TO TV or Not to TV.

In conjunction with our study of the Colonial times and life, and the school wide Read-a-thon I am challenging the Fifth Graders in my class to go without TV for 30 Days during the school week,  beginning January 7 and ending  February 15.

 “A study by the American Psychological Association figures that the typical child, watching 27 hours a week, will view 8,000 murders and 100,000 acts of violence from age 3 to age 12.” (Marc Silver, “Sex and Violence on TV,” U.S. News & World Report, Sept. 11, 1995, 66)  Imagine what the data looks like 10 years later? 

This will run from Sunday 4 pm to Friday 4 pm or Sunday midnight to Friday Midnight.  Weekends are free.

This challenge includes NO Screen time, meaning no Nintendo, Sega, Genesis, X box, video or computer game that is not obviously educational. 

Allowable TV watching will include News, Discovery Channel, any National Geographic special or educational TV (Sesame Street, Barney, Mr. Rogers, etc.)  Completely Educational computer work is also acceptable. (NOT Required)

Students: Each day you are successful at NOT watching TV you will sign a grid sheet.  At the end of each week parents are to initial under the parent column.  At the end of the month you will have the opportunity to purchase a coupon book.  For the entire coupon booklet you must have succeeded.  There are parts of the coupon book for those who have slipped just once or twice.