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AUTFOR Wilcox, Suzanne DaleTITLE Urban Consumer: A Community Newspaper. A Consumer
Education Curriculum Module for Grades 7-B.INSTITUTION City Univ. of New York, N.Y. Center for Advanced
Study in Education.SPONS AGENCY Office of Consumer's 2ducation (ED) , Washington,
D.C.PUB DATE (BO]CONTRACT 300-7B-0552NOT 126p.: Some pages will not reproduce well due to
small or broken print. For related documents see CE027 836-B37. Prepared through Consumer EducationDevelopment Program.
FDRS PRICP MF01/PC06 Plus Postage.DFSCRIPTORS Behavioral Oblectives: *Consumer Education;
Elementary Education: Food Stores: Grade 7: Grade 8:Instructional Materials: *Journalism Education:Learning Activities: Learning Modules; MaterialDevelopment: Medical Services: *Newspapers; *StudentProiects: *Urban Areas: Vocational Education:*Writing Skills
IDENTIFIERS Entertainment
ABSTRACT.This consumer education module is designed to
increase seventh and eighth grade urban student awareness of what itmeans to be a consumer. The seven units in the module are intended tohelp students think of themselves as consumers, identify appropriateconsumer behavior and the consumer viewpoint in some topical areas,and gather information and write about it in a regular newspaper forthe community. An introductory section contains information on thedevelopment of these instructional materials. Unit 1 contains sevenactivities on appropriate consumer behavior. The second unit providesactivities to he2p.students learn more about their local area as aplace where consumers live and function. The skills required to startand run a community newspaper are covered in the four activities ofunit 3. Two activities designed to help students write about theconsumer interest 'are presented in the fourth unit. Units 5-7 containa total of fourteen activities on consuming entertainment and medicalservices ,and supermarket shopping: activities-include field trips,discussions, writing articles, and conducting interviews. Appendixescontain student compositions, an issue of a student newspaper,consumer-oriented articles, a health newsletter, and information onselecting a doctor. (MN)
*******************************************#**************************Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.***********************************************************************
Consumer Education Development Program
CT%
T-4
URBAN CONSUMERLa
A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Suzanne Dale Wilcox
Michigan Consumer EducationCenter
College of EducationEastern Michigan University
Rosella BannisterCharles Monsma
A CONSUMER EDUCATION CURRICULUM MODULEFOR GRADES 7-8
New Careers Training LaboratoryCenter For Advanced Study In Education
City University Of New York
National Consumers League
Sandra WillettMary F. Boyles
A National Study
U S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.EDUCATION L WELFARENATIONAL INSTITUTE OF
EDUCATION
THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO-DUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROMTHE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGIN-ATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONSSTATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRE-SENT OFFICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OFEOUCATION POSITION OR POLICY
New Careers Training LaboratoryCenter for Advanced Study in
EducationGraduate School and University
CenterCity University of New York
Alan GartnerSuzanne Dale Wilcox
°General ':EDP publications include the following:
Michigan Consumer Education CenterClassification of Concepts in Consumer EducationRosella Bannister and Charles Monsma (1980)
Effective Consumer and Education ProgramsCharles Monsma and Rosella Bannister (1979)
National Consumers LeagueConsumer Education: Alternative Modules for CurriculumMary F. Boyles (1980)
Current and Future Purposes and Objectives of Consumer EducationSandra L. Willett (1980)
Research Issues: Consumers and an Uncertain FutureDennis Pirages (1980)
The Educated Consumer: An Analysis of Curriculum Needs in ConsumerEducation Suzanne Dale Wilcox (1980)
New Careers Training LaboratoryDisseminating Innovation in Consumer EducationSuzanne Dale Wilcox (1979)
°CEDP Curriculum Modules include the following:A
Michigan Consumer Education CenterCitizen Participation: Increasing the Bargaining Power of ConsumersCharles Monsma (1980) ?
Inflation: Consumers Counter the Cost of LivingRosella Bannister (1980)
Money Matters for Women: Telecourse Study Guide Ellen White (1980)
National Consumers LeagueConsumer Citizens: Helping Yourself and Others Mary F. Boyles (1980)
Food: Advertising, Issues and Action Mary P. Boyles (1980)
Medicare/Medigap Health Insurance Issues: Consumers Get Involved
Mary F. Boyles (1980)
New Careers Training LaboratoryIt's My Life: Participation in Individual Service Planning by theMentally Retarded Suzanne Dale Wilcox (1980)
Together We Can: Consumer Education for the Mentally RetardedSuzanne Dale Wilcox (1980)
Urban Consumer: A Community Newspaper Suzanne Dale Wilcox (1980)
This material is based upon work supported by the Office of Consumers'Education, Department of Education, Contract Number 300780552. Anyopinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed inthis publication are those of the authors and do not necessarilyreflect the views of the Office or the Department.
3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
CREDITS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 1
CONSUMER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM 2
CLASSIFICATION OF CONCEPTS IN CONSUMER EDUCATION.
URBAN CONSUMER MODULE PURPOSES, AUDIENCE ANDSUGGESTED TIMEFRAME
4
URBAN CONSUMER MODULE _O
OVERVIEW OF UNITS 10
Unit One: Being an Effective ConsumerLearning Activity 1: What do I Consume'
2: The Bingo Exercise3: The Good Consumer4: Oil Crisis5: Bait: and Switch
151616172020
6: Door to Door Salesperson . - 217: The Whole Ball of Wax. - 23
Unit Two: Consumer in This Neighborhood 24Learning Activity 8: Watching Consumers in
Our Neighborhood 249: Map Drawing 2510: Being Me In (This
Neighborhood)11: Neighborhood Interviews. . 26
Unit Three: Starting a Newspaper 31Learning Activity 12: The Tower Game 31
13: Sweat Equity Pays Off . . 3314: Planning the Newspaper- 3615: Regular Features 37
Unit Four: The Consumer Point of ViewLearning Activity 16: Consumer-Oriented
Articles17: Consumer Reporters
and Media
Unit Five: Consuming EntertainmentLearning Activity 18: Discussing the Movie
Experience
40
41
42
43
4319: Checking Out the Movies . 4"
TABLE OF CONTENTS (Cont.)
Page
Unit Six: Consuming Medical Services 47
Learning Activity 20: Writing About KeepingHealthy 47
21: First Visit to theDoctor 49
22: Writing Exercise 51
23: Health Care Survey 52
Unit Seven: Supermarket 54
Learning Activity 24: What's In A Supermarket?. . 54
25: Supermarkets and MoonFlights 56
26: Neighborhood Panel 57
27: Neighborhood Poll 57
28: Food for Thought 6029: Super-Consumer 6730: What's the Problem' 6831: Solutions to the
Supermarket Problem . . 69
APPENDICES
A: Being Me in Harlem CompositionsB: Issue of Urban MarketbasketC: Consumer Oriented ArticlesD: What to Look for in Choosing a DoctorE: Your Health, A Newsletter
RESOURCES
Periodicals and NewslettersConsumer OrganizationsProfessional and Business Organizations"Musts" for the Teacher
BACKGROUND RESOURCES
-1-
CREDITS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Consumer Education Development Program is a collabora-tive project, conducted by three organizations, benefiting fromthe advice and assistance of many people throughout the country.We appreciate the help given to us both from those within ourown institutions, and by the many people in schools, colleges,community organizations, government agencies, the consumeragencies. and the consumer education world. We are gratefuland hope that this and cther products of CEDP reflect thatvaluable help.
We especially express our appreciation to Dr. Dustin Wilson,Director, Office of Consumers' Education, U.S. Department ofEducation. It was he who initiated'the idea for this projectand who has been vital to its achievement. As Project Officer,he has been concerned but not intruding, available but notimposing, questioning but not badgering. We are grateful tohim.
While the work of Consumer Education Development Programhas been national, as we describe in the next section, inthe development of curriculum models it has been local.This module represents the collaborative work of the New CareersTraining Laboratory and teachers and students at I.S. 201,Community School District 5, New York City Public Schools. Atthe New Careers Training Laboratory we want to express ourappreciation to Alan Gartner, Charlotte Fisk, Vivian C. Jackson,William Lynch, Ethel Mingo, John Formanek and Audrey Williams.Ethel Mingo took major production responsibilities for the news-let-ter. At I.S. 201, we want to thank the principals, SadieBynum and Thomas Green, and among the teachers, Winston Duckett,Edward Rosario, Emmanuel Kostakis, Kristin Pahuja. We wantto thank the.students as well. Their hard work and energy waswell devoted to producing a newspaper as a service to theHarlem community.
THE CONSUMER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
The fundamental °remise of the Consumer Education Develop-ment Program has been that consumer education, if it is to beeffective in the future, must be critically examined today.Researchers and practitioners have repeatedly called for aclearer definition of consumer education, an examination ofits purposes and objectives and identification of its import-ant concepts.
During the first year of the Consumer Education Develop-ment Program, the major work was devoted to addressing suchquestions as:
e What is being done in consumer education? And howeffectively?
e What areas of concern are being addressed? And whichwere not?
e What are the needs of the future?e How can new teaching materials best be developed
and disseminated?
In addressing these and similar questions, we consultedwith leaders and practitioners of consumer education fromschools and colleges, and from community groups and govern-ment agencies. We convened meetings, read reports, visitedprograms, and talked with those doing programs, in an effortto describe accurately what was happening in consumer educationand what was needed. The reports listed on the inside frontcover of this module address these topics.
The CEDP publication which provided the linkage betweenthe work of the first and second year is the Classification ofConcepts in Consumer Education. This Classification expressesour view of the broad scope of consumer roles and influence,and the increasing complexity of consumer education. Using theclassification of concepts as a base, we developed a set ofcurriculum modules, designed to illustrate various aspects ofthe classification system. These units were designed to pres-ent new material, to illustrate new approaches or to addressnew audiences, and were pilot-tested in various locations. Thechart on the following page lists the concepts, test site loca-tion, site agency and the target audience.
CONCEPT TEST S7,TE PLAN
CONCEPT CATEGORY
Resource Management(Financial Planning)
Economic System(Inflation)
Economic System(InElation)
Citizen Participa-tion (Advocacy)
Citizen Participa-tion (Advocacy)
Citizen Participa-tion (Advocacy)
-Citizen Participa-tion (Advocacy)
Resource Management(Purchasing)
Resource Management(Purchasing)
Citizen Participa-
LOCATION AND AGENCY
Detroit, MichiganWXYZ-Television
TAF4CET AUD:F.2:OE:
Oregon Department ofEducation
Ypsilanti, MichiganYpsilanti High School
At2,--a, GeorgiaJae.,-eline Lassiter Assoc.
St. Louis, MissouriCity Schools
Iowa Consumers League
Berkeley, CaliforniaVista College'
New York CityPublic Schools
Western MassachusettsBelchertown State School
Northampton Open Dooricn (Advocacy) Club
Adult Women,Separated,Widowed, Divorced
Secondary SchoolTeachers andStudents
Secondary SchoolTeachers andStudents
Community BasedOrganizationPersonnel
Urban, ElementaryTeachers andStudents
Rural Adults
Urban Adults
Urban Junior HighSchool Students
DeinstitutionalizedDevelopmentallyDisabled
DevelopmentallyDisabled
The planned outcome of the entire two-year CEDP study is tobuild a new design for consumer education that:
o is more far-reaching and integrated than ever before
e includes attention to topics of increasing interestto consumers such as human services, conservation,inflation and consumer
o incorporates expanded roles for consumers, such as theconsumer-citizen role in influencing public policieswhich affect consumers
o assures increased attention to special croups served byconsumer education, including women, the poor, seniorcitizens, the disabled, minority croups.
The CEDP study has produced an assessment of consumer education,a revitalized classification of concepts, and new approaches andmaterials which should lead to improved consumer education proaramsin a variety of educational settings.
-4-
In developing this module, Urban Consumer, Suzanne
Wilcox coordinated the following developmental activities:
current books, articles, pamphlets, curriculum units,video-cassettes and teaching materials were reviewedand evaluated;
e intermediate school teachers at I.S. 201 in centralHarlam, New York City were identified to participatein the development and testing of the urban consumermodule and its associated newspaper;
e module goals and student learning objectives wereidentified by the development team;
e teacher inservice meetings were conducted throughoutcentral Harlem;
to the module components were tested in classrooms atI.S. 201 by Ms. Wilcox, mathematics and language artsteachers; and
e based on teacher and student evaluations, the modulewas revised for printing and dissemination throughoutthe consumer education resource network.
CLASSIFICATION OF CONCEPTS IN CONSUMER EDUCATION
The primary reason for developing the 1980 Classificationof Concepts in Consumer Education was to provide a basis forprogram and materials development and to encourage exchangeof ideas and information about consumer education. The identi-fication and classification of concepts should diminish con-fusion, both within and outside the field, as to what consumereducation is, and what consumers should know and be able to do.
The learning activities in "Urban Consumer" are based onthe conceptual framework which appears in Figure 1, the Con-sumer Decision-Action System. The concept, consumer, is bestdescribed in the context of this system. Put simply, thesystem is a visual way of describing what consumers do. Con-
sumers make decisions to act in one or more of a variety ofways: planning, purchasing, conserving, getting legislative or other
protection for themselves and advocating for their cause. Con-
sumers are thus seen as persons with a broad range of optionsrelative to each of the specific consumption areas (e.g. housing,
energy, food shopping, legal services).
-5-
FACTORS AFFECTING CONSUMER DECISIONS
EXTERNAL FACTORS
ECONOMIC SYSTEMPOLITICAL SYSTEMSOCIAL SYSTEMECOLOGICAL INFLUENCESTECHNOLOGICAL INFLUENCE
PERSONAL FACTORS
RESOURCESLIFECYCLEVALUES AND GOALSNEEDS AND WANTSLIFESTYLE
DECISION MAKING PROCESS
PROBLEM-ISSUE CONSEQUENCESINFORMATION DECISION-ACTIONALTERNATIVES EVALUATION
CONSUMER DECISION-ACTION AREAS
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
FINANCIAL PLANNINGPURCHASINGCONSERVING
CONSUMER PROTECTIONCONSUMER ADVOCACY
FIGURE 1, CONSUMER DECISION-ACTION SYSTEM*
*Suzanne Dale Wilcox, A Conceptual Frame-work for. Consumer Education Curricula, City Universityof New York, January, 1980, p. 12.From Bannister, Rosella and Monsma, Charles, Classifi-cation of Concepts in Consumer Education, ConsumerEducation Development Program, Michigan ConsumerEducation Center, Eastern Michigan University,Ypsilanti, Michigan 1980, p. 10.
'1
-6-
Building on a definition of consumer education,concepts which make up the content of the field areand classified in Figure 2. The CEDP Classification of Con-cepts in Consumer Education provides a definition of eacnconcept, discusses its application to consumer education,illustrates the potential impact of consumer education onvarious modes of consumer behavior, and identifies twelvcontemporary factors affectinc consumer decisions.
Consumer competence in the marketplace is not parceledout in clearly defined areas. Knowledge is interdependent;in reality concepts merge in endless combinations. In thiscurriculum module, Urban Consumer, we illustrate how theconcept of inflation is relate, to many other concepts withinthe system.
The activities in this me ule form a portion of the clasE-ification of concepts which deals with the range of consumerbehavior appropriate to educated Americans, both resourcemanagement and consumer participation activities, namely:planning, purchasing, conserving, obtaining legislativeprotection and consumer advocacy.
IbuCATIDN IS THE PROCESS OF GAINING
Ili !idt4EIla AND SKILLS NEEDED IN MANAGING
kESOuRCES AND TAKING ACTIONS TO
';f; u;',(.1 THE FACTORS WHICH AFFECT CONSUMER
DECISIONS.
RESOURLE MANAGEMENT
YINDIN6--.------
-
CuNSERvIN
SHOHN6
IACISIoNS RESOURCES
EFFICIENT
bo01),, USE
RESOURCE
51111S1 I Nilo,
CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
I
CONSUMEF
PROTECTION
CONSUMER RIGHTS
CONSUvE;
RESPONSIBILITIES
CONSeER .AWS
CON3T.'.ED
ASST,viCE
A ( .11 ILA! ION 01 CONCEPTS IN CONSUMER EDUCATION
dcliarlr!;, Clit:;sification of Concepts in
,. 1,Acto ion Devvlopunt Program, Michigan Con-
r. 1rrn Michigan University, 100, p. 14.
C'JCI"'EP.
tCYOJCY
CONSuvER
qssECT1vENE:
ION
-8-
Urban Consumer Module
Purposes, Audience and Schedule
The basic purpose of this unit is to increase studentand community awareness about what it means to be a consumer.This overall purpose is carried out by means of three object-ives. The learning activities help students to:
e think of themselves as consumers
o identify appropriate consumer behavior and theconsumer viewpoint in some topical areas
e gather information 'Ind write about it in a regularnewspaper for the community.
Teachers may choose to make use of the module in itsentriety; if delivered once a week, the module might take anentire semester. A single unit may be isolated and delivered as is,
quite apart from the project of producing a community newspaper.
The audience for this module includes urban students at
the middle school level. Our group, involved in the pilottest, was drawn from other work being done by NCTL. The NewCareers Training Laboratory, in collaboration with QueensCollege and Community School District'5, conducts a TeacherCorps program for the inservice training of teachers and otherschool staff in Harlem's District 5, including IntermediateSchool 201, a school in the forefront of the fight for ccmmun-ity control in the later 60's. This made our initial meetingwith the principal of the school less difficult tb arrange.At this meeting, Suzanne Wilcox and John Formanek, a TeacherCorp staff member, explained the work of the national projectin consumer education known as the Consumer Education Develop-ment Program. We requested that I.S. 201 become a base for
developing and pilot-testing some consumer education modulesfor use with urban middle school children. The cooperationof a group of teachers was needed to make this a reality.To obtain such cooperation, we wanted to meet with as manyteachers as possible, explain our project, and get a commit-ment from a few teachers to work with us on a continuing basis.
Ms. Sadie BynUm, acting principal of the school,expressedreal interest and promised cooperation. She agreed to convenean initial meeting and create a block of free time during theschool day for teachers to work together on consumer education.She would provide us with work space in her office (the onlyavailable space), a. place to meet regularly, and would allowstudents to leave the building when involved in project activ-ities, which necessitated work in the community.
-9-
The first meeting with teachers attracted a large groupof teachers. Their interests were varied. The librarian, cMs. Rcsie Hullen, close to retirement, thought the computer-orientation of the project would provide her with a new skillto enrich her breadth of talents. Three math teachers - Mr.Winston Duckett, Mr. Mannie Kostakis and Mr. Kristin Pahujahad been helped by NCTL's Teacher Corps work and thoughtsurveying neighborhood supermarkets and calculating costs(the rumor that this was part of our project had gotten around)would enrich the body of data on which to do math computation.Mr. Eddie Rosario, new to teaching Language Arts, was lookingfor incentives to draw students to his Title I Reading Labora-tory, to bring kids in from the corridors and streets. Mr.Allen Walls, the 'Industrial Arts instructor, felt that knowingmore about consumers might help his students, mostly on the"production" side, in their vocational education classes.Each teacher came with his or her own needs and questions.Some were just curious about our presence in the school.
Four teachers were interested enough to make a weeklycommitment to attend meetings: Rosario, Duckett, Pahuja, andKostakis. All participated in the Wednesday training sessionsduring which the conceptual framework of CEDP was discussed,the needs of students and community people were raised, andteaching strategies were designed.
In time, the model took shape and the various steps wereaccomplished. It was decided that learning activities wouldbe designed to lead to a weekly newsletter produced by thestudents containing articles, hints, and the results of aweekly supermarket survey. Two teachers agreed to have theirmath classes conduct the survey. Mr. Rosario and SuzanneWilcox would design the learning activities, each trying themout with a different group of students for the purpose ofobtaining newsletter articles.
A questionnaire was widely distributed in the Harlemcommunity to assure that what was dealt with in the news-letter was meaningful for kids and their parents alike. Thequestionnaire results gave shape to the weekly supermarketsurvey (we compared the prices of those items which peoplewanted to know more about) and to the learning activities aswell. To give examples, we did an issue of the newsletterfocused on jeans because kids were interested, on medicalservices because parents were.
Once issues of the newsletter began to come out, theproject was locked into developing and testing learningactivities regularly, so that articles could be producedfor the newsletter. It was a healthy pressure, increased bythe press deadlines of Ethel Mingo, who typed, formattedand enriched the newsletter with her own common sense anddedication.
-10-
As momentum was increased in the school, we found thatwe had a cadre of deeply interested kids and teachers. Whenthe final issue of the newspaper for the 1979-80 school yearwas published, the entire group of forty-five people cametogether for a luncheon of ceremony and mutual congratulation.Those students who participated in the projE.ct were feted atLa Famille Restaurant, Fifth Avenue and 125th Street, andgiven awards for the contribution to the newsletter and to the
community. Ms. Vivian Jackson, Teacher Corps Project Directorin District 5, presented the awards to the applause of the fourteachers, Audrey Williams, Ethel Mingo, John Formanek andSuzanne Wilcox of New Careers Training Laboratory. A copy ofthe awards certificate is shown on the following page.
URBAN CONSUMER MODULE
OVERVIEW OF UNITS
The units in the Urban Consumer module engage students inthe production of a community newspaper. In the pilot projectconducted at Intermediate School 201 in central Harlem, stud-
ents moved through the learning activities which follow, allwith the end product of a regular newspaper in mind. The
intent was to connect school and community by such a process,to give students a practical means of learning while servingthe community and of learning while doing.
So, while some of the learning activities in these unitsremain on the level of conceptualizing, most are heavily ex-periential and result in some conceptualizing at the end rather
than the start. Many of the learning activities take place
outside the traditional classroom. The activities were devel-oped in collaboration with the teachers who made use of themin one of America's poorest communities, that of central Harlem.In a project which they knew as "Urban Marketbasket," studentsengaged in learning activities to help provide answers to thebasic question of the materials, "What does it mean to be a
good consumer?"
As they discovered answers to this question in a varietyof topical areas, students wrote newspaper articles to educate
the community, their parents and neighbors, about what they had
learned. In the units which follow, students are involved in
learning activities, on what it means to be a consumer, in organ-
izing a newspaper, and, finally, in learning about three areas
of consumption: consuming entertainment, consuming medicalservices and supermarket. The recurring question as they learn
about each of these areas, is: "What does it mean to be a goodconsumer, here in Harlem, now while I am in the seventh grade?"and, closely related, "How can I improve'the lot of consumers
i'n my own community?"
A NEWSLETTER FOR PEOPLE IN
I
THE CENTRAL HARLEM COMMUNITYOVIti
III- lei
'urban marketbasket,/dr) ,
Jkis i5 Iv cert,bra.5 6egg active an.v1 cakilYi:is staffwan( Urign durity't-05 frstdear yisaicahon 196O,
Yi5 Vard 6i055 With- it raluhi771.5
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Suln j'al-4tirciskfrb
-12--
The units follow a design which gives students the skills,practical "know-how" and conceptual base for starting theirown consumer newspaper in the community. The organizing prin-ciple for the set of units is learning about and writing fromthe consumer viewpoint.
to Unit One, Being An Effective Consumer contains a mixof learning activities around the various behaviorsappropriate for consumers. It is meant to introducestudents to broadened sense of the term consumer andto raise student consciousness of themselves as con-sumers.
® Unit Two, Consumer in This Neighborhood gives studentsa chance to learn more about their local area as a placewhere consumers live and function.
