The study guide is one of several supplementary materials for a 15-week newspaper course about popular culture in the United States. Course objectives are to help students understand the pervasiveness of popular culture in American society, its historical development, the business aspects of the popular culture industry, the effects of mass media on its nature and quality, the emergence of rock 'n' roll music as a reflection of a growing youth culture, the historical tendency of popular culture to perpetuate false stereotypes of ethnic minorities, and the growing trend toward cultural diversity reflected in new communications systems. The guide integrates the themes of newspaper articles and primary source readings from the accompanying materials. Presentation of learning objectives and discussion of key concepts enable students to pursue the course independently as well as in groups. Divisions in the guide correspond with the four major units in the reader. Each unit in the guide contains a list of appropriate newspaper articles and selections from the reader, learning objectives, overviews of newspaper and reader materials, discussion of key concepts, factual questions, and discussion questions. (Author/AV)