Success in the Classroom

Three licensors have recently forged deals for educational content to be used in K-12 classrooms in the U.S., with two of them announced just last month. Together they suggest the range of properties that can have relevance in the classroom, as well as the variety of program types that are possible:

• The National Wildlife Federation partnered with Teacher Created Resources to develop Ranger Rick’s Reading Adventures. The program integrates text and photographs from Ranger Rick magazine into standards-aligned nonfiction readers, fiction and nonfiction adventure cards, a 240-page teacher resource book, and a CD. Subjects covered include elementary reading, writing, and science.
• Twentieth Century Fox teamed with Journeys in Film and USC’s Rossier School of Education to create eight comprehensive lesson plans for high school students, which can be completed independently or as teams, tied to the film Hidden Figures. The curriculum focuses on civil rights and other issues of the era that are depicted in the film, as well as science and math concepts.
• The NBA and WNBA paired with K-12 curriculum vendor Discovery Education for a series of interactive math problems to be featured in the company’s Math Techbook for middle and high school students. The content addresses probability, ratios, variables, weighted averages, and other concepts, using game footage and statistics to add interest.

These are just the latest in a growing number of examples of properties that have been able to translate into the educational space. Teachers are looking for ways to engage their students in learning, and districts are facing ongoing budget crunches that cause them to turn more frequently to free or low-cost resources. As a result, educators are likely to continue to consider solid educational materials tied to age-appropriate and content-relevant licensed properties.

For a summary of recent supplemental educational programs, similar to the Ranger Rick/Teacher Created Resources example, see “Learning to Love Licensing,” a post from November of last year.