Body image

Focus Questions

  1. Discuss the issues raised in the BtN body image story with another student.
  2. How do the media and advertisers portray people in fashion images?
  3. What effect can images in the media and advertising have on young people?
  4. Why do you think so many people are concerned about this?
  5. What has the Government recently done to deal with the issue?
  6. The Government guidelines want diversity in advertising and the media. What do you think that means?
  7. What do they want advertisers to do if an image has been digitally changed?
  8. Do you think the new code will change what advertisers and the media do? Why or why not?
  9. Should the new code be made compulsory for the fashion industry and advertisers? Explain your answer.
  10. What do you think should happen? What are some other solutions to the body image issue?

Body image
Think-pair-share

Working in pairs, ask students to think of as many words or phrases about body image as they can. Each pair then shares their list with the rest of the class to create a class list of words or phrases about body image. Use the list to write a class definition of body image.

Students then reflect on the following statements or questions:

·  What factors affect your own body image?

·  Why is the way you see yourself important (self esteem, confidence, physical wellbeing)?

·  Do you think body image affects males and females in the same way?

·  How does the ideal image of a woman’s body differ in other cultures and historic times?

·  Who controls what images we see?

Show students the following videos that were made as part of Dove’s campaign for real beauty.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1731400614466797113#docid=-8145343109073789834

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1731400614466797113#

Ask students to reflect on the advertisements by posing the following questions:

·  Why do you think Dove created the campaign for real beauty?

·  How effective do you think the ads are?

·  What do you think critics of the ads might say?

Students can then create their own real beauty advertisement or a public awareness campaign about the issue of body image and the way people are portrayed in the media and advertising. The final product can be presented in one of the following ways:

·  Video/short film

·  Web page

·  Print advertisement (magazine or billboard)

·  Animation

8 Related Research Links
ABC News – Body image code for advertisers, media
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/27/2725263.htm?section=entertainment

ABC News – Murdoch left untouched for cover
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/27/2725193.htm

Youth Central – Voluntary Media Code of Conduct on Body Image
http://www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/digitalAssets/36473_Body_Image_A4.pdf

Youth Central – Take a stand on body image
http://www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/News+%26+Features/Body+Image/Take+a+Stand+/

Kids Helpline – Body image
http://www.kidshelp.com.au/teens/get-info/hot-topics/body-image.php

Children’s BBC – Body image
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_7370000/newsid_7374000/7374049.stm

Young Media Australia – Effect of advertising on body image
http://www.youngmedia.org.au/mediachildren/03_02_ads_body_image.htm

TV ban

Focus Questions

  1. Briefly summarise the BtN story.
  2. What do you think is meant by TV being a one-way communication?
  3. What sorts of things do kids learn in the first two years of their lives?
  4. How do children under two learn?
  5. Explain why some people are concerned about young children watching TV.
  6. What do the researchers want to happen in child care centres? Do you agree? Why or why not?
  7. What do some people say the benefits of watching TV are?
  8. Create a plus, minus and interesting chart about young people watching TV.
  9. Create your own `what do you reckon?’ Video record interviews with other students in your school about the issue.
  10. What do you understand more clearly since watching the BtN story?

TV ban
Students will investigate the pros and cons of kids watching TV. Working in pairs, ask students to highlight key words and phrases or unfamiliar words in the BtN story. The transcript is available on the story page of the Behind the News website http://abc.net.au/news/btn/ Students can then develop a glossary of terms relating to the issue.

What are the pros and cons of kids watching TV?
Students will create a list of pros and cons about kids watching TV. They will need to decide whether they will focus on younger children or their own age group. The following questions may help them to think about the pros and cons:

·  What sorts of things do you learn from TV?

·  How much TV do you think it is healthy to watch?

·  How does TV effects kids’ health?

·  How do you think TV impacts kids’ learning?

·  What sorts of programs do you think are beneficial? Why?

·  Why do you think there is so much debate about kids TV viewing?

Students can publish their pros and cons in an interesting way and present them to the class. Collate all student responses and discuss them. What was surprising about students thoughts on the issue?

Further investigations

Discuss the different viewpoints in the debate about children under two not watching TV. Write a brief argument from the viewpoint of either a parent or child care worker.

What are the factors that influence early brain development? Create a poster to display your findings.

8 Related Research Links
ABC News – Guidelines tipped to push toddler TV ban
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/12/2711195.htm

ABC News - TV in child care `damaging toddlers’
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/12/2711686.htm

BrainsRule – Games about neurons
http://www.brainsrule.com/kids/games/#

Early Childhood Australia – Get up and grow
http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/every_child_magazine/every_child_index/get_up_and_grow.html

Sneaky ads

It’s getting easier for people to switch off the ads so advertisers have to think of new ways to sell products.

Focus Questions

1]  Why are advertisements shown on commercial TV?

2]  How is the way we watch TV and movies changing?

3]  How are TV stations and film makers getting around the problem?

4]  What is product placement?

5]  What sort of products was the Josie and the Pussycats clip advertising?

6]  Have you ever noticed product placement in the television programs, movies or music videos you watch? Explain your answer.

7]  What do opponents of product placement say?

8]  Do you think it’s a fair way to advertise? Explain your answer.

9]  What do you think is the future of advertising?

10]  How has your thinking changed after watching the BtN story?

