Teacher Doug Greener's Story

Doug Greener insists it was some very special students who conducted this project -- and he's right -- but he worked hard over the course of the school year to prepare them for their work.  He described for us what led up to the final project in the spring of 2001.

On the first day of school, he began by telling his students about the importance of respect in the classroom if they, as a class, were going to learn anything.   He explained that the respect had to be mutual between students and teacher as well as among the students themselves.

He used a paper heart cutout to demonstrate the effects of disrespect.  He asked the students to give examples of hurtful things people have said to them or that they've overheard.  Each time a hurtful thing was said, he crumpled the heart, ripped it a little, or cut a piece out of it.  Then he asked the students to give examples of compliments they've received or could give to another person.  For each compliment he unfolded the heart or taped it back together a bit more.  When the heart was all back together, he pointed out that although it was back in one piece it was battered and still showed the effects of the disrespect.

Doug and his class did a lot of reading, using the books as springboards for discussion about violence, bias, ethnic diversity, propaganda, and advertising techniques.  Always during discussion he would ask, "What questions do you have for me?"  This netted more results than the standard, "Do you have any questions?"  He also made sure to give his students time to respond, sometimes waiting 10-15 seconds in silence for someone to ask something.

His reading list included: "Number the Stars,"  "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry," "The Giver," "The Cay," "Maniac McGee," "Who Moved My Cheese?" "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle," "Island of the Blue Dolphins," and others. 

He asked his students to watch commercials in class and analyze the techniques of the commercial makers.  Then he assigned them to make their own billboard ads using some of the techniques.

To push them to develop their critical thinking skills, Doug always tells his class that during class discussions they cannot say "I can't..." or "I don't know."  They must have an opinion, they must take a position about each thing they discuss.

One of the liveliest discussions his class had early in the school year was about the violence of the ancient Roman Empire, violence in the world today, and possible causes of violence.  Doug says, "Media influence came up time and time again as we talked. As a result of those discussions my class decided to do a project and try to make a difference in the world by trying to reduce the amount of sex and violence in the media.  Our first step was to gather data to see if our hypothesis was relevant. We spent an entire week watching television from 5:00-7:00 pm. The students were all assigned channels and time slots to watch (with parents in attendance) and they kept tallies of all the incidents of violence, put-downs, sexual references, and swearing. They also kept track of the sponsors of those shows. The results were then tabulated on our blackboard and what we found was astonishing! "

"We then made a list of goals that we wanted to try to accomplish through the project and here is what we came up with: 

1. Make the public aware of the issue/problem 

2. Protest to the television stations that air the shows 

3. Protest to the sponsors of the shows we watched 

4. Alert politicians to the issue 

5. Establish alternatives to watching television 

"Armed with this information, we then spent time online looking for credible research data that would show relationships between what kids watch and their behaviors. We found many studies that showed very disturbing trends directly connected to our theory. And then, quite coincidently, we read two articles in the local Star Tribune and Pioneer Press newspapers that related directly to what we were doing. We decided to contact the writers of the articles and tell them about our project.  Both Brian Lambert of the Pioneer Press and Noel Holston of the Star Tribune were fascinated by our research and project and wanted to do articles in their newspapers. 

"Our next step was to write a letter to Governor Ventura alerting him to the problem and questioning his involvement with the XFL.  (He never responded to our letters.)  We then sent letters to the local television stations that aired the shows that we watched, the sponsors of those shows, and state legislators. 

"In the final phase of our project the students developed a set of skits (mini-plays) to present to all the different grade levels at Rush Creek Elementary. The skits were performed to alert kids to the dangers of watching television, and to give them better options. 

"This grew to be quite a project, and the kids were responsible for the majority of the work.  I am really proud of them and what they have accomplished! 

- Doug Greener

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April 4, 2001

Schlotsky’s Deli
220 Second Avenue North
Nashville, TN 3701

To Whom This May Concern:

We are a group of sixth graders from Rush Creek Elementary in Doug Greener's class, in Maple Grove, Minnesota. We, as sixth graders are concerned about the amount of sex and violence in the media, because of the recent school shootings, and the influence of the media on the youth of America.

Because of this, people are being influenced by what they see and hear in movies, TV, radio, the paper, and video games. We have started a project called the "Minnesota Media Sex and Violence Reduction Project." (MMSVRP) To prove our point, we have collected data from television shows with our parents. We watched shows such as "Spin City," "Seinfeld," "Sabrina," "Just Shoot Me," "Simpson's," "Clueless," "Friends," and other television programs on channels 9, 23, and 29. We have also collected data from studies done by organizations in the past on how kid's daily behaviors have changed with excessive amounts of the media. The television has become a virtual babysitter.

