Thinkabout

Season 1

60 episodes · premiered Sep 17, 1979

Where to watch Thinkabout

  1. E1 Finding Alternatives: Why Bother?

    Sep 17, 1979 · 15m

    Kelly researches and gathers information to write a book report on George Washington Carver. She imagines his life and considers different possibilities and ideas about his work.

  2. E2 Finding Alternatives: Brainstorming

    Sep 17, 1979 · 15m

    The school janitor comes up with a plan to stop students from painting in the halls and to make sure they clean up any mess they create.

  3. E3 Finding Alternatives: Blockbusting

    Oct 1, 1979 · 15m

    Different people try blockbusting by testing their ideas and visualizing the problem to find new solutions.

  4. E4 Finding Alternatives: You Can Remember

    Oct 8, 1979 · 15m

    On his first day at work, Pete tries hard to remember everything he’s learned as he begins his newspaper route with Erica.

  5. E5 Estimating and Approximating: Estimating

    Oct 15, 1979 · 15m

    The Shenandoahs use estimating and approximating to figure out how they can beat the other team in the canoe race.

  6. E6 Estimating and Approximating: Approximating

    Oct 22, 1979 · 15m

    The students use estimating and approximating as they work together to put their school play on stage.

  7. E7 Estimating and Approximating: Using Estimating and Approximating

    Oct 29, 1979 · 15m

    The kids and their grandmother use estimating and approximating to figure out which supplies they need to buy to help warm up the house.

  8. E8 Estimating and Approximating: Find Your Guide

    Nov 5, 1979 · 15m

    Mary, Bill, and Priscilla use different words and clues to help them find their guide.

  9. E9 Giving & Getting Meaning: What's the Meaning?

    Oct 29, 1979 · 15m

    Alfie has a communication problem with Jack about meeting him at the field until a man tells Alfie about communication about the way to give and get meaning.

  10. E10 Giving & Getting Meaning: Meaning is More than Words

    Nov 19, 1979 · 15m

    Alfie has a communication problem with Jack about meeting him at the field until a man tells Alfie about communication about the way to give and get meaning.

  11. E11 Giving & Getting Meaning: Remember the Audience!

    Nov 26, 1979 · 15m

    Chuck, Ginger, and Herbie create a movie for Mr. Callahan called All Around the World to help the audience remember what they’ve learned.

  12. E12 Giving & Getting Meaning: But What Does It Mean?

    Dec 3, 1979 · 15m

    Kathy and Diane share and interpret the meaning of the letter and the newspaper article, then compare their ideas to the story.

  13. E13 Giving & Getting Meaning: The Bigger Picture

    Dec 10, 1979 · 15m

    Danny runs away from home and takes a bus to another city, where he begins to think about the bigger picture and what his choices really mean.

  14. E14 Giving & Getting Meaning: Where Are You Coming From?

    Dec 17, 1979 · 15m

    At prep school, Coulter, Hansen, and Blake share and interpret the meaning behind their teacher asking to see them after class, both about their grades and about working on a story about the school.

  15. E15 Challenge #1: Time Capsule: Make a Present for the Future

    Dec 24, 1979 · 15m

    A time capsule is uncovered in the desert, and the kids explore its contents to learn about the past, understand the present, and imagine the future.

  16. E16 Collecting Information: What Do I Know?

    Dec 31, 1979 · 15m

    A boy finds a lost puppy in front of the building and starts gathering information to figure out where it came from. Meanwhile, two girls begin searching for the missing puppy, and eventually, they’re the ones who find him.

  17. E17 Collecting Information: Where Should I Go?

    Jan 7, 1980 · 15m

    Marty and Pete see a red glowing object in the sky. Marty goes to the library to find information inside the encyclopedia about UFO's, Him and Pete and gather objects to collect information about UFOs.

  18. E18 Collecting Information: What Should I Do?

    Jan 14, 1980 · 15m

    The kids complain about the school meatloaf and decide they want a change. They talk with Ms. Caldwell, the dietitian, to discuss new lunch options. After collecting information and sharing their ideas, they help get the lunch menu changed.

  19. E19 Collecting Information: There are Ways to Remember

    Jan 21, 1980 · 15m

    Cathy does Tai Chi in the park, and She forgets her notes on the bus stop and remembers how to do Tai Chi for her presentation.

  20. E20 Classifying: Classifying Objects

    Jan 28, 1980 · 15m

    Sam, his sister and his parents are having a garage sale to raise money and move, they classified and organize objects in the right column.

