Level: Grades 1 to 6

Overview

This lesson is one of a five-part unit that provides teachers with ideas for teaching TV in the elementary classroom. In this lesson, students learn about television as a source of information, and how this information is presented from a particular point of view.

Learning Outcomes

Students will

• become aware that they can derive information from media products
• identify and use information derived from the media
• identify and use information derived from television
• recognize which TV programs provide information and learning
• begin to differentiate fact from fantasy

Preparation and Materials

• For the Research activity, videotape an educational program. (Educators can visit the Cable in the Classroom Web site for listings of copyright-cleared educational programming.)

Procedure

The key message in this lesson is that television can provide information; but also that this information is presented from a particular point of view.

Class Discussion

There is both fact and fantasy on television. Some television programs are meant just for fun, other television programs are designed to inform. All television programs are expected to be entertaining.

We can obtain all sorts of information from television programs. How can you tell when you're getting solid information?

• Ask students to recall some things they learned from television last night.
• As a class, identify which information is factual and which is not.
• List examples of programs that provide factual information.
• Are there any television channels that feature only educational shows?
• Are there any regulations that broadcasters must follow regarding how much educational content they feature?
• Have students explain the differences between education TV series, news broadcasts, and all other informative programs - such as talk shows, documentaries, news magazines, reality TV, etc.

Activities

Homework

• Watch one of the programs that were identified, and record three things learned.

Educational TV

• Use educational TV programs to meet the needs of your curriculum.

Research

• Select an educational program and show it to the class. (They will probably need to watch the program several times.)
• After the first viewing, generate questions to be answered. (Assign students different questions to complete.)
• Compile all the information into a cooperative display.
• Ask students to reflect on what they liked most about using a television program to conduct research. What did they like least?
• How did conducting research this way compare to using books or the Internet?
• Other than the fact that this program was selected by the teacher, how would you know whether it was a good source for research?

Evaluation

• Evaluation can be based on the recognition of factual information, contribution to the cooperative research topic, completion of the homework assignment, identification of programs providing information.