The average American child watches 200,000 acts of violence, and 16,000 murders before the age of 18. Over 1,000 studies prove this. By the time the average child reaches 70 years of age, he/she has watched 7-10 years of television. If you sponsor all of these shows with violent and sexual acts, knowing that people are influenced by what they see and hear on the television, why do you sponsor such shows? 73% of all violent scenes the person who committed the crime went unpunished. You would be surprised what kinds of companies sponsor violent and sexual shows. Do you really care about the well-being of America's children, or the millions of dollars you make? We feel commercials on TV contain too much sex and violence in your ads. We want you to reduce the sex and violence in your ads. If we change one person's view on TV, we feel that we are successful. We feel that kids are our future, so anything that you can do would be great.  Thanks for your time reading this letter.

Sincerely,

Doug Greener's 6th Grade Class

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The Honorable Roger Moe
208 State Capitol
75 Constitution Avenue
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155

Dear Senator Moe:

We are a group of 6th grade students from Rush Creek Elementary School in Maple Grove, Minnesota. We are doing a project called "Minnesota Media Sex and Violence Reduction Project." Our slogan for the project is, "TV, Radio, Media, is it a bad influence on kids?" Our goal is to reduce the amount of violence and sex on television in Minnesota, and to inform the public about the negative effects of media sex and violence.  

With our parents, we watched television during the week of March 12th to 16th from the times of 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM and recorded the amounts of violent and/or aggressive acts, sexual references, put- downs, and swear words. We tabulated the amounts in those categories in school, and came up with incredibly high numbers (for results see attached graph and table on back). We also researched this topic on the Internet came up with facts that astounded us. Some of them are:  

·        The average kid spends 36 hours a week playing video games, watching TV, and searching the web. That is more than they are in school!  

·        47% of violent television programs show the victim going unharmed, especially in cartoons. Now, what kind of example do you think that is?  

·        51 % of parents agree that their children are affected by the violence they see in video games and TV.  

Do you see many parents speaking out against the violence and sex in the media? Since they aren't speaking out against the violence and sex in the media, why aren't you as our nation and state's leaders taking action? You can'1 argue against the data we have collected. 

We would like you to bring this issue to congress or the legislature, take a stand against violence and sex in the media, and support legislation reducing violence and sex in the media. Thank you for taking the time to read our letter, and we look forward to hearing from you.

 Sincerely,
 Mr. Greener's 6th grade class

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April 4,2001

WFTC 29
1701 Broadway Street
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55413

To whom it may concern:

We are a group of 6th graders from Doug Greener's class at Rush Creek Elementary in Maple Grove, MN. We are very concerned about the amount of sex, violence, and putdowns on the TV shows that kids and teens watch. We feel very strong about this topic. We are doing a project to try to reduce the amount of sex and violence on TV shows. Our name for this project is "Minnesota Media Sex and Violence Reduction Project." 

What we have done so far was watch situation comedies from 5:00-7:00 during a school week with our parents. We tallied all the sex, violence, and putdowns on the following shows: "Seinfeld," "The Simpsons," " Drew Carey," " Spin City," " 3rd Rock," etc. We tallied the results from this study and have included them with our letter. We also looked for information on the Internet about this topic. Here are some of the things we found on the Internet: We have found that kids watch more TV than they do work for school. The three major affects on seeing violence on TV are:   

• Children may become less sensitive-to the pain and suffering of others.

• Children may become more fearful of the world around them.

• Children may be more likely to be aggressive toward others.   

Children who constantly spend more than 10 hours per week watching TV are more likely to become obese, aggressive, and slower to learn in school.   

By age 18 the average American child will have viewed about 200,000 acts of violence on TV alone.   

Children who have viewed violent episodes, such as kidnapping, and murders on the news are also more likely to believe that the world is scary and something bad will happen to them. 

We would like to ask you how you feel about putting these shows on the air? We want to know why you are putting questionable shows on the air that influence children's behaviors. We believe that the shows that you put on the air are influencing kid's violence. From the research that we have shown, we don't think you could disagree with us. 

Thanks for your taking the time to read this letter, and we also thank you in advance for responding to us.

