Lesson Plan: The Impact of Radio and Television

Lesson Plan

Before Exploring

Before teaching this lesson, ask students to commit to at least a 24-hour period in which they will forgo the use of all electronic devices. Individually, students can decide on the devices they won't use and the length of time. Students can use the download sheet The Impact of Radio and Television to record their experience.

In small groups, have students present the results of their time without electronic devices. As a whole class, share the results from each group. Brainstorm and record positive and negative impacts that students think radio and television would have had on Canadians when each was first introduced.

Outline the Opportunity

Direct students to the topic Canada Tunes In: Radio and TV's Early Years on the CBC Digital Archives website. In their groups, have students browse the clips titled "Canada's Diamond Jubilee broadcast", "CBC radio goes on the air", "World's broadcasters welcome CBC television", "A sense of adventure", and "The marvellous microwave network" and read the main text for these clips.  Each group will make a list of significant radio and television broadcasts in the early years of the development of those technologies.

Working in pairs, students will select one event from the clips and portray its significance through a newspaper story, live interview, painting, or radio coverage. Pair up groups and have them share their products.

Revisit and Reflect

As a whole group, discuss how it might have felt to have access to the significant events for the first time. Revisit the list of positive and negative impacts of early radio and television and add to it.

Extension

Students can select and justify three hours worth of programming for a day in 1952, when television first came on the air.

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