Television programming has a huge impact on the lives of children. This lesson focuses on the stereotypical and racial messages that are portrayed through television programming with a focus on situational comedies. During the four 45-minute lessons, grade 6-8 students will: analyze portrayals of different groups of people in the media;…

Provides background information and learning activities for six areas of inquiry concerning media literacy and violence. These are (1) "Monitoring 'Action' in TV Cartoons"; (2) "To Market, To Market (Share)"; (3) "What's 'Educational' Anyway"; (4) "Rating the TV Rating System"; (5) "Nine Risks of TV Violence"; and (6) "Teenagers in the News." (MJP)

Research concerning the effects of television violence on children--particularly young children under the age of six--has found that it tends to desensitize them to aggressive behavior and, in some children, promotes aggressive behavior in their play and other interactions with children and adults. This guide is designed to assist early childhood…