Product placement

Discuss with students where they usually see advertisements. Then ask them to think about all the places where ads are hidden (television shows, movies, video games).

Students will spend about 7 days looking for product placements in a range of media programs. Ask them to record the following:

·  What the product was and where did it appear?

·  Who is the intended target audience?

·  What techniques does the producer use to make the product attractive?

·  Do you think product placement is more or less effective than a 30 second commercial advertising the same product?

Ask students to share what they have discovered with the rest of the class. This could be a wall chart, oral presentation or PowerPoint presentation. Discuss and record the similarities and differences of what students discovered.

Students will then consider the following question and develop an argument for or against.

·  Should product placements be clearly identified at the end of the TV show, movie or video game?

Reflection
What do you understand more clearly since completing this investigation?

What would you do differently next time? Why?

Further investigations

Create a 1 minute video or role play based on a favourite movie or TV show. Include as many products as possible. Ask for student feedback about whether they thought it was an effective way to advertise.

Have a class debate about whether product placement should be banned.

Design an advertisement selling product placement as a valid and effective form of advertising.

8 Related Research Links
ABC News – Burger chain asks rapper for McPlug
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2005/03/30/1334788.htm

Howstuffworks – How product placement works
http://money.howstuffworks.com/product-placement.htm/printable

Young Media Australia – Product placement in food advertising
http://www.youngmedia.org.au/mediachildren/03_03_ads_food.htm

Yahoo kids – product placement
http://kids.yahoo.com/parents/kids-media-guide/1601/4--Media+Commercialism+and+Product+Placement

About.com – Product placement makes a virtual leap
http://advertising.about.com/od/promotions/a/prodplacegames.htm

Paparazzi

Paparazzi and celebrities have always had a difficult relationship. Now, new laws in Europe and the United States may affect how the paparazzi work.

Focus Questions

  1. What does the word paparazzi mean and where does it come from?
  2. Why do they try so hard to get photographs of celebrities?
  3. Do you think the paparazzi are to blame for celebrities’ emotional problems? Explain your answer.
  4. How are the laws changing in Europe and the United States?
  5. What are the paparazzi allowed to do in Australia?
  6. Why do you think the public is interested in what celebrities do in their private life?
  7. Comment on the following statement. The paparazzi are part of being a celebrity.
  8. Do you think there are any moral/ethical or safety issues associated with what the paparazzi do?
  9. What are some positive and negative opinions about the paparazzi?
  10. How has your thinking changed about paparazzi after watching the BtN story?

Paparazzi – part of the dream or a nightmare

Students will be developing a persuasive argument (exposition). They can present their argument in written form or it can be the basis for a class debate. Students will develop an argument for or against the following statement:

The paparazzi have the right to take private photographs of famous people or celebrities.

Brainstorm what some of the issues associated with the paparazzi and celebrities are. Some issues to consider are:

§  Moral/ethical (privacy)

§  Safety of celebrities and their families and the paparazzi

§  Celebrities using the paparazzi to further their careers

§  Celebrities’ children being photographed

§  Role of the consumer (people who buy the newspapers and magazines).

Students will then need to make a decision about what their position for the argument will be. The following is a guide to structuring an exposition (argument) text.

Structure of an exposition

Statement of position

§  State what the issue or topic is

§  Form a clear forceful statement of position or opinion

§  The audience should be clear about the stand being taken by the author.

Argument stage

§  Each paragraph starts with a topic sentence which introduces each point

§  The rest of the paragraph gives more reasons

§  Arguments can be ordered from strongest to weakest.

Reinforcement of statement of position (Summing up)

§  Sums up the author’s position.

Language features

Words that link arguments (because, therefore)

Evaluative language (important, best, safest)

Thinking verbs (we believe, people think)

Students publish or present their argument as negotiated with the teacher.


Further investigation

Role play an interaction between the paparazzi who believe they have the right to photograph celebrities and a celebrity who believes they have the right to a private life.

8 Related Research Links

ABC News – Officials consider ways to curb paparazzi
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/01/2321468.htm

ABC News – Paparazzi arrested near Britney Spears’ home
http://abc.com.au/news/stories/2008/07/23/2312056.htm

Guardian website – relationship between the paparazzi and celebrities
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2007/jan/23/learnlessonplans.secondaryschools

Howstuffworks – How paparazzi work
http://people.howstuffworks.com/paparazzi.htm

Children’s BBC – Do celebrities have a right to a private life (lesson plan)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4720000/newsid_4720400/4720420.stm

Subliminal ads

  1. In your own words, describe what subliminal advertising is.
  2. Explain how it works?
  3. Describe the recent case in Australia of subliminal advertising.
  4. Why is subliminal advertising illegal in Australia?
  5. How are advertisers and television stations getting around the law?
  6. Why are advertisers using this technique to sell products?
  7. Do you think it is an effective way to sell products? Explain your answer.
  8. Do you agree with subliminal advertising? Explain your answer.
  9. What do you think the future of advertising is?
  10. Predict what might happen if there were no rules or regulations for advertising.

ABC – Media Watch
http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/watch/default.htm?program=mediawatch&pres=20071105_2120&story=4

ABC Behind the News – Sneaky ads
http://www.abc.net.au/news/btn/story/s2351714.htm

Australian Communications and Media authority – Media release
http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311424

Science Daly – Subliminal Advertising leaves its mark on the brain
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070308121938.htm