6 Unit Three, Starting A Newspaper, focuses student learn-ing on the practical skills required to start and runa community newspaper.
O Unit Four, The Consumer Point of View, engages studentsin activities which lead to knowing about and writingin, the consumer interest.
Unit Five, Consuming Entertainment, takes a topical arealike going to the movies and helps students examine theirexperience as educated consumers.
Unit Six, Consuming Medical Services, gives students aservice area in which to gain knowledge and skills asneighborhood consumers.
.0 Unit Seven, Supermarket, reinforces conceptual learningabout being a consumer and teaches some practical skillswhich lead to newspaper articles on food shopping in thesupermarket and in alternative places.
The approach which we used to build consumer education conceptshas several characteristic elements.
® First, we used the neighborhood as a laboratory in whichkids could learn more about themselves as consumers bystudying the world around them.
o Second, we approached concept attainment with the notionthat kids learn best by a variety of learning activities,many of them experiential, the end product of which is aseries of attributes which distinguish a particular concept.
-13-
Third, we chose to center all learning experiencesaround the concept "consumer," dealing with thevarious topics as applications of this core concept.
Fourth, we came at this work strongly influencedby a sense that reflection and writing on the subjectconsumer would lead students away from the rathertypical helplessness of their consumer role and towardgreater power.
e Fifth, we tried out our ideas with kids in an urbanpoor environment; we believe it has value as well inmore affluent communities.
9
-14-
URBAN CONSUMER MODULE
Activities 1-7
Activities 8-11
Activities 12-15
Activities 16-17
Activities 18-19
Activities 20-23
Activities 24-32
Teaching Planfor this module
Introduce conceptof consumer-
personal knowledgeand skills
VLearn about
being a consumer inthis neighborhood
Learn aboutstarting anewspaper
CONSUMER
CONSUMER/NEIGHBORHOOD
]
NEWSPAPER
Learn about whatmakes for a goodconsumer newspaper
1Learn about theconsumer viewpointon movies
Learn about theconsumer viewpointon medical services
Learn about theconsumer viewpointon the supermarket
WRITINGCONSUMERARTICLES
JPIC:MOVIES
TOPIC:MEDICALSERVICES
TOPIC:SUPERMARKET
-15-
UNIT ONE:
BEING AN EFFECTIVE CONSUMER
The learning activities in Unit One aim to help studentsunderstand the meaning of the role, consumer. Together andsc.:irately, the activities introduce students to the range ofbehavior appropriate to the consumer role and to the situationsin which such behavior comes to the fore. There are certainke \' ideas about consumer role; each of the Unit One activitiesaims to teach at.least one of them. The teacher can facilitatestudent-learning of these key ideas, helping students drawsuch aeneralizations themselves after watching a role play,enraging in an experience or reading a passage.
The first learning activity is introductory and, thereforesomewhat general. The Others are more specific, each intendedto get across key ideas.. about the consumer role.
Learning Activity Key Idea
1. What Do I.Consume? Each of us consumes certaingoods and services.
2. The Bingo Exercise A good consumer buys thingsand plans spending in a waywhich reflect personal values.
3. The Good Consumer A good consumer is conscious ofhowto act in the best interest of
sun.
4. Gas Crisis A good consu: er knows how toconserve.
5. Bait and Switch A good consumer is alert todeceptive practices.
6. Door to Door Sales A good consumer knowsthatthere are laws to protecthim/her.
7. The Whole Ball of Wax Consumers have many roles;spending, conserving, plan-ning, getting protection andorganizing on their own behalf.
-16-
LL',RNING ACTIVITY 1: WHAT DO I CONSUME?
Objective: Given a set of questions, students will listand categorize items which they consume.
Process:
o Teacher will ask students individually to make two lists.Each student should list "things they "have bought this weekand "things they would like to buy this week."
Teacher should encourage students to volunteer to read '-heirlists and then place them in groups. This will constituteearly practice in grouping and categorizing. Some categoriesmight be based on (1) where items were purchased drugstores, department store or (2) type of item food, clothing,cosmetics.
Teacher then should ask students to write an approximateprice and brand next to the items they list, and to taketheir lists home to compare their guesses with reality.
e On the next day, the teacher should lead students to discussbeing a consumer in what respects it is an easy task andin what respects it is difficult.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 2: THE BINGO EXERCISE
Objectives: Given a situation in which students have won anamount of money, students can list spendingpriorities and reasons for them.
Given a list of personal spending priorities andthose of another student, students discern valueswhich underlie spending priorities.
Process:
Teacher should make sure that students have writing materials,and then explain to them this situation: You have gone toplay bingo with your mother on a special night, and you winand are handed a check for $1,500. Think about what youwould want to do with the money and then make a list.
co Teachers can circulate to assist students with the priceof certain items which they want to buy. Make sure thatthe items on the list are in the order in which the studentsconsider most important.
-17-
When the students have completed their lists, the teachercan do one of two things. He/she can ask for volunteersto share their lists with the group, or they can dividethe class into small groups, each of which is a forum forsharing.
The teacher should conduct a discussion, asking questionssuch as:
= Why do some kids want some things and other kids wantothers? (needs, wants, values)
= What are some needs, wants and values we all have? Whatare some we differ on?
= Do you think our needs, wants and values are the same asthose of kids in India, China? Why? Why not?
= What effect do values have on the way people spend theirmoney?
O The teacher should then summarize, or encourage studentsto summarize, what they have learned about how values affectus in our role as consumers, how they influence that onepart of the consumer role known as spending.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 3: THE GOOD CONSUMER
Objective: Given some introductory stories about consumers,students will list 1) qualities which make for agood consumer, and 2) qualities which demonstratethat a person is not a good consumer.
Given a list of good and bad qualities, studentswill give examples (from their own behavior andthose of their families) of each type of behavior.
Materials: Xeroxed versions of the attached stories.
Process:
Teacher should direct students to read the attached stories,"Stories About Consumers."
o When they have finished, students should be directed tomake a list of good and bad consumer behaviors.
o Teacher should lead a discussion of what good and bad con-sumer behaviors are familiar to students - actions whichthey may have performed or which their students may haveperformed.
-18-
STORIES ABOUT CONSUMERS
Read the following stories about consumers, and thendecide what was good and bad about the people's consumerskills or behavior, the way they acted as consumers.
Bernard Caravello. Bernard was watching television oneevening when someone knocked at the door of his apartment. ltwas a young woman who identified herself as Felicia Clark andsaid she was selling magazines. Bernard had just moved intothe apartment, the first one he ever rented as an adult "onhis own," and he wanted very much to get a few magazinesubscriptions. The woman showed him what she was selling, andBernard agreed to purchase two subscriptions, at bargain ratesof $6.97 and $4.50, to Time and Boating Digest magazines re-spectively. The total of his two purchases came to $11.47.There was one small problem, and it was that Bernard had onlya dollar and same change on hand, enough money to get him towork in the morning and to the bank at noon time. But he hada check for $18.00 so he endorsed it to the woman and sheagreed to bring him back the change.
A week la:er, Bernard was very concerned. He had notgotten back his change. He had no record of where the womanwas from, what company she represented, or how to reach her.And two months later, he had not received any word on themagazine subscriptions.
* * *
Long Beach Senior Citizens Club. Ralph Long, FannieEisenstatt and Samuel :Marro were all members of the LongBeach Senior Citizens Club. They ate lunch at the club onmost days; went to arts and crafts on Wednesday afternoon;Ralph even became an active member of the weekly discussionclub. All three ,hopped at the Yellow Peach Supermarket, justtwo blocks from the Club, at the corner of Fifth and Broad.Since they were on a tight budget, the three were avid couponclippers; they also watched the local newspaper carefully for"specials."
Yellow Peach usually advertised some weekend food specialson Wednesday, and Ralph brought up the subject at lunch onWednesday, "Did you see the great buy on blueberries at theYellow Peach? They're only 79e; a box! An,1 whole chickensare down to 49G a pound. I'm going over to the market rightafter Arts and Crafts!"
Well., Ralph forgot that it was still Wednesday, but whenhe got to the market early Friday morning, he found Fannieand Sam already at the door.
When the manager opened the store, all three rushed tothe produce section, only to find two containers of blue-berries. Fannie and Sam agreed that Ralph should keep boLh
_91
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thuL3 cutting the demand, coffee prices would
Pestaurants across the United States offered free tea:;t,e:7ers instead of c fee. Supermarkets advertised tea
special prices for tea and cocoa. They also posted:lycrs urging consumers not to buy coffee because of the
:h price.
Whether because of high prices or the boycott, coffee7,hur-..ption did drop 15 percent by 1977. And the lessened:' :-and did have an impact. Although the price of coffee did
t down to pre- 1975 levels, it did not hit predicted::h.7 either.
..1:A=G ACTIVITY 4: THE OIL CRISIS
uot7.ive: Given reading material and researched data on theoil crisis, students will identify problems andopportunities for consumers.
Given an identification of problems for consumers,students will be able to give examples of conserva-tion.
!aterials: Newspaper articles on energy crisis. (The teachershould locate these.) Interviews with parents.
Process:
Teacher should locate five newspaper articles on the subjectof the oil crisis. If this is difficult, a call to a localnewspaper explaining the project will help.
Students should be directed to go home and to ask parentsand relatives how oil shortages and world crises haveaffected their oil consumption and that of their families.
Class discussion the next day will be on the subject, con-servation, what it means to conserve and why it is smartand wise to do so.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 5: BAIT AND SWITCH
Objective: Given a story in which consumer rights are violated,students will demonstrate recognition that theirrights are being violated, that there are deceptivebusiness practices _and that they must be "on guard"
against them.
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Materials: The following "Bait and Switch" story should beread aloud to the students by the teacher.
Process:
o Teacher reads the story to students and then raises thefollowing questions.
a. Did Mrs. Brown have rights in this situation?What were they?
b. Did the business do anything wrong? What do youcall it?
c. What do you suggest that Mrs. Brown should do?
d. Can you give any other examples of "deceptivepractices" to which students ought to be alert?
The teacher can produce a list on the board of deceptivepractices which students and/or their parents haveexperienced.
BAIT AND SWITCH
Amalgamated Furniture Store, 123 Franklin Street, Brooklyn,placed the following advertisement in the Brooklyn Herald:"Oriental rugs, Liquidation Sale, 9' x 12', $400. Offer goodthis week only. Easy Credit Terms." Mrs. Lenore Brown sawthe advertisement, needed a rug badly for her living room,and went immediately to Amalgamated Furniture to purchase arug. When she arrived, the salesman, looking embarrassed, saidthat he had no more Oriental rugs on sale, but had quite a feworientals of somewhat better quality at $1,000. Mrs. Brownwas stunned. She asked the salesman how many Orientals theyhad on sale to begin with, and discovered they had only tworugs. Mrs. Brown did not know what was wrong, but she knewshe had problems.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 6: DOOR TO DOOR SALESPERSON
Objective: Given a role play of a door-to-door salespersonand a consumer, students will identify laws whichprotect consumers.
Materials: Attached role play descriptions for encyclopediasalesperson, the consumer, and the spouse.
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Process:
o Teacher will choose three students to "act out" the role
play of a door-to-door salesperson situation, and give them
time to prepare.
o The teacher will introduce the role play by telling students
that they are going to see three of their classmates in a
play and they must watch it with four questions in mind:
-.Who is right?
Who is wrong?
What law protects one person?
How would you have responded to the salesperson?
Role play'actors should be told that the role play ends
shortly after the salesperson leaves and the spouse returns
home.
to When the role play is over, teacher leads a discussion about
what behavior on the part of the consumer would have demon-
strated to the salesperson that the consumer is a "smart"
consumer.
ROLES
On index cards, teachers should write, type or paste the
following role descriptions.
SALESPERSON: You are very good at selling things, friendly,
enthusiastic about encyclopedias, knowledgeable about what they
do to help childre:. learn. You knock on the consumer's door
with assurance, and you converse with knowledge and great warmth.
Your major goal is to get the consumer to sign a contract to
purchase a set of 39 volumes of the encyclopedia, paying $20
a month for the next 40 months.
CONSUMER: You are a smart shopper. You have three children,
12, 10, and 6, all in school and eager to learn more. You have
a limited income, but you have enough to eat and to wear, and
you put aside each month a little money. You have always wanted
to get a set of encyclopedias for your children. You sign the
contract.
SPOUSE: The consumer's spouse is aware of the federal law
which protect consumers, giving them a three day cooling off
period, after signing a contract for a door-to-door sale.
When you come home and find that the consumer has signed the
encyclopedia contract, you are furious.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 7: THE WHOLE BALL OF WAX
Objective: Given some examples of good consumer behavior,students can list general categories of appropriateconsumer behavior: purchasing,
planning,conserving,obtaining protection from laws,andtaking action.
Materials:
Process:
Newspaper articlesNewsprint, magic markersManila Folders for each student.
The teacher should ask students to lbok at the newspapereach night and to cut out articles on "consumer" items.
Students can keep, for a week or two, a folder of thesearticles. Periodically, the teacher can review these andnote any gaps in types of articles. For example, if all thearticles students are collecting relate to food buying,teacher can suggest that students look to articles, bothabout different topics (housing, energy, medical services)and about different behaviors.
* Students should read their articles.
When the collection of articles is due, the teacher shouldplace, at various points in the classroom, 5 pieces ofnewsprint, each with a different word or with an appropriatesymbol, and explain each type of consumer behavior.
Purchasing Planning Conserving TakingAction
ObtainingLegal
Protection
® Students should summarize their articles, one at a time,"This article is about a lettuce boycott," and then be givenan opportunity to place the subject in the appropriatecategory. "It's an example of "taking action."
The following activity is optional. The teacher might gatherthe articles, each in the appropriate section. Xerox thecollection and use copies of it as a reading text on currentconsumer issues with students.
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UNIT TWO
CONSUMERS IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD
The learning activities in unit two have as their majorgoal to expand student understanding of the concept consumerthrough practical experience. Having engaged in activitiesaround the concept consumer in unit one, students here willapply what they have learned to their own local community.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 8: WATCHING CONSUMERS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD,
Objective: Given a neighborhood tour; students will liStactivities in which they. observe consumersengaging in their neighborhood. (They willidentify exemplars and non-exemplars of the concept"consumer.")
Materials: None
Process:
a The teacher will request the assistance of some class parents.Their help will be needed to take students on an "observationtour" in which they observe and list the activities of con-sumers in their neighborhood.
e Students will make lists of consumer activities they observein the neighborhood. Parents, having been briefed, willmake certain. that a wide range of consumer activity isnoted. Where possible: purchasing, planning, conserving,getting legal protection and taking action as consumers.Some of these might be difficult to observe on a single tripto neighborhood stores. Teacher should alert parents to thepossible exemplars of each. Some signs of planning might be
.shopping lists, of conserving might be cutting back on con-sumption of some items in favor of others, of planning mightbe people-putting money in savings banks. Getting legalprotection may be observed in the case of unit pricing,guarantees and warrantees on particular items namelyappliances.
e The day after the field trip, the teacher will lead adiscussion in which students talk about consumer activitiesin the neighborhood.
*If the circumstances in your school prohibit such a trip, thisactivity can be assigned as homework, preferably over a weekendwith students asked to observe and record at least one activityin each area.
o The teacher will compile student data or appoint a studentto do so, putting together an extensive list of consumeractivities. Student will be directed to group these to-gether. Purchasing activities, planning, conserving, gettinglegal protection, and taking action as consumers are suggestedas possible categories for grouping.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 9: MAP DRAWING
Objectives: Given the directive, students will draw maps oftheir neighborhood.
Materials: Large sheets of graph paperRulersRough paper
Process:
Students will be given graph paper and assigned the taskof drawing maps of one square block. Two students will worktogether making certain co place on their maps all buildingsin one square block.
Teacher will make certain that all square blocks within agiven geographical area are covered and that students drawthe maps in uniform fashion, adopting a common symbol system.
Maps should account for every buliding's purpose on theground floor level and the class should adopt a commoncolor for certain types of buildings: stores, residences,banks, schools, community organizations.
O When each map has been completed, they should be placed ona wall or bulletin board in proper geographical relation toone another.
Students should practice ability to generalize bylooking at the map and making general statements about theneighborhood on the basis of facts which they observe onthe map.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 10: BEING ME IN (THIS NEIGHBORHOOD)
Objective: Given a time of reflection on one's self andneighborhood, students will write about theirreflections.
Process:
The teacher will review the material and learnings of theconsumer education course to date, reminding students thatthe major focus of their activity is the newsletter for thecommunity which they are about to begin producing.
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e The .teacher will assign for homework a written piece,essentially a long paragraph in which students talk abouttheir experiences in o_ feelings about their neighborhood.These may be published, as they were in our Harlem pilotproject; they may form the first issue of the newsletter,or they may be read aloud in class.
In Appendix A, we enclose some of the writing on thissubject from the I.S. 201 pilot project.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 11: NEIGHBORHOOD INTERVIEWS
Objective:
Materials:
Process:
Given an interview schedule, students will conductone-to-one interviews to generate information aboutconsumer needs in their neighborhood.
Consumer Interview
el The teacher will give students several copies of theenclosed form, Consumer Interview, and will review thequestions on it with students, pointing out that thesurvey is to be conducted so that people will know moreabout the community in which they live.
e When students understand the questions, teacher will makeconducting the survey an assignment, asking each studentto do at least two surveys for homework. Students shouldbe given five copies -and the opportunity to conduct asmany as five surveys per night.
e Students should be directed to interview people who willrepresent the breadth of community consumer interest. Somediscussion in class, during which all the different types ofpeople who live in the neighborhood are identified, will.facilitate this task. Teacher, following the listing .of thevarious types, has students think of how many people they knowin each category: age, ethnic group, income level, sexand make certain that surveys will be conducted among each ofthe groups.
e After the first interview assignment, teacher should surveystudent forms and correct any errors or systematic problems.
Subject:
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CONSUMER INTERVIEW
Interviewer
Person Interviewed
Date
1. Do you think a student-produced newspaper might behelpful to consumers in the community ?.
Yes No
2. Would you be interested in any of the following topics?I'd like to find out how interested you might be inreading different kinds of newspaper articles and features.I'll read some headlines and titles. After I read eachone, please give me your score between zero and five, zerobeing of no interest to you, 5 being of major interest.Give each title any score between zero and five that bestexpresses how likely you would be to read the item if itappeared in a newspaper.
How to find a good doctor. ( )
Being an effective tenant ( )
Saving energy ( )
Con Ed Electric Company returns $25,000 toconsumers ( )
Soften your brown sugar. ( )
Tips for movie-goers. )
Join a Food Buying Club. ( )
Small Claims Court limit raised. (
Neighborhood Consumers boycott SuperfineMarkets
Ideas for a healthy diet. ( )
Co-Op Auto Repair Shop started in West Bay,Maybe a good idea for Harlem (
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3. How long have you lived in this community, or withinten miles of it?
4. What is your overall rating of this community as a placeto live excellent, good, or poor?
excellent good poor
5. In every community, the schools, the newspapers, thegovernment, and other organizations -- each has adifferent job to do. I'd like to know how you feel aboutthe ones around here.
I'll read seven major categories of organizations. Pleasegive each one a score from zero to five depending on howgood a job you think it's doing. If it's doing the worstpossible job, give it a score of zero. If it's doing aperfect job, give it a score of five. Otherwise, give itany score from zero to give that expresses how you feelabout the kind of job its doing. Now, what's your ratingof the job being done around here by:
) the public schools?
) the newspapers?
) the radio stations?
) the local government?
) the churches?
) the police department?
) the mental health department?
) the hospitals?
6. Is there anything you would particularly want to seecovered in a consumer newspaper produced by students?
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Can you answer a few brief questions about yourself to helpour survey?
7. What is the highest grade in school you have completed?
8. What is your age? Indicate sex
9. Next, I'll read some common concerns people have. Pleasesay yes if it applies to you and no if it doesn't.
I'm very much concerned about:
).my family
) my friends
) getting along in the community
) money
) a job
) my physical health
) having a good place to live
) finding things to do
) keeping myself together
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;HE
TEACHER
What is a survey?
The word "survey" comes originally from words meaning"to look over." Today, survey is a "look over" of the7,pinions or behavior of a number of people. Surveys are:!onducted by asking many people the same questions and thensystematically compiling the results:
Using a survey to gather information and evidence onthe availability of health care services in your neighborhoodis an effective way for students to serve consumers. The over-all results can be published in your newsletter, and may startIT:eonle thinking about how to improve their neighborhood.
Here you will find some of the points to keep in mindif you are constructing your own survey. First, it isimportant for questions on a questionnaire to be the rightquestions. How can you make certain that you have goodquestions? It is essential that each question on a question-naire mean the same thing to everyone who answers it. MakeSure your questions are clear and direct. A. question like,"How many hours a day do you watch television?"is a clearand direct question.
Another important factor to consider in conducting asurvey is how to chose the population, those to be surveyed.The population you survey is determined by considering who canbest provide the information you need. If you want to findout how citizens in an entire community feel about an issue,you should interview a cross section of the local population.
To obtain a valid cross-section of the population, youmight choose to interview a sample. (A proportion of a groupis called a sample). Two 'kinds of samples are important toconsider here. A random sample is a portion of a total groupchosen by selecting every so many people in the group. Ycucould, for example, choose every one theusandth person in thetelephone directory. A systematic sample is based on specificcriteria or rules of selection. When it is necessary for youto interview only a sample of a group, it is probably importantfor your sample to be representative of the entire group. Inorder to make a systematic sample of a neighborhood, you mightdecide to interview a certain number of people in each ofthese categories: young people under 18, people 18 to 30,people 31 to 50, people 51 to 65, people over 65. In addition,among the adults you might include a representative distribu-tion of men and women who are blue-collar and white-collarworkers, unemployed workers and high-level executives, house-wives and working mothers. In the interview assignment here,students are directed to interview several types of consumers.This is the closest we come to directing that a scientificsample be chosen.
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UNIT THREE:
STARTING A NEWSPAPER
Teachers will find that producing a consumer newspapercan help students learn basic skills and educate the communityat the same time. If the format is kept simple and the writingof articles directly related to regular written assignments,production time will be limited.
Neighborhood polls, opinion surveys, consumer successstories, consumer complaints, news of alternatives to themarketplace - each can serve as possible newspaper articles.Tosimplify each of these elements and to focus on a single topicwe suggest that each newspaper issue focus on a single topicand all articles related to that topic. While there may be afew exceptions, information about food 'purchasing, coupledwith articles on personal experiences, a supermarket survey,an article about food co-ops, make for a clear message. Anissue of the "Urban Marketbasket" newsletter is enclosed inAppendix B. The learning activities in'this section are di-rected toward helping students learn to work in a group andto plan a consumer newspaper for their community. Furtherunits will deal with specific areas of consumption.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 12: THE TOWER GAME
Objective: Given necessary materials and the ex-perience of the Tower Game, studentswill generalize about working in groups.
Materials: 1 roll scotch tape2 packs of 3" x 5" index cardsfor each group of 5-8 people
Process:
o The teacher divides the large group into smaller groupsof 5 to 8 students, giving each the above materials. Theteacher appoints one group of 5-8 students to be groupobservers, telling them that their role is to watch care-fully what happens in the small groups as they go abouttheir tasks.
o Tell the groups they will have 20 minutes to perform atask - the instructions for which will be written clearlyon the board.
e Remind the group of the roles and responsibilities oftask group members. (For example, if the group startsa newspaper, one person will be the editor. Others willwrite and research articles. Others will be responsibleto distribute the newsletter.)
