Lesson 43

Out Across the Airwaves - Cleveland Radio, 1946

OBJECTIVES:

To familiarize students with radio entertainment in Cleveland in 1946. To compare and contrast radio entertainment in 1946 with 1996.INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS:

• Handout 1 - Fact Sheet: Radio, 1946
• Handout 2 - Student Activity Sheet
• Handout 3 - Fanny Brice
• Handout 4 - Radio Selections, 1946
• Radio and television schedules for local stations from newspapers.
• Reviews of television and radio programs from today.

TERMS:

Fanny Brice		"Baby Snooks"		Margaret O'Brien
"Radio Theater"		Fred Allen		"The World's Greatest Novels"
variety shows		The Breakfast Club		soap operas
"Our Gal Sunday"		"Helen Trent"		"Young Dr. Malone"
"Road of Life"		"Ma Perkins"		"The Second Mrs. Burton"

LESSON FOCUS:

1. What was radio entertainment like in 1946?
2. Compare and contrast radio entertainment available in 1946 with that available in 1996.

TEACHING PROCEDURE:

1. Distribute copies of Handout 1 and Handout 2 and have the students complete the accompanying activity.
2. Distribute copies of Handouts 2 and 3 to the students. Have them examine the materials and then complete the questions for discussion below:
   

   a.	In Handout 1. The reporter is informing his readers about what?
   b.	Where might this type of article appear today?
   c.	In the review, did the reporter like or dislike the program? What tells you this?
   d.	In Handout 2. Do detailed schedules for radio broadcasts appear in the daily newspapers today? Why or why not?
   e.	Compare the schedules in Handout 2., with a television schedule today. How are they the same? How are they different?
   f.	If television has replaced radio as the main entertainment for the average Clevelander in 1996, what do you think might replace television in the future?
   g.	How might news and information be broadcast to the public in the future?
   h.	How might the entertainment format used in television change in the future?

3. Have the students compare the schedules in Handout #2 with today's entertainment schedules. They might compare the types and lengths of programs.
4. Have students compare the review in Handout 1 with a review from a newspaper or magazine today.
5. Have the students design an information distribution system for the future.