This paper discusses the role of media in presenting information to society and emphasizes the need for English teachers to incorporate critical media awareness into education. Four postulations are identified that are at the core of teaching media as a form of textual construction: (1) all media are a construction, which represents conscious and…

The overall pattern of research findings indicates a positive association between television violence and aggressive behavior. The first congressional hearing on television took place in 1952, when the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce investigated television entertainment to ascertain if it was excessively violent and sexually…

This booklet (Practitioner's Guide), in both an English version and a Spanish version, is intended to help parents apply the findings of research to parental mediation of television viewing by their children, including gifted children. Research facts are briefly summarized and implications for the home are drawn. Suggestions for parents are…

This paper presents a 2-week unit on stereotype and bias in the media (using wolves as an example) to develop children's critical viewing of television and to develop their thinking skills. The paper begins with a description of the daily grammar, weekly spelling, and science activities, and then presents a description of class activities for each…

This unit, consisting of 12 multi-activity lessons, was designed to accompany a field trip to Walney, a park site near Centreville, Virginia, but may be adapted for independent use. The unit focuses on the task of an archaeologist. Archaeological sites, artifacts, and historical records are examined by students in order to develop an understanding…

This guide is designed to promote discussion of any photograph with students, whether encountered in the classroom, in textbooks, or in other school materials. The guide contains a one-page handout which uses Dorothea Lange's photograph "White Angel Breadline" to discuss 10 photographic elements: aesthetic elements, punctum, title,…

The communication technologies of television and common carriers have an important correlativity to message formation, due to their ability to bring the public information at lightning speed. Historicity, the science of writing history, can be used by the television critic in order to critique national and international broadcasting. Blacks,…

An instructor uses a unique instructional paradigm in his MCOM 1003/Introduction to Mass Communication course at Southern Arkansas University (SAU) in a unit on media and politics. According to his students, one of the most popular learning strategies is the use of original edited videos that focus on dubious practices by some media professionals.…

Developed by classroom teachers during the development phase of Minnesota's Graduation Standards, this performance package is made up of locally designed assignments that, taken together, show whether a student has learned and can apply the knowledge and skills related to interpreting and evaluating complex works of music, dance, theater, visual…

This slide exercise is intended to communicate information about the three major monotheistic religions of the Middle East: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The exercise focuses on beliefs, events, symbols, institutions, and practices important to the three religions, but the main purpose is to impress upon students the many things that these…

To believe that students are not using reading and analytical skills when they watch or "read" a movie is to miss the power and complexities of film--and of students' viewing processes. This book encourages teachers to harness students' interest in film to help them engage critically with a range of media, including visual and printed…

Argues that films and documentaries are useful in promoting critical analysis and classroom discussion. Discusses films that are effective teaching tools. Warns that some films may provide only one side of a story, and teachers must be careful to present a balanced discussion. Includes sources for obtaining these films. (AJL)

Discusses how to use art in introductory political theory courses. Provides examples of incorporating art to teach political theory, such as examining Machiavelli's "The Prince" and Michelangelo's "David" to understand Florentine (Florence, Italy) political theory. (CMK)

This study of 969 gifted, learning-disabled, emotionally disturbed, or nonlabeled fourth grade students found that having parents with inductive (more use of reason) rather than sensitizing (more authoritarian) communication styles had a definite impact on what the children observed when watching television, with gifted children being particularly…

Describes a college course on the sociology of sport, in which students reflect on their own experiences and practices in sport, engage in critical analysis of the taken-for-granted values and assumptions associated with sport, and do construct analysis and deconstruction of televised sport as it promotes certain interests and marginalizes others.…