Intel Provides Major Grant For "Bill Nye" Teacher's Guide

SEATTLE, Wash., Feb. 13, 1998 -- Thanks to a major grant from the Intel Foundation, every fourth-grade teacher in the United States will soon be receiving a free copy of the new 1997-98 "Bill Nye the Science Guy" Teacher's Guide. Major funding for the Teacher's Guide was provided by the Intel Foundation. Additional funding for "Bill Nye" outreach was provided by the National Science Foundation and The Boeing Company. This week, approximately 140,000 copies of the guide are being mailed to fourth-grade teachers at public and private schools across the country.

The Teacher's Guide expands upon the theme of each of the 15 new "Bill Nye" episodes airing on public television stations and commercial stations this year, providing step-by-step instructions for "Do It Yourself Science" activities and imparting a variety of intriguing science facts. The guide also includes information about the series (educational taping rights, how students can get in touch with Bill Nye, etc.), highlights major concepts covered on the series from 1994 through 1998 and lists additional resources that are available to students and teachers. The creators of the 1997-98 Teacher's Guide worked with an experienced team of science education writers, curriculum consultants and the "Bill Nye the Science Guy" advisory board to develop hands-on activities aimed at helping educators at the K-4 grade levels use "Bill Nye" programs as effective teaching tools in their classrooms.

Funding projects that help K-12 science teachers is a major focus of the Intel Foundation. "One of the primary objectives of Intel's contributions program is to advance math, science and technology education," says Peter Broffman, executive director of the Intel Foundation. "‘Bill Nye the Science Guy' does a very effective job of introducing basic science concepts to young students throughout the country. Intel is happy to support the national distribution of a classroom guide that helps teachers reinforce the science concepts introduced by the show."

On "Bill Nye the Science Guy," "stand-up scientist" Bill Nye keeps kids -- and adults -- engrossed by cracking jokes and doing "whatever it takes" to prove scientific theories, rather than just lecturing. "I want people to get more excited about science, so in the future, we'll have more scientists," Nye says. "If we don't have a scientifically literate society, this is a formula for disaster." Each episode features do-it-at-home experiments and is jam-packed with Bill's "Sounds of Science" music videos, flashy graphics, special effects and crazy camera moves -- all aimed at piquing the interest of young minds.

This season, Bill visits Los Alamos to check out a particle accelerator, goes spelunking in Carlsbad Cavern and explores the ocean depths in the Alvin submersible.

"Bill Nye the Science Guy" has been honored with an impressive array of awards, including six Daytime Emmys, a Television Critics Association Award, three Parents' Choice Awards and a National Education Association Award.

"Bill Nye" airs weekdays on public television stations and on commercial stations on the weekends (check local listings).

Major funding for the "Bill Nye the Science Guy" 1997-98 Teacher's Guide was provided by the Intel Foundation. Additional funding for outreach was provided by the National Science Foundation and The Boeing Company.

"Bill Nye the Science Guy" is produced by McKenna/Gottlieb Producers, Inc. and KCTS for PBS and Buena Vista Television in association with Rabbit Ears Productions, Inc. Major funding for "Bill Nye the Science Guy" is provided by the National Science Foundation, The Boeing Company, the Intel Foundation and PBS.

* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.