Television Programming Lesson Plans

8th graders recognize that the primary purpose of television programming is to deliver commercial messages to viewers and identify techniques in television commericials that appeal to the senses and emotions.

8th graders discuss the main reason for television programming is to deliver commercials to viewers. In groups, they identify techniques use by marketing companies that appeal to the senses and emotions. They discover whether they are buying a product because of its purpose or how it makes them feel.

Students examine their favorite holidays and how they are celebrated. After reading an article, they discuss the length of television programming for the Super Bowl. In groups, they create their own television programming relating to their favorite holiday. They also write reaction papers to how television has changed the way holidays are celebrated.

In this lesson students evaluate different types of reality television programming in "focus groups" and then submit their opinions on this type of programming to a television network.

Students explore current social issues in the Middle East to create their own student television programs for Palestinian and Israeli Students.

Students examine the marketing and production of the studenT television program "Sesame Street" in various countries around the world. They create a character for a studenT program that reflects the current issues and values of their communities.

In this lesson students view a television program to understand how wildlife populations are controlled by humans. In this wildlife population management lesson, students answer critical thinking questions about the ways species are handled by humans in the wild. Cross curricular differentiated projects are included.

8th graders are exposed to different types of media in order to investigate the tendency of being exposed to a set of values that run contrary to conservative values. They role play a television program in order to communicate the values of the writers.

Students explore how interactive Web sites support live sports programming, and then design Internet sites that provide interactive support for a favorite television program. They present their mock ups to the class.

Learners discuss peace and violence, identify, quantify and interpret acts of peace and acts of violence on three popular television programs per group, gather and record data, and present findings in Powerpoint, flipchart, or overhead presentations.