  21. E21 Classifying: Classifying Information

    Feb 4, 1980 · 15m

    Leora classifies information does a report about the Walker hotel and interviews Mr. Stark about the history of the hotel.

  22. E22 Classifying: Stereotyping People

    Feb 11, 1980 · 15m

    Lisa treats and labels her grandmother as old when she is in mean to her and treats her unkindly at home after being released from the hospital for a broken arm.

  23. E23 Classifying: There Are Many Ways to Go

    Feb 18, 1980 · 15m

    Heather, Leah and Kathy tell the interviewer about understanding a plan to solve a problem by doing things in a different way.

  24. E24 Finding Patterns: People Patterns

    Feb 25, 1980 · 15m

    Ricky learns about people patterns inside the classroom, and He does a people pattern on a old man inside the apartment building.

  25. E25 Finding Patterns: Communication Patterns

    Mar 3, 1980 · 15m

    Roger meets a deaf girl student named Jackie, He don't know sign language, so He learns sign language by Communicating Patterns to communicate with her at the school dance.

  26. E26 Finding Patterns: Cultural Patterns

    Mar 10, 1980 · 15m

    Chiquita goes to Mexico to learn her family's Cultural Patterns.

  27. E27 Finding Patterns: Nature's Patterns

    Mar 17, 1980 · 15m

    Susan visits her uncle, aunt, and cousin in town, and she and her cousin Howard spend the afternoon exploring nature’s patterns as they search for fish in the pond.

  28. E28 A Challenge: Search for the Unknown

    Mar 24, 1980 · 15m

    Scientists travel to northern Scotland to investigate the legend of the Loch Ness Monster, known as “Nessie.” Along the way, locals share stories and sightings, describing a mysterious creature that many believe resembles a prehistoric dinosaur.

  29. E29 Generalizing: Drawing Conclusions

    Mar 31, 1980 · 15m

    A boy is preparing to move to London, England. His father explains the pattern to him, and he later asks Mrs. Stokins for more information about life in England.

  30. E30 Generalizing: Checking Conclusions

    Apr 7, 1980 · 15m

    Angie explores what it would take to start a music group for the community talent show, hoping it could lead to a record deal.

  31. E31 A Tip: Practice for Success

    Apr 14, 1980 · 15m

    Jack doesn’t know how to play tennis, so Lindsay and Stephanie teach him. He practices consistently until he becomes skilled at the sport.

  32. E32 Sequencing & Scheduling: One Step at a Time

    Apr 21, 1980 · 15m

    Barbara, Rudy, and their family work together to plan and schedule the details for their grandfather’s birthday celebration.

  33. E33 Sequencing & Scheduling: Plan Ahead

    Apr 28, 1980 · 15m

    The kids work together to sequence their ideas and summarize their plan for designing a Loch Ness monster to place in the lake.

  34. E34 Sequencing and Scheduling: Calm Your Jitters!

    May 5, 1980 · 15m

    Nancy is nervous about giving a presentation at her old school, especially because her former teacher, now the principal, will be there.

  35. E35 Using Criteria: What Are They?

    May 12, 1980 · 15m

    Woody explains the criteria he uses to evaluate a baseball pitch, while Debbie shares the criteria she uses as a dancer, and even applies them when choosing a card for her mom. In class, the students discuss what “criteria” means and how to use it.

  36. E36 Using Criteria: Where Do You Get Them?

    May 19, 1980 · 15m

    Larry uses his criteria to ask the automotive experts what makes a good car. Later, his friends Mike and Ed ask him to judge which of them has the better car.

  37. E37 Using Criteria: How Do You Change That?

    May 26, 1980 · 15m

    Betsy, a basketball player, uses her own criteria to decide who should be the team captain. Now she has to choose, will she vote for Ellie or May?

  38. E38 A Challenge: Design a Language

    Jun 2, 1980 · 15m

    Two girls watch a deaf man communicate through sign language with the help of his interpreter in their classroom. Inspired, they visit a school for the deaf to learn signs themselves and later watch him use sign language on television.

  39. E39 Reshaping Information: Symbols

    Jun 9, 1980 · 15m

    Leah uses symbols as clues, while Burt, Faye, Jack, and Jody read and examine different symbols to help choose a name for their baseball team.

  40. E40 Reshaping Information: More Than You Think

    Jun 9, 1980 · 15m

    Alex gets a job at a carnival as a fortune teller, and he starts thinking about and reshaping what he knows to understand what a fortune teller really does.

