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Friday April 23, 2010

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Week of April 19, 2010

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The World Is My Classroom

April 22nd is Earth Day, but there are still plenty of Earth Day - or Earth Week - events going on this weekend.

A quick glance:

The Anacostia Watershed Society will be hosting over 30 cleanup events along the Anacostia River on Saturday morning, and they have a Earth Day Celebration at Anacostia Park in D.C. starting at noon. There's also an Earth Day Clean-up the the National Zoo that starts at 8 a.m. on Saturday. 'Alexandria Earth Day' kicks off on the same day at 10 a.m. in Ben Brenman Park, and Loudoun County's 'Earth Day @ Loudoun" family festival takes place at Willow Creek Farm in Broadlands, Virginia on Sunday.

But for some schools in the area it's Earth Day every day. In recent years there has been a movement to make the natural world a bigger part of the classroom. Some schools are taking that one step further by turning the natural world into the classroom.

Sabri Ben-Achour visits the Audubon Nature Preschool in Chevy Chase, Maryland, a program based on the idea that the environment is a valuable teaching tool...

Welcome to the classroom. Welcome to the classroom. Courtesy of: Sabri Ben-Achour View more images from this gallery.

Globe At Night

The annual Globe at Night citizen science campaign released a world map of light pollution this spring. It didn't rely on space-age gadgets to collect information... it simply asked people around the world to look up at the night sky.

Almost 18,000 people from 86 countries reported on the brightness of stars - about 130 people reported from the DC area. Ginger Moored finds out what they discovered

Globe At Night Light pollution from North and South America. Courtesy of: NASA View more images from this gallery.

Fred Fiske: Antibiotic Resistance

A hospital stay forced commentator Fred Fiske to re-focus on the growing problem of antibiotic resistance.

Fred Fiske: Antibiotic Resistance Resistance to antibiotics poses a challenge to patients and doctors alike. Courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8499561@N02/

D.C. And Baseball

When you say 'The Washington Game,' many will assume you're talking about lobbyists and congress. But sports historians may know it as an early version of baseball, played in that strip of land behind the White House.

Now that baseball season is underway, we look at the city's rich baseball history. We're joined by Paul Dickson, author of 'On This Spot - Pinpointing the Past in Washington, D.C...'

D.C. And Baseball Baseball in D.C. has a rich history. Courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/geishaboy500/

Sportaculture 2010

The acting troupe 'Active Cultures' is staging 'Sportaculture 2010' this weekend. It's a series of plays all based on local sports - from high school swimmers to fencing, horse racing and a piece about the 'number one' baseball fan. Five of the six plays in the series were written by local playwrights.

NOTE - WE HAD AN ERROR IN THE ORIGINAL VERSION OF THIS STORY. We listed incorrect performance dates. We apologize for our error. The show actually takes place Friday, April 30th and Sunday, May 2nd at the Riverdale Park Town Center in Maryland - just off Route 1 between Hyattsville and College Park.

Stephanie Kaye speaks with Mary Resing, the artistic director of Active Cultures Theater, during rehearsals in College Park.

Falla and Flamenco

On Friday, April 23rd at the Sidney Harman Hall in downtown DC... three cities and two nations will come together - at least in a musical sense.

DC's Post-Classical Ensemble will share the stage with musicians and dancers for 'Falla and Flamenco: El Corregidor y la Molinera.'

The work is a combination of dance, pantomime, documentary, and music... brought to life with a Spanish choreographer and dance troupe, working with a New York dance company and a DC ensemble. Andrew Hiller has more.

El Corregidor y la Molinera on stage El Corregidor y la Molinera on stage Courtesy of: Jack Vartoogian View more images from this gallery.

After The Flood

Whether due to natural disaster, a water main break or a hot water heater bursting in the basement, many of us have had to deal with property loss in our homes. And it can be especially difficult to process when that property was an irreplaceable collection of photos or artwork.

A house flood destroyed decades of Rockville photographer Don Kimes' work. But out of disaster... inspiration.

Kimes' latest show, "Pentimenti: After the Flood,' is on exhibit at American University's Katzen Arts Center through May 1st. Stephanie Kaye spoke with Kimes at the opening of the exhibit.

Don Kimes Don Kimes Courtesy of: Bill Petros View more images from this gallery.

Theatre Review: The Dancing Princesses

Somewhere in your collection of favorite books, you might have a well-worn copy of 'Grimm's Fairy Tales.' And that's where you'll find the story, 'The Twelve Dancing Princesses.'

This month, Imagination Stage opened a new musical version of the classic children's tale - this time titled simply 'The Dancing Princesses.'

Metro Connection's theatre critic, Bari Biern has a review.

'The Dancing Princesses' runs weekends at Bethesda's Imagination Stage through May 30th. For more information, call 301-280-1660.

The Dancing Princesses The Dancing Princesses Courtesy of: Imagination Stage

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