Tune In

November 16.
Live from the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C., The Disney Channel broadcasts the fifth annual "American Teacher Awards.'' The two-and-a-half-hour special profiles 36 outstanding elementary and secondary school teachers across the nation, who were chosen through student essays about how they made a difference in their students' lives. Celebrities will present awards in 12 categories; the teachers themselves will then select one among them as Outstanding Teacher of 1994. Air time: 7 p.m. (EST).

November 19.
The Discovery Channel premieres "The Space Shuttle,'' a two-hour glimpse of what it takes to prepare a shuttle mission. The program follows NASA workers and astronauts from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to Houston's Johnson Space Center as they go through astronaut training and test every component of the spacecraft for safety and precision. Air time: 8 p.m. (EST).

November 24.
Black Entertainment Television re-airs "Race to Freedom--The Underground Railroad,'' a two-hour documentary that profiles the lives of some of the brave men and women who escaped slavery during the Civil War era and who risked their lives to help others escape. For a free teachers' guide, contact BET at (800) 229-BETV. Air time: 9 p.m. (EST).

December 5.
The Discovery Channel commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz., in a one-hour special, "Stargazers.'' The program tells the story of the observatory--the site of such important astronomical events as the discovery of Pluto, observations leading to the Big Bang Theory, moon mapping, and the recent tracking of the comet that collided with Jupiter--and its eccentric founder, Percival Lowell. Air time: 9 p.m. (EST).

December 6.
As part of its Schoolbreak Special series, CBS presents "50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth,'' based on the book by the same name. During the one-hour show, actors Brian Austin Green and Sara Gilbert present ways kids can make a difference in their communities and preserve the environment. For a free study guide for CBS Schoolbreak Specials, contact: KIDSNET, Suite 208, 6856 Eastern Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20012. Air time: 4 p.m. (EST).

December 31.
The Learning Channel airs the one-hour premiere episode of a new series, Human Beings. The weekly show will address such questions as: How does a baby see the world? What diseases pose the greatest threats to humans? How do our emotions affect our well-being? The program places humans under the microscope and explains our physical and mental developments. Air time: 10 p.m. (EST).

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