WV State Standards: Math: M.S.A1.2, CM.2.1 National Standards:  Math: 2 Blooms Taxonomy: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation 21st Century Skills: Learning and Innovation Skills  Creativity and Innovation Skills Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills Communication and Collaboration Skills Information, Media and Technology Skills Information Literacy Media Literacy Life and Career Skills Flexibility & Adaptability Social & Cross-Cultural Skills Leadership & Responsibility

Overview:

In this lesson, students share opinions about how constant celebrity news affects fan behavior. They then analyze the factors that might influence a particular celebrity's media image and marketplace viability, and write a mock behavior clause for an actor they hired.  

Objective(s):

• Students will gain a greater understanding of the opportunity costs of their actions by use of the example in the story.

• Students will evaluate the story and determine what they would do if they ran a Hollywood studio all in the name of saving and making the most money.

Time Required:

One 45 minute class period

Pre-Requisite Skills:

Critical Reading and Writing Skills

Newspaper article

• Copies of the article "Fired or Quit, Tom Cruise Parts Ways With Studio," found online at http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20060824thursday.html (one per student)

• Classroom board

• Student journals

• Resources for investigating Hollywood box office figures, individual earnings, movie reviews, and celebrity gossip, such as industry magazines (The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Billboard),

• Daily newspapers

• Computers with Internet access

• Pencil

• Paper

Preparation: Photocopy article for each student in class. 

Procedure:

1. The teacher will ask students their opinions about Tom Cruise and if they are familiar with his TV behavior when he announced his relationship with Katie Holmes.  (couch jumping)

2. Probe kids to talk about their favorite and least favorite actors and tell why.

3. Have the students volunteer to read the article aloud together in class.

4. Talk with the class about an actors behavior can impact their career.  Ask how they feel about this topic.

5. Why would the studio end their relationship with Tom?  (possibility of losing money in the future due to public skepticism in him and his values)

6. Do you think this is a rational choice?  Has the studio thought about the impact of this choice?  Do people usually think about their choices and make a rational decision?  Do people choose purposefully? 

7. If you owned this studio, what choice would you make?

8. What do you think you would do next?

9. See assessment for final component of lesson

This can be done as a whole class or in small groups depending on the dynamics in your classroom.  Students can be given extra time to complete their Document.  The teacher could read the entire article to the students.  The teacher could challenge students to find another example where a famous person has done something that had damaged his or her economic standing.  Wow, your reputation really is worth a lot!  Students could bring in their own articles to share with the class and construct a poster to hang in the hallway depicting events discussed in class.

This is a fun current event lesson to do with the kids and they love to have the opportunity to talk about celebrities in school.   You could challenge them to find another example where a famous person has done something that had damaged his or her economic standing.  Wow, your reputation really is worth a lot!

Write a “document” including a behavior clause for the next big actor you will hire for your studio.  You must explain exactly what you expect from him or her and exactly what you will NOT tolerate and will end in termination of the actor’s contract.  Please tell why your studio makes these rational choices (why a bad reputation is bad for business).   Remember to use a “legalese” writing style as a lawyer would.