Teenage filmmaker Brittany Rich has won awards for her public service announcements (PSAs) drawing attention to cyberbullying, the importance of wearing seatbelts, and teen pregnancy. Have students create their own PSAs about the problem of cyberbullying. A typical PSA is a 30- or 45-second audio or video messages meant to educate the public or change people’s behavior. Students should start by writing a script detailing everything that will be said, heard and/or seen in the PSA. If the class has access to equipment, have students tape their PSAs. If not, have them act out their PSAs for the class. Students can study examples of PSAs created for the American Heart Association at tinyurl.com/cepsa4.
Looking for Smart Stuff? Click here to download Issue 4's edition (PDF).
Answers to the Issue 4 SmartStuff are listed on Page 2 of the Issue 4 Teacher's Guide that accompanies Current Events magazine.
Resources
• WiredKids offers age-appropriate information about cyberbullying and how to stop it at www.stopcyberbullying.org/tweens/index.html.
• See teens’ real-life stories about cyberbullying at NetSmartz, a group involved with the International Youth Advisory Congress: www.netsmartz.org/resources/reallife.htm. NetSmartz also has a downloadable Internet Safety Pledge for students at www.netsmartz.org/pdf/pledgemshs_eng.pdf
• Find more resources about cyberbullying from McGill University including studies and advocacy efforts at: http://shariff-research.mcgill.ca/cyberbullying/laws_and_publications.html#US.
TRACKING STUDENTS:
• Get updates on the use of electronic tracking in schools through Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC): epic.org/privacy/rfid/children.html.
• Learn more about privacy rights and the U.S. Constitution at www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/rightofprivacy.html.
• See what the U.S. government says about balancing students’ privacy and school security: www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/brochures/elsec.html.