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?
EPISODE 31
3RD NOVEMBER 2009
Learning Area
Health and Physical
Education
Key learning
Students will
develop a deeper
understanding of
what body image is
and how it impacts
on wellbeing.
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
 Related Research Links
ABC News – Body image code for advertisers, media
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/27/2725263.htm?section=en
tertainment
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_A
4.pdf
Youth Central – Take a stand on body image
http://www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/News+%26+Features/Body+Image/T
ake+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_7374000/73
74049.stm
Young Media Australia – Effect of advertising on body image
http://www.youngmedia.org.au/mediachildren/03_02_ads_body_image.h
tm
TV ban
Focus Questions
1.
2.
Briefly summarise the BtN story.
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?
EPISODE 29
20TH OCTOBER 2009
Learning Area
Society and
Environment
Key learning
Students will
investigate the pros
and cons of children
watching TV.
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.
 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.
EPISODE 24
Focus Questions
1]
2]
3]
4]
5]
6]
7]
8]
9]
10]
Why are advertisements shown on commercial TV?
How is the way we watch TV and movies changing?
How are TV stations and film makers getting around the problem?
What is product placement?
What sort of products was the Josie and the Pussycats clip advertising?
Have you ever noticed product placement in the television programs,
movies or music videos you watch? Explain your answer.
What do opponents of product placement say?
Do you think it’s a fair way to advertise? Explain your answer.
What do you think is the future of advertising?
How has your thinking changed after watching the BtN story?
2ND SEPTEMBER 2008
Learning Area
English
Key learning
Students will
develop an
understanding of
what product
placement is and why
advertisers are
using it to sell
products.
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?
.
The following website will
support students develop an
argument text
http://www.teachers.ash.org.au
/jeather/writingfun/writingfun.
html
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.
 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.
2.
3.
What does the word paparazzi mean and where does it come from?
Why do they try so hard to get photographs of celebrities?
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:
EPISODE 21
12TH AUGUST 2008
Learning Area
Society and
Environment
Key learning
Students will
identify the
structure and
features of an
exposition.
The following website has
some examples of
expositions
http://www.teachers.ash.org
.a
u/jeather/writingfun/writingfu
n.html
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
Encourage students to
develop a glossary of
special
language associated with
the
topic. This will help them
write their exposition
There are some weblinks at the
end of this activity sheet to
support students.



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.
 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.secon
daryschools
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_4720400/47
20420.stm
Subliminal ads
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
In your own words, describe what subliminal advertising is.
Explain how it works?
Describe the recent case in Australia of subliminal advertising.
Why is subliminal advertising illegal in Australia?
How are advertisers and television stations getting around the law?
Why are advertisers using this technique to sell products?
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=mediawa
tch&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