Sheila H. Troppe
The Television Criti-Kit (middle school)
WNET/Thirteen
Critical Viewing Skills Project
356 West 56th Street
New York, N.Y. 10019
Getting the Most Out of Television
Yale University Family Television
Research and Consultation Center
405 Temple Street
New Haven, Ct. 06511
Cutting Back
Objectives
To have heavy viewers reduce their TV viewing time.
To guide students in selecting worthwhile programs.
To interest students in pursuing activities other than TV.
The United States is a nation filled with TV addicts. It has been calculated that we will have spent an average of nine years of our life watching television. Women and children watch the most TV; an average of 54 hours per week. Even though teens view the least amount of television, it is still a significant average of 23 hours per week.
Obviously, very few of us are willing to entirely eliminate television from our lives, but a realistic appraisal of how much time we devote to it is necessary. We must learn to be critical viewers, selecting programs that merit our attention, not mindless slaves to the tube. Most importantly, we must not rely on the television set to provide us with our major source of entertainment and information.
This lesson has been designed with the above ideas in mind. It should run for a minimum of four weeks, and ideally could continue throughout the semester. Parental involvement is encouraged and the teacher might consider sending home a letter detailing the project and activities.
First Week:
During the first week, students will simply keep a concise diary of their television viewing. A sample is shown below:
My Television Diary _____
____
Sun. Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Sat.
7 A.M.
8 A.M.
9 A.M.
10 A.M.
11 A.M.
12 P.M.
1 P.M.
2 P.M.
3 P.M.
4 P.M.
5 P.M.
6 P.M.
7 P.M.
8 P.M.
9 P.M.
10 P.M.
11 P.M.
12 A.M
**Fill in the name of any programs you watch on TV this week in the correct time slot.
**I watched a total _____ of hours this week.
Second Week Activities:
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1. The teacher will list the following major categories of television programs and give examples of each:
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a. adventure programs
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b. cartoons
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c. comedy programs
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d. dramas
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e. documentaries
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f. educational programs
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g. game shows
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h. news
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i. serials/soaps
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j. sports
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k. talk shows
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l. variety shows
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2. The class, using a TV programming guide, will find samples for each of the categories they listed. They should then turn to their TV logs and categorize the shows they viewed the previous week. Were they able to determine their viewing preferences?
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3. A discussion of alternative programming and networks other than the three major ones should ensue. Students should become acquainted with PBS, the Arts Channel, and Nickelodeon (if available). Mention should be made of quality documentaries, after-school specials, and programs for the coming week.
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4. Students should attempt to plan their week’s viewing schedule based on interest and quality of programs. They should avoid haphazard or mindless viewing. They must replace daily, at least one program from the first week’s log with an alternative program.
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5. Students should become acquainted with the following rating system: excellent, good, mediocre, poor. They will rate the programs they watch according to some of the following criteria: (1) quality of script, (2) quality of acting, (3) degree of stereotyping, (4) extent of violence, (5) entertainment value, (6) educational value.
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6. Students will keep a second week diary similar to the sample below:
Sun.
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program:
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program:
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category:
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category:
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rating:
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rating:
|
Mon.
|
program:
|
program:
|
|
category:
|
category:
|
|
rating:
|
rating:
|
At the conclusion of this diary, students will be asked to count the number of programs appearing in each ratings category. They will be encouraged to drop any programs receiving a mediocre or poor rating.
An honest discussion of why students watched a particular show should now take place. Did they watch the show for (a) entertainment, (b) information, (c) relaxation, (d) or because you had nothing else to do? Students should understand why they watch TV and to brainstorm activities that they could be doing instead of watching TV. A sample list follows:
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listen to the radio
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word puzzles
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knit
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needlepoint
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read a book or magazine
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clean your room
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rearrange your closet
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cook
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participate in a team sport
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challenge a friend to a game
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bicycle
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take a walk
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swim
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make a collection
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paint or draw
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have friends visit
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go to the library
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make a scrapbook
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volunteer
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get a job
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fish
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write a letter
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woodwork
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bowl
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sew
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make a crafts project
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learn a new skill
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skate
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fly a kite
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improve your grades
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play a board game
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visit a museum
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join a club
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dance
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exercise
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photography
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grow something
**add to the list**
Students will be asked to determine a personal TV viewing goal for the next two weeks. Heavier viewers will view no more than two hours daily (including their alternative program) and lighter viewers should attempt to halve their viewing time (if possible) or to select quality programming.
Students should realize that bad habits are hard to break and daily encouragement should be offered. Parents should be encouraged to participate in the experiment and family outings and activities should be planned. At the least, parents can offer encouragement by turning off the set during mealtimes. A sample of a third week diary follows:
Programs I Watched Time Alternative Activities
Sun.
Mon.
Tues.
There should be a concluding statement at the bottom of the diary which might read:
I met my goal _____
I went over my goal by _____ hours
Parent’s signature _____
This part of the lesson should continue for a minimum of two weeks or as long as the teacher chooses.
Utilizing TV
Objective
To use television as a positive medium
Obviously, television is a two-edged sword. There are excellent opportunities for parents and teachers to capitalize on entertaining and informational programs.
Ideally, children should watch TV with their parents. This allows parents to present their views on sensitive and confusing issues, and to some degree, mitigate the negative effects of TV and to a greater degree, extend the positive effects. When parents and teachers use TV as a springboard for greater communication and when they help children to make connections between ideas and images, they are participating creatively in education.
One parent, dismayed by the sight of his children immobilized in front of the television, hooked up a stationary bike to a 12-volt battery and the television set. Now the children must pedal to power the set. The suggestions below are somewhat less physical.
Activities
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1. Encourage kids to find out how TV works. Visit a television station. A list of some helpful books:
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a. Bendick, Jeanne
Television Works Like This
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b. Corbett, Scott
What Makes TV Work
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c. Polk, Lee
The Incredible Television Machine
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d. Unstead, R.J.
See Inside a Television Studio
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2. Explore job possibilities in television. A helpful book is:
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a. Lerner Publications
Television as a Profession
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3. Write an original script for a favorite show or character.
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4. Design a set for a program.
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5. Listen to the background music on several different kinds of programs. See how it contributes to the mood of the show. Find suitable music to express different feelings (ex. happy, sad, suspenseful).
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6. Create your own slide show with appropriate music and sound effects.
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7. Research how make-up can alter a character. Design a new look for a favorite character. Create a realistic mask for another special effect.
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8. Research costuming. Design costumes for different time periods. Create special effect costuming (ex. circus, science-fiction, animals).
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9. If you have seen a program or special based on a book, read the book and then compare it to the program.
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10. Construct a television bulletin board advertising noteworthy programs and events.
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11. Define the following characters and find TV examples of each: real, fictional, realistic fictional. Make up your own stories for each of them.
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12. Create your own TV program. You can make a video tape and actually broadcast it on TV. For information and further details call: Storer Cable Company, New Haven, Ct.