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o Remind the group they are all to wait until the start sig-nal is given, and just stop when told to do so.
The teacher, and maybe an assistant, another teacher, or aparaprofessional, should act as observers of the group'swork. If there are participants or students who do notwant to play actively, they might also serve as observers.
a Print these instructions on the board:
"USING THE MATERIALS PROVIDED, BUILD THE TALLESTFREE STANDING TOWER POSSIBLE." Do not provideany additional instructions or attempt to clarify"Free standing" or other confusing words.
o Give the,start signal and provide frequent time pressureduring the exercise by saying, "only 10 minutes left,"or "3 minutes to go!"
o At the appointed time, stop the exercise and assemble thelarge group for discussion of the game.
The Tower Game is designed to force the task group towork out and quickly implement a plan of action. It stimu-lates 'real life' situations by being purposely vague inwhat the final product is to be. Concepts of the 'tallestfree-standing tower' vary and the purpose is to get groupmembers to reach consensus. In addition, the word 'Tallest'implies there is heavy competition among groups to be thebest. Group observers should provide feedback on thefollowing factors:
0 Did all group members participate inthe planning?
e Did the planning include a definite goalto be accomplished?
w How were the roles determined?
o What kinds of leadership patterns-emerged?
co Was the group in competition with others?
o Were the group members willing to sharematerials and expertise on tower building?
® Did some groups change their tower designsafter observing other structures? Is thisconsidered okay or considered cheating?
Did group members continue to add cardseven when the tower threatened to topple?
The large. group discusslonreactions to observer feyda(_*and then should go on to consl,iera tower and running z weo,;.ly
LEARNING ACTIVITY 13: qWEA-: :7".
Objective: Given a case study shoutstudents will list what he.:.together and want rode rsgether.
Materials: Enough copies 0: the .;try,Off" for the class.
Process:
The teacher can introduce the class;Equity" by saying something like the
The case study which follows can be help:two ways: it can provide you with a good xarpl,,,
ple can work together to improve their lot as coh._7r:::it can provide a good example of effectiv .:. groupread the story, keep the two questions I h:1-:e
board in mind:
What points helped this group wor'ktogether?
What made it more difficult for thlsgroup to work together?
When the students have read the story,the good points and the bad points ofa group.
o When the students have listed all the good A: IL:points they can think of, make sure the fo11ow::1.7good points are listed:
1. Everyone ii as a share in tic wor,:roles are clear.
2. Someone is responsible to se( fh,It
work is done.
3. There are people to back up otherstheir job is not done.
4. The group is excited about their projec-,and want to do it.
SWEAT EQUITY PAYS OFF
A Case Study About Getting Things Done In Groups
They _ere once the "Renegades of Harlem," a tough streetgang swaggering through the East Harlem ghetto. They walkedtall in their nail-studded jackets, flaunting knives andlooking for trouble. It was their turf, and it seemed thatthey almost owned it.
But then something happened. East Harlem, the traditionalheart of New York City's 900,000 strong Hispanic community,was becoMing something of a ghost town and there was littleleft to fight over. Their neighborhood had deteriorated.Houses were being abandoned, vandalized and burned. Stores,were closing and everyone who could was leaving.
So in 1972, East Harlem street gangs gathered for a"Third World Meeting" solve their common problems. Theoutcome marked the b .gLnning of a new era for the Renegades.It was time to fight new battles.
Playgrounds
It started with playgrounds in 1973. One of the gangleaders heard that New York City was providing tools andequipment to neighborhood groups willing to clean up vacantlots and turn them into mini-parks or playgrounds.
Finding empty spaces in East Harlem was no probleM.There were plenty of sites where abandoned tenements had beendemolished or burned. The Renegades pic17nt two lots on East118th Street. They turned one into idren's playgroundand the other into an outdoor bakeLuall court. When the play-grounds opened, the gang felt a pride they hadn't experiencedbefore.
Moving on to other projects, the Renegades next organizeda blood donor drive for New York.City hospitals and conducteda voter registration campaign. But their most ambitiousproject still lay ahead.
Rehabilitation Site
On the corner of 119th Street and Second Avenue stood
a large abandoned skeleton of what had been a tenement house.With families fleeing the area because of lack of decenthousing, the Renegades saw an opportunity to do something forthemselves and the neighborhood they loved. So in 1974 theyincorporated as the Renegades Housing Movement.
(10
Funding
They didn't have much other than a willingness to workhard. But with the knowledge that the city would soon takeover the building, and the help of a $20,000 interest-freeloan from the Consumers Farmers Foundation (CFF), the Rene-gades started making repairs. When the City of New York sawthat they meant business, city officials agreed to sell themthe building for $1,000 and to grant them a $350,000 rehab-ilitation loan.
Renovation Begins
Renovation was far from easy. On a typical day, 15 ormore gang members worked as carpenters, masons, plumbers,electricians or bricklayers doing everything it takes togut an old structure and rebuild it into 21 modern apartments.A member of the group had several years of construction exper-ience and acted as the teacher-foreman. The gang leader,Eulogia Cedeno, became the Executive Director.
One worker recalls, "I was heavy into the drug thingand heard about the work from.one of my brothers. So Ifigured, why not give it a try. No pay, but at least Iwould be doing something besides drugs. But now I got askill. I know how to do a job."
Sweat Equity
At first the Renegades worked without pay. But soon theyneeded money for expenses and equipment. So they renegotiatedthe loan with the City and arranged for minimum salaries forthose most in need.
They called the difference between normal constructionwages and the pittance they were paid, "sweat equity," whichrefers to the value of the sweat and labor the workers putinto the building. Housing built with sweat equity createsmore than savings for those who buy or rent it fosters asense of neighborhood pride that is almost as tangible andreal as the dollars saved.
Cooperative
When renovation of the East 119th Street Building wascompleted in 1975, the Renegades turned it over to the coopera-tive housing corporation they had organized. The co-opincluded several gang members, their families and other neigh-borhood residents in need of decent housing who now jointlyown and operate the building. The average $140 monthly pay-ments would have been twice as high if the building had beenrenovated in a conventional manner.
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The Renegades
The Renegades still walk tall, leaving their mark onEast Harlem. They have gone from a street gang to a housingdevelopment organization an odyssey that has done more thanchange their lives and the lives of their neighbors. It hasalso make their turf a place worth fighting for.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 14: PLANNING A NEWSPAPER
Objective: Given a set of tasks which need to be accomplishedto organize a newspaper, students will decide whois to do each one.
Process:
tio The teacher will give each student a copy of the "Task List."
op The teacher will conduct a discussion about each of the fourplanning tasks on the list, making certain that the classhas come to a consensus decision on each.
to The teacher will ask students to write a single pagedescribing their newspaper, following the points coveredin the planning task list. The piece will be written asif it is a description of the newspaper to appear in thefirst weekly issue.
Planning Tasks:
1. Decide on the format:Title of newspaperNumber of pagesColor of paper
2. Decide on how the paper will be reproduced:School reproduction machine or outsideHow many copies?
3. Decide on whom and how you will distribute the paper:Through community groupsTo parents of students
4. Decide how often you will produce the newspaper, givingenough time to gather articles from students.
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eb Each student will read his/her article on the newspaperin class. The teacher will write on the board the fourgeneral headings dealt with in the articles, namelyformat, reproduction, distribution, and schedule.
The teacher will list on the board in a homemade shorthandthe ideas which occur in the articles as they are read.
The teacher will conduct a discussion on the pro's andcon's of each idea and the class will decide togetherwhat format reproduction route, distribution plan andschedule meets their needs and capabilities.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 15: ORGANIZING THE NEWSPAPER
Objective: Given copies of local daily newspapers, studentswill list the components and organize their ownnewspaper.
Materials: Production Grid Sample
Process:
The teacher will assign each student the responsibilityof bringing to class a local daily newspaper. In class,students will make a list of what kinds of articlesappear in the paper, that is, types of articles and ofwhat these articles are about.
Students will read their lists of article types (gossipcolumn, consumer tips, etc.) and their lists of subjectmatter (crime, housing, legal cases). Teacher will recordthese on the board and then have students group them anddecide which would be suitable for a community consumernewspaper.
ea The teacher will then assign to students the task of draw-ing up and filling out a production grid form, containingthe following information: consumer topic areas, regularfeatures, newspaper production dates, student writingassignments. The enclosed production grid and featureslist is meant to guide teachers as they work with the class.
Success Stories first-hand accounts of individuals orgroups who have been effective consumers. How this has"paid off."
Interviews with local merchants, students, adult consumers,service deliverers - doctors, lawyers, social workers,teachers - on topics of interest to consumers.
FEATURES LIST
Feature articles on the "key consumer topic" of the week
Comparison shopping survey results.
Letters to the editor.
Consumer tips (helpful hints from one neighborhood consumerto another)
Articles of community interest for example, an upcomingconsumer legislation which affects your group.
Alternatives for consumers - articles on interesting andinnovative consumer projects which may have started in yourcommunity or another.
Articles about national or state consumer action or issueswhich may be of interest to local residents.
Hot Line Numbers - telephone numbers of places to call whenneighborhood consumers have problems or suggestions.
4
Newspaper Dates
November 15
November 30
December 15
January 6
January 26
February 10
February 24
March 5
March 15
Sample
PRODUCTION GRID
Consumer Topic Regular Feature Assignments
Tips Lead Success Survey Interviews Alternatives
Articles Stories
Clothing
Health Care
Toys & Games
Legal Services
Food
Movies
Street Items
Candy
School
This will vary in eacI classroom setting, depending on the preferences
and capabilities of the students.
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UNIT FOUR
TEE CONSUMER POINT OF VIEW
The learning activities in Unit Four reinforce studentknowledge about what it means to be a good consumer, boththe learning on a conceptual level gathered in Unit One andthe experiential learning of Unit Two. Here, learning activi-ties focus on writing with the consumer perspective stronglyin mind. The activities can be referred to during newspaperproduction if student articles seem to reflect a viewpointother than that of the consumer.
The teacher could open this series of activities by read-ing or discussing the following issues with students:
People who are professional writers are very consciousof what "points of view" they choose for a story. If theyare writing a murder mystery, are they going to write from thepoint of view of the murderer, the maid or the detective? Orfrom a point of view which resembles the great detective in thesky, a point of view from which the writer (and the reader) cansee all that is happening and even read all the characters'minds?
0 The articles in the consumer newspaper organized byyour class or group will be written from the consumer pointof view. They should always keep the consumer's interest inmind. What is the consumer's interest and how do you keep itin mind? What kind of stories serve the consumer's interest?
Newspaper articles which help consumers to acquire theknowledge and skills they need to make decisions and takeconsumer-citizen actions.
Some of the skills which people need to be better consumersare very individua7ke knowing how to comparison shop, useunit prices, interpret evidence, make intelligent forecasts.Other skills relate to activities which people perform ingroups: participating in local decisions about resources,supporting laws for consumers, and organizing a group aroundconsumer issues.
The information which students and community members ingeneral need to know is vast. They need to know what lawsprotect consumers, when to bring a case to small claims court,what issues are politically sensitive in a community, whatthe global impact of a consumer issue is.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 16: CONSUMER-ORIENTED ARTICLES
Objective:
Materials:
Process:
Given newspaper articles about consumer issues,students will identify the qualities which makethem written in the "consumer interest."
Xeroxed copies of enclosed newspaper articles,found in Appendix C, Consumer-oriented articles.
The teacher will pass out xeroxed copies of the enclosednewspaper articles. Students will read one at a time,keeping in mind the question, what qualities identifythe articles as being in the consumer interest? Theteacher will talk about "point of view," making certainthat students understand the meaning of point of view.
When the students have each finished an article, they willkeep a list of "consumer qualities."
Students will be asked to clip newspaper articles whichrepresent the consumer point of view, and to list whatindicates that they represent the consumer point of view.In a class discussion, they will deal with the followingquestions:
What indicates that each of the articles representthe consumer point of view? Underline sentences whichare clues to the consumer orientation of the articles.
If you were to write an article on buying jeans from aconsumer's point of view, what points would you be sureto cover?
o What, then, are the essential components of an articlewhich is written from the consumer's point of view?
The teacher will note the following qualities which charac-terize articles written with the consumer viewpoint:
Critical eye as to product or service quality.
o Conscious of environmental impact at service or product.
to Contains tips for the consumer to assist him/her in deal-ing with producer or service provider.
Outlines consumer rights in a given instance.
o Makes clear what law protects consumers presently orwhat laws should be passed to protect consumers in thefuture.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 17: CONSUMER REPORTERS AND MEDIA
Objective:
Materials:
Process:
Given a meeting with consumer media people,students will list characteristics of goodconsumer reporting.
None
o The teacher will arrange for students to meet with amember of the media whose job responsibilities includeconsumer reporting. Two methods are appropriate here.The Leacher can arrange a field trip to the media person'soffice, or can ask them to come to the school. The consumermedia person will be either a journalist or a TV or radioreporter.
o If the field trip/classroom discussion format is notpossible, teachers might choose the alternative activitydescribed below, that of monitoring television consumerreporting.
o For the person-to-person meeting, teachers should preparestudents by asking the,.. to list a series of questions forconsumer media people. These questions ought to be linkedto the previous learning activity, in which students deter-mine which characteristics or qualities make for goodconsumer reporting.
o The media person will give a short talk on what his/herjob involves. After this, students will ask questions.
o The alternative activity, that of monitoring consumerreporting on TV, involves students in keeping a journalof consumer reports which they see on television, andnoting in connection with each TV channel, reporter,subject, what was sLid.
9
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UNIT FIVE
CONSUMING ENTERTAINMENT
One topical area on which students may focus their news-paper for the community is the movies. What is the consumerpoint of view when it comes to the movies? What is thespecifically "consumer interest" when going to or talkingabout the movies?
Writing articles on the movies for their consumer news-paper might be a good place for students to start. It'san enjoyable topic and relatively easy to evaluate as anexperience. Almost everyone has an article on the moviesin their minds, if only you can tap into that and get themto write it.
Being a sharp movie consumer involves keeping a numberof things in mind when you go to the movies: price, conditionof the theatre, price and quality of the snacks served, thebehavior of the audience.
An enjoyable experience at the movies seems to involvegoing for the right reason and seeing a high quality movie,too. Reading about others' experiences might help neighbor-hood residents make decisions about their future movie plans.Remembering bad experiences at the movies is just as valuablein learning to be a good consumer as remembering good exper-iences.
There are two learning activities in this module. Oneactivity, to be conducted in the classroom, engages studentsin reflecting on their own experiences at the movies. Thesecond, a more experiential learning activity, will involvestudents in going to and checking up on movie experiences.Both can lead to transfer exercises, in which studentsgeneralize about consuming entertainment.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES 18: DISCUSSING THE MOVIE EXPERIENCE
Objectives:e Given a series of experiences of the consumerregarding movies, students will list qualitiesof a good entertainment experience.
Materials:
e Given a period of reflection on their ownexperience as consumers, students will judgethe quality of their experiences as consumers.
e Given their reflected experience as consumersof the movies, students will write clear,logical compositions on their experiences.
None
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Process:
ea The teacher will lead the class in discussing each of thefollowing questions. If the group is large and does notdiscuss easily, the teacher could divide the large groupinto smaller groups, each with a set of discussion questions.
The teacher will read, or have a student read, the article"Consuming Movies." It is meant to start students thinkingin a new way about the movies and about consumption ingeneral.
When the article has been read, teacher will lead group indiscussing the five questions which follow. Some of theperipheral questions which teachers might raise are:
= Are neighborhood movie theatres as good as thosedowntown?
= What do I like best about going to the movies?
Some of the basic discussion questions might be:
o What are your favorite kinds of movie?
o Who are some of your favorite actors and actresses?
o Where do you go to see your favorite movies?
o How much is the usual admission price?
o Have yc:i or your friends ever yelled and screamed in themovies?
o Does it bother you when others do?
o When do you feel you have wasted your money at a movieif you have ever felt that way?
ea How much do you usually spend on a trip to the movies?(Include all expenses)
When the discussion has ended, student will practice writingone sentence answers on their own experience as consumersof the movies.
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CONSUMING MOVIES
What kinds of movies do you like? Mystery? Comedy?Space? The kind you like may often depend on what kind ofperson you are and perhaps how old you are. And how old youare and what kind of person you are may have a lot to do withwhat theatre you go to, how you behave in a movie and how muchyou pay to go to the show.
Regardless of what movies you like to see you probablylike to enjoy the movie without others yelling and screamingand throwing .things, especially if you paid your money for amovie you really want to see. Sometimes it's okay to screamand yell. Other times it is not okay. If a movie has a lotof action and is very exciting like Rocky or Rocky II, thenyelling and screaming is understandable. But sometimes, somepeople forget to respect the rights of others. They yell andscream and throw things when it doesn't have anything to dowith the movie. How do you feel when this happens? Do youfeel that your money was well spent?
Once you enter a movie theatre you may want to check outhow clean it is, what condition the seats are in, where thebathrooms are and whether or not they are safe for you, yourfriends and family to use.
If you are the kind of person who likes to eat while atthe movies, you will have to decide how much money to spend.Prices for admission, candy, popcorn and franks are differentat different movies. Of course, some people never worryabout any of these things. Do you? If you do, you may saveenough money to see another movie for free.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 19: CHECKING OUT THE MOVIES
Objective: Given a series of items, students will conducta survey of movies: gathering data and presentingit to the class in a written composition.
Process:
0 The teacher should direct student to identify 5 movies theywant to see. Then, they should write down the movie namesand the names of the theatres in which they are shown, theirtelephone numbers, and their location. (What theatre,where?) (1 or 2 theatres)
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Students should call each theatre to find out
a) admission price for adults and children.
b) admission price: Saturday, Sunday, weekdays.
Students should be asked to keep :-ecords of their movieexpenses. "The next time you go to a movie (or re ona Consumer Education assignment) count your money beforeyou go in and after you come out. How much did you spendInclude all expenses."
When enough time has lapsed so that students have All neena movie, ask them to write a short composition (or newsstory) on the movie experience. Include admission price,price of food, condition of theatre, behavior of audience,and whether or not you would recommend the theatre. IC
the teacher prefers, the article might also be written onthe last movie experience students have had. In AppendixD, there are some student articles written by seventhgraders at Intermediate School 201 on the movies.
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UNIT SIX
THE CONSUMER VIEWPOINT ON
MEDICAL SERVICES
One of the most helpful areas on which a community news-paper can focus is that of medical services and health care.This is because people spend large amounts of money for healthcare, because all of us need a doctor at one time or another,and because medical care is a subject which seems-to interesteveryone. What most people do not know, however, is thatthey are consumers when it comes to obtaining medical services.Most of us are more apt to think of ourselves as consumerswhen we are in the supermarket, or the department store, butwe forget that we are consumers when we go to a doctor orlawyer.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 20: WRITING ABOUT KEEPING HEALTHY
Objective:
Materials:
P rocess:
Given a health-related topic, students researchand write a composition on it.
Xeroxed copies of "Your Health," a newsletter.
o The teacher discusses with students issues of good health.What are the most important things to remember if you wantto be healthy? On the board,the teacher keeps a list-Ofwhat is mentioned. The necessary points made by the teacherrelate to keeping healthy.
O The teacher draws a triangular diagram on the board anddisctsses with the students the role of each party in arange of consumer concerns.
Consumer
Producer Government
Taking a series of examples, the teacher raises questionswhich students answer by identifying who is doing each.
Who makes automobiles? (Producer)Who buys. automobiles? (Consumer)Who tells automobile makers
that they must make safe cars? (
(
Government )
Who follow-sup to see that carsare safe?
Then the teacher focuses on another area, that of food.
Who shops for food?Who tells food stores toplace prices above foodproducts?
Consumers
7overnment
Wn_, tells food manufacturers to take un:,afe products offthe market? GovernmentWho makes the bread? Producers
CONSUMERS purchase, do financial planning, check onproduct quality, look into product safety, check on qualityof services, purchase services, advocate for themselves.
PRODUCERS manufacture goods, research new products, adver-tise their products, deliver services,, initiate researchinto possible new service areas.
GOVERNMENT passes laws which regulate producers and thusserve to protect consumers, demand that unsafe productsbe taken off the market.
O The teacher then notes that some of the consumptionactivities noted above are in the area of services.The teacher draws from the students the major general-ization related to health care, which makes it an areaof consumption different from consuming automobiles,for example. Who is the consumer? Who is the producer?Does the doctor or the clinic actually produce good health?The conclusion, drawn from the students, ought to be some-thing like "I am responsible for my own health" or "Healthcare is primarily self-care." Referring back to thediagram, the teacher moves toward the conclusion that in
the area of health care, a person is both the consumerand the producer. "We produce our own good health."
Teacher passes out copies. of "Your Health", a newsletterdevoted to health care with a preventative approach.Teacher raises questions about illness and about preventingillness. Writes lists on board.
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1. What makes us get sick? (Body parts malfunction,Bacteria, virus, germs. Accidents - broken limbs, etc.)
2. How can we guard against illness? (Be careful avoidaccidents. Keep strong and healthy guard againstgerms. Get checkups on regular basis from doctor.Get enough rest and eat well.)
3. What kinds of articles in the newsletter will helpconsumers in the area of health care?Articles about keeping healthyArticles about what to do when you become illArticles about hospitals, etc.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 21: FIRST VISIT TO THE DOCTOR
Objective: Given a role play situation in which a person'sfirst visit to the doctor is simulated, studentwill list good consumer behavior in the areaof medical services.
Materials: Role play cards
Process:
o The teacher should select three of the more vocal andexpressive members of the class to role play the firstvisit to the doctor. For your own information, read theenclosed article, "Doctor and patient: an ailing relation-ship."
e Give one student the role-description card enclosedentitled, MEDICAL DOCTOR, the second student the cardentitled, PATIENT, and the third student the SPOUSE card.Give the studentsan opportunity to review their roles.
o Describe the setting to the rest of the class, as follows:
This is , the patient's firstvisit to the doctor. He/she has a very badcold, looked up MEDICAL SERVICES in thetelephone book, and found the number of thisdoctor, Dr.
When the role play is over, draw up with the students onnewsprint a list of Good Consumer Practices and BadConsumer Practices.
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Doctor: Role Description Sheet
You are a middle-aged doctor, a general practitioner (familydoctor) with a very busy practice. Hundreds of patients comein to your office every week, and you have gotten more andmore casual, and more and more rushed. Yourcchief goal, indealing with most people who come in to your office, is toprescribe some medicine and to get them to leave. Mostpeople do not know you by name; you generally cannot tellnew from old patients and you almost never examine them.You take peoples' word about what is ailing them, and movethem along.
Patient: Role-Description Sheet
You are new in the neighborhood, a youngish person with onethought in mind: to get rid of your bad cold. You are usedto being treated well by doctors, however; in the town fromwhich you came, the doctor knew you and your family, askedabout them, and always gave a thorough examination. But,while your expectations are high, your level of assertivenessis very low. When your visit with this new doctor is over, youspend some time on the street outside his/her office, talkingwith your spouse about your feelings about the meeting.
Spouse: Role-Description Sheet
You wait out:Ade the doctor's office, and when'the visit isover, you discuss it with our spouse and tell him/her whatyou think should have occurred.
Doctor II: Role-Description Sheet
You are a competent and concerned doctor. -You take a detailedmedical history, and give the patient a thorough examination,but you do not care at all about the patient as a person. You
are especially uninterested in any psychological roots of your
patients' illness. You think that this is all "hogwash" andthat germs are responsible for all sickness, or almost all
sickness.
