Faith CoLab: Tapestry of Faith: Riddle and Mystery: A Program on the Big Questions for Grade 6

Activity 3: WCUU - Advice Panel

Activity time: 20 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • Microphone(s), video camera(s) and tripod(s), real or simulated
  • Timepiece (minutes)
  • For studio set
    • Backdrop made in Session 1
    • Painter's tape or masking tape
  • Leader Resource 2, WCUU Script - Advice Panel
  • Leader Resource 3, UU Guest Panelists
  • Leader Resource 4, WCUU Life Questions
  • Paper for On-Air People's name cards, markers and string or tape
  • A copy of the Unitarian Universalist Principles and Sources (Session 1, Leader Resource 1, or a poster in your meeting space)
  • Optional: Leader Resource 5, Outstanding UUs
  • Optional: Music player for theme song (see Session 1)
  • Optional: Studio lights (flashlights will do)

Preparation for Activity

  • Retrieve real or simulated television studio equipment, backdrop made in Session 1 and other WCUU materials.
  • Arrange furniture so as many panelists as you will have can face the Anchor and a studio audience. Set up and test equipment and post backdrop. If you plan to record WCUU:
    • Make sure electrical outlets are nearby if you will need them.
    • Pay attention to lighting. Do not set On-Air People in front of a sunlit window.
    • If you are using on-camera microphones, direct On-Air People to speak toward the camera. Invite the Director or Floor Director to use the phrase "Quiet on the Set... Rolling... " followed by a silent countdown from five, using the fingers of one hand, ending with pointing to the On-Air Person to cue them to begin speaking.
  • Copy Leader Resource 2 for everyone who will need a script for the broadcast. This script has one Anchor who will moderate a panel discussion and field audience questions. You may have up to 11 Panelists and as many as you wish in the audience. If the group is small, co-leaders can be Studio Crew. If the group is large, Studio Crew members might include a director, a floor director, a camera operator, a sound engineer, a lighting director, a script supervisor and multiple production assistants; many of these can also be audience members.
  • Decide how you will form the Panel. Print out Leader Resource 3 to prepare up to five youth to role play generic UUs at various stages of adult life. Print out Leader Resource 5 to prepare up to six youth to role play prominent individuals from Unitarian Universalist history.
  • Make name cards for Panelists or set our supplies for the youth to make their own name cards.
  • Print out Leader Resource 4 to provide audience members with questions to ask the Panelists.
  • Decide how much time to give the broadcast and decide who will watch the time. Because this script is open-ended, you or a youth Studio Crew member (director or floor director) will need to watch the time and give the Anchor a signal when there are three minutes left, then two, then one and finally when it is time to wrap up the show.

Description of Activity

Participants present a televised WCUU segment involving seven On-Air People-an Anchor, a NUUs (pronounced "News") Analyst, and Panelists including UU Parent, UU Minister, UU Religious Educator, UU Young Adult College Student and UU Faith in Action Person. Optional: Use Leader Resource 5 to give the youth role-play instructions to portray up to six additional Panelists, all prominent UUs from history. You will also need a few youth to ask questions from the audience. The Studio Crew might include a director, a floor director, a camera operator, a sound engineer, a lighting director, a script supervisor and multiple production assistants-some Studio Crew members can also be in the audience.

Explain that in this WCUU broadcast, a panel of informed UUs advise youth about how they can answer the question "What should I do with my life?" Youth who do not have other assigned parts will be audience members asking questions of the panelists.

Assign roles, using volunteers. You might invite the Kid for the Day to be the Anchor or the NUUs Analyst. Note that the script calls for the Anchor to improvise as they moderate a panel discussion.

Distribute the script, the roles (Leader Resources 3 and 5) and the audience questions (Leader Resource 4) to the youth who need them. Give participants who will follow the script a moment to look it over. Make sure the Anchor's script includes all of the Panelists' names. Review the script with the youth if any may have limited reading skills.

Tell the group when the show should end to keep the session on schedule; assign a Studio Crew member (director or floor director) to watch the time.

Begin the broadcast.

After the broadcast, ask participants how it went. Ask them to summarize a UU response to today's Big Question: What should I do with my life? Do they think non-UU viewers would understand Unitarian Universalism better after seeing the broadcast? Did WCUU provide any new ideas for making life decisions?