Sesame Street, beloved by four-decades of preschoolers and their caregivers, launches season 42 on September 26 at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. In an effort to encourage school readiness, especially in the disciplines of science and math, areas where U.S. students are falling behind, the new season focuses on a STEM curriculum, an acronym for science, technology, engineering and math. Other season highlights include original songs and street stories; a brand new segment “Murray’s Science Experiments;” new “Super Grover 2.0” stories and new “Abby’s Flying Fairy School” animations. Also in season 42 are many humorous celebrity moments featuring Elmo, Oscar, Abby and their friends making keen observations and showing their interest in hands-on investigation...all of which reinforce and encourage preschoolers to say: “Let’s find out!”
The new season continues to bring laughter and learning to children by concentrating on STEM education; encouraging children to think critically about science, technology, engineering and math. Sesame Street’s furry residents are more curious than ever about the world around them, using a hands-on, ears-on, eyes-on approach to tackle complex problems and understand puzzling phenomena. From observing the properties of bubbles to experimenting to see “what worms like to squirm on best” to engineering a boat for Zoe’s pet rock, Elmo and the gang use the processes of scientific inquiry to make sense of their environment.
“Sesame Street’s curriculum fosters children’s natural inclinations to ask questions and encourages investigation and experimentation in order to make new discoveries,” adds Dr. Rosemarie Truglio, Vice President of Education and Research, Sesame Workshop. “By approaching STEM education as an integrated discipline through the process of scientific inquiry, rather than individual domains, the curriculum helps children develop a better understanding of how things work, and builds stronger cognitive reasoning, critical thinking and problem solving skills.”
Season 42 of Sesame Street also introduces a new interstitial featuring the excitable, inquisitive and furry orange monster, Murray. In 11 new segments airing at the beginning of each STEM-related show, Murray poses a scientific question and sets up an experiment to find the best answer to his question. With help from some friends, Murray observes, investigates and discovers the answers to his questions! “Murray’s Science Experiments” furthers the season’s STEM curriculum focus and helps preschoolers say, “Let’s find out!”
An impressive line-up of celebrities and headline makers are featured in the new season including Academy Award-winning and nominated actors Nicole Kidman, Robin Williams, Amy Adams, Naomi Watts and Mark Ruffalo; Golden Globe nominated actors Liev Schreiber, Mila Kunis, Sofia Vergara and Emma Stone; Emmy Award-winning and nominated actors Seth Rogen, Andy Samberg and Jesse Tyler Ferguson; X-Men’s James Marsden; Gone Baby Gone’s Michelle Monaghan; Bored to Death’s Jason Schwartzman; actor Jerry O’Connell; Grammy Award-winning and nominated musicians Juanes, Elvis Costello and Bruno Mars; LA Philharmonic’s Gustavo Dudamel; rapper Jay Sean; late night hosts Craig Ferguson, Jimmy Kimmel, George Lopez and Conan O’Brien; New Orleans Saints Quarterback and MVP of Super Bowl XLIV Drew Brees; The Harlem Globetrotters; NBA All-Stars and New York Knicks players Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony; The Daily Show’s Samantha Bee and Jason Jones; The Big Bang Theory’s Johnny Galecki; The Office’s John Krasinski; Community’s Joel McHale and Ken Jeong; CSI Miami’s Adam Rodriguez; Modern Family’s Rico Rodriguez; Broadway star Sutton Foster; Access Hollywood’s Maria Menounos and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
Get a sneak peak at the new season in the video below.
Below is a sneak peak at the hysterical "SpiderMonster, The Musical" episode!