Patient, II: Role-Description Sheet
Your first visit to this doctor is caused by a severe back
pain which you think has psychological roots. In the past,
you have gotten severe back pain whenever you are under great'
stress, and' it looks like this has happened again. Yourhusband is drinking a lot, and two of your three children aredoing badly in school. You have changed to a new doctorbecause your old doctor would not listen to your problems,
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which you see as closely connected to your aching back. Youare not always very assertive, but you are learning to speakyour mind in situations where you are clearly in the right.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 22: CONSUMERS AT THE DOCTOR'S, A WRITINGEXERCISE
Objective: Given observation of two role play situations andthe ensuing discussions about first visits to thedoctor, students will write a clear and concisecomposition on "Consumers at the Doctor's," inwhich the key elements which a consumer shouldremember are highlighted.
Process:
e The teacher should either direct students to copy down thelist of good and bad points which are derived from theclass discussion of the role_play, or, the teacher shouldtake them down and pass out Xeroxed sheets of the pointsat the beginning of the writing exercise.
The teacher outlines for students the important parts ofa good composition.
(a) Opening sentence - which contains major point.(b) Body three or four sentences which contain evidence
to support major point.(c) Conclusion - a restatement of the opening sentence in
a fresh way based on the evidence recountedin the body.
Here is an example which the teacher might consider as a model.
CONSUMERS AT THE DOCTOR'S
As consumers, if we are to be skillful at the doctor'sOPENING office, we should be assertive and critical of the care
we receive. We should remember to ask about fees anddoctor availability. We should press the doctor to give
BODY a careful examination and to take a thorough medicalhistory. And we should tell the doctor if we are notpleased with the service. Only if we are careful to dothis, will we get the proper medical service which we
CONCLUSION deserve as consumers.
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LEARNING ACTIVITY 23: HEALTH CARE SURVEY
Objective: Given a neighborhood survey form, students willconduct and tabulate information on an issue fromthe people in their neighborhood.
Materials: Enclosed survey formBackground for the Teacher
Process:
The teacher should prepare for this session by reading thebackground for the teacher and the neighborhood surveyform. While all students need not know the detailed in-formation on surveys and obtaining random samples, somestudents will benefit from knowing it.
41 The teacher will give each student three copies of thesurvey and ask them to query adult family members andneighbors.
On the, following day, students will read and summarizetheir individual results for the class and then hand intheir survey forms. A team should volunteer or beappointed by the teacher to tabulate forms.
4, The teacher can decide how to publish the survey resultsin the newspaper. Raw data can be presented as is; studentscould write articles giving an overview of the findings.The tabulated results could be given to the math teacherfor use as the basis for mathematics exercises: drawingbar graphs, obtaining and calculating percentages, makingcharts.
NEIGHBORHOOD SURVEY ON HEALTH CARE
I'm from Public School 368 and my class is conductingthis survey on health care and health care facilities in thecommunity as part of a class project. We want to start (orhave started) a consumer newspaper to inform local residentsabout consumer issues. May I ask you some questions aboutyour thoughts on health and health care?
1. What do you think are the most important things to consider
when it comes to good health?
2. What do you personally and your family d to promote
good health?
3. Do you have a regular family doctor?
4. How often do you go to see a doctor say, over the course
of one year?
5. Are you pleased with the service you get?
6. What do you do when you are not pleased?
7. How often do you make use of the hospital, either theemergency room or the inpatient facilities?
8. Are you pleased with these facilities?
9. Personal data: Sex: F M
Age: under 18; 18-30; 31-50
51-65; over 65.
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UNIT SEVEN
SUPERMARKET
The learning activities in this topical unit entitled"Supermarket" teach and reinforce the basic concept, consumer;they are meant, additionally, to yield newspaper articles onissues which surround supermarket shopping. The initialactivity, "What's in a Supermarket?" makes use of an instruct-ional strategy for concept learning which has three parts:students enumerate and list consumer activities they see inthe supermarket; students group these activities; studentslabel these activities.
Other learning activities in this unit assist students in
thinking and writing about the supermarket as a forum for con-sumer activity. The end product will be newspaper articlesrelated to supermarket concerns.
The approach taken in many of the learning activities in
the unit is that of problem-solving. Problem-solving is theprocess of recognizing an obstacle, difficulty, or inabilityto act; thinking of possible solutions; and testing or eval-uating the solutions.
We engage students, in the activities which follow, in aseries of learning experiences which encourage them to inquire.The process of inquiry begins when individuals question some-thing in their experience. The learning activities whichfollow structure students' thinking in such a way that theywill question what is happening to consumers -in the super-market. Once they begin to inquire, intrinsic interest comesinto play, takes hold of students and serves as a motivatingforce.
There are three phases in the inquiry problem-solvingprocess in the learning activities below. The first isawareness, sensing that a problem exists. This is themotivation factor which arouses the student to go furtherin defining, and, finally, resolving a problem.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 24: WHAT'S IN A SUPERMARKET?
Objectives Given a supermarket field trip, students will:
a observe events, items, activities and persons connectedwith the supermarket.
o list, events, item, activities and persons connectedwith the supermarket.
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e establish criteria for grouping events, items, activitiesand persons connected with the supermarket.
label and criterion-reference events, items, activitiesand persons connected with the supermarket.
Process:
The teacher will guide students through a series of learningactivities, each of them designed to achieve one of the
above objectives.
1. Supermarket Field Trip.* Arrange for students to betaken in groups of five or six to a series of local super-markets. Parents might be briefed ahead of time on the contentof the unit and directed to lead a group of students. The di-rections the teacher gives ought to be something like this:
I want you to go on a "looking tour" of the
supermarket. You have probably been theremany times, but this time you are to try tonotice as much as you possibly can. Be onthe lookout for new things. Keep a list ofall activities which you see people doing.Let us see who can observe the most activities.
2. Brainstorming
On the same day as the tour, ask the class,"What did you see-,when you went to thesupermarket?" Obtain from the students anenumeration of as many items as possible.
List all named activities on the blackboardor on newsprint as they are called out.
3. Listing What Belongs Together
Prepare a typed list of all such items asresponses.
Distribute a list to each student. Divide thestudents into discussion groups of five or six.Assign each group the task of gathering togetherfrom the master list smaller lists of thingswhich belong together. Next to each smaller list,students should give the reasons why they belongtogether.
Ask qroups to present their findings. Combinegroupings where possible and reasons for groupings.
*If an organized field trip is not possible, these data can begathered through a homework assignment, preferably over a weekend.
Naming the Groups
o Elicit names from the class for each smaller crrouping.When the class cannot name a smaller group, do sofor therh. The following groups of activities mightemerge from this activity: comparison shopping, servingcustomers (deli, meat counter), selling goods, buyinggoods, swapping services (bulletin board in store).
LEARNING ACTIVITY 25: SUPERMARKETS AND MOON FLIGHTS
Objective: Given some reflective activity on shopping in asupermarket, students will be able to form link-ages in a creative way between supermarkets andother phenomena and learn thereby to list approp-riate consumer behavior.
Materials: None
Process:
O The teacher will tell the class that they are going toengage together in a process of creative thinking andproblem solving, in reality some active and purposefuldreaming.
o The teacher will inaugurate a class discussion on thesubject of dreaming, advantages and disadvantages. "Whatis good about dreaming? When do we usually dream? Doyou ever daydream? What do you daydream about? What canbe bad about dreaming?"
e The teacher will talk about the problem-solving functionof learning "Sometimes, when we daydream, we can solveproblems that we cannot solve any other way. Executives inlarge companies sometimes sit around and discuss problemsin a way which we call blue - skying, that is, they comeup with creative solutions to a problem by means of solutionswhich we might consider far-out.
The teacher will then point to the possibilities of "day-dreaming" for solving problems and gaining deeper under-standing of situations. He/she will initiate conversationon the particular topic for blue-skying of the day, namely,in what ways are going to the moon and going to the super-market alike? Students may think that this is "funny" atfirst, but the teacher can help them by giving a few ideas
"Both require preparation." "Both require peoplewho are smart about what they are doing."
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0 The teacher will make a list on the board of SIMILARITIES.Students may then be directed to write newspaper articleson the subject of supermarkets, food prices and/or spaceflights.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 26: NEIGHBORHOOD PANEL
The major objective of the neighborhood panel learningactivity is to enable students to identify, by means of aninformation gathering process, the specific consumer problemswhich persons in their neighborhood face and to identify wherethese are located in the framework.
(1) Invite five (5) persons who live in the neighborhoodto form a panel and to speak to the classion "Shopping inSupermarkets in " (the nameof the neighborhood).Make an effort to locate people who speak well, respectstudents and represent the mix of racial, ethnic, occupationaland sexual backgrounds present in the neighborhood.
(2) Ask each person to speak for five minutes and thengive them fifteen minutes to discus.; the subject among them-selves. Then encourage the students to query the panel onthe subject of consumer problems in supermarket shoppingand specific solutions. Hand out sheets with questions whichare appropriate if students cannot generate the questionsthemselves.
1. What is your favorite supermarket in ourneighborhood and why? (Same question canbe asked relative to drug store, mom andpop store)
2. What is your least favorite supermarketin our neighborhood and why?
3. What could we as students do to help solveconsumer problems here?
LEARNING ACTIVITY 27: WRITING AND CONDUCTING A NEIGHBORHOODPOLL
The major objective of the neighborhood poll is tosurvey neighborhood shopping habits with a view to uncoveringkey consumer problems and, specifically, key supermarket-related problems.
Process:
e Divide the class into groups, on a class day soon afterthe panel described above. Assign each group the taskof writing three survey questions. Ask them to write
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them on newsprint. Explain that a survey is a set ofquestions which are asked of a group of people. Afterthey respond (either in writing or in person), the resultsare added together or TABULATED.
When ':he groups have each devised three questions, ask themto report orally to the class. Post the newsprint withthe questions in a prominent place.
Review the objectives of the survey: to know more aboutshopping habits of people in the neighborhood/to identifyconsumer problems in the supermarket, to find out aboutspecific consumer problems which a group of students mightwork on, to gather information for a possible newsletteron consumer topics which the class might initiate and takeresponsibility for. Keeping these objectives in mind, workwith students on ranking the questions, combining wherepossible.
Decide upon five or six, key questions. Make certain thatthe questionnaire is not longer than one side of one sheet.(People will be more apt to return a shorter questionnaire.)Type and reproduce questionnaire. A sample of one adminis-tered in Harlem is enclosed.
As an assignment, give each student three to five question-naires to administer at home or to their neighbors. Explainhow important it is to the project to Iget accurate andhonest survey results. Explain that the student-can eithergive the survey form to a person and tell them they willreturn later to collect it or ask them the questions orallyand write down the results. Make certain that the studentscan read the survey forms. No identification need beplaced on the surveys.
Work with the mathematics teacher to train a small groupof students to tabulate the results. First, a simplecounting procedure should be followed. Then calculatorscan be used to determine what percentage of the groupsurveyed answered a question in a certain way. SeeSUPERMARKET SURVEY IDEAS in Appendix E for additionalinformation and suggestions.
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Urban Marketbasket
Consumer Survey
We plan to start a consumer newspaper for the central Harlemarea, to be produced by the students and teachers at theArthur Schoenberg School, I.S. 201. Your answers to thesequestions will help us.
1. What supermarket(s) do You shop in most frequently?
Name
Name
ALL A/ /"Street
Street
Street
2. What drug store(s) do you shop in most frequently?
Name
Name
Street
Street
3. What grocery store(s) do you shop in most frequently?
Name Street
Name Street
4. Check items about which you would like to know prices invarious supermarkets.
milk canned veg. sugarcoffee macaroni floureggs butter breadsoup margarine Otherrice peanut butter
5. Check items about which you would like to read weekly featuresfrom time to time.
Jeans Barber shops Using communityRecords Vocational schools resourcesShoes Travel Auto repair servicesJackets Food-restaurants Home repair servicesRoller Skates Getting legal help Getting your moneyBeauty services Getting medical help back
Effectiv?. complaining
6. List a few consumer areas or topics or concerns which you wouldlike to hear more about in the newspaper.
Please return to the Office of the 1,,rincipal, I.S. 201 RIGHT AWAY.
Check appropriate box.
7eacher Student Local Resident
-60-LEARNING ACTIVITY 28: FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Objective- Given the article, "Food for Thought," studentswill be able to find significant data and to gen-eralize about being a consumer in an urbanenvironment.
Materials: Reproduced article, "Food for Thought"Price Comparison ChartQuestions
Process:
e Teacher will assign silent reading of the article, "Foodfor Thought."
e Teacher will engage the group in filling in the PriceComparison Chart.
o Teacher will lead a discussion of the questions whichfollow.
These comprehension questions are geared to the severalthinking levels identified in Bloom's Taxonomy of EducationalObjectives. As a result, the students performance on themcan give the teacher some indication of the level of thinking/problem solving skills.
1 What research methods form the basis for the article?(A check of zoned newspaper advertisements and a re- /I
porter's survey pf shelf prices.)
2. What hypothesis (educated guess) formed the basis /forthe research? (Prices are higher in poor neighboirhoodsupermarkets.)
3. How many reasons for this hypothesis can you find in thearticle? )
a. Some Westchester stores offered "doublecoupons." No Bronx or Manhattan stores did., ---_----'
b. Stores in Morrisania, Fordharn and SouthYonkers are smaller and thus less efficientto run. To break even or make a profit, thesestores had to charge more than larger, moreenergy efficient stores with a higher turnoverof goods.
c. Refrigeration and insurance costs are higherin poor neighborhoods.
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d. "Shrinkage" and "grazing" account for highercosts. "Shrinkage" occurs when vendors,customers, employees steal food and whencustomers leave frozen 'foods outside freezer."Grazing" is when people simply take the food,off the shelves and eat it in the store, with-out paying.
e. Competition is much stiffer in Westchestercounty where consumers can easily drive tostores where prices are lower. Chain managersin Westchester send people out to shop thecompetition.
4. What alternative to high-priced supermarkets is outlinedin the article for poor neighborhoods? (Co-op Supermarketsin which the co-op buys the store and the supermarket op-erates it.)
-62-
PRICE COMPARISON CHART
Using the "shopping list" in the article
fill out the chart which follows with comparison prices and
then finish the sentence at the end.
ITEMUrbanSupermarket Price
SuburbanSupermarket Price
18 oz ShopwellCrunchyPeanut Butter
I
Urban Supermarkets
6")
stb
F
63
- -
HThe poorer the neighborhood the more you'll have to
pay for scores of items from Pampers to peanut
butterwith little or'no chance to try another-store.
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By NeaS. Martin
Io case your mother hasn't alreadytold you this, don't shop in a poorneighborhood if you want to savemoney on food. You'll find no bar-gains on the necessities of life.
With few exceptions, the poorerthe neighborhood, the more one willpay in supermarkets for scores of.items from peanut butter- to Pamp-ers. If you live in the South Bronx,for example, you will pay more thanpeople in Throgs Neck. They, in turn,will pay a little bit more than peoplein Mount Vernonwho will pay morethan people in Bedford.
This is true even when comparingsupermarkets owned by the samechain.. A check of zoned newspaperadvertisements and a reporter's sur-vey of shelf prices showed that afamily buying a cart of food in theSouth Bronx will have to spend up to10 percent more than a family buyingexactly the same items from thesame chain in northern Westchester.
The gap for certain items can bemuch greater. Two weeks ago,ground chuck was going for S1.55 apound in the large and modern Thorn-wood Sbopwell. and for $1.99 at thecramped West Fortlham Road Shop-well in the Bronx.
A pound of store-brand bacon cost$1.19 at. the Central Avenue Adz? inGreenburgh. The same day, it cost$1.59 at the Melrose Avenue A&P inthe South Bronx.
Finast-brand frozen corn waspriced at 45 cents for a single 10-ounce box in the chain's Throgs Neckstore. Up in Rye Town, you could getthree boxes of the same corn for $1.
And so on and so forth. A reporterwho surveyed 14 stores operated byA&P, Flnast and Sbopwell the larg-est and generally cheapest chainsoperating in the metropolitan areafound that of 21 Items checked ineach, all but a handful could bebought more cheaply In the rhzinn'Westchester stores than in the Bronx.The only items priced the same by allthree chains at all their surveyedstores were Wonder bread and Beech-r...it stained pe.cchc for Thechains priced chicken the same withthe exception of one Sbopwell inRiverdale. where it was a dimecheaper per pound than at the othersurveyed Shop wells. -
Each chain had its own pricingpatterns. A&P charged a few centsmore for rice "in the Bronx. whileFlnast and Sbopwell charged thesame at all the Bronx and Wenches-
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ter stores checked. A&P charged 31.39 at all storesfor a 2-liter jug of Coke, while Finast and Shopwellprices for Coke fluctuated a good deal. Finast andA &P charged the same price for spaghetti in allstores, while the Shopwell price ranged from 67cents on Fordham Road to a low of 47 cents InBriarcliff Manor.
The geographic differences in pricing Ireraphie. !ly r:;to istrate:: in zoned newspaper ad-
vertisements of specials. Compare. for instance,A.diP's May 14 ad in the Manhattan-Bronx editionof The Daily News to the ad run in the WestchesterRockland Newspapers. Of 81 identical advertiseditems, 32 cost more in the Manhattan and Bronxstores, including San Giorgio spaghetti, chickenlegs. whole sirloid tip. Pepsi-Cola. frankfurters.Listerine. pork roast, Grade A large eggs andcucumbers. No items were cheaper in the Manhat-tan and Bronx stores. Moreover. Westchester A &Psoffered "double coupons." in which the store dou-Wes the return on whatever manufacturers' cote
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pens one brings in. The Manhattan and Bronxstores did not offer double coupons.
Finast did not zone its ads, running the sameprices for the same specials throughout the Bronx,Westchester and Fairfield. But only 25 items were
-listed in the entire ad.Like A&P, Shopwell also zoned advertisements
when they were examined on April 13. But Shop-/fell drew its price line on specials further norththan AU', the cheaper prices and double couponsbeing offered only in the chain's seven northernWestchester storm. Of 156 items advertised in bothareas. 46 were cheaper in the northern Westchesterstores and only one item, port loin roast, wascheaper in the Bronx and southern Westchester.
Supermarket spokesmen say that higher pricesin the inner-city neighborhoods are simply a mat-ter of economics. The chain-owned stores in Morri-sama, Fordbam and South Yonkers are usuallyolder. far smaller and thus less efficient. Rent persquare foot is higher and so are refrigerAllon and
t
insurance costs. And In the poorer neighborhoods"shrinkage" also cuts more deeply into what isadmittedly a razor-thin profit margin.
Shrinkage includes theft by 'vendors, employeesand customers, as well as spoilage caused by suchcarelessness as customers leaving frozen foodsoutside the frentss. It also covers losses due to"grating." wben people simply take food of! theshelves and eat it in the store without paying.
"For the supermarket industry as a whole, thenet profit after taxes (compared to total sales) isless than 1 percent. And in the smaller stores inolder neighborhoods, shrinkage alone can be great-er than the net profit," says Finast spokesmanLawrence Buxbaum.
The stores operated by the chains in Westches-ter. particularly upcounty, tend to be newer andlarger. Rent per square foot is cheaper. Giantfreezers cool more for lest Fewer workers areneeded per $1.000 worth of sales. There is far lesspilferage and grazing-by the more affluent patron.
*-4791-4'r!CORN/FLA zi=id-
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nom to present a much greater variety ofd goods. including many non-food items=and a higher profit margin.ipermarket executives admit that theatest reason for lower priests in West-that competition is much stiffer, This is
great majority of customers have carsto drive another half-ree^ to thef prier at the first at, J shade
.porter conducting the survey never wast by store managers in the Bronx as heraces into his notebook. But two of theer store managers asked him what heg. Given vague answers, one innsted.ire you here from Grand Union?" Eachchain managers in Westchester and the
luent sections of the Bronx send outshop the competition. to make sure theymg underpriced on key items- Mills. eggs
THE SHOPPING LISTAn 18-ounce jar of Shopwell crunchypeanut butter was $1.19 on West Ford-ham Road in the Bronx and only $1.05
in Tbornwood and Briarcliff stores and in thenew Bruckner Boulevard market in the Bronx.
Rice Krispies (13-ounce box) were$1.09 at Fina.st's East Tremont Avenuestore in Throgs Neck and only 99 cents
in Westchester stores in Mount Vernon,Eastchester and Rye Town.
A 2-liter (67.6 ounces) bottle of Cokecost the same in all Ad& stores sur-veyed, $1.39. But Shopwell charged
$1.09 in its Riverdale store and $1,49 in West-chester stores -one of the few items moreexpensive in Westchester.
A dozen overnight Pampers were $1.99_at A&P's store on East 174th Street inthe Bronx, and $1.79 in the McLean
Avenue store in Yonkers and the CentralAvenue store in Greenburgh. Shopwell charged$1.89 on Fordham Road and $1.75 in Thorn-wood. Finast charged $1.89 at its two surveyedBronx stores and only $1.65 in the two-West-chester stores surveyed.
In two Westchester stores, Shopwellketchup (20 ounces) went for 59 cents.On Fordham Road the same size bottle
cost 65 cents.Kellogg's Corn Flakes (13-ounce box)were $1.11 at Shopwell's FordhamRoad store and 99 cents in Thornwood.
Briarcliff and at the new Bruckner Boulevardstore.
0 A&P's prices for a dozen large, whiteGrade A eggs varied from $1.05 at itsMelrose Avenue store in the Bronx to
69 cents at the large Central Avenue store inGreenburgh-a difference of more than 50percent. Finast's prices for these eggs variedfrom 93 cents on East Tremont Avenue to 85cents in Rye Town.
A pound of Ann Page bacon cost $1.59at A&P's Melrose Avenue store and$1.39 a little further north on 174th
Street_ It was only $1.19 at the two Westches-ter stores surveyed.
Shopwell charged $1.99 a pound forground chuck at its Fordham Roadstore, compared to $1.79 in Briarcliff
and $1.55 at its Thornwood store. A&P alsocharged $1.99 at its Melrose Avenue and 174thStreet stores in the Bronx- The two lowerWestchester stores surveyed charged $1.89.
Wonder bread cost 85 cents for the 22-ounce giant size everywhere. But Shop-well bread-same size loaf - varied
from 59 cents for a single loaf in the Bronxstores to 89 cents for two loaves in the West-chester stores surveyed.
Shopwell spaghetti cost 67 cents for ali one-pound box on Fordham Road. 65
cents in Riverdale, 51 cents on Bruckn-er Boulevard and in Thornwood and only 47cents in Briarcliff. A&P and Finast store-brandspaghetti was the same in their stores.
Maine potatoes were a dime cheaper inA&P's Westchester stores at 79 centsfor five pounds. But potato prices in
Finast and Shopwell seemed to be the samethroughout.
This .10-ounce box of store-brand corncost 45 cents in at Finast's ThrogsNeck store while one could get three
for $1 in Rye Town. Frozen goods were consis-tently more expensive in the Bronx, a 20-ouncebag of store -brand cut green beans being 16cents more expensive in the Melrose AvenueA&P than in the Central Avenue store sur-veyed, 6 cents more expensive in Finast'sThrogs Neck store than in Westchester and 20cents more expensive at Shopwell's FordhamRoad store than at other stores surveyed.
