Cesar Chavez High School
Written by Administrator Friday, 27 February 2009 13:21
Radio Rootz broke ground this 2006 school year with a new program in the nation's capitol.
Washington, D.C. resident and independent radio producer Selina Musuta signed up with Radio Rootz to bring a comprehensive media literacy program to the district's students as our first DC coordinator. Twice a week, Selina meets with 5 to 7 middle and high school students at Cesar Chavez Public Charter High School for Public Policy. Chavez has two campuses in the district. Selina visits the Parkside Campus of Cesar Chavez, which is located right off the orange line metro stop of Minnesota Avenue. The school has gone through their own scheduling from a year -long elective class to a semester long after-school program.
Our most consistent students have been
the middle schoolers: John, Lindsey, and Ke'von. We've covered a number
of media literacy subjects since February 2007 such as what is the
media, commercial versus public radio, the role of the Federal
Communication Commission, and advertising. Every session we listen to
various radio pieces and discuss the content and form of the piece
ranging from vox pops to commentaries. Most pieces that are heard by
the students are also produced by youth. Halfway into the 2007
semester, Cesar Chavez students produced a short segment on what they
find offensive in the media. Last semester, students produced a
Halloween piece on what they found scary for WBAI's morning show,
Wakeup Call.
As the semester winds down, Cesar Chavez students are
looking forward to field trips to the community radio station WPFW
89.3FM, commercial station WKYS 99.5 FM; as well as a tour of the FCC.
- Produced By: Cesar Chavez High School
- Title: What Are You Affraid Of?
- Year: 2007
- Length: 2:36
- Format: Stereo 44kHz
- Produced By: Cesar Chavez High School
- Title: What Television Shows Offend You?
- Year: 2007
- Length: 2:19
- Format: Stereo 44kHz
Cesar Chavez Capstone Program
Radio Rootz DC coordinator Selina Musuta worked with Cesar Chavez Public Charter School for Public Policy teachers to plan a two-week public policy capstone program for one class. Each year, Cesar Chavez scholars investigate a public policy issue through research, field trips, meeting with experts in the field, and participation in activities that promote possible solutions or public awareness.
In
mid-May, students chose an issue they could create a project around.
Students decided to learn about HIV/AIDS infection rates in the
district. They also chose to learn more about radio. The teachers
decided that the students could use what they learned about HIV/AIDS to
produce a public service announcement (PSA). Selina worked with
teachers to develop the main objectives and created a tentative outline
for the program. Our main teaching objectives around PSAs included
defining what they are and explaining how they get aired. This included
lessons on the advertising industry; both commercial and
non-commercial. Students learned the techniques that advertisers use to
sell products. Students also analyzed commercial and public service
announcements’ messages.
To prepare the students for the ins and
outs of the PSA industry, students went on three field trips: STD
clinic, WPFW (non-commercial radio station), and WHUR (commercial
radio station). They also heard from a guest speaker of an advertising
agency. Students were interviewed on both WPFW and WHUR concerning
their research.
After gathering information and sources, students
were divided into two groups to produce two PSAs. They learned how to
use sound effects, how to develop a script, and how to make decisions
around targeting a message. They presented what they learned to their
9th grade class.
Check out the PSAs!
- Artist: Cesar Chavez High School
- Title: PSA (1) on HIV/AIDS from Washington, DC
- Length: 1.25 MB
- Format: Stereo 44kHz
- Artist: Cesar Chavez High School
- Title: PSA (2) on HIV/AIDS from Washington, DC
- Length: 1.21 MB
- Format: Stereo 44kHz
