Thinkabout, "a cooperative project for acquiring skills essential to learning", was an instructional program for children, produced in 1979 by the Agency for Instructional Television, in association with various contributing television stations in the United States and Canada. It was distributed to PBS and educational stations across the US and Canada as late as the mid-to-late 1980s. The sixty programs produced were aimed for fifth and sixth grade students to understand their learning process in topics as varied as language arts, mathematics, study skills, as well as thinking skills. Thinkabout was funded by various state and local agencies, with additional support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, one of very few CPB-funded programs not distributed by PBS.
Episodes
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.
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.
Different people try blockbusting by testing their ideas and visualizing the problem to find new solutions.
On his first day at work, Pete tries hard to remember everything he’s learned as he begins his newspaper route with Erica.
The Shenandoahs use estimating and approximating to figure out how they can beat the other team in the canoe race.
The students use estimating and approximating as they work together to put their school play on stage.
The kids and their grandmother use estimating and approximating to figure out which supplies they need to buy to help warm up the house.
Mary, Bill, and Priscilla use different words and clues to help them find their guide.
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.
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.
Chuck, Ginger, and Herbie create a movie for Mr. Callahan called All Around the World to help the audience remember what they’ve learned.
Kathy and Diane share and interpret the meaning of the letter and the newspaper article, then compare their ideas to the story.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Leora classifies information does a report about the Walker hotel and interviews Mr. Stark about the history of the hotel.
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.
Heather, Leah and Kathy tell the interviewer about understanding a plan to solve a problem by doing things in a different way.
Ricky learns about people patterns inside the classroom, and He does a people pattern on a old man inside the apartment building.
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.
Chiquita goes to Mexico to learn her family's Cultural Patterns.
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.
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.
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.
Angie explores what it would take to start a music group for the community talent show, hoping it could lead to a record deal.
Jack doesn’t know how to play tennis, so Lindsay and Stephanie teach him. He practices consistently until he becomes skilled at the sport.
Barbara, Rudy, and their family work together to plan and schedule the details for their grandfather’s birthday celebration.
The kids work together to sequence their ideas and summarize their plan for designing a Loch Ness monster to place in the lake.
Nancy is nervous about giving a presentation at her old school, especially because her former teacher, now the principal, will be there.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Westside Wranglers use maps and models to figure out how to get their moose head back up on the wall.
Leon enters a bike race so he can push himself toward his goals and chase a victory.
Sue decides to become a newspaper writer after she evaluates the information about aliens supposedly invading the town of Duncan.
Jamie and Christy visit Sir Gordon’s castle, where they examine and judge the important information surrounding his death.
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.
Michael goes to Cedarville Park to explore different points of view about the automobile strike.
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.
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.
Bill, Donna, and Gunnar use their different communication styles to take people’s orders at the restaurant.
The kids plan a school presentation to teach everyone about the importance of getting pets vaccinated.
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.
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.
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.
Sophie talks about being creative, and the kids join in by discussing how they can make something new.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The kids share and discuss their ideas for planning a city of the future.