Finast charged $1.17 for a half-gallonof milk in its Throgs Neck store corn-
" pared to a. low of 99 cents in its'Parkchester store in the Bronx and in RyeToms. AdiP milk went for $1.09 in the twoBronx storm surveyed, $1.03 on McLean Ave-nue in Yonkers and 95 cents on Central Avenuein Green burgh. Shopwell milk was more expen-sive in the Bronx stores, ranging from $1.17 onFordham Road down to $1.05 in Thornwood
ciDThis giantsized Tide (not so giant at 49ounces) cost $2.05 at Shopwell's Ford-harn Road store and only $1.89 at the
other stores surveyed. Finast prices rangedfrom $2.09 in Throgs Neck to $1.89 in theWestchester stores.
One of the few items for which pricesdid not drop as one headed into West-chester. Beech-Nut strained peaches
(43/4-ounce jar) for babies was 24 cents every-where.
(1DThis jar of Maxwell House (6 ounces)cost $3.89 at A &P's Melrose Avenuestore, $3.79 on 174th SL and $3.69 at
the two Westchester stores checked. Finastcharged $3.79 at its two Bronx stores whenthey were surveyed and 20 cents less at thetwo Westchester stores surveyed. Shopwellpriced Maxwell House the same at all storesincluded in the survey.
-N.S.M.
i412$'
and coffee are among the most sensitive.Although many poor people view the supermar-
kets as rapacious exploiters, the reporter's surveyfound one store whose prices seemed to confirmthe chains' claim tt-'t no matter where they arelocated, bigger and more efficient stores willcharge lower prices, particularly if there's compe-tition from other chains it. the aye-
This was the. Shops..; on Bru..i.:ier Bou.c:vard.by far the newest and largest of the seven Bronxstores. surveyed It is set next to a forest of publichousing towers, so many of lei customers are low-income people. But it also is part of a modernshopping plaza with plenty of parking and it isconvenient to the thick flow of traffic along theBruckner Expressway, Most importantly, it mustfight price skirmishes with a number of other largesupermarkets within a half-mile in each direction.Prices at this store were significantly lower thanat the old, cramped Shopwell on West FordhamRoad. and about: the, same as those. atelln
235th Street store in a competitive section ofRiverdale. Many more items were priced within afew cents of the low Westchester prices.
But the Bruckner Boulevard store is an exception. Rather than replace old stores with new onusin the poorer sections, the big chain are slowiyclosing them when even high prices can no longer
ee f, the "s and in v volursf.tr: for L., Jct. t La" v sl. cade.
Ad'. Shopwell and Finast have shut dozens ofstores in the Bronx as well as older stores inWestchester. AbcP now has only nine Bronx storesand 22 in Westchester. Shopwell has only fivestores in the Bronx, having closed three over thelast 18 months, but still has about 30 in Westches-ter. Finast suddenly shut down three Bronx storesin April. leaving only five in the borough. It has 14stores in Westchester.
But recently moving in to the South and West
Please tern to page:14 _..;
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Older, smaller stores fore higher overhead and post higher prices
Bronx and into the older sections ofYonkers. Mount Vernon and New Ro-chelle are smaller, aggressive chainssuch as C-Town. Met Food and Associ-ated, which specialize in operating inareas vacated by the big chainsofteneven taking over the old stores. Theyoffer many specials each week, butoverall their prices tend to be higherstill, so that the poor must pay evermore.
Community groups, city officialsand supermarket er_cutives have beentalking for years aoout ways to bringfood prices in inner-city stores more inline with those in the suburbs. The
general conclusion is that the disrup-tion of the "food system" and the highcosts are a symptom of the overallrace, crime and fiscal problems of thecity. Some groups have been able toform supermarket co-operatives. Theco-op buys a store building and hires asupermarket chain to supply and ope-rate it. Pathmark is a notable pioneerin this field, but only a few such co-opshave been organized in the metropol-itan area.
For the majority of people living inolder neighborhoods and for almost allpoor people. choices in food shoppingremain limited. And expensive. 0
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LEARNING ACTIVITY 29: SUPER-CONSUMER
Objective: Given some reflection on shopping in the super-market and after reading and a field trip,students will write a composition on the characteristics necessary to be a good supermarketconsumer.
Materials: None
Process:
m Divide the class into small groups, ask each to discusspossible consumer problems in the supermarket and compilelist. The success of the groups being able to do this willdepend on the exposure they have had to date and the levelof individual thinking which has been done.
O Organize another field trip to the supermarket, askingthe students to spend their time at the supermarket look-ing for possible problems faced by consumers. Suggest thatthey question consumers politely about what problems theyface.
O Assign students to the task of searching the local news-paper for articles about consumers and food shopping. Thearticles should be brought to class for a class bulletinboard, "CONSUMER."
o Give the students the introductory sentence of a writingexercise on the subject of the supermarked ... "Consumersin the supermarket have to beand
The structure of each students compositions is to be asfollows. Students should list three qualities which ought tocharacterize consumers in the supermarket. Then, they shouldwrite one sentence on each of the qualities, stating why itis important and giving evidence for its presence in consumerbehavior. Then, they should write a final sentence which sumsup or dws together what they have said in the composition.
SAMPLE COMPOSITION:
Consumers in the supermarket have to be alert, organized,and assertive. They need to be alert to check unit prices,find store brand items, locate bargains. They need to beorganized. Having a shopping list helps and knowing wherethe different items are place on the shelves is important.They need to be assertive. When the produce is of poorquality, they need to make this known to the manager. Ifoverall prices are too high, they should represent the compara-tive prices. If specials are advertised but no lcnger on theshelves, they should make that known to the manager and obtaina rain check. It takes brains and guts to he a good consumerin the supermarket.
-68-
LEARNING ACTIVITY 30: WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?
Objective: Students will review the findings of the informa-tion-gathering phase of the unit, "Super-Consumer'with a view to develop viable alternatives to thesupermarket and to examine the other options whichthey can use, options like complaining, boycottingthe supermarket or enlisting the support of thestockholders of a given company.
Process:
Using the forms which follow, the teacher will gatherinformation on problems inherent in supermarket shopping.
® The teacher will ask each student who volunteers a problemof evidence that such a problem really exists.
WORT: SHEET
WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?
CONSUMER IN THE SUPERMARKETFive Key Problems:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Evidence:
#1.
#2.
#3.
-69-
LEARNING ACTIVITY 31: SOLUTIONS TO THE SUPERMARKET PROBLEM
Objective: Given a list of problems connected with super-market shopping, students will evaluate solutionsfrom other neighborhoods and will think of possiblesolutions.
Materials: Case studies Central Davenport Food Buying ClubThe East End Food Co-op
Process:
® The teacher should read the enclosed sheet, giving an over-view, for his/her own enrichment.
ta The teacher passes out copies of the two case studies andthe accompanying activities.
s When students have read both case studies and have answeredthe questions: the class will discuss what solutions tosupermarket problems might exist on the local level. Theywill then write newspaper articles on: Solutions to Super-markets.
OVERVIEW FOR TEACHER
The case studies in this section may be the direction forupper-income students to think creatively about ways to helpthose of America who are especially hard hit, the poor. Forstudents from low-income families, they may provide a way tothink about alternatives. Low-income residents spend morethan one-third of their income on food, and many still don'thave enough to eat. In the inner city, residents ar--_h_ forcedto shop at corner groceries with high prices and limitedselections after the chain supermarkets move out.
-7f.0-
This is a fact of life to keep in mind when teachingintermediate school students in urban environments. Whenchoosing alternatives, the value to the community of thesupermarket must be kept in mind.
The case studies enable students to examine three coopera-tive concepts: a food buying club whose members pre-orderand purchase food from wholesalers; a storefront cooperativethat grew out of a small buying club; and a full-scale co-opsupermarket that tripled in size from its early storefrontdays, and one case on farmer's markets.
Consumers make decisions about allocating their resourcesbased on their 'wants and needs. They do this in a socialenvironment, a neighborhood, a family and with a certain numberof options open to them. When it comes to buying food, mostconsumers especially those who are poor, have relatively fewchoices. Lack of transportation frequently prevents urbanconsumers from traveling to the supermarket with the lowestprices and highest quality. Faced with the spiraling cost offood, ,consumers in some neighborhoods have created alternativesfor themselves.
CASE STUDIES
THE CENTRAL DAVENPORT FOOD BUYING CLUB*
In Central Iowa, a group of people have joined togetherto form the Central Davenport Food Buying Club. They meet eachweek and agree on the food they will order and they assigntasks to each member. The members obtain the food directlyfrom the wholesaler, so that the "middle man" or store owner
is eliminated.
By doing this, they save a great deal of money. 60 familiesbelonging to the Davenport Food Club save as much as 30 percent
on such items as fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, grains
and beans.
"I would say we save 18 to 19 percent by being in theclub," says Mary Thompson, whose four-member family was an
early member of the Central Davenport Food Club. "We save
up to 60 cents a pound on cheese, depending on the type, and
on our low-income, I use a lot of cheese-in-casserole-typecooking.
*From People Power
-71-
How It All Began
A group of people started the Central Davenport FoodBuying Club in 1978, with the help form the Central andWestern Neighborhood Development Corporation, a non-profitcenter dedicated to helping Davenport community groups. Theyknew they were going to need members, wholesalers, and equip-ment. The center gave the new project some needed equipment:food scales, a deep freeze and an adding maching. The centeralso served as the place where all the members would meet.
The center's staff contacted a number of-other foodbuying clubs for helpful do's and don'ts of food club organizing.They also started. contacting neighbors, people in the community,and telling them how much money they could save on food purchasesby joining the club. After arc ,ing resident interest, a meet-ing was called and duties were assigned. One of them was tocontact willing wholesalers.
Within three months, the first food ordering meeting washeld and $30,000 had been spent on food. The club now spendsabout $70,000 a year on food, and members pay a yearly feeof $5.00 ($2.00 for elderly and low-income members.)
Membership Help Spells Success
Probably the n-ost crucial key to success for a food clubis the volunteer help of the members. Like most food clubs,the Central Davenport members shae in the labor, including
writing nutrition articles for the center's newsletter, pub-licizing the food club, bookkeeping, making the monthlyorders to wholesalers and separating order for member pick-up
"On food club day (every third Thursday), I'm over therefrom about nine in the morning to six at night," says MaryThompson. "I do everything from calling suppliers to getprices to weighing product and sacking the food. Being amember of the club is worth it. "I've made so many new friends."
But Sue Wallinger, the organizer of the project, says thatall members are not as conscientious as Mary Thompson. Manyneed to be reminded frequently that their labor is needed tokeep the club going.
We have a hard time getting volunteers to work," shesays. "Most folks just want to order their food, pay for it,and pick it up. Many don't want to, or don't have time to,help out with labor." Wallinger suggests that a successfulfood club needs at least three strong leaders to superviseordering, bookkeeping, and coordinating activities.
-72-
THE EAST END FOOD CO-OP
The East End Food Co-op operates in a low-income neigh-borhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where members of manyethnic groups live. The group depends heavily on the volunteerwork of its members.
Storefront co-ops frequently evolve out of food buyingclubs, as the .next logical step when distribution of foodfrom a cramped garage or an apartment house basement makeslife difficult for members. They sometimes decide to rentspace and form storefront co-ops. This presence in a neigh-borhood can also prod nearby food chains to lower their prices.
As with many other storefront food co-ops, East End grewout of a food buying club. In 1972, three neighbors on theEast End of Pittsburgh decided they could save money by order-ing in bulk. "We just refused to pay those supermarket prices,so we decided to start a food club," says one neighbor.
The word spread, other residents became interested andby 1975 five clubs with over 30 members had surfaced. Thoseclubs decided to group together and'find store space. Forthis, they needed money. They were able to obtain, in ,coopera-tion Ministries (EECM) ,a coalition of 30 church groupS, agrant for $20,000 from the Campaign for Human Development, tostart a federation of food clubs in Western Pennsylvania andto lease space and pay for equipment for the East End Co-op.
Today, the Co-op purchases $50,000 per week worth of foodand offers workshops for neighborhood groups interested instarting new food co-ops. The address is:
Alliance for Cooperative EducatiOn5472 Penn AvenuePittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15206(412) 521-2099
-73-
Questions for Discussion Case Studies
1. What tasks do the members of the Food Buying Club
perform? List as many of them as'you can.
2. How much money do the members save on food by belonging
to the club?
3. What are some of the necessary items which are needed by
such a club?
4. What problems does the article raise with regard to the
volunteer help given by members of the club?
-74-
Project: Letter-writing or Visiting aFood Buying Club
A great deal can be learned about food buying clubs by
talking to or writing peoI, who have formed a club. Students
might engage in thr, enrichment project of writing, telephoning
or visiting one of these food buying clubs.
Central Davenport Food Buying Clubc/o Sue Wallinger1318 BrownDavenport, Iowa(319) 322-2386
Broadway Local Food Co -oP95 West 95th StreetNew York, New York 10025(212) 864-8165
Humphreys County Buying ClubHumphreys County Union for Progress513 Hayden StreetBelzoni, Mississippi 39038(601) 247-1170
Riverdale Neighborhood House-.;921 Moholu AveueBronx, New York 10471(212) ICI 9-8100
Ce
-75-
APPENDIX A
BEING ME IN HARLEM
COMPOSITIONS
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Harlem is one of thefinest ghettos a placeI have come to honor andlove because of its out-standing privileges, suchas taking subways andbuses. When we think ofHarlem, we seem to thinkthat it is a place wherepeople are bums,' dopeaddicts, winos, etc.
But by living inHarlem, I found out thatit's not really the waysome people think of it.My feeling about Harlemis that it can be a verynice place to live if youwant it to be. When Ithink of schools in Harlem,I think of a place whereyou can learn and be some-body. There are some thingsI don't like about theschools and their environ-ments... such as the waykids react to their teachersand how they carry themselves.I don't like the languagethe kids use and what they do.
In Harlem, there aremany activities and very en-joyable places that you can
go, such as Central Park andalso on the West side of Harlemyou can go fishing.
To me Harlem is like
any place else and that's why
I like being in Harlem.
Emerson Bovall - 7-2
Being yourself in"Harlem"is a little difficult becausethere are so many people ofdifferent races 'and beliefs.You can easily be influenced
. or turned in different direc-
tions. Speaking flr myselfI try to obey my parents andall other older people who try
-77-
to encourage me Or disciplineme when I'm right or wrong.
Harlem is a place where youcan learn and enjoy yourself. To
many, Harlem means trouble or slums.
I live decently; we go to schoolto learn and try to obey the rules.
-Being in"Harlem" isn't anydifferent then being in any othercity, you just have to live accor-ding to your means.
Thomas Clemmons - 7-
When I was brought up, there
were a lot of drugstores and super-markets and grocery stores around
here. Now you have to go downtownand that will cost even more be-cause you have to pay the faregoing and coming back. You gowith $20 and buy a pair of jeansthat cost $18. What will you haveleft? $2. And then you have to
pay your fare that cost 50. NOw
you only have $1.50 and you have to
save that because of inflationthat's going on now. Do you knownext month the telephone will cost
20 for a minute?
John Rizzi - 7-2
Harlem isn't a bad place to be;
it's just the people in it. We have
many people that try to help this
society. This generation is very
wild. I'm not saying that I am a
goody -goody because I have my ways
too. Many young people are messing
up their lives, by using drugs,smoking dust, and not going to
school. They say that I.S. 201 is
a bad school, but it isn't; it's
just the kids. I know and I just
came there. As long as I live, I
will never get on drugs because-Ihave a long future in front of me.
Louise Simmons -8
-78-
When I first came toHarlem, I was nothing but atiny little baby.
My mother and I had alot of exciting things happento us. When I was in thehospital and the .nurse wentto give the mothers theirbabies, the nurse didn't lookat the name'tags. When mymother was brought one ofthe babies she said, "Thisis not my child." The nursecame and looked at the babyand asked my mother was shesure. My mother said, "I'msure! " The only reason mymother knew that the other babywasn't her child was becausebefore they cleaned me up andput me in the nursery, mymother saw me, so she knewhow her child looked.
I was my uncle's firstand most adorable niece. WhenI was one year old, everybodyin the family tried to.get me,to walk, but I just would notwalk. A couple of months afterI turned one I began to' walk.At the age of two I began towalk up the stairs. There wasone time that when I was walk-ing up the stairs I tripped.I would have fallen on my faceif it wasn't for my uncle whocaught me just in time.
ValindaBoothe e-1
Being Me Ir. Harlem
means looking out my windowwatching different kinds ofpeople walking down 125th Street.
means going to the HarlemLibrary and seeing my friend Ruth.
- means going to Mount MorrisPark and watching spring come.
- means in the summertime goingto the pool and swimming.
means going to the playgroundand swinging until you feel likeyou're flying.
- means talking with the Africans,Puerto Ricans, Europeans, andthe Harlemites.
means knowing all the wordsto the newest rapping record.
- means going to the Studio Museumon a Sunday afternoon.
That's why I love being in Harlem.
Cira Kelly - 7-1
My being in Harlem isan honor for me because it'smy home and place of respect-ability. It's my home and mybrother's home and the homeof my friends and sisters.
I love Harlem for whatit is and it could be betterif we all work together andmake it better. But I know,and as we all know, peoplewon't work together. Anduntil then, Harlem will neverbe together unless the crimestops. We have to make Harlem
a better place, before we canmake the world a better place.Let's help the children, helpthe old and the helpless andlearn how to be creative.
Harlem means a lot tome because it is classy andterrific. Harlem is my birth-place and I am proud of that.Later in my life, I'll makeHarlem a better place; even
if I have to do it by myself.
I love Harlem and allthe people in it. In fact,I love everyone. One dayI hope I can look back atall the glorious things andthe bad things that happenedhere. I'll remember how wesometimes suffered and howmuch I loved Harlem.
Rodney Brown 8-1
I love Harlem because Igrew up here. I love theschools in Harlem becauseyou can learn a lot. It
seems like I know Harlemlike the back of my hand,
I've been here so long.
I have been to schools up-town but I didn't like anyof them as I do HarlemIf I were asked why do I loveHarlem so much, I would saybecause I'm free to be me.
-79-
AYou can make so many friends
if you are kind enough. You can go
to a lot of fun places in Harlemlike the Apollo, Cosmo, anywhereto have a good time. In a wayHarlem is its own world. I saythat because no other placecould be or ever be likeHarlem. Yes, I can be me in
Harlem. See, I am poor butit doesn't bother me because Iam just like anyone else inHarlem. That's how it is.I love Harlem. Like the songsays, "I'm free to be what Iwant to be."
Deborah Vega 7-1
Being Me in Harlem Is:
- Getting dressed and going outin the street, knowing youlook good, and all the flyguys letting you know it.
- Having a good friend who'llhave your back when you have
afight.
- Having a guy you're crazy about.
- Getting your hair braided andbeaded.
- Going swimming at the pool in
Mount Morris Park.
- Taking your little brother orsister to the playground.
- Going up on the roof in the
summertime.
Dancing in the park.
- Shopping on 125th Street.
- Going to La Marqueta on 116th St.
- Walking on Third Avenue.
- Buying something from thestreet peddler.
86Cont'd
-80-
Being Me In Harlem Is: Cont'd
- Wearing many silver bracelets.
- Seeing your friend in theLaundromat.
- Visiting your older sister.
- Going downtown on the subway.
Seeing the fire engines go by.
- Watching the reefer store getbusted.
- Throwing snowballs.
- Running from the boys who aretrying to dump you in the snow.
- Getting accepted to the highschool you really wanted togo to.
Being me in Harlem is all ofthese things, and having asense of pride about who youare and where you live.
Jessica Kelley 8-1
If you can enjoy your lifein Harlem and make the most ofwhat you have, then and onlythen is life worth living inHarlem.
Life isn't as complicated inHarlem as people like to think.Harlem isn't like the "ClassSystem" of long ago when peoplewere born and died withouthaving the chance to betterthemselves. We now have theprivilege of trying to makethe world a better place for ourfamilies and ourselves to live
'n. Th ^1 a F=r1=T.a wonderful kind of people.They lend some help to thepeople who need help. Sores kind
people help their friends andfamilies and others. They sendtheir children to 'school andenjoy their recreation hourstogether. Yes, Harlem is trulya great place to live. Here wecan really make our lives enjoy-able and worth living.
Vanessa Parks 8-2
Being me in Harlem. I seethat there are lots of goodthings going on and also bad.
The good things I see inHarlem are the distinguished-looking buildings on 125 Street.The building I like most on125 Street is the State Building.To me Harlem has nice storesto shop in, and nice restaurantsto eat in. The one I like bestis McDonalds.
The things I don't like aboutHarlem are all the paper andother filth in the streets. Themost important thing I hate is thedrug dealing that's going on outin the street. To me Harlemwould be a lot better place ifthe police could get all the drugpushers, and prostitutes off thestreet.
I believe Harlem will be abetter place to live if every-ol-le stops throwing so much litteron the ground and puts it whereit belongs. Then we will havea better Harlem. That's whatbeing in Harlem means to me.
Curtis Barrett 8-2
-81-
My life in Harlem is veryinteresting. When I moved toHarlem I was five years old.The place didn't seem too strangebut the people were. I was veryscared.
My mother and I moved into
a private house in an apartmentwhich my mother calls a kitchen-ette. She showed me differentplaces in which she had beenbefore. I was very sad leavingthe Bronx, but I soon grew outof that sorrow.
Now I am very used to Harlemand I know much about it. I
now know more about Harlem thanI do the Bronx. I love Harlem.Although it is not exactly thebest, it is darn sure near the
best.
Years ago Harlem was like
a Paradise until the neighbor-hoods started diminishing,but one day people will be veryhappy to come back to Harlem, andI know that. Watch! You'll'see.
Cheryl A. Taylor 7-3
Being Me in Harlem is likebeing a star in Hollywood. I
would like to be Harlem'sfamous model because I thinkHarlem is terrific. I'm soglad I was born in Harlem.If I could have to move outof Harlem, I would be sad,because I like Harlem better than
anything.
Harlem has important places:
Harlem Hospital, Harlem StateBuilding. I wish people wouldhelp clean up Harlem. I thinkHarlem has beautiful schools,libraries, grocery stores and
dancing schools.
I like to go to the Apolloto see James mown, Redd Foxx,Nipsey Russell, and many others.
I. like Harlem better than some 88
places I go. Even though Harlemsmall, Harlem is still the Best.
I go to I.S. 201 and I think it'sa very interesting school.
Being me in Harlem is playingfootball. I'm a running back onthe Delano Vikings. I have beenplaying football for five yearsstraight. I also like to playbaseball sometimes. I strikeout, but when I connect I neverhit lower than a double.' I alsolike to play basketball. It isn'tmy best sport and I usually lose.
Being me in Harlem is swimming
in the summer. During the summerI go swimming every day. SometimesI make friends and meet them thenext day. During the winter, Igo ice skating. Around spring timeI like to ride my bike, play aroundand ride my skate board.
Being me in Harlem isdoing everything to my bestintentions. I try to work hardand do things right. I'm oneof the few people to have a choiceof going to either of thespecialized High Schools. My choiceis Brooklyn Tech because it's thebest school for my abilities.I've worked hard to make it, andI'm going to work even harderto stay.
When I say Being Me in Harlem,I mean Being Me in Harlem, becausenobody can be me, but me.