Sincerely,
Mr. Doug Greener's Class

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The Honorable Jesse Ventura
130 State Capitol
75 Constitution Avenue
St. Paul. MN 55155

Dear Governor Ventura,

We are a group of sixth graders from Rush Creek Elementary in Maple Grove.  You have voted here for the candidates for our country's president and your ranch is located near our school.  We are taking a stand to reduce sex and violence in music, television, video games, and movies.  We have begun a project that we call "Minnesota Media Sex and Violence Reduction Project."  We would like to share with you some of our thoughts and ideas on this topic.

Our class spent the school week of March 12th through March 16th watching television on channels 9, 23, and 29 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.  Such shows that we have been collecting data from are:  "Drew Carey," "Third Rock," "Friends," "Seinfeld," "The Simpsons," "Spin City," "Clueless," and "Sabrina."  Then we recorded the number of times we saw or heard sex references, put downs, and acts of violence/aggression, and swearing.  We are concerned that children have been watching too many shows with violence and sexual acts.  This has changed their daily behavior that influences them to be violent.  Because of the violent shows and video games, this may have been one of the factors in recent school shootings.  Also, we discovered from researching this topic that the average American child spends more time watching television than doing their schoolwork, making television their teacher.  We also learned that there are about 20-30 acts of violence per hour on the shows that we watched.  Did you know that by the time the average person has reached 70 years of age, they have watched 7 to 10 years of television?  And finally, we found out that children who have watched violent programs, movies, and video games when they were younger, as adults they are more likely to participate in violent incidents.

The goals we want to achieve are, for one, we would like to make people more aware of what is being shown on television and how it is affecting and influencing kids.  Secondly, we want to improve what is being shown on television.  Lastly, we would like to give kids other options of more appropriate shows.  We would like to ask you if you could possibly give us some ideas of places to turn for more help with our project.  We also ask that you could mention us to the public and the legislature to see if we could gain their support.  You are a role model to many people in our society and we believe that being a part of the XFL is a negative influence on the people who look up to you and we hope you will reconsider your place on the XFL broadcasts.

We appreciate you taking the time to read our letter and we have included our television results for you to see also.

Sincerely,

Doug Greener's 6th grade class

................. and Doug Greener's follow-up letter a month later

Dear Governor Ventura,

My name is Doug Greener and I teach 6th grade at Rush Creek Elementary School in Maple Grove. Just a little over a month ago some of my students wrote a letter to you telling you about a special project they are involved in. Since doing that, the project has really taken off. We have received local press coverage in the Maple Grove Press, the Maple Grove Community Link, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and TPT 2 public television, in addition to a soon-to-be published article in the St. Paul Pioneer Press. We have also received coverage on KSTP 1500 talk radio. Our most recent success has taken place in the Minnesota House of Representatives where the members of the House, after reviewing our data and project results, passed House File No. 18 which in essence protests the production and distribution of sexual and violent television programming. All of these things have been accomplished by a group of 11 and 12 year old children! 

My reason for writing to you is because I am confused and disappointed with your decision not to respond to my students letter to you regarding this project. During your campaign to get elected governor you called on the youth of the state to get involved in the political process, and they did, helping to propel you into the Governor's office. I work very hard to teach my students that they can do anything they put their minds to doing, another similar theme that you used in your successful gubernatorial campaign. Now this group of students has a chance to make a real difference in the world and would like some support from someone they should be able to count on, but you have not responded. We would just like to know why. 

Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration of this letter. I wish you well as you continue to govern this great state of Minnesota. 

Sincerely,

Doug Greener

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Newspaper story

Savvy sixth-graders hit TV violence where it hurts

By Brian Lambert, St. Paul Pioneer Press

There are big-time PR firms that would kill for a fraction of the exposure Doug Greener's sixth-grade class at Rush Creek Elementary in Maple Grove is getting. 

Of course, it helps that we're talking about a couple of dozen 11- and 12-year-olds campaigning to shame TV networks, their advertisers and affiliates into toning down the barrage of violence, sex, profanity and put-downs. Instantly, that's a better story than some 40-year-old with a cell phone headset hyping the guest appearance of a steroid-crazed WWF star in next week's lousy cable movie. 

Greener's kids did what a lot of parents should do but never get around to. They took pen to paper and tabulated the incidents of violence, sex and all that other nasty stuff on three Twin Cities channels over the course of two hours right after school. (Specifically: KMSP, Channel 9; KMWB, Channel 23; and WFTC, Channel 29, from 5 to 7 p.m. over a single week last winter.) 

But the kicker was what they did afterward. 

Not content to pat themselves on the back for doing some exceptional enterprise, the kids launched a letter-writing campaign to sponsors of some of the most offensive programming. Letters went out as well to the affiliates who carried the shows and state politicians who so often pay lip service to concerns about media violence. 

