Creating classroom book clubs with e-readers helps connect adolescent interests, digital literacies, and content area academic goals.

In today's society, film is a part of popular culture and is relevant to students' everyday lives. Most students spend over 7 hours a day using media. With the popularity and availability of film, it is natural that teachers attempt to engage students with such a relevant medium. The method of using film and the method of using firsthand accounts…

It seems each generation of young people finds new ways to express life's complex emotions and experiences through music. As a favored outlet for self-expression, music also provides future generations with a fascinating historical record. Sound recordings and sheet music of once popular songs offer unique opportunities for students to analyze…

The Great Depression is typically taught through history textbooks, but the music of this time allows students to learn about this era through different perspectives. The Great Depression witnessed many musical styles--from the light heartedness of popular music to the sadness of the blues, gospel, which offered inspiration, to the tension between…

Discusses how changes in public school students and the culture that produces them have affected the teaching of history. Examines aspects of MTV's success for clues to the source of students' view of history as irrelevant. Attributes the view to the blurring of differences between the sacred and profane, connections between cause and effect, and…

Explores the issue of privacy focusing on informational privacy and how it could be jeopardized by new technologies. Provides contexts of privacy and discusses privacy and celebrity in U.S. culture, privacy abuses, and privacy as a common value. Includes teaching activities by Michelle Parrini and Jennifer Kittlaus. (CMK)

Describes a classroom activity to demonstrate how popular music can perpetuate the stereotyping of women. Identifies materials needed, suggested songs, and questions to ask students. Suggests homework assignment dealing with contemporary songs. (DK)

Describes a woodcut of the earliest map printed in a vernacular language, circa 1480. Discusses the location and representation of paradise, the winds, rivers, the world sea and islands, countries, and cities. Emphasizes the map as a world view of the late Middle Ages representing the popular culture of the time. (DK)

Believes that using popular culture images of law, lawyers, and the legal system is an effective way for teaching about real law. Offers examples of incorporating popular culture images when teaching about law. Includes suggestions for teaching activities, a mock trial based on Dr. Seuss's book "Yertle the Turtle," and additional…

Contrasts the working life of the U.S. cowboy with the whitewashed myth promulgated throughout the media. Discovers some parallels between the nomadic loner embodying an individual code of honor and the Hollywood representation. Discusses the genesis of "the singing cowboy" and includes examples of the actual early ballads. (MJP)

Illustrates a method for demonstrating historical chronology using popular songs that comment on a variety of social, political, and economic concerns. Provides an audio time line which uses U.S. recordings from 1955 to 1987 as musical time markers, highlighting such issues as racial discrimination, urban decay, political chicanery and women's…

Examines the images of war represented by popular recordings. Divides the century into four periods based on wars: 1914-38, 1939-63, 1964-89, and 1990-91. Reports that the popular image of the United States at war as represented in music has been positive for all periods except Vietnam, although each period had its share of protest. Lists…

Offers three public policy perspectives on the issue of juvenile violence: (1) kids need a nonviolent popular culture; (2) kids at risk need more help; and (3) kids need more moral discipline. Presents a way to approach each of the perspectives. (Contains references.) (CMK)

Examines two seminal films of adolescent rebellion, "The Wild One" and "Rebel Without a Cause." Argues that both films expressed a discontent with, and acted as a critique of, the complacency and conformity of the postwar United States. Discusses the films' own ambivalent attitudes to issues of conformity and alienation. (MJP)

Contends that thousands of high schools subscribe to the daily "Channel One" newscast. Outlines a literature review and survey of 600 high school students about their attitudes toward "Channel One." Finds students generally have positive feelings about the news program but not about the commercials. (CFR)