Customer Reviews

Understanding Government Boxed Set

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This set of tapes was very disappointing. The makers of these films need to sit down with a typical middle schooler or have some experienced teachers provide them some guidance. The producers clearly do not have a grasp of what engages a teenager (adults would be bored too). In the tapes, talking heads dominate . Many sections look like a slide show with text superimposed. The background music is positively awful and the narration is monotonous. Suggestions: Use clips from CSPAN with Congressmen going after it. Use more Senators, justices and Administrative workers and let them explain what they do. Find some entertaining personality to guide the viewer through the show and interview people instead of using a narrator's voice-over. Use anecdotes. Loosen up. Have some fun. Inject some humor. I would agree that the tapes are fairly informative but if you are a teacher be forewarned: your students will lose interest very quickly.

This boxed provides an excellent introduction to understanding the workings and traditions of the three branches of American government. The videos cover the Presidency, Congress and the Supreme Court in an informative manner combining history, contemporary commentary and academic experts providing analysis and interesting insights. For an English student of American politics these videos made an ideal introduction to understanding the different arrangements and idiosyncracies of the US political system. This collection is not entertainment but good solid educational presentation and is well worth the money I paid.

This set of tapes was very disappointing. The makers of these films need to sit down with a typical middle schooler or have some experienced teachers provide them some guidance. The producers clearly do not have a grasp of what engages a teenager (adults would be bored too). In the tapes, talking heads do a lot of talking. Many sections look like a slide show with text superimposed. The background music is positively awful and the narration is monotonous. Suggestions: Use clips from CSPAN with Congressmen going after it. Use more Senators, justices and Administrative workers and let them explain what they do. Find some entertaining personality to guide the viewer through the show and interview people instead of using a narrator's voice-over. Use anecdotes. Loosen up. Have some fun. Inject some humor. I would agree that the tapes are fairly informative but if you are a teacher be forewarned: your students will lose interest very quickly.