A study which reviewed the research literature analyzed the relationship between television advertisements and the lowering of the self concept. Although television advertising has a relatively short history, today a person can hardly escape from it. Advertisements are specifically targeted to age-related and demographic groups. By focusing on…

This issue of "Media & Values" provides essays and teaching ideas for addressing the influence of television in society. Articles in this issue include: (1) "Wrestling with Television" (Elizabeth Thoman); (2) "Comics and Culture" (Rosalind Silver); (3) "Society's Storyteller" (George Gerbner); (4) "Five Important Ideas to Teach Your Kids about TV"…

The news on Channel One, with its impression of vague anxiety, looks and sounds like regular television news, only more so. In either case, the news is just "filler"--its real function is not journalistic but commercial, meant to lead into advertisements (ads). Mass advertising tends to assume that its audience will not be studying it…

An exploration of the creative process in painting and musical composition, this kit, for use with grades 4-8, provides a structured plan that can extend over several class periods. In "Looking At Art," concentration is on one landscape painting with comparisons to related works. Historical and visual components are analyzed and works are placed…

This book is a practical, accessible guide for parents on the use of television with children in today's media-focused world. It offers parents practical techniques and strategies to take control of the types of programs and amounts of television their children watch. Parts 1 and 2 of the book contain views on parenting in general and some…

Over 350 surveys were distributed to public and private elementary and secondary school teachers to assess the current state of media education and to determine if changes have occurred given the increase in educator awareness of media education benefits, media literacy advocacy groups, media education resources, and changes in technology.…

In the United States, people have become resistant to advertising because they live surrounded by messages. However, in China, the average viewer is relatively naive about the use of commercial messages. An attempt was made to teach Chinese college students semiotic analysis of television commercials. Observations of Chinese television were made…

This paper provides an overview of the impact of television on young children, with a special emphasis on the relationship among TV, childhood, and violence, and on developmentally appropriate television. Further, the paper provides strategies for parents and early childhood educators to use in taking control of the television. The paper is…

This guide offers an overview of C-SPAN's programming and its outreach to educators. The guide is designed to support teachers and to offer ideas, resources, information, and special projects. Throughout the guide, detailed applications or "best practices" for using C-SPAN in the classroom are included. There are guides based on C-SPAN…

American (and English language) television has gradually become a more influential factor in the way people are learning English overseas, as access to cable programming has widely spread across cities, regardless of socio-cultural backgrounds. What students watch on TV affects not only how they are learning the language, but also their cultural…

Describes a study conducted in Dutch primary schools to alter the cognitive effects that television violence can have on 10- to 12-year-olds by encouraging them to evaluate critically the portrayal of violence. Teacher and student attitudes are discussed, and the educational effects of the curriculum are considered. (Contains 20 references.) (LRW)

Describes and illustrates "Christina's World" by Andrew Wyeth. Provides background information on Wyeth's life and compares "Christina's World" to Wyeth's "Siri." Suggests activities to help all levels of art students understand use of color, mood, and composition. Introduces related activities designed specifically…

Presents media literacy research of eighth-grade students to determine the level of recognizing and understanding visual and nonvisual codes that make up motion-picture stories. Study focused on rhetoric of the film medium: trust, confidence and belief in films among children is very high; if this trust coincides with ignorance of media codes,…

This article reports the results of a content analysis of the debut season of the reality television show, "The Apprentice." All 15 episodes were examined to determine the role that communication competencies played in competitors' success or elimination. Results indicate that the ability to persuade effectively was most critical to winning tasks,…

This documentary tells the wartime story of Le Chambon, a tiny Protestant village in France that defied the Nazi occupation and provided a safe haven for thousands of Jews. Using interviews, old photographs and footage, and specially declassified documents, the film [and transcript] examine the difference between being a bystander and a…