My work with students in public schools has spanned pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. After ten years of teaching students from very diverse economic and ethnic backgrounds in Houston's public schools, I continue to be concerned about my students' abilities to question what they see and hear on television, in films, and through advertising. I have come to the conclusion that dialogue is not a natural occurrence in families today after viewing films and television programs, even though visual entertainment is a daily part of their lives. Therefore, this curriculum unit attempts to engage students in a discussion about the things they hear and see on TV, with the hopes that the social and family situations depicted on those programs can be placed and understood in their proper historical and cultural contexts. This unit is especially applicable to teachers of English, social studies, and English as a second language.