Then the kids called in the jackals. 

I arrived on a brisk, gray morning. TPT, Channel 2, was scheduled for later in the day. WCCO-AM would soon cover their story on Patty Peterson's evening talk show. Local cable's Channel 12 would soon do a piece, and this paper's esteemed competitor across the river had been in a couple of days earlier. 

For anyone dismayed by pop culture portraits of bratty, insolent, undisciplined youth, Greener's sixth-graders were a study in deportment and focus. These kids had their shtick together. 

Each student, it seemed, had a snippet of their study, officially titled "The Minnesota Media Sex/Violence Reduction Project," ready and bristling with new factoids. The presentation ricocheted around the room. 

One mentioned that violence has always played a role in popular entertainment, pointing to gladiator battles in the Roman Coliseum. Another pointed out that while KMSP's programs topped the survey for sex, Fox led in violence, and the WB had a big lead in verbal put-downs. All three were about equal in swearing. 

Others quickly recited familiar statistics about the 18,000 TV murders kids see by the time they are 18, the 25 hours a week kids their age spend bonding with the tube, and the study that showed kids spending more time watching television than attending school. 

"It wasn't as clear before we started how bad it was," said one girl, "but my family talks about it a lot, how much violence and sex and stuff there was. But now, when you see all these numbers, we know." 

Maple Grove is the west metro's answer to sprawling, upscale Woodbury. So it wasn't surprising to learn from a show of hands that 80 percent of the kids have a TV set in their bedroom. In fairness, though, many seemed a little sheepish about admitting this, considering the context. 

"I don't really like to watch TV all that much, though," said one boy. "I like to go outside and skateboard." As you might expect, there was a scent of newfound religious fervor in the room. TV was the Great Satan, and they, as former sinners, had seen the light. 

A boy admitted he was still watching pro wrestling. "But I've cut down a lot, though." 

"I used to watch "Jackass,' " piped up another. The word "Jackass," referring to MTV's showcase of stupid stunts, prompted a wave of giggles. "But now I've stopped." 

Greener insists that while he obviously guided the project, it was the kids who built it out from a research project to a full-blown media and civic crusade. The letter-writing campaign, for example, he says was their idea. 

The kids proudly displayed letters from Minnesota Speaker of the House Steve Sviggum, complimenting them on their work and encouraging them to continue. Other state politicians had also responded. 

As of last week, though, the kids were still waiting to hear from Gov. Jesse Ventura. They had specific questions for him about his association with the bawdy, defunct XFL. 

A couple weeks ago, the class was alerted to the fact that the governor was going to be a guest on Don Shelby's WCCO radio show. The kids scrambled to contact Shelby and have him put a question or two to a fellow with big feet in both worlds; trash-talking, low-brow showbiz and government policy. 

"Yeah," says Shelby, "But I only got the e-mail from them after the governor left. And that's really too bad, because I think what those kids are doing is one of the healthiest things I've ever seen done by a school with its discretionary time. 

"Everybody, and I mean adults too, should be doing something like this. Get a pen and paper and keep score. But as for Jesse, I'll try to ask him the next time he's on." 

The kids' letter-writing campaign to sponsors of objectionable programming, companies like Walser Ford, Schlotsky's Delis, Pillsbury, Dairy Queen, Valleyfair, the Science Museum of Minnesota and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, produced only a handful of responses. 

Most of them in the "We try to be vigilant and will seek to do better" voice of official-ese. But then the kids had also grown savvier about the fine art of official response. They acknowledged that who responded, how they responded and how quickly was pretty interesting in itself. 

Their campaign continues with skits they've created and performed for other classes at Rush Creek, as well as a kind of touring presentation on TV sex and violence like the one they brought before the Turn Off the Violence Coalition meeting at the Crystal Community Center on Tuesday. 

How media savvy have these sixth-graders become? A couple of weeks after my visit, as I worked through a few other projects and put a little distance between this piece and the one my counterparts across the river had done, I got a call from a polite, chirpy little voice. He identified himself as "a student in Mr. Greener's class at Rush Creek Elementary." 

Yes? 

"We were just wondering when your story on our media sex and violence reduction project was going to be in the paper?" 

Pretty soon, I said. Why? 

"Well, we just want to be able to tell WCCO Radio if they ask." 

These kids have a future. 

Media writer Brian Lambert can be reached at blambert@pioneerpress.com or (651) 228-5424.