  41. E41 Reshaping Information: Summarizing

    Jun 16, 1980 · 15m

    Jess summarizes his ideas by writing them down and gathers information from his friends to help him get a job as a cashier at a sporting goods store.

  42. E42 Reshaping Information: Maps and Models

    Jun 23, 1980 · 15m

    The Westside Wranglers use maps and models to figure out how to get their moose head back up on the wall.

  43. E43 A Tip: Get Ahead with Goals

    Jun 30, 1980 · 15m

    Leon enters a bike race so he can push himself toward his goals and chase a victory.

  44. E44 Judging Information: Should I Believe It?

    Jul 7, 1980 · 15m

    Sue decides to become a newspaper writer after she evaluates the information about aliens supposedly invading the town of Duncan.

  45. E45 Judging Information: What's Important?

    Jul 14, 1980 · 15m

    Jamie and Christy visit Sir Gordon’s castle, where they examine and judge the important information surrounding his death.

  46. E46 Judging Information: What's Enough?

    Jul 21, 1980 · 15m

    Bobby rides his bike to the until it gets stolen, He blames Eddie for taking his bike, He tries to get enough information to see who stole his bike.

  47. E47 Judging Information: Point of View

    Jul 28, 1980 · 15m

    Michael goes to Cedarville Park to explore different points of view about the automobile strike.

  48. E48 Judging Information: Persuasive Techniques

    Aug 4, 1980 · 15m

    Wes asks Allen to play football, but Allen turns him down because he has to go to practice. The other boys criticize Allen, calling him a nerd and making fun of his persuasive techniques, especially since he’s now in high school.

  49. E49 A Tip: Make a Deal with Yourself

    Aug 11, 1980 · 15m

    Duncan makes a deal with himself as he practices guitar for his audition at the country jamboree. Andrew also makes a deal with himself, he commits to showing up to work on time.

  50. E50 Communicating Effectively: Styles of Communication

    Aug 18, 1980 · 15m

    Bill, Donna, and Gunnar use their different communication styles to take people’s orders at the restaurant.

  51. E51 Communicating Effectively: Planning a Presentation

    Aug 25, 1980 · 15m

    The kids plan a school presentation to teach everyone about the importance of getting pets vaccinated.

  52. E52 Communicating Effectively: Making a Presentation

    Sep 1, 1980 · 15m

    Shannon, a Navajo girl, prepares a presentation for the annual speech contest about her heritage. As she practices, she learns the skills of oral delivery, body language, and eye contact to strengthen her presentation.

  53. E53 Communicating Effectively: Making Your Point!

    Sep 8, 1980 · 15m

    Flash doesn’t get picked for the basketball squad, so he tries to impress the coach—showing off his skills, promoting himself, and making his case right there on the court.

  54. E54 Communicating Effectively: Making It Come Alive

    Sep 15, 1980 · 15m

    Heather is a ballerina, and she writes a term paper about becoming one when she grows up—bringing her dream to life through her writing.

  55. E55 A Challenge: Make Something New

    Sep 22, 1980 · 15m

    Sophie talks about being creative, and the kids join in by discussing how they can make something new.

  56. E56 Solving Problems: One Thing Leads to Another

    Sep 29, 1980 · 15m

    Margie and Janet are babysitting when things get a little mixed up. Realizing they can do better, they start their own babysitting service to earn money. They even figure out how to get their own phone so they can keep the business going, until everything suddenly goes awry.

  57. E57 Solving Problems: A Matter of Time

    Oct 6, 1980 · 15m

    Susan takes two of her nieces and their friends to Lake Nedar, but their trip takes a sudden turn when they become involved in a plane crash. The plane catches fire, and Susan is injured in the chaos.

  58. E58 Solving Problems: There's Always a Risk

    Oct 13, 1980 · 15m

    A girl repairs the scanner so she can check out the plane crash involving Colleen, Roxanne, Cathy, and their Aunt Susan. Roxanne and Cathy take a risk when they decide to walk to a nearby town for help.

  59. E59 Solving Problems: Hanging in There

    Oct 20, 1980 · 15m

    A search begins for three girls and a woman after their plane crashes. News reports cover the unfolding situation, and helicopter crews eventually locate them and carry out the rescue.

  60. E60 Plan a City of the Future

    Oct 27, 1980 · 15m

    The kids share and discuss their ideas for planning a city of the future.