Thinkabout (American TV series) facts for kids

Thinkabout was a special TV show made for kids. It helped them learn important skills for school and life. The show was created in 1979 by the Agency for Instructional Technology, working with TV stations in the United States and Canada.

It was shown on PBS and other educational TV channels across the US and Canada. This happened from the late 1970s until the late 1980s. There was even a follow-up show called Thinkabout II.

The show had 60 episodes, each about 15 minutes long. It was made for students in fifth and sixth grade. Thinkabout helped kids understand how they learn. It covered many topics like language, math, and how to study better. It also taught important thinking skills.

The show got money from different groups, including the Exxon Corporation. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting also helped. This was one of the few shows they funded that wasn't shown directly by PBS.

What You Could Learn

Thinkabout taught many useful skills. It helped kids become better thinkers and learners. Here are some of the main topics covered in the episodes:

• Thinking Skills: This included ideas like brainstorming new ideas. It also taught how to solve problems and make good decisions.
• Study Skills: The show gave tips on how to remember things. It also showed how to organize information and plan your work.
• Language Arts: Kids learned about understanding what words mean. They also learned how to write for different people.
• Math Skills: This part focused on estimating and guessing numbers. It helped kids understand how to use math in everyday life.
• Patterns: The show explored patterns in people, communication, and even nature.

Episode List

There were 60 episodes of Thinkabout. Each one focused on a different skill or idea. Here is a list of all the episodes:

This film, television or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it with reliably sourced additions.

• 1. Why Bother?
• 2. Brainstorming
• 3. Blockbusting
• 4. You Can Remember
• 5. Estimating
• 6. Approximating
• 7. Using Estimating and Approximation
• 8. Find Your Guide
• 9. What's the Meaning?
• 10. Meaning is More Than Words
• 11. Remember the Audience!
• 12. But, What Does it Mean?
• 13. The Biggest Picture
• 14. Where are You Coming From?
• 15. Make a Present for the Future
• 16. What Do You Know?
• 17. Where Should I Go?
• 18. What Should I Know?
• 19. There are Ways to Remember
• 20. Classfying Objects
• 21. Classfying Information
• 22. People
• 23. There are Many Ways to Go
• 24. People Patterns
• 25. Communication Patterns
• 26. Cultural Patterns
• 27. Nature's Patterns
• 28. Search for the Unknown
• 29. Drawing Conclusions
• 30. Checking Conclusions
• 31. Practice for Success
• 32. One Step at a Time
• 33. Plan Ahead
• 34. Calm Your Jitters!
• 35. What are They?
• 36. Where Do You Get Them?
• 37. How Do You Change That?
• 38. Design a Language
• 39. Symbols
• 40. More Than You Think
• 41. Summarizing
• 42. Using Maps and Models
• 43. Get Ahead with Goals
• 44. Should I Believe?
• 45. What's Important?
• 46. What's Enough?
• 47. Point of View
• 48. Persuasive Techniques
• 49. Make a Deal with Yourself
• 50. Styles of Communication
• 51. Planning a Presentation
• 52. Making a Presentation
• 53. Making Your Point
• 54. Making it Come Alive
• 55. Making Something New
• 56. One Thing Leads to Another
• 57. A Matter of Time
• 58. There's Always a Risk
• 59. Hanging in There
• 60. Plan a City of the Future

Fun Facts

• In the 1979-1980 school year, the show worked with Weekly Reader magazine. This magazine added a special Thinkabout section in their editions for 4th and 5th graders.
• This American and Canadian Thinkabout show is not connected to a British TV show with the same name. The British show, shown on BBC Two, focused on science.