Donald Wiggins 8-1
Being Me in Harlem isn't easy.Being Me anywhere isn't easy;however, it is easier to run astray
in Harlem. There are so manyopoortunities to lead You to thewrong kind of life,
Being Me in Harlem is very hardbecause there is always someonearound trying to destroy youphysically or emotionally. People
and circumstances can bring Youdown. (Cont'd)
-82-
There are some who are down andout and can't help themselves.They want you to be just likethem. What You have to do isunderstand the world aroundyou as much as you can. Bytrying not to make the mistakeof listening to someone who isstanding on a corner, trying.to bribe you for what they want.If you were to make that mis-take and give them what they want,that one little mistake couldruin you for the rest of yourlife. It can make you veryunhappy and things may neverbe the same for you again.
If you can live and survivein Harlem, you can become acitizen of the world and ,livesuccessfully anywhere. So that'sjust being me in Harlem.
Shirley Jackson 8-1
In Harlem I always havea lot of fun and play around.I don't smoke cigarettes andother things as some kids inHarlem do. I get good gradesin school and I don't have tobe yelled at in class all thetime.
I go outside to play every dayif it isn't cold, raining, orsnowing. I get to bed atabout 12 o'clock. I do allmy homework at home and getit right. I spend the nightwith my next door neighborsometimes. I go to the churchin my community. I love Harlem.
I'm 13 now and I wouldn'twant to live anywhere elsebesides Harlem. I love Harlemand thank you for reading myccmzosition.
Timotny Barett 7-1
89
APPENDIX B
Issue of Urban Marketbasket
9
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Vol. No. 1
a
-84-
A NEWSLETTER FOR PEOPLE IN
THE CENTRAL HARLEM COMMUNITY
marketbaskal
WHAT IS URBAN MARKETBASKET?
Urban Marketbasket is a newsletterwhich will come out once a week todeal with issues of being a consumerin the Central Harlem community. Thestudents. at the Arthur A. SchomburgSchool, Intermediate School 201 andsome of the teachers and some comm-unity people will take major re::pon-sibility for the newsletter. Theywill be provided t.,..chnical assistanceand printing by the New CareersTraining Laboratory, a part of theCenter for Advanced Study in Educa-tion at the Graduate School andUniversity Center, City Universityof New York, 33 West 42nd Street.
This issue of Urban Marketbasketdeals with two consumer issues:shopping for food and beiiit a movieconsUmer. Students in two or threeclasses wrote articles for thisissue. Articles for future issuescan be given to Ms. 3ynum or mailedto Sue Wilcox or Ethel Mingo at NewCareers Training Laboratory, CityUniversity, 33 west 42nd Street,New York, New York 10336. Ourtelephone numbers are (212) 921-8328or (212) 840-1259.
Urban Marketbasket StaffLmerson R. 3ovell, Sadie Bynum,Thomas C1-=mmons, Lynette Gittens,
',ostakis, Marilyn Lugo,Ethe: Samuel Ogarro, Cheffie
Eciward F.osario, Suzanne Wilcox.
April 15, 1930
FROM BAD TO WORSE
Is inflation cutting into yourspendina power? Guess how much thesame items you are paying your goodmoney for now will cost in 1985?Well, a recent story in the DailyNews has these predictions aboutprices in 1985.
Pizza $1.70 per sliceTokens $1.15 eachPostage Stamps 35 cents'Movies $11.50Big Mac $1.95Gas $2.98 per gallonCigarettes $1.95 a packHaircut $14.00 (men's).College $7,800. one yearColor T.V. $843.00Seiko Watch $229.00Baseball Ticket $31.00Necktie $33.00Beer %5.50 (six pack)New Car $20,400.New Suit $540.00
Thomas Clemmons
Our next issue willfocus on: GettingRipped Off and Hoto Avoid it.
PRODUCED BY THE STUDENTS AT I.S. 201 UNDER A GRANT TO NEW CAREERS TRAINING LABORATORY
-85--
SUPERMARKET SURVEY
In order to comp, . the price ofsome foods we often ouy, a group ofstudents went to four supermarketsto shop. Here is what we found out:
ca
rt;kf
A,
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co 414 &
C)0cocO'T
MILK - 1 Qt. .55house brand
.54 .54 .55
COFFEE-1 1b.2.67house brand
2.89 2.89 3.09
SUGAR-5 lbs 1.95house brand
1.19 1.95 1.85
FLOUR-5 lbs.1.09house brand
:77.28
2.05
o. f,7
1.09
6 47
1.09
ET. 58-
It-,looks like E,S,7 is the !pest orlay prices overall.*
The supermarkets were located at:
E &B - 120th Street near 3rd AvenueFinast 5th Avenue near 134 StreetKey Fooa 132nd Street. and Fifth
AvenueAssociated 121st Street
*However, you can get a good buy on.sugar at Finast. Coffee is cheapestat E &B.
Marilyn Lupo
COMPARING PRICES
Comparing.prices- makes no sense instores because prices are the same inboth. 3o you should not go to allthat troubLe. A loaf of bread is89 and the hov.se brand is 69.Buy the house brand.
I went to the store.to buy somebutter and milk. So I went to KeyFood on the corner of Lexington,andWest 126th Street. In that storea stick of butter costs 45. Thatis too much money for a stick ofbutter, so I decided to buy a pound,but my eyes popped when I saw theprice. I went to the next store.There butter was 30 a stick. Stillvery expensive! I say INFLATION isthe only w y to explain all this.
Cheffie Rice
Comparing prices is going todifferent stores, checking on whichprices are cheaper than other storesand which has better quality. If astore has Fab in a big size for 3.96and a small size for 2.90, then youhave to look at the unit price tofind out which would be cheaper perpound.
Lynette Gittens
UNIT PRICES
Unit Prices help you get thebest buy in a supermarket.Look on the shelp near thebox or can of goods you arebuying. Th'a unit pricehelps you crmpare prices bytelling you the cost of anitem per pound or per ounce.By checking the unit price,you can see w ich brand ischeapest. Does your storehave unit prices?
Once I went to Alexander's and Isaw this jacket and sweat suit andsneakers. My mother bcaght them.One day I Ti,as walking by a store andthey had the same things I boughtin Alexander's for $45.98. I paid$75.98, Iran home and told mymother and she got mad, but she toldme to always try to comp--..Le pricesbefore I buy anything.
Samuel Oaarro
-86-
GETTING RIPPED OFF
'Many of us in Harlem are to soupedup about how much we pay for things,. We think that it looks good to justplunk -'own our money as if we do notcare about how much things cost.Because of this attitude, the guy inthe store laughs at us after weleave because too often he has justbeaten us out of some money: Muchof the Harlem community, studentsand parents, get cheated out ofthings or dollars each day becausewe do not want to seem like wereally worry about our money, orbecause we do not know how to shop.
The staff of the Urban Market-basket, which is made up of students,teachers and representatives of(JJNY's Graduate Center ConsumerEQ.,Liation Project hope to awaken theene7gy, talent, concern and (aware-nesL.?) that seem to lie dormani-. inmany of the .people in our community.Our aim is to help people save moneyby showing them that by becoming a.little more involved in the ac-tivities which decide prices, we notonly pay less for the things we )1.1y,
but we can also feel a sen7,e ofpride in ourselves for not lettingthe man take advantage of us.
The Urban Marketbasket Newsletter .
will be constantly on the lookoutfor articles telling about exper-iences readers have had while buyingthings, that is, while beil:g con-sumers. If you want to share yourexperiences with us write it downand send it to Mr. Rosario, Mr.Duckett, Mr. Pahuja, Mr. Kostikasor Mrs. Wilcox. Many people wantto hear .gat you have to F:.y.
Edward Rosario
ARE WE REALLY BEING RIPPED OFF?
As a member of the Harlem commun-it I caon't feel that beingripped of by the local grocer. I
some-:imes ;et frustrated and angry
at the prices ant take it cut on thegrocer but it is not his fault.
The local grocer shops at thesame markets that the supermarketsshop. The supermarkets buy in bulkand have the space and refrigerationequipment to keep produce and goodsa very long time. When you buy inbulk you can purchase twice as muchfor the same money as buying small.The local grocer can only purchasesmall. Ea has to pass this cost onto his customers, after all 'e isnot in the business to brea. evenor lose money he is in th.; busi-ness to make money -- to make aliving.
There are several known supermar-kets located in the Harlem community.Some of them purchase only what theythink we need and want. A lot of the"fres" produce is stale when theypurchase it (for less money) and theytry to sell it to us at a higherprice. The only way we can getfresh foods at a decent price is toshop in supermarkets located inwhite populated areas. To dc this,you must have transportation. Itdoesn't make sense to take your caror a taxi to these supermarkets,because the money you have saved byshopping there is going to\be usedin gas or cab fare.
The only tiling I see that woul(3make sense is 1-"at we start severalco-op shopping groups. You have tohave people willing to be involvedin this kind of operation. Thegroup would need a small van ortruck to go to the markets. riey1.ould need people who are home duringthe day who can gc to the marketsearly 7:-7 order to get choice foodselections: They have to be willingo divide the food stuffs and pack-age them for their customers to Pickup. They Would also need to havepeople who can compute t!le costs foreach person. There are families inHarlem that wr,cld be.habov to be ableto gat chis kind cf se= ice. I amsure a group like this ,;(Juld work
Ethel Mingo
-87-
ANSWERS to "How Sharp Are YourConsumer Skills?
1. Which group of people would bemost hurt financially by inflation?
Persons on fixed incomes
2. It is legal for you to keepwithout obligation unordered mer-chandise that you receive in themail.
True
3. Better Business Bureaus areagencies of the federal government.
False
4. The retailer pays a charge tothe bank on each sale in which acredit card is used.
True
5. It is legal for a stor3 tocharge less than a manufacturer'ssuggested retail price
True
6. .1:f you buy a produce without awarranty, there is nothing you cando if the product is faulty.
False
7. A renter can deduct the amountspent on rent from his/he- federalincome tax.
False
8. Companies that advertise morealways produce better products.
False
9. If a car is repossessed and thensold for less money than you sti:1owe th,.t. lender, ,iou are personallyliable 'or" the difference.
True
10. If you said you would "defin-itely nomplain" you did the bestthing listed. Even better, makeothers aware you were "ripped off"or try to get the doctor or blue
jean store to change their ways ofdoing things.
In our next issue, UrbanMarketbasket will introducetwo columns: Consumer Tipsand Consumer Questions.Send your tips and/or ques-tions to Ethel Mingo, Room1222, New Careers TrainingLaboratory, 33 West 42ndStreet, New York, New York,10036
BELONGING TO A FOOD CO-OP
When I lived on Riverside Drivenear Tiernan:" Place, I belonged toa food co-operative that saved meand my liusband a lot of money. Whatit required of. us was commitment andtime. As I remember it, here's howit worked.
At the beginning, each family o7::living group put in $10.00 to belongto the co-op and to cover the firstweek's shopping. We had a start-upmeeting at which the work of theco-op members was explained. Agroup was needed to drive to theHunt's Point Market in the Bronxearly Wednesday morning or each week.A station wagon, van or true wasrequired, a driver, and three or four"shoppers." Another group was neededto arrange the food in one of thelarge rooms in cur apartment building-to set price; or each item, to makeout a shoppiny .List, and actuallycollect the money.
The 7.rocess went something like this.Early on Wednesday morning (about
4 A.M.), the shoppers drove toHunt's Point, purchased fresh fruitsand vegetables and other groceryitems by the carton. Usually, theybought such items as: celery,lettuce, tomatoes, green beans,
. spinach, carrots, apples, melons,oranges. They returned to our apart-ment building with the food and leftit in a large downstairs storageroom. Then, after supper that night,a group of "sellers" went to theroom, arranged the food and gotready to sell.
The co-op members caLie to gettheir food on Wednesday evening at8:00 P.M. We were responsible toraring bags or shopping carts andmoney. A few people brought scalesto weigh some items. Ce lined up inthe hall, chatted with the peopleon the line, and eventually got ourfood, weighing it and paying thesellers.
Leftovers were sold by the sellercrew members in the lobby of thebuilding to both members and non-members on the day following theregular sale. Prices were some-what reduced.
As we got more organized, the pro-cess got a little more sophisticated.Order forms were passed out so thatyou could specify ahead of time howmuch cf which items you were goingto buy. Seasonal items were bought:cider, cranberries, pumpkins,wreaths, lilies, honey.
Sue Wilcox,
BEING A MOVIE CONSUMER
What Kinds of movies do you like?M':stery? Comedy? Space? The kindyou like may often depend on whatkind of person you are and perhapshow old you are. And how old y6u areand what kind of person you are mayhave a lot to do with what theatreyou go to, how you behave in a movieand how much you pay to go to theshow.
Reg=rdless o: what movies you like to
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see, you probab3y like to enjoy themovie without others yelling andscreaming and throwing things,especially if ycu paid your money fora movie you really want to see.Sometimes it's okay to scream andYell. Other times it is not okayto scream and yell. If a movie hasa lot 'of action and is very excitinglike "Rocky" or "Rocky II", thenyelling and screaming i.s urvierstand-able. But sometimes, some peopleforget to respect the rights ofothers. They yell and scream andthrow things when it has nothing todc with the movie. How do you feelwhen this happens? Do you feel yourmoney was well spent?
Once you enter a movie theatre youmay want to check out how clean itis, what conditions the seats are in,',there the bathrooms are and whetheror not they are safe for you and yourfriends and family to use.
If you are the kind of person wholikes to eat while at the movies,you will have to decide how muchmoney to spend. Prices for ad-mission, candy, popcorn and frankare different at different movies.Of course, some people never worryabout any of these things. Do you?If you do, you may save enough moneyto see another movie for free.
CONSUMING MOVIES
Being a sharp movie consumer in-volves keeping a number of things inmind when you go to the MOViES:price, condition of the theatre,price and quality of the snacks sold,the behavior of the audience.
An enjoyablA experience at themovies seems to involve going forthe right reason and seeing a highquality movie, too. The followingmovies experiences might help youmake decisions about vnur futureplans to be a consumer of the movies.Remembering bad,experiences at themovies is just as valuable in learn-in to be a good consumer as remem-,bering coed experiences. The articles
(4r
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on going to the movies whichfollow may assist you in the future.
My friends and I went to see "WestSide Story". When we got there, itcost five dollars and the popcornwas $1.50. The audience was verynoisy. The movies had holes allover and the bathroom was verysmelly.
Garry Donadell
My sisLr and I went to the movieson :,1,-27-h 22. We went in the morning
see "The Fog". The reason I wentto see "The Fog" is I wanted to goout to have a good time and I had avery good time, but the movies waslocated on 42nd Street and TimesSquare.
R.W. Derrick
The last movie I saw was "TheFifth Floor". I went because I hadnothing to do. I went on March 21at 7:35 P.M. The movie was locatedon 225th Street. The price was veryreasonable, $4.00. The audiencewas superb. The condition of thetheatre was excellent. The bath-room was very clean and sanitary.The walls were painted well, nochips or cracks.
J. Pratt
The last time I went to the movieswas two weeks ago. My boyfriend andI went to see "The Fish That SavedPittsburgh." We went because heasked me to go and I wanted to goto the movies so I said yes. Wewent at 8:00 P.M. It was locatedat 125 Street. When we got thereit was crowded. The price was $3.50.The audience was O.K. and the thea-tre was pl:etty clean.
Sharon Damon
My cousin and I decided to.go tosee a movie. It didn't cost a lotso we caught a train and went downto 42nd Street to see "Foxes". Wereached the movie house when themovie started. The movie was sogood. The audience was screaming,laughing, and yelling. My cousinand I looked for a seat to sit downbut some of the chairs were brokendown and there were a lot of holesin the chairs.
Sonia Simon
It started when my mother and Iwent to the movies. We saw two menmaking so much noise that we couldnot hear the nicture. The picturewas good. The name of it was "JawsTwo". It was about a great whiteshark eating humans.
Jerome Tyler
My mother and I went to the movies.We went to see "Star Wars". Wewent because we didn't have anythingto do. We went on February 4th, at1:30 P.M. We went to 59th Street.The price of the movie was alright.The audience was great, and thecondition of the theatre was clean.It was not smelling like the bumslived there. The seats could leanback. The walls weren't all markedup from people writing on them.The movie was great and I would goagain.
Thomas Clark
I went to the movies by myself.The last time I went to the moviesI saw "Haloween". I went to see itbecause I heard it was a scary movie.I went on a Saturday around 12o'clock in the afternoon. The mciewas on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn.The name of the theatre was the RIMKenmore. The movie cost $4.00. Themovie was crowded and the conditionof the movie theatre was very cTood.The bathroom walls were writtenonand some of the seats were missincT.
Rodnev Johnson
6
APPENDIX C
CONSUMER-ORIENTED
ARTICLES
9
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THE NEW YORK TIMES. THURSDAY, JULY 17, 1980
Consumer Group WarnsOf Home Repair Abuses
By The Az-.....utted Preed
WASHINGTON
Much of the $40 billion spent eachyear on home improvements goes for"unneeded, defective or exorbitantlypriced products," the nation's largestconsumer group has asserted.
"A strong case can be made thathome improvement abuses are more inneed of remedy than any other type ofconsumer fraud," the Consumer Fed-eration of America charged this weekin a study that was done uncle: contractwith the Department of Housing andUrban Development.
Home repair is second to automobiles as the iargest subject of consumercomplaints, the federation said, add-ing: "But in dollar terms, home im-provement frauds are far mere. costly.They typically involve more than 51,000and at times, teas of thousands of dol-
The consumer group said such prob-lems have received little attention andcalled for a Federal investigation tofind out more precisely how much islost through fraud.
It recommended that home improve-ment concerns be required to postbonds, have insurance or put paymentsin escrow to make sure that operatorsdon't take a customer's money withoutperforming the work as expected.
Those most often defrauded are suchvulnerable groups as low-income peo-ple, recent widows and immigrantswho haven't mastered English, thestudy said.
The practices discussed in the studyincluded the following:
(Mien sales contracts. Contractorswrite into sales contracts a fine-printprovision for a lien on the house. If pay-ments are mis-sed, the holder of the hencan foreclose on the property. Espe-cially in California, this has led to fore-closures on homes in which consumershad built up thousands of dollars in eq-uity. The consumer group called hersales contracts "a prime candidate forthe distinction of being the worst con-sumer rip-off of the last 30 years."
9 Basement waterproofing by the soilinjection method. This involves pump-ing clay or a chemical into the groundunder pressure, allegedly sealing thewalls against water leakage. "Few ex-perts will say flatly that the methodnever works, but nearly all agree thatit is highly unreliable," the report said.
(Roofing repairs. "Poor workman-ship in roofing repairs is evident whenthe roof continues to leak or, as in manycascs, leaks worse than before the workwas done," it said.
11Solar heaters, where tax creditscan be used to get extra money fromhome owners. In one such scheme, acontractor sells a $3,000 system 'for anartificially Ligh price of $4,000 as a de-vice for increasing the tax credit, ac-cording to the report, and says he willthrow in a $1,000 monitoring system forfree. But the monitoring system maynot be worth $1,000 and may not beneeded, the report said.
The consumer group warned, "Dis-honest and incompetent contractorsoften defraud people on fixed incomesof their entire ravings and leave theironly major asset, their house, in sham-bles."
79 2 -Ur--\
\\\S !VI
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4QC.) C5\
CEDD CONSUMER c-)
6WI-31 t' I, 9S OP LOC.
"So you're going to have ababy. Relax, have a pickle.So said a television ad someyears ago. If you are preg-nant relax and enjoy it, butwhile you're relaxing thinkabout who is going to helpyou deliver your baby.Before you begin the pro-
cess of choosing an obstetrician, educate yourself aboutchildbirth. Go to the lib-rary and check out a couplec general books on the sub-
ject. The infant sectionsof most department storesoften have a rack of babymagazines which are free tothe taker. The magazinesare filled with advertising,but do have regular featuresthat are very informative.As you read you will findyourself leaning toward amethod of delivery, whethernatural (without drugs) ortraditional (with the helpof anesthetics). You needto know what you want before
you begin interviewing doc-
tors.Compile a list of doctor's
names. You can do this bytalking to friends, contact-ing the Medical Society, oreven by taking names from
the phone book. Most newparents enjoy talking about
9
May/June 1980MMAIrMI
W. BROS. INC.
the birth of their children,and you can add to your listby starting a conversationon the street with a personwho is wheeling a baby carri-age.Call each doctor on your
list. Do a preliminary in-terview over the phone. Thereceptionist will certainlybe able to tell you what thedoctor charges for a deliverywhat hospitals he/she isaffiliated with and perhapseven the doctor's basicphilosophy. She would cer-tainly know if the doctordoes home 'zIeliveries, andshe might even know if thedoctor encourages prepared
Ifyou can'tget the information you need,ask to speak to the doctor.Doctors are busy during off-ice hours, so if you're nota regular patient, you maynot make contact inmediately.Try to get enough informationto eliminate some names from
your list.Set up an appointment with
one or two doctors that look
the most promising. If your
husband plans to participate,take him along. Don't besurprised if the doctor tellsyou to strip and jump up onhis examining table. Doctprs
(i1
By Jody Gifford
re not often formally inter-viewed by prospective pat-ients. During the interview,find out how the doctorstands on natural childbirth,fetal monitors, pre-deliveryenemas, shaving of pubichair, episiotomies, breastfeeding, rooming-in, induc-ing lahrr and having yourpartner in the delivery
, room. If you don't agreewith the doctor, on theissues most important toyou, find another doctor.Do not choose a doctor
who says that he'll do "whatever you want." When yougo into labor, you may find
that you are too busy withcontractions to make yourdesires perfectly clear.Choose a doctor committedto birth the way you wantit. Choose a doctor youlike, and who answers allyour questions freely. Don't
be slow to change doctorsif you find later that thedoctor you've chosen doesn'tsuit you.You will remember the
experience the rest of your
life. So do Your best tomake it satisfyinl. Relax,
have a pickle and enjoy thejoy of it.
It's your car...Are you tired of spendingmeney on your car for repairsand services that you can doyourself? Many of America'sconsumers are capable ofhandling general care andupkeep of their cars, thatour friendly service stationscharge exorbitant prices for.All of the following tips canhelp you save some of thatmoney which goes into thepacket of the gasoline sat-tions, instead of staying inyour own.
1). To help prevent wastingeighty gallons of gas a year,you can buy, and replaceyour own air filter, every12,000 tc 30,000 miles.Simply remove the carburatorcover, take out the old fil-ter, and place the new onein. Then put the cover backon, and make sure that thenut is tight.
2). If your engine over-heats, you can save the costof an emergency road call bycarrying a gallon of waterin your trunk. Just take theradiator cap off (consultowner's manual) and let theengine cool down before pro-ceeding. Start the car, andadd the water. This shouldget you to the nearest ser-vice station, where the pro-blem can be dealt with pro-fessionally.3). You'll save money if
ycu purchase engine oil bythe case and replace it whenneeded. A funnel or an oil-can opener can be used as aspout.4). When your windshield-
washer reservoir becomesempty, you can fill it your-self by buying a gallon ofwasher solvent. Mix the-
solvent with an equal amountof water, and add it to thereservoir. A service stationwould normally charge almosta dollar for the whole pro-cedure.
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112n-1_ care e it-Z. o
By Elizabeth F=7,ter
5) . Another thing you can too late. rising a penny
do for your windshield, is placed in the tread cf the
to rub the edges of the tire and observing how much
wiper blades with a knife of Lincoln's head i, showing,
or striking part of a is one easy way to check on
matchbook cover. This will the wear of the tire. If
reveal the softer rubber the top of the President's
underneath, and improve head, or anything above his
their performance. Also, head, is revealed, it is
the life of your worn-out time to start shopping forblades will be prolonged. some new tires.
