Lonis Wendt
• Elta Woodard

SDPB Local Hero Coverage: Homefront

10/14/2024

"Tatanka (Buffalo): A Way of Life for Native People in the Past and Present" explores how the reintroduction of buffalo to the Native People helps them reclaim their identity, culture, and traditions.

Tribes have an inherent right to reintroduce and manage Tatanka (buffalo) on their reservations to preserve their way of life. This lesson plan explores how the reintroduction of Tatanka to the Native People helps them reclaim their identity, culture, and traditions. 

09/28/2024

SDPB Presents - Echoes of Innovation: A (Virtual Reality) Leap from Da Vinci to Termes (FREE)
Saturday, October 05, 2024
01:00 PM - 04:30 PM
SD Mines

Echoes of Innovation: A (Virtual Reality) Leap from Da Vinci to Termes - October 5, 2024 at 465 E St Joseph St, Rapid City, SD 57701. Find event and ticket information on Ticketbud.

09/28/2024

SDPB Presents: An Evening with Leonardo da Vinci (FREE)
Thursday, October 03, 2024
06:00 PM - 09:00 PM

SDPB Presents: An Evening with Leonardo da Vinci - Sioux Falls - October 3, 2024 at 301 South Main Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD, USA. Find event and ticket information on Ticketbud.

09/25/2024

Watch the annual Custer State Park Roundup on SDPB. (Below is a lesson plan related to the efforts at Custer State Park and Badlands National Park to maintain a healthy buffalo population by facilitating an annual roundup.)

https://static.pbslearningmedia.org/media/media_files/e1b322e0-9946-4893-bfc7-3bc19ed0b29e/bfce8fab-a87d-46bc-ab83-992beac24ca3.docx

https://www.sdpb.org/arts-life/2024-09-24/custer-state-park-buffalo-roundup-is-more-than-just-bison-watching

Friday, park officials and selected cowboys and cowgirls work together to roundup the Custer State Parks bison to get them branded and tested.

09/13/2024

“Jamming on the Job” with a Park Ranger from Wind Cave - "Jamming on the Job" is a PBS Kids podcast for kids, their parents, and caregivers. The show is about Christina and Andrés, who tour the country and perform songs about work. At each stop, they meet someone with a different job who helps them learn about the world of work. The hosts then use their Magic Beatmaster Boombox to compose an original song about the job.

Park Ranger Chaske helps Andrés to brave the darkness at Wind Cave National Park.

09/09/2024

Fall is a great time to spend time with your family birding.https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/15/74/dba92be94886972290501ff2af29/buddybirdcountsheet.pdf

08/28/2024

The K-12 Educational Newsletter will start soon for the 24-25 school year. Register today to access engaging educational resources for the children in your care. We have many lesson plans, educational videos, interactives, and more. https://www.k12.sd.us/MailingLists/SDPBEdServices

08/11/2024

Back to School - School is back in session soon! Explore different topics, such as coping with back-to-school anxieties and emotions, creating daily routines, and tackling common situations that arise with the start of school. Ease the transition with some fun lunch boxes or after-school snacks and downtime activities.

Help kids get ready for school! Here's how to start with free printable checklists, daily routines for kids, and easing worries about going back to school.

07/25/2024

Stay Cool Out There - The Science of Keeping Cool!

Learn how a cooling vest can help regulate body temperature in this video from NOVA: “Making Stuff Colder.” Host and technology columnist David Pogue explores what heat is and how it moves from areas of higher temperature to areas of lower temperature. Pogue first demonstrates how someone wearin...

07/18/2024

The SDPB Education Department is working on new resources for the 24-25 school year. The following video is being added to our PBS LearningMedia site: https://sdpb.pbslearningmedia.org/. This resource is part of our Tatanka: A Way of Life series. The video provides examples of buffalo parts and their traditional usage.