Dialogue for Kids is WILD About Bears!

So how big are baby black bears when they're born? Well, they are only about six inches long and weigh just half a pound, about the size of a can of soda. Fourth grader Nick Hughes may be surprised to learn that if he gets a chance to ask his question on Idaho Public Television's (IdahoPTV) Dialogue for Kids this Tuesday, March 13. Jennifer Hunt's fourth grade class at Cynthia Mann Elementary School in Boise tunes in every month to the science show designed specifically for school children. "I think it's neat because it gets the kids actively involved in the show," Hunt said. "They can think of questions and then they can be really attentive and listen for their question and other kids' questions. And it just really brings out their interest." The call-in format of the show gives students from all over Idaho the opportunity to ask scientists questions about the featured subject ahead of time either by e-mail (dialogue4kids@idptv.pbs.org) or FAX (1-208-373-7245). Or the students can call their questions in live at 2 p.m. Mountain Time and 1 p.m. Pacific Time, by using the toll-free line 1-800-973-9800. This month the show will feature Idaho's black bears. Guests will include Fish and Game biologists Jeff Rohlman and John Beecham (retired.). Beecham figures that in the course of his research he has captured over 1,500 bears, which already has fourth grader Nick Hughes curious whether "he's ever got hurt by a bear." His teacher thinks this is a great opportunity for kids to talk to the specialists. "It might motivate them to take it a little bit further when they hear the expertise," Hunt said. "We hit more on general topics and we're not able to delve into it like the experts can on the TV show." Ron Pisaneschi, Program Director for IdahoPTV, agrees that the key to Dialogue for Kids is connecting with children and educators. "This is a very interactive project with the schools, with the Fish and Game, with BLM, but it's really driven by the needs of the teachers. What are the issues that they're trying to explore and how can we provide them with the experts and the opportunity for those kids to really interact with experts in the field?" In addition to the live call-in show there is a corresponding web site (http://www.idahoptv.org) available for teachers and students featuring activities and lesson plans on the monthly subject. The show is also streamed live on the website. Moreover, Pisaneschi schedules special programming around the show airdate. "So this month it's bears and we have some programs that have been produced by the folks at Fish and Game," Pisaneschi said. "And then we take some of our own national programs and try and group them together so that the teachers have not only the interactive Dialogue program for kids, but also some resources that relate to the same topic that they can use in their classrooms." This is the second season for Dialogue for Kids. The show has been extremely successful, generating up to 500 calls in the live half-hour. And this year, the show has expanded by bringing in two new partners, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and the Bureau of Land Management to cooperate on the wildlife shows. The agencies believe that kids and animals go together and there is no better way to assure the future of Idaho's wildlife than to educate its children about their natural heritage.