61. If it's the middle of 101. Whenever you stop at
winter, c: even some other a full-service station, betime of the year, you don't sure to get out of your car
want to go out to your car and pav attention to what the
some morning and find that attendant is doing. This
your battery needs a jump. applies especially if you are
In order to help the life out of your home state. Some
of your battery, clean the areas to be aware of are,
yellow or white powder making certain the gauge on
corrosion that accumulates the gas pump reads at zero
on the battery posts and before the pumping commences.
cable clamps. You can use Furthermore, make sure that
a wire brush, and cleanse when the oil is checked, the
the top surface of the dipstick is inserted all the
battery with a mixture of way. Some attendants will
three tablespoons of baking tell you that your oil is
soda and one quart of water. low, place an empty can of
DO NOT let this soulution oil over the filler, and
get under the cell caps. lead you to believe that a
7). Should your battery quart of oil has been added.
need a jump. Instead of 11). Whenever you need new
paying for a service call, parts for your car, or some-
have a set cf jumper cables thing is not working correct-
in your car. Then find a ly, get several opinions
friend or neighbor who is about what could be wrong.
willing to give .you a jump If you need a new part, con-
from their car. 7..efer to suit zeveral places to find
your owner's manual on how out the type of guarantee
to use them properly. accompanying the purchase,
8). Watch for the signals and the price of the part.
of a worn-out battery. Such Naturally, choose the best
things as having difficulties deal that is available to you.
starting your car, or the 12). To help you save money
lights looking dimmer than on gasoline, keep a steady
usual, can mean that it's speed when possible. Free-
time to buy a new battery. way driving is an excellent
When this'happens, shop place to practice this parti-
cautiously for a replacement. cular tip. The lack of stop
Try and purchase a new one signs and traffic lights can
before the car doesn't save you approximately 831 a
start at all. year. Furthermore, whenever
9). Be sure to check the You can, drive your car 35
tires on a regular basis. to 40 miles per hour, because
If they show wear, vou will your mileage is better at
have the time to shop for these speeds.
replacements before it is I3i. The last bit of advice
(n)CONT. ON LAST PAGE.
APPENDIX D
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN
CHOOSING A DOCTOR
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What to Look For
When Choosinc a Dc7tor*
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
If you don't have a family doctor, or are dissatisfiedwith the one you have, there are ways of maximizing the chancesof finding a competent doctor to meat your needs. Doctorsare unevenly distributed in the Urited States, and manypeople have no choice of physicians. If you do have a choice,here's how to make a wise selection.
1. Choose a doctor when you are healthy, before you needone. This gives you both the time and the psychological easeto evaluate what you want and whether a particular doctor meetsthose criteria.
2. Choose a general practitioner or genera'. internist(or pediatrician for small children) as a family doctor. Letthat doctor recommend specialists as they are needed. Don'trefer yourself to a surgeon or other specialist before selectinga family doctor. Specialists usually are not familiar withyour total health picture and are often shortsighted aboutcauses and effects outside their area of expertise.
But you should see a specialist, preferably one who isboard-certified, whenever one is needed. They are more likelyto have advanced, ongoing training than a general practitioner.In parts of the cor.ntry where specialists are rare, familydoctors often take on the functions of surgeons, gynecologists,and dermatologists. This saves patients travel and otherexpenses, but often results in second-rate medical care.
3. Compile a list of candidates. Ask for a recommendationfrom another health care professional whom you trust (such asa dentist or a family doctor from a previous neighborhood).Ask friends and relatives for recommendations, if you thinkthat they have good judgment and would look for the samequalities in a doctor that you want. If neither of thesesources exist, call the chief resident of a local hospital(a "teaching" one, if possible) or go to the outpatient depart-ment ancl ask for referrals. Only if you are armed with severalchoices will you be able to select the best doctor.
4. Check the doctor's credentials. Look into the doctor'seducational background and, especially, hospital affiliation(s)before going further (the place where the doctor is affiliatedis important, because that's where you'll go if you needhospitalization.)
*This piece is excerpted from Doctor and Patient: An AilingRelationship, an artilce by Donald Ross.
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If there is more than one hospital in the area, you cancompare them by using three criteria. First, the hospitalshould be accredited (by the Joint Commission on Accrediationof Hospitals). Second, it should b:L., a "teaching" hospitalone with a formal program for training medical students orresident doctors or other medical personnel. Third, a voluntary(non profit) community or municipal hospital is usually prefer-ably to a proprietary (profit-making) one.
There are directories available, in medical libraries andin many public libraries, which contain information on physicians.They include the reference book which doctors use, the AmericanMedical Directory, put out every few years by the American Med-ical Association. Also, there :e various state directoriesyour local medical society should be able to tell you if oneexists for your area. Sometimes there is also a consumergroup's directory, offering more extensive information, parti-cularly about fees.
It is a good idea to select a family physician who hasreceived special training in family medicine or internal med-icine and is either "board-certified" ( i.e, has passed thequalifiying requirements and the examination given by thespecialty board) or "board-eligible" (has taken the trainingbut not the examination).
5. Check on particular factors which are important toyou, by telephone, before making an appointment. Here aresome to consider:
e Is the office in a convenient location?de Are the office hours ones you can make?o Does the doctor or staff speak another language (ifsomeone in your family is more comfortable with one)?o Does the doctor practice alone or in a group? (Grouppractice means that if your doctor is away, you can usuallybe seen by one of his or her colleagues.)e What is the charge for a routine visit?
6. Recognize your personal feelings about what you wantin a doctor. Communication is at the heart of a successfulpatient-doctor relationship, so it is essential that youfeel comfortable with your doctor. Therefore, honor you ownprejudices in this area. You may prefer a female or a maledoctor or one whose race, religion, or background is similarto yours. The doctor's attitude toward such matters as drink-ing, birth control, and abortion may be important to you.
7. Visit the doctor. Only after a personal visit willyou be able to evaluate whether a physician is the right onefor you. A routine checkup is probably the best situation inwhich to evaluate a new doctor, although it doesn't show youhow he or she reacts to more stressful situations. You need not
view it as a waste of time and money if you go through anappointment and then decide not to go back to that doctorit's an investment which could save you untold grief later or.Look and listen carefully on your initial visit. Ask yourselfthese questions:
a. Is the office reasonably neat, clean and well-running?Are appointments scheduled so that patients are given enoughtime and so that delays are minimal? Emergencies occur, ofcourse, but he wary of a doctor who chronically keeps patientswaiting hours or rushes them through.
b. Did the doctor ask for a complete medical history(including information about family) and do a thorough exam?The history should include questions about your eating anddrinking habits, exercising, sex life, and employment. Thesedata enable the doctor to treat you as a whole person, ratherthan dealing in isolation with any symptoms that arise. Did lieor she seem relaxed?
c. Did the doctor take notes on what you related and whatthe physical examination revealed? If not, the information can'tbe used in later treatment by this doctor or by any subsequentones.
d. Was the doctor prevention-oriented? Did he or shediscuss health care matters in general!
e. Were your questions answered fully by the doctor andwere you treated courteously by the staff?
PROBLEMS IN DOCTOR-PATIENTCOMMUNICATION
One doctor has estimated that 70 to 75 percent of hisdiagnoses are based on the history which patients give (with15 to 20 percent from laboratory findings, and 5 percent onthe clinical developments). Therefore it is essential thatyou observe, remember, and communicate all the details aboutyour health. If you think that you may forget some of the datawhich you ought to relay, make a list of symptoms and questionsand bring it to the doctor's office. Apparent trivialitiesmay be important for diagnostic purposes. And remember, it isself-destructive to color information about symptoms, or drinking,eating, or drug-taking habits, in order to "please" the doctoror spare yourself embarrassment.
Another common, but counterproductive trait is caused byfear of being thought a hypochondriac. This leads people toput off making a call or an appointment and to "forget" to givethe doctor all the information.
Just as important as r'ommunicating information is dis-cussing your questions and fears. Ask what the doctor has found,what treatment alternatives exist, and what risks are involved.Many doctors do not spontaneously give full explanations. Theclassic rationale for not explaining diagnoses and choicesof treatment is that medical issues are too difficul for lay-people to grasp. That argument lias been overstated. Mostpeople are capable of understanding and dealing with an explana-tion of what is wrong with :nem, if it is put into understand-able English. This requires the doctor to have an interest incommunicating with the patient and to take the time and effortto give the appropriate explanation.
If a doctor keeps putting off questions or insisting thatyou won't understand, change doctors. Your health is tooimportant a matter to be ingnorant about.
Nor can you afford to suspend all critical evaluation onceyou've chosen a physician. Doctors are as capable of errorand weakness as other people. In fact, the AMA itself hasestimated that 5 percent of all U.S. physicians are mentallyill, alcoholic, or drug abusers - the true figure may well bemuch higher.
RESOURCES
Periodicals and NewslettersConsumer OrganizationsProfessional and Business Organizations"Musts" for the TeacherArticles on Food and Nutrition
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RESOURCES FOR THE TEACHER
PERIODICALS AND NEWSLETTERS
American Council on Consumer Interests Newsletter (Order from:American Council on Consumer Interests, 238 Stanley Hall,University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65201, availableto members only.)
Business Education Forum (Order from: National BusinessEducation Association, 1201 16th Street N.W., Washington, D.C.20636, monthly, October-May)
Center for Consumer Education Services. (Order from: New JerseyState Department of Education, Division of Vocational Education,Bureau of Vocational-Technical Program Services, Edison NewJersey 08817.)
Changing Times Classroom Program. (Order from: Changing Tirr2sEducation Service, 1729 H Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 200u6.9 per year)
Changing Times. (Order from: Changing Times, Editors Park,Maryland 20782)
Consumer Alert (Order from: Federal Trade Commission, Washington,D.C. 20580, monthly, free)
Consumer Education Forum. (Order from: American Council onConsumer Interests, 238 Stanley Hall, University of Missouri,Columbia, Missouri 65201, available to members only.)
Consumer Educator, (Order from: Consumer Product InformationCenter, Public Documents Distribution Center, Pueblo, Colorado81009, quarterly, free)
Consumer Legislative Monthly Report (Order from: Office ofConsumer Affairs, Superintendent of Documents, U.S. GovernmentPrinting Office, Washington, D.C. 20402, monthly)
Consumer News. (Order from: Office of Consumer Affairs, Super-intendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office,Washington, D.C. 20402, twice monthly.)
Consumer Newsweek (Order from: Consumer News, Inc. 813 NationalPress Building, Washington, D.C. 20004.)
Consumer Reports. (Order from: Consumers Union of the UnitedStates, Inc., 256 Washington Street, Mt. Vernon, New York10550, monthly)
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Consumers' Research Magazine (formerly Consumer Bulletin).(Order from: Consumers Research, Inc., Washington, New Jersey07882)
The Exchange. (Order from: New York Stock Exchange, 11 WallStreet, New York, New York 10005. monthly)
Family Economics Review. (Order from: Consumer and FoodEconomics Research Division, U.S. Department of Agriculture,Federal Center Building, Hyattsville, Maryland 20782. free)
FDA Consumer. (Order from: Superintendent of Documents, U.S.Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402, monthlyexcept combined July-Aug., Dec.-Jan.)
Financial. Facts Newsletter. (Order from: National ConsumerFinance Association, 1000 16th Street N.W., Washington, D.C.20036, monthly, free.)
Illinois Teacher of Home Economics. (Order from: IllinoisTeacher, 351 Education Building, University of Illinois,Urbana, Illinois 61801, bi-monghly)
Journal. of Consumer Affairs. (Order from: American Council onConsumer interests, 238 Stanley Hall, University of Missouri,Columbia, Missouri 65201, semi-annually, available to membersonly.)
National Consumers League Bulletin. (Order from: NationalConsumers League, 1029 Vermont Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C.20005, bi-monthly, available to members only)
Nutrition News. (Order from: National Dairy Council, 111 N.Canal Street, Chicago, Illinois 60506.)
()I Consuming Interest. (Order from: Federal-State Reports,!(_)s 654, Court House Section, Arlington, Virginia 22216,t_wice monthly.)
Penney's Forum. (Orcler from: J.C. Penney Company, Inc., Educa-[lona' and Consumer Relations, 1301 Avenue of the Americas,Now York, New York 10019, bi-yearly, free)
Teach111,1 Topics. (Order from: institute of Life Insurance, 277Park Avenue, New York, New York 10017)
Tlps din! Topics. (Order from: College of Home Economics, TexasT,,ch Univcr:Jity, Box 4170, Lubbock, Texas 79409, quarterly)
u.:;. Consumer News. (Order from: U.S. Consumer News, Inc. 1023ttic)n,t1 ProF;s Building, Washington, D.C. 20004)
V;, +1! ;;t1m,t_ Journal. (Order from: Dow Jones and Company, Inc.Bt.):1(1 ;;Lroct, Now York, New York 10004, daily)
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CONSUMER ORGANIZATIONS
1. Center for Study of Responsive Law, Post Office Box 19367,Washington, D.C. 20037. Ralph Nader and his staff doin-depth studies on various consumer related issues, andreports of these investigations are made available throughthe Center, or directly from publishers. A list of theirpublications is available upon request.
2 Consumer Federation of America, 1012 14th Street N.W.,Washington, D.C. 20005. The Federation seeks to promotethe rights of all consumers through group action at theFederal, State, regional and local levels.
3 Consumers' Research, Inc., Washington, New Jersey 07882.Consumers' Research reports the results of laboratory andother tests it conducts on a wide range of products consumersbuy and use, evaluates their relative performances, defectsadvantages, and disadvantages. Publishes monthly ConsumerBulletin, Educational services and materials are availablefor teachers.
4. Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.,256 Washington Street,Mt. Vernon, New York 10550. Consumers Union carries outperformance and use tests of consumer products and providesconsumers with test results and product evaluations. Italso conducts research on economic and social problems andpublishes its findings. Publishes monthly Consumer Reports.The Educational Services Division provides assistance andmaterials for Consumer Education.
5. Council for Family Financial Education, Inc., Twin Towers,1110 Fidler Lane, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910. TheCouncil serves as an independent,non-profit, tax exempteducational corporation to assist schools, colleges, andother institutions in the development of Consumer Educationand Financial Planning. It also sponsors teacher trainingprograms at numerous colleges across the nation.
6. Invest-in-America Nation Council, Inc. 121 South Broad Street,Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107. Invest-in-America is anon-profit educational organization to encourage betterunderstanding of the role of savings, profits, and investmentin the free enterprise economy. It publishes materials forstudents and teachers for use in school and college programs.
7. Joint Council on Economic Education, 1212 Avenue of theAmericas, New York, New York 10037. The Joint Council isan independent, non-profit educational organization toencourage, coordinate, service, and improve economic educa-tion. It develops programs with schools and colleges,sponsors teacher education programs and publishes materialsfor these educational purposes.
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8. National Consumer's League, Inc., 1029 Vermont Avenue N.W.,Washington, D.C. 20005. The League, originally establishedto aid laborers and migrant workers to obtain fair workingconditions, now concerns itself primarily with consumerprotective legislation and labor standards.
9. National Self-Help Clearinghouse, University of New York,33 West 42nd Street, New York, New York 10036. The NationalSelf-Help Clearinghouse service to link persons and organi-zations engaged self-help activities with one another. Itprovides training in starting self-help organizations andpublishes a monthly newsletter on trends and organizationsacross the country.
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Professional and Business Organizations
Advertising Council825 3rd AvenueNew York, New York 10222
Air-Conditioning and Refrigera-tion Institute
1815 N. For Myer DriveArlington, Virginia 22209
American Apparel Manufact-urers Association
1611 N. Kent StreetArlington, Virginia 22209
American Association ofUniversity Women
Sales Office2401 Virginia AvenueWashington, D.C. 20037
American Bankers Association1120 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.Washington, D.C. 20036
American Bar Association1155 E. 60th StreetChicago, Illinois 50637
American Council on ConsumerInterests
236 Stanley HallUniversity of MissouriColumbia, Missouri 65201
American Dairy Association20 N. Wacker DriveChicago, Illinois 60606
American Federation of Labor/Congress of IndustrialOrganizations
815 16th Street, N.W.Washington, D.C. 20006
American Gas Association1515 Wilson BoulevardArlington, Virginia 22209
American Home EconomicsAssociation
2010 Massachusetts Ave. N.W.Washington, D.C. 20036
American Institute for EconomicResearch
Great Barrington, MA 01230
American Marketing Association230 N. Michigan AvenueChicago, Illinois 60601
American Meat Institute59 E. Van Buren StreetChicago, Illinois 60605
American Medical AssociationP.O. Box 569Denver, Colorado 80201
American National Cattlemen'sAssociation
P.O. Box 569Denver, Colorado 80201
American National StandardsInstitute
1430 BroadwayNew York, New York 10018
American Vocational Association1510 H Street N.W.Washington, D.C. 20005
Associated Credit Bureau, Inc.6767 S.W. FreewayHouston, Texas 77036
Chamber of Commerce of theUnited States
1615 H Street N.W.Washington, D.C. 20006
Consumer Federation of America1012 14th Street N.W.Washington, D.C. 20005
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I
Consumer Product SafetyCommission
1715 K Street N.W.Washington, D.C. 20207
Consumers' Research, Inc.Bowerstown RoadWashington, New Jersey 07882
Council for Family FinancialEducation
Twin Towers1110 Fidler LaneSilver Spring, Maryland 20910
Council of Better BusinessBureaus
845 3rd AvenueNew York, New York 10022
Credit Union National Associa-tion, Inc.
1617 Sherman AvenueMadison, Wisconsin 53701
Direct Selling Association1730 M Street N.W.Washington, D.C. 20036
Dow Jones and Company, Inc.Educational Service Bureau22 Cartlandt StreetNew York, New York 10007
Edison Electric Institute90 Park AvenueNew York, New York 10016
Electronics Industries Assoc-iation
2001 Eye Street N.W.Washington, D.C. 20006
Ford Motor Company ListensFord Motor CompanyThe American RoadDearborn, Michigan 48121
Gas Appliance ManufacturersAssociation
1901 N. Fort Meyer DriveArlington, Virginia 22209
Grocery Manufacturers Associa-tion
205 E. 42nd StreetNew York, New York 10017
Health Insurance Institute277 Park AvenueNew York, New York 10017
Home Furnishings CouncilP.O. Box 262Flossmoor, Illinois 60422
Institute of Life Insurance277 Park AvenueNew York, New York 10017
Insurance Information InstituteDoris & Chicago StreetsJoliety, Illinois 60434
Joint Council on Economi-:Education
1212 Avenue of the AmericasNew York, New York 10034
Major Appliance Consumer ActionPanel
200 N. Wacker DriveChicago, Illinois 60606
Man-Made Fiber ProducersAssociation
1150 16th Street N.W.Washington, D.C. 20036
Mobile Homes ManufacturingAssociation
Consumer Education DivisionP.O. Box 201Chantilly, Virginia 22021
Money Management InstituteHousehold Finance CorporationPrudential PlazaChicago, Illinois 60601
National Association of FoodChains
1725 Eye Street N.W.Washington, D.C. 20006
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National Association ofManufacturers
N.A.M. Marketing Committee277 Park AvenueNew York, New York 10017
National Association ofSecondary School Principals
1201 16th Street N.W.Washington, D.C. 20036
National Canners Association1133 20th Street N.W.Washington, D.C. 20036
National Consumer FinanceAsociation
Educational Services Division100 16th StreetWashington, D.C. 20036
National Consumer's League,Inc.1029 Vermont Avenue, N.W.Washington, D.C. 20005
National Credit Union Admin-istration
2025 M Street, N.W.Washington, D.C. 20456
National Dairy Councilill N. Canal StreetChicago, Illinois 60606
National Safety Council425 N. Michigan AvenueChicago, Illinois 60611
New York Stock ExchangeManager, School and College
Relations11 Wall StreetNew York, New York 10005
J.C. Penney Company, Inc.Educational and Consumer
Relations1301 Avenue of the AmericasNew York, New York 10019
The Proctor and Gamble CompanyEducation Services301 E. 6th StreetCincinnati, Ohio 45202
Public Affairs Committee331 Park Avenue, S.New York, New York 10016
The Savings and Loan Foundation1111 E Street N.W.Washington, D.C. 20024
Sears, Roebuck and CompanyConsumer Information ServicesSears TowerChicago, Illinois 60684
Sperry & Hutchinson CompanyNational Education Association Consumer Relations Department1201 16th Street N.W. Sperry & Hutchinson BuildingWashington, D.C. 20006 330 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10017National Foundation forConsumer Credit
1819 H Street N.W.Washington, D.C.
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"=.7g" for the Teacher
Penny Power There is a new classroom magazine which will
serve as a useful resource for teachers who are doing some
consumer education. Even if you are centering student
activities on starting a community newspaPer, you will find
Penny Power good for students. Even past issues are extremely
useful as starting points for classroom activities. To subscribe:
Penny Dower, Published b: Consumer R,-ports, Dept. RP10,
Orangeburg, New York 10962.
"Consumers"
This 20 3/4 minute, 16 mm, color documentary filmshows a spectrum of consumer action techniques.The film is about consumers working individuallyand collectively against abusive or fraudulentpractices - making their voices heard in govern-mental, regulatory, and business arenas. Thefilm shows consumers in action individual con-sumers complaining about faulty products orservices; third-party complaint resolutionactivities; small claims court proceedings; grassroots consumer action organizations; and consumerlobbyists, researchers, and educators.
The film can be ordered by writing:
Ramsgate Films704 Santa Monica BoulevardSanta Monica, CA 94041
The film rents for $30 for one to three days, or can bepurchased for $300. A limited number of copies :)fthe film are loaned free of charge from the Departmentof Consumer Affairs, 1020 N St., Rm. 582, Sacramento, 95814.
Discussion Questions:
1. How aware were you of the various individuals andgroups seen in the film? Do you think theSe peoplecan make an impact?
2. What do you think of former used-car salesman MichaelHarris' story? Are you surprised such experiencesoccur?
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3. Do you think _hat using underco7-er cars to catchfraudulent auto renair dealers in unethical?
Do you think that $750 is the right limit forsmall claims court?
5. What other actions can you suggest that consumerstake if they feel that they have been treatedunfairly?
6. What do you thii-ik of the strategy of canvassingas it is presented in the film? What are theadvantages and disadvantages of this approach?
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The fellows, c films have been found to be helpful to those teachina
consumer education. While the': are not fitted directly into the
learning activity design, teachers or community organizers can do
so at appropriate points.
Films
IT WORKS FOR US, a new film about New York City FoodCo-ops offers ideas that can be implemented anywherein the United States to make cooperative buying WORKFOR US!
In the film, three neichtorhoods in New York Cityillustrate the variety of ways co-ops can be organ-ized and operated. Food cooperatives are one exampleof people working together to obtain quality foodproducts at reasonable prices.
IT WORKS FOR US is a 22 minute color film useable withadults, college, high school, and junior high schoolaudiences as well as media.
For more information about the film contact:
Carol DoolittleAudio-Visual Research Center8 Research ParkCornell UniversityIthaca, New York 14850(607) 256-2091
CONSUMERS shows how individuals and groups can take action againstfaulty products and services. In the past, dissatisfied customershad little recourse other than complaining to the seller-, who settheir own standards and complaint resolutions. This fi- pointsout a number of ways in which today's citizens can star up fortheir individual rights, as well as work cooperatively ::.c) make
changes that benefit all consumers.
CONSUMER AGENCIES AND SERVICES SHOWN IN TEE FILM ARE:
e State licensing boards; which advise consumers of their rights,contact sellers to resolve complaints, and maintain complaintrecords.
® Small ClEims Court; which, for a minimal court fee, allows thecitizen to seek legal action for claims um to 5750.00.
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.& Private consumer orcar.izations; which fellcw up cons=ercomplaints with letters, deleaationsi and pickets.
e Consumer cooperatives; which evaluate goods and servicesand provide consumer information.
Publicinterest groups of technicians; who attend legislativehearings, give expert testimony, and analyze proposedlegislation in terms of consumer impact.
Consumer lobbyists and action groups; which conduct research,initiate law suits, publicize findings, and bring politicalforce to bear on the leaislative process.
Released 1978
20 minutes e Color
$300.00 ® Rental (1-3 days) $30.00
RAMSGATE FILMS 704 Santa Monica Boulevard, Santa Monica,California (213) 894-8819
Interesting 'Alternatives
While the project which is outlined herein has components
which aim to educate the community, the project which follows
here aimed directly at educating community people in comparative
shopping techniques. Portions of it may well serve tc help
teachers create links with the community in areas where school-
community projects are practical and necessary.
FOOD/NUTRITION
THE AMERICAN FOOD SCANDAL: WHYYOU CAN'T EAT WLL ON WHAT YOUEARN, by William Robbins, 1974.280 p. $6.95 ($3.50 paperback).William Morrow and Company, Inc.,West Caldwell, N.J.
THE BASIC BOOK OF ORGANICGARDENING, by Robert RLlale, 1975,$1.95 paperback. Ballantine Books,Inc., New York, N.Y.
'BEWARE OF THE FOOD YOU EAT, by RuthWinter, 1971, 247 p. $5.95. CrownPublishers, Inc., New York, N. Y.
BIG MAC (THE UNAUTHORIZED STORY OFMcDONALD'S), by Max Boas and SteveChain, 1976. $7.95 E.P. Dutton andCompany, Inc., New York, N. Y.
EATING RIGHT FOR LESS, 1:75.$2. Consumers Union of U.S.,Inc., P.O. Box 1000, Orange-burg, N.Y. 10962.
ENERGY AND FOOD, 1975. 80 p.$4. Cneter for Science in thePublic Interest, ReportsDepartment, 1757 S Street,N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009.
FOOD AND THE CONSUMER, FACTSVS. FANCY, by Amihud Kramer,1973. 256 p. $6.50. AviPublishing Company, Wesport,CT.
THE FOOD CONSPIRACY COOKBOOK:HOW TO START A NEIGHBORHOODBUYING CLUB AND EAT CHEAPLY,1974. 144 p. $3.95 paperback
EAD FOR THE WORLD, by Arthur Simon, 101 Productions, San Francisco,1975. $1.50 paperback, Wm. B. Eerdmans CA.Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MT.
THE FOOD CO-OP HANDBOOK: HOWBUILDING A GRASS ROOTS FOOD POLICY, TO BYPASS SUPERMARKETS TO1976. $2.50, Center for Science in CONTROL THE QUALITY AND PRICEthe Public Interest, Reports Depart- OF YOUR FOOD, by Co-op Hand-ment, 1757 S Street, N.W., Washington, book Collective, 1975. 382D.C. 20009. p. $8.95. Houghton Mifflin
Company, Boston, MA.THE CHEMICAL FEAST: NADER TASK FORCEREPORT ON THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINIS-TRATION, by James S. Turner, 1970.273 p. $7.95 (95c paperback).Grossman Publishers, Inc. New York,N.Y.
THE CHEMICALS WE EAT, by Melvin A.Benarde, rev. 1975. 208 p. $3.50paperback. McGraw-Hill Book Com-pany, New York, N.Y.
CONSUMER BEWARE! YOUR FOOD ANDWHAT'S BEEN DONE TO IT, byBeatrice Trum Hunter, 1971, 442p. $8.95. Simon and Schuster,Inc., New York, N.Y.
A CONSUMER'S DICTIONARY OF FOODADDITIVES, by Ruth Winter, 1972,235 p. $5.95. Crown Publishers,Inc., New York, N. Y.
FOOD CO-OPS: AN ALTERNATIVETO SHOPPING IN SUPERMARKETS,by William Ronco, 1974. 188p. $3.95. Beacon Press,Boston, MA.
FOOD CO-OPS FOR SMALL GROUPS,by Tony Vellela, 1975. 173p. $2.95 paperback. WorkmanPublishing Company, New York,N.Y.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT, by TheodoreP. Labuza, 1974. $5 paper-back. Avi Publishing Company,Inc., Westport, CT.
FOOD MERCHANDISING: PRINCIPLESAND PRACTICES, by Theodore W.Leed and Gene A. German, 1973.$12.95. Chain Store PublishingCompany, New York, N.Y.
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FOOD POLLUTION: THE VIOLATIONOF OUR INNER ECOLOGY, by GeneMarine and Judith Van Allen,1972. $2.95 paperback. Holt;Reinhart and Winston, Inc.New York, N.Y.
FOOD SCORECARD, 1974. 32 p.10-99 copies, 35 each.Center for Science in thePublic Interest, ReportsDepartment, 1757 S Street,N.W. Washington, D.C. 20009.
FOOD SHOPPER LANGUAGE, byU.S. Department of Agriculture,1975. Consumer InformationCenter, Pueblo, CO 81009.
FOOD STAMP FACTBOOK, 1975.75 National Food StampInformation Committee,1910 K Street, N.W.,Washington, D.C. 20006.
FOOD TASK FORCE FACT SHEETS:FOOD ADVERTISING; FOODINDUSTRY, LABELING: and UNITAND ITEM PRICING, 1974. $2.San Francisco Consumer Action,26 7th Street, San Francisco,CA 94103.
FOODS, DIETS AND NUTRITION,by Kenneth L. Jones, et al,2nd edition, 1975. $2.95paperback. Canfield Press,Scranton, PA.
THE GREAT AMERICAN FOOD HOAX,by Sidney Margolius, 1971.216 p. $5.95. Walker andCompany, New York, N.Y.($1.75 paperback DellPublishing Company, Inc.).
THE GREAT GRAIN ROBBER byJames Trager, 1975. 233 p.$1.95 paperback, BallantineBooks, Inc., New York, 'N.Y.
THE GREENGROCER, by JoeCarcione, 1973. $1.25 paper-back. Pyramid Publications,Inc., New York, N.Y.
GREENGROCER COOKBOOK, by JoeCarcione, 1975. $9.95 ($5.95paperback.) Celestial ArtsPublishing Company, Millibrae,CA.
THE GREENGROCER: THE CONSUMER'SGUIDE TO FRUITS AND VEGETABLESby Joe Carcione and RobertLucas, 1972. 242 p. $1.25paperback, Chronicle Books,San Francisco, CA.
GROW IT SAFELY! PEST CONTROLWITHOUT POISONS, by StephanieHarris, 1975. 44 p. $1.25(order #308). Public Citizen'sHealth Research Group, Depart-ment P, 2000 P Street, N.W.Suite 708, Washington, D.C.20036.
HARD TIMES COOK BOOK, by GloriaVollmayer and Carmen Wyllie,1970, 64 p. $1.50. 101 Product-ions, San Francisco, CA.
HEALTH FOODS, FACTS AND FAKES,by Sidney Margolius, 1973,293 p. $6.95. Walker andCompany, New York, N.Y.
HOW TO BUY FOOD FOR ECONOMYAND QUALITY, by U.S. Departmentof Agriculture, 1975. $1. DoverPublications, Inc., New York,N.Y.
HOW TO GET THE MOST FOR YOUR FOODDOLLAR, by U.S. Department ofAgriculture, 1970. 252 p. 95paperback, Universal Publishingand Distributing Corporation,New York, N.Y.
HOW TO START YOUR OWN FOOD CO-OP(WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM YOURFRIENDS): A GUIDE TO WHOLESALEBUYING, by Gloria Stern, 1974.214 p. $4.95. Walker and Company,New York, N. Y.
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HUNGER (PROBLEMS OFAMERICAN SOCIETY), editedby Barbara Milbauer andGerald Leinwald, 1971.159 p. 95 paperback,Simon and Schuster, Inc.,New York, N.Y.
IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST:MARKET ORDER, PUBLIC MEMBERS,by Barbara Erickson, 1976,32 p. $1.75. ETC. 7373Willowlake Way, Sacramento,CA 95831
LET THEM EAT PROMISES: THEPOLITICS OF HUNGER INAMERICA, by Nick Kotz, 1971.$2.50 paperback. Pl:entice-Hall, Inc., EngleooL Cliffs,N.J.
MAKING YOUR OWN BABY FOOD,by Mary Dustan TurLar andJames S. Turner, L973. 132p. $4.95. Workman Publish-ing Company, New Y=k, N.Y.
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH, AREADER, by R. Newsome, 1976.$8.95 paperback. MedicalReadings, Stanford,CA.
NUTRITION ALMANAC, by JohnD. Kirschmann, 1975. 272p. $4.95 paperback. McGraw-Hill Book Company, NewYork, N.Y.
THE NUTRITION CRISIS: AREADER, by Theodore P.Labuza, 1975. $7.95. WestPublishing Company, St.Paul, MN.
NUTRITION FOR THE ELDERLY,by William D. Bechill andIrene Wolgamot, U.S. Depart-ment of Health, Education andWelfare, 1973. 96 p. $1.25Superintendent of Documents,U.S. Government Printing OfficeWashington, D.C.
NUTRITION LABELING, 1975. $2National Nutrition Consortium,Inc., 9650 Rockville Pike,Bethesda, MD 20014.
NUTRITION SCOREBOARD, by MichaelJacobson, 1974. $2.50 (18" x24" color poster, $1.75) Centerfor Science in the Public InterestReports Department, 1757 S Street,N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009.
RATING THE DIETS, by TheodoreBerland, 1974. $6.95. RandMcNally and Company, Chicago,IL.
RECIPES FOR A SMALL PLANET, byEllen Buckman Ewald, 1973. $1.95paperback, Barron's EducationalSeries, Inc., Woodbury, N.Y.
SOWING THE WIND: NADER STUDY GROUPREPORT ON FOOD SAFETY AND THECHEMICAL HARVEST, by HarrisonWellford, 1972. 384 p. $7.95.Grossman Publishers, Inc., NewYork, N.Y. ($1.95 paperbackBantam Books, :Enz.%)
SUPERMARKET COUNTER POWER: ANINTELLIGENT SHOPPER'S GUIDE TOEATING LETTER FOR LESS MONEY,by Adeline G. Schell, 1973. $3.25paperback. Warner Books, Inc.,New York, N.Y.
THE SUPERMARKET HANDBOOK: ACCESSTO WHOLE FOODS, by Nikki andDavid Goldbeck, 1973. 413 p.$7.95. The New American Library,Inc., New York, N.Y.
SUPERMARKET SUPVIVAL MANUAL, byJudy L. Kemp, 1974. $1.25 paper-back. Bantam Books, Inc., NewYork, N.Y.
THE SUPERMARKET TRAP: THE CONSUMERAND THE FOOD INDUSTRY, by JenniferCross, rev. 1976. $10 ($3.50paperback), Indiana UniversityPress, Bloomington, IN.
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U.S. NUTRUTION POLICIES INTHE SEVENTIES, edited byJean Mayer, 1973. 256 p.$3.95 paperback. W.H.Freeman and Company,San Francisco, CA.
WHATEVER HAPPEND TO MOM'SAPPLE PIE? by John Keats,1976. $7.95. HoughtonMifflin Company, Boston,MA.
FUNERALS
THE AMERICAN WAY OF DEATH,by Jessica Mitford, 1963.$8.95. Simon andSchuster, Inc., New York,N.Y. ($1.75 pa ,rbackFawcett -World Library)
HIGH COST OF DYING, byRuth Mulvey Harmer, 1963.Cromwell-Collier Press,New York, N.Y. (Out-of-print)
APPENDIX E
YOUR HEALTH
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PROTECT YOUR CHILD
Young children must be pro-tected against cancerous diseasessuon and tetanus For freeimmunizations, take your child toone s` hese health, centers in
Brookiy h
Bay Ridgeletn Avenue
Te; 236.3666Bedfordt85 Tnroop AvenueTel 5745300Brownsville259 Br!stol Stree:Tel 49S-67A2
Q Bushwick335 Central A.en.._eTel. 443-5000Crown Heights1218 Prospect PfaceTel. 756-8902
O Fort G7eena295 A -er s cr.
lomecres:301 verv;e 5
. 345-8280Su -'.set Park
-v)in Stroct436-2001
o wiiiiamsburg1s1 mnt.o2r SfreetTel 386-.6275
FAKE ARTHRITIS 'CURES' HURT
Question: How are these itemsalike?
G A copper braceletA mattressA clove lined with low-grade uranium ore
G A "specialformula"drug fromCanadacostingS180 perbottleAn alfalfa-and-vitamindiet
treatment they need -- treatmentthat may at least soothe the:r painand help them move about moreeasily.
In talkinc.: about artnritis, coctorsare careful to use theword "treatment," not"cure." Unfortunately,
there is no cure for thisdisease yet, nor are doc-
tors certain about whatcauses it.
The most effective andwidely used drug for
fighting arthritis is stillthat old standby , aspirin.
It is used in treating over 100 dif-ferent types of arthritis, incluaingthe two most common forms:
O Osteoarthritis, whichseems to result from generalwear-and-tear on the body,and is very common amongolder people, andO Rheumatoid arthritis, amore severe, sometimes crip-pling form of the diseasewhich attacks people of allages.
Answer: They've all been hailedat one tme or another as "miraclecures" for the acres, pains and stiff-ness of arthritis None have beenproven to work, yet each year pecpie are fooled into spending aboutS950 m,ilion on quack remediessuch as these.
Aside from being a waste ofmoney, some of these so-calledcures are actually harmful. The"special formula" drug, for example,caused heavy internai bleeding inquite a few patients before it wastanned by the government. What'smore, as fond as arthritis sufferersrely on fake cures and "wonderdiets," they may not get the medical
HEAVY POT' USE WORRIES DOCTORS
Anita tried marijuana for the first time when she was10 years old. By the time she was 1 7 and in her senioryear of high school she was smoking marijuana (alsocalled "pot" or "grass") every day.
Unfortunately, Anita is not unusual, Studies have
snown that over 4 million youngsters between theages of 12 and 17 are regular Pot smokers. What'smore, 10°,3 of all high school seniors use pot daily.
The marijuana these children are smoking is aboutten limes stronger than the kind that was used aboutfive years ago. The earlier marijuana came mainly fromMexico. Now most of it is crown in Colombia, and it
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In general, arthritis is an inflamma-tion of a joint, or tissues around ajoint, making the area hot, swollen,red and painful. It can involve thelarge joints (knees, hips, shoulders,etc.), as well as small joints such as
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-117-
EATING WELL
When you get hungry betweenmeals, what kinds of foods do youchoose for snacking: Cake?Cookies? Candy? All three?
If so, you're not being kind toeither your body or your teeth.Snacks that are loaded with sugarusually have little else to offer. Nutri-tionally, they're worthless.
Why not try pizza instead?Although most people think of piz-
za as "junk" food, actua!iy it's fairlynutritious.Top the dough withcheese, meat or vegetables andyou'll have a small "meal" that pro-vides more food value than mostsnacks. But for the sake of yourwaistline, keep the portions down tosnack size. The following recipe isfrom the U.S. Dept. of Agriculturenutrition book, "Food."
SNACK PIZZAS
Makes 10 pizzas'Calories per pizza: about 105
Refnger biscuits, flakyTomato PasteOreganoOnion, choppedMushrooms, choppedNatural sharp Cheddar
cheese, shredded
91/2oz. pkg.'/. cup1 tsp.
1/2 cup
'3 cup1/2 cup
1. Preheat oven to 4000 F (hot)
2. Grease baking sheets.
3. Pat each biscuit round into a4-inch circle on baking sheets.
4. Mix tomato paste and oregano.Brush on each biscuit round.
5. Mix onion and mushrooms.Sprinkle over tomato paste mixtureToo with snredded cheese.
6. Bake until crust Is lightly browned(about 8 minutes). Or place pi772cin freezer for future use.
(Note. Ground beef. chopped green pepper,anchovies or other foods may be used in-stead of onions and mushrooms.)
by David Fernandes, M.D.
The Crooked Back
A back or spine problem that af-fects many children -- especiallygirls -- is called scoliosis. Unlesstreatment is begun early, this condi-tion can cause a child to grow upwith a crooked back.
In scoliosis, the spine begins cur-ving toward one side as the childgrows, causing abnormal changesin the position of the ribs. Manycases of scoliosis are so mild thatthe condition is never even noticed,but in severe cases the child's en-tire chest may become so twistedthat the ribs on one side jut out, for-cing the ribs on the other side toslant backwards.
Aside from how it looks, scoliosiscan cause lung and heart problemsas well as lead to arthritis later on inlife. Some types of scoliosis car 'n-terfere with pregnancy and child-bearing.
Although scoliosis tends to run infamilies, it does not usually show upat birth but years later, when thechild is about 11 or 12 years oldand just beginning his or her adoles-
cent growth spurt. It is at this stagethat the condition must be treated,or permanent damage may result.
Girls are seven times more likelythan boys to be affected by adoles-cent scoliosis. (there are otherforms of scoliosis that affectyounger children, but these are notas common.)
What are some clues that indicatea child may have scoliosis?
The child's spine seems totwist to one side.O One shoulder is raised
higher than the other.I; One shoulder blade sticks
out.o One hip seems to slantsharply.ea There seems to be a humpor bulge over one shoulderwhen the child bends downfrom the waist to touch his orher toes. (This can be seen bestwhen standing behind thechild.)
Treatment may consist of bracesand an exercise routine, a cast, orpossible surgery.
The outlook for children withscoliosis grows brighter all the time,but your child can't be helpedunless he or she gets propermedical care -- and gets it early.
WE WANT TO TALKCancer experts from the Brooklyn Breast Cancer
Network at Downstate Medical Center will be happy tovisit Brooklyn community groups to speak aboutbreast cancer and instruct women on how to do breastself-examinations.
Any organization that wants to arrange for a programshould call Ms. Carolyn Wright or Dr. Anne C. Carter atthe Netwbrk office, 270-3178. 3179 or 3175. TheNetwork is also recruiting health professionals fromthe community to participate in this effort.
Led by Dr. Carter, the Network is particularly in-terested in reaching women in Bedford-Stuyvesant,Crown Heights, Ocean Hill, Sunset Park, Bush Ter-minal, Fort Greene and Bushwick. Studies haveshown that many women in these areas do not gettreatment for breast cancer until the disease is far advanced. Their lives could be saved by earlierdiscovery and treatment.
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FAKE ARTHRITIS 'CURES'fingers ahc toes. Over 31 millionmen, women and children in theUn;ted States suffer from some formof artnrit:s. and many are disabledby it.
According to Dr. Mitchell Forman,Co-Director of the Multi-Purpose Ar-thritis Center at Downstate, aspirinis the favored treatment for arthritisnot only because it relieves the painbut --even more important -- itreduces th; nflammation, the'ebyfurtner easing the disability.Moreover, aspirin is cheap andreadily available.
The main problem is that aspirinmust be taken in very largeamounts, perhaps 12 or 16 pills aday, to reduce inflammation. Manypeopie can't tolerate such large
doses because it causes side ef-fects such as ringing in the ears, orit upsets their stomachs, For them,there are many compounds thatcontain both aspirin and an antacid,or many non-aspirin drugs that mightbe easier to take. But as far asfighting the pain and inflammation ofarthritis, these medicines "are nobetter than aspirin and they're a lotmore expensive," Dr. Forman pointsout.
"One of the best things you cando for arthritis that involves theknees, hips or back is to keep yourweight down," Dr. Forman notes.Extra pounds place an extra load onthe body's joints, and can make anarthritic condition worse.
TOT' USE WORRIES DOCTORS (con't)contains much more of a mind-altering chemical known, for short,as THC.
Younosters are smoking thisstronger pot at an earlier age and inmuch greater amounts than everbefore.
How will this affect their health inthe future? Doctors aren't certain,but they point to new evidenceshowing that heavy use of marijuanamay do long-term damage to theheart, lungs and reproductiveorgans. One study showed that fivemarijuana cigarettes a week weremore harmful to the lungs than 6packs of regular cigarettes smokedduring the same period. Anotherstudy showed that pot can speedup the heart rate by up to 50%, and
may be dangerous for people wi hheart problems.
In short, when smoked regularly,pot may be at least as hazardous tothe health as regular cigarette'--and perhaps more so. It may be20 years or more before these earlyfindings can be proven ordisproven, but in the meantime, pot-smoking youngsters may be doinggreat harm to themselves.
Probably the most serious short-term danger of marijuana is that it in-terferes with a person's coordina-tion and reflexes for several hours,making it dangerous for him or herto drive a car. Many injuries anddeaths have resulted from ac-cidents caused by drivers who were"high."*.
(con't)Strenuous exercises l;ke jogging
or tennis can also damace the joints.Instead, Dr. Forman recommendsgentle, gradual exercises, such aswalking or swimming, that helpreduce stiffness without causing in-jury.
When arthritis is severe, doctorsmay treat it with a variety of drugsincluding gold salts, cortisone andrelated medicines. If all else fails,surgery may be necessary.
"There have been tremendousstrides in the area of joint replace-ment, particularly the hips andknees," Dr. Forman says. But hecautions that arthritis patients"should always go for a secondopinion befor:., agreeing to electivearthritis surgery."
Vol. 1 No. 2 1930
YOUR HEALTH is pubii5he-d by the Depart-ment of Preventive Medicine and CommunityHealth, Downstate Medical Center. as a ser-vice for the Brooklyn community.
Pascal James Imperato. M.D.Professor and Chairman
Barbara HabenstreitEditor
Taiah BellinDirector, Community Outreach Programs
Masthead Design: Tony VillapazArtwork: Rick Doering
The views expressed in this newsletter donot necessarily represent official policies ofthe Downstate Medical Center, nor are theyintended as medical advice for individual pro-blems. The latter should be obtained fromyour doctor.
DEPARTMENT OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINEAND COMMUNITY HEALTHDownstate Medical Center Box 43State University of New York450 Clarkson AvenueBrooklyn, NY 11203
NonProlit Org.U.S PostagePaidBrooklyn. N.Y.Permit No. 10045
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Bliss, Tamara, et al. The Doing Book: An Experiential Approachto Consumer Education.
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Creland, Charles Carr. Mental Retardation: A DevelopmentalApproach. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1978.
Educational Service, Inc. Choice: Suggested Activities toMotivate the Teaching of Economics. 1975.
Feldhusen, John F. and Donald J. Freffinger. Creative Thinkingand Problem Solving in Gifted Education. Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1980.
Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Herderand Herder, 1970.
Friedman, Paul R. The Rights of Mentally Retarded Persons.New York: Avon/American Civil Liberties Union, 1976.
Joyce, Bruce. Models of Teaching. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.:Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1972.
Mager, Robert F. Goal Analysis. Belmont, CA: Fearon Publishers,1972.
Newman, Stephen and Nancy Kramer. Getting What You Deserve: AHandbook for the Assertive Consumer. New York: Doubledayand Company, 1979.
Popham, W. James. Establishing Instructional Goals. EnglewoodCliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1970.
Simon, Sidney; Leland W. Howe; Howard Kirschenbaum. ValuesClassification. New York: A & W Visual Library, 1978.
Sanders, Norris M. Classroom Questions: What Kinds? New York:Harper and Row, 1966.
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